You can get this fun-filled once-a-month newsletter by signing up here!
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This isn't a typical Fellow Travelers' Advisory... Sure there are fun links and family news and labor news and tour dates, but this month I'm asking for your help.
I'm in the middle of recording and I'm just about out of money for the project. I'm recording some of the most frequently requested songs that I perform and some fabulous new songs - Let Their Heads Roll, Ya Basta!, Defenders of Marriage, My Feet Are Tired, Days of the Theocracy, Lullaby, Cops of the World, Preacher and the Slave, Hallelujah I'm a Bum, Who's the Criminal Here?, Emma Goldman and more... The tracks sound really terrific -- I've been working with terrific local union musicians and I've found a wonderful engineer, Doug Wilkin, to work with just blocks from my house.
But I need your help! I estimate the remaining cost of this production to be slightly more than $18,000.00 - a hopeless number for me to come up with alone... But if 180 of you can come up with $100 it will happen. This is how I financed "Have You Been to Jail for Justice?" six years ago and I'm hoping for the same magic this time. So far I've gotten contributions from Charlie Bernhardt, Joel Henderson, David Newby & Kathy McElroy, Steffi Domike, Berk Snow, Jill Weldon Merrill, Dave Thornburgh, Mel Packer and Emily DeFerrari, Jim Gorman, Mark Damron, the IWW, John Ames, Carol Gay, Carol Newman, Rose Feurer, Ed Finkelstein, Dan Callahan, Joey Hartman, Dave Johnson, Helena Worthen, Joe Berry -- so I only need 158 more angels/patrons/sponsors/underwriters/true-believers...but I need you soon!
If you can send me $100 before June 15th I'll be most grateful and I'll gladly put your name in the liner notes. Please send it to:
Anne Feeney
7206 Michigan Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15218
and include a note as to if/how you'd like to be listed in the liner notes. Thanks so much!
Some incredibly sweet people have written to offer me $10 or $15 -- Thank you so much... but, I'm like you, $10 or $15 I have... It's trying to come up with a huge lump sum up front to produce a new recording that is beyond my reach. I'm looking for those lucky and wonderful and rare people who have $100 to contribute toward a labor culture/social justice project.
If you've got $15 you don't know what to do with, how about buying a CD? They make great and unusual gifts!
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IMMEDIATE DESTINATIONS:
HOUSTON & COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS
MEREDOSIA, IL
WASHINGTON, DC
THE TRIPLE TROUBLE TOUR WITH DAVE LIPPMAN!!!
JUNE 23-AUGUST 2ND ......
SEATTLE, BELLINGHAM, VANCOUVER, VICTORIA, PORT TOWNSEND, TACOMA, OLYMPIA, PORTLAND, EUGENE, ASHLAND, BANDON, BRICELAND, NEVADA CITY, SAN FRANCISCO, OAKLAND, SAN RAFAEL, PALO ALTO, WATSONVILLE, FELTON & more
THE MARIPOSA FOLK FESTIVAL IN TORONTO
LAUREL, MD
BEIRUT
STOCKHOLM
THE 22nd BREAD AND ROSES FESTIVAL IN LAWRENCE, MA
READING & JIM THORPE, PA
IRELAND
all before the end of September! whew! Get all the details on my Tour Dates page.
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BEIRUT, ANYONE???
If you know someone living in Beirut that you think I should make contact with when I go there in August, please let me know.
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CHRIS CHANDLER IN PITTSBURGH JUNE 9TH
My dear and extraordinarily talented friend Chris Chandler brings his dynamic new show featuring New Orleans piano player David Roe to the Friendship House Concert series here. Details are:
Friday, June 9th, 2006 7:30pm
The Chris Chandler and David Roe Show
Friendship House Concerts
RSVP for directions to this house concert: phone: 412.361.6051 mailto:altes@potomacnet.com
Jim and LLouise Altes are the perfect house concert hosts and you'll have a memorable evening ... don't miss it! If I weren't going to the Kerrville Folk Festival for a few days I would surely be there myself!
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LABOR DAY
I'm very excited to report that I will be performing at the Bread and Roses Festival in Lawrence, MA this year. It's a festival that I've always wanted to play. Information on this year's festival should be up on their website very soon.
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FABULOUS FUN LINK
One of the funniest and cleverest sites on the web... The Yes Men do some really creative speaking of truth to power
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ACTIVIST LINK OF THE MONTH
Tell McDonald's and Chipotle (did you know that McDonald's owns Chipotle???) to Support Fair Wages for Farm Workers
Farm workers who pick tomatoes for McDonald's hamburgers and Chipotle's burritos earn about 45 cents for every 32-pound container of tomatoes they pick, a subpoverty wage that has remained stagnant for almost 30 years.
Although Taco Bell signed an agreement last year with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers to pay an additional one cent per pound for tomatoes it purchases, McDonald's and Chipotle have refused to sign a similar agreement to raise wages in the fields.
Tell McDonald's and Chipotle to support fair wages for farm workers and sign the agreement with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers now.
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DAVID GILL FOR CONGRESS/NATIONAL HEALTH CARE NOW!!
Illinois' 15th Congressional District race features a physician campaigning for single-payer national health care. Check out his website./
I met him during my swing through Champaign/Urbana last weekend and I was very impressed. His district should be on Colbert's "Better Know a District" -- It's a real gerrymandered mess.
If you don't know about HR 676, John Conyers' Universal Health Care Bill, you should. I'm delighted to report that my member of Congress, Mike Doyle, just signed on as a sponsor.
Check out John Conyers' Health Care page and then look to see if your member of Congress is a sponsor.
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BOILERMAKERS 484 LOCKOUT ENDS (see article below this post)
Sunday, June 11th there will be a Hog Roast to honor the sacrifices made during the lockout of the loyal & heroic member/warriors of Boilermakers Local 484
City Park * Hwy 104 * Meredosia, IL - I'm leaving the Kerrville Folk Festival early to be with my locked out brothers and sisters.
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FAMILY NEWS
Cousin Terry Donovan is 60 years old as of the 23rd of May. Bill Feeney, Jill Weldon Merrill, Mary and Tom Weldon and I got together with Terry to celebrate over dinner. See the photo below this post.
Karen McCahill's daughter Erin Brown is expecting a little brother for Henry - Congratulations!
And rumor has it that Kevin McCahill turned 60 in mid-May -- Happy Birthday, Cuz!
I was delighted to get an email from cousin Joseph McCahill, Jr - a guitar player living in Alexandria, VA with his gorgeous wife Mennelle and son, Nicholas. Welcome to the list, Joseph! I'm hoping to get a chance to hang out with you when I come to Silver Spring for the Great Labor Arts Exchange next month.
Aunt Claire's Birthday is June 4th -- I'm not 100% sure, but I think she's 86 this year... you can send her a card : Claire O'Connor, 325 Magnolia Lake Court, Aiken, SC 29803 ... or give her a call - 803.641.9027
My daughter Amy got home from Guatemala and Mexico today. My son Dan and his fiance Monique Murad left for Beirut this afternoon.
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That's it for June! Look for a new CD next month! Yes!!!!
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Terry Donovan is 60!
From Left to Right: Tom Weldon, Father Bill Feeney, Anne Feeney, Mary Weldon, Jill Weldon Merrill, Terry (am I really 60?) Donovan
Boilermakers Local 484 Ratifies Contract - The Lockout is Over.....
Thanks to everyone out there who helped these folks last one day longer ... I'll always appreciate your generosity toward them ... and of course, they'll be forever grateful for all the support they received. This is the message I received from Road Warrior Tena Battefeld:
Dear Brothers and Sisters, The Union as a Group, has ratified the company's last offer. We have a contract. Some of us are going back to work, which will be a very different world from what we once knew. Some of us are leaving. Every one of our Union brothers and sisters are very important. We have grown so much closer to each other during the lock-out. We are as strong, as a group, as we have ever been and could ever hope to be. This separation is going to hurt, a lot. God Bless and protect each and every one of you. Did we win?
Anger and feelings of betrayal will fade but never go away. Working for the betrayers and along side the scabs will be an ENORMOUS challenge. We're going to have to suck it up and TRY to get along if we are to succeed. This will be an individual challenge for each of us. Remember in the trials and tribulations to come that you are not alone, we each as individuals will still be a Union and you have brothers and sisters to share the pain. Learn to lean on each other. We still have the numbers and still retain some power in this.
Did we win? Pursuing the NLRB charges, as you heard, could have taken years, with no promise we'd win in the end. Everyone knows the pro-business environment of the present administration. It could be the threat posed by the NLRB to the company had peaked at this point. The company's last offer may have been as good as it was going to get. Maybe. Roll of the dice at this point. We made a decision though and we have to go forward from this point. Hindsight is 20/20 but totally worthless.
Did we win? We have a decent severance for those who won't walk beside us into this den of lions...well maybe den of jackals. The pay rate is back up from the lowest offer. Insurance is changed to the company WE chose. We have caps on increases. I don't like everything else in the contract but I never have. A contract is a combination of what we want and what they want. That's just the way it works. Life's rarely fair. We have fought an enormous fight against a very powerful adversary. We fought them to a standstill and actually pushed them back a few steps. We were helped by so many good people. We stand now at the end of our battle, panting and sweating in the bloodstained sand. Nearly a year from the start, we have a contract agreed to by a majority of our people. Celanese did NOT get all they wanted despite all their money, their subversion of the law or their political influence. We have, as I've said, a long hard fight inside the plant and we all still have the anger and emotional pain to deal with, but not alone. Stand strong...Stand Tall...We WON!!!
This was a message written by one of our brothers and he stated it the way it is, pretty well. I just want to send you all a copy and to let you know how grateful we will always be to all of you. Right at this moment I can’t really tell you how I feel because I don’t know myself. I do want everyone to know that we are still having the June 11 Hog roast and we still wish for everyone to attend if you can.
Believe me some good did come out of this year, I’ve met a lot of wonderful people like yourselves and others. We have to keep standing together and keep fighting these greedy bastard corporations before they destroy each and everyone of us.
IN SOLIDARITY your sister
Tena Battefeld IBB Local 484
Dear Brothers and Sisters, The Union as a Group, has ratified the company's last offer. We have a contract. Some of us are going back to work, which will be a very different world from what we once knew. Some of us are leaving. Every one of our Union brothers and sisters are very important. We have grown so much closer to each other during the lock-out. We are as strong, as a group, as we have ever been and could ever hope to be. This separation is going to hurt, a lot. God Bless and protect each and every one of you. Did we win?
