Cool Typewriter Magazine

I found this via boingboing. It has lots of cool info about typewriters from history to collecting and care. Enjoy!

Book of Poems Published From Guantanamo Inmates

lifted this one from Al Jazeera.
wow. check out this book. even though it's filtered into English by Pentagon approved translators, I bet it packs a punch. Will report back once we get a copy.

by Tom Ackerman

It has been over five years since the US began locking up prisoners at its military base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

The about 355 detainees have never been brought to trial, so not much has been heard from inside the jail.

But a book of poems written by Guantanamo inmates has been published, revealing some of their innermost thoughts.

A poem by Moazzam Begg, one of 17 Guantanamo detainees whose work is gathered in the slim volume:

Freedom is spent, time is up –
Tears have rent my sorrow's cup;
Home is cage, and cage is steel,
Thus manifest reality's unreal.

Some of the poets, like Begg and Martin Mubanga, have been released.

'A special risk'

Most, however, like Sami al-Hajj, a cameraman for Al Jazeera, are still detained indefinitely.

Marc Falkoff, who represents 17 Yemenis at Guantanamo, collected the poems with the help of other defence lawyers.

At first, the poets were denied regular use of paper and pen, some resorting to scratch their words with pebbles onto Styrofoam cups.

For years, the Pentagon refused to declassify any of the writing.

They described poems as "a special risk", because they could contain coded messages.

The passages in Poems from Guantanamo were cleared before the Pentagon realised they would wind up in a book.

Falkoff, who is also the editor of the book, said the Pentagon has refused to clear any additional poems in the last year or so.

He said: "We believe that they've made an effort just to keep this book from coming into print."

Commander JD Gordan, a Pentagon spokesman, said the detainees "have attempted to use this medium as merely another tool in their battle of ideas against Western democracies".

The 22 poems in the book were approved only in their English versions, and translated only by security-cleared linguists.

"The result is that we have workmanlike translations that are not ideal. This of course is due to the Pentagon's restrictions," Falkoff said.

Expression

The poets, like in this excerpt of Death Poem by Jumah al-Dossari, a 33-year old Bahraini, speak of love and suffering:

Take my blood,
Take my death shroud and
the remnants of my body.
Take photographs of my corpse at the grave, lonely.

Other Guantanamo inmates have used poetry to express their anger with the US government that holds them captive.

Falkoff said: "There's some strong language, though, and I did not excise that. It's included in here."

An excerpt from Humiliated in the Shackles, by al-Haj, reads:

America, you ride on the backs of orphans,
And terrorize them daily.
Bush beware.
The world recognizes an arrogant liar.

Whatever their artistic merit, Falkoff says the poems shed light on the prisoners' humanity, and give the outside world rare insight into their hopes and fears.

TRULINCS - Online Limited Inmate Electronic Messaging System

What is TRULINCS?

The Trust Fund Limited Inmate Communication System (TRULINCS) is a pilot program currently being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Prisons to provide inmates with some limited capabilities to send and receive electronic correspondence without having access to the Internet and uses no taxpayer dollars.
One purpose of this program is to assist in the inmate’s eventual community reentry. Many of these inmates are nearing their release date. Electronic communications have now become a standard form of correspondence within most American homes and businesses and can now also serve as a way to keep inmates connected to their families. Strengthening or re-establishing these family ties assists the inmates with their successful reentry into the community and can reduce the possibility that they recidivate.

Check out this little e-mail we just received over at Earthlight Books, man, I'd read so much in prison it's almost tempting...

This is a system generated message informing you that the above-named person is a federal prisoner who seeks to add you to his/her contact list for exchanging electronic messages. There is no message from the prisoner.

You have only the following options in response to this message.

* You may APPROVE this prisoner for message exchanges by clicking here and then clicking the Send button; or

* You may REFUSE this specific prisoner's request for message exchanges by clicking here and then clicking the Send button; or

* You may REFUSE this and all future federal prisoners' requests for message exchanges by clicking here and then clicking the Send button.

Any additional response will not be delivered to the prisoner or the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

By approving this transaction, you consent to have Bureau of Prisons staff monitor the content of all electronic messages exchanged.

