Hello, just some quick feedback about the recent newsletter, and the call I just received this morning. In the newsletter, the quotes selected were from unknown, Associate Justices that have not had a remarkable effect on history. Perhaps there is someone out there doing a dissertation on any or all of those quoted, but generally, selecting a quote from the unknown is not one's best decision. Secondly, it is remarkable to me that the choices given on that survey call from Rep. Marchant were so colored that there was not even the opportunity to select, "Other" or "None of the Above", or be allowed to record my interest. This is especially poignant when he asked, "Which of the following 3 social issues is most important to you?" And the choices were: Pro-Life Issues, 1. Protection of Marriage Issues, 2. 2nd Amendment Issues, 3. Listen, it was an offense that a politician cannot even frame a question without expressing outrageous bias! Regarding 'Pro-Life Issues', I feel that women own the sovereignty of their bodies, and as such, know what is best regarding their pregnancies--in all cases, though such sovereignty may go in a gray area in cases of underage persons. Regarding 'Protection of Marriage Issues', it is a shameful thought to deny a sovereign person the right to love whomever they please, and this prejudice is underlying every single utterance of "protect marriage," shame on you! The real issue could be resolved if civil unions are granted, through the State, allowing for equal protection under the law. If you choose to believe it, such persons will NOT be protected by your conception of G*d's law, but in America, Church & State are, and should remain, separate. Make our laws accordingly, and leave the mortal justice to Your G*d. And lastly, I do believe the 2nd Amendment is a valuable part of our privilege & responsiblity as Americans, but if I'd selected #3, it would have been like writing you a blank check. The right to bear arms should never have handed our country over to gun manufacturers who sell the most sadistic weaponry ever conceived, for the purpose of killing people--such rampant disrespect for others as is repeatedly espoused by people of the Republican Party and the so-called Right, such as yourself, is what makes our country weak.

“Naturally the common people don't want war; neither in Russia, nor in England, nor in America, nor in Germany. That is understood. But after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.”

Who said it? See if you can guess who said it, or click to find out.

Oh, by the way, here's the newest chic color coding system to protect us from terrorism.
But seriously folks, today was a yellow alert for the country, and orange for people flying. 

*Looking for a bar graph or chart that shows that we've basically been on 'elevated' or 'high' alert, ad nauseum, since this rainbow was enacted.  Can't find it as of this moment--please, Reader, send me a link if ever it is found or made.

If the suspense is killing you about who said it, and/or you're really annoyed at me for leaving it out, it was Hermann Goering, the Nazi.

Apparently, a few years after this interview was made, both Amy Goodman and Bernard White were forced from their jobs for reasons that probably have to do with their intrepid search for the real story.  Here's an interesting story and excerpt of a time when then-President Bill Clinton (link) randomly called in to her program as part of his Election Day effort to 'get out the vote' in support of Al Gore, Joe Lieberman, and his wife Hillary, for then-Senate.  In keeping with her journalistic spirit, listen (link) to the mp3 of her asking direct questions about Leonard Peltier, racial profiling, the death penalty, sanctions in Iraq, etc.

I happened to record this broadcast on my tape recorder, and in the interim, I've listened to it a couple more times.  Thankfully, the entire broadcast (link) is now available online in digital formats. (1)  From there I've edited the file for just the interview with Lewis. Enjoy his interesting voice, telling stories of his experience, and his remarkable energy.  His colorful life included working on a farm, in the circus, vaudeville, medicine shows, radio, burlesque, tv, and as a political activist.

He knew people as varied as John Gotti, Charles "Charlie" Manson, Paul Robeson, Orson Welles, Vera Hall (link), Nat Hiken (link), Fred Allen.  (wanted to post this, will continue linking TBD)

Some favorite parts:

"Americans really don't know history, especially their own."

"Before the passage of the Harrison Act, the basis of all that and the basis for that giant corporation in Atlanta, Georgia, Coca-Cola, was cocaine, cocaine!  People don't realize that after the Civil War, which was the most horrific war that America ever participated in...the wounds were horrific, and at that time along came this so-called panacea.  Per capita, America was the most junked-up nation in the world, at that time."

