Fascism, Democracy and The Future of America

Thanks to Jeff Freeman, Robert Koulish, Joseph McCormick and Michael Silverton, the virgin voyage of The Hankster BlogTalkRadio was a complete success/and/an utter disaster! Cudos to all!

Please see Michael Silverton's exquisite post: First Blog Talk Radio Debrief:
First and foremost, thank you to @NancyHanks for bringing her focused vision, practical grassroots experience, and enthusiasm into an emerging technology space that needs to stay supremely focused upon SERVING HER NEEDS and others like her. Our new technologies will only be democratizing to the extent that they are readily accessible and useful for anyone, anywhere, any time......

You'll be hearing from me. Don't give up!!
Hanks

BlogTalkRadio: uhhhhmmmmm welllllll whatever LISTEN CAREFULLY

Sorry to all those who tuned in to the Hankster's premiere BlogTalkRadio show. Thanks to Michael Silverton, we hooked up through TokBox and about 20 minutes into the show, people MIGHT BE ABLE to hear some other people...

SORRY! Onward to better times!

The conversation was exciting, and I hope you will be able to live through the first 15 - 20 min. of the mess of this podcast... and listen very carefully to the panelists... I nevertheless stand by my choices!!

Thanks so much to Jeff Freeman, Robert Koulish, Joseph McCormick, and Michael Silverton.

If you continue to listen to this broadcast, you will have to listen VERY CLOSELY!

Thanks, and don't give up on us!!!
Nancy

BlogTalkRadio: The Future of America: Where are We Going and What Critical Coalitions Will Lead the Way?

Please join The Hankster and guests for the Premiere show

Sunday night October 19
6pm Eastern Standard Time

our FIRST EVER BlogTalkRadio show!

The Future of America:

Where are We Going

and

What Critical Coalitions Will Lead the Way?

Sunday's guests include:

• Jeff Freeman (Wrong Enemy, Wrong War)
• Robert Koulish (Koulflo Memo)
• Joseph McCormick (Transpartisan Alliance)
• Michael Silverton (Packets of Consciousness)

Log on, call in (Call-in Number: (347) 884-8634) -- don't miss it!!!
[REPOSTED 10/19]

Dear Hankster Friends, Bloggers, Sloggers and Others:

Inspired by my blogging/slogging friend and colleague Robert Koulish at Koulflo Memo (one of the panelists on "Blogging the World" that I hosted last Sunday morning at the performance conference/festival Performing the World), I've decided to sit down and write you a letter. It's 5:45 on Friday evening and I have just gotten home from work.

I use my "15 minutes" in the morning (and I loved Koulflo's description of sitting down with a cup of coffee... ahhhh! I love that time of the day -- and you have probably seen any number of photos from that hour taken out my window~) to alert you to news articles from the night before that are of interest to my community organizer pals around the country.

You know it as "TODAY'S NEW HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS".... [Micah "Personal Democracy" Sifry called me a "professional independent voter" on Twitter in response to my posts during Tuesday's debate hosted by Tom Brokow, which I took personally as rather snarky, but that's ok... at least he's listening....] [and BYAM (between you and me), Tom Brokow was my college (VCU) graduation speaker.... I graduated in Jan. bec. I quit in 1970 before i realized that i didn't have anything else to do ..... and went back and got a BFA and then spent the next 38 years creating a mainstream location for political radicals.]


So I'll try to incorporate what I'm "thinking" about in my daily posts... For instance, given that the old left/right paradigm is dead, where can you find a post-partisan dialogue? Are we really stuck with like-minded partisans in separatist coffee dens and sports bars? Can we have a strenuous debate among regular people who actually do disagree on everything without killing each other?

I did something new and interesting this week: I logged on to BlogTalkRadio with Jazz Shaw and others. Very enjoyable experience! Michael Sticking was a guest, along with Lady Logician... Tune in!

So all that to say, our time is up. Enjoy the sunset. See you next week! - NH

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

REFORM

• Some residents blocked from voting-Independents briefly locked out of primary (NOLA Times Picayune)
• Coffield Challenges Georgia’s “Five Percent” Ballot Access Law (The Atlanta Progressive News) Attorneys for Faye Coffield--Gary Sinawski of Brooklyn, New York, and Walker Chandler of Zebulon, Georgia--filed a Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief in the US District Court, North District of Georgia, in late August 2008, according to a copy of the filing obtained by Atlanta Progressive News.

CAMPAIGN

• Will race be the deciding factor in battleground Missouri? (Kansas City Star) Nationally, about a third of white Democrats and independents harbor at least a partly negative view of black people, according to the recent AP-Yahoo News poll.
• Palin's O.C. fundraiser attracts more than 1,000 (The Orange County Register) A third of Democrats, a third of Latinos, and nearly as many independent voters said they "didn't expect much but were surprised" by Palin's performance.
• Ipsos/McClatchy: Undecideds Move To Obama/Biden (By Justin Gardner, Donklephant) Palin was apparently more likable, but the independent voters don’t like her enough to trust her running the country.
• Experts tapping emotions to sway your vote - High-tech strategies track your behavior (The Arizona Republic) This year, independent voters are a hot commodity as the major political parties seek to add to their bases.
• EMBRACE POPULISM, STAY STRONG ON SOCIAL ISSUES - The state of the GOP (The Free Lance Star - Fredicksburg VA) McCain himself has now moved to positions more in line with a conservative populist agenda that attracts independent voters as well as his base.

