DEMOCRACY BURLESQUE

OUR NEW REAL AND TRUE WEBSITE IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION!

2010-12-06T13:16:00.004-06:00

Hello! If you have arrived at this Blog, perhaps you want to know more about Chicago's best Political Sketch Comedy group.

You can find some information (old information) on this blog much of which is likely still true BUT we are an all volunteer organization with many many projects and on our plates and limited time to work and frankly... this blog has fallen by the wayside. You are terribly shocked, we're sure.

However, we are now focusing our energies on our real website, Youtube videos, Facebook Page, Radio and Live perfomance projects and we hope you will vist those venues for more up to date information.

Sincerely,
The Actors of Evil

Our Next Show!

2009-09-03T11:40:00.005-05:00

Hot for Teacher!

Featuring musical guest - Jonathan Stevens

Stand-Up Comedians Dustin White

& Ben Golden

and sketch comedy from the Actors of Evil!

Mary's Attic

5400 N Clark St.

Tuesdays April 27th, May 4th & 11th

Learning to Laugh? Laugh about Learning at our new show: Hot for Teacher! Its an edgy sketch comedy show about Education, Mis-education and Re-Education. Its a great new season of laughs in a great new location at Mary's Attic in the heart of Andersonville. Proceeds benefit Open Books Ltd. promoting literacy in Chicago and Beyond!

The show begins at 7:30PM
$15 General Admission (includes one drink of your choice from the bar)
$10 Students and Designated Drivers

Cash Only

A Chain E-mail for Reasonable Discourse

2009-09-03T11:16:00.004-05:00

You may be aware of chain e-mails out there that espouse fear and spread misinformation. The Radical Moderate has posted a response to such things with a chain e-mail intended to speak to anyone who sees him/herself as a reasonable and rational person and hopefully cause people to not take everything in their inbox at face value.

While its not riotously funny, we at Democracy Burlesque feel we should help encourage rational discourse through every means we have available to us.

If you like what The Radical Moderate has to say, simply cut and paste the text below into an e-mail and send it off to everyone you know who cares about America's political future.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

A letter to the people of the United States from The Radical Moderate:
The times we live in are rife with uncertainty, fear and anger. We are polarized in ways never seen before in our nation’s history and many of us wish to act but are stifled by the noise of others who do not have our best interests in mind or we find ourselves mislead and misdirected in ways which add to the cacophony.
There are few simple answers to the problems we face and complex issues will always be a part of our lives. But there are some simple suggestions I’d like for people to keep in mind while coping with the trails of living in the modern age:
1.) Breathe –
It’s a medical fact that you need oxygen going to the brain in order to think clearly. So whenever you find yourself confronted with difficulties, take a moment to breathe deeply before you begin deciding what to do.
2.) Believe in the inherent goodwill of your fellow Americans –
Remember that despite the fact that we often find ourselves in disagreement, generally if someone is taking the time to argue with you, then it is likely they care about our future as much as you do. Give those you disagree with the respect you think you deserve and refrain from speaking out/yelling/shouting in blind anger or frustration. The Golden rule applies as does “Love your enemy” (Matt 5:43-48).
3.) Know that Love lifts us up where we belong-
Joe Cocker’s song may be cheesy, but it’s a nice and arguably true sentiment. From love comes all those qualities in people we hold dear and it is only when we rise above the muck and the mire of the conflicts we wish to cope with that we can find successful resolutions. If we come to a discussion from a place of love and respect for ourselves and our neighbors we will create a constructive environment wherein progress can be made.
4.) Remember: the information age is also the misinformation age –
Just about everyone agrees that the modern media has biases. These biases are based on making money/staying in business and as such, they tend to report in ways which sell papers, magazines, ad-space, air-time etc. Our populace is politically polarized right now so its understandable that the media would be as well. So, take everything you hear from any ‘news source’ with a grain of salt (especially e-mail forwards like this one). If you hear something outrageous or inflammatory… its possible you are hearing a partial story, a half-truth or in some cases an outright piece of misinformation.
Despite the ease with which news travels, we must be more mindful to do more research on our own and work harder to ensure we get the whole story on important issues. This is especially important when hearing ‘exciting’/inflammatory news which you agree with (remember that preaching to the choir pays the news purveyors’ bills). If you believe strongly about an issue, make sure you have your facts straight so you can discuss it rather than just rant. Generally its good to check news sites/blogs with opposing viewpoints and see where they overlap in their coverage to find the facts in the matter.
Here are a few fact checking sites that may help as well
www.politifact.com
www.factcheck.org
www.snopes.com
5.) Disregard statements intended to induce fear and anger –
Frank Herbert’s take on fear is rather accurate and eloquent and his advice valuable.
I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain.
Anger is not wholly bad when it is arises as controlled righteous indignation but when it is reactionary in nature and uncontrolled, it becomes damaging and harmful to everyone within its influence. So, be wary of messages which call upon you to be angry since anger can cloud your judgment and lead you to believe false or inaccurate statements.
6.) Remember: Not every voice you hear has your best interests in mind-
Just because you are presented with a seemingly reasonable point of view doesn’t mean your best interests are in the minds of those presenting that viewpoint. In a democracy such as ours, policy is made by attempting to meet the needs of the voters as identified by those voters. The only way an organization of any kind can hold sway over public policy is to get voters to support or allow their point of view to affect lawmakers. Lobbyists can only do so much when the electorate is paying attention. Too often… voters find themselves voting for policy which goes against their own best interests because they listen to organizations who have their own interests in mind. So, before you support any organization’s assertions on public policy, consider what is required for you and your family to benefit from the policies they are asking you to support. Will the policies they espouse help you and those you care about as you are? Or do you need to meet certain requirements or make certain sacrifices to benefit from these policies and are those requirements/sacrifices possible to meet or worth it to you and those you love?
7.) Remember that with Diversity comes strength–
Mother nature shows us time and time again that the more diverse an ecosystem is, the more stable it is and the more likely it is to survive calamity. America is the great ‘melting pot’ or as Edward James Olmos has famously described it, a salad bowl where each ingredient maintains its identity while adding to the flavor of the whole. The diversity of cultures and ideas in our country is unparalleled. While this can lead to conflict, it also is a great source of strength to us. So it behooves us to make an effort to appreciate the varying perspectives available to us if we wish to make use of that strength and not fall victim to calamity due to shortsightedness.
8.) Get the facts straight before you enter a debate-
I was recently reminded by a friend that a key part of a debate is searching for arguments that support a particular viewpoint. That means if your goal is simply to enter a debate on a particular side, your research into the issue at hand will be faulty and your ‘facts’ will be one sided and possibly inaccurate. It would be best for all of us if we all took a scientific approach to issues before entering into debate about them – Meaning we would all start with an unbiased search for answers and examine the facts surrounding an issue before deciding which course of action to support. If everyone did this we’d have fewer and more meaningful debates.
9.) Moderation is hard but worth it-
Whether it comes to a healthy diet, work or play, moderation is key to maintaining one’s overall health, happiness and sanity.
Plato describes Moderation as the ability to control desires and to be the master of one’s self.
If that is true then a Moderate is a truly independent person, able to balance their passions with reason, honesty, factual information and self control. It has nothing to do with compromising for the sake of satisfying others or “seeking the middle.” Quite the opposite, it means choosing to take the hard road of unbiased consideration of the facts and multiple points of view, weighing the varying outcomes before choosing the best approach to each individual issue rather than making decisions based on a preconceived viewpoint, platform or pure idealism.
Being a Radical Moderate boils down to choosing what is the best and most effective course of action and having the courage to advocate it strongly regardless of the source of the proposal and who agrees or disagrees with it… which often means making enemies of ideologues.
10.) Its up to you what happens next–
If you agree with what I’ve said here and find it valuable, then I encourage you to pass it on. If you disagree, then don’t pass it along. No curse or judgment will be upon you.
In the event you do forward this text to anyone, I will ask that you allow for any mistakes or mis-speech to remain with the author and not cut or alter this text in any way leaving it whole and unadulterated.
If you take issue with any particular point made herein or wish to add your own comments (which I encourage), I simply request that for the sake of honesty and clarity that you differentiate your statements from those above.
Lastly, do everyone a favor and take responsibility for what you forward by removing excess copies of text and comments made by previous forwarders that don’t add anything to the conversation when viewed by the people you are mailing it to, this is a long enough read as it is…. And oh yeah, Use BCC please, no need to share all your contacts’ e-mail addresses with one another.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and may you find stability, happiness and most importantly love for yourself, those close to you and your fellow Americans.
- The Radical Moderate

2009-09-03T10:30:00.001-05:00

Be a Cause Celebre
Democracy Burlesque plays host to Chicago area charities, raising money and collecting supplies on their behalf. If you are a part of a cause that could use some money or an influx of material donations and spread the word about what you do, contact us!

