By: Karla Fetrow

Necropolis… A shivering trip into a world without light, a world without hope, a world so destroyed, the rules of society are reversed.  Morality is viewed as the pursuit of pleasure.  Philosophy is an art freely engaged in, as long as it contributes to inertia.  While reveling in their decadence, they do so with the determination to never again repeat the structure and motivations of the past that they are sure contributed to their downfall as a civilization.  That is, until Malice comes along.

Book 1 of The Malice Cycle carries the reader into a surreal future where faith, light and hope are relinquished to forget everything except the collapse of the Old World, using it as a model of what to avoid if they did not wish to see the destruction of their own limited society, where community is declared false and nothing more than a conservative gesture to defend that which would hold us hostage.  Malice, the youngest of the Morbid daughters, a family held in high esteem, begins to question if there was something more than just the dark existence of their lives, replete in fineries, self-indulgence, sexual promiscuousness, but lacking in curiosity and inventiveness.  She is accompanied by the “Shadow”, who compels her to question the rituals that would hasten her father’s death, and to explore the edges of the void, a hostile land of poisonous insects and hallucinogenic plants, in search of a sister who has disappeared and is rarely talked about.

Malice’s journey into self-awareness is a lyrical account that strips back both the layers of personality that define her motivations for stepping away from the society that has molded her and the fabric of society itself, holding up its flaws and poking holes in its weaknesses until the society itself begins to unravel.  The author, Bruno Masse, already has a few remarkable accomplishments.  At twenty-nine, he is an author, researcher, musician, activist and publisher. He has written several novels and poetry collections, as well as five plays, four of which were enacted during the annual International Anarchist Theatre Festival of Montreal. He was the  co-founder and active part of such collectives as The End of the World Comittee, La Foret Noire, Liberterre, the Anarchist Writers Bloc and Anarchistes Anonymes, and remains an active contributing author at Subversify.

I asked Bruno about his day job in environmentalism and if it had been an influence for choosing the stark, barren background for his Malice Cycle series.  Apart from his job as coordinator for the Reseau Quebec Ecologist Group (RQGE), he has also worked also worked on urban agriculture projects and collective gardening, and was a university researcher.  He answered, “that was mostly “brain-mercenary” contract work and I don’t really boast it. I don’t mind if you use stuff from my work or make reference to it, to be honest it generally never overlaps and most people I work with have no idea of my novels or artwork on the side, and I don’t really mind. I wish it was all in sink but it’s sometimes quite contradictory, but that’s self-evident. Just to be clear, the official positions of the RQGE are not the ones I distribute on my own time, even though we’re in the same fields and agree on the basic key principles (a solidarity society, a better natural environment, etc.).

Now, my inspiration for Dystopia is a culmination of my experiences as an anarchist (and precisely, part of the anti-civ or anarcho-primitivist movement), various hypothesis about the fall of Civilisation, mainstream anthropology and a collection of theories on utopias and social change. That, and of course my interest for gothic/dark aesthetics (as manifestations of negative/critical thinking and nihilist philosophy, but something I’m also drawn to quite irrationally). My main idea is that of a utopia in practice that is one exactly because it strives consciously not to be one, which explains why they called it Dystopia. If people who claim to be perfect are the usually the worst, if you actually try to be imperfect, you have a better to chance to be more humble and not give in to totalizing thoughts and practices (which lead to totalitarianism). In a way, it’s a system that most mainstream environmentalists would hope for: a city that is 100% sustainable, supported by permaculture gardens that require little work, and most time is spent on leisure. But by mimicking a model born from the Neolithic revolution, I aim to illustrate that the “roots” with necessarily reproduce the Civilisation process (i.e. Morbid’s takeover). The reasons for that are a population so vast that immediate relationships are not constantly possible, and such emphasis on culture (Dystopians prize literature, music, debate, art, etc.) will necessarily distantiate people from one another, introducing mediations that will enable class divisions.

I delve into gothic/horror/noir themes because they carry a mood of loss and contemplation I think is inherent of the human condition and wish to undertake fully. To me, it’s more honest and liberating than the “dictature of happiness” we seem to live in, where frowning is pretty much forbidden, medicalized and shunned, and so is critical thinking.

The people of Dystopia see themselves as rebels who escaped Civilisation as it collapsed and have tried, as best as they could, to make sure the mistakes of the past would never be replicated. I wanted to do a sort of tribute to the nobility and the courage of such devotion, the kind I have seen in anarchists but also a lot of people with radical ideas and practices. In such a sunless and depressing world, they’re paying the prices for mistakes they aren’t responsible for, and that’s a clear reference to the fact that life conditions in this day and age are receding and that’s something entirely new to mankind, since the industrial revolution. But I also wanted to go beyond all that that and illustrate how difficult it can be not to reproduce the sick schemes of domination and authority.

Also, since I’m bilingual, in a province that seems to strangle itself with split cultural identities, I thought it would be interesting to imagine a people who clearly used to speak a different language and lost it completely, and make the reader feel a bit estranged from all the French dialogue, and show them how it feels at first to encounter cultural references you can’t understand, but moreso, to show how much it doesn’t matter in the end, because we’re just humans after all, who love and laugh and hurt and die like any.

The main character of Malice, besides all her human qualities which I hope are as poignant and vivid as they are to me, is basically a play on the concept of Chaos. She possesses something nobody has, some love her for it, most despise her, and a lot want to use her. She’s like a sort of exotic life form sent into an indigenous habitat, or a sort of technological leap that dwarfs everything else in the field. She’s a paradigm shift, and I want to illustrate how devious power can be, and her tragedy in a way is to echo what happens to anyone who’s opressed when they’ve had enough and finally fing a way to escape. Like the French revolution. The oppressed feel such anger and rage that it has no choice but to come out in a traumatic way, it’s an ugly, violent thing, and it’s a normal natural response to aggression. In that way, she is liberated and beautiful, because we see that the people who hurt her had the very best of intentions, but acted in really horrible ways regardless, and have to answer for that. I wanted to show that sometimes freedom is a “by any means necessary” kind of thing, but that it’s not the answer to everything, and that’s a notion Malice will learn at her own expense.

Also, there will be a sequel and a third book. It’s meant as a whole, the structure itself was done even before I started book 1. I’m currently writing book 2.

As to how much of my background I’ve used for the book, for the setting and the world itself I can say that I’ve had to delve extensively in my knowledge as a forest technician, and as a geographer, if only for the physical, environmental aspects of the Island. But I also drew from years of study into sociology, anthropology, psychology and philosophy – of which I draw mostly from nihilist thinkers like Cioran, Nietszche, Schopenhauer, but also from the Frankfurt School, primarily Adorno. For the critique of civilisation I take a lot from John Zerzan, who’s influenced me a lot (the opening quote is his) and whom I actually know. He has made reviews of all my English novels.

To conclude I’d say I draw a lot from the style of Frank Herbert in his Dune series, because to me any political discourse cut from its setting is absurd, while any storytelling devoid of incisive critical thinking is a waste of time. By trying to weave a compelling narrative and include ethical questions and layers of philosophical complexity, I try to make a read that will entrance and challenge the reader and perhaps help him or her grow in a meaningful way, even if that means feeling angry or depressed at first, because we live in fake world that’s making life agonizing and quickly threatens to take most of the planet in its fall. The logical response is revolt, and that’s what I write about. Like Karl Klaus said: it’s not so much what we create that matters, but what we destroy.”

“Do you plan, at some point”, I asked, “ to use a model of a society in your series that strikes a happy balance between the extreme of totalitarianism and dystopia, or to some viewers, what might be considered decadence?  Or do you think human nature doesn’t make that possible; that it has a tendency to veer from one extreme to another; never arriving at a middle ground for long?”

Bruno answered, “I don’t plan on using an ‘affirmative’ model that I would deem ideal. The island of Dystopia is a failed utopia, many aspects of it (little work, no technology, few social mediations, balance with nature) are true ideals to me, its flaws become apparent as the novel progresses (namely, the roots of civilization). Questions are really what I want to draw. Ultimately, I want people to think for themselves, and that is precisely how I see society getting any better – if at all. But I don’t believe the problem lies in human nature, empathy and solidarity are natural for the vast majority of us (minus those 1-2% psychopaths, who’d hunt you for sport). Culture is the problem, and not just one or the other, but culture itself, which is negation of nature, and is getting increasingly complex. The result is broken ecosystems, pandemic’s, weakened bodies, famine, mass psychological distress, to name a few, and of course, having to be in school twenty years to find a place in the system.”

The book certainly draws questions and the failed Utopia becomes a painful examination of cultural failure as the traditions that rooted themselves into this anti-civilization become the very thing that imprisons these survivors of catastrophe. “I also wonder a little about the environment you place around Dystopia,” I told Bruno.  “The natural environment outside the catacombs and cities seems to be a hostile one with limited resources, yet you symbolize a brighter world with a yellow flower.  Is my perception a result of the darkness around the story itself?  Is Dystopia an inclusive society with no connections with an outside world that might in fact, be radically different, or is it part of an overall disintegration of the cities, with a random rural society that has reverted back to basics?”

“Good question!”  Answered Bruno.  “The Collapse did leave endless spans of land desolate and lifeless, which the denizens of Dystopia call the Wastes. But I’ll leave you guessing. Those points will be addressed in the next two books.”

Bruno Masse’s “Necropolis, Book 1 of the Malice Cycle” is scheduled to be released this year to the general public.  Tangled in a twilight zone that slumbers between science fiction and fantasy, with bold, poetic strokes, it paints a haunting background and an unforgettable character in Malice.  Be among the first to collect the beginning of what is bound to be considered classical anarchistic fiction from a very memorable writer.

“What Had Happened 14 October 2007?”

Death of a MOSSAD Agent

by

Ronald Thomas West

Oct 14, 2007

At Neu Koln, Berlin, when catching the subway south towards Rudow (to Britz Sud), I was standing at the underground kiosk buying breath fresheners when the train arrived. I quickly tried to complete the transaction but figured I would likely have to catch the next train. I noticed a group of young Arabs holding the door to the train open, preventing it’s departure, all (four) of them watching me; clearly it appeared as though they either expected me to catch that train or they would not be on it themselves.

The train consequently waited for me and I sprinted to the door they were holding for me and jumped between them, onboard. They let the door close as I turned 180 degrees rather than taking a seat, making them a group of five.

