Fluxview, USA - Whassup G

The Legacy of Tactical Media

FluxRostrum — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 19:09:41 +0000

Yo, scholars; tactical media has been in effect in one incarnation or another for a long time. Now technology is making it much easier for us. So these kind brains from Amsterdam put together a little history to date of the Media that Uses "Any Means Necessary". Click the Expand Button to read the full pamphlet on line.

Open publication - Free publishing - More activism

Occupy St. Louis Press Release Re: Eviction

FluxRostrum — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 23:54:43 +0000

Official Press Statement

Contact: occupystlouis@gmail.com

Occupy St. Louis Cites City for Violations

November 7, 2011—Today OccupySTL is issuing an open statement regarding the group’s presence in Kiener Plaza. The statement reads:

Occupy St. Louis is one of many cities that exist as a solidarity movement with the Occupy Wall Street movement, which formed to publicly attest to the fact that corporations control far too much of our economy and political life. This movement has received vast support across the country. How ironic, then, that Mayor Slay has decided to stop listening to the complaints of the people and instead heed the complaints of the corporate groups who control the city. This week, Downtown Partnership met with the mayor’s office and told him to shut us down. He responded to their call. No more fitting example could illustrate who is pulling the strings. (For a list of who voiced the words behind the Mayor's blog: http://www.downtownstl.org/AboutUs/PartnershipforDowntownStLouis/PartnershipBoard.aspx)

The Occupy St. Louis movement is further disappointed that the mayor has chosen to hide behind false accusations to sway public opinion and to indicate that he has spoken to Occupy St. Louis. There has been no conversation from the Mayor's office to Occupy St. Louis, only blog posts that have not been sent to Occupy St. Louis. The mayor’s chief of staff is quoted as saying that Kiener Plaza “reeks of urine.” Anyone is welcome to come to the site to see that this is not true. The occupiers have done a remarkable job of maintaining a clean and orderly space. The other allegations issued by the Parks Department are equally untrue in blaming the occupiers for a host of grievances, ranging from the ridiculous, (glass bottles) to the obscene, (public urination). Occupy St. Louis has always adhered to the idea that public spaces are public spaces and we have no grounds to tell people to leave, other than to encourage everyone to adhere to our safe space policy. The Mayor blames Occupy St. Louis, (which is not an organization but a group of autonomous individuals coming together to make decisions collectively) for behaviors that are almost universally the actions of individuals not participating in Occupy activities and would most likely have occurred regardless of our presence. The mayor’s other concern, that the occupiers must give way to allow for other events, is equally unfair. We have shared the Plaza with other groups on several occasions so far; it is everyone’s space and everyone is welcome. On the other hand, a Macy’s display with the occupiers evicted might just be enough to convince many in the area to Occupy the Holidays by shopping only at smaller local businesses.

To put these accusations in perspective, we are issuing today our own list of violations committed by the city, of which Mayor Slay has been the chief executive for eleven years. Some of the violations cited illustrate the inconsistent application of laws that the mayor now wants to use against Occupy St. Louis. These are cases of hypocrisy and raise serious questions about unequal protection under the law. Other violations show the city’s cooperation with Big Business and demonstrate complicity in the economic oppression being raised by Occupy St. Louis. And of course, the violations include the incredible disparity and racial injustice that this City has long been guilty of towards African Americans. In total, these violations make the trivial and untrue accusations raised against us pale in comparison.

Occupy St. Louis urges all people to stand with us and not corporate influence. We realize that our politicians continue to let themselves be used by Big Business and we are currently in a world where we let those who have money dictate who can be elected. It is up to all of us as individuals to decide where to stand as this movement sweeps the country. Occupy St. Louis' issue is with abuse of corporate power. It is unfortunate that our elected officials have decided to continue to uphold that abuse. Individuals can let their voices be heard by joining OccupySTL and/or at the voting booth in 2012.

Violations

City of St. Louis

2000-2011

Charge	Citation
$15 million+ in corporate tax giveaways, including $2 million+ to Peabody Coal, in just a 2 year period	http://www.stltoday.com/business/st-louis-opens-checkbook-to-keep-employers-downtown/article_2030e424-4d19-5c00-ae2b-5351bf21dab4.html
Failure to provide Missouri Constitutional right to an education	Removal of city schools’ accreditation after mayoral interference
Failure to supervise police during towing scandal costing taxpayer money	$700,000+ unpaid to city by towing company
Veto of the Civilian Review Board passed by the Board of Alderpersons	Board Bill 69, 2006
Racial profiling—all-time high disparity index of 1.42	http://ago.mo.gov/VehicleStops/Reports.php?lea=587
Failure to adequately fund the firefighters and police pensions	Firemen’s Retirement Fund et al v. City of St. Louis

Firing the city’s first African American fire chief without adequate cause

Sherman George

Discrimination against Black Deputy Fire Chief Charles Coyle, wasting taxpayer money