Join the Mayhem!
We are always looking for contributors to the show. Writers, Graphic Artists, Political Junkies and Performers of all sorts are encouraged to contact us about contributing to Democracy Burlesque and Democracyburlesque.com

We Need More Bloggers!
If you have the gift of gab and political discourse and enjoy making people laugh... Let Us Know! We are looking for People to be regular contributors to the blog and there is room for additional moderators. Drop us a LINE!

Thank you for your interest and we will be looking forward to some excellent conversations.

I dreamed I saw Luis from "Sesame Street" last night . . .

2009-05-14T07:03:00.002-05:00

. . . not exactly "live as you or me," but in the following video, which I hope you will enjoy: http://www.artists4workerschoice.org/

TRM shares a Thought

2009-05-04T15:06:00.003-05:00

The Radical Moderate would like to share a thought... though it is likely others have said the same, a specific link couldn't be found.

Science is the greatest tool we have to solve problems.
and
Faith is what allows us to believe the problems can be solved.

In other words, Faith and Science aren't mutually exclusive, they simply serve different, though vital, roles.

-TRM

LBJ Tapes Reveal Nixon's Aides may have Commited Treason

2009-05-04T14:51:00.003-05:00

News Post From The Radical Moderate -

It seems during the Run-up to the 1968 Election that aides to Nixon may have intentionally discouraged peace talks with the Vietnamese, suggesting that if they waited to sign a peace treaty after the election, Nixon would ensure the South Vietnamese would get a better deal than through LBJ.

At best, the tapes that have been declassified indicate Nixon was a part of some seriously underhanded political maneuvering and at worst, was party to committing treason.

This link will take you to an in depth analysis of the tapes and the implications. - Not for the Feint of heart.

This may not be a New issue, but it points to a systemic issue in our nation's partisan political system. This kind of thing is exactly what drives a Moderate to Radical Ranting and Raving.

-TRM

Newspost - From the Radical Moderate!

2009-04-28T11:53:00.008-05:00

Arlen Spectre

Yeah we disagree on some key issues (he is/was a Republican after all) but one can respect the idea of a politician seeking to represent the views of his constituents, he has been elected time after time based on his record and platform and has split from his party on a number of issues in the past (the stimulus package in particular). There is plenty of evidence that Arlen is in fact just following the people he represents as Pennsylvanians have been leaving the republican party in droves since before the November election . As a result, TRM would like to believe Mr. Spectre's Party switch is genuinely because he finds himself and his constituents' needs better met by the Dems and not just because he is being challenged in the republican primaries. Have you looked at the guy running against him? He's a neo-conservative nightmare!

SO! Show a little support for a politician putting his money where his mouth is when it comes to representing the people in his state (Pennsylvania did go strongly in Obama's favor last November after-all). Give him the benefit of the doubt, take him at his word and reserve the snarking and questioning of his motives until his future actions deserve it.

That's right you extra Lefty folks! Calm Down! Some of you are already frothing at the mouth to cut Arlen off at the knees, and for what? Agreeing with you for once? Getting the Dems closer to a filibuster proof majority? Hopefully helping pass genuine health care reform? Likely voting strongly along party lines at least until the mid-terms? Consider your options and really think before you go for blood. You go after him and create a party destroying fracas in Pennsylvania and you could end up with Toomey and that would be far far worse than having a democrat who breaks with the party on a vote from time to time. In other words, Don't cut off your nose to spite your face.

- TRM

Rantings From - The Radical Moderate

2009-04-24T15:02:00.004-05:00

Why is everyone Freaking out! I know times are tough, the future is in question and the planet is in trouble but seriously what happened to common sense and patience?

Its barely 100 Days into the Obama Administration and you'd think everything that has been done is all we'll ever see and the rest of the term is forfeit. Both sides Need to calm the F- down!

This is what I am hearing -

On the Right: OMG we've elected a Communist! Western Democracy Is Dead and Obama Killed it Single handedly so he can usher in the New Socialist order... Soon, Christianity will be outlawed by the atheist liberals, but you'll be arrested if you ever say anything bad about Islam and Sharia law will be declared across the country... And a tax cut for 90% of Americans and restoring taxes on income over $250k to Regan era levels will cause everyone to decide they don't want to be rich anymore and every business in the country will fail!... What do you mean Torture is wrong?! Its the only thing protecting us the terrorists!!!

On the Left: OMG Nothing's happened! Obama wasn't able to just waive his hands and set everything right over night. Why isn't every member of the Bush administration in Jail?! Why isn't Cheney in a carnival dunk tank with an opportunity for everyone to throw a ball at the button to drown him instead of running a facebook page supporting torture?! Free Speech Is awesome- except when anyone on the right opens their mouth, its too much work to debate with them and educate people. Why aren't all these complicated issues about the war on terror done with?! Can't we just drop everything in Iraq and Afganistan and hope for the best? We didn't make the mess so we don't have to clean up after it!... We want change and revenge! NOT the reasoned, patient, informed and intelligent decision making we SAID we were voting for!
WTF!!!!!

Ok everyone! STOP IT! Its annoying and unfunny.

If your are Mad and unsatisfied, take this little bit of advice:
Start acting the way you SAY people should act. If you have problems with what is being done... First make an honest effort to find out WHY things are being done that way THEN, if you still don't agree, get vocal in a productive way! Educate the people around you on the issues you care about and try to come up with a SOLUTION that A.) Is actually possible to make happen, B.) Causes the most good with the least amount of destruction (just because it feels good to punish your adversaries, doesn't mean you are doing anything to help make things better) AND C.) Try to think about the LONG TERM and make that integral to your solution

I believe the primary reason we are in the trouble we are now is because we as a society are so focused on the short term. If we can stop being penny-wise and pound-stupid we might create the kind of real stability we actually need.

And the Most important lesson I have ever learned is, don't forget to LAUGH! If you can't find a way to laugh ), you are in no place to help, because Laughter is the greatest medicine.

If you need help with that, remember... Poop is funny.

just the word - Poop

hehe

*chuckle...

poop

*sigh

- The Radical Moderate

American Reindeer video

2007-12-23T17:44:00.000-06:00

Rudolph must go home!

Video created for Democracy Burlesque by Greg landgraf and Tom Jones

Vacationing Holiday Icons: The Most Wonderful Time

2007-12-16T13:10:00.000-06:00

From the DB archives: Holiday pageant, December 2006

sketch author: Jim McCarthy

Actors: Aaron Gang (tooth fairy), Dan kennedy (Easter Bunny), and Greg Langraf (Santa Claus)

Musical underscore: Tom Jones

BUCKY HALKER WITH DEMOCRACY BURLESQUE DEC. 11 8pm AT THE NO EXIT CAFE

2007-12-03T12:14:00.001-06:00

http://www.buckyhalker.com/

A tall man with a big voice and big songs delivered with truth, character, and conviction. Born 1954, Beaver Dam, Wisconsin and raised in Ashland, WI, a worn-down iron-ore and lumbering town. Took piano lessons and listened to polkas, country, and early rock and roll as a kid. At age 8 he was already on the airwaves of the family’s 1000 watt AM radio station, WATW. “I worked with Santa Claus on the air from Thanksgiving to Christmas Eve. He talked and I read the letters to Santa from the kids. I loved it. I was Santa’s helper. Way cooler than the livestock reports and the polkas!”

