Daily Kos

IMPEACH: Freeway Blogs Illustrated How To

by JohnT

Fri Dec 30, 2005 at 06:33:31 AM PDT

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Tags: impeachment, freeway blogging, activism (all tags) :: Previous Tag Versions

Permalink | 58 comments

  •  Since it's a little tough to freeway blog (4.00 / 5)

    with a five-year-old in tow, I'm opting to go with the mini-mobile billboard. It just arrived yesterday, so today I'll be washing the car and finding a proud new home for it. Whoo hoo!

    Oh well, I wasn't using that civil liberty anyway.

    by think2004 on Fri Dec 30, 2005 at 06:47:25 AM PDT

    •  Very tough, indeed. (4.00 / 6)

      Tougher still, perhaps, with a four month-old added to the mix. Which is why I plan to get together with some Kossack neighbors and see if I can get them to help post signs I make.

      We need to use tools like the frappr! locator maps to find nearby Kossacks, and each of us should have an e-mail contact in our profiles, so that willing participants who might be able to help produce and/or hang signs aren't limited just to what they can do alone.

      I've got lots of ideas and enthusiasm, but can't really be pushing stroller across highway overpasses while carrying a sign and some bungee cords. But my hope is that if I'm willing to do the painting, I can find nearby freeway bloggers and Kossacks who'll help with the hanging, photography, etc.

      by Kagro X on Fri Dec 30, 2005 at 06:59:19 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      •  is it safe to use email contacts for this? (none / 1)

        Oh heck...why not?  Afterall, our phones are probably tapped too.

        by Silence is Complicity on Fri Dec 30, 2005 at 07:04:18 AM PDT

        [ Parent ]

        •  Funny story of my paranoia (none / 0)

          The other day I was sitting at my computer and the phone rang three times. The first time it rang once and stopped before I could pick it up. The next two times (this occurred within five to ten minutes) it rang, I picked it up immediately, and all I heard were two clicks and a hang up. Whoa. Majorly paranoid but in need of cigarettes (quitting on Sunday BTW), I threw on a wig and a snow cap to dash out to the convenience store. I just figured if they were tapping my phone, they must be outside waiting for me to come out. I'm sure I fooled "them."

          It's hard work being a guerrilla marketer.

          :)

          i think they're attacking me cause i'm awesome. how's that??

          by missreporter on Fri Dec 30, 2005 at 07:08:40 AM PDT

          [ Parent ]

          •  lol--very funny. Hmmm...there's going to be a (none / 1)

            huge market for wigs and sunglasses now.

            Also, here's a reassuring idea from the Democracy Cell Project.  And don't take this personally but...Go FOIA yourself.  Find out if you're paranoia is real or delusional.  

            Here's the link:
            Today's Five Minutes for Democracy is: FILE A FOIA REQUEST

            Topics: WHO IS WATCHING US?

            You can find out what the CIA is collecting on you. Go HERE and follow the directions for both a FOIA request and a Privacy Act request.

            Let's find out where our tax dollars are going.

            http://www.democracycellproject.net/

            by Silence is Complicity on Fri Dec 30, 2005 at 07:16:33 AM PDT

            [ Parent ]

            •  I'm going to try this (none / 0)

              Thanks for the link. Do you know anyone who has been successful yet in getting records? In my former life as a reporter, FOIA requests would usually take a few weeks at least. But I never actually FOIAed anything from the federal government, this was Right-to-Know under NJ state law.

              Forgot to add the final part of my costume - a pair of turquoise-framed yellow-tinged glasses.

              i think they're attacking me cause i'm awesome. how's that??

              by missreporter on Fri Dec 30, 2005 at 07:20:32 AM PDT

              [ Parent ]

            •  Your Petnagon File (none / 1)

              is your proof that you wern't sitting on your ass
              when American Democracy needed you! Future historians will be singing your praises.

              "A man aint nothing but a man. I would die with my hammer in my hand" -John Henry

              Abolish the Homeland Scrutiny Department.

              by hoplite9 on Fri Dec 30, 2005 at 10:05:38 AM PDT

              [ Parent ]

            •  No file? (none / 0)

              Not sure anymore. I've heard that people who file a request re: FOIA to try to get info on themselves generate a file. Not having done it myself, don't know if that's true. Can anyone verify that requesting info on whether you have a file generates one if you don't?

