Thursday, November 30, 2006

Fellow Travelers' Advisory from Anne Feeney - DECEMBER 2006, VOLUME TWO, #9





Fellow Travelers' Advisory from Anne Feeney - DECEMBER 2006, VOLUME TWO, #9


IMMEDIATE DESTINATIONS:



US LABOR AGAINST THE WAR IN CLEVELAND WITH CINDY SHEEHAN!
PITTSBURGH READING OF JERRY STARR'S NEW PLAY ABOUT SAGO
JOE GLAZER TRIBUTE CONCERTS IN WASHINGTON, DC
details at the tourdates page


JAN-FEB - CA, OR, WA & BC
FEBRUARY - TEXAS!!

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You can also read this with live links and photos at http://fellow-travelers-advisory.blogspot.com/

Order CDs at http://cdbaby.com/all/unionmaid

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IN THIS ISSUE:

HOLIDAY GREETINGS
NORTHWEST TOUR
TEXAS IN FEBRUARY
NOW AVAILABLE IN UK
A GOOD LAUGH FROM PEGGY SEEGER

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Hi Folks --

Now that "Buy Nothing Day" is over, I'm sure that some of you are looking for unique holiday gifts. I hope you'll stop by CDBaby and stuff some stockings with my CDs. I've replenished CDBaby's inventory of Have You Been to Jail for Justice?, Union Maid, and If I Can't Dance ... and you can also get the Wild Wimmin for Peace CD, Heartland, Vote in November, Look to the Left, and the last three copies of Live from the Wholly Stolen Empire.

AND I've got ten of those hand-cranked Swedish music boxes that play "The Internationale." You can order them directly from me. Email me at anne@annefeeney.com if you want one... They're $50 + $5 shipping/handling. If CDBaby sells out, I'll also be doing CD sales directly from the house during December... just email me.

I'll be leaving tomorrow for the US Labor Against the War national conference in Cleveland, and I'm very excited to finally be meeting Cindy Sheehan.





(We meet at last!! Cindy and I wearing our "Jail for Justice" Tee Shirts from Will Covert)









thanks to Patrick Carano for the photos!





I'll be doing a year-in-review Fellow Travelers' Advisory at the end of December, but for now I'll say that my trips to Canada, New England and Florida were very wonderful. Gary and Pauline O'Dwyer were spectacular hosts in Cobourg - and getting so much quality time with Eric LeCompte, Kathy Kelly and Stephanie Schaudel was energizing. Stan Swart, Candice Carter and Ken and Cee Cee made the Florida visit a joy. And all my New England hosts were terrific - love and thanks to Guy and Lorraine, Margi, Greg, Gail and David, Paul, Robyn, Geoff, Stan and Joanna............


On Monday night, Dec 4th, my friend Jerry Starr debuts his new play, BURIED: the story of the Sago Mine Disaster in a standing-room-only reading at Pittsburgh Playwrights. Directed by the amazing Marci Wood, the play features an all-star cast and music by me and Sue Powers. The reading will be filmed in the hope of finding funding for full-scale productions in 2007.

This was a challenging year. This is the first year that I bought more sympathy cards than birthday cards. Both my mother-in-law and father-in-law died this year in Sweden. I'm mourning the loss of so many friends this year, as well as my generous mentor, Joe Glazer, my beloved Kerrville camping companero Blair Powell, and especially my longtime performing partner and dear friend, DC Fitzgerald.

As this holiday season approaches, I hope you're surrounded by family and friends. I'm hoping to have both my kids and my husband here in Pittsburgh for the holidays.

Keep the folks of Oaxaca in your thoughts and prayers.

I look forward to seeing you in 2007, and thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the kindness and generosity you have shown me. We'll have plenty of work to do next year, so take a little time off now to enjoy each other and relax!

Peace on earth,

Anne

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NORTHWEST (& CANADIAN SOUTHWEST) TOUR - JAN & FEB 2007

Still quite a few dates left to fill... If you live in between Watsonville, CA and Vancouver, BC - please visit my calendar at http://annefeeney.com/calendar.html to check availability, and then email me at anne@annefeeney.com to arrange a fill in date on this tour...

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TEXAS IN FEBRUARY

I'd like to tour in Texas between February 8th and 23rd... If you'd like to see me perform in Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, College Station, Austin, or points in between please talk to me - 412.877.6480 or email me - anne@annefeeney.com -- Folk clubs, rallies, riots, conferences, classrooms and of course UU congregations... and house concerts, too! If you'd like to host a house concert, I'll tell you how...



