We're often criticized for being "out of touch with reality." But reality as we know it is destructive, boring, repressive and oppressive; so we are proud to be out of touch with it. Welcome to A Different Reality, where intelligence and creativity are given a chance to grow and flourish. In the hopes of provoking thought and action, we submit this series of observations, commentaries, hecklings, cat-calls and rants. Enjoy our Vision of A Different Reality! purplearth home contact purplearth

Total lunar eclipse of November 8, 2003.
Photos taken at 15-minute intervals.

Economic Secession November 20, 2004 How do we resist the corporate empire that has rigged our elections to put its coup leaders into power? Let's vote with our dollars and withdraw from its economy. Resist the Unacceptable November 7, 2004 The mandate is a myth. The election was stolen. Two Kinds of Christians July 17, 2004 I am an atheist, but I grew up with enough Catholic indoctrination to recognize that there are both good people and bad people who call themselves "Christians". Bush Hides Behind the Dumpsters May 8, 2004 Close to 500 demonstrators came out in La Crosse on Friday to show the Bush regime and their puppet press that not every American is a brainwashed drone. By the end of the day, our vocal chords were drained, but we were charged by the warm and fuzzy feelings of pure joy that comes from pissing off Republicans. Highways Don't Mix with Neighborhoods April 30, 2004 We will never solve our traffic problems by building more roads. Instead, we must seek lives where driving is a luxury, not a necessity. Why I'm Voting for Kucinich February 9, 2004 We will not influence the course of the Democratic party nor of the country if we simply jump on the bandwagon like a bunch of lemmings. On Treasonous Liars and Gullible Morons October 24, 2003 Members of the Bush regime have been showering our airwaves with so many lies that responsible and astute citizens can no longer trust a word they say. Unfortunately, the lies are still effective on Bush's most important constituency: America's vast population of loud and gullible morons. Why Saddam Must Resign March 17, 2003 Saddam can embarass the warmongers and look like a statesman at the same time. Besides, it appears to be the only hope for peace we have left. Propaganda January 28, 2003 Tonight's State of the Union speech was a textbook example of how to decieve without lying, and how to whip up war hysteria without telling the whole truth. A Really Bad Movie January 24, 2003 America's boy emperor whines about a really bad movie he doesn't want to watch, but we're all stuck watching the bad movie playing at the White House and the Pentagon. Meanwhile, it's getting bad reviews from France, Germany, and even many Americans. Christmas at the Movies December 25, 2002 A rant about the movie-going experience, a tasteless movie-theatre commercial, and a bit of a review of Michael Moore's movie, Bowling for Columbine. A Stop Sign for Motorists December 13, 2002 By law, a pedestrian in a crosswalk is a stop sign for motorists. This is our response to a letter in the local paper, in which the writer did not think the law applies to him. The Case for Regime Change October 6, 2002 Very few American peaceniks have discussed the legitimate need for regime change. Lo-wage WalMart jobs erode tax base October 1, 2002 People have been bamboozled into thinking we need the jobs that would come from a new WalMart, but they're not the kind of jobs we want. Giving The People a Meaningful Voice November 16, 2000 Some post-election thoughts on what we can do to give more of a voice to actual voters, and less of a voice to corporate money. A Made-for-TV Rally August 21, 2000 Some first-hand observations of Al Gore's first post-convention campaign rally from a Green infiltrator. Nader Campaign Offers Real Choices August 14, 2000 The best hope for democracy is to elect Big Business' worst enemy as President of the United States.

Economic Secession November 20, 2004 How do we resist the corporate empire that has rigged our elections to put its coup leaders into power? Let's vote with our dollars and withdraw from its economy. Read the whole story here. Resist the Unacceptable November 7, 2004 The mandate is a myth. Non-verifiable electronic voting machines were used to steal the election. America is a now nation under occupation... the reins of government have been stolen by a fraudulent regime. It is our patriotic duty to resist. Read the whole story here. Bush Hides Behind the Dumpsters in La Crosse May 8, 2004 Close to 500 demonstrators came out in La Crosse on Friday to show the Bush regime and their puppet press that not every American is a brainwashed drone. By the end of the day, our vocal chords were drained, but we were charged by the warm and fuzzy feelings of pure joy that comes from pissing off Republicans. Read the whole story here. State Highways Don't Mix with Livable Neighborhoods April 30, 2004 We will never solve our traffic problems by building more roads. Instead, we must seek lives where driving is a luxury, not a necessity. Read the whole story here. Why I'm Voting for Kucinich February 9, 2004 As the Democratic presidential primary campaign heats up, the corporate empire and its media mouthpieces seem determined to steer us toward "electable" (read: corporate) candidates. But we cannot squander our only opportunity to stand up for what we want, rather than rubber-stamp what we're willing to accept. I believe Dennis Kucinich is the only candidate still in the race who represents the interests that once defined the Democratic party: everyday working people, not the monied elites. Read the whole story here. On Treasonous Liars and Gullible Morons October 24, 2003 According to the latest edition of the American Heritage Dictionary, a lie is defined as "A false statement deliberately presented as being true", or "Something meant to deceive or give a wrong impression." Members of the Bush regime have been showering our airwaves with so many lies that responsible and astute citizens can no longer trust a word they say. Unfortunately, the lies are still effective on Bush's most important constituency: America's vast population of loud and gullible morons. Read the whole story here. All right, so where have we been??? October 24, 2003 When we started this web journal, it was about this time last year. Little did we know that nice weather would be enough to put this project aside for awhile. Now that there's finally something worth posting, look at the calendar... gee, it's fall again. For those who are curious, we spent a month in Canada in May, and much of our free time in the summer was devoted to bikepacking trips. Hopefully, we'll get time to write about these things as we get driven inside by cold, rain and snow. As it is, we still have what seems like half-a-dozen major art projects on the table between us. So it's hard to see this journal moving to the front burner anytime soon. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't still check in once in a while. :-) Blood Money April 11, 2003 An idea for tax day.... For the poor souls who must send money to the Feds, that money is blood money. Get some of your favorite red dye. Beet juice works wonderfully well, and it's mostly organic and biodegradable. Mix with an appropriate amount of water. Dip the corner of a sponge into this solution, and let it drip onto the outside of the envelope containing your tax payment. This splattering of envelopes should not be illegal, as envelopes with advertising "artwork" on the outside come in the mail every day. Splattering checks and/or tax returns MAY OR MAY NOT be legal or illegal, I don't know. If enough people do this, the tax people will see bags of envelopes, all splattered in "blood." Activists could station themselves at post offices on tax day, properly equipped to assist their fellow citizens in decorating their own tax envelopes. Archives 2003 March 2003 February 2003 January 2002 December