Thank you, Joshua Glenn, for this very good piece of writing.

In America, if you stand out, you may be rewarded. But if you stand up, you may be punished. (Username: opensewer; password: iswatching.)

Happy All-Hallows Eve! And, with no intent of irony I'm sure, today is also the day that Martin Luther nailed 95 Theses to the church door at Wittenberg, ensuring that the long-standing tradition of religious conflict in the world would continue for years to come. Shudder to think, what would the world be like without religious conflict?

After years of fairies, little girls and sleeping babies the most vapid Ashton Drake collectable doll company presents the ever-so-cute Semper Fi Marine toddler doll just $80 in four easy payments! Despicable.

The Crusaders' Giant Footprints, an article in the Washington Post last Tuesday, provides some insight into the mindset of Islamic culture as it relates to current events. Sometimes we seem to forget that the Earth has been patiently rotating for thousands of years, and not all of the most important things in history happened during the 20th Century. (Via Arts & Letters Daily.)

Well, it's about time! No less than a full 19 days after the actual event, we now present to you full summaries and photographs of all seven Opensewer 10 Gatherings. Enjoy! We'll be posting information on Opensewer 11 sometime in the first half of November.

This week's On The Media reported about Viacom's president Mel Karmazin finding a silver lining in the current war. As if Viacom isn't controlling most of our entertainment already, they plan to use the current unrest to build an even bigger empire. Listen here.

To artist Carol Es, painting is an independent entity that both guides and humbles her. Difficult to fit into any particular genre, her mixed-media paintings represent a simple, powerful release of the generator inside.

The question is, can you destroy destruction? Dropping more bombs on Afghanistan will only shuffle the rubble, scramble some old graves and disturb the dead.

Not very comforting, but insightful in many ways, The Algebra Of Infinite Justice examines U.S. retaliation for 9/11 from an Indian perspective.

Yesterday's Working Assets Radio focused on what this story in the New York Times didn't say, including what stakes the Bush family has in Saudi oil. When Bush Sr. left office he took a bunch of advisors and officials with him and joined a company called the Carlyle Group which has interests in foreign oil. As someone in the show said - no one is going to refuse a meeting with the former head of state from the US. Read the recap of the show here, and read about the Carlyle Group on Bloomberg here (a story cited in the show). For each show Working Assets Radio offers a great toolbox, I copied yesterday's:

Project Underground helps environmental, human rights and indigenous- rights movements carry out focused campaigns to counter abusive oil and mining activities. The organization seeks to systematically deal with problems the oil and mining industries create by exposing environmental and human-rights abuses and empowering communities facing mineral and energy development to achieve economic and environmental justice.

Corp Watch counters corporate-led globalization through education and activism. CorpWatch works to foster democratic control over corporations by building grassroots globalization - a diverse movement for human rights, labor rights and environmental justice. Find out how you can support CorpWatch online.

TomPaine.com. The online journalism site funded by the Florence Fund seeds the national public policy debate with the common sense ideas, opinions, and analyses the mainstream media usually misses. Heck, the site even offers essays on history!

The RND# Project is currently a collection of six short films which explore our "increasingly bizarre dependence on and relationship with technology." Richard Fenwick conceived this idea and it is being sponsored by IDEO. Fenwick's intentions are that the project will eventually consist of 100 films. (Link via Memepool.)

Sometimes Sunday is a good day to turn off your computer and go outside if you can. Other days are good for this, too, but Sunday particularly so.

Two weeks ago we attended a wedding of two close friends. At the reception afterward, a friend of the bride requested to sing a song with the band. The band approved, but I’m sure thought to themselves, “Oh, boy, this should be a sight.” Well, it was a sight—the woman delivered the most rip-roaring, heart-warming version Janis Joplin’s “Me & Bobby McGee” the crowd had ever heard. This earned her the nickname “Little Janice” for the rest of the evening.

September 11 was still fresh in everyone’s mind, and the song resonated with the crowd. Thinking back now, one line from the song (though a bit out of context) stands out as particularly sobering:

Freedom’s just another word for nothin’ left to lose…

Opensewer 10 is over! Judging by the Ithaca gathering and the reports we've received so far from other cities, it was a great success! I always feel buzzed for days after these meetings, and no, it wasn't what I had to drink. Please be patient as all of us coordinators write our summaries and develop our film--we'll post the complete story as soon as we can. In the meantime, email us if you'd like to be on the mailing list for the next gathering.

Opensewer 10 is meeting tonight! The gatherings are occurring in 7 cities, so there's likely one near you. Come and join us--share your thoughts about life in America after September 11, and the current threats to peace in the world.

Today is when Columbus Day is observed, and also the anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Today, like yesterday and tomorrow, is a good day to live on the Earth.

Artist update: The irresistible call of art, nature and Southern Culture convinced artist and former graphic designer Anthony DiFatta to leave the corporate world and pursue his true love.

All seven venues for Opensewer 10 have been confirmed. Contact the local coordinator to let them know you're coming!