He quoted Los Angeles KGOL (but he was unsure of the exact call letters) radio interview where he'd heard Zubin Mehte say, "For me it's not judging whether the singers are great or spectacular or just okay, but when I hear them sing, I believe them."

After describing his involvement with a medicine show, and how he mixed up batches to sell in the bathtub the night before, he says, "It's a big sell, what do you think America is? It's is a big sell, like Oscar Wilde said, 'Nothing succeeds like excess.'  Ha, ha, ha!"

"I've always sold me.  I'm a salesman!  I'm a performer, that's what I call myself.  I've performed in all these mediums, y'know, um, I dunno', the last of the dinosaurs.  Most of these mediums don't exist y'know vaudeville, burlesque, carnival, still on the small scale, circus exists, radio doesn't exist in the way I worked, I did it.  Started on WGN in Chicago...then came to New York, big time radio."

After being asked how he got into television, he says, "I'm a hustler, you know what I mean?  People uptown who know me they say, 'Al, you put a quarter in one hand, put a quarter in the other hand.  He rubs it together, by God a dollar appears.'  I'm a hustler, you know what I mean?"

"The good has Lord blessed me with the kind of looks that endears me to women.  Actually the only problem I have in life is--that's the reason I carry a big stick is to keep women away.  I really do.  There's something about me.  You might be able to help me with that, Bernard.  Maybe take a little from me.  Ha, ha, ha."

Here are transcribed excerpts of the interview, recopied from Democracy Now's page that announced Al Lewis' death, April 30, 2006.

“GRANDPA” AL LEWIS: Most people don’t remember. When the Rosenbergs were executed, the funeral was in Brooklyn—well, they didn’t live in Brooklyn—at IJ Morris. And most people are not aware the two bodies were on view. And a group of us were there to make sure that no maniac came in and threw acid, and there was all kinds of crazies around during the height of the McCarthy period. And the lines started to form at 6:00 in the morning. The viewing didn’t open until about 10:00. It was a group of us from the NMU. And most people are not aware that the majority of people who came to view the Rosenbergs, as they laid in the coffins, were black people.

I was there from the get-go before they opened the mortuary. Had a couple of incidents, one with a Daily News reporter. I still remember her name. Ruth Montgomery was trying to sneak a camera in. We did not allow pictures to be taken, you know, of this and that. I grabbed the bag and the camera and, you know, she said, “You can’t do that.” And I said, “I know you ain’t gonna stop me. I know that. And you can attempt to call the police. You want to do that? There’s about 8,000 people waiting in line. You want to start a riot? Now, get out of here. Take your camera and get out.”

Anyway, he had made a decision. The good doctor had made a decision to go to the cemetery and you can read the front page of the New York Times. At least a thousand cars who followed the Hearst, children, grandmother. And I had to make sure that nobody messed with William Edward Burghardt DuBois. So, as we say in them old westerns, you know, we goin’ round up a posse, somebody’s gotta ride shotgun. Well, Al Lewis rode shotgun. And I always said, man, any mother’s son put his foot on that running board knows he’s the running board. I want to know if he could swallow the 45 that go right in his mouth. That’s it.

AMY GOODMAN: So there was no trouble?

“GRANDPA” AL LEWIS: Even Steven. You make your play; I’ll make mine. Take it from there.

BERNARD WHITE: Why do you figure—did you ever think about this? Why so many black folks went to visit—to view the bodies of the Rosenbergs?

“GRANDPA” AL LEWIS: They were not black radicals. Most of them were women. And I think they understood—I don’t even know if they felt that they were innocent or guilty or—I think they just felt that they shouldn’t have been executed. It’s like down in the South, Mississippi, when they used to march down from the penitentiary at Parchment. Parchment Farm. Women working in the cotton fields didn’t know these men, and they used to sing, and the song came out of that. [singing] Another man done gone / Another man done gone to the Parchment Farm.

And it was that kind of an affinity that they had with people who—you have to understand. See, people don’t understand. Whether they did or didn’t, certainly the trial didn’t prove that, that they were communist sympathizers, whatever you want to call. You have to understand the period that—you know, things grow out of soil. You know what I’m saying? You know, it’s hard to grow broccoli out of a rock. You need the proper soil.