$350,000 judgment in Coyle v. City of St. Louis

LRA abuse: Hindering individual economic development for Corporate consolidation

http://showmeinstitute.org/publications/policy-study/red-tape/507-standstill.html?qh=YToxOntpOjA7czoxMDoic3RhbmRzdGlsbCI7fQ%3D%3D

Encouraging the misrepresentation of taxpayer costs for the China Hub

http://showmeinstitute.org/publications/report/corporate-welfare/534-china-hub-tax-incentives.html

Violations (Cont’d)

City of St. Louis

2000-2011

Charge	Citations
Failure to protect the taxpayer interests over those of the 1%	Ballpark Village
Using the homeless as unpaid slave labor	Johnson et al v. City of St. Louis
Illegal destruction of homeless persons’ property	http://www.examiner.com/homelessness-in-st-louis/institutionalized-biases-against-homeless-citizens-st-louis
Failure to stop North City land grab and failure to enforce nuisance property ordinances against him	Paul McKee
Moving North City’s highest voting ward, costing that area development money and influence	Re-districting after 2000 census

Failure to enforce littering, lack of permit to block traffic, demonstrating near or on a street, public urination and noise ordinances

World Series 2006 and 2011

St. Louis Infant Mortality Rate in mid-decade 3 times higher among blacks than whites and STL average well above Missouri’s

http://www.stl-mcfhc.org/images/docs/FIMR_Annual_Report_2007.pdf

Debunking the Anarchy Trashman Theory

FluxRostrum — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 08:32:07 +0000

One of the most common responses to the thought of wide spread Anarchy by those who've made it past the anarchy=chaos misconception is that of the lowly trashman. "But who'd take out the trash" if we were all free to do what we wanted, who on earth would choose to be the trashman or the sewer worker, you know.. the shit jobs. I've heard this arguement often and I finally have an answer. .... I would.

I have met many Rainbows over the years volunteering with one disaster or another; some standing up for your rights on a street corner but I had never made it to a Gathering "on time". 2008 saw a valiant attempt to make it to Wyoming but our side trip to the Pine Ridge Reservation left the bus sabotaged and we spent the week of the Gathering waiting for a part we didn't even need. So this year I found a random ride home, on Facebook.

Going in I envisioned prolonged down time and hanging out with people I knew but that's not how it played out. Turns out my friends seem to be the ones that ... do the work.. and we "hung out" mostly in passing as we went about our "work" daze.

Instead of camping with pregathering friends I decided to stick with the 3 random strangers I'd shared a van with for the 5 day journey that we all thought was to be 3. There were no mechanical problems; we just stopped every hour or 2 and the van was too cramped for comfortable napping. It was a bit frustrating for me to take 5 days to drive a distance I've done alone in 2 &1/2 but it was the 1st time I ever road tripped somewhere and did not drive so that was way different and certainly a bonding experience. ;~)

The Gathering was miles from end to end and we were camped dead center on an isolated peninsula, on a virtually unknown "Shitter Trail". Camp Unicorn Shits & Butterfly Farts.

We arrived 3 days before the official start: Seed Camp. Those were fucking miserable days. Cold, wet and that white shit behind our sign... that's several feet of snow bordering our camp site. I had a kids play tent that was too short to stretch out in and too narrow to change clothes in. Those days my back hurt so much I could hardly move. Adrenaline & plentiful medical grade Marijuana compelled me to walk the entire gathering anyway to get my bearings. I felt at home in Kid Village because there were several there who I'd worked with or corresponded with over the years. I felt a little guilty just sitting by the fire and wanting coffee while dozens of people busted ass all around me to make the community funtional when the masses showed up, but's all I could do. Each night I wore 3 layers of my heaviest clothes in my 40 degree bag while my feet and head acted as a tent stretcher. Each night there was at least an hour of internal "please lord let the sun come up before I die of hyperthermia".

On the morning of July 1st, the official start of the Gathering, the Sun finally showed up and everything changed. The snow started melting, naked people roamed the meadow and my back stopped hurting immediatly so after my ritual morning random bowl share with the Vortex Bridge Breakfast Club, I headed to kid village.

I arrived ready to chop, stoke or stir something and quickly realized there were already experienced people doing those things. I asked Felipe what I could do and he showed me the trash pile. Already over 6 giant bags had been generated by Kid Vil, they needed to be moved up to the road where exiting Rainbows could scoop them up and drop them off 100 miles away, sooner they get there, the sooner they get out of the forest. Seemed like a shit job that I really didn't want before coffee, so I sat down for a safety meeting and hot coffee session. I was told to focalize it. Later while walking 2 50+lb trash bags up the hill a couple miles I realized that they meant I should recruit some help. I got tired and had to stop for a break. I found some shade and dropped the bags.

