Mood:  incredulous

its Wednesday...and in the morning im running off to a homeless ¨camp where the homeless have taken over in numerous places ..empty buildings

its not like in America, where it gets you in trouble...they actually prove it serves the community and the government then supports them

I’m busy every day .... it is really fun

we have to lock ourselves in at night ...crime i guess is bad

I am doing great ..eating three meals a day ...and learning allot

Today we went to an area )barrio( where the police were kicked out of

we couldn’t even bring our cameras or phones in side the community

They are an armed revolutionary named La Piedrita...we seen no guns

but they have them in case )america( pr someone attacks them

they were very friendly...and asked us why we in America don’t want peace and support our war and imperialist government...why we allow our government to oppress others and why we don’t rise up to do anything about it...it was very educational...I’m loving all the viewpoints

I have been on a community radio station talking about the media and the reason independent media is doing what the corporate media wont

I think I’m the only one in Venezuela with a video camera 

I will write again soon

 ______________________________________

below is a list of what we have been doing

Friday: peace rally against war (esp about Military bases in Columba)

Sat: Recycled containers made into a media center for the community then went to a TV station ¨Tiuna El Fuerte

Sun: met Charlie Hardy author at our hostel ...then we went to the  Art Museum and met Eca Gilinger and she talked about Venz history, and then to the Vale Arriba neighborhood which was the rich part of town ...we are staying in the poor part...we went by the US embassy on our bus

Mon: we went to a occupied factory ..they took back from coke a cola Ëje Gramoven¨ took a tour and seen community groups working and networking (many women are involved ) they gave us a nice lunch too, then we went to :CATIA Tv station and met the community organizer who say your camera is a weapon ...he was cool we got a complete tour

 Tue: we went to AVILA TV station for the youth ...the to a community radio station ..then to a CAMPASINO organizing office

Wed; we went to Sonse 23 community radio station and to the armed no police LA Piedrita camp

got to go internet is closing down now

Posted by Joe Anybody at 4:16 PM PDT

Updated: Tuesday, 15 September 2009 5:26 PM PDT

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Mood:  cool

Hi everyone

I’m in a internet cafe at 8:30 pm  Monday

ALL IS WELL 

SOORY FOR FAST TYPING

UPDATE IS ALL GOOD

I HAVE LOTS OF VIDEO BY NOW 

WE WENT TO A OCCUPIED FACTORY

I HAVE BEEN TO A RADIO STAION AND WAS BRODCASTED WITH OTHER IN  OUR GROUP TOO THE LOCAL COMMUNITY (IT WAS COMMUNITY RADIO)

I also have been to 2 TV stations and we seen some cool media  grass roots activism

We met People from Association of Columbians living in Venezuela 

we met some more folks latter from the Local Campasino Network

we are busy all day

The Venezuelans love us 

We had no water in the hostel this morning ...latter it was back on ...that’s how it goes here

I’m doing real well ...and am learning  so much 

I will try to write more in the morning

peace 

Love = Solidarity

Posted by Joe Anybody at 6:12 PM PDT

Updated: Tuesday, 15 September 2009 5:28 PM PDT

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Mood:  incredulous

Well....  I’m at an internet cafe this morning (Saturday) .. our WIFI is not connecting at the hostel. I may not have spell-check and I only have a half-hour here. The first day we went to a protest (peace demonstration) against the military bases in Colombia...there was about 4,000 people there, allot of folks had red shirts.

It was full of energy. People clapping, bands singing, ...speeches.... they had a big stage... TV cameras etc... our group is networked through the peace network here so we made it to the front...and then we (4 of us) made it to the stage. Benji Iraq Vet, Gerry Vietnam war resister, Andrew activist...and me with my camera...We were all on stage with 50 other people... we had a chance to speak.