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NOW!! ORDER MY MUSIC IN THE UK!

Four Dogs Music is a new UK music site operated by Ethical Wares and featuring great music from all over the world... including mine! If you're across the pond, order from Four Dogs for prompt delivery.

Vist Four Dogs Music

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A GOOD LAUGH FORWARDED TO ME FROM PEGGY SEEGER:

(Peggy's always sending me hilarious and/or informative emails... This one made me laugh out loud...enjoy!)

It takes a college degree to fly a plane but only a high school diploma to fix one: a reassurance for those of us who fly routinely in our jobs.

After every flight, Qantas pilots fill out a form, called a "gripe sheet," which tells mechanics about problems with the aircraft. The mechanics correct the problems; document their repairs on the form, and then pilots review the gripe sheets before the next flight.

Never let it be said that ground crews lack a sense of humour. Here are some maintenance complaints submitted by Qantas Pilots (marked with a P) and the Solutions Recorded (marked with an S) by Maintenance Engineers.

(By the way, Qantas is the only major airline that has never had an accident)
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P: Left inside main tyre almost needs replacement.
S: Almost replaced left inside main tyre.

P: Test flight OK, except auto-land very rough.
S: Auto-land not installed on this aircraft.

P: Something loose in cockpit.
S: Something tightened in cockpit.

P: Dead bugs on windshield.
S: Live bugs on order.

P: Autopilot in altitude-hold mode produces a 200-feet per minute descent.
S: Cannot reproduce problem on ground.

P: Evidence of leak on right main landing gear.
S: Evidence removed.

P: DME volume unbelievably loud.
S: DME volume set to more believable level.

P: Friction locks cause throttle levers to stick.
S: That's what they're for.

P: IFF inoperative.
S: IFF always inoperative in OFF mode.

P: Suspected crack in windshield.
S: Suspect you're right.

P: Number 3 engine missing.
S: Engine found on right wing after brief search.

P: Aircraft handles funny.
S: Aircraft warned to straighten up, fly right, and be serious.


P: Target radar hums.
S: Reprogrammed target radar with lyrics.

P: Mouse in cockpit.
S: Cat installed.


P: Noise coming from under instrument panel. Sounds like a midget pounding on something with a hammer.
S: Took hammer away from midget


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Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Joyous Solstice, Festive Kwanzaa --- however you're celebrating, I wish you all the best and thank you so much for your friendship and love and support!

Friday, November 03, 2006

FROM MOLLY IVINS

May I remind you what this election is about? Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo, unprecedented presidential powers, unmatched incompetence, unparalleled corruption, unwarranted eavesdropping, Katrina, Enron, Halliburton, global warming, Cheney's secret energy task force, record oil company profits, $3 gasoline, FEMA, the Supreme Court, Diebold, Florida in 2000, Ohio in 2004, Terri Schiavo, stem cell research, golden parachutes, shrunken pensions, unavailable and expensive health care, habeas corpus, no weapons of mass destruction, sacrificed soldiers and Iraqi civilians, wasted billions, Taliban resurgence, expiration of the assault weapons ban, North Korea, Iran, intelligent design, swift boat hit squads, and on and on.

This election is about that, but much more - it's about honor, dignity and comity in this country. It's about the Constitution, which gives us this great nation.

Bush ran on a pledge of "restoring honor and integrity" to the White House. Instead, he brought us Tom DeLay, Roy Blunt, Katherine Harris, John Doolittle, Jerry Lewis, Richard Pombo, Mark Foley, Dennis Hastert, David Safavian, Jack Abramoff, Ralph Reed, Karl Rove and an illegal and immoral war in Iraq. People, it's up to you.

Thursday, November 02, 2006

Fellow Travelers' Advisory from Anne Feeney - NOVEMBER 2006, VOLUME TWO, #8

Fellow Travelers' Advisory from Anne Feeney - NOVEMBER 2006, VOLUME TWO, #8

IMMEDIATE DESTINATIONS:

Youngstown, OH
Cobourg, ON
Kingston, RI
Florence, MA
Berlin, MA
Northampton, MA
Cambridge, MA
Albany, NY
Fort Benning, GA
Jacksonville, FL
Cleveland, OH
Washington, DC

I've got my ticket to the Northwest: arriving San Francisco on 11 January, departing Seattle on 5 February... If you'd like to book a show then, email me at anne@annefeeney.com

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If this was forwarded to you, or you're reading it on my blog, you can subscribe by going to my website and signing up!