That's when WhatIsRainbow jumped up and slapped my ass ;~)

"hey brother is that trash?"
Yep, Kid Vill trash run"
Hands me a joint. "thank you for doing that, I can take 1 of them for you for the next 100yards .. down to my camp"

... and away we go... People recoginzed and appreciated my contribution. I was never in want for water, food, smoke or an extra set of hands. It was also a good task for me to spend time each day on the perimeter of the gathering, the frontline for routine repressive bullshit, because of course I was ALWAYS armed with my camera in case I was forced to "go to work". This year however the "authorities" really didn't do much near the gathering' there were many stories of getting pulled over and searched by those coming in on the 2nd/3rd but otherwise... clear sailing. One sister commented that "they're giving us enough rope to hang ourselves with this year". I think we made a hammock with that.

I vowed to do a better job the next day and brought my walking stick to tie the bags to. I was able to get 3 easier than the previous day's 2 and did multiple runs. So for the rest of the gathering I spent the mornings haulling trash, mostly for Kid Village but I branched out a couple times when I saw gi-normous piles at other kitchens. I met a lot of people on those long strenuous walks and had a great time doing it.

I had been fed by these kitchens numerous times at protest encampments and disaster relief centers. Days when I really needed someone to feed me; on consectutive 21 hour days of shooting and editing (and living) repression & despair. I was happy to exist in this communtiy without a camera and find a place, a function.

Functioning day to day in a gift based society works when all tasks are rewarded with kindness & respect. This Rainbow community seems to get that at higher levels of population density than the general populous. It IS after all a city, a temporary autonomous zone of .. mostly love.. or at least the facade of Love. 20k people generate births, deaths, marriages, conceptions, theft .. all the normal Babylon drama. Because I tend to move lightly between tribes I've been privy to all sorts of in-fighting bullshit over the years.. To some degree that keeps me moving on. Maybe it shouldn't, dunno. it seems as if people may be quicker to appreciate the simple, laborous task that is redily understood; than something more involved that has a more interpretative result. Wood choppers, shitter diggers and the trashman are kept happy; and you rarely hear anybody talking shit about how the wood was split wrong.

I've often said that even though I am at heart an Anarchist; I know that given Anarchy right now... my species would fuck it up and we'd never get another shot. This is because gift economies require a level of cooperation, empathy and work ethic that has been bred out of us with consumerism and the "progress" of technology. Until our species relearns interdependence and revalues DIY lifestyles we will fail at Anarchy.

So when that status quo lovin" pragmatist tries to check mate you with...
"but who'd take out the traaaaaaassssh?"

Tell them I would if need be and that people would love me for it.
They will of course laugh at your naivety because they need to evolve.

Flux on Narrative Story Telling Panel Tomorrow

FluxRostrum — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 16:39:25 +0000

On Saturday, June 4 from 7-10 pm a panel of storytellers and
documentarians will be talking about their work at the march
headquarters in Marmet, WV. Join us for this lively presentation and
discussion!

Watch the LIVE Stream of this event HERE

This June, hundreds of people from all across the country will come
together to preserve Blair Mountain, abolish mountaintop removal,
strengthen labor rights and invest in sustainable job creation for
Appalachian communities. This event will undoubtedly be historic, but
the struggle for the land and people of Appalachia is ongoing. We hope
that by recording this march and telling stories from it, we can inspire
people in Appalachia and across the nation to continue the struggle.

mo'fo' on panel and the Blair Mountain March @
http://marchonblairmountain.org/?page_id=517

WVO Filtering - Road Trip Prep

FluxRostrum — Mon, 16 May 2011 16:21:04 +0000

Time lapse photos of 2 afternoons worth of heating, filtering and pumping about a 100 gallons of waste veggie oil. The Bus leaves for Alabama's Tornado Zone on Wed. the 18th. Then on to the March on Blair Mountain in WV. ~ download

Thanks to the Frenchmen St Deli & Mardi Gras Zone for their lovely fuel.

Can Police Take Your Camera at Protest? No!

FluxRostrum — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 23:13:34 +0000

SOURCE

by Jerome McCollom

Police
in New York City aren't known for their respect of civil and
constitutional rights. You can be arrested now for the made up crime of filming cop. Well, cops are also taking cameras. Flux Rostrum is a filmmaker who was filming a protest against the Mexican consulate in NYC, over a murder in a Mexican city. Rostrum was jumped by police and indeed, a NYPC captain who shouted "I want that camera."

Did the captain try to get a warrant to search or seize the camera?
No, in today's world, warrants are an option for many police, not a
necessity. When Mr. Rostrum went to complain at a police station, he was threatened with arrest by a police lieutenant! So much for public service.

Brian Kelly, a man in Pennyslvania was pulled over for
drunken driving. He was charged with the more serious crime of
wiretapping, but wiretapping does not involve filming an interraction
with a police officer who has the power to arrest you.

Michael Gannon, who indeed had a sign on his porch stating to people they might be videtaped, was arrested at
a police station when he went to complain about police mistreatment.
Again, the "crime", wiretapping. Good thing those cops 60 years ago
beating civil rights protestors over the head with batons, didn't think
up this made up charge against journalists who filmed them.