I just filmed...it was a powerful ... The crowd cheered. they loved us. Our folks on stage spoke out against "Imperialism and War¨ we stood in solidarity ...... We had people thanking us latter on the streets...That night Benji & Josh ..both Iraq veterans were on the national TV speaking out against war and US Imperialism. Nothing slanderous...but a powerful message against the failed US policies, and the use of Armed Forces on other people. Those two were on 2 different stations, that evening.After the demonstrations,  we went to a small cafe and had lunch...chicken burrito and Pepsi for me...then we drove to a community media studio ...we got the complete tour.

The media studio was a using¨ "recycled containers" like big railway cars to make offices and studios for filming recording.. they have a big mobile stage on a flat bed trailer...they have trucks with cameras and recording equipment...plus a big outdoor stage that they were actually filming a show on when we were there.

They are using recycled materials and government money to run the studio...it was a big open concrete area that used to be houses before the change in the "Metro" streets project for that area. We are in a 3 story nice clean house in our hostel.

Three ladies (younger than me) come by to fix breakfast and cook our dinner. Its cool and good food. Today we are maybe going to an opposition party protest. Don’t know the details but sounds like it will be interesting. We have an interpreter with us all day and he is really good...other in our group can speak pretty well to help us get around... we stay in a group most of the time.I had a lady tell me on camera to¨" tell Obama that capitalism isn’t working ...and that socialism is the answer" we are treated by folks here "really well" ....NOT one bad word or comment directed at us... just smiles!

I feel the energy here and the people are wise to their struggles for empowerment...it is cool....w e had a couple local guys stop by last night and party with us ...drinking beer till 1 am...and just sharing and listening to music etc....

The busses and cars drive "all over the road" with motorcycles zipping in between and all around honking their horns. Its insane ....I seen no accidents... but its is crazy... no one stops for red lights...very little police on the streets... almost all the busses and cars are really rugged broken down looking.... smoky exhausts etc... the trips around town are bumper to bumper...

I will be writing latter ...we are trying to get the WIFI up and runningthe weather is sultry... hot/warm....all the timeSo far I have four hours of video collected....

I will write about today latter tonight or in the morning.

¿joe anybody

Posted by Joe Anybody at 8:26 AM PDT

Updated: Wednesday, 30 September 2009 3:36 PM PDT

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Mood:  not sure

I have 15 min to take a quick shower, before my ride shows up this morning

Im still in Portland ...?... There was problems with My Name Spelling

So I was not able to board...untill a exchange (fix-it) was done. Now I have my new ticket (I hope) .... I was up all night and when I didnt make the flight whith everyone else.... iam sooo tired right now.

Josh is flying out at thesame time as me ...(I think) and Benji flies out tomorrow... well I'm off to a bumpy start ...but Im still going.

Posted by Joe Anybody at 9:15 AM PDT

Updated: Thursday, 3 September 2009 9:47 AM PDT

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Mood:  chatty

it's 2am

Im having a tall cold beer and getting all my camera gear into one bag *yikes!

And trying to get some music on my i-pod for the road trip

thanks soes ou to "all you who know who you are" for all the help everyone pitched in and this is gonna be cool...

Did I ever tell you all that Hugo Chavez is one of my Hero's?

read more here ...its older stuff ...but I'm sharing what I got

http://home.comcast.net/~sittingbythepool/HEROCHAVEZ.html

Posted by Joe Anybody at 2:16 AM PDT

Updated: Thursday, 3 September 2009 2:35 AM PDT

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Mood:  chillin'

Im not packed ..hey I will be ...I still got 10 hours

I need to shop ...get clothes ready ...errr I mean wash some clothes...

Charge all ny batteries and get all my reading material, video stuff ready

I had better not loose <or have stolen> any of my stuff as I am traveling

I need to update my blog ...(Oh) thats this one.... post a tweet on my two twitter accounts, update the pdx venezuela website...maybe post a note on the two FaceBook pages one is mine one is the group...then hit a quick message on Portland Indy Media....

 zzzzzzzzzzz!

Well that said ...I gotta get BUSY !!!! (*hey the phone is ringing)

(my daughter just called to confirm picking me up at 4am)

Soilidarity = Love

Posted by Joe Anybody at 8:00 PM PDT

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