              It isn't shameful to vote your own self-interest instead of the interests of multi-national corporations--iceman

              by fumie on Fri Dec 30, 2005 at 10:45:37 AM PDT

              [ Parent ]

          •  I wrote Bush (none / 0)

            on the Harriet issue.
            I got a paper reply on official stationary.
            My family told me to STAY OFF THE INTERNET.
            Scared shitless they were.

            by Lasthorseman on Fri Dec 30, 2005 at 08:21:54 AM PDT

            [ Parent ]

          •  Could be marketers. (none / 0)

            I haven't gotten them in a while (were they ruled illegal?) but I used to get phone calls that would make sure someone answered, THEN try to queue up a marketing guy.  If none was available, the message would apologize to me and say that (joy of joys!) they would call back another time.

            Damned annoying and rude.  Bad enough to interrupt me to try to sell me something, but to make it a false alarm on top of it...grrr....

            I'm still an Edwards supporter, and a Patriots fan. Not having the best year here...

            by Stymnus on Fri Dec 30, 2005 at 10:03:42 AM PDT

            [ Parent ]

      •  cool (none / 0)

        A neat tool. Have you done a diary just on this?

        unbossed You betcha!

        by shirah on Fri Dec 30, 2005 at 07:05:08 AM PDT

        [ Parent ]

      •  kagro (none / 0)

        where are you located?

        i think they're attacking me cause i'm awesome. how's that??

        by missreporter on Fri Dec 30, 2005 at 07:05:26 AM PDT

        [ Parent ]

      •  zeemaps (none / 0)

        (kagro, did you get my note about zeemaps?)

        anyone want to give it a try?  go here, login with the password 'dailykos' and use the "add an entry" link at the bottom of the page to let us know where you're guerilla impeaching.

        you can even post photos.

        (anyone like to further promote this technology or help administer it, email me.  I'm flying off in a few hours...)

        by emptypockets on Fri Dec 30, 2005 at 11:10:46 AM PDT

        [ Parent ]

    •  Heck with washing the whole car (none / 1)

      I got out there with some window cleaner instead. Here's my part of the effort, which will proudly be tooling around Dallas shortly:

      http://lola.martinstuart.com/...

      Every little bit helps.

      Oh well, I wasn't using that civil liberty anyway.

      by think2004 on Fri Dec 30, 2005 at 09:12:40 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

    •  Actually, (4.00 / 4)

      This has become a father / daughter thing with my 7-year old.

      She is waiting for better weather so that she can wear her "Kerry-Edwards" t-shirt when we highway blog.

      We're planning a fathers/daughters party for friends in January to try to get 50 signs done by at least ten father/daughter groups. (Okay, will be equal opportunity -- mothers & sons will be allowed as well ...)

      The clock keeps ticking ... Osama bin Forgotten

      by besieged by bush on Fri Dec 30, 2005 at 01:22:12 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

  •  these and some other options (none / 0)

    are discussed here.

    unbossed You betcha!

    by shirah on Fri Dec 30, 2005 at 07:02:06 AM PDT

  •  I like items ... (4.00 / 2)

    like this which offer the real nuts and bolts of taking effective action.  I think activism is an essential and invigorating element of progressivism.

    Republicans are afflicted by CHIDS-Chronic Humor and Irony Deficit Syndrome, pronounced 'kids' with a parental sigh.

    by stumpy on Fri Dec 30, 2005 at 07:05:47 AM PDT

  •  Concise and Excellent! (none / 0)

    Commendations are in order.  Thanks

    by Freudian Slipper on Fri Dec 30, 2005 at 07:22:21 AM PDT

  •  Impeachment (none / 0)

    say the word every day to others, and at least once an hour to yourself.

    String Quartets #7 & #8

    by Stirling Newberry on Fri Dec 30, 2005 at 07:33:15 AM PDT

  •  I did it! (4.00 / 8)

    Took me five days (you think it's tough with a five-year-old, try having a houseful of them) to paint and place one sign, but the feeling was worth it when I drove by and saw it perfectly placed for the morning commute.

    God, I hope it's still there.

    If you happen to be in the Bay Area, on 880 between 280 and 101, let me know if you see it, okay?

