IMPORTANT NOTICE: MY EFFORTS TO PUSH TOSCA FROM A JESSE VENTURA ANGLE HAVE RESULTED IN… ZERO. BLESS JESSE, BUT HE IS ONE OF MANY DIFFERENT SOULS — ALL VERY DIFFERENT FROM ONE ANOTHER — WHO I HAVE TRIED TO GET INVOLVED IN “SOMETHING” THAT FOLLOWS A NEW PARADIGM FOR CHANGE. THE MESSAGE FOR ME IS TO MOVE ON. TO KEEP ON SEARCHING FOR SOULS WITH WHOM TOSCA (OR SOMETHING LIKE TOSCA) RESONATES. THE ORDER IN WHICH I HAVE APPROACHED HIGH PROFILE PEOPLE — EVERYONE, ACTUALLY — HOLDS NO SIGNIFICANCE.
Love, Richard

Venturing Forth
by The Ox
Dedicated to giving (the) Rolling Stones something new to sing about
Special note: See DON’T START THE REVOLUTION WITHOUT ME! (by Jesse Ventura with Dick Russell). Getting to know Jesse better has made me seriously consider tweaking TOSCA (http://oxtogrind.org/archive/364) so that we do make use of a politician, possibly having a “Baker’s Dozen” with Jesse as the working figurehead candidate. Or transforming the whole concept even more radically. For we want to create a watershed ASAP. And it’s now clear that that’ll require something other than what I’ve thought of to date. Jesse has the singular experience, perspective and heart that my bones tell me are going to be necessary. (1)

I know all about the differences between Alicia Keys (2) and Jesse. I have my own significant differences with pro-capitalist JV. But take a look at these stunning words:

“…a mirror of Che Guevara has a profound place in my house. I’m not the least ashamed to say that. When I go to wash my hands, I look at Che.”

Perhaps, if the reader does not know how much Jesse knows about Che those words won’t resonate very deeply. But I do. And they do.

Jesse is arguably the ONLY high profile figure nationally — nay, worldwide — who can help our citizenry to overcome the horrid momentum which is destroying this land, its people, and bringing down all others, all else with it. What the hell am I talking about?

Well, we’ve got plenty of INFORMATION. As per http://oxtogrind.org/archive/438. we don’t need more documentation, delineation of evils. We’re actually drowning in that, the worthwhile heartbeats devoted to “Conspiracy Theory” http://www.trutv.com/shows/conspiracy_theory/index.html (http://minnesotaindependent.com/50792/venturas-conspiracy-theory-debu ts-wednesday-former-guv-says-msnbc-silenced-him-over-iraq-stance)… and the like… notwithstanding. (3)

No, we need a morale booster as per Bruce E. Levine’s “Are Americans Too Broken for The Truth to Set Us Free?” http://www.counterpunch.org/levine12042009.html. And there’s no bigger booster on that count for the common man and woman than Jesse. [Whether or not you're into "leaders," there's no question that we need someone or something to address our suicidal/ecocidal morale. Immediately.]

I submit that there is hope if we follow a new paradigm for change. Not anything along the lines of what’s been put on the table for our collective consideration thus far. That “paradigm” will need to be anchored. And the firm point of support for our (unprecedented) daring venture begs for Jesse’s participation.

In grateful anticipation of service,
The Ox tosca.2010@yahoo.com
with Wallace J Nichols http://www.wallacejnichols.org/wallacejnichols/About_J..html, Mickey Z, Howard Zinn, Michael Parenti, Marie Trigona (Argentina), Jennifer Loewenstein (U.S./Gaza), Henry Giroux (Canada), Gustavo Esteva (Mexico), Devinder Sharma (India), Afshin Rattansi (Iran), Bill Blum, and a host of others worldwide as per http://oxtogrind.org/archive/336. (4)

Footnotes:
(1) Ditto respecting his inspirational wife, Terry. [Family concerns may have to take precedence over my political fantasies here, but I do feel that I can tailor whatever's attempted to suit their purposes, using an unprecedented approach to political life.]
(2) I have no clue as to whether or not Jesse likes Alicia’s music. But what does that matter? It matters no more than if he agrees with her politics point for point. For we are at the point — the turning point juncture — where we either bury peripheral differences and move in solidarity on what we do agree on, or… go down together ungracefully, without dignity, without a chance in hell at salvaging anything that makes life worth living. On that count, I see not only Alicia, but Green Day, Willie Nelson, Will Smith, Metallica, (a surviving member of Led Zeppelin?) et al. — countless crooners ‘cross the board — jumping on board enthusiastically with TOSCA (http://oxtogrind.org/archive/364)… or something that gets us all pitching in together, passing the buckets of water to one another that are required to put out this uncontrollable, ugly fire. Water drawn from a stream which has not yet been contaminated.
(3) I spend many heartbeats with such heady stuff, but — ideally — no one should be doing so exclusively, in lieu of taking meaningful action… which is too often the case. Meaningful action can be elaborated upon, upon request.
(4) I haven’t received a “green light” for Jesse from these people yet, but I don’t anticipate anything but an enthusiastic embrace of JV once I propose that he set the pace, etc. of our venturing forth. ALL the people listed have provided their imprimaturs for TOSCA, and I have good reason to believe that each and every one will give us their blessings respecting Jesse being on board, paddling up front in California or nationally.