Four years ago.

New Orleans was shut down because of the flooding because of the levees that were poorly constructed. The US Army Corps of Engineers have admitted this. In SF we say, "The 1906 earthquake and fire." because to just say earthquake is to ignore the damage of the fire.

So when I talk about the hurricane I talk about the flooding every time to do otherwise is to ignore the damage that came from the flooding.

Joe and I Will Be On Head-On Radio Network Tonight!

Tonight, at 10pm, Central Time, Joe Vecchio and I will be on the air at the Head-On Radio Network, discussing why we need to SHUT IT DOWN TOMORROW.

Call in and participate!

And then call in sick tomorrow, and as long as you can.

The big day

Tomorrow is the big day. I'll be here and there posting and keeping an eye out for the effects of the first Shut it Down. As nTodd suggested this could be the first of several as we continue to get the word out and gain and give support to many other groups out there against the war.

Listen For Our Ads...

On The Head On Radio Network.

Thank you, HORN, for your generosity.

Special Thanks To Jon Elliott And Air America...

Tonight, I was on the air with the This Is America With Jon Elliott Show on Air America Radio. Jon was absolutely supportive, and more than gracious with his time with me. Thank you, Jon, for giving us the air time to get our word out.

More Thanks To Supporters...

A huge round of Applause and Thanks to the following blogs and bloggers-- brave Patriots, every one...

Worldwide Sawdust
Tampa's Back Door Ways
Liberally Mirth
Another Point Of View
Pundit Man
The Cylinder
Filasteen
Pax Americana
Progressive Cleveland
Left Is Right
Ex Lion Tamer

UPDATED TO ADD:

You Think What?
My Left Wing
Notional Supporter: Fluffah Wins (Librarians and Medical Personnel do have a special place in Society. We appreciate the sentiment!)

Two weeks and counting

There are just 14 days left until the big event. If for some reason you can not participate at least don't buy anything to show your support. Remember our men and women are dying over there. What would you give to save a life? They've said deaths are down in Iraq. Only 64 U.S. troops were killed last month. Great, except if one of the 64 is your son, daughter, dad or mom.

New Graphics

Shut It Down Hits Big Orange...

StevenD at Booman Tribune has done us a great service by not only devoting a fantastic post at Booman Tribune to the cause, but, also writing this wonderful entry at his Daily Kos Diary. We are ALWAYS thankful for this kind of support, and encourage it. This is the enormous power of the internets in action. This is how great movements happen. Let us know where you are posting our information, and we will link it up here. This is about America, not Joe, Demeur and I, but YOU... All of US. Let us know in comments or via the email address to the right.>>

As the saying goes: WE are the one's we've been waiting for.

Together, we'll make a difference.

Thank you, once again, StevenD.

Welcome to Shut It Down

I wanted to post a mission statement on the top right hand side, but it looks like someone has changed my ability to do that ( er humph, Monk! )

Our mission: As this administration as well as the elected Democratic congress has ignored our constant pleas to end the Iraq war and deal responsibly with domestic issues here at home. A few fellow bloggers and myself have proposed a nationwide work stoppage on October 17,2007. We encourage all working people to call in sick or whatever excuse that may be had to make an economic impact in hopes of bringing attention to the Iraq war and other important issues facing the United States today.

More Thanks...

A mighty tip o' the hat to these fine Patriotic blogs!

Survival Acres
Semidi
Dark Side Of The Mind
The Political Cat
Hecate
Walk Of The Fallen
Coffee Messiah
Identity Check
Cannablog

Solidarity!

It'll take all of us.

An Open Letter To Our Fellow Bloggers...

Dear Blogging Siblings,

I was motivated by two good friends (Joe Vecchio and Demeur), to collaborate in starting a very simple movement-- Stay Home On October 17th, 2007.

Just call in sick-- be absent, take leave, a day of vacation time-- whatever it takes.

For some, it is a very salutable sacrifice of a day's wage, for many, it's simply a paid day off. This is a Mass Movement in the making. There are plenty of good Americans who have done an awful lot to help bring this Country back to its senses, and many others who have done very little. In this action (inaction?) we are asking those who would do the least, to do exactly the least-- stay home and do nothing. We feel that it is the least that they could do, and in this case-- we support that 100%. If some folks want to extend the Strike Period, we will certainly give extra credit, and support them!

What we are asking is very simple. There are no specific demands, no need to make a sign; no need to get on a bus and go anywhere; no travel costs; no confrontations or arrests... Just stay home with your family/pets. Speaking for all of us, we'd love for the Teamsters to park their trucks in the roads to encourage participation on the prescribed day-- we've written letters to National and several Locals, but their "official" participation is yet to be known. We've written quite a few Unions and groups to encourage participation, and encourage you to do the same. We don't want money. We don't give it either. We are very appreciative of link support, however! We just want to wake up our Leaders, and let them know that we are watching, and mean business. They've ignored everything to date.

We hope that you will mention this idea and site at your blog, and perhaps to join us as a contributor, please just let us know, and we'll see about sending you the keys. The more, the better actually. This is a community thing-- a nationwide community thing... an American thing.

We Americans have tried everything else on the "appetizers" menu of Civil Protest, We hope that this action (inaction?) will wake them up. If not this one, then the next one, or the next.

The link to the SHUT IT DOWN 17OCT2007 blog is:

http://shutitdown101707.blogspot.com/

All writings, graphics and codes are completely in the Public Domain, and we encourage circulation. Heck, send me a "bumper sticker" slogan to fit above the date, and I'll customize any graphic to your Local needs.

This is very much all about thinking Globally, and acting Locally. It's the least that we can do.

