“Last Free Voice” takes its name from the television series “Dark Angel.” In a dystopian future America, an underground cyberjournalist codenamed Eyes Only takes the fight to the airwaves by hijacking television signals and broadcasting dissent. Almost every message he sends out begins with the following:
“Do not attempt to adjust your television set. This is a Streaming Freedom Video bulletin. The cable hack will last exactly sixty seconds; it cannot be traced. It cannot be stopped. And it is the last free voice left in this city.”
To an avid libertarian, sometimes the world feels so bleak. We watch statist ideologies rage all around us and seem helpless to do anything but rage against the authorities with the First Amendment. But words hold meaning and power, and their judicious application may yet save the pro-liberty movement.
Even if we were truly the last free voice on the internet, the cause would not be lost. We’re libertarians of all stripes and colors; purists, pragmatists, anarchists, minarchists, Libertarian Party members, DFCers, RLCers, BTP guys, anything and everything and yet we’re all heading in the same direction. Last Free Voice is a blog for that journey, a voice for the children wandering in the desert of American politics.
If you’ve got a juicy tip, or if you think you’ve got the stuff it takes to blog at LastFreeVoice.com, shoot an email off to ElfNinosMom at elfninosmom@yahoo.com.
Who I'd like to meet: Other libertarian-minded people who are willing to make a stand. In the meantime, why not meet the Last Free Voice contributors? Stuart Richards
Born in 1984 with no intentions of returning, Stuart Richards has been a small-l libertarian all his life and a big-L Libertarian since about 2001. Recently married and recently divorced (yeah, that was brilliant), he is a history student at Chadron State College and runs his own business, Last Level Gaming. He’s an Orthodox Christian and his hobbies include archaeology, writing, drawing, playing guitar, iconography, and learning obscure languages like Sanskrit and Gaelic for little discernible practical reason.
Michelle Shinghal Michelle has always been libertarian but didn’t know it until November 2000. Unfortunately she had already thrown away her vote to that Republican Party dude now occupying the White House. She currently serves as chairman of Collin County Libertarain Party in North Texas; a position she has held since March 2002. You will often find her defending libertarian ideas at parties, on blogs and the occasional TV/radio programs.
C.E. Oberg Quite the mystery man, C.E. has yet to submit a bio.
Paulie Cannoli Paulie was born in the former USSR in 1972 and the USA is reminding him more of the country his parents took him out of every day. Growing up in the epicenter of the 1980s crack cocaine explosion in NYC, Paulie got caught up in the available business ventures and saw some of his friends die, and then became an activist against the drug war. Through his involvement in the drug peace movement, and college studies in free market environmentalism, he became interested in the libertarian movement, and abandoned the Democrats after they picked Bill Clinton as their nominee in 1992. Paulie became an LP member in 1995 and a life member in 2000, and was on the executive committee of the Alabama LP in 1998. Since 1998, he has travelled the country as a professional activist. Between that and his earlier travels in the import-export business as a teenager, he has been to 49 US states and about 20 countries, and lived in a number of them. As a life long entrepreneur, he has also started hundreds of businesses in a wide variety of fields.
Paulie is currently working on the Steve Kubby for President campaign.
> Nigel Watt Nigel Watt is a freshman Environmental Engineering major at Cornell University. He is a member of the Libertarian Party and a small-l and big-L libertarian activist, and is currently serving as the electronic outreach coordinator for the Phillies 2008 campaign. He enjoys classical music and political discussion. Aside from college, he has always lived in Texas, and considers Dallas his hometown.
Robert Mayer Robert is a professional IT consultant currently doing his best to hide from tyranny along with his lovely wife and young daughter in the Houston area. He began to discover his true libertarian soul during the Bush/Gore election fiasco of 2000 and has since spent entirely too much time consuming as much libertarian material as he can get his hands on. His other interests include table tennis and golf.
