JMBzine.com
















by J. M. Branum

JMBzine.com is a free and independent media outlet protected by the Bill of Rights, First Amendment.

ABOUT ME:
  • 27 yr old male
  • jesus disciple
  • 2d yr. law student
  • peace activist
  • an okie green
  • former austinite
  • writer

    Email: jmb(at)jmbzine.com

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    favorite L-student blogs

    - Sua Sponte -
    - Janeway speaks -
    - Omer Poos -
    - Mellow-drama -
    - Zipsix.com -


    blogs by L students, Pre-law geeks, and recent L school grads

    - AndrewRaff.com -
    - gTexts -
    - Mad Tea Party -
    - disLEXia -
    - Method2Madness -
    - Tarheel Pundit -
    - Waddling Thunder -
    - Ambivalent Imbroglio -
    - damn the muse -
    - Jeremy's weblog -
    - Jewish Buddha -
    - Liable -
    - Math class for poets -
    - Off the fence -
    - Paul's Boutique -
    - thelifeoferin -
    - retrorocket -
    - The Rattler -
    - Santagati.com -
    - beingkate.com -
    - Statonlaw.net -
    - Antioch Road -
    - Volokh -


    Austin blogs

    confessionalism.com
    Bedheaded
    emoomega
    Indieandra
    kaci archer
    goodmorning
    Creamy


    Music I adore

    The Magnetic Fields
    Robert Earl Keen
    The Great Divide
    Madison Greene
    Miranda Stone
    UHQ
    Bill & VOL
    Five Iron Frenzy
    Brave Saint Saturn
    The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
    Belle & Sebastian
    Cake



    Music I dig

    Steve Earle
    Calibretto 13
    Nickel Creek
    Gillian Welch
    S. Austin Jug Band
    Jim's Big Ego
    The Decemberists
    Echoing Green
    Cross Canadian Ragweed
    Guardian
    Finch
    Natalie Merchant
    Rusted Root
    The Asylum Street Spankers
    Barenaked Ladies
    Blues Traveler
    Jimmy Eat World
    Lenny Smith
    Alison Krauss
    Cherokee Nat. Children's Choir
    Delirious
    Duncan Sheik
    Iron Butterfly
    Austin Lounge Lizards
    Bela Fleck
    Bad Faces Clan
    Bob Marley
    Bruce Hornsby
    Fleming and John
    Element 101
    Ballydowse
    The Crossing
    Havalina Rail Company
    Godspeed you...
    Jeff Buckley
    Nick Drake
    They Might Be Giants
    The Beatles
    Guster
    AZX
    Pedro the Lion
    Ani DiFranco
    Bob Dylan
    Hank Williams III
    Junior Brown
    Lucinda Williams
    Weird Al Yankovitch
    Brooke Axtell
    Cross Movement
    Gin Blossoms
    Creed
    Shaded Red
    Waterdeep
    Acapella/AVB
    Eli
    K.C. Clifford
    Stryper
    Randy Thompson
    The Elms
    Superchic[k]
    Joy Electric
    Juliana Theory
    Pep Squad
    The Insyderz
    Save Ferris
    Walela
    O.C. Supertones
    Danielson Familie
    Third Day
    Echoing Green
    Chicago
    The Gypsy Kings
    Fold Zandura
    PFR
    MxPx
    Jimmy Buffett
    Jennifer Knapp
    Rick Altizer
    Bob Wills...
    Luke Brindley
    Blink 182
    Green Day
    Phish
    The Cranberries
    Peter, Paul & Mary
    Mamas and Papas
    John Denver

    Internet Radio (don't R.I.P.)

    JMBzine.com Radio
    KTSW - College Radio
    Radio New Braunfels
    Texas Rebel Radio
    Radio1Austin.com
    KHYI.com
    KOKF.com




    Blogroll and random




    Click for Law School Outlines

    Today's Verse
    Random

    Pedi-cab Poetry



    thanks to
    * m a y s t a r *
    designs
    • Wednesday, September 10, 2003

    The beginning of the move



      I've started working on getting things transitioned over to the Movable Type interface but it will be awhile before I get the templates and everything set up for the new system, so for the time being the "front" page when you access www.jmbzine.com will remain the blogger-powered page (the page you are viewing now).

      Then in a few days once I get all of the kinks worked out the front page will be switched out to the new page that is powered by Movable type. (Don't worry though all of my old content will be archived and remain online.)