Once you have been approved by the Bureau of Prisons to correspond with the prisoner, the prisoner will be notified and must initiate messaging.

For additional information related to this program, please visit the www.inmatemessage.com FAQ page.

****************************************************************************************************
See Below for Spanish/Ver abajo para leer en español
****************************************************************************************************

Este es un mensaje generado por un sistema electronico que le informa que la persona susodicha es un preso federal que intenta agregarle a su lista de contactos para intercambiar mensajes electrónicos. No hay mensaje del preso.

Usted tiene solamente las opciones siguientes en respuesta a este mensaje.

* Usted puede APROBAR a este preso para intercambiar mensajes haciendo clic aquí y después hacer clic en el botón de enviar; o

* Usted puede RECHAZAR el pedido de este preso en específico para intercambiar mensajes haciendo clic aquí y después hacer clic en el botón de enviar; o

* Usted puede RECHAZAR este y todos los pedidos en el futuro de todos los presos federales para intercambiar mensajes haciendo clic aquí y después hacer clic en el botón de enviar.

Respuestas adicionales no serán entregadas al preso o a la oficina federal de prisiones.

Si aprueba esta transacción, usted consiente a que la oficina del personal de prisiones supervise el contenido de todos los mensajes electrónicos intercambiados.

Una vez que haya sido aprobado por la oficina de prisiones para corresponder con el preso, el preso sera notificado y el preso debera iniciar el intercambio de mensajes.

Para información adicional con relacion a este programa, visite por favor la página de FAQ de www.inmatemessage.com

“Green Scare”: Minnesota Grand Jury Subpoenas Served i n Seattle and Chicago

This morning, grand jury subpoenas were delivered to an individual in
Seattle, WA and an individual in Chicago, IL. Both have been subpoenaed to
appear at a grand jury in Minneapolis, MN on September the sixth.

When Anthony Wong was subpoenaed in Seattle, the object of the
investigation was not made clear by Erik Swanson of the Minnesota police
and Joint Terrorism Task Force. Wong's account may be found here:
http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2007/08/363764.shtml

In the case of the person subpoenaed in Chicago, Brandon, it was made
clear that the grand jury is investigating “acts of arson and vandalism
that happened a several years ago in Minnesota state.” Brandon's account
may be found here:
http://chicago.indymedia.org/newswire/display/79085/index.php

Neither of the two people receiving subpoenas today have been charged with
any crime.

In both instances, Ian Wallace was named as cooperating with the
investigation.

Grand Juries are secret government investigative bodies that strip
witnesses of their basic constitutional rights. Once you have been
subpoenaed to a Grand Jury, you lose the right to remain silent, the right
to hear evidence presented against you, and even the right to an attorney
in the Grand Jury room. A Grand Jury can jail you without convicting you
of a crime or giving you a proper trial!

Please keep your eyes open for further updates in the coming days, and be
ready to assist in whatever ways these individuals request. It is vital
that we support those subpoenaed by what appear to be politically-driven
grand juries. In the meantime, please be careful about public speculation
concerning this grand jury investigation.

ICE Raids More Families in Shelton

Today, Aug. 10th, 25 workers were detained in Shelton by the Mason County Sheriff. They were clearing brush from a field but ended up working in the wrong field. Somehow the police found out and went to where they were working. There, they detained 25 people and took them to Mason County Jail, where they are currently being held. They will be taken to the ICE Detention Facility in Tacoma either tonight or tomorrow.

We are meeting in front of the Tacoma Federal Building (directions below) tomorrow, Aug. 11th, at 2 PM. Those planning on being there should come with supplies (signs, megaphones, ideas, desires, puppets, etc.) and be ready to do what they want. Those wishing to do something (make a speech, distribute liturature, propose a plan, etc.) should come prepared. This just happened today and we are doing the best that we can, given the circumstances.

Also, a vigil had been planned weeks ago for tomorrow in front of the detention facility at 10 AM. Smash ICE is not in contact with any of the groups behind this. We would like to coordinate, if possible. If any of the groups organizing around this wish to make any suggestions write to smashICE@gmail.com. Two events going on in the same town is a start and we could potentially join up or otherwise aid each other's efforts.