Titanium Girl Currently residing in a tax-hungry Dallas suburb, titaniumgirl is an anomaly. She credits her parents for her joyful, free-spirited upbringing. In her youth, she was often found daydreaming to pass time in public school, which she believes should be referred to as “giant holding pens.” Introduced to libertarian ideology by her father and inspired by the brilliance of Rothbard and Rand, she is constantly seeking truth and honor in all things. Her passions run the gamut from chilling with her lovable canines, cooking for her smoking hot husband, traveling, craft beer, tasty tea parties, and meaningful conversation. There is a special place in her heart for the country of Ireland – because it took the English 1000 years to employ their manifest destiny there. She believes the Irish were truly a free and happy people and that same spirit that the English could not conquer for 1000 years flourishes in her soul today.
Chris Bennett Chris Bennett is a student at University of Illinois at Springfield in Springfield, Illinois (and no my neighbor isn’t Homer Simpson nor Ned Flanders) Chris became a member of the LP in 1991. He also serves as the Legislative Chair for the LP of Illinois and has been involved in numerous LP campaigns. After graduating Chris wants to run political campaigns and help Libertarians win elected offices.
Meg Donovan Meg Donovan lives in sunny Southern California. She has a bachelor’s in communications. She is married with no kids and one basset hound. Her goal in life is to bring about complete and total anarchy in the USA.
ElfNinosMom The progeny of a prostitute and a schizophrenic, ElfNinosMom is an eccentric humanist libertarian with a weird sense of humor, who writes about criminology topics for a living; she has them all fooled into thinking she's normal over at The Authors Guild, the Society of Professional Journalists, and the American Society of Criminology. Politically she scores left libertarian, almost exactly where Gandhi would score. Formerly a politically active Democrat, ElfNinosMom was always a libertarian at heart. Staunchly anti-war, and virulently anti-Bush, she joined the libertarian movement in 2002 after searching for a new political home when the Democrats and Republicans conspired to kill thousands of young soldiers, and untold numbers of innocent civilians, in a war based on lies and prevarication. No stranger to the ridiculously impotent War On Drugs, she has written extensively on the subject and was on the front defense lines of the infamous Colombian drug trafficker trials of the late 80s and early 90s. ElfNinosMom is widowed, and resides in the southern US with her 20-year-old college student son and her longtime male companion, along with their three dogs, one cat, and the occasional stray dog/cat/college student.
Stephen Gordon Some people have bios, but others would prefer to be known by the people they’ve hung around (or prefer to be hanged with). It’s to be noted that Gordon is never photographed without a cigar, political activity, hot women or a drink in his hand. Pictured with Gordon are (not in any particular order; click to enlarge) are Krist Novoselic of Nirvana, Bill Clinton’s good buddy Bob Barr, several cigars from Cuba, Badnarik 2004’s man-on-the-spot Jon Airheart, MPP’s Rob Kampia, the hooters of some Phoenix Hooter’s girls, Arizona’s Barry Hess, Barry’s son Zelig, Washington Times lack-of-culture Culture and Assistant National Editor Robert Stacy McCain, Reason’s John Vaught LaBeaume, reason’s Julian Sanchez, Liberty Coalition’s Kevin Rollins, Gordon’s very patient and understanding wife Deb, Ron Paul’s (presidential) Communications Director Jesse Benton, reason and anarcho-alcoholics poster child April, 2004 LP presidential candidate Michael Badnarik, the Libertarian Party’s Shane Cory, CEI’s Brooke Oberwetter, Merrill Lynch’s Patrick Saleme, HoT’s hottie Michelle Shinghal, disenter’s Mike Nelson, National Review’s Jonah Goldberg, Tom DeLay’s Bob Smither, Robert Capozzi of the Libertarian Reform Caucus, LNC Chairman Bill Redpath, GWU’s Marcus Scribner (no relationship to Doug), Ron Paul’s (legislative dude in his Congressional office) Norm Singleton and LewRockwell.com’s Lew Rockwell.