Standing facing them, holding a pole, all seemed surprised at my action. A shorter, darker one, then began to assail me in Arabic language as though I were expected to understand. This one initially took the lead and was most vehement and hostile, although a couple of the others were also saying quite angry things to me direct, also expecting I would understand.

I simply looked at them all, eyes moving one to the other direct, and asked, “Do you speak English?”

A tall member of the group, with light complexion on my right (all of them were facing me) and who did not become involved with the angry speech, indicated he did speak English with, “Yes.”

I asked, “What country are you from?”

His indirect answer was to point to the most hostile one, the short grubby one who was wearing an Israeli Defense Force battle fatigue shirt as though it were a trophy, and stated, “He is Palestinian.”

He made this a clear distinction. My guess was the one who’d made this statement and the two others (all taller, better dressed and with lighter complexion than the “Palestinian”) were all Hezbollah-aligned Lebanese. (There is a large Lebanese community in that area)

I said to the short, hostile one emphatically, “You’re Palestinian? I apologize to you for George Bush!”

That one statement changed everything. All of them went silent and the “Palestinian” never said another word.

I then said, “There are many good people in my country who don’t like what is happening…it is a difficult situation.”

From this moment and comment, the now totally silent (and clear outsider) “Palestinian” became the target of the Lebanese, while they checked out my reactions to their terrorizing the “Palestinian”, the focus of their hostility had shifted away from me.

What happens now is really interesting. One of the Lebanese is suddenly is getting on his cell phone and making a call… while the group’s leader, the tall one to my right, looks at me while pointing to the “Palestinian”, who is suddenly looking very ill, and says “Maybe he is Israeli,” while assessing my reaction.

I deliberately made myself look surprised and suspicious, raised one eyebrow at the ‘Palestinian’ and said “Israeli Arab?” as though I both did not fully understand and did not like the idea or somehow found it disconcerting.

The train had made a brief stop and a fifth Arab (Lebanese) joined us with a cell phone and greeting the other Lebanese but not the ‘Palestinian’ who had simply become demoralized with a now clearly frightened look. The new arrival had some conversation in Arabic with the tall one on my right, after a hand/fist greeting that, by gesture and look, was attempting to sort some things that needed sorting.

The new arrival is now on his phone while also talking to the tall one to my right, but interrupts his conversation with the tall Lebanese and asks me, “Where are you from? England?” almost as to test my veracity (his English skills would know).

I clearly answered, “USA.”

I was asked, “Where do you stay?” I stated as a matter of fact, “Berlin.”

Then I was asked: “Do you speak German?” and I answered, “Only a little,” whereas the tall one to my right gave an absolutely evil look at the “Palestinian” and said slowly, deliberately, “My German is VERY good.”

The new one and the tall one looked at each other, spoke again in Arabic, and then the tall one suggested to me, while rubbing the “Palestinian’s” belly, “Maybe he is a good boy for sex. What do you think?”

Now the “Palestinian” had the absolute look of I am going to die on his face as I answered emphatically, with the culturally correct “I am a good man!” and an offended look. (I wore silver studs in my ears at that time and likely had been falsely profiled to MOSSAD as gay) Suddenly the tall Lebanese, with my answer, made a violent stabbing motion with his right hand at the “Palestinian” while shouting (nearly screaming) to the new arrival, “The Israeli must be killed!!”

The Lebanese closed around the “Palestinian” with looks of shock and rage on their faces. When the train stopped they shoved him off the train together with stepping off themselves. I assure you all, the “Palestinian” did not live long after this interrogation, at most a matter of hours.

Now, I noticed the Germans on the train, men looking straight ahead, no expression; several women had looks of absolute terror on their faces, it had been that intense.

The “Palestinian” was clearly not one of the group in any sense of intimate acquaintance or typical association. He was dressed a bit shabbily, wearing the IDF olive drab fatigue jacket with a Hebrew lettered tag over the left pocket. The Lebanese were all clean, well dressed, of a better class, and obviously educated and intelligent.

The “Palestinian” had gone from initiator of the group’s hostilities towards me, to the group’s target in this course of events lasting at most 15, more likely, only 10 minutes. I expected I could have died. Clearly, the posed-as “Palestinian” MOSSAD agent had died instead.

This was a failed scheme (compromised operation) of using the phony “Palestinian”, in effect MOSSAD, attempting to dupe Hezbollah into taking someone out with a hit.

Between my survival skills employed through confronting the circumstance with dialogue, and Hezbollah’s suspicion and caution, the Israeli operative, in a sense, literally cut his own throat. He was not prepared for my direct engagement.

MOSSAD is bound to a code of conduct which requires avenging a loss. I would simply point out to the Israelis, at what price? The nature of psychology is, when you have made a mistake, that mistake must be corrected, to stay on track with a correct course of action. Otherwise, mistakes can become complications and complications can lead to making by far more serious mistakes. BIG MISTAKES.

The self-inflicted damage done, with the ensuing pursuit of myself over these past several years, has been quite significant, let me assure you. Meanwhile, I’ve mastered that most rare and peculiar art of surviving as live bait.

One question you REALLY should look at is: Did the CIA calculatedly omit the fact I had repeatedly surprised and neutralized or reversed previous operations mounted at myself, over a period easily exceeding 15 years prior to this event? By now, you should understand, clearly, numerous subsequent failures can be no accident. Had their purpose been, if you could not take me, the damage inflicted to your organization is a secondary reward, a consolation prize?

It would make much more sense to take out the anti-Semitic American team leader who’d failed the operation 11 days previous, on October 3rd, to fulfill your code’s requirements. Because you had been purposely lied to, when this hit job had been handed off to your organization.

Perusing my public information will easily identify that team leader by name.

Ronald Thomas West is author of Penucquem Speaks, ranked five stars by Howard Zinn at Amazon. A former sergeant of Operations and Intelligence for Special Forces and past Investigator for a law firm aligned with Trial Lawyers for Public Justice (Mueller Law Office, Austin, TX), Ron is co-author of the Mueller-Wilson Report with Dr Mark D Cole (International Law & Human Rights.) Briefly a lecturer at Johannes Guttenberg University, Ron is persona non-grata at the law school, after having taught a course on U.S. Constitutional Law as satire, in stand-up comedy format. A political exile and fugitive from multiple intelligence agencies since July 2007, Ron contributes the occasional analysis/exposé for Subversify Magazine from an undisclosed location in Berlin.

Ron’s satires and other works (including books Penucquem Speaks and Napi Mephisto) are free to the public at his online publishing page and he keeps a public log of current events at Facebook.

Ron’s public email: penucquemspeaks@googlemail.com

Other articles by Ronald Thomas West at Subversify:

Cracking the Matrix: Our Military/Industrial Spy Services

Cracking the Matrix: Part Two

Cracking the Matrix: Part Three

Ron Paul: Fantasy, Fallacy and Foible

Child Murder for Jesus

The Dirty Double Game

By Karla Fetrow:

There is a wonderful vibration in the air today, a sound that makes its own music, an awareness that brings its own rules, a new territory for exploration and creativity.  It’s the youth movement, crawling out from under the platforms of commercialism and controlled industry, finding leaders among their own numbers, confronting the world of authorities and officials with their own mistakes.

Music is the herald, reflects the attitudes, and expresses the messages of any youth movement.  The music coming out of the second decade of the big 2000 mark rustles with experimentation, aches with the eve of destruction, and brings back the driving energy of classical rock.  This generation has found its voice through its own initiative, its You-Tube  promotions and through its popularity among the ninety-nine percent, instead of the contractual agreements for canned music.

Subversify is proud to present one of these young groups that have stood up as part of the creative youth determined to fashion their own future.  Decadent Nation has been rocking the Midwest for half a decade, thrilling fans with music that incorporates the influence of metal, reggae, folk and good old-fashioned rock and roll. The band has  toured U.S. on multiple occasions, sometimes sharing the stage with the likes of Chevelle, Les Claypool, Three Days Grace, Shadows Fall, Lacuna Coil, Powerman 5000, and Puddle of Mudd. DN’s visceral live shows bring the beast out in all who are present.

Recently, the nationally touring act played a guerilla style concert at Kiener Plaza in downtown St. Louis. They played an hour of their high energy, socio-political rock to a crowd of over 500 people.

“We came here to be your cheerleaders, we came down here to pump you up a little bit, cause there’s a long way to go in this struggle,” said front man Colin LaVaute before they ripped into a cover Rage Against the Machine’s ‘Take the Power Back.’ Later in the show, LaVaute stated that while he didn’t agree with everything associated with the movement, he urged those present to “stay focused” on “divorcing all forms of special interest money from our political system.”

The concert was a result of a pledge by the band to play guerilla concerts in St. Louis, Kansas City, and their hometown of Columbia in support of the Occupy Wall St. movement.  When asked where they would b going  next,  lead guitarist Adam Rolfes, answered, “I think we are gonna throw our equipment on a flat bed and play in front of some rich people’s houses.”

True to their word, the group performed a guerilla concert the following Thursday night, playing their high energy socio-political rock from the back of a flat bed trailer, as it was towed around affluent neighborhoods in the Kansas City area. The show was their second guerilla concert in a week, after playing to a crowd of protesters in Downtown St. Louis last Saturday.

“This is not about class warfare, this is about corporate welfare,” front man Colin LaVaute stated before the band ripped into their anthem ‘Independence Day’.

After the band had concluded their performance, guitarist Adam Rolfes provided some insight as to why they chose rich neighborhoods. “The reality is, these people are rich, but they aren’t the one percent. You don’t have to be broke to realize that there’s a serious discussion that needs to be taking place about accountability from our financial and governing institutions. It’s time everyone joined that discussion.”

I asked Colin La Vaute, “You refer to the Occupy movement as a political one, yet most occupiers are at great pains to say they do not want the influence of political parties in their movement,thus defining themselves as more social than political.  How do you feel about this?  Is the movement headed in the direction of a particular political drive or is it a statement for social reform?  Do you feel your music is more political or social?”

“I have always referred to DN as being socio-political. You really can’t separate one from the other. Anyone who is involved with the Occupy movement that honestly feels as though they can institute any kind of change without engaging in the American political system is simply fooling themselves. I understand why they go to great lengths to state themselves as being non-political, but in order to reverse, for instance, the People’s United case, it’s going to take Constitutional Amendment stating what any rational person already realizes: corporations are not people. That’s no small feat, and will require a mass amount of politicking. I give the movement credit to the extent that it has brought the injustices taken place by the financial markets back to the forefront of the media’s attention, but there is a long way to go in this.”