In Newark, NJ police try to intimidate two
journalists in order to have them give up all photos they took of a
crime scene. Indeed they tried ordering them not to publish the photos.
Do you need to read the U.S. Constitution before you become a cop in
some cities? Cops can't order journalists not to print certain photos!
That would be like a cop ordering me not to write this column.

I still can't believe there are police, DAs', judges and legislators
who supporting this gross abridgement of our rights. This is not North
Korea, after all.

In one case involving filming police in Los Angeles, the police
officer is told (correctly) that it is not against the law to take
pictures of the officer while on the sidewalk. There is no expectation
of privacy in public.

The cop says, "I do not care." The officer also states he was a
marine and was "shot at for you", referring to the citizen. Yes, but
what does that have to do with making up the law? I was in the military also, can I just make up the law at my whim?

SOURCE

my comment

Videos relating to my Assault

This is video of the incident mentioned above where I got "jumped" for my camera.
http://fluxview.com/USA/GetThatCamera

This is a report following the Citizens Review Board findings of the incident.
http://fluxview.com/USA/NYPD-CCRBreport

To
my knowledge nothing happened to any of the cops and I could not get a
lawyer to sue them because the Property Value of my losses were
minimal.. Rights are Worthless.

Paulette Giguere's "SafeHouse" lives on at OSBG

FluxRostrum — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 02:07:51 +0000

above: Student & Teacher rejoice at the empowerment of SafeHouse.
The signs say Thank You Paulette Giguere, OSBG Loves You, and ...heart Archy

Just over 5 years ago I sat where I now sit, at Mojo's in the French Quarter, gazing deeply into the screen of my newly donated computer "SafeHouse". I would oftren come to Mojo's to get away from the voluteer camps so I could work online undisturbed. At the time there were very few places open, even fewer with food; Mojo's became my SafeHouse from post Katrina hardship. When I arrived in New Orleans shortly after Hurricane Katrina I began shooting footage immediatly but lacked a computer that was capable of editing video. My hero Paulette Giguere recognized a need and donated my first Mac to the cause of supporting the New Olreans Anarchist emergency response efforts and allowed me the tools necessary to cover this important period in our history.

4 long hard road years later SafeHouse was just not keeping up with my media demands and I upgraded. I've been carrying SafeHouse around for about a year, loaning it out to varioous events and causes. Today SafeHouse found it's new home and casue, also here in New Orleans. Our School at Blair Grocery is an alternative school and urban farm in the lower 9th ward . At OSBG they are teaching at risk lower 9th ward youth not only the answers to the tests they'll need to take to graduate but more importantly they are teaching the youth to think and giving them the skills to feed themselves and orgainze within their neighborhood to thrive against the challenges present here. The gangs, unemployment, violence and police state that threatens at time to take over these blighted blank slabs and falling down 'hoods are an easy trap for youth with few alternatives. OSBG gives these alternatives and is creating the space for these youth to grow healthy in mind and body by employing them in the gardens and empowering them to be the next generation of leaders.

Paulette, your computer did not end up in the hands of some "woman" as you always said it would... it almost did. ;~) It has been donated in your name to further the cause of teaching kids in New Orleans ALL the values that you would want them to have. Your computer has already been used to write grants for the school and it is still fully loaded with media software.

OSBG is seeking further funding to outfit each student with Media capable computer and I'm on board to teach them how to use these new tools. To those who may have recieved a new computer for Christmas (or video camera); please consider making a tax deductable in kind donation of your leftovers so that a group of deserving lower 9th ward youth can learn to "be the media".

solidarity,
Flux

Incredible Waste of Electricity

FluxRostrum — Sat, 25 Dec 2010 17:24:10 +0000

It sure is beautiful... but how many mountains were sacrificed this year so we can go .. "wow"?

Click to download the video

bus updates from the slow road from hell

FluxRostrum — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 16:13:47 +0000

http://www.frybrid.com/forum/showthread.php?p=129334#post129334

on the road with a fucked bus ... still

Help Me Beat Up a Cute Little Blonde Girl

FluxRostrum — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 17:37:45 +0000

The Youth Noise Green Schools Media Challenge is on!

Currently my video about Our School at Blair Grocery is in 2nd place behind this cute little blonde girl. The current vote leader is a very well produced video about a very smart & capable girl and the projects she has implemented in her schools. Really Good Stuff and I'm throughly impressed with the video and what she has achieved ... If you wanna help me kick her ass ;~) go to the link below and vote for my video.

TWO winning videos will get played on Link TV and shown at the Redford Institute. There is also a smattering of swag involved (clothes duffles, cds, etc).

http://www.youthnoise.com/ybhc/contest/Green+Schools+Media+Challenge/entry/?id=33

RIP Dharma

FluxRostrum — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 21:33:18 +0000

Dharma has apparently been murdered.

this 14 yr old friend has a lot strange stories to tell the other dead cats he meets in the afterworld.
He lived with me on the road most of the 7 years of travel we shared. He endured Manhattan, post Katrina New Orleans, RNC, DNC, Pine Ridge, Rainbow Gathering, Malibu... he met a lot of cool people on the journey who loved him .. and seems to have been murdered by a neighbor. The last picture is what I assume to be his corpse found laying next to a box by the creek bed that had been ripped open by vultures. I had seen the corpse a couple days earlier when it still had hair. I suppose it's possible that it was not him but he's been gone a week...