Started playing guitar and gigging locally. “Girls were a big incentive! I wanted to be like Elvis or John Lennon, but I liked the way Dylan smoked.” Hit 16, discovered cigarettes, black coffee, Woody Guthrie and folk music, Lightnin’ Hopkins and acoustic blues. ”Along with a democratic vision, America’s greatest gift to the world is the blues and the jazz and rock that grew out of it.” Got a BA in history (1976), followed by MA and PhD. Continued to do solo acoustic gigs and front rock bands and released first album A Sense of Place in 1984, a collection of his acoustic originals.

Eight albums have followed, all of which draw heavily on country, rockabilly, folk, blues, bluegrass, and rock and roll. Alt-country and Americana long before any marketing director or trendy ‘zine used the term. Welcome To Labor Land, (2002 USA and Europe) features Bucky’s interpretations of Illinois labor and working-class protest songs from 1865-1955. Long-time musical comrades The Complete Unknowns joined him on the recording.

Bucky’s new CD Wisconsin, 2-13-63, volume 1, includes twelve originals and guest performances from some of Chicago’s best musicians. The CD was released in Europe in the Spring of 2006 and in the USA in 2007.

A prominent scholar of working-class history, he also wrote For Democracy, Workers, and God: Labor Song-Poems and Labor Protest 1865-1895 (University of Illinois Press, 1991). Bucky is also the producer of Folksongs of Illinois, a three-CD series that documents the rich and diverse heritage of Illinois folk and popular music. The series utilizes archival, 78, LP, and contemporary studio recordings and will be released in 2007 by the University of Illinois Press.

SUPPORT HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN 773.465.5770

2007-12-03T11:51:00.002-06:00

http://www.how-inc.org/

THE SECOND ANNUAL
DEMOCRACY BURLESQUE HOLIDAY PAGEANT

Musical Guest: Bucky Halker

WHEN: TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11 at 8PM
WHERE: THE NO EXIT CAFE ROGERS PARK
6970 N. GLENWOOD
WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE!

$10 (cheap!) or what you can afford at the door.

A CANNED FOOD AND CHILDREN'S GIFT DRIVE IS BEING CONDUCTED, TO BENEFIT CAUSE CELEBRE HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN. PLEASE BRING WHAT YOU CAN!

_____________________________________

Contact Us
Administrative Offices
1607 West Howard Street
Second Floor
Chicago, Illinois 60626

For information on housing availability or volunteer opportunities, please contact:
Intake/Volunteer Coordinator - Jeong Shin ( jshin@how-inc.org)
Telephone: (773) 465-5770
Facsimile: (773) 465-5771

Britt Shawver
Executive Director

Agency Staff

Board of Directors

The HOW Philosophy.

HOW believes that housing is a right.

We see the potential in all people to become more self-sufficient when given the opportunity for stability in their lives. This includes access to safe, affordable housing and the support needed to meet their goals.

For more information, please contact us at 773.465.5770.

______________________

Refer someone to HOW using our Referral Form.

HOW's Permanent Supportive Housing Program

HOW's Permanent Supportive Housing Program is the mechanism through which HOW is implementing its Housing First strategy. The Permanent Supportive Housing Program is comprised of the following components:

Subsidized Housing
Prevention and Retention
Supportive Services
In addition to these existing programs HOW added the Service Connector Program. For more information click here: Service Connector

Subsidized Housing

The goal of Subsidized Housing is to help homeless women and children exit the homeless shelter system as quickly as possible by providing rental subsidies to secure permanent housing. Women and their families are identified from transitional programs and selected after thorough screening and assessment.

HOW provides housing through a combination of scattered-site apartments and a building-based approach. HOW works with landlords; secures additional housing subsidies, locates and leases new units, transitions women into housing, provides property management services to existing units, and initiates new project development.

In FY07, HOW expects to serve even more women and children.

Prevention and Retention

Prevention and Retention is designed to help people retain their housing and prevent them from recycling into, or entering the homeless system. HOW accomplishes this in several ways:

* Cash grants made to those who need one-time rent or utility assistance to prevent them from becoming homeless.
As this program continues to grow and is able to serve a greater number of individuals, it will ultimately reduce homelessness by stabilizing low-income families before homelessness occurs.

* HOW provides on-going support services to women who have been in HOW's programs and moved into independent housing in the community. Individual and group services include crisis intervention, resource advocacy, and linkages to community services. Follow-up case management services help support women in retaining housing and employment and maintaining sobriety and stability.

Supportive Services

Supportive services are the core component of HOW programming and are an integral part of HOW?s Permanent Supportive Housing Program. Supportive services help women establish and achieve employment goals, reconnect to the community, access community services, build social networks, and stabilize their lives.

Comprehensive Case Management
Case Managers work with women to develop a Transition Plan to establish short- and long-term goals. Case Managers provide the support and assistance each woman requires in order to accomplish her goals.

Employment Services
Economic independence is vital to regaining self-sufficiency and retaining housing. An Employment Specialist and Job Developer work in conjunction to ensure clients secure and maintain living wage employment.

Groups
Support groups give women the opportunity to share their experiences and receive mutual support. These include relapse prevention, domestic violence, parenting, and empowerment groups.

Educational groups provide information and impart life skills that help women stabilize their lives and achieve self-sufficiency. These include topics such as tenant-based workshops, and home maintenance groups. In FY06, HOW also added financial literacy to the topics, to further ensure success.

Children & Youth Services Assists children and youth in HOW's programs in healing from the trauma of homelessness and helps to build their capacity to live up to their fullest potential.

Patient Navigator/Health Services HOW's health care services provides clients with a network of health services including Recovery Support, Domestic Violence Advocacy and Support, Chronic Health Care Services, Physical and Mental Health support led by a Patient Navigator, and Health and Wellness Activities.

Community Outreach

Partners for Rogers Park HOW is the lead organization in a newly established community and faith-based collaborative. This group works to ensure the continued and long-term social and economic well-being of the Rogers Park community.

Housing Locator Services A full-time Housing Locator assists community residents at-risk of homelessness in securing affordable housing in the Rogers Park community as a further community-based effort to prevent an initial occurence of homelessness.

Service Connector
Additionally in FY06 HOW became a Service Connector agency, helping to empower CHA residents to achieve and maintain long-term self-suffiency

Merry Christmas: Food Bank Crisis 2007

2007-12-02T09:53:00.000-06:00

I tip my hat to our master blogger, who pointed this out to me - and the New York Times has verified: the Bush White House's Department of Agriculture has lost many of its surpluses, leaving food banks across the U.S. to scrape and claw this holiday season. Story here: Food Banks, In A Squeeze, Tighten Belts

So YOU have a chance to help, just a little bit, by bringing some canned goods, gift certificates, etc., to the December DEMOCRACY BURLESQUE show. As we did last year, we're going to help Rogers Park's Housing Opportunities for Women for this show, and besides also bringing children's gifts with you, the food drive will be especially important and constructive.

But even if you can't make it December 11 (and why can't you?!?!), think of the various Chicago food banks and organizations with food banks, raid your pantries, and take an extra trip to Costco this month.

It's a great way to contribute!

RACHEL FRIEND SPECIAL APPEARANCE

2007-11-07T13:29:00.000-06:00

Democracy Burlesque welcomes back this month an old friend - - Rachel Friend that is. In this picture she can be seen in a past show demostrating the merits of "Freedom Water" complete with cowgirl hat. This month she and Greg Landgraf will feature one of Democracy Burlesque's original songs "Love on an Ice Floe".

When she is not singing, Rachel is a biking enthusiast involved with groups like Chicago Critical Mass.

other DB friends reappearing this month are Dan Carroll and Aaron Gang.