Colin,  I really like the lyrics to your song, Little Mushrooms.  What inspired you to put this song together?

“That song was written at the height of the Iraq War. To me DN has always been about helping people let the beast out, and maybe broadening people’s perceptions about any given topic. And when I talk about The Beast, I’m not talking about some violent animal, but more the natural instincts that we all have that can separate reality from the mind-numbing minutiae of everyday life. Little Mushrooms is imploring people to get real about what was happening in Iraq at that time. As far as the other end of the mushroom metaphor, I’ll leave that up for speculation…”

Do you feel that the current “rage against the machine” expression of the youth will have a lasting effect or will sort of die out over time the way the hippie movement eventually abandoned their free for all philosophy for materialism?

“I honestly don’t know what to expect anymore. The world never ceases to amaze me. I think that as long as our political system supports plutocracy over democracy, the corruption has no end. As long as we keep on going down this path, people are going to continue to be fed up about what’s going on regardless. What really needs to happen is more of an open dialogue between people of all social and political backgrounds. Political pundits and the media go to great lengths to label people as liberal and conservative, and in turn, Americans engage in the same practice. We need to shed ourselves of such demagoguery, and realize how much we actually agree with one another. For instance take a look at Libertarians, perhaps the most “right wing” of political circles. Well you’ll find that some of the things that they deem as destructive to America as being the same things that the Occupy protesters do. They think we should withdraw all troops from overseas, and that big banks shouldn’t get bailouts. That’s not to say that I agree with everything they believe, but dammit, why do I need to draw such a clear distinction as to where I’m at politically? I’m conservative about some things, and I’m liberal about other things. Once we stop drawing lines in the sand based on our ideals, then we can grow into a nation that elects officials based on the quality of their ideas, and not whether or not they’re conservative or liberal enough.”

Although Adam Rofes, lead guitarist, defines himself as an activist, he’s not sure whether he truly feels his activism could be called political or social.  “Im not sure if I really try to define myself as one or the other, honestly. I have my beliefs and I stick up for what I believe in. Above all, I believe in being a good person and helping people who need to be helped. You never know when YOU may be the one in need looking up to someone you once helped. Politically, I would say that Im middle of the road. I think that we all need to work for each other and our communities to make them the best we can. I think that bi-partisan politics are a waste of time and only serve to drive people apart… and we need to stop the contributions from large corporations or interest groups to politicians. I could probably go on for hours about my beliefs but I encourage everyone to inform themselves and form their own beliefs rather than just listening to what some guitar player in some band has to say.”

“There must have been a lot of contrast between playing for an Occupy camp and playing on the streets of the St. Louis upper crust. Would any of you like to share your impressions? In other words, how much fun was it?

Colin answered, “Contrast is an understatement. At the Occupy protest, you had quite a mixed bag of individuals. It was in downtown St. Louis, so it provided a lot of the homeless people with a place to go. There were the pompous hipsters, the hippies reliving the 60’s, but then there were some very intelligent people, trying to keep the movement on track. It was pretty amazing, playing a show in the shadow of all of those skyscrapers, housing the very corporations we were there to protest. Then, when we did the trailer bit in Kansas City(and it was KC) it was much more homogenous. A lot of people just stared at us as we drove by. Some people were amused, some were annoyed, but at least no one called the cops on us. After it was over a teenager came up and gave us a demo of his band and told us how much he appreciated what we did.”

“For me,” Zack answered, “noticing a lot of the other bigger name musicians that have been getting involved with the movement, people that I respect, it was cool to be a part of movement, that if it succeeds, can make a lot of amazing changes in this country. I’m not the most politically minded person, but to do what we do in support of the movement was a big deal to me. I had never been apart of anything like that before.”

Observed Cody, “I definitely felt more welcome while playing for the Occupy camp in St. Louis. In KC, there were some welcome vibes, but there were others there that wanted us to get the fuck off their lawn.”

I asked the group, “if you had one single message to share with us, what would it be.”

Zack Blomberg answered,   “Listen to Black Sabbath….As a it pertains to our message, I hope anyone who takes the time to read the lyrics can find at least one part that sticks with them, empowers them, you know? We have some powerful thoughts in our songs, and yes, some are politically minded. But there are so many other aspects of our daily lives we need to wake up to as well.”

Adam replied, “I would say that people need to inform themselves.. Emphasis on THEMSELVES. The general media, these days, is so biased that they really seem to want to make up peoples minds for them. I meant that people shouldn’t just listen to what a musician says and form their opinions on that. People should always be on a hunt for the actual facts so they can make an informed and strong opinion on the matters that affect each and every one of us every day.’

“We are in the middle of a fascinating moment in time,” said Colin. “It’s impossible to keep track of all of the way the human race evolves on a daily basis. That being said, I don’t have any singular message to put out there. DN is here to help wake people up. The vast, vast majority of what I hear in the realm of music doesn’t engage listeners to do anything but bob their head to the beat. I want to awaken something in those who hear DN’s music. The more bombarded we are with information, the easier it becomes to be desensitized to the menagerie of it all. It’s time to step out of the fog, and if our music can help people do that, then we’ve done our job.”

Are Decadent Nation doing their job?  Not only has Decadent Nation been sharing its upward beat with a generation of authority questioning youth for the last five years, it has reminded America it needs to regain its sense of humor.  When a rumor circulated that the group had thrown a hot dog at Tiger Woods, the celebrity was apparently not very amused.  When asked if hot dog throwing would become part of their trademark, Colin answered, “The apology and subsequent video we made was more tongue and cheek than some in the media realize. ‘Flinging wieners?’ Come on, that’s funny! We are just now beginning to experiment with new forms of performance art, and on that end, you can definitely expect to see more where that came from.

You know, the last two Halloweens I’ve played shows as a clown. In fact, there are pictures up on our Facebook still of the last show. I get so lost, and animated when I have the makeup on, that I’ve considered playing more shows as the clown.”

If the job of a music performer is to inspire, uplift and entertain, it looks like Decadent Nation is doing a very good job. Be sure to learn more about the individual performers and listen to their music at Subversify’s own Viral radio network.

You can listen to Decadent Nation right now at Subversify Viral!

By: Grainne Rhuad

“Satan is Real; and he is Black”

This is the title I received in a recent press release for the Underground BlkVampires and I was instantly intrigued.  I love a band that isn’t afraid of inciting attention.  I have been known to show up and support shows that in all actuality I would have never examined based simply on their persona.  You see, to me and a lot of music lovers going to a live show is a part of the ‘show’.  I don’t want to see music videos, I want an experience and this band seems to embrace that with a vengeance.

From their Press Statement: “BlkVampires is a ‘Must See’ band who have literally torn down houses in multiple venues leaving sprinkler systems and lighting fixtures hanging from the ceilings, while audiences stand in pitch black rooms. These monsters continue to excite and move crowds. Meanwhile, club owners drop lawsuits, while still asking for the band’s return, solely based upon their live shows. These 6 members combine Hard Alternative Gothic Soul music in a way that resembles what Queen did to rock & opera. In a moment you are listening to sweet tenor vocals, then suddenly your ears are jolted into sounds of sheer terror to slick cool rhythm guitar licks into pure metal. All this, while in full regalia a la Marilyn Manson and Slipknot.”

BlkVampires hails from New York, its band members come from boroughs in and around the city and between them have a more than decent resume. Forrest Thinner, the singer has been in Knights, 24-7 Spyz, & The Fluid Foundation.

Bass player, Raymond Anderson has played for Black Rebel Indians (Funk/ Rock&Roll/ Reggae)

Rhythm Guitarist Chan Booth Played with Prowler, Troy Brown’s Style, Remi Leku and other groups of musicians assembled by Forrest along the road to forming BlkVampires.

Ramsey Jones, the drummer and background vocals for the BlkVampires! His first band experience was with Abstract; he has also backed up Rha Goddess, Akebulan, Funk face, Alexis High tower, Vernon Reid. He recorded an album with Vernon Reid in 2001, which never came out. He also appeared on various Wu Tang Albums with his cousin is RZA.   His youngest brother was Ol’ Dirty Bastard.  He just recorded a track with Corrine Bailey Rae which will be on her next album.

Lead Guitarist Kute Tonge has played Karma, Fire and Brimstone, Lionheart, Boom Bits, Dayme and the Kicks, and Gingee and the Gun.

Most of the BlkVampires are well versed and experienced in genre bending music and BlkVampires is just that providing Heavy Metal stage sound with unexpected funk tracks laid down right when you wouldn’t expect them and yet it feels just right.  I had to know more about these Vamps so here they are in their words:

G.R. – Who or what inspires you musically?

Ramsey - I started playing drums at the age of 5. Banging on various Tupperware. Pots and pans included. My first musical epiphany occurred at that age. My father summoned me into the living room to watch Jimi Hendrix obituary on television. I became enthralled by his appearance and at that time, you rarely saw black people on television. My father purchased the first Beatles album and Jimi’s “Are you Experienced”. Blew me away and informed what my life would be from that point on.

I started to seriously learn drums and guitar and piano. Any instrument to express myself and learn to write music. I also began to listen to every genre of music because I am a sponge for any kind of music.

ChanD- (My)Influences include Jimi Hendrix, Neal Schon (Santana/Journey), Prince, Eddie Van Halen, Randy Rhoads/Ozzy Osbourne, Earth, Wind & Fire, Jimmy Page/ Led Zeppelin, David Gilmour/Pink Floyd and Perry Mason. My first band was Abstract and it started in 1989 with a group of friends I grew up with. My talent had made others who witnessed my band at various venues like CBGB’s, Space at Chase, Limelight, Brownies, and Wetlands. Those were the days playing that scene in New York circa 1989-2001

G.R. – I am aware that Forrest Thinner was previously in 24-7 spyz, I found an interview with him on the website for the City Gardens Film project- Riot on the Dance Floor, would Forrest like to talk about playing there. I ask because the press release highlights the band’s propensity for tearing down the house and City Gardens pretty much exemplifies the house being torn down. Is this the feel that BlkVampires want to bring to its shows?

