~Meniscus Archives~
Autumn 2004
Issue #5
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September-November 2004

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~Features~

POLITICS: Party of One
Michael Kirkpatrick
Winston Churchill said "democracy is the worst form of government, except for all others that have been tried from time to time." As we move into the most important election in recent decades, it is clear that the candidates represent different sides of the same coin.

PHISH: This is the End My Phriends
Jon Heinrich
For every Phish fan, the first show blew our minds, and the second show hooked us for life. Now, 21 years later the moment ends—its over. Phish has called it quits.But their legacy and music lives on in a thriving counterculture and a generation of music lovers.

~Meniscus Archives~



Between a Rock and a Hard Place
A Review of Aron Ralston's New Book
What goes through the mind of a man about to cut his arm off to save his own life? Aron Ralston details his days trapped in a Utah canyon and the many adventures that led him there.

Communication Pitfalls Within the Intelligence Community Leading up to 9/11
Melissa Bator
In an exclusive inquiry, Melissa Bator takes us through the details leading up to the attacks of September 11, 2001, and the missed opportunities the Intelligence Community had to connect the dots.

George W. Bush's Resume
Wondering about the man behind the rhetoric? Meniscus Magazine has helped George Bush update his resume. Afterall, the job market for an ex-president is tight. One word for you W: monster.com

Select Quotes from the 2004 DNC and RNC
Republicans, Democrats and the People speak! Read the slams and slogans that our presidential candidates and elected officials toss around like jell-o in a food fight.

Voter Registration Information for Your state
If you haven't registered to vote, get on it! Here's the information you need to let your voice be heard.
 
Swing States: See where votes really count!
Who determines the next president? We all do, but some voters will cast their vote and swing this election. Use this resource to find out which states votes will determine our next president.

Party of One
Michael Kirkpatrick
The fundamental aspect of democracy is each citizen's right to vote. So what are my choices?

Common Good?
Rich Heinrich
Does our current president have the common good of the people in mind? Or is it the common good of his business associates?

Democracy? Republic? Or Plutocracy?
Emlyn Lewis
Despite the fact that "freedom" implies choice, we still only have two choices, and they are not that unlike.

Slackers
Dan Berthiume
If Julius Caesar or Kurt Cobain found themselves in corporate America today, how would they react? Without the relevant resume experience that shouldn't be a probelm...

A Mission to Coventry, Vermont
Team Meniscus
When 70,000 phans come from all over the country to converge on a mud-soaked fairly land of joy and despair, things are bound to get interesting. See for yourself.

Crystal Boots Premiere!
A film by Drayton Patriota
Get a sneak preview of the hugely anticipated, highly awaited story of one woman overcoming her fears. Get the story and the movie trailer here!

Please Add "Positivity" to the Dictionary!
On Behalf of Meniscus Magazine
The word "positivity" is an integral component of our philosophy here at Meniscus Magazine—but its not a recognized word in Merriam-Webster's dictionary! We think that should change.

A Photo Expedition of Phish Tour
Team Meniscus
Join us for a photographic excursion to the land of Gamehenge, past and...well, past.

See You at the Top!
A Lung Cancer Benefit in Colorado's High Country
This August, the Mendel-Asarch Family Lung Cancer Foundation sponsored their annual ascent of Colorado's Greys Peak, to raise money for lung cancer research.

Free Speech Zone
Zone???
Yes, at the 2004 DNC the first ammedment only applies to a restricted area surrounded by concrete barriers, two fences, razor wire, riot squads, and military police. God fuckin' bless America. Thanks Tom Ridge, you're the man.

This is the End My Phriends
Jon Heinrich
For every Phish fan, the first show blew our minds, and the second show hooked us for life. Now, 21 years later the moment ends—its over. Phish has called it quits.But their legacy and music lives on in a thriving counter culture and a generation of music lovers.

The Motet
Music for Life

The new album by the Boulder-based jazz and funk band displays propulsive percussion that defies categorization.

Show Review:
Still Want More?
Phish, Chula Vista, CA- 7/8/03

i.e. The funniest review you'll ever read.
"I've reached the point in my Phishing career where the boys could just wear diapers, sit in kiddy pools filled with lima beans on stage, and punch handicapped Ewoks with brass knuckles and I would be thoroughly satiated..."

CD Reviews:
Perpetual Groove-
All This Everything
King Chubby-
Is
Infradig- Kinetic Transfer
Mbandi-
Harbor Nights

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Autumn Issue, #5 September-November 2004


June 8, 2004, 5:30 AM EST, Venus Transit

Change is happening my friends.