And in those communities, because that was my community, Brownsville, East New York, you know how people knew what communists were? Didn’t read a book, didn’t read a pamphlet. During the Depression, the marshal came and evicted 20 people a day, and here come the communists, then the YCL, the Young Communist League. As soon as the marshal leaves, go up, break the lock, carry the furniture back in. Now, who do you think them people are going to—that’s how they knew communists.

I mean, read John L. Lewis’s book. Toughest places to organize was in the South. Harlan County. Good lord! I mean, you get off the train, they shoot you; bus, don’t matter. And he used to bring in communists. And that’s what people knew them as. They didn’t know nothing about no ideologies, the Soviet Union, Karl Marx. They didn’t know what the heck that was. And so it was that kind of an affinity. These people are putting their lives out on the line and getting hit on. If I don’t remember a thousand battles. They used to call it home relief; now they call it welfare—in the ‘30s. And battles, they wouldn’t give the lady home relief or they’d cut her off, or they took away this and stuff. And then, battles with the police. Well, I mean, people say, ‘Jeez, wow! So, if they were communists, they were probably moving back furniture the same way.’ It’s that kind of an affinity that underdogs have.

AMY GOODMAN: We are talking to Al Lewis, longtime actor and political activist. And Al, we just couldn’t resist. Remember Vera Hall?

VERA HALL: [singing] Another man done gone / Another man done gone from the county farm / Another man done gone / I didn’t know his name / I didn’t know his name / I didn’t know his name / I didn’t know his name / He had a long chain on / He had a long chain on / He had a long chain on / He had a long chain on / He killed another man / He killed another man / He killed another man / He killed another man / I don’t know where he’s gone / I don’t know where he’s gone / I don’t know where he’s gone / I don’t know where he’s gone / I’m going to walk your log / I’m going to walk your log / I’m going to walk your log / I’m going to walk your log.

BERNARD WHITE: So what is it in your past that made you pick the side that you’re on? I mean, there were many people—excuse me, that you worked with—

“GRANDPA” AL LEWIS: I think somebody hexed me at birth. I don’t know.

BERNARD WHITE: Because you could have just made money and been very comfortable and not—

“GRANDPA” AL LEWIS: Yeah.

BERNARD WHITE:—have anything to do with any of these issues.

“GRANDPA” AL LEWIS: That’s the way it’s supposed to be. That’s the way it is supposed to be. You fight for what you believe in. As I said many a time, I’m my mother’s son. I remember my mother taking me to demonstrations. I was a boy. My mother was—I guess, what’s that? The Bell Curve would say she was an ignorant peasant woman from Europe. Came here, girl of 15, worked in the sweatshops. Brought over five daughters and her mother and father from Europe. Worked on her back. Worked all her life. Sweatshops. Garment center.

AMY GOODMAN: Polish?

“GRANDPA” AL LEWIS: Never had a vacation, my mother. Never went to a movie. Didn’t have the time, bringing up a family, taking care of her five sisters and her mother and father, brought them here from Europe. Had to earn money for passage and everything. And my mother was the kind of woman who understood the class struggle. While my mother worked as a poor lady in the garment center, and the boss said, ‘You know, it’s kinda hot; let’s open the window,’ my mother’s thinking was, ‘If the boss says open the window, no, we keep it closed! That’s it! That’s it!’

My mother used to go on demonstrations. My mother used to—see, you people don’t remember. You all are youngsters. But during the Depression, people selling on the street corner, and along came the police officer of that day and used to attempt not all, but many, to get a dollar or two bribe. Otherwise, you can’t stay here. My mother was the kind of woman who would say in broken English—I’ll do my mother now—‘Why you doing there? Why you bothering that man? He’s trying to make a living. Get away from there!’ to the policeman. When I was a little kid, I was embarrassed. I’d pull my mother. ’Don’t pull me! Why you doing that?’ Well, my mother had a voice bigger than mine. Suddenly there’s 50 people there, and the cop is getting scared. You know, for a dollar he’s trying to get from the guy selling garbanzo beans—arbus, we called them—or sweet potatoes or something. And here’s a mob. He don’t know if they’re going to tear his head off. And he walked away. But that was—I’m my mother’s son. That’s it. I mean, I don’t know how else to explain it. Then, of course—

BERNARD WHITE: Oh, that explains it very well.