Forrest- In regards to bringing down the house, the idea comes from and actual show where I hung from and light fixture, and it came down. The band continued to play to a pitch black room, while workers tried to get the lights back up. We don’t want club owners to think that they will always tear up their venues; otherwise they will never let them play.

G.R. – In your press release you state “Satan is real and he is Black”. Are you referring to the Christian ideal of Satan or the hedonistic aspects as represented by the Satanic Church? Or are you giving Satan an all new spin. If so, explain a bit.

Forrest- Satan? We are using Satan as an alternative to things, like the opposite of things. Good/Evil, Yin/Yang, Day/Night etc…To blame the Devil for everything that goes wrong in this world is crazy, when God allows it!

G.R. – Who are your fans? What demographic are you attracting? Are your fans the ones you intended or did it just turn out that way organically? When I watch your videos I see mostly a white college age audience, do you think they “get” the funk and soul musical references? Also I don’t see a lot of the Vampire social scene present at the concerts, but this may just be circumstantial. How does the Vampire culture receive you?

Forrest- Our fans are new and developing. Since we are from the Northeast, our fan base is also here, and it’s turning out this way organically. We play multi bills with different acts so this brings us a wide audience and yes, whites understand soul and funk very well and appreciate it. The vampire scene has not made a presence at our shows, yet we play with everyone they only go to their “kind” of events.

G.R. – I have to ask about the cross burning, I am intrigued because you are a Black band, how is that received? I think it is provocative to say the least, but what is your intention with it, shock &awe? Or a statement or both?

Forrest-The burning cross is like a fiery preacher that’s speaking the word of God, the Klan used it to put fear in black people, we use it to put light in ALL people. Our intention is to free your mind. Imagine a Jewish band with a swastika…wild huh??

G.R. – How much do you interact on a daily basis with your fans? Do you utilize Twitter, Facebook, blogging, etc. on a regular basis to allow your fans to feel they know you, thereby generating excitement or do you keep a distance and cultivate mystery?

Forrest- Fan interaction, yes we do it on a daily basis. On Facebook there are people that actually come to our shows or support us. I want them to feel us personally and the ones that don’t we’re a cool mystery too. We are also still on MySpace. One of the band members has a twitter account. I (Forrest) also hand out flyers/stickers on a regular basis, which is another great way to meet and interact with people.

G.R. – I see Genre’s themselves as passing away. More and more there is so much blending, punk and cabaret, metal and soul, ukulele and …well that damn instrument is popping up everywhere. However when you go to search and buy and post music you still have to announce a genre. How do you deal with this as your music definitely is genre bending.

Forrest-Our music genre if you will, could be called “Alternative Gothic Soul”. That’s what we tell people. It’s like Al Green vs. Pantera or Maxwell vs Marilyn Manson. Soul music is worldwide. What Queen did to Rock and Opera we are to Alternative Gothic Soul. There is no equal.

G.R. – Listening to and reading through the lyrics which it looks like mostly Forrest wrote, they are mostly fun and saucy with a sense of taunting in some cases, except for War which was a bit more political. Right now do you see this group as a vehicle for drama or social commentary or both?

Forrest- Both!! The lyrics typically reflect the songs’ titles and since we’re a multifaceted band our songs should also reflect that. Like the Beatles, their names sounds like bugs, but of course don’t sing about insects. The band Vampire Weekend also doesn’t sing about vampires. We aren’t necessarily trying to be anything in particular (social, political, etc) we are just trying to do things organically. Whatever hits us in our chest, that’s what we sing about.

G.R. – I did see via Twitter that ChanD is a runner. What else do you all do on your own time? P.S. ChanD also tweeted “Curling is the greatest sport ever created by men.” Which cracked me up and while yes it is a great sport I have to disagree, I think Running the Ba is the greatest sport. Just thought I’d put that out there. Violence and a history of head stealing who can beat that?

Forrest- My time is promoting this band, which is why we’re communicating now. I’m like a machine with this….I like it. I feel we’ve got the uncanny thing out here and your article can help take us through the roof!!

ChanD- I spend my free time at the gym, on the golf course, and, of course, traveling to follow the international curling tour circuit.

Ramsey- What I do in my spare time is collect records and Cd’s. Yes I still buy Cd’s and records because I hate downloads! I also love to read and research music history and history on various topics concerning towns and countries. Art also inspires me and nature. I love to collect music from the 60′s. Rare psych, soul mod jazz, anything odd and unusual from the era. I love all eras of music. The 60′s and 70′s were the best.

Kute Tonge- I like to boogie board

G.R. –What I always want to know about everyone I meet is: what book is currently being read or what was the last book read, who is in regular rotation on your daily soundtrack and as it is the right time of year what is your favorite Horror story/movie?

Forrest- Frankenstein by Dean Koontz was the last book. In daily music rotation are: Rammstein, Sade, and The Game. My Favorite Horror movies: The Exorcist/The Thing! /Horror Hotel

Raymond - Current Book Being Read: I Want To Take You HIgher The Life and Times Of Sly and the Family Stone by Jeff Kaliss. Last Book Read: Pharmacotherapy: A Pathophysiological Approach by Dipiro et al. Favorite Horror Movie(s): The Exorcist, The Sixth Sense.

ChanD- Currently reading two books: “Dreams from My Father” by Barack Obama and the Keith Richards autobiography “Life”. As for horror films, since we’re in October, this is a very timely question. The first “Halloween” always made me jump. Very basic story. Creepy and suspenseful music. Low budget production. No frills yet very compelling all around. Very influential to many horror movies to follow. It’s always the simple stuff that ends up being the most effective. Classic.

Ramsey – Books I have read lately were “The Chitlin’ Circuit” by Preston Lauterbach, The Brief, Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz and Little Willie John’s Bio. All excellent books. My favorite Horror films, too many to mention but I love “The Exorcist” and “Halloween”. I listen to a lot of music from the 60′s. Today’s music is lifeless and boring. The only good music from this era is music you don’t hear on mainstream radio. Mainstream radio is garbage to me. So I go out to find music on College radio and small radio stations. Digital streams and checking out interesting music in record stores, Independent, that is.

Kute Tonge- I am currently reading a book called Self Realization. Mercyful Fate is in regular rotation on my daily soundtrack. One of my favorite horror movies is the Wolfman with Lon Chaney.

BlkVampires are the type of band that is embodying the ideal of doing what you like and enjoy, cutting out the middle man and bringing the music directly to the fans.  This trend that began out of necessity is lately becoming the “It” thing to do” with well established musicians leaving their labels and taking advantage of the global networking and technology.  While this is all well and good for the guys late to the party, underground bands like BlkVampires understand the best selling point is the music and the show and bringing it to the people  whenever, where ever and giving it everything.

Most of all having fun and Bringing Down the House-Light Fixtures and all.

To See BlkVampires and get upcoming concert information, go to Subversify Viral where you will find videos chosen for you by the Band.

This month, Subversify Magazine celebrates alien abductions! We’re sort of hoping little green men would kidnap some of those Wall Street and D.C. corporate heads. We really don’t have any more use for them.

Anyhow, in this episode of “Stranger Advice”, host John Zaskoda interviews supernatural expert Marcia Schafer on things unseen, and what lies beyond the “Z.”

She’s had a lifetime of extraterrestrial contact that tends to knock the socks off of most listeners.  It is through her company, Beyond Zebra, that she explores the unusual and the bizarre, such as ghosts, extraterrestrials, animal telepathy, and all sorts of things that aren’t seen.  The emphasis here, at least in the beginning, is on “soul lessons.”  Listen to her interview on Stranger Advice, during which she describes her work, her intentions, and how she can help plan plan your future.

Listen to it on Subversify VIRAL Right now!

“My mommy always said there were no monsters – no real ones - but there are.”
“Yes, there are, aren’t there?”
“Why do they tell little kids that?”
“Most of the time it’s true.”

Extraterrestrials in Texas? We wouldn’t be doing our jobs as executive-level subversives if we didn’t propagate the belief in aliens.  Hear a bone-chilling story of aliens in Texas from “Stranger Advice” with host John Zaskoda, courtesy of Subversify VIRAL.

Episode #3 of Stranger Advice features a detailed account of one family’s ongoing series of UFO encounters. Brothers Henry & Joey, with their cousin Hector, describe a recent sighting in Texas that they, and over a dozen other family members, observed. Sincere and consistent with each and every detail, their honesty is obvious.  As each day passes, the puzzle becomes harder to solve and they are forced to question much more than what they saw. They now must question their beliefs.

Listen to it on Subversify VIRAL right now!

By: Grainne Rhuad

Subversify got its start when a few writers met in seemingly coincidental circumstances.  So it should be no surprise to us that the internet Norns should continue to lead to our doorstep more talented artists and writers.  Such was the case when a love of avant-garde circus/punk musician Sxip Shirey brought Clara Engel to my proverbial door.  It was kismet.  Her music is lovely, refreshing and defies definition as so much of the music I listen to nowadays does.  It’s full of the round fullness of folk mixed with snapshots of modern life that is easily relatable to many.  She reminds me both in her music and her answers to interview questions of a bard of olde, here to truly tell a story. 

This 28 year old who hails from Canada describes herself as mostly self taught, musically.   She has been playing with music and writing her own songs since childhood.  She also draws although she does not describe herself as an artist her albums bear her artwork.   Her voice is a strong and definite one.  She has been touring mostly eastern Canada but also some of the American northeast.  Please do follow her at one or more of her links as support for independent artists is what allows them to bring their art to us face to face.

Grainne: Your profile states you live in Montreal.  Are you a native of Quebec and if not where are your roots?

Clara: No, I was born in Toronto. I moved to Montreal last summer. Both of my parents are from Quebec though, so I’ve spent a lot of time here. In terms of roots, I am half English Irish Scottish and half Russian Polish Jewish.

Grainne: When/how old were you when you started playing music?  Did you come to it on your own or were you a child who was exposed to music via family/school/lessons?