Worldview Program: Geopolitics of Drugs

2007-10-31T14:10:00.000-05:00

Last week NPR's local Chicago based program "Worldview" did an AMAZING week long series on the global drug trade and specifically the connection between our government, the CIA, and global drug trafficking. listen to the series online if you missed it.

http://www.chicagopublicradio.org/program_wv.aspx

Also at "contact" at the site be sure to write and tell them that the producer of the program, who is relatively new, did an excellent job.

______________________________________

http://www.wbez.org/content.aspx?audioID=14304

from worldview: Geopolitics of Drugs

Before President Bush proposed giving the Mexican government more than a billion dollars in aid to fight the war on drugs last week…We noticed a strange phenomenon.

Either it’s a series of coincidences,
Or it’s evidence of serious corruption…

They have a word for it in Spanish:

MARIO MENENDEZ RODRIGUEZ “Narcoavion, that’s how we say it”

Drug Planes.

And if you try to figure what happened to one of these planes, you’ll discover just how little you’re allowed to know

SECRETARY: “I’m not allowed to answer any questions regarding the aircraft”

...about the world of private jets and drugs.
So let’s start out with what we are allowed to know.
On a late Sunday Night last month, an American Gulfstream two private jet, crash-landed into the jungles of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula.

It managed to avoid catching fire, skidding across the jungle floor, and splitting into three pieces. Mexican TV showed images of the plane and its cargo… dozens of “military style” duffel bags containing several metric tons of cocaine. [1]

The reason this made the news is the history of the plane, tail number N987SA…Starting in 2003, the plane made several trips from Washington and Connecticut to Guantanamo Bay. This led to questions of its use by military or intelligence agencies. Since... how many people really fly from Connecticut to Guantanamo?

JAY ROOT: I mean, if you’re flyin to Guantanamo, its government business,

That was Jay Root, he reported on the plane for McClatchy Newspapers with his partner Kevin Hall.

KEVIN HALL: The CIA’s confirmed it was used, it was not confirmed now, it was confirmed in earlier reports through the tail numbers

The plane shows up on the list of CIA planes compiled for the EU human rights investigation into the “extraordinary rendition” program. Still, just being used in the program doesn't mean it was ever used to transfer prisoners. Only 2% of the its flights had prisoners on board… the rest were logistical support.

ROOT: You know in some cases, soldiers literally, or you know, CIA interrogators missed starbucks coffee so they would fly in some Starbucks coffee.

But even if the CIA was just using it for coffee runs…it was still a CIA jet. But the big question is: Was it still a CIA jet at the time it crashed full of drugs?

OFFICIAL: I can neither confirm nor deny

Tracing who the last owner was raises more questions than it answers. First: FAA records show the company that had the plane during its Guantanamo flights sold it on August 30[2]

The new owner? "Donna Blue Aircraft"[3] a corporation recently registered in South Florida to two Brazilians

HALL: one of these mailboxes-are-us type of business

Donnablueaircraft dot com was registered just ten days before they bought the plane[4] So is this just a Front Company? Investigative journalist Daniel Hopsicker visited Donna Blue’s listed address… He found an empty office suite, a blank sign, and six unmarked police cruisers parked in front.[5]

HOPSICKER: It’s a phony front company

Exactly who these Brazilians are is a whole ‘nuther story

HOPSICKER: Non-US citizens are not allowed to own N-Numbered Planes…and…neither one of these guys appears to be a US Citizen

HALL: he didn’t check either box as to whether he was a US citizen

After just two weeks, the plane was sold again in another mysterious transaction. The only evidence for this is an anomalous bill of sale with the name of the new owner: “Clyde O’Connor” He’s a well-known guy around Ft. Lauderdale Executive Airport.

HALL: I had the sense they seemed to have known more about him than they were letting on, he seems to be a veteran around that area, who’s got a bit of a checkered past.

O’Connor’s been involved in at least two plane crashes and he was cited for Criminal Air Safety Violations in 2001,

NORMAN: He’d gone through bankruptcies, a divorce, he’s a chronic traffic offender

Florida reporter [and Blogger @ the Broward Palm Beach New Times] Bob Norman tried to track down O’Connor.

NORMAN: He’s a slippery guy, … and where the money’s coming from, I think that’s a big question

Kevin Hall was wondering about O’Connor’s money too.

HALL: …seems to own a $450,000 house, so he seems to be doin pretty well even though his businesses are going bad

He has two corporations registered in his name, but they’re run out of Post Office Boxes and their phones are disconnected. Bob went looking for O’Connor at Ft. Lauderdale executive airport. He just missed him.

NORMAN: I don’t know why he was there but it was the talk of the airport

So Bob reported he had been seen around the Ft Lauderdale airport days after the crash. The same day his story came out, O’Connor left the country in a hurry.[6] He flew to Canada and was arrested right away for lying about the guns in his bag.[7] Then, he paid several thousand dollars to get his plane back and then flew it to the Azores. He still doesn’t appear to be under investigation for any wrongdoing, despite being the cocaine plane’s owner of record. This really gets Bob Norman’s goat…

NORMAN: This is a trail that needs to be investigated, Clyde O’Connor needs to be investigated

And according to the bill of sale…He was the lawful owner of the plane.

SLACK: Even though the paperwork may not be on record and filed, presumptive ownership transfers on the date of sale

There’s another big question about Clyde…

ROOT: Who actually piloted the plane out of the US was it Mr. O’Connor, who wasn’t certified?…

So did he fly it illegally or did someone else fly it?
And also: who gave O’Connor the money to buy the plane?
According to the Brazilian owner, O’Connor was buying the plane on behalf of someone else… Then who’s he buying it for?
There was another name on the bill of Sale: Greg Smith, the only person involved in the deal not to have left the country. So Dan Hopsicker tried to get his side of the story,

HOPSICKER: The pilots aren’t talking to the press so I asked someone who I know does business with the two pilots to call and Greg Smith blurted out ‘it was Don’s money’…

That’s Don Whittington, a convicted drug smuggler, tax evader and champion race car driver[8]

Several of his planes were named in investigations of the CIA rendition program[9] but we’ll get back to him later. So What do we know so far…Weve got a crashed drug plane in Mexico…It’s got a history of government use…It changes hands twice in a couple weeks before crashing…

And the people involved in the deal, Clyde O’Connor, Greg Smith, the Brazilian Lawyer Joao Luis Malago…don’t appear to have the means to throw down two million dollars of their own cash to buy a jet…

But let’s head down to Mexico to find out what happened once the plane left Ft. Lauderdale Executive Airport, a week before its crash?

Steve Robertson, a spokesman for the Drug Enforcement Administration…

ROBERTSON: I can confirm that a plane crashed, and a large amount of cocaine, over three tons of cocaine was on the plane,

He said US Federal Agents are “assisting” with the investigation but that’s all he could say. Through email, NTSB told me they cant give “any additional information about the nature of that technical assistance”[10] So what’s the Mexican government’s story?[11]

They say the plane arrived in Cancun the same day it left Florida…But they’ve refused to show airport records to skeptical journalists…

ROOT: and I’ve tried with the Mexican Aviation authorities and they’re locked down they won’t give me anything

Newspapers wrote that Mexican military aircraft intercepted the plane.[12]

MENENDEZ: THAT’S BULL---T…I think that’s how you say it in English

Mario Menéndez Rodríguez is the editor and publisher of !Por Esto!

His reward for reporting on high-level corruption? He gets grenades thrown in his offices[13]

MENENDEZ: They tried to kill me they tried to kidnap me several times, I cannot go anywhere

So Why’d the plane crash? Apparently they hadn’t bribed the right people. Menendez says the Air Traffic Controllers who were expecting the plane had gone home for the night, and the new shift denied permission to land. Who was on board? Officially, nobody was found at the crash site…but, Menendez says soldiers blocked off the area from everybody—even DEA agents—while they “secured the area.”