..Ian Conrad Aside from being Sir Not Appearing In this Film, Ian doesn’t really have any special credentials or such to speak of, and is likely more of an “internet libertarian” than many of the authors of LFV. Although working a day job like the rest of us — in the now stumbling mortgage industry, no less, he hopes to impart a greater understanding and outreach between the transhumanist and libertarian communities, and hopes to achieve an the infusion of reason and understanding into both communities — as well as himself. He also has a penchant for maintaining his privacy; getting real details (and photos) is like pulling teeth out of him.
Jason Gatties Jason is a proud member of the Libertarian Party. Jason is also a proud member of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians. Happily married with a 13 year old son, Jason is 33 and starting to feel old!
While working full time as a Business Manager for a small contract security company in Michigan, Jason also does some "side work" as a security consultant; it is his hope that this will eventually be his full time career.
Heavily into sports, Jason especially enjoys rugby and soccer. His favorite teams are Fulham FC (Soccer-England), Chicago Fire (Soccer-USA) & London Wasps (Rugby). He is also a proud supporter of US Soccer & USA Rugby. In his spare time, he runs a Rugby & Soccer blog (http://www.TryGol.com) and hosts an online talk show with his wife (http://www.blogtalkradio.com/livefromcourtstreet).
While he normally doesn't discuss religion, and in fact this may be the last time he ever says anything about it, Jason converted to Buddhism over a year ago. He is also a Universal Life Church minister. Though he originally did that as a joke back in 2003, it did enable him to perform a marriage ceremony, so the affiliation became useful after all.
Jason's main goal in life is to one day become a public servant. He would love to be elected to office, especially at the local level. Unfortunately, he does have some issues with the local Libertarian Party group at the moment, so right now he's getting very little support in reaching that goal. It is his hope that the guys running "the show" will get bored at some point and just walk away; or else he can get enough people involved so his local group can just vote them out next year, and those who are serious about the cause can step in and move the local party in a proper direction.
Peace Sunday, June 5, 1982, Rose Bowl, no nukes - nuclear disarmament - stop nuclear madness concert - NYC - Central Park - June 12, 1982, 1,000,000 person march and rally for Nuclear Freeze. Photography and presentation by Curtis Rainbow. 'Give Peace a Chance' music by Achim Schultz. Inspiration by Yoko Ono. Dedicated to John Lennon.
Love, not sleep. But people hear only what they want to, so facts alone won't wake them; inspiration is needed too.
This world's evils have a common root: Bullies, liars, thieves, & murderers — particularly those in public office — believe we're all separate, motivated only by self-interest, by greed & fear. They want us to share that belief; they use it to justify themselves, to manipulate us, to shape the world's political & economic systems, perpetuating war & poverty.
But you & I have found something better inside ourselves & our friends. It's in everyone, even tank drivers & bomber pilots, if we can just wake them; we're all one flesh & blood. Let's spread that vision, for until we do our other advances will be minor & temporary. The outcome of the ideological struggle is not yet determined, so no one can afford to be just a spectator. Join the global conversation; it empowers us all.
Question authority. Keep fighting, loving, hoping, singing. Hand in hand, we may still be able to heal the world.
I just wanted to stop by and let you know what an honor it is to be your friend. May we all be blessed with Liberty, Freedom, Peace and Prosperity in the New Year.
Thank you so much for the friendship and support and I just wanted you to hear this for yourself:
I just stopped by to ring the Liberty Bell
The Liberty Bell Pavilion is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Market Street between 5th & 6th. The bell was cast in Whitechapel Foundry, England in 1752. It cracked the first time it was rung and recast the following year. It was last rung on June 6, 1944, when allied forces landed in France at Normandy. The sound of the bell was broadcast nationally by radio. It is owned by the City of Philadelphia NOT the National Park Service.
Good Day to all and to all a good Day!
Love, Winter
"Winter is a Harsh Season and NOT for the faint at Heart."
Stuart Richards
Michelle Shinghal
C.E. Oberg
Paulie Cannoli
Nigel Watt
Robert Mayer
Titanium Girl
Chris Bennett
Meg Donovan
ElfNinosMom
Stephen Gordon
Jason Gatties