Clara: When I was eleven or twelve, I picked up a guitar. It was a Framus classical guitar that my father had owned since before I was born, I think. One day I just picked it up, and I really took to it. I started writing songs when I was thirteen. I did have some music lessons, but I’m mostly self-taught. I sang a lot when I was really young. But music in school was awful. I had a mean music teacher who used to conduct singing tests in front of the class. He scared me so much that my voice literally got stuck in my throat when he would call on me to sing. It’s a vivid memory – I would stand there shaking, making this strangulated attempt to sing, for thirty seconds or so (it felt like five minutes) and then be told to sit down. It happened repeatedly, and I failed singing right through grade school. My single great memory of music in a school context is of this one Orff music class we had in first grade. A woman came to our school, with a giant basket of percussion instruments. I can still remember singing a song she taught us about a river, and banging on drums and shakers. I was buzzing with joy. It was such an inclusive, unselfconscious and physical approach to making music. I didn’t experience the joy of making music in a group again until I was in my 20s and I started playing with a band.

Grainne: When did you settle on an instrument or have you?

Clara: I mainly write on the guitar. At some point, I’d like to try writing a whole album without allowing myself to use the guitar… maybe an album for drums, voice and bells. But I am very at home with the guitar. I enjoy how physical and percussive it is, and being able to re-tune it.

Grainne: You describe most of your work as unfinished, sketches of a moment.  Do you do this on purpose?  Did you begin to recognize others filling in your unfinished work with their own stories?  If so how do you feel about this?

Clara: I said that in 2009 I think. I don’t agree with myself now. My aesthetic happens to strike many people as stark. So I was trying to defend my work by saying: it may seem unfinished, but it’s meant to be that way. Now I don’t explain or defend the form of my songs, I just write and play them. I don’t work with musicians who are compelled to fill in every space. It’s a very abstract notion, to finish something. When your life is finished it means you’re dead. Maybe I just want my work to stay living, mutable. I love space, and silence is so important in music. I like it when people find their own meaning in my songs, and it’s thrilling when someone covers one of my songs and makes it their own. That’s happened a few times now, and it really pleased me. In terms of the openness of my work, I’d say that resisting a singular meaning or stance is a perfectly valid stance. I want my songs to remain open to new interpretations, not to be bound to a singular story, and they’re definitely not diary entries.

Grainne: Are you of the opinion that once you are finished and walk away from a project it belongs to the world?  Or do you maintain ownership over your unfinished vocal imaginings?

Clara: I don’t understand the concept of ownership as it applies to music. Songwriting is a contribution to a huge canon; folk music is a giant river of song. In that context, the idea of plagiarism is irrelevant because it is understood that songs come from other songs, that there is no original song or idea. That doesn’t mean I don’t want to be paid or credited for my work, I do. I just don’t find the concept of originality to be very convincing.  

Grainne: Who have been your musical influences? 

Clara: There have been so many… two that spring to mind right now are Sephardic Jewish music, which I came to through Yasmin Levy, and Armenian music, which I came to through a collection of Armenian lullabies. I love Vic Chesnutt, Dirty Three, Laurie Anderson, and Jacques Brel. Really early blues: Robert Johnson, Son House, Geeshie Wiley. I love what I’ve heard of medieval music. I’m drawn to songs that go for the jugular. I am simple and brutal when it comes to the music I love. I hardly even like to talk about it. I get inarticulate. Explaining, understanding, pinning them down is like butterfly collecting – highly stylized murder. Now I think about it, music and butterflies are kind of alike… fleeting and unattainable, not to be held. This was even truer before music could be recorded – then you’d really have to treasure live music. You might never hear that song again. It makes me think of William Blake: “he who binds to himself a joy does the winged life destroy…” The more I try to explain why I love something, the farther I feel from its living, changing being.

Grainne: You also draw; do you consider yourself a multi-media artist?

Clara: Not really. I guess I consider myself an artist in a broad sense of the word. I feel useful when I am making things. I’ve designed most of my own album-art. I like to draw, it calms my nerves, but I don’t consider myself a visual artist, at least not at this point in my life. Mostly I avoid having to describe my work. Recently someone called it “singing poetry” and I think that is quite a good description.

Arc by: Clara Engel

Grainne: I love Bandcamp and the whole idea of subverting the music industry by bringing the music directly to the fans and forming a closer fan/musician relationship.  How did you find your way to Bandcamp?  What has been your experience there?  Pluses and minuses?

Clara: One of my best friends, Alex Olsen – a musician/composer and also the co-mixer of my album Secret Beasts, recommended that site to me. Overall it’s been really great, and empowering. What I don’t like about it… it used to be free, and now they take 15% of sales. So I no longer get the full amount. That is pretty standard, but disappointing nonetheless.

Grainne: Here’s an interesting question for me…If you had the opportunity to sign with a big record label and leave the Bandcamp type of scene would you?  Why or why not?

Clara: I’m not an expert, but from what I gather, most big record labels are floundering. So, I really don’t know. It depends on the label. If it was a label associated with artists whom I respected, I would do it. I’d prefer not to ‘leave’ the other scene; I’d rather combine the two. The most frustrating thing about being independent, or in being as independent as I am, is that I can’t afford to tour or record at this point. Hopefully this will change soon. I’m currently working with a couple of independent labels, Vox Humana, and Tapemancy – they are releasing some of my work on vinyl and tape, respectively. I just have so many new songs that I need to record. I’m exploding with songs.

Grainne: How do you reach your audience?  Have you been touring and if so where? Do you use the internet to connect with people using places like Facebook, Myspace, etc. and to what effect?  Do you blog your musical/artistic experiences, if so, how is that received? 

Clara: I’ve reached the audience that I have mainly through the internet. I’ve actually made some amazing connections online. The artist Yuki Komura, who painted the portrait of me that appears on the actual physical CD of my album Secret Beasts, found me on Myspace. He’s an incredible painter, and it was such a random stroke of luck that our paths crossed. I’ve also met musicians who I’ve worked with and played shows with via the internet. The internet is an essential tool for independent artists. In terms of touring, I mainly play in Montreal right now, and do mini-tours in the USA. NYC, and Massachusetts mainly. I’m planning to tour more in Canada, and hoping it will work out that I can play in Europe soon too. As for the blogging question, I used to be into blogging and then went off it. I’m going to start again soon; I’m going to start a wordpress site.

Clara Engel by Yuki Komura

Grainne: Do you have plans for touring in the future?

Clara: I’m releasing something on vinyl in the UK, and am really hoping that will translate into a tour there. I would love to play in the UK, in France, and in Ireland. I also will be playing in NYC, and probably Boston and Philadelphia, in May.

Grainne: What kinds of gigs do you like to do?  Up-front and personal ones with lots of audience interaction, or gigs where you maybe have less interaction but more musicians involved for support?

Clara: My dream show at this point in time would be in a church, probably solo, or with the drummer and horn player I work with when I’m in Toronto, Paul Kolinski and Nicolas Buligan. I sometimes talk to the audience, and sometimes it feels best to just play and let the silence breathe between songs. I’m getting more and more comfortable with silence.

Grainne: How old are you?-I ask this because I like to get a sense of what generational influences you have and are working with.

Clara: I’m twenty eight, but that says very little about my influences. I saw less than ten films in theaters when I was a kid, and hardly watched any television. When I was nine or ten I was really into Gilbert and Sullivan. I really loved The Mikado. I find that funny considering the music I make now.

Grainne: What is on your nightstand at this moment?

Clara: Mad in Pursuit by Violette Leduc.

Grainne: What is the best thing you have read in the last year?

Clara: Three Steps on the Ladder of Writing by Helene Cixous. Also, All About Love by bell hooks, and A Book of Luminous Things, the poetry anthology compiled by Czeslaw Milosz.

Grainne: Who currently gets the most play on your iPod? (Or similar device)

Clara: Right now I’m listening to The Original Carter Family. Before that I was listening to this band called Opal Onyx, from NYC. Also in heavy rotation are John Grant, Sxip Shirey, Armen Ra, The Irrepressibles, and Larkin Grimm.

Grainne: What do you most want people to know about you?

Drawing by: Clara Engel

You can listen to and purchase Clara Engel’s music at Bandcamp @ http://claraengel.bandcamp.com

You can help support her new album @ http://www.kapipal.com/dc4a9de39ce64980a90a675bc4f8b0b7

You can follow Clara Engel @ http://www.myspace.com/claraengel and http://www.facebook.com/#!/claraengelmusic

For Artwork by Yuki Komura: http://yukikomura.com/menu.html

An Interview With an Alien: Madama Mama Spills Dirt on Mars and Puts Earth in its Place

By John Tannen

When I was a boy, I used to dread hearing anything about the moon, the star, mars or the space shuttle program. All I knew was that whenever there was news about space, it was bad news. I remember January 28, 1986, the day the Space Shuttle: Challenger exploded. As a youth, I was enraged that the news coverage interrupted The Price is Right. Upon expressing my contempt for preempted programming my mother scolded me, expressing that I was not showing compassion for the tragedy that had take place.  Yet another tragedy caused by space. And so it was, another negative association between me and space, the final frontier.

Growing up, I continued to hate space coverage. I hated the fact that space is what separated Americans from Russians. I hated the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey because it made no sense. I hated the fact that the moon landing was heralded as such a human and an American achievement, as if spending so much money on moving one infinitesimal inch in the expansive universe was anything but a self-congratulatory pat on the back. All I really learned about space was that we—the ordinary people—could never hope to see it. We could see glimpses of it and fabricated short films illustrating what it might look like if men really did walk the moon.

Space was the indefinable, never ending thing that remained above human comprehension—and what kept us all forever restless in our ambition. We itched to leave behind the planet of filth we created and sought to explore other worlds, solar systems and galaxies.  All for no other reason except progress—for science and for the human pinnacle of wisdom. It was our final “screw you” to God. The species became smart enough to make its own oxygen and wise enough to plan its early departure years before the trash caught up to the atmosphere.

What I truly remember about 1980s space travel was that I longed to see Bob Barker’s face, that his calm disposition, professional demeanor, and pearly white hair (which nicely contrasted the young buxom babes he screwed before the show) might calm me from the frightening thought of space.  Something far too big to understand, far too tragic to underestimate.

It was with great trepidation that I finally answered Subversify’s request to conduct one out of this world interview with Madama Mama, one of the first alien species to make contact with the human race. Madama Mama has earned quite a reputation across the universe, though she has not quite penetrated earth’s mainstream consciousness beyond Subversify Magazine. Not that  lack of earthly fame concerns Madama. If I’ve learned anything about space from my wondrous interview with the lovely being, it’s that aliens think of earth politics even less than we think about alien abductions.