      Oh one more thing... all new posts after this one will be on the movable type-powered page so if you want to read the latest posts click here.

    posted by JM at 5:37 PM | link |


    Tuesday, September 09, 2003

    Poetic Attack



      Received by email forward today...

        On September 11th there will be a poetic attack
        in many parts of the world. Everyone who is
        interested is invited to go out on
        that day and leave a book in a park, in a cafe,
        or in a public place, so that it can be found by
        someone else and taken as a gift. Anyone who
        donates a book is entitled to bring home the
        books they find.
        Will you adopt a book?
        Will you set it free?
        Please forward this information.
        Let's hope the movement will grow.
        Thanks to all the unknown readers.

    posted by JM at 11:30 PM | link |


    The Shady Angels --- The myth, the legend....the band.



      From one of my good friends in Austin, Bill McCharen
      :

        Playing live @ The Red Eyed Fly Lounge (7th & Red River)
        Wednesday, September 10th at 10pm
        [Dorcus Ham follows at 12:00]

        Playing live @ Momo's Club on 6th
        Monday, September 15th at 9:15pm

        Come and support live music in Austin!

        Come and support those shady rockstars who love Jesus!


      More info on the band can be found at ShadyAngels.com




    posted by JM at 11:03 PM | link |


    Liberty in Cyberspace



    • The Electronic Frontier Foundation - Their motto: "Digital Rights and Freedom for All"

      I highly encourage internet users (particularly those who share files to visit this site, especially their IP search engine that can search to see if the scumbags at the RIAA have subpeneaed your information.

      In the meantime though, boycott corporate music, if not for the sake of liberty do so because corporate music sucks.

    • Chilling Effects Clearinghouse - A joint project of the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Harvard, Stanford, Berkeley, University of San Francisco, and University of Maine law school clinics. The site is provides an education on electronic rights and includes actual copies of "cease and desist" letters sent by corporate thugs at the RIAA.

    posted by JM at 6:35 PM | link |


    Madison Greene in Oklahoma & Texas!



      One of my favorite bands, Madison Greene is making it down this direction from their home in Michigan. I highly recommend them if you dig crazy hippie music.

      BTW, here are a couple of my favorite pictures of them (I took these at Cornerstone Music festival back in I think 2002: #1 ##2 #3 #4 #5)

      Here's part of their schedule showing some of their concerts in this region (I plan to be at the Stillwater show)...


        Sep 18 Thu
        Austin, TX @ The Green Muse
        Concert: 8:30 PM
        Cost: Free($5 sugg. donation)
        For Info: 512.912.7789

        Sep 19 Fri
        Stillwater, OK @ The University Worship Center
        Doors:8:00pm Concert: 9:00pm
        For Info: www.uwconline.com

        Sep 20 Sat
        Bartlesville, OK @ On The Rock Coffee House
        Concert: 9:30 PM
        Cost: Free($5 sugg. donation)
        For Info: 918.336.2636

    posted by JM at 5:52 PM | link |


    Monday, September 08, 2003

    First Blog post at my new webhost



      DNS probably hasn't found it yet, but very soon JMBzine.com will be at its new home hosted at VagrantHosting.com (a business ran by some old friends who also run the madness that is Vagrantcafe).

      I am also going to be transitioning very soon to a Movable type interface. I love Blogger but I think I've reached the point that MT will work better for my needs.

      On another note, I am considering bigger changes on this blog in the way of content to coincide with my move to the new interface.

      Mostly I see the need for this change because I have been way too depressed lately (not due to any circumstances... generally my life is actually pretty good, but rather just an unexplainable feeling of apathy and doom that feels like my soul is being crushed to death except I don't care anymore)

      The question for me is that I'm not sure if blogging helps me or hurts me in those times.

      I've talked to a couple of friends indirectly about how writing this blog might affect my emotional state. One friend said that she thought the concept of blogging was suspect and in most cases was driven by ego (but didn't really address my own reasons for blogging, just the idea of blogging in the abstract).

      Another friend said that my negative/hateful political postings is what is problematic and that my personality is not the same in those posts as it is in real life.

      I'm not sure if either of them are right completely, but I'm not sure.

      I don't see blogging as especially egotistical in my case just because I think every person out there is interesting IF they shared the interesting minutia of life with the world. (Or to quote the Rogers & Hammerstein musical Oklahoma. . .

        I don't say I'm no better than anybody else, But I'll be damned if I ain't jist as good!


