Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Monday, December 29, 2008
Chosen Robot goes Underground
So we had a great time playing a show at the Club Underground last Saturday night. Thank to Mike in the Goodbars for settin up the show and to jambijoe for the video recording!
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Dear Pres. Obama,
Congratulations on winning the election for the highest office in the world. The question is, are we as USAers going to stay on top after we have disregarded the UN, sent military in to sway countries in our favor, sent weapons to people fighting people we don't like only to turn against them down the road, had two very shady elections previously that are obscene to a democracy, but even worse not even really had a democracy for years. I really hope that you will bring democracy back to this country by allowing all legally electable candidates the right to debate, rein in the horrible media coverage of elections, and leave behind this corporate funded and lead two party oligarchy. I wish you my best in these years ahead as you will be under the spotlight of the world and with your every decision rests the blood, sweat, and tears of our journey as a human people.
Blessed be the warmakers,
Brian Bergstrom
Blessed be the warmakers,
Brian Bergstrom
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
A political followup rant
There are lots of corporate media outlets of which Fox has been the worst in their fact checking and bias. I tend to digest multiple news sources everyday which include main stream sources like CNN, Kare11, Star Tribune, as well as liberal media like Alternet.org, Air America Radio, and media that strives to be focused on objective truth like Democracynow.org, truthout.org, thenation.com, and NPR/MPR. It is pretty obvious the democrats or a 3rd party have not stolen the election in the past decade, but there is evidence that a republican did twice. And he is getting away with it. No other US President in histroy has had such disregard for the US Constitution or the Bill of Rights than Bush.
There is lots of debate about how to improve the country but there are also alot of apathetic citizens as well. Within the right and the left and center there are splinters and branches because people get stubborn about this issue or that. It can be very unproductive to have so many groups fighting for a bunch of things in common, but won´t work together because of the few things they don´t. Too many people look down on protesters but have great reverence for the military. This country has been forged not only by the military industrial complex but by dissent and people actively speaking out about the truth of the world and society.
Ask your self why you have never heard of any of the third parties. The fact that that question even has to be asked shows how sad this democracy really is. This leads back to the corporate media ruining our democracy, because they give little or no coverage to any 3rd parties. They are not considered valid choices in our demockracy. But I bet you everyone has heard of OSHA, the EPA, the clean water act, seat belts, air bags, etc. This was all work of Ralph Nader. He is not a nobody and not even he can get media coverage or even in the the debates! If everyone is so patriotic and loves this country so much, why isn't anyone trying to make it better and respect it for the democracy it really should be?
It is really ironic and horrible that a lot of the corruption, hatred, and motivation behind politics, greed, and wars are done be people claiming great faith in Jesus, Mohammed, etc. I don't see how any person of faith can put their support behind a system that goes against so many common religous values. US society and capatalism is based on greed. Our entertainment and marketing culture is driven by sex. Our way of life is destroying the earth and its other non-human inhabitants. Religous values are still being forced onto the people of America despite so called separation and churches not paying taxes. We are so selfish and full of ourselves being #1 in the world that we think we can just blow off all our allies to do and take what we want. And if that seems to risky, send in CIA, or train foreigners to start a coup, or even sell arms to a great guy in part of the late 20th century called Saddam Husein.
Now look at us, we are on the brink of economical collapse because of severe greed and deregulation because of politicians loyal to lobbyists. Does anyone remember why many of those regulations were enacted back inthe 1930s? It is interesting how socialism rose in the first half of the 20th century, go crushed after world war 2, and corporate socialism rose in its place.
Honestly, what do you see in John McCain that gives you hope for the future? What don't you like about Obama? What don't you agree with about Nader? I know you have to have a better answer than keeping taxes low, McCain is a vet, and Obama has no experience.
There is lots of debate about how to improve the country but there are also alot of apathetic citizens as well. Within the right and the left and center there are splinters and branches because people get stubborn about this issue or that. It can be very unproductive to have so many groups fighting for a bunch of things in common, but won´t work together because of the few things they don´t. Too many people look down on protesters but have great reverence for the military. This country has been forged not only by the military industrial complex but by dissent and people actively speaking out about the truth of the world and society.