    NNSL '08 and D&D at NN 08

    by Moody Loner on Fri Dec 30, 2005 at 07:34:43 AM PDT

    •  Excellent! Amazing! Outstanding! (none / 1)

      Fantastic news! I'm told it's the first one that's the hardest, but that it just seems to flow after that.

      I say "I'm told," because own my progress toward placing larger signs has been slow. But I think it's important that I continue working towards it, and that I admit that I'm having trouble.

      I think a lot of people think some or all of those big signs in the pictures are mine, but they're actually all the work of the Freeway Blogger. As for me, I've been collecting cardboard ("liberating" some of it from my neighbors on the first recycling collection day after Christmas), "harvesting" leftover political yard sign stakes, and making trips to the craft store for black paint and foam brushes. So now I've got a pile of cardboard, black paint and brushes, and some leftover white paint and a roller. But I'm lacking for hangers and bungee cords, so that's next. I bring this all up by way of saying that if you're struggling with getting your first larger sign ready, don't feel like you're alone. And don't give up, either.

      Use the tools at your disposal to find a friendly Kossack nearby, if you can. Maybe he or she can provide some missing materials, or even just provide you the support you need to get the courage up to actually deploy that first sign.

      by Kagro X on Fri Dec 30, 2005 at 07:55:10 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

  •  15 freeway blog groups message: last night (none / 1)

    I sent this message (between the dotted lines) to the fifteen regional freeway blogging Yahoo groups last night, after I obtained the URL below by posting a comment version of this diary to last night's Open Thread:

    --------------------
    You might want to bookmark the web page below.

    It includes two scroll boxes, each with live links.

    The first is an illustrated Freeway Blogs HOW TO (with a primary focus on IMPEACH). The second is the ninth of nine items of that How To - links to the 15 regional freeway blogging groups.

    Though underlying the top level of the How To (i.e. the nine bullet points ordered in three groups of three), the material is still a mishmash of web pages, blog posts, and blog comments, I believe you'll find it reasonably concise and useful.

    http://www.dailykos.com/...
    --------------------

    ImpeachBush.org

    by JohnT on Fri Dec 30, 2005 at 07:34:56 AM PDT

  •  Small size (none / 1)

    I'm going to have self-stick address size stickers made that read "Impeach."  You can stick these on newspapers, magazines, any reading material that is left in waiting rooms or in places that put out newspapers every morning for their customers (like well-known breakfast & bagel restaurants).
    This idea came from another Kossack, so I can't take credit for it. Not the giant impact of freeway blogging, but effective in a small way maybe.

    If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything. --Mark Twain

    by Desert Rose on Fri Dec 30, 2005 at 07:37:33 AM PDT

  •  The Freeway Blogger Rocks! (none / 1)

    I've been following you for over a year and have posted several signs.  Thank you for inspiring us to take control of our country with direct action.  This is one of the most valuable uses of the internet, sharing ideas and techniques to fight back against the dictatorial Bushite scum.

    Will we wake up enough of the slumbering TV-watchers?  It's hard to say, but I find it easy to make persuasive arguments against the Bushite scum using the information gathered here and on other progressive sites.

    Check out the Tom Tomorrow cartoons- could we find a way to spread these around?  I plan to post some of them on some community billboards, hopefully they'll stay up long enough to wake up a few of the borderline Bushites who are just not paying attention as our Constitution is shredded.

    I particularly like the Oct. 18th cartoon, "The Very Bad Idea"  Check them out:

    http://www.workingforchange.com/...

    by MD patriot on Fri Dec 30, 2005 at 07:39:56 AM PDT

  •  Paranoia (none / 0)

    I feel the same paranoia that some of you have sensed. My husband built a huge peace sign when the Iraq war began. (Maybe we should switch to an IMPEACH sign). We have lit it every single night since the invasion. Nobody has ever figured out who it belongs to since we live high on a very secluded piece of property. Because our property slopes way down to a major highway all travelers can view it, but it's nearly impossible to figure out its source. Well, last week we had a knock at the door around 10 PM; it was a guy looking to "take a picture" of the sign. We begged him off, saying it was dark and hard to reach. But the next day it occurred to me that we should have asked him how he knew to come to our house. Most people who end up here are lost (including the UPS drivers), so it's a mystery to us how this guy knew exactly which house to go to. Yes, we are very perplexed, but with all the spying going on, not really surprised!