MENENDEZ: They didn’t allow the police, they didn’t allow the civil authorities, they didn’t allow the newspapermen to enter

So he sent an undercover reporter to the crash site

MENEDEZ: we got close to the airplane and saw when they were taking part of the cocaine

He says there was actually more drugs than the government admitted…

MENENDEZ: They took HALF of it

Later, Mexico’s attorney general, the PGR, announced the arrest of several people in the case…They admit two of them were never on the plane. Allegedly, they tried to bribe some soldiers…

LORES: Those poor two guys didn’t do anything

Rafael Lores, a reporter for Por Esto also checked into the alleged pilot,

LORES: Nobody knows him, I called the pilot’s association in Mexico City, they have a record of every single pilot and they don’t know him

Despite repeated requests, the PGR has not clarified these discrepancies.
The plane crash occurred in the midst of an increasingly violent and expensive drug war in Mexico. From Mexico, Jay Root told me the violence was as bad as ever…

ROOT: daily basically executions, people get their heads chopped off and stuck on the gate outside city hall...

And the US wants to spend more money there. The Bush administration has asked Congress for almost one-and-a-half-billion dollars in counter-narcotics aid.[14]

ROOT: I would like to see where the money’s all goin to get spent and whether there’s going to be any record keeping of it.

We’re not allowed to see that yet. South Florida has long been central to the drug war…and the terror war. Especially Ft Lauderdale Executive Airport says local reporter Bob Norman…

NORMAN: It has a reputation as a place where smuggling has occured

South Florida, where the 9/11 pilots practiced on private planes, [15] Has plenty of room for shady operators… Remember Don Whittington from earlier in the story? Alleged financier of the drug-plane and owner of several other rendition planes? He runs the largest operation at Ft Lauderdale executive: “World Jet International”?

HOPSICKER: When Wally Hilliard, the owner of the flight school Mohammed Atta went to bought a lear jet that was busted with 43 pounds of heroin—

Tail number N-351 WB…

HOPSICKER: He got his Lear Jet from Don Whittington too…

I asked aviation attorney Michael Slack, “what’s stopping someone from buying a private plane and then filling it up with drugs or explosives or guns?”

SLACK: Nothing. You know, you have various places where something like that could be detected, but as long as the people doing it know how to make it look normal...then its not gonna get detected

A good way to detect that sort of thing would be to check out the flight records.. An FAA representative told me: the rules were changed after 9/11. Record-keeping has been privatized to Lockheed Martin, So now, flight records are private. And then theres the loopholes in outdated FAA rules and filing systems. Dan Hopsicker told me how you do it if you want to use a private plane for something shady…

HOPSICKER: you and I sign papers transferring the plane to me

But instead of sending them to the FAA

HOPSICKER: you hold them

And if everything goes according to plan, as it normally does

HOPSICKER: you tear up the documents, if however, I get busted in Mexico with the plane

Then you send it in to FAA and there’s a 30 day window after the sale to receive the paperwork… Then you’ve jumped the legal hurdles and muddied the waters for anyone trying to figure out what went down. And that’s exactly what the evidence suggests these guys did..

ROOT:…they claim, hey we sold it, here’s the bill of sale, and the FAA says no we’ve never gotten that, and its sort of a he-said she said.

Unless there’s a random “ramp check” there’s never anyone to check if the pilot is licensed, let alone to inspect what’s in those hundreds of black duffel bags you’re carrying.

SLACK: That’s one reason people fly private aviation, is you don’t have to put up with the hassles,,,

HALL: you know, if you’re going to the airport like I did yesterday, you’ve got to take your boots off, your belt off

But if you’ve got the money for an airworthy plane…

HALL: its all yours no questions ask, you want to fly it into a building, go, have at it.

So how much are we allowed to know about this plane?
For several years after 9/11, it was used by government agencies for something…Then…its quickly flipped… between some guys who were owners in name only. You’ve got this strange bill of sale:

SLACK: A its not proper, B its not legal, whether they get away with it is another matter

You’ve got these disappearing Pilots

LORES: This guy doesn’t exist

MENENDEZ: The CIA, when they fly the plane, they don’t give it to someone they don’t know

A month after the crash, There’s still a whole bunch of unanswered questions:
Who piloted the plane out of the country?
Is anyone being held accountable in the US?
Why hasn't this story been covered in the US?

MENENDEZ: the only reason I can print this is because the newspaper belongs to me and only me…

Why aren’t US authorities talking about it?
What do they know about Clyde O’Connor, these Brazilians, and whoever was on the plane?

ROOT: Do they know and they’re not saying or do they not know, I mean, either one is fairly…damning.

Maybe the documented cases of protected drug smuggling in Laos, Afghanistan, Nicaragua and El Salvador wasn’t just an isolated incident.
Maybe this isn’t either, but instead, more of the kind of corruption that’s long been alleged, rarely admitted and sometimes proven.
[1] USA Today, 9-27-07
[2] McClatchy Washington Bureau
[3] Donna Blue Aircraft Corporate Records
[4] donnablueaircraft.com WHOIS network data
[5] Mad Cow Morning News
[6] Broward Palm Beach New Times, 10-11-07
[7] Chronicle Herald [Canada]
[8] New York Times 3-16-86
[9] List of CIA Flights, World Content Today & CIA Flights 2006, World Content Today
[10] NTSB Email to Jonah Meadows: "We are aware of this incident and we did provide technical assistance to the Mexican government, however we cannot provide any additional information about the nature of that technical assistance."
[11] Cronica [ESP]
[12] Proceso[ESP]
[13] NarcoNews
[15] Testimony at Joint Congressional 9/11 Committee

Special Thanks to:
Eilee Heikenen-Weiss
Alexandra Saloman
Daniel Hopsicker
Mario Menendez Rodriguez
Jay Root
Kevin Hall
Bob Norman

A Happy Little Song (about Global Warming)

2007-10-25T23:22:00.000-05:00

By singer-songwriter Jill Sobule, and via YouTube. Enjoy!

POET BRENT MESICK ON THE RADIO SHOW WORDSLINGERS

2007-10-21T15:49:00.000-05:00

This Sunday on Wordslingers 10/21/07 8-9pm 88.7 FM WLUW and streaming live on www.wluw.org Michael C. Watson, aka the adopted son of Godzilla and Mothra will interview Brent Mesick aka Man of a Thousand Faces Red Flagged by Homeland Security.

Get your own playlist at snapdrive.net!

Brent Mesick, poet, activist, actor, writer and winner of the 2004 Newberry Library Bughouse Square Debates, has been active in the arts for years. Brent has read for the Arlington Poetry Project, Coffee Chicago, The Cafe, and Molly Malone's, among others. He is the only person, in Marc Smith's recollection, to be simultaneously booed and cheered at the Green Mill. Brent read for "Poets Against the War", co-sponsored Poetrypoetry.com. His performance can be heard on PoetryPoetry's website or on the sold out CD from Lulu.com. He has read for "Poets for Peace and Justice","Poets for Human Rights" and "Epiphany: Poets of Heart and Vision". He has performed and written for "Democracy Burlesque",a monthly variety show described as a cross between Saturday Night Live and the Daily Show. Brent penned such sketches as "Don Cheney: The Godfather", "Star Trek, The Wrath of Condi", "The Osama Bin Reilly Factor" and "Da Mare Daley Charm and Deportment School". He is a founding member of the street theater group UNSCUM, or the "United Neighbors Special Commission on Unconcealed Missiles". Not finding WMDs in the Mideast, UNSCUM instead searched the Midwest - usually in Chicago neighborhoods with minimal police presence. On the USA Patriot Act's anniversary, Brent went to Federal Plaza during rush hour dressed as a Catholic Reverend and held a funeral for the Bill of Rights - complete with bagpipe dirge. For this effort, Brent was awarded a place in the Homeland Security database.

Wordslingers airs on the 1st and 3rd Sunday nights from 8pm to 9pm live from the campus of Loyola University on 88.7fm WLUW and streaming live on www.wluw.org Archives of past shows can be found in the Wordslingers' Vox Cafe.