PERFORMING THE WORLD/blogging the world

• Blogging/Slogging the World (Robert Koulish, Koulflo Memo) Hopefully when this campaign is over, bloggers will continue to take it to the corporate media that is trying to prevent the democratization of the blogging world. As Justin pointed out, the key for us is the struggle to ensure “net neutrality,” and prevent a two tier system on the internet superhighway. We need the same speed and access that corporate america has. we also need to protect the privacy of personal information which will safeguard this new generation of political organizers from falling prey to 21st century versions of cointelpro and the urban red squads.
• new york, new york - notes from a movement meditation teacher (the wily feminista) I met people here who are working with HIV positive women in South Africa; inner city kids and cops in Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Harlem; people who are working with children of war in Colombia and the Congo; and, most of all, young people who have come up from poverty and violence everywhere on the globe who are saying "No more" and working to make a difference in their communities.....

PTW 2008 Blogging Blogging the World

I blogged Blogging the World only for a minute, but there's much more coming up! Thanks to Justin Gardner, Robert Koulish, Jackie Salit, Lanya Shapiro, Daisy Lopez, Carrie Sackett -- and a cast of thousands!

It will take me several days to post even a fraction of the footage from this weekend's wonderful performance festival. I hope you'll check back! -NH

Blogging the World: An Online Stage for Activists (Or Performatory Blogging for Everyone)

On Sunday morning Oct. 5, please join us at Performing the World 2008, an international performance conference in New York City co-hosted by the East Side Institute for Group and Short Term Psychotherapy and the All Stars Project.



Performing the World 2008 (PTW 08) is a three-day "happening" of performances, workshops, panel discussions, lectures, community tours and improvisation. The conference expects to attract more than 500 activists, artists, educators, young people, practitioners and scholars from 30 countries, all of whom are involved in the emergence of performance as a new way of relating to, understanding and changing the world. Performances and presentations will address community, organizational and business development, education, mental health, medicine, poverty, violence, drugs, HIV/AIDS, healing/personal growth and theatre/improvisation, and politics.



In addition to a plenary session not to be missed featuring Fred Newman, the contoversial public philosopher who has guided the progresive independent movement for more than 3 decades and who fashioned the winning black and independent alliance in collaboration with Jackie Salit, the Hankster was invited to present a panel of activists-journalists.



"Blogging the World" will be a thoughtful conversation by some of the stratosblog's most cutting-edge bloggers and alterntive media personalities on the topics of democracy, technology, blogging and community activism.



The Hankster has assembled a visionary panel (see below).



PTW Blogging the World Panel

Session Sunday October 5, 9am-10am

All Stars Project

543 W. 42nd St.

New York, NY 10036



Justin Gardner

Donklephant http://donklephant.com/ (via satellite)

Justin Gardner is the founder and editor of Donklephant, a popular multi-partisan political blog where readers are encouraged to discuss the ideas of the day in a respectful, honest forum. Since launching in July 2005, Donklephant has drawn over 2.5 million page views and boasts a roster of over 20 authors.



Robert Koulish

Koulflo Memo http://koulflo.wordpress.com/tag/koulish/

(Robert twitters at http://twitter.com/koulflo)

Robert Koulish is an Associate Professor of Law and Society at the University of Philadelphia. He blogs at Koulflo Memo, a politically progressive blog that emphasizes immigration, democratic media and electoral politics, as well as the occasional personal experience. Robert also works in experiential and community based teaching and learning, and is co-founder of a youth-based media and education collaborative called co-lab, and a micro-radio coalition called Baltimore Community Radio Coalition.



Jacqueline Salit

CUIP http://independentvoting.org/index.html

Neo Independent http://www.neoindependent.com/

Jacqueline Salit is a 20-year veteran of the independent political movement. Executive editor of THE NEO-INDEPENDENT magazine, a bi-annual journal that covers the independent political movement and the independent voter, Jackie is also the President of the Committee for a Unified Independent Party (http://www.independentvoting.org/), a national 15 year-old think tank giving leadership to grassroots independents. Jackie ran NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg's successful 2001 and 2005 mayoral campaigns on thlaynae Independence Party line, effectively creating a game-changing black and independent alliance that is challenging politics-as-usual.



Lanya Shapiro

Traction http://www.gettraction.org/

Lanya Shapiro is the founder and Executive Director of Traction, a community of young-ish (Gen X&Y) progressives and an innovative civic engagement and leadership development organization. Since 2003, she's immersed herself in progressive grassroots organizing – from the Howard Dean grassroots to consulting with SEIU, EchoDitto, Institute for America's Future, etc. Lanya's background is in public health and social work, and she spent years designing and managing award-winning large-scale health behavior change programs. Traction promotes civic participation using the same social marketing principles – more Malcolm Gladwell than politics as usual. Some say if activism is the drug, Traction is the dealer...