Anger and feelings of betrayal will fade but never go away. Working for the betrayers and along side the scabs will be an ENORMOUS challenge. We're going to have to suck it up and TRY to get along if we are to succeed. This will be an individual challenge for each of us. Remember in the trials and tribulations to come that you are not alone, we each as individuals will still be a Union and you have brothers and sisters to share the pain. Learn to lean on each other. We still have the numbers and still retain some power in this.
Did we win? Pursuing the NLRB charges, as you heard, could have taken years, with no promise we'd win in the end. Everyone knows the pro-business environment of the present administration. It could be the threat posed by the NLRB to the company had peaked at this point. The company's last offer may have been as good as it was going to get. Maybe. Roll of the dice at this point. We made a decision though and we have to go forward from this point. Hindsight is 20/20 but totally worthless.
Did we win? We have a decent severance for those who won't walk beside us into this den of lions...well maybe den of jackals. The pay rate is back up from the lowest offer. Insurance is changed to the company WE chose. We have caps on increases. I don't like everything else in the contract but I never have. A contract is a combination of what we want and what they want. That's just the way it works. Life's rarely fair. We have fought an enormous fight against a very powerful adversary. We fought them to a standstill and actually pushed them back a few steps. We were helped by so many good people. We stand now at the end of our battle, panting and sweating in the bloodstained sand. Nearly a year from the start, we have a contract agreed to by a majority of our people. Celanese did NOT get all they wanted despite all their money, their subversion of the law or their political influence. We have, as I've said, a long hard fight inside the plant and we all still have the anger and emotional pain to deal with, but not alone. Stand strong...Stand Tall...We WON!!!
This was a message written by one of our brothers and he stated it the way it is, pretty well. I just want to send you all a copy and to let you know how grateful we will always be to all of you. Right at this moment I can’t really tell you how I feel because I don’t know myself. I do want everyone to know that we are still having the June 11 Hog roast and we still wish for everyone to attend if you can.
Believe me some good did come out of this year, I’ve met a lot of wonderful people like yourselves and others. We have to keep standing together and keep fighting these greedy bastard corporations before they destroy each and everyone of us.
IN SOLIDARITY your sister
Tena Battefeld IBB Local 484
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Fellow Travelers' Advisory from Anne Feeney - MAY 2006, VOLUME TWO, # 2
IMMEDIATE DESTINATIONS:
Haledon, NJ
Pittsburgh, PA
Detroit, MI
Chicago, IL
Champaign, IL
and then TX (maybe), Washington, DC, and the great left coast summer tour with Dave Lippman.... we could still use some help with a couple dates... any ideas for the 4th of July in southern Oregon? how about the 30th of June or July 1st (my birthday...) near Portland... how about Wed July 26th near Sacramento? and the last four days of July are still wide open on the left coast... check it out & make some suggestions... and if you'd be willing to put up some of our very very cool summer tour posters at one of the towns along our route, email me and i'll send some to you.
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CDs at http://cdbaby.com/all/unionmaid
***************************************
IN THIS ISSUE:
Happy MayDay!
April Adventures
The New CD
Organic Bouquets for Mothers' Day
Colbert KOs the Bush Administration
Family News
Tour Dates
****************************************
Subscribe to receive the Fellow Travelers' Advisory every month --
****************************************
HAPPY MAY DAY!
It's May Day - the real Labor Day... all around the world people will sing The Internationale... and while most people in the US couldn't hum the tune, we'll be singing it in Haledon New Jersey at the Botto House National Labor Museum. I'm writing this month's Fellow Travelers' Advisory from Chicago-- less than 5 files from Waldheim Cemetery where the Haymarket Martyrs are buried.
I'm glad that this month is a little more tranquilo than April - I don't think I've ever had a busier and more exciting month. I'll spend most of May at conferences and in the studio recording a bunch of songs that have already become audience favorites. After I get the new recording off to the duplicator, I hope to end the month in Texas, but I'm still not sure. If you've got some work for me in Austin or Houston or San Antonio, let me know.
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APRIL ADVENTURES
April was way too action-packed to describe in what I promise to keep short monthly newsletter. So many of you wrote to say how much you liked my Florida tour diary (http://www.annefeeney.com/news.html) that I promise to have the April tour diary up on the same site soon. Many many thanks to my fabulous hosts in San Diego - Carolyn and Joel Henderson -- in Madison, Sue Vilbrandt and Willy Lanier -- in Toronto Jonathan and Sara Marlowe and in Portland, OR -- Connie and Kenny Cohen
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THE NEW CD
I postponed the new recording until my guitar is out of the hospital (soon, very soon, I hope....). I'll be going back into the studio in mid-May. A very talented engineer has opened up a great studio within walking distance of my house and I intend to start recording there on May 8th. If you can send me $100 to help underwrite the considerable costs of producing a new CD, I'd be extremely grateful. Send it to me at 7206 Michigan Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15218 - and let me know if you'd like to have your name in the THANK YOU section of the CD liner notes.
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HAPPY ORGANIC MOTHERS' DAY!
This year send Mom an organic bouquet. The floral industry is laden with pesticides and unsustainable agricultural practices, as well as worker abuses. Now you don't need to inflict pain on the planet or other workers when you send Mom some flowers...
Check out:
http://www.organicbouquet.com/Info.aspx?pid=176
*******************************************
STEPHEN COLBERT SKEWERS W
This is where you can watch Stephen Colbert do a brilliant and hilarious job of taking the Bush administration to the woodshed as W and Laura sit less than 10 feet away at the White House Correspondents' Dinner. This aired on CSPAN last night and I watched it with my wonderful friends Sue Vilbrandt and Willy Lanier. This is truly MUST SEE TV!!!
Here are a couple Colbert quips:
"I believe that the government that governs best is a government that governs least, and by these standards we have set up a fabulous government in Iraq."
"When the president decides something on Monday, he still believes it on Wednesday - no matter what happened Tuesday."
And turning his attention to the White House correspondents themselves, Colbert says:
"Let's review the rules. Here's how it works. The president makes decisions, he’s the decider. The press secretary announces those decisions, and you people of the press type those decisions down. Make, announce, type. Put them through a spell check and go home. Get to know your family again. Make love to your wife. Write that novel you got kicking around in your head. You know, the one about the intrepid Washington reporter with the courage to stand up to the administration. You know--fiction."
*******************************************
FAMILY NEWS
My almost-daughter, Monique Murad, received a fabulous fellowship to go study in Beirut this summer. My son Dan will go with her. I hope to go visit them.
My San Diego adventures included a visit to my cousin Peggy McCahill Duncan. Peggy is the extraordinary mom of four year old Connor and 9 month old triplets Emma, Colin and Tara. They are all completely charming children and suffice it to say that there are *not* enough hours in the day for anyone to keep up with them.
My cousin Mardy McCahill is a family physician and psychiatrist who has developed, secured funding for and implemented a terrific program that, in cooperation with local churches, delivers health care to uninsured people via a $700,000 mobile doctor's office that travels all around San Diego. What a gal!
And her husband Jim is grandpa to these triplets. He provides meals-on-wheels for the triplets on an almost daily basis. (He's a fabulous cook, but I think it may be impairing his Boggle skills -- I whomped him on my too-brief visit with this wonderful branch of my extended family.)
My daughter Amy is a real globetrotter this month. She got back from Hawaii in time to meet me in Portland and drive me and my dear friend Connie Cohen up to Olympia for my show there. We stopped at the fabulous Olympus Spa in Tacoma and steeped like teabags for hours in their many pools. Then Amy closed up her apartment and headed to Oaxaca for a month. I hope to catch up with her in Texas at the end of May.
Unfortunately cousin Bill won't be able to officiate at the baptism of Kathleen and Ross's latest addition - Rosalie - in New Orleans on May 7th -- it's First Holy Communion at Immaculate Conception Parish where he's the pastor. But Kay and Tony Mumphrey are back in New Orleans.
And in Manhattan, cousin Erin McCahill is awaiting the birth of her second son in August - mazel tov!
Cousin Kevin McCahill turns 60 this month - my sister Kathleen turns 53 on May 3rd (she has a mutual birthday with Pete Seeger!).
Mary and Tom Weldon celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a family gala at daughter Jill's (& husband Steve Merrill's) beautiful house in Murrysville, PA. The family films and photos are now available on DVD.
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THE DATES............
Monday, May 1st, 2006 7:00 PM
May Day at Botto House
Botto House American Labor Museum
83 Norwood St
Haledon, NJ
Price: free
with the Solidarity Singers, Chris Chandler & David Roe, George Mann & Julius Margolin and more .... come celebrate May Day at the birthplace of the Paterson Silk Strike!
Tuesday, May 2nd, 2006 7:00 PM
CD Release Party for DC Fitzgerald and Bob Beach
Club Cafe
56-58 South 12th Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15203
http://clubcafelive.com
I'll be opening this show, so don't be late!! This will be lots of fun.
May 5th-7th
Labor Notes
Hyatt Regency Hotel
Dearborn, MI
http://labornotes.org/conferences/details.shtml
May 17th-20th
Regina Polk Conference for Union Women
Pheasant Run Resort
St Charles, IL
Saturday, May 20th, 2006 8:00 PM
Benefit Concert for Boilermakers' Local 484
Channing Murray Foundation
Matthews & Oregon
Champaign, IL
this concert will be with Darrin Drda's wonderful band "The Theory of Everything." it will be great!
Coming up in June and July - the great left coast Triple Trouble summer tour with Dave Lippman and his sinister-but-hilarious alter ego George Shrub, the singing CIA agent
.... we could still use some help with a couple dates... any ideas for the 4th of July in southern Oregon?
how about the 30th of June or July 1st (my birthday...) near Portland...
how about Wed July 26th near Sacramento?
and the last four days of July are still wide open on the left coast... check it out & make some suggestions...
and if you'd be willing to put up some of our very very cool summer tour posters at one of the towns along our route, email me and i'll send some to you.
Haledon, NJ
Pittsburgh, PA
Detroit, MI
Chicago, IL
Champaign, IL
and then TX (maybe), Washington, DC, and the great left coast summer tour with Dave Lippman.... we could still use some help with a couple dates... any ideas for the 4th of July in southern Oregon? how about the 30th of June or July 1st (my birthday...) near Portland... how about Wed July 26th near Sacramento? and the last four days of July are still wide open on the left coast... check it out & make some suggestions... and if you'd be willing to put up some of our very very cool summer tour posters at one of the towns along our route, email me and i'll send some to you.