Order CDs at CDBaby

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IN THIS ISSUE:

DID YOU KNOW…?
SAVE OAXACA
MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT RUMINATIONS
FAMILY NEWS
LINK
TOUR DATES

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DID YOU KNOW that....

1) almost all of my music is downloadable at most online stores, including iTunes, Yahoo music, AOL and many many more?

2) My recording of "We Just Come to Work Here, We Don't Come to Die" is included in the recently released "Classic Labor Songs" from Smithsonian Folkways CD -- Featuring Paul Robeson, Joe Glazer, Woody Guthrie, Hazel Dickens, Pete Seeger, John Handcox, and many more ... order it from Labor Heritage Foundation

3) My recording of "Defenders of Marriage" is featured on the new anthology "Hail to the Thieves III" - which includes 19 other songs "to take back our country" by Billy Bragg, Utah Phillips, Chuck Brodsky, Steve Brooks, Colleen Kattau, Jolie Rickman, Jon Fromer, the DC Labor Chorus, Pat Wynne, Francisco Herrera, Evan Greer, Girlyman, Graham and Barbara Dean, John Lilly, George Mann and Julius Margolin. You can order it at CDBaby

4) you can review CDs on CDBaby and Amazon? ... why not write a review of my newest CD- "IF I CAN'T DANCE" ...Here's a sample of the reviews of the new CD, which you can buy at CDBaby

***** -- Great songs, great arrangements, great singing... Reviewer: Dennis Pearne
Anne sings with all the joy and gusto of a true, dancing revolutionary. She is rare in her bare honesty. Her musicality is beyond reproach. I have to say that lots of times I don't get past the seventh cut, "Let Their Heads Roll," because it's so good, and she performs is so perfectly, I put the CD player on "repeat" for a while. I'm sure I'll cover it, though it will be a challenge, given her fabulous rendition.

***** -- Anne Feeney is one of my favourite performers –
Reviewer: kozima1848@aol.com
I have seen her LIVE several times and she never ceases to amaze. I will recommend this CD to all my friends on the left.

***** -- I loved it - Reviewer: Craig
It is a very good CD. Every song on the CD is enjoyable. I would recommend this to others. Gets an A in my book!

***** -- You'll be singing, dancing, and thinking - Reviewer: Larry Orr
I heard songs from this CD in concert in Tucson, bought it immediately, and love it! You'll have to dance with Emma Goldman, you'll want to sing along on “Who's the Criminal,” and you're going to be remembering and thinking about the songs for a long
time. The tribute to Rosa Parks (My Feet Are Tired) is the kind of song I thought no one sang any more, with lots of message, and oh, so much music. Anne, you're a knockout on this CD, a great singer with a sharp sense of humor and justice, and a fine touch in selecting songs. This CD is hard-hitting politically and terrifically musical. Get it, play it for yourself and your friends!

5) now you can pre-order or donate toward the new CD, "Dump the Bosses Off Your Back," using Paypal, VISA or MC finding the DONATE button on my blog or my Earthlink site, or Myspace -- I'm still about $11,000 away from finishing it, but it will happen!

6) You could be the 100,000th visitor to my website if you hurry! Kudos and hearty thanks to hardworking UBC member and talented web designer Dave Livingston of Nelson, BC for the terrific job he does maintaining my website. Thanks to everyone who has visited my website in the last two years ... especially those of you who left a message in the guestbook or signed up for the newsletter.

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SAVE OAXACA!!

For more news on the Oaxaca teachers' struggle, check out http://www.corrugate.org/blog or http://www.narconews.com/ and send a letter to President Vicente Fox of Mexico --

vicente.fox.quesada@presidencia.gob.mx

Sample letter (please write your own)


Dear President Fox:

For months we have been worried about the massing of repressive force threatening the teachers union and APPO in Oaxaca by state authorities of Governor Ulysses Ruiz. Now it appears they have begun the repression against people operating radio station Planton and shooting at people in the plaza. Newspapers are reporting that primary school teacher Emilio Alonso was gunned down and that Indymedia reporter Brad Will was shot in the chest and killed in the municipality of Calicante and a photographer Oswaldo Ramirez was shot and wounded. There are rumors that other teachers have been shot and killed and that there are many injured.

Is your government planning to repeat the shame of the massacre at Tlatelolco in 1968, which people around the world still remember? We are watching with alarm. We urge you in the strongest terms to stop the repression and violence against the people of Oaxaca and the teachers union. You must use your power to stop Governor Ruiz from committing a massacre.