HOST

Nancy Hanks

The Hankster http://grassrootsindependent.blogspot.com/

Nancy Hanks is a long-time activist in independent politics and community-building. She started The Hankster, a blog/news source for independent voters, in April 2006, during the midterm elections when independent voters led a successful anti-war electoral revolution. She is a full-time grant-writer for an international homeless youth program and a volunteer fundraiser for the Committee for a Unified Party. She is on the research staff of the Neo Independent magazine. Nancy has appeared on SIRIUS Satellite Radio's Indie Talk Blog Bunker with Joe Salzone, and on podcast #18 on Skewz.com.

Blogging the World: An Online Stage for Activists (Or Performatory Blogging for Everyone)

Are you ready to perform your political opinion?

We now have the schedule or our Blogging the World workshop, a session of Performing the World. I hope you can make it!

"Bloggin the World"
Sunday, October 5,
9-10am ET
All Stars Project
543 W 42nd St, New York, NY 10036

The full schedule is now posted. This is a jam-packed conference/performance festival. Of course you would like to attend each session -- they ALL look very interesting!

I chose the title "Blogging the World" because it reflects my vision of a unified independent grassroots-driven movement that could be part of changing the world.

The format of Blogging the World is conversational, bringing together cutting-edge bloggers and community activists from across the country to talk to each other about what's needed to build a new world.

Please join us for bagels and lox
Sunday morning, October 5, 9-10am
at the All Stars Project
543 W. 42nd St.
New York, NY 10036


THE "Blogging the World" PANEL:

Justin Gardner
Donklephant http://donklephant.com/
Justin Gardner is the founder and editor of Donklephant, a popular multi-partisan political blog where readers are encouraged to discuss the ideas of the day in an respectful, honest forum. Since launching in July 2005, Donklephant has drawn over 2.5 million page views and boasts a roster of over 20 authors. (via satellite)

Robert Koulish
Kouflo Memo http://koulflo.wordpress.com/tag/koulish/
(Robert Twitters at http://twitter.com/koulflo)
Robert Koulish is an Associate Professor of Law and Society at the University of Philadelphia. He blogs at Koulflo Memo, a politically progressive blog that emphasizes immigration, democratic media and electoral politics, as well as the occasional personal experience. Robert also works in experiential and community based teaching and learning, and is co-founder of a youth-based media and education collaborative called co-lab, and a micro-radio coalition called Baltimore Community Radio Coalition (BCRC).

Shaun Mullen
The Moderate Voice http://www.themoderatevoice.com/
Kiko's House http://kikoshouse.blogspot.com/
Shaun Mullen was born to blog. It just took a few years for the medium to catch up to the messenger. Over a long career with newspapers, this award-winning editor and reporter covered the Vietnam War, O.J. Simpson trials, Clinton impeachment circus and Osama bin Laden, among other major stories. He also is a columnist at The Moderate Voice and is writing a murder mystery. One pundit describes Mullen as 'a free agent who looks at the world as a magical, ever-changing buffet and sorts issues on a practical rather than an ideological basis.'

Jacqueline Salit
CUIP http://independentvoting.org/index.html
The Neo Independent http://www.neoindependent.com/
Jacqueline Salit is a 20-year veteran of the independent political movement. Executive editor of THE NEO-INDEPENDENT magazine, a bi-annual journal that covers the independent political movement and the independent voter, Jackie is also the President of the Committee for a Unified Independent Party (http://www.independentvoting.org/), a national 15 year-old think tank giving leadership to grassroots independents. Jackie ran NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg's successful 2001 and 2005 mayoral campaigns on the Independence Party line, effectively creating a game-changing black and independent alliance that is challenging politics-as-usual.

Lanya Shapiro
Traction http://www.gettraction.org/
Lanya Shapiro is the founder and Executive Director of Traction, a community of young-ish (Gen X&Y) progressives and an innovative civic engagement and leadership development organization. Since 2003, she's immersed herself in progressive grassroots organizing – from the Howard Dean grassroots to consulting with SEIU, EchoDitto, Institute for America's Future, etc. Lanya's background is in public health and social work, and she spent years designing and managing award-winning large-scale health behavior change programs. Traction promotes civic participation using the same social marketing principles – more Malcolm Gladwell than politics as usual. Some say if activism is the drug, Traction is the dealer...

HOST
Yours truly: Nancy Hanks
The Hankster http://grassrootsindependent.blogspot.com/
Nancy Hanks is a long-time activist in independent politics and community-building. She started The Hankster, a blog/news source for independent voters, in April 2006, during the midterm elections when independent voters led a successful anti-war electoral revolution. She is a full-time grant-writer for an international homeless youth program and a volunteer fundraiser for the Committee for a Unified Party. She is on the research staff of the Neo Independent magazine. Nancy is a frequent guest commentator on SIRIUS Satellite Radio's Indie Talk Blog Bunker with Joe Salzone.