Ask your self why you have never heard of any of the third parties. The fact that that question even has to be asked shows how sad this democracy really is. This leads back to the corporate media ruining our democracy, because they give little or no coverage to any 3rd parties. They are not considered valid choices in our demockracy. But I bet you everyone has heard of OSHA, the EPA, the clean water act, seat belts, air bags, etc. This was all work of Ralph Nader. He is not a nobody and not even he can get media coverage or even in the the debates! If everyone is so patriotic and loves this country so much, why isn't anyone trying to make it better and respect it for the democracy it really should be?
It is really ironic and horrible that a lot of the corruption, hatred, and motivation behind politics, greed, and wars are done be people claiming great faith in Jesus, Mohammed, etc. I don't see how any person of faith can put their support behind a system that goes against so many common religous values. US society and capatalism is based on greed. Our entertainment and marketing culture is driven by sex. Our way of life is destroying the earth and its other non-human inhabitants. Religous values are still being forced onto the people of America despite so called separation and churches not paying taxes. We are so selfish and full of ourselves being #1 in the world that we think we can just blow off all our allies to do and take what we want. And if that seems to risky, send in CIA, or train foreigners to start a coup, or even sell arms to a great guy in part of the late 20th century called Saddam Husein.
Now look at us, we are on the brink of economical collapse because of severe greed and deregulation because of politicians loyal to lobbyists. Does anyone remember why many of those regulations were enacted back inthe 1930s? It is interesting how socialism rose in the first half of the 20th century, go crushed after world war 2, and corporate socialism rose in its place.
Honestly, what do you see in John McCain that gives you hope for the future? What don't you like about Obama? What don't you agree with about Nader? I know you have to have a better answer than keeping taxes low, McCain is a vet, and Obama has no experience.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Well tax me silly saint suit and dolly
The peoples presidential debate is this Sunday October 19th on www.breakthematrix.com and C-Span at 6-8pm central time. Watch it or be powned by the corporate welfare state, the one that WE pay for.
Why organic you say? Heres why:
Why organic you say? Heres why:
- If organic farming methods were practiced on all the planet's food-growing land, it would be like taking more than 1.5 billion cars off the road.
- You can increase your antioxidant intake by 30 percent by choosing organic.
- The average child in America is exposed to five pesticides daily in their food and drinking water.
- The U.S. water system is regularly contaminated above safe limits immediately following chemical fertilizer applications to farm fields.
- Farms in developing countries that use organic techniques produce an average of 79% more than farms that don't.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
The Two Party Theatrical Demockracy
I have been getting really frustrated with our political system as of late. Reading, listening, and watching what is supposed to be the livelihood of our representative political system makes me feel so ashamed and angry. I received a chain slander mail the other day about Obama supposedly making fun of the bible. You might be able to view the you tube video here, if it has not been removed as slander yet. My respose to this goes as follows.
This video takes snippets of one paragraph of a 8 page speech Obama game at a Christian social justice convention. The snippets are taken horribly out of context from his thoughts on why the founding fathers were persistent on separation of church and state. This video is typical of the two party system which calls it self a democracy, but very typical of the ultra conservative right wing that has to use lies and slander to win elections. In the case of George W. Bush by having dead people vote for you or fraudulent voting machines. All American citizens should be worried about the widespread use of these electronic voting machines that have not been checked to meet accuracy and security standards of elections because the private firm won't allow it.
It is amazing to me that so many people in America still believe that Saddam had WMDs and the terrorists that caused the WTC attacks were from Iraq. The corporate media just repeats whatever the government says without fact checking and people take it without questioning it. Fox News, Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity, and Rush Limbaugh are destroying the intelligence, reputation and democracy of this country.