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MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT

It's way too late at night for me to be prudently pondering world affairs... I don't know if it's the jetlag and time-zone shifting, or the endless barrage of death and sadness that shrouds our country right now, but I've been waking up a lot in the middle of the night.

I read an interesting article a while back that contended that mental illness skyrocketed in Great Britain when conservatives were in power. If my memory serves me correctly, the author maintained that the perceived mean-spiritedness of the many social safety net cutbacks that accompany conservative governments, as well as the actual decline in available services to the vulnerable, was responsible for the escalated instances of depression, paranoia and suicide.

How do you suppose that translates in the United States, where FOX news has a "terror alert" icon visible throughout most of its broadcast day? ... where we're told the threat is ubiquitous? that we are to be vigilant reporting anything suspicious to the government? what do you suppose happens to people on the edge of paranoid schizophrenia at times like that? add to the mix tens of millions of Americans with no health insurance, and millions more with no coverage for mental illness... and public health agencies that are being slowly destroyed by hiring freezes and layoffs... as my friend John Handcox observed, "There's mean things happenin' in this land."

We constantly hear politicians reciting the mantra that this is the greatest country in the world. There are concrete ways of measuring that claim. The "greatest country in the world" shouldn't be 45th in infant mortality, have a higher illiteracy rate than Cuba, have the largest gap between productivity and wages, send 20% of its children to bed hungry every night.

I think of Alyssa Peterson, the idealistic 27 year old woman who enlisted in the Army to serve as a translator. She actually arranged to switch places with someone who didn't want to be sent to Iraq. After several "harsh" interrogations in "the cage," where she served as translator, this young woman apparently turned her rifle on herself, becoming the third female soldier to die in Iraq.

I think of the woman who sold me my movie ticket tonight... she was well into her seventies. The man who collected my ticket admitted to being 85. What happened to those so-called "golden years"? How many of our elders are out working to keep up
with the cost of prescription drugs and medicare supplements? Keep your eyes open. I see men and women well into their 70's working at rest stops along the turnpike in the middle of the night, at convenience stores ... we are returning to the days where people must work until the day that they die. There are plenty of folks in Washington who are nostalgic about their imagined "good old days" in America -- and those days included colorful old people on the street corners selling apples and pencils. Coming soon to your neighborhood.

I think of the impending massacre in beautiful Oaxaca, Mexico, where schoolteachers have refused to work until they achieve decent wages, decent funding for education, and an end to the corrupt government of Governor Ulysses Ruiz. Thousands of ordinary citizens in this ancient city have constructed makeshift barricades, shut down the city, and declared a general strike until the teachers' demands are met. A 36 year old journalist documenting this grassroots movement, Brad Will, from New York City, was fatally shot in the chest on October 27th by plainclothes paramilitaries.

I think of the Congress and President that just passed an unfunded mandate for a 7+ billion dollar 700 mile wall along our border.

Is it possible that people in the United States have had enough of this macho, lying, corrupt regime in Washington? Will Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld & Rice become lame ducks? Is it finally Rick Santorum's time to go? I've already cast my absentee
ballot... like you, I'll be tuning in on November 7th to find out.

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FAMILY NEWS

Sad news from my husband. His stepfather, Nisse Johannson died suddenly on October 19th. The memorial service is scheduled for November 17th. Julie’s mom, Sonia, died in April of this year. You can send condolences to picasso77750@yahoo.se

November Birthdays - Kimberly Sever (November 6th) & Julie Leonardsson (November 12th)

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NOVEMBER LINK

Please
sign this petition against torture

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UPCOMING DATES:

Friday, November 3rd, 2006 8:00 PM
WYSU Folk Festival
Peaberry's
YSU Kicawley Student Center
Youngstown, OH 44555
http://wysu.org
Price: FREE!

Saturday, November 4th-Monday, November 6th
Children and War: Impact Speakers' Forum
St Mary's School
Cobourg, ON
Canada
godwyer(at)pvnccdsb.on.ca - Gary O'Dwyer is the contact -- Thomas Merton Award winner Kathy Kelly from Voices in the Wilderness and Eric LaCompte from School of the Americas Watch will be there too!

Wednesday, November 8th, 2006 7:30 PM
Honors Symposium
University of Rhode Island
Edwards Auditorium
Kingston, RI 02881
401-874-2381
http://www.uri.edu/hc/
Price: free, with David Rovics!
Email debg@uri.edu

Friday, November 10th, 2006 7:30 PM
House Concert
Joanna Varadi and Stan Pollack's House
One Bardwell Street
Florence, MA 01062
413-585-9070
Price: $10-20
feel free to bring snacks and musical instruments for a little song swap afterward.