I represented Subversify Magazine when I communicated with Madama Mama through radio array technology and prime number patterns, contacting her via signals emitted through the vicinity of the star Vega. Madama patiently corresponded with me, no doubt frustrated by these annoying “text messages” from earth.

Interview With Madama Mama

John Tannen: My name is John Tannen and I’m writing on behalf of Mitchell Warren, the publisher of Subversify Magazine. Mitchell is currently taking time off because of a mental disorder. He thinks he is a dog apparently, go figure. Anyway, on behalf of Subversify Magazine I would be honoured to interview you regarding your book, “Mars and the Real Dirt.”

This would be a tremendous honour for me personally, as I would be the first human to make exclusive contact with an extra-terrestrial. I previously broke ground by interviewing the first intelligent pig, who was quite adamant about spreading the pig point of view on the Swine Flu epidemic. Unfortunately, the editor at the time thought the topic was trite. How ironic, since he eventually started writing nothing dog propaganda—dogs which have not been scientifically proven as spiritually conscious.

Anyway, I’ve read over your presentation and these are the thoughts and questions that I have.

Why is the book not available on earth? Not only is it not available from traditional publishing houses, but it’s also not available on the Internet. Is there a WikiLeaks like hedge happening here? For your information, WikiLeaks is a human-created “whistleblowing” website that reports on corrupt shenanigans of the elite and powerful ruling class. My question is, are there some alien forces out there…I’m assuming you don’t find the word “alien” offensive…are there some forces out there who don’t want the human race to discover that there are life forms on other planets?

Madama Mama: Representative John Tannen, thank you for your honorable mention. While honor is an esteemed virtue, it’s usually reserved for the value class, of which i’m not a member. I have no expertise in attaching monetary price tags to values. I would caution you however, on the information you receive from pigs. They are notorious for hogging the limelight and have very poor manners at the trough. As you may have noticed by now, this bid for exclusive attention gives them a very narrow perspective.

I’m surprised you are not more sympathetic with the administrator’s position, considering your experiences with pigs. Our intelligence reports indicate that the humanoids of Planet Three, medium velocity star of cluster 666 have already acknowledged it’s a dog’s world. We’ve listened carefully to your musical praise and have noticed a great deal of enthusiasm for being nothing but hound dogs, letting the dogs out and becoming top dog. There is a great deal of misconception, however, over dogs eating dogs. This wouldn’t happen if you fed them.

In answer to question one: “Why isn’t my book available on Earth”? Simply put, my book is classified material. What Earth humanoids don’t seem to understand is that once something becomes classified, it’s put on a shelf. The process of classification takes a great deal of diligence. If you remove things from their allocated position without any notice as to their classification, you end up with chaos. This is what happened in the case of Wikileaks. Classified material was removed from the shelf and was not returned in the right order. This jeopardized the structural integrity as the material was covering cracks in the system. My book was wedged into a loop hole to prevent any more intelligence leaks.

John Tannen: In the book, you also speak of colonization and its impact on Native life on Mars. If there is life on Mars as you indicate in the book, why have we only picked up evidence of one-celled creatures? Is it possible the Mars Rover footage we all saw was compromised in some way? Did we, as the human species, fake the Mars footage like we faked the moon landing back in 1969?

Madama Mama: Representative Tannen, there are always forces at work, but it’s not always clear what they want. My educated guess would be that the life forms are being forced out of the path before they get trampled by the human race. It’s inconvenient, but considering that humans are always racing, it’s necessary.

John Tannen: Can you explain what you mean in your statement about mechanically engineered responses and genetically altered common sense? Is it not common sense that defines the human being? Are we not a species of human sensibility? Therefore, if it is our nature to be inquisitive, irrational and morally lacking, what exactly is mechanically engineered?

Madama Mama: In order to answer that questions, I would have to first draw attention to your references concerning the Mars Rover. You freely admit your species sent a dog robot to look for footage. Its mechanical response was to discover all the footage it could, which admittedly wasn’t much as one-celled creatures don’t have feet. We have considered presenting a footprint for our viewers, but there is a great deal of debate as to just how large of one we should leave behind.

There has been a great deal of consternation among the Intergalactic Council since discovering the definition of common sense by the standard of your species. It is our suspicion that we’ve arrived too late to apply for the natural selection of common sense as the senses have already been genetically modified. This would explain why your species exhibit selective hearing, limited vision and tasteless appetites. I have put forth a suggestion we modify the request to include a petition for uncommon sense.

John Tannen: Your Intergalactic Council has been aware of Earth for quite a while now, ever since, as you say, you acquired fourth dimension awareness. Our scientists have not yet found such conclusions, or shall we say, we haven’t been allowed to publicly release our findings. I do wonder about your statement, the “engagement of neuronic impulses.” What is preventing the human species from becoming attune with the unconscious or superconscious elements of our brains?

Madama Mama: Much of the problem Earth humanoids have with neuronic impulses is they are forever breaking up the engagements. Neuronic impulses are very sensitive. Once they engage, they expect a lasting relationship. If you break off an engagement, there is no need to enlist the organist, now is there? Therefore, there is no tune for the unconscious to attend. Of course, getting the unconscious to attend anything is a dismal venture as their favorite position is in front of the television set. This television, I might add, is another symptom of genetically altered senses. Unable to use their own sense of sight, the genetically modified neuronic impulses must now rely on mechanically engineered vision.

The Super Conscious Elements, on the other hand, require a great deal of fine tuning. You can’t just throw them together like so many molecules of hydrogen or carbon dioxide or all you’ll get is sulphuric acid. You can spot a sulphuric Super Conscious by the acidity of its remarks and a peculiar aroma that follows it around. This can create an irritant better known as acute bowel movement distress. Once you have allowed all the elements a place in the orchestra and established a harmony between them, an agreeable Super Conscious might attend your performance.

John Tannen: I don’t know if I agree with your perception that intellectuals have been banned from several of our countries. Many of our world leaders are self-professed intellectuals. Our book writers are intellectuals, as are our movie stars and entertainers, many of which form their own religion. Intellectualism is alive and well online, and many smart human beings regularly pontificate on the moral degradation of society. What I perceive is that our society has rejected intellectualism in favour of patriotism. I wish I could say this was a new trend, but I don’t feel it is. I wish I could say that we became stupid at some point. But I don’t think so. I think if anything, we have only become more pretentious. After we evolved from the ape species, we developed pretensions, allusions and deep symbolisms, the likes of which the animal kingdom never bothered with. After all, animals find all of our rhetoric rather silly.

Madama Mama: Representative Tannen, I think we are now getting close to the debate between artificial intelligence and intelligent design. I’ve heard it mentioned many times that Earth humanoids weren’t designed very intelligently which is why artificial intelligence was recommended. Processors quickly discovered that intelligence reports were more easily simulated electronically than intelligent response, making intellectualism obsolete. Intellectuals have since been put on a time share plan, with rigorous requirements that include, but are not limited to, the confiscation of intellectual property. Perhaps you now understand the need for secrecy.

John Tannen: I have heard accusations of alien species being accused of cattle mutilations and the theft of rare earth. It is interesting that you defensively include all alien life forms in your statement, as if you resent stereotyping of your species. But how is that possible if you are a minority species in the universe? Are you implying it’s really a matter of The Human Earth Vs. All Extra Terrestrial Life? I wish I could say that the idea of the human species plundering other planets and solar systems, raping other life forms, and harvesting alien babies for sweetener, is a ridiculous idea. But I can’t. We are an alpha-species with delusions of importance. What did you think of Avatar, anyway?

Madama Mama: Understand, I have nothing against cattle mutilations; I’ve been tempted to mutilate a few in the past; but let’s put the blame directly where it’s due. I’ve not heard one alien say, “I want a hamburger” or propose to put up golden arches. It was the Mack Do Boys. They live at the top of the Do Boys Tower and are slowly migrating to Mars. They mutilated the cattle to find the perfect clone that will adjust to the Mars environment. Since mutilating cattle to extract clones is an expensive process, they ran out of their own experimental cattle and had to resort to stealing from their neighbors.

The same thing happened with the earth. They extracted so much to create prime Mars real estate, real dirt has become rare and everyone is frantic to find it. On the one hand, we have all these humanoids looking for a republic to stand on, when there’s no ground under their feet. On the other, are all these flatulent Mack Do Boys stirring up dust and blaming aliens for their cattle fetish. I can tell you, it makes for a very disagreement atmosphere. You can read more in my unpublished, never to be found book, “Mars and the Real Dirt”.

I’d say, be very careful of Avatars. They aren’t always what they appear to be. Now that the Intergalactic Council know this, they will keep a close watch on their neuronic impulses. I’m enthusiastic about your correspondence and hope you’ll join us in our quest for alien development through intelligent design.  []

After the interview ended, I thanked Madama, and went home to think over the ramifications of Mars politics and earth’s total obliviousness to universal issues.  Part of me wondered why mankind was ever so intent to defy the law of gravity in the first place.  Was it really our business to go beyond our atmosphere and question the laws outside our world, a world we hadn’t even begun to comprehend?  Of course it wasn’t our place…and that is exactly why we did it.

We are an obnoxious species and I dread the day we finally do make contact and start imposing our will on new life and new civilizations, boldly assuming things that no one ever assumed before.

Before I wrote the story I took time out to go out and gaze up at the stars, glimmers and shimmers of hope that are unfortunately millions of light years away. I miss Bob Barker.

By: Grainne Rhuad

In the community I grew up in there is an Islamic Center and there are quite a few followers of Islam.  However, up until the shocking events of Sept. 11, most people in our community didn’t give much thought to Islam in their daily lives.  In our culture we tend not to think outside of our daily experiences until we have to.  There had always been good feelings toward our Muslim neighbors.  We showed up and helped them raise their Masjid in our town and a neighboring one.  They came and kept watch over the local Synagogue when it was being vandalized by a white pride group.   And yet beyond the day to day transactions we didn’t think about religious and cultural differences.  It wasn’t until the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, that our community even thought to include Islam in its discussion about faith, discrimination and cultural competence.

Increasingly our news outlets have been reaching out and covering the personal side of Islam.  This seems especially true this year when we have had so much controversy around things like book burnings and Mosques in Manhattan neighborhoods.