If this is supposed to be a democracy, then why are the presidential elections run by a private for-profit company run by former chairs of the DFL and GOP? That is not democracy, that is corporate dictatorship. Only the wealthy can ever make it to the white house and they have to play by the rules of the corrupt parties. I wonder if the American public will ever wake up and stop being ignorant, selfish and greedy pawns who elect leaders that give more rights to corporations than people, fight wars on OUR behalf without consent of the people or congress, take it upon themselves to decide what is best for everyone based on their beliefs, tarnish the reputation of our great country, homogenize the marketplace, ship our jobs overseas, give tax cuts to the rich and corporations, and have total disregard for the constitution and the bill of rights.
People need to slow down for a minute and think, question the information they are bombarded with everyday from a plethora of media sources. Learning history shows that the current economic recession is not some random phenomenon, it is the cuase of bad policy that started all the way back with Presiden Reggan. The free market philosophy and trickle down economics will not solve this. And what is our governments solution for all these companies that are failing? We are bailing them out. And I mean WE the taxpayer. Why are we having the fix problems that our politicians made? I wish the new Twins stadium would be called "Taxpayer Field" not "Target Field" because we have beared the burden of that one. I pay all these taxes that I expect to see in social services in my community, but I feel disregarded. I ride a bike around on city streets and I get honked at and ran off the road by car/trucks because I am in the way, even though I pay just as much tax for that road as the car drivers. Maybe if Pawlenty would stop vetoing transportation funding bills for more bus lines and trains then we wouldn't be stuck in traffic all the time and paying so much damn money for gasoline.
If you have made it this far in my rant, I thank you. I really hope you seriously consider some of the things I have discussed here. I also want to make sure all of you know that this is a democracy and not a two party system. There are a number of third parties that have been and are running for president. I encourage you to learn and compare what their stances are on ISSUES not who said lipstick on what animal who wrote what book and invented what attended what party shallow bullcrap.
Original speech by Obama
Article about Ralph Nader predicting the economic crash we are in today.
List of ALL presidential candidates for 2008
Real News Coverage
This video takes snippets of one paragraph of a 8 page speech Obama game at a Christian social justice convention. The snippets are taken horribly out of context from his thoughts on why the founding fathers were persistent on separation of church and state. This video is typical of the two party system which calls it self a democracy, but very typical of the ultra conservative right wing that has to use lies and slander to win elections. In the case of George W. Bush by having dead people vote for you or fraudulent voting machines. All American citizens should be worried about the widespread use of these electronic voting machines that have not been checked to meet accuracy and security standards of elections because the private firm won't allow it.
It is amazing to me that so many people in America still believe that Saddam had WMDs and the terrorists that caused the WTC attacks were from Iraq. The corporate media just repeats whatever the government says without fact checking and people take it without questioning it. Fox News, Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity, and Rush Limbaugh are destroying the intelligence, reputation and democracy of this country.
If this is supposed to be a democracy, then why are the presidential elections run by a private for-profit company run by former chairs of the DFL and GOP? That is not democracy, that is corporate dictatorship. Only the wealthy can ever make it to the white house and they have to play by the rules of the corrupt parties. I wonder if the American public will ever wake up and stop being ignorant, selfish and greedy pawns who elect leaders that give more rights to corporations than people, fight wars on OUR behalf without consent of the people or congress, take it upon themselves to decide what is best for everyone based on their beliefs, tarnish the reputation of our great country, homogenize the marketplace, ship our jobs overseas, give tax cuts to the rich and corporations, and have total disregard for the constitution and the bill of rights.
People need to slow down for a minute and think, question the information they are bombarded with everyday from a plethora of media sources. Learning history shows that the current economic recession is not some random phenomenon, it is the cuase of bad policy that started all the way back with Presiden Reggan. The free market philosophy and trickle down economics will not solve this. And what is our governments solution for all these companies that are failing? We are bailing them out. And I mean WE the taxpayer. Why are we having the fix problems that our politicians made? I wish the new Twins stadium would be called "Taxpayer Field" not "Target Field" because we have beared the burden of that one. I pay all these taxes that I expect to see in social services in my community, but I feel disregarded. I ride a bike around on city streets and I get honked at and ran off the road by car/trucks because I am in the way, even though I pay just as much tax for that road as the car drivers. Maybe if Pawlenty would stop vetoing transportation funding bills for more bus lines and trains then we wouldn't be stuck in traffic all the time and paying so much damn money for gasoline.