    "Live right. Think left." Gregory Peck

    by bookwoman on Fri Dec 30, 2005 at 07:54:44 AM PDT

  •  There's another IMPEACH project diary up (4.00 / 2)


    Right Here
    Please recommend this one too. Thanks!

    NFTT Progressively supporting the troops

    by Timroff on Fri Dec 30, 2005 at 08:08:40 AM PDT

  •  I live right down from a freeper freeway.... (none / 0)

    Can't wait to make their day!!!

    Every dollar a for-profit insurance company spends on your care, is a dollar that goes against the coroporate balance sheet. --nyceve

    by letsfight on Fri Dec 30, 2005 at 08:25:29 AM PDT

  •  Are you crazy? (4.00 / 3)

    I mean, in addition to being a patriot, are you crazy?

    Crazy enough to participate in one of those annual New Year's Day "Polar Bear Swims?"

    If so, as I comment in that thread, remember that such events almost always get local news coverage. Because it's crazy!

    Well, this year, consider doing it for America. If you're already this nuts brave, why not take an IMPEACH sign with you, right to where the cameras are?

    by Kagro X on Fri Dec 30, 2005 at 08:34:50 AM PDT

  •  Anti-Christian (Bush jeans setting trend in Sweden (none / 0)

    http://news.yahoo.com/...

    by km4 on Fri Dec 30, 2005 at 09:12:33 AM PDT

  •  I modified the ACLU ad (4.00 / 5)

    to be an impeachment ad:

    Now I have to figure out how to get it onto a freeway sign.

    Yes We Did.

    by RenaRF on Fri Dec 30, 2005 at 09:15:00 AM PDT

    •  need a billboard for that one (none / 0)

      i like it, but i don't think it'll freeway blog real well.  you'll need a billboard, or a newspaper ad to get it all in.

      or maybe you could make stickers out of them somehow.  i'm wondering if there are half-page type avery labels that could be printed up with, say, "this modern world."  not quite the same as freeway bloging, but if you have a longer message (like yours) you need to go with a high-traffic spot where people have time to read it.  bus stops, train stations, bathrooms would be about right.

      l'audace! l'audace! toujours l'audace!

      by zeke L on Fri Dec 30, 2005 at 02:06:51 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

  •  its (none / 0)

    it is great to see the movement continue and even pick up steam :)

    "GDI" baby

    by threecents on Fri Dec 30, 2005 at 09:29:35 AM PDT

    •  Isn't it great? (none / 0)

      I haven't even been able to write a diary since Tuesday night, and there are still TWO IMPEACH diaries on the recommended list.

      That's how you'll know it's working. When other people can just pick up and do their own IMPEACH diaries whenever inspiration strikes, and it gets seen and recommended and commented on, that's when you'll know it's really catching on, at least around here.

      And if each person who reads, writes, recommends and comments on these diaries is putting up signs and stickers, we're moving way beyond our virtual walls.

      by Kagro X on Fri Dec 30, 2005 at 09:37:05 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

  •  That SF overpass (none / 0)

    always has left-wing propaganda on it, in both directions.  It's great.  Going southbound for the longest time it had "Osama bin Forgotten," which I found particularly witty.

    Visit RemoveRepublicans.com and follow every 2006 Senate race.

    by AnthonySF on Fri Dec 30, 2005 at 09:52:00 AM PDT

  •  Falafel? (none / 1)

    I freeway blogged several "Falafel?" signs during Mr. O'Reilly's troubles last year.  I don't think that I've ever had more fun.  The signs stayed up for a lot longer than my "Feel the Draft?" or "Worst President Ever" signs - I don't think that the wingnuts understood them.  It was great watching some drivers' reactions.  I'm afraid that I could have caused accidents due to uncontollable laughter.

    I've started placing small "impeach" stickers around town.  Long term parking lots are a great place to look for Bush/Cheney bumper stickers - I would never advocate placing an "Impeach" sticker to the left of one - that would be wrong.

    by AndyFarquhar on Fri Dec 30, 2005 at 11:34:14 AM PDT

  •  I've followed this path (4.00 / 3)

    Thanks to the freeway blogger I have done my own.It's fun and EASY..posterboard, markers/paint and coat hangers or zip ties..He has pointers on his site.

    If America were to die and an autopsy was to be performed the media would be the cause of death.

    by dynamicstand on Fri Dec 30, 2005 at 12:37:58 PM PDT

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