Now approaching it's 8th year, Wordslingers is all about poetry; no hype, no
hustle, just the word, the rhythm, the vibe and the vision of poetic
perception in the pulse between the power and the page!

Nuff Said.

Michael Covenant Watson host of Wordslingers Poetry On the Radio founder of Wordslingers.org

Vision without action is a daydream
Action without vision is a nightmare.

Japanese proverb.

Erik's Links of Value

2007-10-08T14:02:00.000-05:00

We here at Democracy Burlesque try to stay up on recent "news events" ... so we may mock them accordingly and as such its important that we tap into information provided from the Right, Left, Center and Crazy. Below are a few of my favorite links for genuine information as well as keeping tabs on the nut jobs and just some general places to get the funny juices going.

News:

NPR (well I'd be concerned if you weren't already familiar but you may not be aware that most of their shows are available in podcast to listen via your computer or portable media device)

BBC World Service

The Guardian Unlimited (while still a mainstream news outlet... its helpful to hear whats going on in the world from someone outside the US.)

The Daily Show and Colbert Report, despite being "fake news" get it right a LOT of the time and frankly Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert are better interviewers than just about anyone else in the TV news industry

TruthOut.org is a reader supported news sight that tries to find teh stories that slip through the cracks but shouldn't... They may seem leftist but I think its mostly cause the guys in control are so far to the Right.

If I have to pick a major network news program to recommend it would be ABC News which seems to suck the least though I may watch this more out of habit than anything since Peter Jennings died.

The Onion is where I go when the real news is too depressing.

Political Connections:

Real political information and discussion:
VoteSmart is really the BEST place for genuinely even-handed political analysis and information. Its a grassroots effort to combat the political machinery that obfuscates the real issues when voting and keeping track of what your representatives are up to. One of the most useful things they do is provide a finder where you put in your zip code and they provide you with a list of all your political representatives and biographical information with contact info.

The Right:
Ken Hamblin AKA The Black Avenger is the only Radio Host who would be considered conservative yet I would say was worth listening to... unfortunately ... he's nop longer on the air.

Anne Coulter is Crazy!!!!! (true story... my fiancee's aunt who is head of her repuiblican women's chapter in Houston texas happened to notice Ms. Coulter's picture on our copy of Lies and The Lying Liars Who Tell Them and said "There is something wrong with that woman" ) BUT! she is great fodder for us progressives that want to write funny stuff about right wing fundamentalists.

Rush Limbaugh may be a total tool and guilty of some of the most egregious crimes in punditry... but he has an audience and we must know our enemy if we are ever to defeat people like him.

Bill O'Reilly is another great resource for comedy... if only because of his ongoing feud between Al Franken that started when they met at a forum which was broadcast on CSPAN's Book TV of all places (I tried to find a full transcript or video of that meeting but was unsuccessfull)

The Left:
Randi Rhodes is a good leftist equivalent to the Right wing pundits as mentioned above and can be fun to listen though she is just as partisan.

Air America is the largest progressive radio network and is host to a number of left wing pundits out to "Left" the damage done by the right wing punditry. Well worth checking out but again, they are often just as partisan as the people they are trying to combat.

The Nation is about as mainstream as a "liberal rag" gets.

And I just stumbled across Common Dreams.org which purports to be Progressive news site. I have not fully investedgated them but it seems to be worth a look-see.

The Radical:
Zeitgeist the Movie is a full length film viewable as streaming media which will make every conspiracy theorist nerve tingle and I highly recommend watching it if only because it does bring up some interesting things... Like the Fedral Reserve is NOT actually a part of the government and all legal tender is LOANED to the government for distribution. But its still kind of radical and must be taken with a grain of salt.

PETA and the NRA are cut from the same cloth when it comes to extremism and they would get along great if it wasn't for the whole hunting issue.

And of course no listing of Radical groups would be complete without the Christian Coalition. As someone born and raised a good church boy... they people scare and offend me to no end.

FUNNY!!!!
When I've had a Rough Day... I go HERE, HERE and Here!

DEMOCRACY BURLESQUE INTRODUCES: THE PINK ELEPHANT CLUB

2007-09-27T22:29:00.001-05:00

Come to the October show and watch what happens when Republican women become drunk with power!

BLACKWATER PRIVATE ARMY LEAVES 11 DEAD

2007-09-22T20:47:00.000-05:00

from Associated Press writer Robert H. Reid at news.yahoo.com

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070922/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq

By ROBERT H. REID, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 51 minutes ago

BAGHDAD - Iraqi investigators have a videotape that shows Blackwater USA guards opened fire against civilians without provocation in a shooting last week that left 11 people dead, a senior Iraqi official said Saturday. He said the case was referred to the Iraqi judiciary.

Iraq's president, meanwhile, demanded that the Americans release an Iranian arrested this week on suspicion of smuggling weapons to Shiite militias. The demand adds new strains to U.S.-Iraqi relations only days before a meeting between President Bush and Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

Interior Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Abdul-Karim Khalaf said Iraqi authorities had completed an investigation into the Sept. 16 shooting in Nisoor Square in western Baghdad and concluded that Blackwater guards were responsible for the deaths.

He told The Associated Press that the conclusion was based on witness statements as well as videotape shot by cameras at the nearby headquarters of the national police command. He said eight people were killed at the scene and three of the 15 wounded died in hospitals.

Blackwater, which provides most of the security for U.S. diplomats and civilian officials in Iraq, has insisted that its guards came under fire from armed insurgents and shot back only to defend themselves.

Blackwater spokeswoman Anne Tyrrell said Saturday that she knew nothing about the videotape and was contractually prohibited from discussing details of the shooting.

Khalaf also said the ministry was looking into six other fatal shootings involving the Moyock, N.C.-based company in which 10 Iraqis were killed and 15 wounded. Among the shootings was one Feb. 7 outside Iraqi state television in Baghdad that killed three building guards.

"These six cases will support the case against Blackwater, because they show that it has a criminal record," Khalaf said.

Khalaf said the report was "sent to the judiciary" although he would not specify whether that amounted to filing of criminal charges. Under Iraqi law, an investigating judge reviews criminal complaints and decides whether there is enough evidence for a trial.

For more click link above

SHORT VIDEO: ANDREW RITTER SINGS THE CONDI

2007-09-22T02:23:00.000-05:00

See Andrew Ritter singing "The Condi" from our "Condi-Ween" show last October.

Other Dbers that can be seen here are Sylvia Mann and Greg Landgraf.

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=2992040

BILLIONAIRES PRIVATIZE BROADWAY

2007-09-21T11:50:00.000-05:00

From the Billionaires for Bush website:

BILLIONAIRES PRIVATIZE BROADWAY

August 22, 2007 --
BILLIONAIRES FOREVER is a spectacular musical romp through the crumbling Bush empire.

* Curious about what will happen to the Billionaires when Bush is out of office?
* Want to know why Rove is really resigning?
* Do we want government of, by, and for the corporations?
* Are we willing to trample roughshod on democracy to get there?

"This show will answer all your questions," explains Billionaire Follies Artistic Director Ivy League-Legacy. "Are we in it for the long haul? You bet your golden parachute we are."

* New Show, BILLIONAIRES FOREVER, runs September 4-9th at the 45th Street Theatre

* "At last" raves Rupert Murdoch, "a reason to go to the theatre!"

GINGRICH GIGGLES

2007-09-20T23:03:00.000-05:00

The news we are receiving about Newt Gingrich is stirring the imaginations of Democracy Burlesquers across the Windy City. Surely there will be plenty of fun to come from the latest intelligence Libby Quaid, Associated Press Writer as found at news.yahoo.com:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070920/ap_po/gingrich2008

By LIBBY QUAID, Associated Press Writer Thu Sep 20, 12:49 PM ET

WASHINGTON - Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich says he still might run for president if supporters will pledge $30 million by November.

"You can't bring all your good ideas if you don't have the resources to communicate," Gingrich told reporters Thursday at a breakfast in Washington.