Saturday, November 11th, 2006 7:30 PM
Village Coffeehouse
First Parish Church
24 Central St
Berlin, MA 01503
978-838-2734
http://www.fpcberlin.org
Price: $10
Robyn Tarantino coordinates the coffeehouse. Email her at guilfoyle20(@)charter(.)net

Sunday, November 12th, 2006 9:00 PM
Acoustic Open Stage Feature
The Elevens
140 Pleasant Street
Northampton, MA 01060
413-586-9155
http://www.elevensmusic.com/index.html
Lisa and Naomi have turned this venue into a great music spot. Come by to hear some fabulous New England performers and my 45 minute feature set.

Monday, November 13th, 2006 9:00 PM
Geoff Bartley's Open Stage Feature
Cantab
738 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02139
http://www.cantab-lounge.com/public_html/cantab_directions.html
I'll be doing a 35 minute feature set at Geoff's legendary open stage -- you never know who might drop in to visit Geoff - one of the great talents and great hearts in folk music! The Cantab is a great spot to visit in Cambridge.

Tuesday, November 14th, 2006 7:15 PM
The Eighth Step and the Upstate New York IWW present Anne Feeney in Concert
Steamer No 10 Theater
500 Western Ave
Albany, NY 12203
518-861-5627
http://www.upstate-ny-iww.org
advance tickets widely available. check the website. and the theater is accessible too!

Thursday, November 16th, 2006 8:00 PM
School of the Americas Watch Benefit Concert
Eyedrum Gallery
290 MLK Drive, SE
Atlanta, GA 30312
http://www.eyedrum.org
Price: $20 donation/10 low income
Holly Near http://www.hollynear.com
emma's revolution http://www.emmasrevolution.com
Chestnut Brothers http://www.chestnutbrothers.com
Chris Chandler http://www.chrischandler.org
Jon Fromer
Francisco Herrera
Colleen Kattau http://www.colleenkattau.com
Charlie King & Karen Brandow http://www.www.charlieking.org
Jose Saavedra http://www.josesaavedra.com
Elise Witt http://www.elisewitt.com
and more

EMCEES: Dave Lippman http://www.davelippman.com & Elise Witt


SPEAKERS from SOAW http://www.soaw.org

Tickets available at Charis Books and More, 1189 Euclid Ave. in Little 5 Points, Atlanta GA 30307 – (404) 524-0304

Friday, Nov 17th- Sunday, Nov 19th, 2006
Close the School of the Americas Vigil
Fort Benning
Columbus, GA
http://soaw.org

Monday, November 20th, 2006 12:00 PM
Music in Social Movements
University of North Florida Campus Theater -- Robinson Student Services Building (Building #14, Room #1700)
4567 St. Johns Bluff Road South
Jacksonville, FL 32224
(904)-620-1654
Price: Free
Local Contact: Stan Swart, e-mail sswart@unf.edu or call (904)-620-1654

Saturday, December 2nd, 2006 2:00 PM
Anti-War Demonstration
March from Crowne Plaza Hotel to Federal Building
Cleveland, OH
http://uslaboragainstwar.org/downloads/Dec%202%20Cleveland%20Rally%20Flyer.pdf

Saturday, December 2nd, 2006 7:00 PM
Third Annual USLAW Labor Assembly Public Concert
Crowne Plaza Hotel
Cleveland, OH
http://www.uslaboragainstwar.org/article.php?id=11234

Monday, December 4th - 8PM
Reading of "BURIED" - a new play about the Sago mine disaster by Jerry Starr at
Pittsburgh Playwrights
Penn Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA
I'll be doing some music ... more details soon... save the date!

Friday, December 8th, 2006 3:00 PM
Joe Glazer Tribute
AFL-CIO Headquarters
815 16th Ave NW
Washington, DC
I'll be there.. hope to see you too!
Friday, December 8th, 2006 7:30 PM
Tribute Concert to Celebrate the Life of Joe Glazer
Saint Mark Presbyterian Church
10701 Old Georgetown Rd (near I-270)
Rockville/Bethesda, MD
301-754-3611
http://imtfolk.org
Price: $20
Proceeds benefit the Labor Heritage Foundation. Music by Magpie, DC Labor Chorus, U-Liners and Peter Jones/Steve Jones/Laurel Blaydes. I'll be there. Hope to see you there too!