***************************************
CDs at http://cdbaby.com/all/unionmaid
***************************************
IN THIS ISSUE:
Happy MayDay!
April Adventures
The New CD
Organic Bouquets for Mothers' Day
Colbert KOs the Bush Administration
Family News
Tour Dates
****************************************
Subscribe to receive the Fellow Travelers' Advisory every month --
****************************************
HAPPY MAY DAY!
It's May Day - the real Labor Day... all around the world people will sing The Internationale... and while most people in the US couldn't hum the tune, we'll be singing it in Haledon New Jersey at the Botto House National Labor Museum. I'm writing this month's Fellow Travelers' Advisory from Chicago-- less than 5 files from Waldheim Cemetery where the Haymarket Martyrs are buried.
I'm glad that this month is a little more tranquilo than April - I don't think I've ever had a busier and more exciting month. I'll spend most of May at conferences and in the studio recording a bunch of songs that have already become audience favorites. After I get the new recording off to the duplicator, I hope to end the month in Texas, but I'm still not sure. If you've got some work for me in Austin or Houston or San Antonio, let me know.
*******************************************
APRIL ADVENTURES
April was way too action-packed to describe in what I promise to keep short monthly newsletter. So many of you wrote to say how much you liked my Florida tour diary (http://www.annefeeney.com/news.html) that I promise to have the April tour diary up on the same site soon. Many many thanks to my fabulous hosts in San Diego - Carolyn and Joel Henderson -- in Madison, Sue Vilbrandt and Willy Lanier -- in Toronto Jonathan and Sara Marlowe and in Portland, OR -- Connie and Kenny Cohen
*******************************************
THE NEW CD
I postponed the new recording until my guitar is out of the hospital (soon, very soon, I hope....). I'll be going back into the studio in mid-May. A very talented engineer has opened up a great studio within walking distance of my house and I intend to start recording there on May 8th. If you can send me $100 to help underwrite the considerable costs of producing a new CD, I'd be extremely grateful. Send it to me at 7206 Michigan Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15218 - and let me know if you'd like to have your name in the THANK YOU section of the CD liner notes.
********************************************
HAPPY ORGANIC MOTHERS' DAY!
This year send Mom an organic bouquet. The floral industry is laden with pesticides and unsustainable agricultural practices, as well as worker abuses. Now you don't need to inflict pain on the planet or other workers when you send Mom some flowers...
Check out:
http://www.organicbouquet.com/Info.aspx?pid=176
*******************************************
STEPHEN COLBERT SKEWERS W
This is where you can watch Stephen Colbert do a brilliant and hilarious job of taking the Bush administration to the woodshed as W and Laura sit less than 10 feet away at the White House Correspondents' Dinner. This aired on CSPAN last night and I watched it with my wonderful friends Sue Vilbrandt and Willy Lanier. This is truly MUST SEE TV!!!
Here are a couple Colbert quips:
"I believe that the government that governs best is a government that governs least, and by these standards we have set up a fabulous government in Iraq."
"When the president decides something on Monday, he still believes it on Wednesday - no matter what happened Tuesday."
And turning his attention to the White House correspondents themselves, Colbert says:
"Let's review the rules. Here's how it works. The president makes decisions, he’s the decider. The press secretary announces those decisions, and you people of the press type those decisions down. Make, announce, type. Put them through a spell check and go home. Get to know your family again. Make love to your wife. Write that novel you got kicking around in your head. You know, the one about the intrepid Washington reporter with the courage to stand up to the administration. You know--fiction."
*******************************************
FAMILY NEWS
My almost-daughter, Monique Murad, received a fabulous fellowship to go study in Beirut this summer. My son Dan will go with her. I hope to go visit them.
My San Diego adventures included a visit to my cousin Peggy McCahill Duncan. Peggy is the extraordinary mom of four year old Connor and 9 month old triplets Emma, Colin and Tara. They are all completely charming children and suffice it to say that there are *not* enough hours in the day for anyone to keep up with them.
My cousin Mardy McCahill is a family physician and psychiatrist who has developed, secured funding for and implemented a terrific program that, in cooperation with local churches, delivers health care to uninsured people via a $700,000 mobile doctor's office that travels all around San Diego. What a gal!
And her husband Jim is grandpa to these triplets. He provides meals-on-wheels for the triplets on an almost daily basis. (He's a fabulous cook, but I think it may be impairing his Boggle skills -- I whomped him on my too-brief visit with this wonderful branch of my extended family.)
My daughter Amy is a real globetrotter this month. She got back from Hawaii in time to meet me in Portland and drive me and my dear friend Connie Cohen up to Olympia for my show there. We stopped at the fabulous Olympus Spa in Tacoma and steeped like teabags for hours in their many pools. Then Amy closed up her apartment and headed to Oaxaca for a month. I hope to catch up with her in Texas at the end of May.
Unfortunately cousin Bill won't be able to officiate at the baptism of Kathleen and Ross's latest addition - Rosalie - in New Orleans on May 7th -- it's First Holy Communion at Immaculate Conception Parish where he's the pastor. But Kay and Tony Mumphrey are back in New Orleans.
And in Manhattan, cousin Erin McCahill is awaiting the birth of her second son in August - mazel tov!
Cousin Kevin McCahill turns 60 this month - my sister Kathleen turns 53 on May 3rd (she has a mutual birthday with Pete Seeger!).
Mary and Tom Weldon celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a family gala at daughter Jill's (& husband Steve Merrill's) beautiful house in Murrysville, PA. The family films and photos are now available on DVD.
****************************************
THE DATES............
Monday, May 1st, 2006 7:00 PM
May Day at Botto House
Botto House American Labor Museum
83 Norwood St
Haledon, NJ
Price: free
with the Solidarity Singers, Chris Chandler & David Roe, George Mann & Julius Margolin and more .... come celebrate May Day at the birthplace of the Paterson Silk Strike!
Tuesday, May 2nd, 2006 7:00 PM
CD Release Party for DC Fitzgerald and Bob Beach
Club Cafe
56-58 South 12th Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15203
http://clubcafelive.com
I'll be opening this show, so don't be late!! This will be lots of fun.
May 5th-7th
Labor Notes
Hyatt Regency Hotel
Dearborn, MI
http://labornotes.org/conferences/details.shtml
May 17th-20th
Regina Polk Conference for Union Women
Pheasant Run Resort
St Charles, IL
Saturday, May 20th, 2006 8:00 PM
Benefit Concert for Boilermakers' Local 484
Channing Murray Foundation
Matthews & Oregon
Champaign, IL
this concert will be with Darrin Drda's wonderful band "The Theory of Everything." it will be great!
Coming up in June and July - the great left coast Triple Trouble summer tour with Dave Lippman and his sinister-but-hilarious alter ego George Shrub, the singing CIA agent
.... we could still use some help with a couple dates... any ideas for the 4th of July in southern Oregon?
how about the 30th of June or July 1st (my birthday...) near Portland...
how about Wed July 26th near Sacramento?
and the last four days of July are still wide open on the left coast... check it out & make some suggestions...
and if you'd be willing to put up some of our very very cool summer tour posters at one of the towns along our route, email me and i'll send some to you.
Saturday, March 25, 2006
Fellow Travelers' Advisory from Anne Feeney - APRIL 2006, VOLUME TWO, # 1
IMMEDIATE DESTINATIONS:
Mini-tour with Jack Erdie
March 30 - Lexington, KY
March 31 - Carbondale, IL
April 1 - Cincinnati, OH
April 2 - Cincinnati, OH
then... Indianapolis; Shippensburg, PA; Las Vegas, NV (UMWA Convention!); Indiana, PA; Toronto, ON; San Diego, CA; Olympia, WA; Vancouver, WA; Madison, WI; Haledon, NJ
and coming up soon - the amazing left coast tour with Dave Lippman! - I could use some help with the empty dates, folks. And if I'm waiting to hear from you, write!!!
Welcome
New CD
Boilermakers in Monthly Review
Bob Blue
I Wish I'd Said That....
Your Fabulous Letters to Chavez
Tour Dates
****************************************
Please forward this widely. You can subscribe to this once-a-month newsletter by clicking here
****************************************
Hi there hellraisers!
I can't believe this is the thirteenth monthly newsletter... I hope you're enjoying them ... I sure love hearing back from you.
I have put my Florida tour stories into the "Breaking News" link on my website. I'll just say that it was absolutely wonderful. Terrific audiences, great reunions with dear old friends and many wonderful new friends too!
And this is the busiest most amazing April ever!
I'll be traveling from Toronto to San Diego, and from Portland, OR to Newark, with stops in Las Vegas, Indianapolis, Madison, Olympia and many other destinations... details are on my Tour Dates Calendar
I wish every month were like this... colleges, festivals, conventions, activist conferences. I'm so excited to be invited to the United Mineworkers' Convention in Las Vegas. My granddad organized for the UMWA and I've had a lot of fun and inspiration over the years working with the UMWA. I'm also looking forward to the Ontario Public Sector Employees Union Convention in Toronto.
And I wish that all of you could come with me to see the fantastic work being done day in and day out across the country to resist this evil empire. The 33% approval rating is at least in part due to our efforts...
Some of you may have caught the national news story about the FBI spying on Pittsburgh's Thomas Merton Center.
I wasn't at all surprised that the FBI was spying on us. They've probably been spying on us since we founded the center in 1972. It was disconcerting to learn that they had actually infiltrated us and had an inside informant reporting to them on our "seditious" activities -- FLASH! FLASH! the FBI infiltrator/informant uncovered the information that the "Merton Center is a left-leaning organization committed to pacifism." Our tax dollars at work.
I hope to see you soon.
Love and solidarity
Anne
*******************************************
NEW CD
I'm looking for a studio in Pittsburgh to record some of the songs y'all have been asking for... I'll keep you posted. I'm hoping to have it finished before April 15th.
************************************************
BOILERMAKERS 484
There's a great article in Monthly Review about the Celanese Lockout of Boilermakers' 484 in Meredosia, IL. Their unemployment benefits have been exhausted and these workers could really use your donations.
Boilermakers Local 484
Solidarity/Defense Fund
P.O. Box258
300 Main Street
Meredosia, IL 62665
or donate securely online
Later on this month I'll be in Madison, WI performing with a band that features locked out members of this local ....