In Olympia: A carpool will be leaving at 1:15 from the corner of Harrison and Division (parking lot next to abandoned building in strip mall on Division). Bring your cars!

In Tacoma: People are currently making more concrete plans in Tacoma and the details will be posted on the comments section of this article.

Let us show ICE and the government that this insanity cannot continue. Let us make as big of a hassle for the City of Tacoma and ICE as we can.

In Solidarity,

Smash ICE

Direction to Federal Building:

Heading North:

From I-5, take Exit 133. After taking this exit, take the City Center/Tacoma Dome exit. Merge onto I-705 N via the exit on the LEFT toward CITY CENTER. Take the S 21ST STREET / WA-509 N exit toward PORT OF TACOMA. LEFT onto S 21ST ST / WA-509. Continue to follow S 21ST ST. Take right onto Pacific Avenue. After passing S 19th Street the Federal Buidling should be 100 feet in front of you. It is the large domed, brick building.

Heading South:

From I-5, merge onto I-705 N via EXIT 133 toward CITY CENTER. Take the S 21ST STREET / WA-509 N exit toward PORT OF TACOMA. Turn LEFT onto S 21ST ST / WA-509. Continue to follow S 21ST ST. Take right onto Pacific Avenue. After passing S 19th Street the Federal Buidling should be 100 feet in front of you. It is the large domed, brick building.

Play Based on Choose Your Own Adventure Books Features My Cousin Ian Schempp

Theater Schmeater's latest round of shenanigans is a hoot and a holler, especially if you provide plenty of your own hoots and hollers, that is.

THEATER REVIEW

ADVENTURES IN MATING

PLAYWRIGHT: Joseph Scrimshaw

WHERE: Theater Schmeater, 1500 Summit Ave.

WHEN: Through Aug. 25

TICKETS: $12-$15; 800-838-3006, brownpapertickets.com.

There's little serious or sacred in this comedic experiment, wherein the audience decides the course of a horrendously mismatched blind date. In this work of controlled chaos, story line takes a back seat to skewering.

Here's the slim premise: Punctilious Miranda (Amy Schumacher) meets the romantically rebounding Jeffrey (Andy Clawson) in a fancy restaurant. As she grills her prospective mate against her specific checklist, he struggles to assert his fragile manhood.

But this show really belongs to the waiter (Ian Schempp), who controls the turns of this hapless couple's destinies through the bell on his tray. His ring-a-ding is the signal for the battling singles to freeze, and the audience to make some choice on their behalf -- such as whether to order the white wine or the red. The actors then play the scene that corresponds to that choice.

Based on the book series "Choose Your Own Adventure," the waiter informs us that more than 60 story lines are possible. The play was written by Joseph Scrimshaw, and has run for three years in Minneapolis where it first appeared in a fringe festival.

Does the gimmick work? Well, it certainly makes for a boisterous evening, with a whiff of danger as the show continually seems to teeter on the edge of a tailspin. When a lone audience member is invited to randomize the performance further, the possibility of collapse becomes palpable.

Yet the forced zaniness, compounded by the weak talents of the lead actors, ultimately diminishes interest in the outcome that lies in our hands. Schumacher is an unformidable antagonist, while Clawson flails through Jeffrey's childish strategies.

Nevertheless, it is inspiring to watch Schempp take command. An actor experienced at improvisation, his wit is as dry as a stiff shot of gin, his manner deferential yet sly as he thinks on his feet. He diligently gets his audience involved in the show, assigning odd jobs along the way.

The sum is a bracing round of high spirits -- especially after the spirits liberally poured in the lobby.

Gianni Truzzi is a freelance writer who covers film, theater and the arts. He may be e-mailed at gtruzzi@comcast.net.

Mass-markets...

Aside from being wonderful, tactical air-weapons when thrown with the proper aim, mass market paperbacks are some of the finest, cheapest examples of the printed word. Here's a cool little essay about the history of these books and the Library of Congress.

Here's the link: http://aic.stanford.edu/sg/bpg/annual/v17/bp17-08.html

And here's another link for an archive of mass-market paperback covers:

http://www.bookscans.com/