Dharma's featured in the Old School version of our existence on the road.

NOmadjik Bus Plays a Cruel Joke

FluxRostrum — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 23:36:05 +0000

If you missed the previous RIP NOmadjik Bus post, here's the back story on this. Part#1, Part#2

In classic Monty Python style, the bus just raised it's fist and cried "but I''m not dead yet!"

Shortly after being told the estimate was 5,768 dollars; which was a death blow to the bus, no brainer... I got another message from the shop but since I was downing beers I turned my phone off for awhile.

The NEW Message: They were real sorry, someone else's estimate had accidentally been stapled to my ticket.

The bus only needs a new oil cooler assembly, related items and services.

The Actual Estimate is $1,575.00
Now, while this estimate is at least feasable; it's not like I got an extra dime laying around.
I'll be focusing on paying jobs for awhile.
If you have a paying job for a webmaster or video producer, I'm all ears.

If you feel compelled to donate for the cause
I'd love you forever and will send you a DVD of anything I've produced, just name it.
However, I need to say that the bus will No Longer be traveling back an forth across the country All The F'n Time as it has been for the last 3 years. The remainder of it's life will consist mostly of regional use for off grid film screenings, music and guerilla 1st ammendment covered activist video projections (like this on a smaller scale).

The estimate mix up may have happened to me because I laughed too hard at this video

Beer money donated below will go toward fixing the bus.

RIP NOmadjik Bus

FluxRostrum — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 16:52:34 +0000

UPDATE: Not Dead Yet

how do you write a eulogy for a bus?

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1021847509#!/album.php?aid=16433&id=1021847509

the guy on the phone rattled off a list of things that needed fixed and then wrapped it up with an estimate of 57 68... it took a few seconds to realize he meant 5 thousand seven hundred and who the fuck cares dollars.

is this worth $5,800 more? ... no... it's not..

I could use some help stripping the gear and modifications out of it. This will need to be done soon so to not incur storage fees. Bus is in Houston. ... and I'm imMobile in Austin.

Coolant /oil break down in progress

FluxRostrum — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 16:50:05 +0000

possible blown head waiting to get it looked at the coolant is gray with
the consistency of thin pudding. opinions here seem to think that oil
mixed with the coolant and that would explain why the oil level was down
this morning. I'm too far away to get towed to Austin.

NYC A Fest 2010 Tonight

FluxRostrum — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 13:28:15 +0000

Go to this if you're in NYC.
I'd tell you when to go to see my work but that info is being given on a need to know basis and apparently no one needs to know. It's very Anarchic. "~)

slightly more info here

MBN Screening Night's at Time Again Farms

FluxRostrum — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 16:52:54 +0000

I'll be conducting interactive screening nights at Time Again Farms Harrisberg PA each Saturday in April. If you're near there contact me for directions.

Interactive screenings allow the audience on hand to choose the topics of the evenings films on site.

VJing at Brillobox Tonight

FluxRostrum — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 19:16:31 +0000

Yo Pittsburgeesers, I'm VJing tonight at the brillobox. 10 - 2 4103 Penn Ave

DJ RIpley (Surya Dub, SF)

Help them Occupy Everything

FluxRostrum — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 02:56:43 +0000

Help fund this documentary project and become a Fundit.

Flux on The Jeff Farias Show today

FluxRostrum — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:34:18 +0000

You can listen LIVE OnLine HERE
TODAY
6:30PM EST

You can also call in to the show if you'd like.

Heads You Win Tails I Lose

FluxRostrum — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:00:31 +0000

My experience going before Magistrate Byrnside in Boone County WV on the Oct. 30th for the events described here. I have put off writing about this for a few days because I'm still gathering advice and attempting to understand what actually happened myself. It's fuckin' weird.

I thought I was going to appear before the magistrate and be offered a plea bargain of some kind which I did not intend to accept. At which point I wanted to push for a complete dismissal and/or set a date for trial. ... I don't want to go into great detail about this... but, the bottom line is that "I" did not get to see the Magistrate. My lawyer brought back word that they would accept a guilty plea to trespassing OR they Would be dismissing my charges, then RECHARGING Me And REARRESTING ME.

Plead guilty to this or we will arrest you again.

So that's the current situation, My Charges from 9-9-09 of 1) Trespassing, asked to leave, 2) conspiracy, 3) disobeying a lawful order... have been dismissed ... as I wished....

BUT I'm told that within a couple weeks I might receive a summons to turn myself in on .. new charges ... get processed, go to jail and need to be bailed out again ... etc.

Accepting the plea would have cost a max fine of 500 bucks and it would have been over with... sometimes I wish I could have plead guilty; I just knew I would not be able to live with myself if I had plead guilty to this.