***************************************************
BOB BLUE
My dear friend and mentor Bob Blue finally succumbed to MS on St Patrick's morning. He is the composer of "Courage (Diane)" - the song about the junior high girl who has been singled out for bullying (on "Have You Been to Jail for Justice?"). Back in 1991 I also recorded his wonderful "Dear Mr. President" - a song about the arms race and/or sticker collections. For the past 20 years I have watched Bob gracefully deal with one heartbreaking setback and debilitating limitation after another from the ravages of MS. Throughout it all, he remained unbelievably optimistic, funny, productive and joyful. He once quipped that his body was an allegory for what's the matter with the United States. Bob said, "What MS does is ridiculously beef up the body's defense system at the expense of all the rest of the body's needs. Eventually this over-funded defense system destroys its host."
Check out Bob Blue's website
***********************************************
I WISH I'D SAID THAT....
Many of you have probably seen this, but I loved it enough to pass on to you....
On the Bible and the Constitution
On Wednesday, March 1st, 2006, in Annapolis at a hearing on the proposed Constitutional Amendment to prohibit gay marriage in Maryland, Jamie Raskin, professor of law at AU, was requested to testify.
At the end of his testimony, Republican Senator Nancy Jacobs said: "Mr. Raskin, my Bible says marriage is only between a man and a woman.
What do you have to say about that?"
Raskin replied: "Senator, when you took your oath of office, you placed your hand on the Bible and swore to uphold the Constitution. You did not place your hand on the Constitution and swear to uphold the Bible."
**************************************************
FAMILY NEWS
My daughter Amy Berlin had a choice role in the Portland production of "The Vagina Monologues" -- This terrific show by Eve Ensler has raised millions of dollars for women's centers and shelters since its inception -- as well as raising awareness of domestic violence.
My son Dan Berlin and his fiance Monique Murad were in Pasadena looking for locations for their mid-June 2007 wedding.
My Aunt Claire O'Connor is going to be a great-grandmother again. Kelly Grefenstette and Charles Warren are expecting.
Come on, cousins! send me your news!
****************************************************
CHAVEZ LETTERS
Thanks to everyone who took me up on my invitation to write letters last month to Hugo Chavez on the AFI website... Here are a couple of my favorites....
Dear President Chavez,
Just a note to let you know that I WILL be shopping at Citgo. The American Family Institute says that you have "vowed to take down our government" but I can read - this isn't what you said at all. I agree that ending American
Imperialism is a good idea, and I agree that our President George W. Bush (however unwittingly) has done more to promote terrorism than anyone in this century. He is a disgrace to the United States.
I salute your courage and your generosity.
Sincerely,
Brice F
Croton-on-Hudson, NY
Presidente Hugo Chavez
Your Excellency,
Keep up the good work, the work you are doing for your country and your people. Continue using your vast oil revenues to support much needed social programs for your hitherto deprived poor. You and I know that that indeed is Christ's work - "He who does this for the least of My brethren has done it for Me".
It's about time that His natural resources are being dispersed to all of His people and just not to the super rich - they who need no help.
God almighty Hugo, just what in the hell is that right wing religious fundamentalist whacko Pat Robertson talking about? He sure doesn't know a great deal about true Christian values. He defends and serves only the interests of his right wing Republican cronies and the rich. Hopefully, the gullible are finding him out and will reject his brand of pharisaicism.
Pat F
Covington, KY
_________________________________________
Mini-tour with Jack Erdie
March 30 - Lexington, KY
March 31 - Carbondale, IL
April 1 - Cincinnati, OH
April 2 - Cincinnati, OH
then... Indianapolis; Shippensburg, PA; Las Vegas, NV (UMWA Convention!); Indiana, PA; Toronto, ON; San Diego, CA; Olympia, WA; Vancouver, WA; Madison, WI; Haledon, NJ
and coming up soon - the amazing left coast tour with Dave Lippman! - I could use some help with the empty dates, folks. And if I'm waiting to hear from you, write!!!
Welcome
New CD
Boilermakers in Monthly Review
Bob Blue
I Wish I'd Said That....
Your Fabulous Letters to Chavez
Tour Dates
****************************************
Please forward this widely. You can subscribe to this once-a-month newsletter by clicking here
****************************************
Hi there hellraisers!
I can't believe this is the thirteenth monthly newsletter... I hope you're enjoying them ... I sure love hearing back from you.
I have put my Florida tour stories into the "Breaking News" link on my website. I'll just say that it was absolutely wonderful. Terrific audiences, great reunions with dear old friends and many wonderful new friends too!
And this is the busiest most amazing April ever!
I'll be traveling from Toronto to San Diego, and from Portland, OR to Newark, with stops in Las Vegas, Indianapolis, Madison, Olympia and many other destinations... details are on my Tour Dates Calendar
I wish every month were like this... colleges, festivals, conventions, activist conferences. I'm so excited to be invited to the United Mineworkers' Convention in Las Vegas. My granddad organized for the UMWA and I've had a lot of fun and inspiration over the years working with the UMWA. I'm also looking forward to the Ontario Public Sector Employees Union Convention in Toronto.
And I wish that all of you could come with me to see the fantastic work being done day in and day out across the country to resist this evil empire. The 33% approval rating is at least in part due to our efforts...
Some of you may have caught the national news story about the FBI spying on Pittsburgh's Thomas Merton Center.
I wasn't at all surprised that the FBI was spying on us. They've probably been spying on us since we founded the center in 1972. It was disconcerting to learn that they had actually infiltrated us and had an inside informant reporting to them on our "seditious" activities -- FLASH! FLASH! the FBI infiltrator/informant uncovered the information that the "Merton Center is a left-leaning organization committed to pacifism." Our tax dollars at work.
I hope to see you soon.
Love and solidarity
Anne
*******************************************
NEW CD
I'm looking for a studio in Pittsburgh to record some of the songs y'all have been asking for... I'll keep you posted. I'm hoping to have it finished before April 15th.
************************************************
BOILERMAKERS 484
There's a great article in Monthly Review about the Celanese Lockout of Boilermakers' 484 in Meredosia, IL. Their unemployment benefits have been exhausted and these workers could really use your donations.
Boilermakers Local 484
Solidarity/Defense Fund
P.O. Box258
300 Main Street
Meredosia, IL 62665
or donate securely online
Later on this month I'll be in Madison, WI performing with a band that features locked out members of this local ....
***************************************************
BOB BLUE
My dear friend and mentor Bob Blue finally succumbed to MS on St Patrick's morning. He is the composer of "Courage (Diane)" - the song about the junior high girl who has been singled out for bullying (on "Have You Been to Jail for Justice?"). Back in 1991 I also recorded his wonderful "Dear Mr. President" - a song about the arms race and/or sticker collections. For the past 20 years I have watched Bob gracefully deal with one heartbreaking setback and debilitating limitation after another from the ravages of MS. Throughout it all, he remained unbelievably optimistic, funny, productive and joyful. He once quipped that his body was an allegory for what's the matter with the United States. Bob said, "What MS does is ridiculously beef up the body's defense system at the expense of all the rest of the body's needs. Eventually this over-funded defense system destroys its host."
Check out Bob Blue's website
***********************************************
I WISH I'D SAID THAT....
Many of you have probably seen this, but I loved it enough to pass on to you....
On the Bible and the Constitution
On Wednesday, March 1st, 2006, in Annapolis at a hearing on the proposed Constitutional Amendment to prohibit gay marriage in Maryland, Jamie Raskin, professor of law at AU, was requested to testify.
At the end of his testimony, Republican Senator Nancy Jacobs said: "Mr. Raskin, my Bible says marriage is only between a man and a woman.
What do you have to say about that?"
Raskin replied: "Senator, when you took your oath of office, you placed your hand on the Bible and swore to uphold the Constitution. You did not place your hand on the Constitution and swear to uphold the Bible."
**************************************************
FAMILY NEWS
My daughter Amy Berlin had a choice role in the Portland production of "The Vagina Monologues" -- This terrific show by Eve Ensler has raised millions of dollars for women's centers and shelters since its inception -- as well as raising awareness of domestic violence.
My son Dan Berlin and his fiance Monique Murad were in Pasadena looking for locations for their mid-June 2007 wedding.
My Aunt Claire O'Connor is going to be a great-grandmother again. Kelly Grefenstette and Charles Warren are expecting.
Come on, cousins! send me your news!
****************************************************
CHAVEZ LETTERS
Thanks to everyone who took me up on my invitation to write letters last month to Hugo Chavez on the AFI website... Here are a couple of my favorites....
Dear President Chavez,
Just a note to let you know that I WILL be shopping at Citgo. The American Family Institute says that you have "vowed to take down our government" but I can read - this isn't what you said at all. I agree that ending American
Imperialism is a good idea, and I agree that our President George W. Bush (however unwittingly) has done more to promote terrorism than anyone in this century. He is a disgrace to the United States.
I salute your courage and your generosity.
Sincerely,
Brice F
Croton-on-Hudson, NY
Presidente Hugo Chavez
Your Excellency,
Keep up the good work, the work you are doing for your country and your people. Continue using your vast oil revenues to support much needed social programs for your hitherto deprived poor. You and I know that that indeed is Christ's work - "He who does this for the least of My brethren has done it for Me".
It's about time that His natural resources are being dispersed to all of His people and just not to the super rich - they who need no help.
God almighty Hugo, just what in the hell is that right wing religious fundamentalist whacko Pat Robertson talking about? He sure doesn't know a great deal about true Christian values. He defends and serves only the interests of his right wing Republican cronies and the rich. Hopefully, the gullible are finding him out and will reject his brand of pharisaicism.
Pat F
Covington, KY
_________________________________________
Friday, February 24, 2006
Fellow Travelers' Advisory from Anne Feeney - MARCH 2006: VOLUME ONE, #12
Fellow Travelers' Advisory from Anne Feeney - MARCH 2006: VOLUME ONE, #12
IMMEDIATE DESTINATIONS:
This Sunday, February 26 in Tucson, AZ - this is my first visit to Tucson in years... please let any friends you have here know about this show!
MARCH 1-18 - FLORIDA, north, south, east & west!
MARCH 19 - Pittsburgh! (really)
MARCH 30-APRIL 1 ... on tour in the midwest with the amazing JACK ERDIE! Lexington,
Carbondale, Cincinnati & ???
all up-to-the-minute gig details at my website
________________________________________
please buy my cds
if this was forwarded to you, or you're reading it on a blog, please subscribe.