One thing I wanted to know about but didn’t see a lot of coverage of was what the daily life of a housewife, mother and woman like me is like during Ramadan.  It just wasn’t covered.  I didn’t know whether nobody thought to ask or whether there was some sort of religious injunction against talking about women’s feelings around matters of spirituality.  I had grown up like so many American with visions of The Nation of Islam in my head; Women who didn’t meet your eye, quiet women.  What I wanted to know more about was a modern American Muslim woman, so I asked someone I knew.

Maya Salem has been a contributor for us in the past.  She is a mother, a wife a daughter and a follower of Islam.  She was kind enough to humor me and my questions and even add some of her own direction in between, when she thought I needed to know more.

Maya leads off by offering this definition of the fast:

We fast for thirty days. What does it mean to fast? We CANNOT eat or drink anything at all from sunrise to sunset. Not only that, we must not engage nor think about sexual activity, smoking nor drugs. It is a total disciplinary cause. Why do we fast? Simple, to feel with the poor and hungry. You can’t say that you understand a poor person without being poor. You must experience it. This would help us to know firsthand what poverty feels like. It leaves no room for pleasurable thoughts; it is a constant battle of hunger pangs and weakness. It leaves a person grateful for what he has, and an accomplished sense of appreciation. We also realize that we are not and never were better than anyone. Humans are equal and not measured by one’s weight in treasure. Fasting encourages charity, humbleness and awareness that people truly do experience hardships. Now I have about two more weeks to go, and the toll of eating at night has taken its weight on me. Yes, I feel fatigued, dehydrated and weak, but overly thankful. I can resume a food-full life, but others can’t. Please give charity and drop food off at the food banks when you can. When you give, it always finds its way back to you.

GR-How does Ramadan affirm or not affirm your faith?

M.S.-The fact that I am not fasting alone strengthens my mission.  What I mean by that is to see that so many Muslims actually commit to fasting during Ramadan makes it feel right.  It’s contagious.  It makes me proud, and assures my faith.  There is no question as to whether I will participate or not.  It’s an obligation to which regardless of my current strength in spirituality, I will submit.  There is no material gain from it.  Ramadan is a test of endurance, discipline, compassion, spirituality and overall patience.  Ramadan is also a month where generosity is a non-stop agenda.  Regard others as you would like to be regarded.  Of course this type of behavior should be practiced on a daily basis, however, this month enforces it and people are more likely to comply.

G.R-How hard is it on the women during Ramadan with the cooking and guests showing up, etc.

M.S. - It’s actually the contrary of hard.  The beautiful thing about Ramadan is that everyone (men and women) has empathy towards each other so they’re willing to lend a helping hand.  We’re all fasting and exhausted, so we understand one another.  One finds pleasure in cooking, and offering meals to people that are saymeen (fasting).  I look forward to having guests; it’s an honor to have them break their fast at my table.  The only difficult thing about the cooking is I can’t taste how well I have spiced the food.  I don’t want anyone eating an over salted roast you know.

I wanted to also mention and emphasize on the fact that we take turns cooking a large meal and sending it to a local mosque or shelter to provide food for the needy.  Anyone and everyone are invited to feast at the mosque regardless of belief.  Together as a community we ensure that there is a free meal provided for every day of Ramadan.  I try to encourage non-Muslims to visit a local masjid in order to gain an understanding of what it’s like, plus you can try some good food.

Breaking the Fast-Photo by Maya Salem

G.R.-Do you see it as harder to practice in America where people tend to see things and gift giving holidays?

M.S.-Well it can be difficult for some I would imagine, but I haven’t faced any difficulty.  It all depends on the community and non-Muslim understanding of the month.  It also depends on how one handles it.  Not everyone is as oblivious as I am.  During Ramadan people are actually very generous with monetary and material gifts. Especially at the end of Ramadan, the Eid.  The early Muslims used to decorate their homes with branches and leaves from olive trees.  We’re supposed to differentiate Ramadan from any other time of the year.  Kind of like Christmas. (As I understand it)   But I rarely see American Muslims who do decorate their homes for this special occasion.  Every year I have plans to decorate and make my holiday obvious, but I have yet to do so.

Ramadan is different in America, unless you’re at the masjid participating in a break-fast pot luck, or daily taraweeh prayer, you don’t really feel the jingle of the holy month.  In contrary to my experience with Ramadan in Jerusalem one time over 14 years ago.  People are overjoyed by the month, it’s celebrated, and you feel it all around you.

Note: I did find quite a few regional and a couple of national articles this year pointing out the disparity between Ramadan and other Religious holidays.  Ramadan is not recognized in the workplace, nor in the school system.  This is always problematic except during the three day period of Eid ul Fitr.  People typically cope with this by taking those days out of their vacation.  However the big problem comes from school districts afraid of losing money.  It is not an excused absence even though it is a religious necessity.  Some years, like this year it falls during Yom Kippur which is given consideration by school districts, and kids can take it off for that. However can you see the problem with claiming to be Jewish in order to take part in your Islamic holiday?  Also there is a great problem in the fact that Christian and Jewish holidays are recognized and Islamic ones are not.  School officials fire back that if Ramadan is given a pass from school then every Pagan holiday (which could amount to everyday of the year) could be given a pass.  This is ridiculous as they misunderstand that it is Eid ul Fitr that is being asked for.  Also it is unacceptably insensitive to those of Pagan beliefs.

Some people are calling for demonstrations and marches to point out this inequality.  Most Imams recommend keeping children home and encouraging schools and workplaces and the government to look at numbers.

Either way it seems that people are feeling like there are some hardships and unfair treatment around their Holy days.

G.R.-Do you personally feel like people are looking to you and your family as an example of Islam during this time and how much stress does that put on you?

M.S.-It’s not so much as pressure being put on my family in particular as every family is equally responsible for enforcing the practices of Ramadan.  There is no tension from outside persons.  The actual pressure is teaching, practicing and maintaining the guidelines of Ramadan within ones home.  During the beginning of the month we are more enthusiastic towards the fasting, suhur (pre-morning meal) and prayer, and then the hunger and weakness slowly begin to take a toll on you.  It can be quite irritable for smokers since they refrain from smoking.

Ramadan not only advocates fasting to feel with the poor.  It’s a total disciplinary action.  It’s strict guidelines mandate abstaining from sexual activity, drug use, smoking, cussing, drinking, fighting, revenge, hatred and any other bad habits or addictions.  These provisions are not only meant to show that a person can overcome any obstacle/s that they may have incurred, it proves that you can.  Not every Muslim complies, but most do, especially when the whole community is involved.  That’s encouragement.

G.R.-I did not know about the decorating.  That is interesting and I wish more people would do this in the U.S.  Do you think they are busy or afraid or just too American?

M.S.-I wouldn’t say they’re afraid.  It’s more that they’re busy or like you said too assimilated.  I guess people don’t want to stand out or grab too much attention.  The intention is there, but how can you water a plant that was never planted?  My parents didn’t practice this age old tradition here, so it’s not that important to me.  Although it should be, every year I say that I will, yet I don’t.  I’m positive it will instill that sense of pride and holiday cheer.  I see how passionate people are about Christmas with all the beautiful decor.  I envy that, yet admire it.  Even though I do find that nowadays Christmas decorating has less to do with the actual purpose of the holiday.  I don’t think society even knows the meaning behind the holiday anymore.

G.R.-Obviously there are exceptions to fasting like pregnancy.  What about those who are diabetic or need to take medications that require food?

M.S.-In situations like this, they are excused.  Instead of fasting they have the opportunity to give alms.  For every day of Ramadan they will have to feed a hungry person.  They can also give the monetary equivalent of one meal multiplied by 30 days to a person in need as well.  This will forgive them for breaking the fast.

Persons that are unable to fast are encouraged to participate in other activities of Ramadan so that they will stay focused on the importance of this holy month.  Activities include Taraweeh prayer at the masjid, completing a read of the entire holy Quran, joining others at time of breaking the fast or iftar, and remaining steadfast in prayer.

G.R.-When you have not fasted due to pregnancy do you feel a little left out?

M.S.-It’s normal to feel left out, but if a woman feels capable of fasting then she can, it’s an option.  I tried to fast while pregnant and felt it wasn’t right, it was too wearing.  Women are not supposed to fast while menstruating either.  They do have to make up for the days that were missed.

G.R.-At what age does one begin fasting?

M.S.-Fasting is obligatory once a child hits puberty.  By the age of seven you can start preparing them by having them fast half a day every now and then.

G.R.-Are people looked down upon or ostracized for breaking fast?  Is this something that requires a special repentance?

M.S.-One does have to make up their fast if they missed any during Ramadan.  This is obligatory.  Fasting can be made up any Monday or Thursday of the year aside from Ramadan.

It’s not our position to judge anyone; we have to worry about our own actions.  But yes, people do tend to judge and they shouldn’t.  Fasting is a submission of faith and done so that one can rectify himself with God.  People see it as an opportunity.

G.R.-In recent years with the Anti-Islam media attention do you feel like you see more anti-Islamic news stories around this time of year?  Or does it seem to be pretty much the same year round?

M.S.-Honestly, I didn’t really pay attention.  I mean there’s been so much anti-Islam jargon for over a decade now.  I don’t think any time of the year has more media emphasis than September 11.  It’s just coincidence that Ramadan moves up eleven days each year and has been happening around this date for the last four years.

G.R.-Is Ramadan mostly about ”feeling poor” or is it more about the faith, repentance and submission to Allah?

M.S.-Ramadan is not based solely on feeling poor at all.  It’s a duty, a submission to Allah.  When a person makes prayer and gives alms it’s for their benefit, but when a person fasts during Ramadan is entirely for Allah, and Allah will decide how to reward you.  It’s one of the five pillars of Islam which are:

Prayer, Charity, Fasting, The Pilgrimage and Al Shahadeh (Recognizing that there is only one God and no other).

There are so many benefits to fasting and they cannot be based on one thing alone.

G.R.-Has it always been a part of Islam or was it instituted at a later date, because the people needed the reminder?

M.S.-”Oh you who believe, fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those who came before you that you may keep your duty to your Lord ” 2:185

Fasting was mentioned in the Holy Quran and the prophet himself used to fast.  The Holy Quran was revealed to the prophet during the month of Ramadan.  That’s what makes Ramadan so important.

G.R- What special feasts, prayers, celebrations accompany then end of Ramadan?

M.S. – Ramadan will end somewhere between Sept. 9th to the 11th. It all depends on the moon since our calendar is lunar. I don’t want it to end on the 11th at all. Too much unnecessary association for something coincidental. The last day of Ramadan is followed by a three day holiday called Eid ul Fitr. This means festival of breaking the fast.

