As some of you who've heard me talk about this know, I am of the opinion that one of the most significant reasons why we don't have things like a single-payer health care system, a truly compassionate safety net, and a livable minimum wage is because of the myth of the American Dream. It goes this way: America is the land of promise. Anyone who works hard can bring themselves up, and become middle class, and many  become rich. The icons of this dream, like Oprah Winfrey, Tiger Woods, and Bill Gates, are trotted out for all to see.

OK, I think it's finally time for me to talk about podcasting. First off, even though I'm a complete geek, I am, believe it or not, not an extremely early adopter. I know, I say this, and you shake your head. Anyway, since podcasting is almost, well, passé for the ubergeeks, it's time for me to talk about it.

I just got back from a 4 day self-retreat. My standard has been Buddhist (Insight) meditation retreats (like at IMS). This was different. I went to a place called the East Mountain Retreat Center which is a sweet little ecumenical retreat center in the southern Berkshires.

I've always respected the Bruderhof Communities. I first ran into them years ago, when I was doing prison activist work. At every rally I went to (primarily against the death penalty) there they were, women wearing their dresses and scarves, and marching along with us, next to the anarchists, dreadlocked sistahs and crunchy granola dykes. I found out that they are both pro-life and anti-death penalty, and it always surprised me that I heard a lot from them about the death penalty stuff, but not much about abortion.