      But I also can see that my particular blog at times is very egotistical, particularly when I start talking about politics. It is so easy to get consumed with what I think is right that I forgot that others also have very strong opinions too, and that even if I believe with all of my heart that my view is right, I have to accept the fact that I could be wrong and could learn to see things differently.

      And most of all, I feel like that the blog sometimes is an avenue for rage and hatred towards those who I think do evil things. Certainly it is good and even right to be moved passionately against evil in this world, but somehow, someway I gotta keep that passion from turning into hatred towards people. I should pity those who are blinded into doing the wrong things because I have the same ailment. I do evil awful things sometimes. I hurt other people. I hurt myself. I hurt God. Why do I think I have the right to hate the President, Ashcroft or anyone else, if I can't even manage to do the little things in my life right? I am such hypocrite to hate others when I know my own self and I know how far I am from the standard I hold others to.

      So anyway, I'm not sure what I'm going to do. I'm leaning towards making a commitment to minimizing my involvement in causes that tend to get more negative in nature (including blog posts of a negative nature) and to focus on those causes that have a clear positive way to work for good. --- If any of y'all have any thoughts on this, I would appreciate hearing what you think. I'm especially interested in hearing what fellow activists do to keep their anger from eating them alive, or how you keep working for good in a messed up world without becoming morbidly depressed.

    posted by JM at 11:36 PM | link |


    Important Note - Email Outage



      I am in the process of moving my DNS for JMBzine.com so for the next 12-24 hours my primary email address (jmb@jmbzine.com) will likely bounce. If you need to contact me via email please use jmb@oklahomadesigngroup.com as that email will continue to function.

      Sorry for the inconvenience!

    posted by JM at 7:19 PM | link |


    Sunday, September 07, 2003

    Is Blind Patriotism that patriotic?



    • Newsweek/MSNBC: Time for a New Patriotism? ---
      True loyalty to country is about more than saluting. A case for redefining the concept

        Britney Spears, best known recently for a lip lock with Madonna, is hardly an authority on the political ramifications of September 11. But Spears has a bankable feel for the popular pulse, and her comments last week reflected a good chunk of public opinion on the subject of patriotism: “I think we should just trust the president in every decision he makes,” she told CNN, “and we should just support that, and be faithful in what happens.”

        MILLIONS OF PEOPLE, most of them Republicans, define themselves politically and define others patriotically by adherence to that simple Spears standard. The Bush White House will do everything it can to identify those voters; play to their sometimes sublimated emotions of fidelity and fear, and turn the first Tuesday in November 2004 into a referendum on the second Tuesday in September 2001. Stay Proud. Stay Safe. Vote Bush.

        But now a hard-nosed Democratic critique has emerged, reflected in Howard Dean’s surprising success and Al Franken’s runaway best seller that documents lies told by Bush and other conservatives. This view is a twist on Bush’s taunt to the terrorists, “Bring ‘em on.” These Democrats are essentially saying to him: “Go ahead, make ads wearing that flight suit on the aircraft carrier; visit Ground Zero with a bullhorn during the GOP convention next year in New York; try to ‘Dukakisize’ the Democratic nominee as an unpatriotic weenie. This time, it ain’t working.” And, by the way, “We told you so on the failure of your go-it-alone arrogance abroad and your job-killing, feed-the-rich economy at home.”

        . . . But soon patriotism moved from a comfort to a cudgel. An impulse that had briefly united now often divided, as it did in the past. At the turn of the last century, Samuel Clemens (better known as Mark Twain), who was deemed a traitor for opposing U.S. policy in the Philippines, derided what he called “monarchical patriotism.” The old royal idea that “the king can do no wrong,” Clemens reported with disgust, had been changed to “our country, right or wrong.”

        . . .This raises anew the question of what modern patriotism means. Was it patriotic for the White House to instruct the EPA to put out a press release after 9/11 saying the air around Ground Zero was safe when there was no evidence for it? Was it patriotic to invade Iraq when there was no sign of an imminent threat and plenty to suggest that it would seriously detract from the war on Al Qaeda? Was it patriotic for the White House to allow American companies that reap millions in contracts with the Department of Homeland Security to incorporate in Bermuda in order to avoid paying taxes?

        Perhaps most important, is it patriotic to define patriotism the old-fashioned way—as a kind of narrow nationalism? That jingoistic definition is carrying a price for the president, who must now go on bended knee to allies he so recently scorned. When you’re spending $1 billion a week in Iraq, dissing our friends, as Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld have done consistently, seems to be a tad ... counter-productive. Those “freedom fries” in the House cafeteria are burning us now; those gibes that John Kerry “looks French” don’t look so clever.