The initial day of Eid ul Fitr is started by participating in an early morning prayer at the mosque-salaat al Eid or prayer of the Eid. After prayer children are showered with toys, candies, gift bags or whatever else generous donators have prepared. Adults are offered sweets. Once we leave the Masjid, we (as in my family) usually go out for brunch. It is custom for the men in the family to visit their sisters, daughters, mothers, aunts cousins and any other closely related female members and/or young children and orphans. The point of the visit consists of the men offering monetary gifts to their walia’s, (walia is a person usually female that they may have partial or full responsibility over). Additionally, the community usually throws a large Eid party which has bazaar like activities and games.  The initial day of Eid ul Fitr is where of the most action happens. The two remaining days are spent either relaxing or finishing any other duties that may have rolled over from the previous day.  The excitement over Eid could be compared to Christmas.  We look forward to it and anticipate it.  This is how my family celebrates the Eid.  However, every family celebrates the Eid at their own pace and style and may differ from what we do.

I find that Eid ul Fitr is more anticipated than our bigger holiday Eid ul Udha, (Festival of the Sacrifice). It may be due to the lengthy and daunting month of fasting, after all one wants to feel rewarded.

The United States as it always does is changing.  Some of this is bad and as with all things sometimes good things happen because of the bad.  Awareness of the cultural and religious practices of the modern American Muslim is one of those things in my opinion.

Most religions and a lot of non-religious people as well have times in the year where they ritualize internal, community and family housecleaning.  It is, I think one of the beautiful things shared; A time to think of others a time to recognize what we have. With so much effort being put into pointing out what may be different about us all, it is crucial to take time to find out what is similar in our lives.

Happy Eid ul Fitr. May your cup be full and if it is not, may you find respite in the overflowing.

By: Chris

“Get out. Out! Ok, thanks, nice knowing you, I got work to do.” Mikey Weinstein is huddled over his computer in his den, typing feverishly as he orders us away. His girls scurry out of his office and I follow close behind. We mill around in the living room of the Weinstein house, which sits at the foot of the Sandia Mountains in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

A minute passes. “Hey come here guys! Come look at this one. These motherfuckers!”

I trot back in on command, eager to get a glimpse into the inner workings of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation. Mikey points at his screen. The latest email calls him a “Christian-hating, Muslim-loving, Jew bastard”. Not much different than a lot of the “criticism” that gets sent to the foundation.

“It’s no coincidence that most of these are the same”, Mikey comments. “These fundamentalist fuckers give the same talking points to all their people and they all just vomit them to me over email.” The message is rife with misspellings, poor grammar, and accusations of misuse of taxpayer dollars, despite the MRFF’s total funding through private donors. The facts never seem to constrain Weinstein’s critics.

Mikey chuckles, and then we all chuckle. And then a pause. “Ok you guys, really, that’s enough. Can’t you see I’m working here? Go on, get out, I’m busy”, Weinstein barks as he turns back to his computer screen.

While all this hate mail can be a great source of pleasure and amusement, we all know, even as we laugh, that it can’t be taken too lightly. Weinstein and his family have become accustomed to receiving death threats on a regular basis from “good Christians”. They’ve had their home vandalized on more than one occasion, prompting Weinstein to hire on security professionals. I got the chance to meet one of them– a very serious Marine veteran who volunteered out of respect for the job Weinstein does to protect soldiers from religious coercion within the ranks. I would not want to fuck with him.

This process of calling us in and out of the office gets repeated several more times as Weinstein stumbles onto other gems of fundamentalist buffoonery and ignorance so astounding he feels compelled to share them with us. These sinister emails are a constant for the Weinsteins, but they’re really rolling in on this day. That’s actually a good thing—it means the MRFF has struck a nerve with its most recent victory.

The Pentagon acquiesced to Weinstein’s foundation and decided to pull Franklin Graham from a National Day of Prayer appearance at the Pentagon. The MRFF took action after receiving complaints from Muslim military personnel in the Pentagon, who felt more than a little betrayed that a man who called Islam an “evil” and “false” religion had been given an official invitation by the Pentagon to speak in the heart of the DOD. An official invitation to this fundamentalist hate-monger was a direct slap in the face to America’s Muslims, but that didn’t seem to concern the Pentagon brass. It did concern Mikey Weinstein.

In a letter to Robert Gates, the MRFF asserted,

“Given the heinously hurtful, bigoted, and very public continual statements of Mr. Graham against the entirety of the religion of Islam, and his position as the honorary chairman of the NDPTF, the Military Religious Freedom Foundation hereby demands that the Pentagon Chaplains Office immediately rescind its invitation to Mr. Graham…”

The rest of the letter is worth reading, as it details the toxic relationship between the Pentagon Chaplain’s office and the National Day of Prayer Task Force (a private organization headed by the wife of Jim Dobson, a man I’ve written about previously).

As a former Air Force officer I was shocked to hear that such a man had been invited to the Pentagon. Graham, who has repeatedly and publicly referred to the whole of Islam as “false, “evil”, “wicked”, and “violent”, also had this to say:

“I want them [Muslims] to know they don’t have to die in a car bomb, they don’t have to die in some kind of holy war to be accepted by God, but it’s through faith in Jesus Christ, and Christ alone…”

What a kind and generous Christian Graham is, offering the world’s Muslims an ultimatum to embrace Jesus Christ, as an alternative to the apparently ‘Islamic’ practice of blowing themselves up.

Even in my limited positions of authority as a company grade officer, I would have never dreamed of abusing that authority over my troops by telling them one religion or another was false. I have strong personal feelings regarding religion, but I keep them to myself in the workplace. Officers have a special responsibility to maintain unit cohesion by respecting their troops, and not endorsing one particular world-view over another. Telling your troops their religion is “evil” is harmful to the mission. And it’s also a dickheaded thing to do. Calling in an outside speaker to do this dirty work strikes me as a particularly chickenshit way of trying to shirk command responsibility.

Someone in the Army must have realized this as well, because when Weinstein came out swinging they backed down almost immediately. Like the Jesus Rifle case the MRFF took on recently, this was a clear violation of the establishment clause of the First Amendment. Hell, even Bill O’Reilly could see that the Pentagon was out of bounds. In one of those fortunate coincidences that only seems to come by accident, this monumental victory for the Military Religious Freedom Foundation came just days before their annual Thomas Jefferson Awards were held.

The Thomas Jefferson awards are open to the public, and are intended to honor those who take up the job of protecting the United States Constitution by building the wall of separation between church and state. Through my friendship with his son, Curtis (his reason for starting the MRFF), I got to know Mikey Weinstein. I had the great pleasure of helping to prepare for the awards ceremony, and attending it (it says much about the humility of Weinstein, a man who has given much of his life to the MRFF, that he thanked me endlessly for my minor contributions to this event). The ceremony was opened by a very talented and beautiful singer/songwriter known simply as Celia, who was so inspired by the MRFF’s mission that she penned a song for the organization in one night. Thomas Jefferson honors went to journalist Jeff Sharlet, whose book, The Family, exposed a strange and cultish Christian organization operating at the very heart of power in Washington—for the last 70 years! I advise you to pick this book up, or at least watch one of Sharlet’s interviews on it– you will see the very serious danger that creeping, covert Christian fundamentalism poses to our democracy. Due to some last minute medical concerns, Sharlet wasn’t able to make the awards ceremony, so it was accepted on his behalf by Elizabeth Sholes, a self-described “kind of ‘social justice’ Christian that Glenn Beck warned you about.” As the Director of Public Policy for the California Council of Churches, she represents over 6 million California Christians.

Ed Asner, star of the recent Disney movie Up, also received honors. Call me ignorant, but I was completely unaware that Asner, in addition to being a talented thespian, is also an inspiring and articulate social activist. He warned of the dangers that religious extremism, in all its forms, poses to democracy. Particularly insightful was his warning of the “religion of Americanism”, which inspires a zealous citizenry to blindly support all actions of the US government, regardless of the cost to others. His warning echoes Orwell’s warnings on the dangers of nationalism.

The music was graceful, the speakers moving, the food delicious, the booze free-flowing, and the two hundred attendees were diverse and erudite. Good times were had by all, and the fifth annual Thomas Jefferson Awards were a smashing success.
It wasn’t until the next day that I found out a man milling around the outside of the awards ceremony with a gun had been arrested (my thanks to the Albuquerque Police Department). I was more than a little taken aback when Weinstein relayed this news to me, in his usual matter-of-fact way.

“Yeah some guy was hanging around outside with a gun, so they arrested him. We’re waiting to hear more from the FBI.”

His way of dealing with such news was not what I would call nonchalant— Weinstein cares deeply for the safety of his family and supporters. Rather, he acts with the cool and detached manner of a person who has grown used to dealing with danger. Security concerns are a part of daily life for Weinstein and others associated with the MRFF, who refuse to be deterred from their mission. Mikey Weinstein is a man possessed with a purpose that is greater than any one person. A man who is doggedly and fearlessly carrying out the oath he took to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States.” Like many other military personnel, I have looked on nervously as the wall of separation between church and state has been eroding within the military. I’ve seen commanders send emails to their troops coercing them to come to Officers Christian Fellowship meetings. As a cadet at the Air Force Academy I saw the administration endorse “The Passion of the Christ”, and I was not allowed to put “agnostic” on my first set of dog tags. The formation of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation was a welcome relief to myself, and the 17,500 other military personnel who came to them for help.

Some Christian military personnel scoff at Weinstein’s efforts. They think he is simply waging a one man war on Christianity, not knowing that 96% of Weinstein’s clients have been Christians (just not the “right kind” of Christian). Failing that, others feel his methods are too bold, his dialogue too brash, his manner too impolite. That’s fine. They can rest well knowing that if they are ever the subject of discrimination for their beliefs (or non-beliefs), and their chain of command fails them, Weinstein will jump to their aid like an attack dog, foaming at the mouth. He will fight, and he will bite, and he will not let go until his client receives justice.

People the world over owe a deep debt of gratitude to civil rights fighters like Mikey Weinstein. Men and women who have such an acute sense of justice that they simply cannot stand by while the little people get trampled— instead, as if by reflex, they will drain their bank accounts and brave daily threats to be a voice for the voiceless.