OK. This is getting long, and you're a busy person. I bid you Peace, and thanks in advance.

Sincerely yours,

--mf

ps. Fresh Graphics:

A Big Fistful Of Thanks To...

The following blogs of excellence.

Progressive Cleveland
Booman Tribune-- Thank you Steve for the Big Orange bump! Let us know if there is anything that we can do you assist you.
Pax Americana
Frogspondlight
Crank's Progress
Eschaton
Dependable Renegade
Life's Journey
The Sideshow

and...
The Divided States Of bu$hmeriKa 2


For your help, mentions and support. Together.

And thanks again to Demeur and Joe

BTW: Every graphic, all the posts are Public Domain, and we encourage your distributing them. The graphics are designed to fit 4-Up on a page if you click thru the image, and save the bigger pic.

The Motor Of The World...

You and Me.

A Message From Bob Dylan... Sort Of...

I'm pretty sure that he'd agree... We'll use any method that works.

Shut It Down On October 17th, 2007...

Kudos

I'd like to thank Lydia Cornell for stopping by and dropping a comment. She can be heard along with Doug Basham on AM 1230 out in Vagas. Drop by the website at: Lydia Cornell
Great summary of Bush there.
Also like to thank Weareone whoever he/she is for the comments and feedback .

A special thanks to Cupojoe for being here. (Hey you didn't have anything better to do did you Joe.) But seriously, anyone out in the Chicago area who has a job for Joe you can drop him a line at: Cupojoe Head On Radio Network or His blog

Hey and it looks like this idea is slowly creeping through the intertubes. Thanks all and keep spreading the word.

Welcome all workers of America

I hadn't posted here yet because I've been busy trying to get in touch with the Teamsters union and I'm not that internet savy. If your reading this blog for the first time and I'd assume you are as it's so new, then you can actually make a difference in what goes on in this country. We need your help. If you would take some time and pass this information on to the truckers, the longshoremen, the laborers, electricians, carpenters, and any other union or hard working neighbors or friends out there,then we can make a difference. It will only cost you a little time. I'm not asking for any money and could care less if I get any credit for this. I just want things to change. Some day I'd like to retire, but I don't see that happening any time soon with the way things are going.
For those out there who are afraid because you are in a low paying job, then I say it's time to stand up and fight!
For those of you out there with a high paying job, I say how long is that going to be around if this administration keeps chipping away at your jobs (outsourcing and insourcing)?
So get out there and spread the word. This is your country remember.

Enough Is Enough

Thanks to the Fister for inviting me here. I've been talking about a general strike for some time now on the radio show, and I wrote about it recently as well. Of course, being the militant bastard I am, I want the strike to last for an entire month, but hey, I realize that's an unreasonable goal.

Apart from making a dent in corporate profits, the whole thing is about making a point. As I wrote on my blog:

Make no demands. They know what we want: decent wages, universal health care, hell, just a world where we're all not miserable pukes working ourselves to death so a few greedy bastards can get more money and power than they deserve. It'll be a reminder to them that they don't make a penny without us. Motor of the world? It's us, baby.

Naturally I'll have more on this, and I'm going t get the other radio hosts on the Head On Network to talk about it as well. With enough publicity maybe we could reach enough people to make it effective.

Graphic...

On Black:






















On white:


Click for bigger. Right click, save as... All Yours.

From Us To You-- The Challenge To Organize...

It seems that our pleas for an end to the Iraq war, universal health care, and trying to stop the permitting of Mexican truckers free reign of our nations highways has fallen on deaf ears. So what can we do? We can organize and start a nationwide work stoppage. It seems to work in other countries of the "free" world. It would require first the support of the Longshoremen's union and the Teamsters union and any other unions that would want to give support. Any others would be more than welcome to join the protest. No riots in the street. No civil disobedience. Just don't go to work. Call in sick if you must, but just don't be there.
...
We've marched by the millions across this country to stop the Iraq War since 2002, and the Administration and Congress will not listen; We've petitioned for universal health care, and yet our President vetoed a Bipartisan Bill expanding the sCHIP program, which would have ensured health care for millions of America's less advantaged children; This Administration has let the Post-Katrina Gulf Coast, particularly New Orleans, to fend for itself and/or rot away; We asked for our ports and borders to be secure, and yet the President vetoed a bill that would fully fund the 9/11 Commission recommendations, and offered to sell our ports to Dubai; They oversaw the biggest Real Estate and Credit Scam in the History of the Free Market System, and have bankrupted the Country. The list goes on and on. It's time we put a stop to the insanity, and since they don't listen when we take to the streets by the millions on a weekend, we believe that it is time that we leave our workplaces on a Wednesday. If we stop the wheels of their Industry, maybe they'll start paying attention and listening to us.

This is one protest that truly requires no effort-- just call in sick and stay home. Truckers, Teachers, Professors, Garbage Men, Engineers, Stagehands, Electricians, Plumbers, Landscapers, Laborers, Welders, Autowokers, Government Servants, Cashiers, Housekeepers, Hospitality Workers, Grocery Employees, Security Officers, Linemen, Longshoremen, everyone.

Write letters to your Local Unions. Talk about it at your local bar/pub, at the gym, at the barbecue, anywhere and everywhere appropriate, and get buzz rolling. Organize. It starts down here with us, not some monied org with a sidebar agenda. We don't need to go anywhere. We don't need to spend anything. Just stay home. We believe that October 17th would be a great day. The 25th Anniversary of The Solidarity Movement protests and strikes that shut down Poland, and brought down Communist/Soviet rule. We all need a day off... why not take it off together?