Open Web Awards Nominations

FluxRostrum — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 18:53:50 +0000

I'd like to offer some suggestions for those wishing to make nominations to the Open Web Awards

here goes...

For Best TV Network Online please nominate http://mobilebroadcastnews.com

For Best Online Video Web Series please nominate The End of the World as We Know It

For YouTube Video of the Year please nominate Epic Undercover Fail!

For Most Educational to Follow please nominate @jaydedman

& if ya feel it you could nominate FluxRostrum for Best YouTube Channel or Personality

you are allowed to vote every day

Back on The Jeff Farias Show

FluxRostrum — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 23:46:33 +0000

I did a call in report back on the The Jeff Faris Show after the G20 festivities on friday. Here's the podcast.

FluxRostrum LIVE on The Jeff Farias Show Tomorrow

FluxRostrum — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 00:42:18 +0000

I'll be on the show for a 1/2 hour or longer tomorrow night.
We'll be talking about Freedom of the Press, Mountain Top Removal and Conspiracy.

You can listen LIVE OnLine HERE
Wednesday 9/16/09
8PM EST

You can also call in to the show if you'd like.

1-800-385-1566

The show is now Archived HERE

Arrest Report Back from Massey Lockdown

FluxRostrum — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 03:23:13 +0000

Morgan Massey Dr. Julian, WV 6AM ish 9-9-09
I was filming a Chain & Tube Lock Down Blockade of the road which leads to Massey Energy Regional Headquarters as the first workers of the day arrived. I was wearing my Press Pass prominently around my neck. The road was an intersection off of a 4 lane road with a 65 mph speed limit and the blockade was about 30-40 yards from the intersection. The road appeared to continue for approximately a couple hundred yards. There is nothing at this intersection that marks it any differently than any other road intersecting this 4 lane roadway. This part of West Virginia often has severe fog problems, but not this morning. I interviewed the participants and waited for the cops to show up. The cops arrived quickly. I positioned myself about 30-40 feet from the lockdown and waited for the police interaction with the protesters. Deputy Eric Eversole appeared to be first on the scene. He briefly surveyed the situation at the lock down and then abruptly turned walking quickly toward me and said:

"Turn your camera off you're under arrest for trespassing."

I responded something to the effect that I was a Journalist and I was willing to leave and he responded that I could not, that I was under arrest. I'm not sure if I turned off the camera or not, I was experiencing a level of shock at the time.

He confiscated my camera, cuffed me and instructed me to stand off to the side and I did so. Later he came over and thanked me for being cooperative, to which I said, "Well of course; I'm not here to protest, I'm just here to do my job."

I watched as the cops quickly snapped the chain that attached the protesters to a guard rail on one side and a lamp post on the other. The protesters were asked to stand up and move to the side of the road. They politely expressed that they could not do that in good conscience and expressed remorse that they were forced by necessity to be there there at all.

Several more squad cars and police showed up, they blocked one lane of 2 lanes traveling north on the road and then tried to scare the protesters into moving of their own volition by saying the traffic was backing up and if someone died on the road they would be charged for murder. There was no back up of traffic and the protesters held strong.

The police then dragged the 4 protesters off of the road with the brunt of the force being exerted on the arm of the 81 year old. Other officers and Massey security assisted in dragging them off by pulling on various appendages of the other protesters. The protesters were placed in the ditch along the road so that workers entering Massey Headquarters could get by. The authorities then set about figuring out how to dismantle the protesters from the tubes and chains that connected them.

Convinced that the protesters were just holding hands inside the tubes Deputy Eversole decided to test this theory by yanking on the weakest link ... again... the arm of the 81 year old.

Eventually, they were able to separate the protesters and we all took a ride to the Madison, WV Jail.

None of us were ever read our rights, ever. This was not an oversight, because as I rode to the jail with Deputy Eversole he attempted to interrogate me about my personal opinion regarding Mountain Top Removal and when I deferred to have that conversation when I was not "in the system" and he was not on the clock he reminded us that we had not been read our rights and that he would not be able to use anything I said at this time against me. ... I declined the conversation, feeling certain that that was a lie; but told him that I would tell him what I had heard from the strip miners I had interviewed who acknowledged that MTR mining was not a "good" thing, but since they had no other job opportunities they were unable to fully consider the issue.

Upon seeing my charges for the 1st time, at the Madison Jail, I learned that I was being charged identically to the 4 protesters.
1) Conspiracy,
2) Trespassing, Refused to Leave,
3) Destruction of property,
4) Resisting Arrest and
5) Disobeying a lawful order.

Roughly 11 hours after being arrested we were shuttled to Southern Regional Jail in Holden, WV which sits on a former strip mine just a few miles from the site of the Massey sponsored Friends of America rally (which was also on a former strip mine site). My video tape was now officially seized as "evidence" and 2 of my charges had been dropped. leaving..

1) Conspiracy,
2) Trespassing, Refused to Leave and
3) Disobeying a lawful order.

My current paperwork still lists me as chained to 3 others on a private road. Also I was instructed that I could not get my video tape or a copy until they were done using it as evidence.