Gingrich is holding a national Internet-based workshop next week. Afterward, his top political adviser, Randy Evans, will spend October seeing if he can generate pledges of $30 million, which Gingrich said would be needed to compete with the leader in the GOP presidential money chase, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

On Nov. 1, if the pledges pan out, Gingrich will consider running, he said. He didn't say when he would decide, but noted that Nov. 13, when Ronald Reagan announced his candidacy in 1979, is a "propitious" date.

The Republican former speaker had good things to say about the field of presidential contenders:

_Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, "a historical figure" as mayor, "would be a very strong candidate" as an alternative to Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton.

For the rest of the article, click here.

ORIGINS

2007-09-20T00:34:00.000-05:00

In the spring of 2004, due to a misunderstanding of an experimental production of "Arms and the Man", a number of stalwart performers became targets of an FBI sting. The group found themselves "outsourced" to a prison cell in Egypt, the objects of George Bush's brilliant play on the word "rendition". (Apparently, torture costs so much less abroad.) Whiling away the hours in between waterboarding sessions, the group began scripting and writing the show now known as Democracy Burlesque. Their capers and antics so amused their captors that they decided to take the show on the road. They killed! They played for a year in Kabul, proving "burlesque" and "burqa" aren't mutually exclusive, drawing rave notices and packed houses despite the fact that their musical accompanists were often abducted and decapitated. Eventually they escaped on a shrimp boat down the Helmund River, and from there to the Arabian Sea. The determined artists vowed that if ever they were released, they would perform their little revue to the even more critical audiences of Rogers Park in their native Chicago.

They made their way through rugged storefront theatres of Prague, street corner doo-wop rappers of Manchester, abusive deconstructionist baristas of the Paris cafe scene, and mad drunken inventors of County Guiness, making their escape to the near north side of Chicago in an insane underground railroad of cutting-edge entertainment and blistering mainstream criticism, vowing that they would pay back their entertainer/protectors with guest turns and Special Guest Appearances at their little ragtag revue.

They even managed to be protected by real do-gooders of all colors and stripes ... people whose spirits had been beaten to exhaustion and bankruptcy so much by the Bush Regime that they realized this was actually worse than it was during the Bush I and Reagan years. To them they vowed the same promise: give us a chance to entertain, and we will reward you with opportunities of handshakes and petitions and a penny or two for your work.

They made it.

And here they are, bravely displaying for your entertainment the talents that kept their spirits high during those bitter months of abuse and torture.

Note: Engravings by Gustave Dore

D.B. "Earl" Esque Covers Bush's war on Al Pocalypse

2007-09-19T23:12:00.000-05:00

Seen in recent comments on this blog:

Bush Reads Revelations,
Declares Pre-Emptive Strike Against Heaven

D. B. "Earl" Esque
Washington -- After reading John’s Book of Revelations, President George W. Bush has declared that he is ordering the full forces of the military to launch a pre-emptive strike against Heaven, citing evidence of WMDs
“They got these seven bowls.” Bush indicated in a press conference called yesterday, “Weapons of Mass destruction.” Speaking to reporters, Bush went on to explain that these weapons that can unleash pestilences, plagues, hailstones the size of Chicago softballs, and earthquakes simply by pouring them out from the sky. According to President Bush, a group calling themselves the Al Pocalypse, possesses a bio-chemical agent that turns water into blood.
Said, Bush, “Lead by four Evil-doers on different colored horses, this insurgent group is every bit as dangerous as Al Qaida.” Bush has ordered the CIA to investigate an extremely secret man named “John”, who wrote the manifesto called, Revelations.
“Clearly, we need to bring some intelligence to this situation,” indicated General Michael Hayden, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.
When asked to comment on President Bush’s plan to search for “John”, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates indicated less chance of finding “John” than Osama bin Ladin in the mountains of Pakistan and Afghanistan. “We have a better chance checking the guest registries of cheap hotels in the Bible Belt.”
Vice President Dick Cheney commented on anecdotal evidence that John has already been beheaded, but that a possibility existed that may be a different John. “There are at least two John’s that figure prominently in this developing situation.” He further commented that this rested on analysis of possible code words “Disciple” and “Baptist” which he indicated were clearly titles held by members of terrorist organizations.
General Hayden admitted that gathering clear intelligence would be difficult since the CIA had no known assets in Heaven. When asked if Heaven had been considered an ally given President Bush’s claim for “faith-based” governing, Hayden indicated that clearly there had been a breakdown in prayer diplomacy.
(More Pg 24)

William Greider and the Soul of Capitalism

2007-09-19T02:33:00.000-05:00

Democracy Burlesque is a progressive group, and, even though not all members agree on all things, in one way or another each of us considers him or herself progressive.

I don't speak for the group as a whole, but I know a lot of us like the Nation Magazine. One of my favorite writers is William Greider. In the spirit of trying to get some initial conversation going, I wonder if anyone has read his book The Soul of Capitalism. The thesis looks pretty interesting:

http://www.williamgreider.com/

My new book is in the stores. This one is a bit different from my previous work -- a head-on critique of American capitalism that (I hope) leads people toward the sunlight, not darkness. My premise: we have reached a rare moment in history when Americans have the opportunity (and obligation) to confront the destructive qualities of the U.S. economic system and reform it in profound ways. That is, alter capitalism's operating values and its imperious power structure that produce the damaging consequences for society, the confinements on people's lives and values, the collisions with nature and our future. Americans are more powerful than they imagine. People have the potential to force organic changes on the system from within. Many smart citizens are already at work on it.

I like to think that Democracy Burlesque is one of those groups working on what Greider is talking about. Interested in what others think - - this is a blog after all . . . place your comment or write the email address www.dburlesque@gmail.com to ask to receive a blogging invitation.

Suggestion: To view the blog in its entirety AND all of the comments, click on the title - - then leave a comment of your own to get in on the discussion inside the blog. Remember to get inside the blog for the discussion you have to click on the title. Anyone can leave an anonymous comment, you do not have to be a member.

PICTURES FROM THE BEGINNING

2007-09-16T20:47:00.000-05:00

PREMIERE PERFORMANCE

Valentine's Day, February 14, 2006

The event was capably hosted by Martin Aistrope. This suit always grabs audiences.

Cheney's hunting buddy mingled graciously.

Matthew Owens and his expressionist puppetry always is attention-getting:

Opening night crowd, a fairly typical audience for us:

The winner of "VD with Jenna" receives her crown. . .

Kandy with a "K" shares notes with the audience on just why they want to share VD with Jenna Bush:

Andrew Ritter provides "tight security":

DICK DETZNER: EXTRAORDINARY ARTIST

2007-09-15T23:06:00.000-05:00

If you are wondering about all of the original web-design art at this blog or at the democracy burlesque website, visit the website of the artist, Dick Detzner, at http://www.detzner.com/

Dick has allowed us to use his original work in our promotions. He has done an extraordinary job creating the "labels" of the fictional, yet oh so refreshing, "Freedom Water" line of products.

Here are only a few a few examples of Dick's work that he has shared with us along with the Freedom Water design and Democracy Burlesque logos posted at various spots on this blog.

Thanks Dick.

SCHEDULE: THIS MONTH'S SHOW, SPONSORS, AND SPECIAL GUEST PERFORMERS

2007-09-15T23:04:00.000-05:00

THE NEXT SHOW:

ELEPHANTITIS: A Case of the G.O.P. and their Candidates

WHEN: TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9 at 8PM

WHERE: THE NO EXIT CAFE ROGERS PARK
6970 N. GLENWOOD CHICAGO, IL IN THE ROGERS PARK NEIGHBORHOOD
ACCESSIBLE AT THE MORSE STOP RED LINE EL AT GLENWOD AND MORSE

SPONSORS: TBA

MUSICAL GUESTS: The Famous Brothers

$10 or what you can afford at the door.