________________________________________
IN THIS ISSUE:
FEBRUARY NEWS
BUY CITGO
GREAT NEWS SOURCE/ACTION GUIDE
FAMILY NEWS
________________________________________
FEBRUARY NEWS
February may be the shortest month of the year, but mine was really action packed! I started February in Denmark and Sweden. Both countries were hosting Social Forums to coincide with the World Social Forum, which was being held in Caracas, Venezuela.
I participated in panel discussions in both Lund (labor law and workers' rights) and Copenhagen (domestic surveillance and the Patriot Act). The day I arrived in Copenhagen there were demonstrations throughout the country urging respect and tolerance in the wake of the publication of the cartoons. The whole thing seems so crazy and un-Danish. Not that there aren't racist crazies in Denmark who thrive on anti-Muslim sentiments, but most Danes are the essence of tolerance and understanding. It smacks of CIA Cointelpro type activity to me. Some people fear this is an attempt to build up support for campaigns against Iran and Syria.
My concert at Lille Teatern (The Little Theater) in Lund was one of my favorite concerts ever... a terrific audience and a charming room. And the concert at the Danish Social Forum was with a full tilt rock and roll band including Soren Berlev of the legendary Danish band Gasolin on drums.
I went from Scandinavia straight to the Folk Alliance conference in Austin. My union, Local 1000 of the American Federation of Musicians, hosted a concert to benefit the New Orleans Musicians' Clinic and raised over $2000 at the conference. I had great visits with so many old friends, and got to meet and hear the fantastic
Roy Zimmerman. My pal Steve Brooks won the impromptu songwriting contest held there with his tune "Deadeye Dick.' The hilarious and talented Carla Ulbrich also had a terrific song about Cheney's drunken hunting adventure.
I did a quick Texas tour, raising about $1200 for the locked out Boilermakers in Meredosia, IL. Their unemployment benefits ran out recently and they need your help more than ever. Read about this lockout and donate online or by mail to:
Boilermakers Local 484 Solidarity/Defense Fund
P.O. Box258
300 Main Street
Meredosia, IL 62665
Teresa Allen lined up some fabulous work for me with three different UU congregations who hosted me in style in the Woodlands, Stafford and Houston. David Rovics and Nathalie came to my show at the Millbend Coffeehouse and brought their beautiful daughter Leila there to celebrate her two-week birthday. And Laura Freeman's "Broken Hearts' Ball" at the charming Cafe Caffeine in Austin was a night to remember! Darlene Sovran, Myshkin and Sailor, Gena Forsythe, Mary Melena, Elizabeth Suggs, Libby Kirkpatrick, Laura and I had a great time. The full moon inspired us to invite Chris Chandler and David Roe up to perform "Thrift Store Diva," and Laura and I added some harmonies. I had great visits with my friends
Nella Villafranca in Austin and Mary Potter in Dallas.
Tomorrow I'm hiking Sabino Canyon with my old friend Myra Lesser. That should be fun.
Happy 1st Birthday Katelyn Amaya Davis Reed!
Get well soon Cee Cee!
Next month is the Sunshine State! Get ready all you Floridians! I'm looking forward to my visit there. And if you don't live in Florida, I bet you know someone who does... please send them my way! It's all word of mouth folks.
________________________________________
BUY CITGO
Pat Robertson's public call for the assassination of Hugo Chavez was repulsive, and now the ultra conservative American Family Institute is calling for a boycott of Citgo gasoline...
On their website, they invite you to send an email to President Chavez. I'd like to invite you to sabotage their scheme.
Go to the website and click on "send your letter now"
In the subject line, type BUY CITGO or CITGO FUELS DEMOCRACY--BUY IT
Delete the text in the message box.
Write your own message telling Pres. Chavez that you are buying Citgo in solidarity with the Venezuelan people -- Tell him that you appreciate the 45 million gallons of diesel fuel Citgo has made available at subsidized prices for thousands of low income Americans; that you oppose U.S. govt meddling in Venezuela's affairs; and that you support Venezuela's right to self-determination.
Fill in your name, email address, etc and send.
We can reverse this right wing ploy to undermine the progressive government of Venezuela. FLOOD PRES. CHAVEZ WITH E-MAIL MESSAGES OF SUPPORT
________________________________________
GREAT NEWS SOURCE/ACTION GUIDE
The dozens of campaigns LabourStart has run on the web in the last few years have produced some real results. Trade unionists have been released from prison, sacked activists have been re-hired, unions have won recognition and contracts, and people's lives have been changed forever.
With one click, you can join this informative list.
________________________________________
FAMILY NEWS
My son Daniel proposed to his sweetheart Monique Murad over Valentine's weekend and she accepted. I'm so happy! No wedding date set though.
Mary and Tom Weldon will celebrate their 50th anniversary on April 21st.
My niece Kimberly Sever is here in Tucson with me. She's here for the 2006 Dust Devil Roller Derby
Championships. What a lovely surprise!
My cousin Joanne Metcalfe and I have been having a ball together this week. We've seen "Pride and Prejudice," "Capote," and "Mrs. Henderson Presents" (I liked Capote best, but the other two were quite charming). I expect to connect with cousins Jim, Eileen, Maureen and partner Catherine in the next day or so. Joanne and her sons Charlie (22) and Tim Pifer (19) are wonderful and doing very well.
That's all for March! Thanks for your support!
IMMEDIATE DESTINATIONS:
This Sunday, February 26 in Tucson, AZ - this is my first visit to Tucson in years... please let any friends you have here know about this show!
MARCH 1-18 - FLORIDA, north, south, east & west!
MARCH 19 - Pittsburgh! (really)
MARCH 30-APRIL 1 ... on tour in the midwest with the amazing JACK ERDIE! Lexington,
Carbondale, Cincinnati & ???
all up-to-the-minute gig details at my website
________________________________________
please buy my cds
if this was forwarded to you, or you're reading it on a blog, please subscribe.
________________________________________
IN THIS ISSUE:
FEBRUARY NEWS
BUY CITGO
GREAT NEWS SOURCE/ACTION GUIDE
FAMILY NEWS
________________________________________
FEBRUARY NEWS
February may be the shortest month of the year, but mine was really action packed! I started February in Denmark and Sweden. Both countries were hosting Social Forums to coincide with the World Social Forum, which was being held in Caracas, Venezuela.
I participated in panel discussions in both Lund (labor law and workers' rights) and Copenhagen (domestic surveillance and the Patriot Act). The day I arrived in Copenhagen there were demonstrations throughout the country urging respect and tolerance in the wake of the publication of the cartoons. The whole thing seems so crazy and un-Danish. Not that there aren't racist crazies in Denmark who thrive on anti-Muslim sentiments, but most Danes are the essence of tolerance and understanding. It smacks of CIA Cointelpro type activity to me. Some people fear this is an attempt to build up support for campaigns against Iran and Syria.
My concert at Lille Teatern (The Little Theater) in Lund was one of my favorite concerts ever... a terrific audience and a charming room. And the concert at the Danish Social Forum was with a full tilt rock and roll band including Soren Berlev of the legendary Danish band Gasolin on drums.
I went from Scandinavia straight to the Folk Alliance conference in Austin. My union, Local 1000 of the American Federation of Musicians, hosted a concert to benefit the New Orleans Musicians' Clinic and raised over $2000 at the conference. I had great visits with so many old friends, and got to meet and hear the fantastic
Roy Zimmerman. My pal Steve Brooks won the impromptu songwriting contest held there with his tune "Deadeye Dick.' The hilarious and talented Carla Ulbrich also had a terrific song about Cheney's drunken hunting adventure.
I did a quick Texas tour, raising about $1200 for the locked out Boilermakers in Meredosia, IL. Their unemployment benefits ran out recently and they need your help more than ever. Read about this lockout and donate online or by mail to:
Boilermakers Local 484 Solidarity/Defense Fund
P.O. Box258
300 Main Street
Meredosia, IL 62665
Teresa Allen lined up some fabulous work for me with three different UU congregations who hosted me in style in the Woodlands, Stafford and Houston. David Rovics and Nathalie came to my show at the Millbend Coffeehouse and brought their beautiful daughter Leila there to celebrate her two-week birthday. And Laura Freeman's "Broken Hearts' Ball" at the charming Cafe Caffeine in Austin was a night to remember! Darlene Sovran, Myshkin and Sailor, Gena Forsythe, Mary Melena, Elizabeth Suggs, Libby Kirkpatrick, Laura and I had a great time. The full moon inspired us to invite Chris Chandler and David Roe up to perform "Thrift Store Diva," and Laura and I added some harmonies. I had great visits with my friends
Nella Villafranca in Austin and Mary Potter in Dallas.
Tomorrow I'm hiking Sabino Canyon with my old friend Myra Lesser. That should be fun.
Happy 1st Birthday Katelyn Amaya Davis Reed!
Get well soon Cee Cee!
Next month is the Sunshine State! Get ready all you Floridians! I'm looking forward to my visit there. And if you don't live in Florida, I bet you know someone who does... please send them my way! It's all word of mouth folks.
________________________________________
BUY CITGO
Pat Robertson's public call for the assassination of Hugo Chavez was repulsive, and now the ultra conservative American Family Institute is calling for a boycott of Citgo gasoline...
On their website, they invite you to send an email to President Chavez. I'd like to invite you to sabotage their scheme.
Go to the website and click on "send your letter now"
In the subject line, type BUY CITGO or CITGO FUELS DEMOCRACY--BUY IT
Delete the text in the message box.
Write your own message telling Pres. Chavez that you are buying Citgo in solidarity with the Venezuelan people -- Tell him that you appreciate the 45 million gallons of diesel fuel Citgo has made available at subsidized prices for thousands of low income Americans; that you oppose U.S. govt meddling in Venezuela's affairs; and that you support Venezuela's right to self-determination.
Fill in your name, email address, etc and send.
We can reverse this right wing ploy to undermine the progressive government of Venezuela. FLOOD PRES. CHAVEZ WITH E-MAIL MESSAGES OF SUPPORT
________________________________________
GREAT NEWS SOURCE/ACTION GUIDE
The dozens of campaigns LabourStart has run on the web in the last few years have produced some real results. Trade unionists have been released from prison, sacked activists have been re-hired, unions have won recognition and contracts, and people's lives have been changed forever.
With one click, you can join this informative list.
________________________________________
FAMILY NEWS
My son Daniel proposed to his sweetheart Monique Murad over Valentine's weekend and she accepted. I'm so happy! No wedding date set though.
Mary and Tom Weldon will celebrate their 50th anniversary on April 21st.