If you have made it this far in my rant, I thank you. I really hope you seriously consider some of the things I have discussed here. I also want to make sure all of you know that this is a democracy and not a two party system. There are a number of third parties that have been and are running for president. I encourage you to learn and compare what their stances are on ISSUES not who said lipstick on what animal who wrote what book and invented what attended what party shallow bullcrap.
Original speech by Obama
Article about Ralph Nader predicting the economic crash we are in today.
List of ALL presidential candidates for 2008
Real News Coverage
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
I fee like I will get arrested for walking...
St. Paul felt like a warzone on Labor Day. The people and I took to the streets to express our discontent with the administration and republicans in general. I haven't been able to make it back to that part of town since Monday but have been watching and reading intently on what has been happening. Frankly, it makes me sick, angry and proud. I can't believe the use of unnecessary force by the police. This lack of injustice is sickening and all the disrespected liberties is very angering. But, I am so very proud of everyone that stands tall and showed and are still showing what democracy looks like. Power to the people!
http://twincities.indymedia.org/
http://twincities.indymedia.org/
Sunday, June 22, 2008
The Summer Solstice has arrived!
So the summer solstice was yesterday and thus the Earth returns around its other half of the roation towards Minnesota being a winter wonderland of salt and sand. I don't mind the cold, but it really puts a damper on the bikability of the roads and paths.
Chosen Robot played a show at the Terminal bar two thursdays ago and it was a good time. We didn't pack the bar, probaly because it was a thursday night, but we rocked with two other great bands, The Hunger Bone and Skittish. I am working on a song for the Dwelling of Duels competition over at vgmix.com for the first time. I am having great fun rearranging the song and making it my own style and it is great practice in recording and production for my future pursuits.
It should be an exciting summer with Eric's wedding, 10k lakes festival(woot), and the renaisance and irish fairs towards the end. 10k lakes is going to be a blast and I can't wait.
As far as my video game pursuits go, I have been playing Super Paper Mario on the Wii which is a fun and funky lil game. I have also been playing Eve online which at first is very overwhelming but is beginning to get very intellectually challenging and fun. I can't wait to see my game progress in that.
Thats all for now, catch you on the flip side.
B
Chosen Robot played a show at the Terminal bar two thursdays ago and it was a good time. We didn't pack the bar, probaly because it was a thursday night, but we rocked with two other great bands, The Hunger Bone and Skittish. I am working on a song for the Dwelling of Duels competition over at vgmix.com for the first time. I am having great fun rearranging the song and making it my own style and it is great practice in recording and production for my future pursuits.
It should be an exciting summer with Eric's wedding, 10k lakes festival(woot), and the renaisance and irish fairs towards the end. 10k lakes is going to be a blast and I can't wait.
As far as my video game pursuits go, I have been playing Super Paper Mario on the Wii which is a fun and funky lil game. I have also been playing Eve online which at first is very overwhelming but is beginning to get very intellectually challenging and fun. I can't wait to see my game progress in that.
Thats all for now, catch you on the flip side.
B
Friday, May 16, 2008
Woot! I got a blog...
Well, I'll be. A blogger that is. As I have started many paths of my life in the past year including graduating from college with a Sound Arts AAS, landing a computer programming job because I got lucky and spend way too much time with computers, and I got married to my lovely wife Jennie. In the words of Neil Young, I am twenty four and theirs so much more. But it will take another year for my auto insurance to go down. I will tell you what, after driving in Ireland for a week on the honeymoon driving here is as easy as a vegan raspberry cream cake. That was some delicious wedding cake by the way. Well, if anyone reads this besides me, check back for some of my cool music compositions, philosophical ideas, rants and antics.
Peace Out.
Peace Out.
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