Sunday, May 24, 2009

A Day of Memory

So what's going on this Memorial Day holiday. I know something must be going on because all of those events listed in this weeks Time Out New York says so. And I also know it must be Memorial Day tomorrow according to that Gregorian calendar because all of the those beginning of summer advertisements in the papers and displays in the stores says so. And I have found myself blah blogging about this topic on my blog before as it seems to be another one of those holidays that rolls around each year like clockwork. And some of those events that I found listed throughout my Timeout New York Magazine and beyond for this Memorial Day weekend internet travels are::

Beats and BBQ at Art Land in Williamsburg, Brooklyn with house music, barbecue and DJs including Ali Coleman from Voice of Voice, Pre Party Radio’s Jose G, Takaya from the Shanti shindig, Lion 1 Music’s Go Kiryu, Soul Fire’s Dawn Anesta and Save the Robots’ Siren.

and then there's

That 14th Annual Lower East Side Festival of the Arts that seems to happen at Theatre For the New City each year with poetry, readings, dance, music, theatre, cabaret and more. And those festivals theatre and street festival rock. And try and check out those murals on their downstairs basement wall while you are there as those are the coolest artwork done by some cool artists. And some of their artists, performers and groups for this years festival include Stan Baker, Amy Barronei, Steve Cannon, Judith Caporale, Peter Carlaftes, Gil Faliani, Ellen Farber, Kat Georges, Robert Gibbons, Robert Harris, Gary Heidt, Karen Hildebrand, Matthew Hupert, David Lawton, Brant Lyon , Lois Kagan Mingus, Lissa Moira, Larry Myers, Ronnie Norpel, Linda Reeves, Slim Russell, Susan Scutti, Jackie Sheeler, David Vernon, George Wallas, Richard West, Jeffrey Cuphers Wright, Beau Allillu, Jeanette Arnone-K, Joseph Arbo, Deborah Aslanian, Amy Cohen Banker, Brian Benson, Margret Birns, Kathryn Bloss, Lois Carlo, Carlos Cevallos, Victor Cevallos, Kathy Creutzburg, Onno de Jong, Dennis Edge, Lauren Edmond, Haim Elisha, Kris Enos, Millie Falcaro, Susann Ferris Jones, Walter Fitzgerald, Kathy Jennings, Randy Jones, Sonja Hofer, John Kohan, Angela La Monte, Elodie Lauten, Phoebe Legere, Len Leone, Brookie Maxwell, Patricia McGovern, Marlis Momber, Lissa Moira, Megan Murtha, Ronnie Norpel, Jo Pendola, Rolando Politi, Jacqueline Rada, Carolyn Ratcliffe, Bonnie Rosenstock, Morena Saenz, Gene Schull, Shell Sheddy, Barbara Slitkin, George Smol, Anne Stanner, Leslie Tanner, Robert Varkony, Richard West, Joe Franklin, Rosie Mendez, Reno, Tammy Grimes, Penny Arcade, Phoebe Legere, Judith Malina, Katherine Adamenko, Zero Boy, Joe Bendik, The Love Show, William Parker and Patricia Nicholson, Bina Sharif, Joe's Pub, La Mama,The Living Theatre, New York Theatre Workshop, CAVE Gallery, Franklin Furnace, Crystal Field, Barbara Kahn and more.

And there's also

something going on in Times Square for Memorial day. Times Square is going green and will be closed to vehicle traffic for its new pedestrian walkway. And there will be a Memorial Day movie, street performers and musicians to celebrate this event throughout the summer also. And this event seems like it's going to go green, it's the new thing, rock.

And there must be more, lots more of Memorial Day events going on in that city of New York that are passing me at the moment. And so let me take this web 2.0 social media user generated content opportunity to post that Memorial Day blog entry that was written on this blog some time a while ago:

Honoring The Fallen?

And Memorial Day is almost near in a couple of days or so according to that Gregorian calendar and all of those street festivals that are to be found everywhere in the streets today. And I thought to blah blog about this patriotic flag waving holiday. And this also leads me to realize that I have been blahging on this blog for over a year now and that these holidays seem to be a recurring event and same day, different year when that same ole Gregorian calendar date roles around. And then I thought, hey, I can just post the same blog entry from a year ago that I posted on this blog a year ago because it almost seems like it's the same day, different year. And besides, it's less writing sometimes. So the following is a passage that I posted on this blog a year ago:

And today is Memorial Day in America. A celebration of the war day. Another one of those patriotic holidays. The flag wavers are out and yellow ribbons, badges of honor, medals, parades, marches, prayers, patriotic songs, tributes and ceremonies are being broadcast everywhere. The headlines read "Honor the dead soldiers, honor the fallen soldiers and comrades". Today is the ultimate patriotic fanatic holiday. My question of the day; for what reason is it an honor to volunteer to be fodder for the canon. For what reason is it an honor to die for nothing, to fight for reasons that do not exist, to fight against the flesh for powers that be that one cannot even see. For what reason is it an honor to be so poor that one will volunteer their life in exchange for money after one leaves the service, if one leaves the service. For what reason is it an honor for persons to be brainwashed with propaganda, theirs or mine. For what reason is it an honor to become a violent person and pick up a gun and kill another person for no reason at all. For what reason is it an honor to be a veteran who now make up the majority of the homeless population. For what reason is it an honor to attend one of those military sponsored funerals and cry over the image of a flag that propagates violence, the same flag that caused ones death. For what reason is it an honor to fall and die for nothing. For what reason is it an honor to promote this ideology. What is heroic about all of this? And why does the word "Patriot" have the word "Riot" in it? And why does the word "Military" militant militia have the word "Mal" in it? "Parens Patriarch, Father of our country", that phrase seems to be the basis of endless deaths of the world. I saw Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11 documentary. It is nineteen eighty four and Orwellianism is everywhere at its best today. Is it written somewhere that this must all come to pass? Happy beach bar b queing Memorial day. Peace on earth. And what does this have to do with a No Police State?

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