Brainwash spin cycle 2

Just got back from 7 days in Washington DC area followed by three days at the Okanogan Barter Faire. What a contrast! Walked around down on the national mall which now looks like hell compared to what I remember as a teenager in the 60's. Of course the White House is now behind double fences. We wandered to Lafayette Park, which has been a center for free speech since Jefferson was president. Talked to an interesting fellow name of Thomas who has been on a peace vigil for quite a while - 24 hours a day - 7 days a week - this vigil has been maintained since 1981 by various hardy folks, rain or shine or cold. Check out the website Prop1.org to find out what's up with these folks. Explore all of the pages of the site for some good ideas. Basically they are calling for governments to renounce nuclear weapons and spend the same money that has been used for them on "the people". Walked around a bit, past the Dept. of Education with its cute little red schoolhouse entry doors emblazoned with the "No child left behind" slogan. What a piece of architectural propaganda and blight on the nation's capitol. It used to be a serious place. They've gotta be kidding us. I'm surprised that we didn't see attachments to the traffic lights indicating the terror alert levels. Perhaps they haven't thought of it as yet.
Cut to the barter fair: Thomas would feel at home there. True self-government in a city of way over 10,000 (last year was 25,000, but this year it rained) which appears each year on a mountaintop near Tonasket WA. It's a weekend long party and music festival that has been going on for decades. People make connections, do some business, buy, sell and trade in an atmosphere eons old. The marketplace of the REAL people - a counterculture strip mall - no cookie cutter franchises or Wal-martian alien invasion. And no child left behind for sure!

more later