        Maybe all that liberal talk about involving the United Nations wasn’t so squishy and unpatriotic after all, if one believes it’s now a good idea to lose less in blood and treasure in Iraq. Maybe the true patriotism—the best nationalism—is enlightened internationalism, just as presidents from both parties have believed since World War II. Maybe Britney Spears and millions of Mark Twain’s other “monarchical patriots” can learn to trust in that, too. Or at least offer some respect to those who disagree.

    posted by JM at 4:05 PM | link |


    Random




    posted by JM at 12:39 PM | link |


    Saturday, September 06, 2003

    Why the major record labels suck



    • MSNBC/AP: Music file-swap amnesty planned- Recording industry won’t sue those who delete downloads - This is nothing more than a way to sow seeds of fear into the American populace. I say instead of doing this, send them a statement saying you refuse to ever BUY a major label release again and instead will only buy from independnet artists and small record labels. The RIAA is going at this in such a bad way. But of course I think the RIAA and the big record industries is such a mess that they should die anyway. I hope more and more artists will eschew that model and look elsewhere.


    posted by JM at 3:40 PM | link |


    Thursday, September 04, 2003

    Drug Policies




    posted by JM at 11:09 PM | link |


    The power of the media



    • Wired.com: Change Channels, Change Minds?

        ncreasing numbers of solidly heterosexual males across the country seem to be giggling at Bravo's new hit show, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. Stunned family members can't help but think: "Wow. The power of television."

        But does television really have the power to transform people's views? Or does it simply reflect attitudes already prevalent in society? A Kansas State researcher studied about 200 relatively sheltered rural Kansas college students and found that popular TV shows dramatically improved their attitudes toward gays and lesbians. . .

    posted by JM at 10:46 PM | link |


    Blogger.com is beginning to frustrate me



      I'm beginning to think that Blogger's acquition by Google was a very bad thing. The reliability of the Blogger service has been depreciating rapidly of late. I would love to hear from other blog authors as to what blog platform they would recommend if I make switch. I've thought about Movable Type but it sounds so complicated to install.

    posted by JM at 10:42 PM | link |


    Oklahoma Protest Activities





    posted by JM at 6:01 PM | link |


    World News



    • For another perspective on world news check out Al Jazeera's English language website. They have surprisingly thorough coverage of American news but with a focus on the negative. (It reminds me a little of listening to Radio Habana Cuba on shortwave radio, but not nearly so biased.)

    posted by JM at 12:52 AM | link |


    Random




    posted by JM at 12:38 AM | link |


    Peace



    • My friend Aaron sent me a link to an essay by the Rev. Ken Joseph, Jr. on his rethinking of his pacifist stance concerning the Iraqi war. It's an interesting read but like any kind of antecdotal evidence, the experieneces of individuals varies so much. I've spoken to Kathy Kelly of Voices in the Wilderness along with others who have been to Iraq on their campaigns (one is Andrew Mandell of JPUSA community and formerly of the Celtic-punk band Ballydowse) and their experiences were very different from the Rev. Joseph's experience.

      I doubt that either of those versions of the truth are completely right or wrong. Many ordinary Iraqis cheered to see Hussein gone, others deplored it due to the enormous cost in human lives. War is never simple.

      In the end, I have to say there are some absolutes. Killing people is always wrong. Murder was the first sin after "the fall" (Cain slaying Abel), it was one of the ten commandments (thou shalt not kill), and certainly was echoed throughout the Old and New Testaments of the Christian canon of scripture. This prohibition is also found in most of the religious texts of the world, with certain exceptions certainly, but generally seen as being at best the lessor of two evils.

      So, if killing can best be the lesser of two evils, then I have to believe that we too often aren't creative enough in find ways to avoid violence. To quote Dr. King...

        Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.


      We need to rediscover "creative" forms of protest against violence. The problem with the Iraqi war was that it was the easy way out. Yes, the Iraqi people needed liberation, but they needed to liberate themselves. America can not and did not liberate that people. Until the Iraqi people discover the power of nonviolent protest, they will continue to be in bondage, if not by Saddam Hussein, then they will be under the yoke of foreign occupiers and domestic tyrants.

      True liberty can only be achieved through what Dr. King called "soul force," and in all reality is why everyone on planet earth today is still in bondage to evil. We all are both victims and perpetrators of violence. Even the most noble of us can't help but contibute in some way to what is evil. We must, if we are to save our society from total corruption, recover what has been lost and begin to see the Imago Dei that is present in the soul of every human being we encounter. Until we see our fellow human beings as all having worth in the eyes of God we are no better than the wild animals.