My niece Kimberly Sever is here in Tucson with me. She's here for the 2006 Dust Devil Roller Derby
Championships. What a lovely surprise!
My cousin Joanne Metcalfe and I have been having a ball together this week. We've seen "Pride and Prejudice," "Capote," and "Mrs. Henderson Presents" (I liked Capote best, but the other two were quite charming). I expect to connect with cousins Jim, Eileen, Maureen and partner Catherine in the next day or so. Joanne and her sons Charlie (22) and Tim Pifer (19) are wonderful and doing very well.
That's all for March! Thanks for your support!
Sunday, January 29, 2006
Protest Excessive Airline Executive Bonuses!
Where does Glenn Tilton get the nerve! What a pig!!!!!!
United Airlines, the world’s second largest airline, has proposed a bonus plan to give its top eight executives $45 million in stock after the company emerges from a three-year bankruptcy, in February.
The proposal reserves 13.6 million shares, or 11 percent of the company, for 400 executives. CEO Glenn Tilton would receive $15 million in stock, or 1.1 percent of the company. According to a separate document, Tilton also would receive $605,625 annually in compensation, with the ability to double it with an annual bonus.
United workers find the proposal unfair -- and no wonder! They were just socked with $4 billion in pay and benefit concessions in this latest round of bankruptcy negotiations to "save the company."
To express your displeasure with United’s disregard for workers’ needs and favoritism towards executives, write to:
Glenn Tilton
WHQPW United Airlines
PO Box 66100
Chicago, IL 60666
Call United’s customer service at 1-877-228-1327
Fax them at 1- 877-406-1059
It’s reported that United has recently stopped providing a general e-mail address, in order to discourage negative feedback. There is an on-line feedback form ... use it!!!!!
United Airlines, the world’s second largest airline, has proposed a bonus plan to give its top eight executives $45 million in stock after the company emerges from a three-year bankruptcy, in February.
The proposal reserves 13.6 million shares, or 11 percent of the company, for 400 executives. CEO Glenn Tilton would receive $15 million in stock, or 1.1 percent of the company. According to a separate document, Tilton also would receive $605,625 annually in compensation, with the ability to double it with an annual bonus.
United workers find the proposal unfair -- and no wonder! They were just socked with $4 billion in pay and benefit concessions in this latest round of bankruptcy negotiations to "save the company."
To express your displeasure with United’s disregard for workers’ needs and favoritism towards executives, write to:
Glenn Tilton
WHQPW United Airlines
PO Box 66100
Chicago, IL 60666
Call United’s customer service at 1-877-228-1327
Fax them at 1- 877-406-1059
It’s reported that United has recently stopped providing a general e-mail address, in order to discourage negative feedback. There is an on-line feedback form ... use it!!!!!
Sunday, January 22, 2006
Fellow Travelers' Advisory from Anne Feeney - FEBRUARY 2006: VOLUME ONE, #11
thanks to charlie rafferty for this photo!
IMMEDIATE DESTINATIONS: Brunnsvik, Stockholm (time change!), Lund & Copenhagen
then TEXAS: Austin, Houston, Stafford, The Woodlands & then
February ends in Tucson, AZ and then...
March in Florida!
If you have friends or relatives in Austin, Houston or Tucson, *please* tell them to come see me! Thanks so much for your help and support!
--------------------------------------------------------
updated current details on gigs available at my website
if this was forwarded to you, you can subscribe and/or you can read this with live links and photos on my blog
----------------------------------------------------------
IN THIS ISSUE:
Swedish Winter
United Airlines Workers Reinstated!
Jimmy Carter in the NY Review of Books
Terrible Towels of Memory
Get Up, Stand Up!
Bolivia beats Bechtel
Family News
CD Plans
Illinois, Iowa & WI Union Women--Read This!
Smedjebacken
20 January 2006
Hi folks
This Swedish winter looks like the winters I remember from my childhood. So much snow. It's really beautiful. It can't really be true, but in my memory the Pittsburgh public works department showed up in my neighborhood at the first heavy snowfall and put roadblocks at each end of my block that often stayed there until it melted in March. Our cobblestone hill was just too much trouble for them to keep free of snow. I do know that we built many forts, went sledding, had amazing snowball battles.
But over all this pristine joy hung the constant spectre of imminent nuclear war. They told us at school that Pittsburgh was number six on Moscow's list to destroy ... right after Washington DC, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and ... gosh, I forget... Boston? We had the crazy drills at school where we ducked under our desks. If that weren't enough to give us nightmares, we had the McCarthy hearings in full swing... and while we didn't understand what they were about, it was scary.
I imagine it must be just as scary for many small kids today ... the constant terror threat ... the mean-spriritedness and selfishness spewing from the radio and television ... widespread inequality, poverty and stress ... plus global warming & the destruction of our environment ...
I would like to be a child in Venezuela or Chile or Bolivia right now... societies filled with hope and optimism... Isn't it something that, despite all the pressure from the wealthiest nations in the world, these three countries are looking for a better option than "race-to-the-bottom" globalization? How I wish our country were filled with that joyful spirit... I remember believing that we were building a "great society." How I wish I could feel that same sense of imminence that a better world was right around the corner!
In any event, I salute Michelle Bachelet, the new President of Chile. I missed the debut of "Commander in Chief" on US television, but they've just started running it on Swedish television... Maybe I'm homesick, but watching Gena Davis take the oath of office brought a lump to my throat. I wonder if I'll live long enough to see a woman elected president. But like Molly Ivins, I'm hoping it won't be Hillary. Thanks for all that you do! Hope to see you somewhere soon. Drop me a line & let me know what you're up to.
Love & Solidarity
Anne
_____________________________________
United Airlines Workers Reinstated!
This just in... no details yet, but both of the UAL union members who were illegally fired (in the aftermath of an impromptu O'Hare airport singalong about nasty corporate criminal UAL CEO Glenn Tilton ) return to work today. Yes! You can't scare me, I'm stickin' to the union!
_____________________________________
And Garry Wills' review of Jimmy Carter's best seller is a must-read.
_____________________________________
The Steelers are headed to the Super Bowl...
if I were ever going to be a football fan, it would be from reading this fantastic article in Monthly Review by my friend Charlie McCollester:
Terrible Towels of Memory -- The Glory and the Gutting: Steeler Nation and the Humiliation of Pittsburgh
____________________________________
GET UP STAND UP
This critically acclaimed documentary about protest music includes a section where Peter Paul and Mary sing "Have You Been to Jail for Justice?" ... Some of you may have seen it when it aired coast-to-coast on PBS in September. Well, it has also aired in Germany, Austria, France, Sweden, Estonia and Australia ... and those are the broadcasts that I know of! Very exciting.
_____________________________________
BECHTEL VS. BOLIVIA: THE PEOPLE WIN!
The Cochabamba water revolt – which began exactly six years ago this month – will end this morning when Bechtel, one of the world’s most powerful corporations, formally abandons its legal effort to take $50 million from the Bolivian people. Bechtel made that demand before a secretive trade court operated by the World Bank, the same institution that coerced Bolivia to privatize the water to begin with. Faced with protests, barrages of e-mails, visits to their homes, and years of damaging press, Bechtel executives finally decided to surrender, walking away with a token payment equal to thirty cents. That retreat sets a huge global precedent.
full article at the Democracy Center
____________________________________
FAMILY NEWS
The stunning young woman in the photo in this page one story is my cousin Suzanne McCahill Perrine ... Congratulations!
My sister-by-another-mother, Jan Boyd, got engaged on December 30th! Ta Da!!!
You can order a stylish organic cotton tee shirt from my son Dan's NGO .... PARCA ... and help to rebuild the areas of Guatemala demolished by hurrican Stan
You can get a hilarious 2006 calendar from my niece Kimberly Sever's Roller Derby team, the Gotham Girls ... She and my nephew Casey (aka, "Jail Bait," the team mascot) are featured in the calendar.
I'm looking forward to St Patrick's Day in St Augustine with cousins Joe and Ed McCahill and their families.
I'm going to be in Arizona with my cousins Joanne, Maureen, Eileen and Jim Metcalfe for a week before my Tucson show. It will be great to see them.
Hey, cousins ... keep that family news coming my way! Love, A
_____________________________________
CD PLANS ....
If you could only release one of these recordings, which would you do? (Long time fans recognize many of these titles from my cassettes... although the *** denotes songs I want to record soon... If you've got an extra $50 or $100 that you'd like to invest in uh CDs, send it to me at 7206 Michigan Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15218 -- $100 gets you into the liner notes if you want...)
IF I CAN'T DANCE
1. Here's to You Rounders
2. Dr. Jazz/Sheik of Araby
3. Amelia Earhart
4. Let Their Heads Roll*
5. Emma *
6. Ya Basta!*
7. Dump the Bosses Off Your Back*
9. Too Many Daves
10. S-A-V-E-D
11. Quecreek Mine *
12. Monkey Business
13. Candle for Durruti*
14. Your Mind is on Vacation
or
Grafton Street
1. Mountains of Mourne
2. The Sick Note
3. I Married A Hero
4. My Brother, Sylvest
5. No Man's Land
6. Whiskey in the Jar
7. Spancill Hill
8. Arthur McBride
9. Nancy Whiskey
10. Wild Colonial Boy
11. Lark in the Morning
12. Widow's Lament
13. The Dutchman
14. Rising of the Moon
15. Hey Ronnie Reagan
16. The Men Behind the Wire
_____________________________________
Illinois, Iowa & WI Union Women--Read This!
The Regina V. Polk Women's Conference will be held May 17-20 at Pheasant Run. The focus of the conference will be collective bargaining and relevant skills and knowledge. This conference is fully funded with scholarships from the Polk Fund. Scholarship applications will be mailed soon. If you are not on their regular snail mail list, call Joe Berry at 312-996-8562 to be put on it. This is a fantastic opportunity! Be there!
____________________________________
Wow! You made it to the end of the newsletter! Thanks for reading it. See you next month. Love ... A
IMMEDIATE DESTINATIONS: Brunnsvik, Stockholm (time change!), Lund & Copenhagenthen TEXAS: Austin, Houston, Stafford, The Woodlands & then
February ends in Tucson, AZ and then...
March in Florida!
If you have friends or relatives in Austin, Houston or Tucson, *please* tell them to come see me! Thanks so much for your help and support!
--------------------------------------------------------
updated current details on gigs available at my website
if this was forwarded to you, you can subscribe and/or you can read this with live links and photos on my blog
----------------------------------------------------------
IN THIS ISSUE:
Swedish Winter
United Airlines Workers Reinstated!