At regional jail we were deloused, informed that we would be charged 30 dollars for the privilege of being booked, given our orange pajamas and began the booking process. When presented with my inventoried list of personal items I quickly rattled off about 10 items that they had neglected to list including my cash. When we got to the health screening and next of kin notifying section of the booking process myself and 22 year old protester Joe, from Charleston West Virginia, both refused to be injected with a Tuberculous Test on the grounds that we were not willing to be guinea pigs for some pharmaceutical company. As punishment, we were stripped of our orange pajamas and give a blue flannel muumuu to indicate that we were now on SUICIDE WATCH and that we were not allowed to mix with the general population and that WE WOULD NOT BE GETTING OUR PHONE CALL. We were placed in a one man cell with 2 other inmates who were actually suicidal when entering the system. 3 of us were accused of misdemeanors and 1 claimed to be in for the FELONY OF CAPITOL MURDER. Housing misdemeanors and Felons in the same cell, I hear, is illegal. Denying an inmate a single phone call is, I believe, illegal. More about the TB test later.

After a night of sleeping in glaring florescent light with our legs folded under us as a 300lb accused murderer pissed 2-3 ft from our heads every 1/2 hr we were able to see the Psychologist who could take us off Suicide Watch.

"Why are you on suicide watch?
"I refused to take the TB test."
"Why would you do that?"
"I take no pharmaceuticals for health or pleasure and I don't trust that the test will not harm me"
"Why would you think that?"
"Because it's a fact that pharmaceutical companies test new drugs on inmates and Military personnel and I'm not willing to be a guinea pig"
"Are you overly paranoid about anything else?"
"I'm not overly paranoid about anything, it's a fact."

All 4 of us were taken off suicide watch. The other 2 graduated back to orange pajamas and were introduced into the general population. Joe and I remained in the suicide tank with our blue flannel muumuus because we were not going to be allowed into the general population with out taking the TB test.

After the relief of being able to stretch our legs got old; I found an appropriate time to request my phone call. I was informed by the guard that we STILL would not be getting our phone call because of refusing the TB test. He said he didn't know what our problem was; that he had a family to go home to and didn't want to be bringing my Tuberculous back to them, he continued, that he gets the test every year and he's never had TB. He was raising his voice at this time and .. so did I as I reminded him that it was just a Test not a Vaccine AND that the test DID NOT INDICATE POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE FOR 3 DAYS therefore it did nothing to prevent him or anyone else in general population from getting TB from an infected inmate. He yelled back that I was one of those Know-It-Alls and reiterated that we would not be getting a phone call. Shortly after this Joe noticed that he had gone into a side room and came out with a new pepper spray canister on his side.

Somewhere around 4:20 pm yesterday I overheard the guards preparing to release someone. It turned out to be me. As they were checking me out I was shown a piece paper and told to sign it.

"What is it?"
"It just says you didn't have any cash on you when you came in so you're not getting any back"
"Then I'm not signing it cause it's not true sir. I saw the envelope with my name and $99.00 written on it when I was processed"
hem haw... hem haw ... assistant chimes in
"oh, yeah, here it is"

They deducted the 30 dollar jail fee from my cash and WROTE ME A CHECK for the rest, walked me out of the building and handed me a brown paper bag with all of my non clothing belongings in it with no opportunity for me to verify that everything was there.

I was now 10-20 miles from anything, on top of a former Mountain Top Removal site, with a dead cell phone, having been allowed to call no one. None of the others arrested with me had been released with me, I had no cash, I had no idea why I was released or what had happened to the vehicle I had driven to the protest.

After a few minutes of repacking my stuff into my vest while uttering obscenities regarding my situation; a car pulled up with some Climate Ground Zero activists in it. They had bailed me out: 3 thousand dollars CASH. Presumably they did this to foster good relations with the press. Knowing that every journalist that attempts to cover their actions will likely have their rights violated, I can now assume that they intend to make sure those journalists with enough balls to be there will not be disappeared into the system with no phone call, rotting in a 1 person cell with 3 others while waiting months for a court date.

It's touching and honorable that they would put up money for me before taking care of their own. It is testament to the integrity of their organization. If you would like to help cover some of the cost to them for my wrongful arrest you can make a donation at their website. Tell them thank you for me, I'm sure they would appreciate it and put the money to good use.

make donations at
http://www.climategroundzero.org

PS. Who wants to be my lawyer?

5 Arrested at Human Roadblock to Massey HQ

FluxRostrum — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 05:17:46 +0000

Four people protesting Massey Energy's mountaintop removal mining practices were arrested Wednesday after linking their arms together with plastic pipe and duct tape, briefly blocking a private road to Massey's Boone County headquarters.The Boone County sheriff charged the four men, who range in age from 22 to 80, with trespassing, destruction of property, failure to obey lawful command, conspiracy and resisting arrest. The sheriff says the makeshift roadblock nearly caused an accident as cars backed up to nearby US 119 in heavy fog. Standup. One of those charged was 80-year-old Roland Micklem, 80, of Savannah, N.Y. Deputies also busted Joseph Hamsher; James McGuinness, and Fred Williamson.