“GRANDPA” AL LEWIS: I armed myself with facts and figures. You know what I mean? You know, but that’s how my mother was. My mother, you know, a little lady and fearless.

AMY GOODMAN: “Grandpa” Al Lewis on Democracy Now!, April 10, 1997. He died this past Friday in Roosevelt Island at his home. We will come back to the interview that Bernard White and I did with him in a minute.

[break]

AMY GOODMAN: The theme of The Munsters. “Grandpa” Al Lewis was one of its stars. He died this past Friday in Roosevelt Island. We’re going to go back to the interview that I did with him with my colleague at WBAI, Bernard White, on Democracy Now! It was April 10, 1997.

AMY GOODMAN: I wanted to go back to W. E. B. DuBois for a minute. As you, a few years later—

“GRANDPA” AL LEWIS: Yeah.

AMY GOODMAN:—a few decades later when you met him, from the story you are telling about your mother. What was he like? And how did you find his concerns and what he talked about similar to what your mother cared about?

“GRANDPA” AL LEWIS: My meetings with the good doctor were not social meetings. I never—pardon me, I think I was once in his house at Grace Court, when he lived at that beautiful house.

AMY GOODMAN: In New York City?

“GRANDPA” AL LEWIS: By the river. Near Hick’s Pine, Orange, Pineapple, you know, in that area. I think I may have been there once, and that was some kind of a party—I don’t remember. Arthur Miller had a house there, Norman Rosten had a house there. I don’t know. It was some kind of a party or something. My conversations were never lengthy conversations. I would meet him at certain situations where he needed protection, you know, all kinds of crazies in this world. You know what I mean? And I was there to trump an ace. You know what I mean?

And so we talked five, six, seven, eight minutes and, you know, and as again, I would say the good doctor, as far as I can remember, never participated like—tonight is a demonstration, you know, in the killing, you know, of this young man Cedeno. Now the good doctor wouldn’t be in the crowd. He would address the crowd if they asked—you understand what I’m saying? And so, if he had to go there to address the crowd, me, guy named Popeye and a few other guys would make sure that there ain’t no crazies around, you know, and if they are, you pay the price. That’s it.

AMY GOODMAN: So he didn’t join demonstrations?

“GRANDPA” AL LEWIS: I’m sorry?

AMY GOODMAN: He didn’t join demonstrations?

“GRANDPA” AL LEWIS: Well, I don’t know what you mean by joining them.

AMY GOODMAN: He didn’t march.

“GRANDPA” AL LEWIS: You mean, did he march with a picket sign? I never knew of him to do that. I knew him even before he married Shirley, you know, Shirley Graham. In his later years he married Shirley, and then they both went to Tanzania, because of the trial—you know, arrested and handcuffed—embarrassing.

AMY GOODMAN: Why was he arrested?

“GRANDPA” AL LEWIS: So-called Smith Act communist. Why was Paul Robeson? They took his passport away. You know, it’s like Lord Acton said, “Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

AMY GOODMAN: You knew Paul Robeson?

“GRANDPA” AL LEWIS: Oh very well, very well, very well. Knew him very well. Oh, yeah.

AMY GOODMAN: How did you get to know—

“GRANDPA” AL LEWIS: Knew him first as a football player. Yessiree, All-American, and it’s a damn shame—you are not supposed to say “God damn.” Can’t say that, because a lot of these Christian people listening are going to jump up in the air. But it’s a damn shame that he’s not in the football hall of fame. That’s right. He was a great, great football player. Besides, most people don’t know he was an LLB. He was a lawyer. Had his law degree. Didn’t practice but he had a law degree. Yeah. Brilliant man. Brilliant linguist. Great singer. Great actor.

BERNARD WHITE: So how—you used to hang around with him also?

“GRANDPA” AL LEWIS: Yeah. You know, hey, you know, with the boys. Boys in the hood.

AMY GOODMAN: Remember this one?

[applause]

BERNARD WHITE: I think I hear you clapping.