Jimmy Carter in the NY Review of Books
Terrible Towels of Memory
Get Up, Stand Up!
Bolivia beats Bechtel
Family News
CD Plans
Illinois, Iowa & WI Union Women--Read This!
Smedjebacken
20 January 2006
Hi folks
This Swedish winter looks like the winters I remember from my childhood. So much snow. It's really beautiful. It can't really be true, but in my memory the Pittsburgh public works department showed up in my neighborhood at the first heavy snowfall and put roadblocks at each end of my block that often stayed there until it melted in March. Our cobblestone hill was just too much trouble for them to keep free of snow. I do know that we built many forts, went sledding, had amazing snowball battles.
But over all this pristine joy hung the constant spectre of imminent nuclear war. They told us at school that Pittsburgh was number six on Moscow's list to destroy ... right after Washington DC, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and ... gosh, I forget... Boston? We had the crazy drills at school where we ducked under our desks. If that weren't enough to give us nightmares, we had the McCarthy hearings in full swing... and while we didn't understand what they were about, it was scary.
I imagine it must be just as scary for many small kids today ... the constant terror threat ... the mean-spriritedness and selfishness spewing from the radio and television ... widespread inequality, poverty and stress ... plus global warming & the destruction of our environment ...
I would like to be a child in Venezuela or Chile or Bolivia right now... societies filled with hope and optimism... Isn't it something that, despite all the pressure from the wealthiest nations in the world, these three countries are looking for a better option than "race-to-the-bottom" globalization? How I wish our country were filled with that joyful spirit... I remember believing that we were building a "great society." How I wish I could feel that same sense of imminence that a better world was right around the corner!
In any event, I salute Michelle Bachelet, the new President of Chile. I missed the debut of "Commander in Chief" on US television, but they've just started running it on Swedish television... Maybe I'm homesick, but watching Gena Davis take the oath of office brought a lump to my throat. I wonder if I'll live long enough to see a woman elected president. But like Molly Ivins, I'm hoping it won't be Hillary. Thanks for all that you do! Hope to see you somewhere soon. Drop me a line & let me know what you're up to.
Love & Solidarity
Anne
_____________________________________
United Airlines Workers Reinstated!
This just in... no details yet, but both of the UAL union members who were illegally fired (in the aftermath of an impromptu O'Hare airport singalong about nasty corporate criminal UAL CEO Glenn Tilton ) return to work today. Yes! You can't scare me, I'm stickin' to the union!
_____________________________________
And Garry Wills' review of Jimmy Carter's best seller is a must-read.
_____________________________________
The Steelers are headed to the Super Bowl...
if I were ever going to be a football fan, it would be from reading this fantastic article in Monthly Review by my friend Charlie McCollester:
Terrible Towels of Memory -- The Glory and the Gutting: Steeler Nation and the Humiliation of Pittsburgh
____________________________________
GET UP STAND UP
This critically acclaimed documentary about protest music includes a section where Peter Paul and Mary sing "Have You Been to Jail for Justice?" ... Some of you may have seen it when it aired coast-to-coast on PBS in September. Well, it has also aired in Germany, Austria, France, Sweden, Estonia and Australia ... and those are the broadcasts that I know of! Very exciting.
_____________________________________
BECHTEL VS. BOLIVIA: THE PEOPLE WIN!
The Cochabamba water revolt – which began exactly six years ago this month – will end this morning when Bechtel, one of the world’s most powerful corporations, formally abandons its legal effort to take $50 million from the Bolivian people. Bechtel made that demand before a secretive trade court operated by the World Bank, the same institution that coerced Bolivia to privatize the water to begin with. Faced with protests, barrages of e-mails, visits to their homes, and years of damaging press, Bechtel executives finally decided to surrender, walking away with a token payment equal to thirty cents. That retreat sets a huge global precedent.
full article at the Democracy Center
____________________________________
FAMILY NEWS
The stunning young woman in the photo in this page one story is my cousin Suzanne McCahill Perrine ... Congratulations!
My sister-by-another-mother, Jan Boyd, got engaged on December 30th! Ta Da!!!
You can order a stylish organic cotton tee shirt from my son Dan's NGO .... PARCA ... and help to rebuild the areas of Guatemala demolished by hurrican Stan
You can get a hilarious 2006 calendar from my niece Kimberly Sever's Roller Derby team, the Gotham Girls ... She and my nephew Casey (aka, "Jail Bait," the team mascot) are featured in the calendar.
I'm looking forward to St Patrick's Day in St Augustine with cousins Joe and Ed McCahill and their families.
I'm going to be in Arizona with my cousins Joanne, Maureen, Eileen and Jim Metcalfe for a week before my Tucson show. It will be great to see them.
Hey, cousins ... keep that family news coming my way! Love, A
_____________________________________
CD PLANS ....
If you could only release one of these recordings, which would you do? (Long time fans recognize many of these titles from my cassettes... although the *** denotes songs I want to record soon... If you've got an extra $50 or $100 that you'd like to invest in uh CDs, send it to me at 7206 Michigan Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15218 -- $100 gets you into the liner notes if you want...)
IF I CAN'T DANCE
1. Here's to You Rounders
2. Dr. Jazz/Sheik of Araby
3. Amelia Earhart
4. Let Their Heads Roll*
5. Emma *
6. Ya Basta!*
7. Dump the Bosses Off Your Back*
9. Too Many Daves
10. S-A-V-E-D
11. Quecreek Mine *
12. Monkey Business
13. Candle for Durruti*
14. Your Mind is on Vacation
or
Grafton Street
1. Mountains of Mourne
2. The Sick Note
3. I Married A Hero
4. My Brother, Sylvest
5. No Man's Land
6. Whiskey in the Jar
7. Spancill Hill
8. Arthur McBride
9. Nancy Whiskey
10. Wild Colonial Boy
11. Lark in the Morning
12. Widow's Lament
13. The Dutchman
14. Rising of the Moon
15. Hey Ronnie Reagan
16. The Men Behind the Wire
_____________________________________
Illinois, Iowa & WI Union Women--Read This!
The Regina V. Polk Women's Conference will be held May 17-20 at Pheasant Run. The focus of the conference will be collective bargaining and relevant skills and knowledge. This conference is fully funded with scholarships from the Polk Fund. Scholarship applications will be mailed soon. If you are not on their regular snail mail list, call Joe Berry at 312-996-8562 to be put on it. This is a fantastic opportunity! Be there!
____________________________________
Wow! You made it to the end of the newsletter! Thanks for reading it. See you next month. Love ... A
Monday, December 19, 2005
Fellow Travelers' Advisory from Anne Feeney - JANUARY 2006: VOLUME ONE, #10
IMMEDIATE DESTINATIONS AT MY WEBSITE
Please forward it widely. Better yet... Subscribe directly
As always, CDs are available at CDBaby
Smedjebacken, Sweden
19 December 2005
Hi there Fellow Travelers,
Tomorrow at 5AM I'm leaving Sweden to go meet my kids in Oaxaca, Mexico to spend the
holidays, so I'm sending my January newsletter a little early.
During my 3-hour layover at O'Hare I may end up being a witness in a grievance procedure filed by 3 United Airlines workers who were actually 'separated from service without pay' (I think that means "fired") for watching me sing nasty songs about their greedy CEO while I was waiting for a plane at O'Hare last May. The workers are charged with refusing a direct order from a supervisor... and the Supervisor's order was -- get this (drum roll, please, maestro) -- "Make her stop singing." Please. Who is going to *make* me quit singing? But they were fired by these humorless incompetent bastards. As my wonderful friend John Handcox used to sing - "There is mean things happening in this land."
As 2005 draws to a close my heart is so filled with gratitude to all of you ... I couldn't do my work without all of you and I appreciate your support and loyalty and generosity more than I can say... but I also want to thank you for the many wonderful things you do for family and friends, for your community, for your union, for the world. I hope that 2006 brings us together frequently and that the year is filled with victories, great and small.
*************************************
I'm going to try to do "The Year in a Minute," so if I miss your favorite moment, I apologize. My last gig of 2005 was in Stockholm at a place that used to be a stable. It gave me a chance to sing the line "For far too long we've allowed these corporate hogs to belly up to the public trough...." with a feeding trough in the same room!
2005 was filled with special events - In March I performed at the gorgeous US Botanical Gardens (inside the Capitol... there's a scene from 'The Manchurian Candidate' filmed in these gardens) for the ANA/UAN (Nurses' Union) 5th Anniversary Celebration ... and I was thrilled be invited to perform at the 2nd Annual Sisters in the Brotherhood Conference in Las Vegas, NV - which had the most outrageous food I've ever seen ... But certainly the highlight of 2005 was performing at the many exciting events commemorating the 100th anniversary of the IWW ... the most amazing ones being in Ann Arbor, MI; Chicago, IL; at the Oregon Country Fair; Madison, WI; Milwaukee, WI; and Philadelphia, PA
As far as annual events are concerned, I got to perform again at the Mayday Celebration at Botto House near Paterson, NJ; the Mother Jones Dinner (October) in Mt. Olive, IL; the Eugene Debs Annual Dinner in Terre Haute, IN; the Bernie Firestone Tribute at the Scarab Club in Detroit;Labor Fest in San Francisco and the fabulous Oregon Country Fair!!! I hope to see you at one of these events next year. Let me know if you'd like more information about any of them.
*************************************
Most fun: Touring with my daughter, Amy in July (followed closely by touring with David Rovics & Jan Hammarlund -- and touring with Evan Greer)
Two Most Bittersweet Events of 2005: The Chandler-Feeney era comes to a close -- (but I'm having a ball and Chris has a great new show... check out his website)AND .... no Kerrville!!!... This would have been my 17th consecutive Kerrville Folk Festival, but instead this year I did a fabulous tour of Sweden and Denmark with David Rovics & Jan Hammarlund.
Three Favorite things about 2006: The Immokalee Workers' Victory - Ahhhhhnold Governator getting his ass whupped - Lewis Libby's indictment...
Four Best suprises of the year: getting the Joe Hill Award, the huge crowds at Magdalena's and at Fogartyville... and my kids surprising me by having fresh flowers delivered to me onstage at the UW Madison Memorial Union Terrace on Mother's Day during the IWW Concert.