    • For another perspective on what war is like on the ground... PissedOffAmerican: Reprint of a Newweek article on Faith Fippinger, human shield during the Iraqi war who is now facing 12 years in prison and a $10,000 fine for her acts of defiance to the war in Iraq

    posted by JM at 12:20 AM | link |


    Wednesday, September 03, 2003

    Random





    posted by JM at 9:04 PM | link |


    My first mental health day for Fall 2003



      Yep, I skipped classes today. In fact I skipped them all, and boy did it feel good. I went to the Oklahoma City Zoo instead and had a blast. (I took lots of pics and will post some later maybe) It sucks we only have 6 excused absences. I got a feeling I'm going to use all of them this semester.

      One thing I learned today was that the OKC zoo is one of the top 10 zoo's in the country and has the #5 best botanical garden in the country!

    posted by JM at 9:03 PM | link |


    US asks for UN help in Iraq



    • MSNBC: U.S. seeks greater U.N. role in Iraq ---
      Washington starts circulating resolution for multinational military force

      For once, I think the administration is going the right direction. I think it is critical that the UN takes over this operation, however I do think it is a mistake for the US to insist that a US general lead this force. Hopefully Bush will rethink this plank of his proposal.

      In the end though, I think the sooner the US gets out of Iraq and turns the administration of Iraq over to a democratically elected leadership, the better off things will be. I also think, that despite Turkey's complaints, Iraq should give serious consideration into splitting into two or more countries, including an independent Kurdistan. "Iraq" as a single nation was the construction of the British colonial powers. There is no reason besides fear that has kept this country together as one unit. Either Iraq should divide, or it should consider a Federal form of government (such we have in the US, Canada, and Australia) which allows for a seperation of powers between regional governments and a larger national government.

    posted by JM at 10:38 AM | link |


    It's not just happening in Seminole... workers & community in Jefferson, WI rise up against corporate greed!






    posted by JM at 9:18 AM | link |


    New "Front Cover" Photo




    posted by JM at 1:21 AM | link |


    Tuesday, September 02, 2003

    Photos from last week's Wrangler Protest...




    posted by JM at 7:40 PM | link |


    Criminal Procdure/Con Law




    posted by JM at 5:00 PM | link |


    Monday, September 01, 2003

    JMBzine Word of the Day



      Yeoman

      From Dictionary.com:

        5. A farmer who cultivates his own land, especially a member of a former class of small freeholders in England.


    posted by JM at 8:24 PM | link |


    Christian-Buddhist Thought






    posted by JM at 5:42 PM | link |


    World News



    • Deutsche Welle is a very comprehensive in-depth news site from German Public Radio/TV.

    posted by JM at 12:29 PM | link |


    Pedicabbing



    • PediChad - a blog by an Austin pedi-cab driver named Chad

    • ABC News: No Free Rides --- Regulations Cripple 'Pedicabs' - This is an older story but a good one. It is hard issue on how to protect the public without hurting the pedi-cab industry. I'm inclined to think the best way to benefit all concerned is to require licences but for the city to subsidize or even pay for the insurance. Why not? Cities subsidize buses because they reduce pollution and traffic so why not pedicabs? They are far more efficient than buses. Not just less pollution but instead ZERO pollution.

    posted by JM at 12:02 PM | link |


    Politics



    • MSNBC: Howard Dean surges into the lead --- Polls, fund-raising efforts boost former Vermont governor

      At this point I think MSNBC is right. I think Dean is the leader and will likely win the nomination and I would argue is one of the few Democratic candidates who has a shot at beating Bush.

      The main issues of course that might still come into play will be whether the war situation improves significantly (which would favor a more moderate pro-war candidate like Lieberman) or if another issue comes to the forefront in which Dean is weak.

      I myself will not support Dean. I might vote for him in the general election if the Greens can't get a candidate on the ballot in Oklahoma for Prez, but I'll my nose doing it. Dean is not "progressive"*. He is for the continued war on drugs, he is for the death penalty, and he is for some wars (i.e. Afghanistan). He is also kinda mean to me and way too agressive. I much prefer Kucinich's style and message.

      * By "progressive" I mean those who are green or very-liberal in their politics, with the key issues being opposition to violence of any form (war, death penalty, etc.) and support for social justice concerns.

    posted by JM at 11:46 AM | link |


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