A fifth person detained and charged after the protest was described by Climate Ground Zero as an independent videojournalist who goes by the name FluxRostrum. Cops called him Gianni Lapis and charged him with trespassing, conspiracy and failure to obey a lawful command. The latest protest comes just two days after a huge pro-coal rally that Massey helped sponsor.

report @ photo by Bob Aaron of WCH8

NOmadjik into the Wild

FluxRostrum — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 19:38:35 +0000

The bus that limped into Austin a couple months ago is now embarking on the the long limp ... for lack of a better word... home. Seems like every destination becomes the symbolic "home" that I never really reach.

I fixed the leak with a combination of patching material and have a back up plan if the patches break. I also did a 2 hour local test drive to make sure everything was working. I'll be stoopping frequently to check for leaks and let my baby rest.

Anyone in the Waco, Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville areas that want to hook up let me know. This will be a fairly slow drive... I'm pushing my luck enough just pulling out of the driveway.

wish me luck.

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Things I would Have Liked to Submit to the "Lights. Camera. Help." Film Festival

FluxRostrum — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 18:30:34 +0000

I just found out about this film festival for films promoting the cause of non profit organizations...

Lights. Camera. Help. it's in Austin July 31st - Aug. 2nd

It's too late to submit for this year.. so here's my Non Prof Film Fest.

http://fluxview.com/USA/BlairGrocerySchool
http://fluxview.com/USA/BlairSchool-springUpdate

http://fluxview.com/USA/RhizomeEviction

http://fluxview.com/USA/VeteransGreenJobsNewOrleans

http://fluxview.com/USA/EverybodysKitchen

http://fluxview.com/USA/Strategy4EffectiveDisasterRelief

http://fluxview.com/USA/AnitaRoddickAdvocacyCenter

To My Favorite WVO Mechanic

FluxRostrum — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 22:47:42 +0000

There's a hole in the coolant hose that heats the the veggie oil. It is in that impossible place to get at where the hose in hose (oil line running inside the coolant line) goes through the firewall (not a computer term). I'm surprised that the unprotected sharp piece of metal pressed tightly up against it had not cut a hole in it sooner.

This morning I was awoken by the police (again) while parked in the RV side of a Flying J parking lot. They "mildly" threatened to arrest me or fine me 1,000 dollars an ounce for the coolant that leaked out over night. I was able to convince them to give me an hour to fix it and leave... that i knew where the hole was and was capable of fixing it ( I did know, but I am not capable of fixing it in an hour ) I've blown about 80 unexpected bucks on coolant, stop leak and "special" rescue tape. There is no way to fix the hole without removing the entire veggie fuel line and coolant heat system. It will take a lot of time.

I was told by a flying J employee to just move it back to the big rig lot and work on it there, that way when the cops came back I'd be gone. I did that but within an hour an unmarked car with a uniformed cop cruised by.

As I rolled around under the bus frantically trying to put tape on wet hose with one hand (because that's all that would fit it the space) a trucker pulls up next to me hops out and leans down to warn me of the swarm of bees he saw behind my bus... I thanked him even though those bees and the ones I was laying on were all dead from the coolant that covered my entire body as well.

I cut an extra piece of hose and tried to cover the hole and protect the hose from the sharp metal it had been rubbing against for 25,000 miles. I called in for reinforcements from my Texas comrades, ideas for where i could limp the bus to for safety.. Thank you all, just knowing someone was helping me think it through was quite comforting. Also, Much thanks to Topher who I bugged 'til the wee hours last night trying to find a solution. You Topher, are my "real" favorite veggie mechanic; the title of this post however is a reference that that other guy will only get.

Long story long... Bus not fixed. bus not in Austin. maybe bus in Austin tonight. Bus limping into Austin for the 3rd fucking time. I'm able to drive about 10-15 miles on each radiator fill up of water. Must drive real slow on the highway while assholes honk angerly at me every minute or 2. I'm almost within range of a AAA tow job but those of you who have followed my saga will know that I can probably drive there in 10 mile spurts faster than they will come tow me.

I don't know what "normal life" is; but I know that this is NOT normal or joyous and that has become the norm for bus travel and I'm sick-n-fuckin' tired of it.

90% home . . . 90% over it.

1st Nicotine Patch Dream Trip

FluxRostrum — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 15:37:30 +0000

for those of you who don't know, when you use "the patch" to stop smoking your dreams are extremely vivid... like tripping.

Last night I went to Mexico in the bus to avenge Brad Wills murder. While parked at a gas station I got a tour of Oaxaca from the locals. When I returned to the bus ALL my computer gear was packed neatly in duffel bags sitting on the bus seats... but none of it was missing... I guess the thieves were interrupted by something.. I scored 5 duffel bags. '~)

to my surprise when I woke up there were NO duffel bags but my equipment was still in place. '~)