Five UU congregations hosted me in: Reading, PA; Indianapolis, IN; Pittsburgh, PA;
Chicago, IL; Jacksonville, FL
SIX great new venues: Magdalena's Tea House in Lansing, MI; Cafe Mundo in Newport, OR; Carnegie Centre in Vancouver, BC; LO Skolan in Helsingor, Denmark; Stallet in Stockholm, Sweden; Don Quixote's International Music Hall in Felton, CA
Seven amazing links ...
1) Hilarious!
2) Important
3) thought-provoking
4) Harold Pinter's extraordinary Nobel Lecture
5) ... how big are your feet?
6) ... sign this petition!
7) this is the NGO that my son Daniel has helped to set up to provide emergency relief to the Guatemalan people in grave danger due to the recent mudslides caused by Hurricane Stan. PS... Daniel just got accepted to Georgetown University Law School. Hoya Saxa indeed!
Eight Outstanding Presenters of 2005 (well, actually 15): Gerd Berlev; Jan Hammarlund; Julie Herrada; Ann Miller; Jenny Brown and Joe Courter; David and Arlene at Fogartyville; Bob Pollack and Joy Bell; Ken and Cheryl Kern; Maureen Wood; Jim and LLouise Altes; Amy Newell; Jim and Sue Burton; Polly Gower; Helena Worthen; Daniel Suhonen
Nine - (well, actually 40) Great Folks I played with in 2005: Chris Chandler, Larry Long, Utah Phillips, Faith Petric, Charlie King, Len Wallace, Mark Ross, Rebel Voices, Citizens' Band, RiotFolk, Harry Stamper, Evan Greer, Pat Humphries & Sandy O, Gina Forsythe, David Rovics, Jan Hammarlund, Patrick Dodd, Savage Rose, Per Warming, Eve Goodman, Jon Berquist, Brian QTN; Jon Fromer; David LaMotte; Chris Dunn; the Dreamsicles; George Hewison & Fellow Worker; Touch of Class; La Libertad; Dave Lippman, Ken Gaines, Paul Kamm & Eleanore MacDonald, Amy Carol Webb, Joe Glazer, Nick Annis, John Hayes, David Roe, Joey Only and Jack Erdie (hope I didn't miss anyone!)
Ten things I want in 2006:
an end to the war
bush in jail
cheney in jail
national health care (See HR 676)
close the School of the Americas (See HR 1217)
time to record a new CD
money to record a new CD
ok... i guess i only want seven things
11 Great Radio Stations visited: KKFI, KUNI, WRCT, WDBX, KPIG, WLRN, KMUD, WFMT, KBOO, WORT, Free Radio Santa Cruz --- If you don't see your favorite radio station here, let me know where it is, and I'll send them some music and drop by the next time I'm passing through.
12 Great House concerts: Lisa's in Leeds, MA; Sara & Nan's in Hollywood, FL; Jim & Llouise's in Pittsburgh, Anne, Paul & Melissa's place in Olympia, WA; Ken & Sharon's in Victoria, BC; Joe Szwaja's in Seattle; Gretchen and Cris' in Watsonville; La Fortunes' in Santa Cruz; Fendels' in Oakland, CA; Tom Cronin and Sandy Dunn's in Philadelphia, Ken Connors and Cee Cee Severin's in Jacksonville, FL
and a partridge in a pear tree.... all in all, I played more than 200 engagments in
20 states, three Canadian provinces, Sweden and Denmark ... and collected an infinite supply of beautiful memories of great times with great friends.
HAPPY NEW YEAR, and a joyous, merry, relaxing holiday season to all of you!
Love & solidarity
Anne Feeney
Please forward it widely. Better yet... Subscribe directly
As always, CDs are available at CDBaby
Smedjebacken, Sweden
19 December 2005
Hi there Fellow Travelers,
Tomorrow at 5AM I'm leaving Sweden to go meet my kids in Oaxaca, Mexico to spend the
holidays, so I'm sending my January newsletter a little early.
During my 3-hour layover at O'Hare I may end up being a witness in a grievance procedure filed by 3 United Airlines workers who were actually 'separated from service without pay' (I think that means "fired") for watching me sing nasty songs about their greedy CEO while I was waiting for a plane at O'Hare last May. The workers are charged with refusing a direct order from a supervisor... and the Supervisor's order was -- get this (drum roll, please, maestro) -- "Make her stop singing." Please. Who is going to *make* me quit singing? But they were fired by these humorless incompetent bastards. As my wonderful friend John Handcox used to sing - "There is mean things happening in this land."
As 2005 draws to a close my heart is so filled with gratitude to all of you ... I couldn't do my work without all of you and I appreciate your support and loyalty and generosity more than I can say... but I also want to thank you for the many wonderful things you do for family and friends, for your community, for your union, for the world. I hope that 2006 brings us together frequently and that the year is filled with victories, great and small.
*************************************
I'm going to try to do "The Year in a Minute," so if I miss your favorite moment, I apologize. My last gig of 2005 was in Stockholm at a place that used to be a stable. It gave me a chance to sing the line "For far too long we've allowed these corporate hogs to belly up to the public trough...." with a feeding trough in the same room!
2005 was filled with special events - In March I performed at the gorgeous US Botanical Gardens (inside the Capitol... there's a scene from 'The Manchurian Candidate' filmed in these gardens) for the ANA/UAN (Nurses' Union) 5th Anniversary Celebration ... and I was thrilled be invited to perform at the 2nd Annual Sisters in the Brotherhood Conference in Las Vegas, NV - which had the most outrageous food I've ever seen ... But certainly the highlight of 2005 was performing at the many exciting events commemorating the 100th anniversary of the IWW ... the most amazing ones being in Ann Arbor, MI; Chicago, IL; at the Oregon Country Fair; Madison, WI; Milwaukee, WI; and Philadelphia, PA
As far as annual events are concerned, I got to perform again at the Mayday Celebration at Botto House near Paterson, NJ; the Mother Jones Dinner (October) in Mt. Olive, IL; the Eugene Debs Annual Dinner in Terre Haute, IN; the Bernie Firestone Tribute at the Scarab Club in Detroit;Labor Fest in San Francisco and the fabulous Oregon Country Fair!!! I hope to see you at one of these events next year. Let me know if you'd like more information about any of them.
*************************************
Most fun: Touring with my daughter, Amy in July (followed closely by touring with David Rovics & Jan Hammarlund -- and touring with Evan Greer)
Two Most Bittersweet Events of 2005: The Chandler-Feeney era comes to a close -- (but I'm having a ball and Chris has a great new show... check out his website)AND .... no Kerrville!!!... This would have been my 17th consecutive Kerrville Folk Festival, but instead this year I did a fabulous tour of Sweden and Denmark with David Rovics & Jan Hammarlund.
Three Favorite things about 2006: The Immokalee Workers' Victory - Ahhhhhnold Governator getting his ass whupped - Lewis Libby's indictment...
Four Best suprises of the year: getting the Joe Hill Award, the huge crowds at Magdalena's and at Fogartyville... and my kids surprising me by having fresh flowers delivered to me onstage at the UW Madison Memorial Union Terrace on Mother's Day during the IWW Concert.
Five UU congregations hosted me in: Reading, PA; Indianapolis, IN; Pittsburgh, PA;
Chicago, IL; Jacksonville, FL
SIX great new venues: Magdalena's Tea House in Lansing, MI; Cafe Mundo in Newport, OR; Carnegie Centre in Vancouver, BC; LO Skolan in Helsingor, Denmark; Stallet in Stockholm, Sweden; Don Quixote's International Music Hall in Felton, CA
Seven amazing links ...
1) Hilarious!
2) Important
3) thought-provoking
4) Harold Pinter's extraordinary Nobel Lecture
5) ... how big are your feet?
6) ... sign this petition!
7) this is the NGO that my son Daniel has helped to set up to provide emergency relief to the Guatemalan people in grave danger due to the recent mudslides caused by Hurricane Stan. PS... Daniel just got accepted to Georgetown University Law School. Hoya Saxa indeed!
Eight Outstanding Presenters of 2005 (well, actually 15): Gerd Berlev; Jan Hammarlund; Julie Herrada; Ann Miller; Jenny Brown and Joe Courter; David and Arlene at Fogartyville; Bob Pollack and Joy Bell; Ken and Cheryl Kern; Maureen Wood; Jim and LLouise Altes; Amy Newell; Jim and Sue Burton; Polly Gower; Helena Worthen; Daniel Suhonen
Nine - (well, actually 40) Great Folks I played with in 2005: Chris Chandler, Larry Long, Utah Phillips, Faith Petric, Charlie King, Len Wallace, Mark Ross, Rebel Voices, Citizens' Band, RiotFolk, Harry Stamper, Evan Greer, Pat Humphries & Sandy O, Gina Forsythe, David Rovics, Jan Hammarlund, Patrick Dodd, Savage Rose, Per Warming, Eve Goodman, Jon Berquist, Brian QTN; Jon Fromer; David LaMotte; Chris Dunn; the Dreamsicles; George Hewison & Fellow Worker; Touch of Class; La Libertad; Dave Lippman, Ken Gaines, Paul Kamm & Eleanore MacDonald, Amy Carol Webb, Joe Glazer, Nick Annis, John Hayes, David Roe, Joey Only and Jack Erdie (hope I didn't miss anyone!)
Ten things I want in 2006:
an end to the war
bush in jail
cheney in jail
national health care (See HR 676)
close the School of the Americas (See HR 1217)
time to record a new CD
money to record a new CD
ok... i guess i only want seven things
11 Great Radio Stations visited: KKFI, KUNI, WRCT, WDBX, KPIG, WLRN, KMUD, WFMT, KBOO, WORT, Free Radio Santa Cruz --- If you don't see your favorite radio station here, let me know where it is, and I'll send them some music and drop by the next time I'm passing through.
12 Great House concerts: Lisa's in Leeds, MA; Sara & Nan's in Hollywood, FL; Jim & Llouise's in Pittsburgh, Anne, Paul & Melissa's place in Olympia, WA; Ken & Sharon's in Victoria, BC; Joe Szwaja's in Seattle; Gretchen and Cris' in Watsonville; La Fortunes' in Santa Cruz; Fendels' in Oakland, CA; Tom Cronin and Sandy Dunn's in Philadelphia, Ken Connors and Cee Cee Severin's in Jacksonville, FL
and a partridge in a pear tree.... all in all, I played more than 200 engagments in
20 states, three Canadian provinces, Sweden and Denmark ... and collected an infinite supply of beautiful memories of great times with great friends.
HAPPY NEW YEAR, and a joyous, merry, relaxing holiday season to all of you!
Love & solidarity
Anne Feeney
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