All proceeds divided between the evening's progressive sponsors

____________________________________________________

DEMOCRACY BURLESQUE 2007 SEASON TWO - ELECTRIC BOOGALOO
FULL SCHEDULE

FEBRUARY 27 - THE DALEY SHOW
Chicago politics - The Best Show in Town!

MARCH 13 - FOUR! MORE! YEARS!
An Iraq War Retrospective

APRIL 10 - MERCY MERCY ME
A Show About the Ecology

MAY 8 - DR. DB:
Laugh Because it Hurts (Not to Have Health Insurance)

JUNE 12 - THEOCRACY BURLESQUE
Celebrating the Wedding of Church and State

JULY 10 - PILGRIM'S PROGRESS
The Immigrant Show

AUGUST 14 - DB4KIDS
A Show for the Entire Family

SEPTEMBER 11 - DONKEY KONG
The Democratic Presidential Candidate Game

OCTOBER 9 - ELEPHANTITIS
A Case of the G.O.P. and Their Candidates

NOVEMBER 13 - DB SOUP
The Best of Democracy Burlesque

DECEMBER 11 - THE 2ND ANNUAL DB HOLIDAY PAGEANT

ALL SHOWS ARE AT THE NO EXIT CAFE
6970 NORTH GLENWOOD AVENUE

ALL SHOWS ARE $10 (CHEAP) AND BENEFIT OUR SPONSORS

GUEST PERFORMERS

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GUEST PERFORMERS

Democracy Burlesque is a collaboration of many individuals and groups. If you would like to perform, write, or direct in a future edition of Democracy Burlesque, please contact us.

Some of the performers featured in previous, current, and upcoming shows include, in no particular order:

Chicago Dramatists

The i.O. Theater (formerly the ImprovOlympic)

Matthew Owens

3rd Sunday String Band

Elyne Handler

Billionaires for Bush

Ground Up Theatre

Prop Theater

The Green Brothers

Sheela Na Gig

Lin Shook and Perceptual Motion

The Tomgirls

Aaron Philips

The Radio Hour

SWAG

2007-09-15T23:01:00.000-05:00

http://www.democracyburlesque.com/swag.htm

Democracy Burlesque T-shirt
Democracy Burlesque T-shirt
$14.99
Guantanamo Guava T-Shirt
Guantanamo Guava T-Shirt
$19.99
Freedom Water T-shirt
Freedom Water T-shirt
$14.99
All-American t-shirt
All-American t-shirt
$14.99
Cotton Condi T-shirt
Cotton Condi T-shirt
$14.99
Freedom Fruit T-shirt
Freedom Fruit T-shirt
$14.99
Terrorist-free T-shirt
Terrorist-free T-shirt
$14.99
Liberty Lemon T-shirt
Liberty Lemon T-shirt
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Patriotically Pure T-shirt
Patriotically Pure T-shirt
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Women's Tank Top
Women's Tank Top
$17.99
Classic Thong
Classic Thong
$12.99
Boxer Shorts
Boxer Shorts
$14.99

PAST CAUSES CELEBRES

2007-09-15T22:59:00.000-05:00

Each month, Democracy Burlesque features the mission of one or two progressive organizations. The following are links to some of the groups we featured during our 2006 season. They're good people, So explore for a while at the links provided.

Chicago Legal Aid for Incarcerated Mothers

That ain't it! Old-school
Chicago Bike Winter

Chicagoland Coalition for Liberties and Rights

Creative America Project

Little Village Environmental Justice Organization

International Committee of the Red Cross

Jane Addams Resource Corporation

Code Pink: Women for Peace

Amnesty International USA

GeneWise

Illinois Health Care Reform

Pilsen Environmental Rights & Reform Organization

The Africa Project

The Joseph and Valerie Wilson Defense Trust

LINKS

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25 Progressive Links

* http://www.motherjones.com/
* http://www.tompaine.com/
* http://www.greenpeace.org/
* http://www.workingforchange.com/
* http://www.democracynow.org/
* http://www.hrw.org/
* http://www.americanprogress.org/
* http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/
* http://www.doonesbury.com/
* http://www.zmag.org/
* http://www.buzzflash.com/
* http://www.planetout.com/pno/news/
* http://www.amnesty.org/
* http://www.alternet.org/
* http://www.fahrenheit911.com/
* http://www.moveon.org/
* http://www.thenation.com/
* http://www.truthout.org/
* http://www.counterpunch.org/
* http://www.dailykos.com/
* http://www.democraticunderground.com/
* http://www.airamerica.com/
* http://www.villagevoice.com/
* http://www.commondreams.org/

ORIGINAL MUSIC

2007-09-15T22:57:00.002-05:00

Over time Democracy Burlesque has copiled an extensive list of song parodies and original songs. Here are some of the titles. As time allows a goal will be to link titles to recordings. For now here's the list:

o=original
cp=cover parody

We've got Separation (o, parody of schoolhouse rock about separation clause of the constitution)

Actors of Evil (o, opening song to introduce the group)

F-A-S, F-A-S, F-A-S-CIST (o, jokes and chorus bit)

I Just Shot A Man (c, Bohemian Rhapsody, Cheney shoots his best friend and has to tell Bush)

Evolution (o, Fundamentalists: "all I know is Evolution blows")

Sassafras (o)

Hey Dick Cheney (c, Hey Big Spender, listen to radio interview link)

We Gotta Brand New Drug (cp, Huey Lewis)

Sunshine in My Hole (c, Stevie Wonder, anthropomorphized Ozone Layer sings a love song on "Endangered Idol" national talent show)

Good Bye Polar Ice Cap (c, Rolling Stones, sung by endangered polar bear)

Duelin w's (c, Dueling Banjos, two George Bushes compete to be the "real Bush")

Dems (c, KIDS! - - I don't know what's wrong with these dems these days)

Rove (c, Vogue, Karl Rove vogues at reality tv fashion contest)

After the Killing (c, Humperdinck - - Bush lulls himself after a slaughter)

American Reindeer (o, nativist reindeer harrass poor Rudolph for being foreign)

Karl Marx Rag (o, Karl Marx congratulates the religious right for proving his thesis)

Freedom Water (o, inspirational and patriotic, a song to sell Freedom Water products)

Red State Blue (c, Brown Eyes Blue)

The Answer is on CNN (o, Bob Dylan, elderly hippie senior citizens sing and are interrupted by the "Demonatrix" who tell them they need to toughen up)

I Feel Pretty parody

Leavin On a Jet Plane parody

Love on an Ice Floe (o, two polar bears can't reproduce because their ice flows are melting and drifting them apart)

Why Can't a Billionare be Mayor? (o, a song for the Billionaires for Bush)

Let's go local (c, Prince sings about local Chicago urban politics)

Doin the Condi (c, Time Warp, Condi urges all to take steps to the right)

World Domination Confrontation (o, Condi and laura Bush vie for world control)

Summertime Medley (c, a medley of classic summer songs, perfect for any Beach Party)

Republican Blues (o, Republican lament their Congressional losses, a companion democratic version was written just in case)

SUPPORT CAST MEMBER SHOWS IN CHICAGO

2007-09-15T22:57:00.001-05:00

Click on individual names or see the ads below:

Democracy Burlesque Cast
THE "ACTORS OF EVIL"

Martin Aistrope
Gina Buccola
Sandy Bykowski
Dan Carroll
Payton Chung
Heather Durham
Molly Fitzgibbon
Aaron Gang
Martin Green
Jeffrey Hoge
Aaron Johnson
Greg Landgraf
Sabrina Lloyd
Mike Lynn
Sylvia Mann
Brent Mesick
Paul Moulton
Kevin Marshall Pinkney
Andrew Ritter
Meghan Rutigliano
Lisa Stevens
Music Director: Thomas R. Jones

_________________________________________________________________________________

Show ads:

GENERAL PICTURES

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VIDEO CLIPS

2007-09-15T22:55:00.000-05:00

BILLIONAIRES FOR BUSH MOCK IMPEACHMENT TRIAL:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJqkrIwgRuM

Short video of Andrew Ritter singing "The Condi"

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=2992040