“GRANDPA” AL LEWIS: Yeah, that’s me.

AMY GOODMAN: 1965, Paul Robeson.

PAUL ROBESON: [singing] When Israel was in Egypt’s land / Let my people go / Oppressed so hard they could not stand / Let my people go / Go down, Moses, way down Egypt’s land / Tell old Pharaoh / Let my people go.

BERNARD WHITE: I’m really glad that you went into acting.

“GRANDPA” AL LEWIS: You what?

BERNARD WHITE: I’m glad that you went into acting.

“GRANDPA” AL LEWIS: Oh. Really?

BERNARD WHITE: Because singing is not your thing.

“GRANDPA” AL LEWIS: No. But you don’t understand. You see, you don’t understand. I have been in musicals on Broadway, and they asked me, “Do you sing?” I said, “Yes, I sing poorly, but passionately.”

BERNARD WHITE: That you do.

“GRANDPA” AL LEWIS: I do.

AMY GOODMAN: What did you sing on Broadway?

“GRANDPA” AL LEWIS: Last thing I did on Broadway was Do Re Mi, a musical, Comden and Green, Jule Styne, Phil Silvers, Nancy Walker.

AMY GOODMAN: What did you sing?

“GRANDPA” AL LEWIS: 1960—let’s see. We opened Christmas week. David Merritt was the producer. Garson Kanin was the director.

AMY GOODMAN: But what did you sing?

“GRANDPA” AL LEWIS: What did I sing?

AMY GOODMAN: Yeah.

“GRANDPA” AL LEWIS: What did I sing? Oh I sang—I didn’t have a solo, obviously. It was white backlash, I think. Great—there was one great song in there that Julie wrote, may rest in peace. [singing] Make someone happy / Make just one someone happy / And you will be happy, too.

I sing better than you, Bernard. You know that?

BERNARD WHITE: Oh, come on now. We’re going to have to have a contest.

“GRANDPA” AL LEWIS: I agree. You know me.

BERNARD WHITE: You still say that, and you’ve heard me?

“GRANDPA” AL LEWIS: Yeah, you know why? Because you don’t sing with feeling. You know, funny thing. I was—years and years ago, what’s his name—first name, Wilson, the black band leader. He had a jazz show in L.A. on KGOL, I think it was, and he was interviewing the conductor, Zubin Mehta, you know, famous, world-famous conductor, and Zubin said a very interesting thing. They were talking about—they had played a record or something, a gospel song. And he said, “For me, it’s not judging whether the singers are great or spectacular or just okay, but when I hear them sing, I believe them.” Hear that? Now when I sing, they believe me!

AMY GOODMAN: We are talking to Al Lewis. In a few weeks, he’s going to be celebrating his birthday on April 30. He’s going to be 88, and what a life he’s led through this 20th century. When he finished up the Broadway run of Do Re Mi with Phil Silvers and Nancy Walker, he was summoned, along with Fred Gwynne, to test for The Munsters, and we’re going to talk about that with him when we come back. Stay with us.

AMY GOODMAN: And that was “Grandpa” Al Lewis, interviewed April 10, 1997. His age—well, there are different stories about his age. While he was alive, we thought he now was 95. But it turns out, according to his son, in fact, he died at the age of 82. He died on Friday at Roosevelt Island where he lived. Our condolences to the Lewis family.

Referenced links:

1. (1) http://www.democracynow.org/1997/4/10/interview_with_al_lewis_better_known
2. Nat Hiken, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nat_Hiken
3. Fred Allen, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Allen. A quote of his: [Television is] the triumph of machine over people
4. Vera Hall, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vera_Hall
5. Rosenbergs

Further links:
Imdb.com, "Al Lewis http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0506891/bio

"The necessaries of life occasion the great expense of the poor. They find it difficult to get food, and the greater part of their little revenue is spent in getting it. The luxuries and vanities of life occasion the principal expense of the rich, and a magnificent house embellishes and sets off to the best advantage all the other luxuries and vanities which they possess. A tax upon house-rents, therefore, would in general fall heaviest upon the rich; and in this sort of inequality there would not, perhaps, be anything very unreasonable. It is not very unreasonable that the rich should contribute to the public expense, not only in proportion to their revenue, but something more than in that proportion."
 From Adam Smith, An Inquiry into the Nature And Causes of the Wealth of Nations (1776). Book V, Chapter 2, Article I: Taxes upon the Rent of House.