On June 8, 2004 Venus fell in front of the sun in its retrograde orbit. Every 130 years, the path of Venus falls against the sun twice, the second pass falling eight years behind the first. When this happens, the energies of the sun meld with those of Venus and, according to astrology, cast a blaze of love and peace to the Earth. Historically in the eight-year window between transits, unity consciousness permeates the Earth and a new level of harmonization occurs. We just entered a cycle of conscious evolution.

A shift has occurred. June 8 signified the beginning of a new level of social consciousness. But it will be a battle to get things to change. Confrontation of the old and the new will occur and the old will never go back to its corner without a fight.

We as a culture need to change, and we are the only ones who can start that process. People are biased to their own perspective so the more we can share perspectives, the more we can grow together and reap the natural profits of understanding and peace.

There is no doubt, we humans are here for a reason, although it’s not entirely clear what that is right now. Evolution has built into it, a grand plan for us to graduate from this archaic way of life, and move on to the actualization of the human spirit. Which leads me to why this issue of Meniscus is dedicated to change. Because November 2nd is coming up.

Yesterday, I found myself behind an odd license plate, with one simple word embossed into the reflective finish: "VOTE". Appropriately, it was a New Hampshire plate, with its state slogan one that I’ve always found bold and curious. So all together, the license plate said:

Live Free or Die
VOTE

I guess that’s really cutting to the core of it. The freedoms we are afforded as Americans stem from one simple privilege: the right to vote. I implore you to suck it up, deal with the politics and vote. As Dave Watts says, when talking about The Motet’s support for Rock the Vote, the election is the most important issue in the world right now.

Despite the fact that Meniscus Magazine is all about positivity, I’m going to have to put a pre-emptive pause on that for a moment while I talk about President Bush. If you’re waffling on whom to vote for on the election, let me just throw some thoughts at you:

One person may get killed in your city and it makes primetime news at night. But in the last 18 months, we have killed 10-15,000 innocent Iraqi civilians. I’m sure this figure isn’t surprising to anyone. Think about it: shock and awe? Obviously this is not in the news; we are not thinking about the people we are stomping on today. The Bush Administration is still thinking about how pissed we are about losing 3,000 people three years ago. What if instead of three planes, September 11th consisted of 150,000 troops and bleeding edge weaponry? Despite the fact that the Iraqi people are “free” from Saddam Hussein, they live in cities of death and destruction.

Al-Qa’ida attacks the US; the US attacks Iraq; and the cycle of violence and hatred in the Middle East continues.

We’ve bombed Iraq to bits for two pieces of information that have been proven false by our own government: no link to al-Qa’ida and no WMD. Although I do have to be fair to George and say that Iraq really did have WMD. We knew it for sure. We still had the credit card receipt Saddam signed when he bought chemical weapons from the US!

I like Kerry. I have been corresponding with him regularly over the past three years about the environment and other issues and I believe he will lead strongly. He is not as agro as Bush; he’s not going to go running around the world putting his foot up country’s asses. “You’re either with us, or you’re with the terrorists,” Bush says. A complaint from the Republicans is that, Kerry seems to always vote against new war machines. OK GOOD!

Let’s make this simple multiple choice: A) War or B) Peace. What did you pick?

Watching the Republican National Convention, I realized some people are just pro-war. Look at all the treaties Bush withdrew from: Nuclear Proliferation treaty, Anti-ballistic missile treaty, not to mention Kyoto Global Warming treaty and the World Court.

“WE WERE ATTACKED,” they say. Yeah, by who? Iraq? No! But that doesn’t matter, it gives us carte blanche to dish out justice. But businessmen as they are, they usually cloak War in words like “freedom” and “democracy”, and strangely enough “peace.”

Look at the cause-effect relationship: Violence: 3,000 people -> Payback: 10,000 people (wrong country) -> Payback ?. Someone has to choose to stop this cycle and its not going to be Bush—especially when we attack preemptively. As Bush said himself on 9/21/04 to the United Nations: “We know that dictators are quick to choose aggression, while free nations strive to resolve differences in peace.”

Let’s get this dictator out of here and set peace as our goal.

Ok, I’m done. Phew. So as I was saying, positivity. Did you know that “positivity” isn’t even in the dictionary?!? Well, we plan to change that.

And speaking of positivity, we all have the power to implement change on November 2, 2004.

You’ve got to rev the engine. Look at Aron Ralston, he’s climbed the 116 highest peaks in Colorado. If he was an automobile, the miles would have left him beaten and ragged. But instead, through his will, he is the strongest man alive. Within a year of cutting off his arm and being five days closer to death than any of us have been, he was back doing activities that we could only dream of—like fifth class ice climbing, and writing a New York Times best-seller. So despite what you may have learned from your car about wearing out, the human body is limited only to your will power.

Cultivate your will power, achieve greatness, and embrace change. And for the sake of all of us, VOTE!

Jon

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