"The man whose whole life is spent in performing a few simple operations, of which the effects are perhaps always the same, or very nearly the same, has no occasion to exert his understanding or to exercise his invention in finding out expedients for removing difficulties which never occur. He naturally loses, therefore, the habit of such exertion, and generally becomes as stupid and ignorant as it is possible for a human creature to become. The torpor of his mind renders him not only incapable of relishing or bearing a part in any rational conversation, but of conceiving any generous, noble, or tender sentiment, and consequently of forming any just judgment concerning many even of the ordinary duties of private life... But in every improved and civilized society this is the state into which the labouring poor, that is, the great body of the people, must necessarily fall, unless government takes some pains to prevent it."
 From Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations (1776) Book V, 1, para 178.

Additional resources:

• "Easing Concerns About Pollution From Manufacture Of Solar Cells." ScienceDaily 26 Feb 2008. Retrieved 10 Mar 2008 from sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080225090826.htm

• National Renewable Energy Lab's Life Cycle Inventory database seeks to catalog the costs (i.e., environmental impact) associated with producing a material, component, or assembly from cradle-to-grave.
• Barbalace, Kenneth. "Compact Fluorescent Lights: Do compact Fluorescent lights really save money, how well do they perform? See what we found out, then use our Javascript calculator to calculate your potential savings." EnvironmentalChemistry.com 18 Apr 2007. Retrieved 10 Mar 2008, from EnvironmentalChemistry.com/yogi/environmental/200704compactfluorescentlights.html
• "The Corporation," a documentary film. www.thecorporation.com/index.cfm?page_id=2

1. Plug In America. Retrieved 10 Mar 2008 from www.pluginamerica.com/
   
2. Electric Auto Association-Plug In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (EAA-PHEV). Retrieved 10 Mar 2008 from www.eaa-phev.org/wiki/Main_Page
   
3. Richard Manor. "US: New life for old nuclear plants." Chicago Tribune published 18 Sep 2004, archived 18 Sep 2004.  Retrieved 10 Mar 2008 from www.energybulletin.net/2178.html
   
4. James Kanter. "Radioactive Nimby: No One Wants Radioactive Waste." New York Times 7 Nov 2007. Retrieved 10 Mar 2008 from  www.nytimes.com/2007/11/07/business/businessspecial3/07nuke.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print
5. "Wind farm initiative off Cape clears big obstacle." Boston Globe 15 Jan 2008. Retrieved 10 Mar 2008 from www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/01/15/cape_wind_proposal_clears_big_obstacle/
6. Jonathan D. Salant. "U.S. Energy Industry's Lobbying Pays Off With $11.6 Bln in Aid." Bloomberg.com 27 Jul 2005. Retrieved 10 Mar 2008 from www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000103&sid=agbeVimf04Ec&refer=us#
7. Adam Smith. The Wealth of Nations. New York: P.F. Collier & Son, 1909–14; Bartleby.com, 2001. Retrieved 10 Mar 2008 from www.bartleby.com/10/
8. Christopher Farrell. "The Other Side of Adam Smith." BusinessWeek.com 15 Nov 2002. Retrieved 10 Mar 2008 from www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/nov2002/nf20021115_2141.htm
9. Adam Smith. The Theory of Moral Sentiments. London: A. Millar, 6th ed. 1790. Retrieved 10 Mar 2008 from www.econlib.org/Library/Smith/smMS.html
10. The Adam Smith Institute. Retrieved 10 Mar 2008 from www.adamsmith.org/
11. "Consistency Will Permit Innovation." Editorial. The Republican-American 8 Mar 2008. Retrieved 10 Mar 2008 from www.rep-am.com/articles/2008/03/08/opinion/323379.txt
12. Ralph Hood. "They're Out To Get Me!" Airport Business.com 29 Feb 2008. Retrieved 10 Mar 2008 from www.airportbusiness.com/interactive/2008/02/29/theyre-out-to-get-me/