Campaign for Precedent Update
by Steve Bhaerman

Dear Friends:
Happy New Year! Welcome to that teeming, bubbling stew of infinite potentials called 2004. Just think. In less than ten months, we will
have four more years of the same old President -- or we will have chosen ourselves a brand new precedent. Will we give in to hopelessness, apathy, fear, and the belief that the world sucks and there is nothing we can do about it? Or will we apply our skills, our wit, our wisdom and our consciousness to bring down the Irony Curtain and take those first steps toward a government of the people, by the people, for the people, where our government does OUR bidding, not the bidding of the highest bidder? And now is the time to launch this American Evolution. Why? Because it is too late to do it sooner!

Uncle Swami Wants YOU!

Uncle Swami wants YOU! Because replacing the current regime will require unprecedented commitment, persistence and strength on the part of the body politic. The 97-pound weakling or bloated couch potato body politic will have to swear off junk food media, and begin pumping ironies. We the people will need to revisit that ancient form of communication, “tell-a-person” so that truth emerges from all of its hiding places and permeates the entire political landscape.

Ten months from now, those of us -- Democrat, Republican, Green and Independent -- who believe in truth, justice and the real American way will be dancing in the streets. Or, we’ll be preparing to huddle out of sight behind barbed wire in what NewSpeak Bush calls “Free Speech Zones.”  (Honest. You could look it up. That’s where they put anti-Bush protesters so that they still can protest, but where absolutely no one can see them. See the San Francisco Chronicle “Insight” section, January 4, 2004, for an article which also appeared in the American Conservative on December 15, 2003, www.amconmag.com, go to archives.
And we will need plenty of conscious comedy and healing humor because -- as a fan in Texas once put it, “Humor is a great way to tell people what they don’t want to hear in a way they want to hear it.” At a time when there is so much “endarkenment,” whole-hearted loving laughter helps us overcome fear and depression, and act and communicate with aliveness and empowerment.

Swami’s Mission for 2004: Wake Up Laughing, and Leave Laughter in Your Wake!

The Swami’s mission and message for the year -- to be outlined in the upcoming 2004 State of the Universe Address -- is “Wake up laughing!” This is a time for awakening: It’s a time to awaken to the essential teaching of love hiding behind all of those religious dogmas, to awaken to the chain, chain chain of human foolishness that has kept us doing the same things over and over yet hoping for different results. It’s a time to awaken to the awesome possibilities available to us when we apply love, wisdom and imagination. And what more enjoyable way to awaken then through laughter?

Wholehearted laughter provides the joy, encouragement and perspective we need to communicate the truth effectively and empower others to release the human pattern of “getting even,” and choose to “get odd” instead. When we use our ingenuity and imagination to find that odd solution that will take humanity down a new road, we can create a “world win” campaign where the whole world wins. Look at what Bush and his Banana Republicans are offering: Perpetual warfare, environmental destruction, loss of civil liberties, growing gap between rich and poor. Wow. Where can I sign up? Through the power of conscious comedy and healing laughter, we can help broadcast an “alter native vision” -- where we natives are altered for the better.

Steve Bhaerman, January 12, 2004

BEYONDANEWS NEWS BRIEFS No More Silenced Majority -- Support Willie Nelson!

Remember last year when the Dixie Chicks and Michael Moore spoke out against the War on Iraq, and there was a concerted effort to discredit them and ruin their business -- and the Dixie Chicks ended up selling out their shows, and Michael Moore’s book returned to the best seller list?  Well, we have another opportunity. This past Christmas day, Willie Nelson wrote an awesome song,  “Whatever Happened to Peace on Earth?” which cuts right to heart of true American values. Lyrics include:

“And the bewildered herd is still believing Everything we’ve been told from our birth Hell they won’t lie to me Not on my own damn TV But how much is a liar’s word worth And whatever happened to peace on earth?”

and

“But don’t confuse caring for weakness You can’t put that label on me The truth is my weapon of mass protection And I believe truth sets you free”

To see complete lyrics, go to www.willienelson.com. And while you’re there, let Willie know that you support his stand to tell the truth. He received some unfavorable letters in the Austin American Statesman, so take a few minutes to counterbalance those judgments with heartfelt support ... Hey, if we’re gonna give George Bush the “willies”, let’s start with a Willie from his home state.

Steve and Swami on New Dimensions Radio

Speaking of supporting “creative culture” for the Cultural Creatives, tune in this week (for some) and next week (for most) to New Dimensions Radio and hear an interview Michael Toms did with the Swami and I. To find out where you can hear New Dimensions wherever you are, go to www.newdimensions.org. And if your local station doesn’t carry New Dimensions, here is your chance to call them and put in your request. New Dimension is the only nationally-syndicated radio show that features leading edge consciousness luminaries in a thoughtful, deep, intelligent conversation. If you like what you see (and hear), go to their archives, order some tapes and share them with your friends when you’re done.

Swami House Concerts in Run-Up to State of the Universe

In the run-up to the State of the Universe Address (January 29th, location to be announced), we will be previewing and “audience testing” new material in several Bay Area locations. The first “living room event” was this past Saturday evening, January 10th, in Sebastopol. The evening sold out at 50 people, folks were turned away, and so we’re doing it again at the same location (see details at the bottom of this page) this coming Saturday, January 17th. Please call to RSVP. We’re also looking to fill Friday, January 16th and Sunday the18th, and the weekend of the 23rd-24th-25th. If you or someone you know would like to host or promote an event like this within driving distance of Santa Rosa, please let us know. Appearances

Join the Right to Laugh Party ... and Help Laugh Those Clowns Out of Power

For a $25 donation, you can support and participate in Swami’s campaign to bring healing laughter to the political conversation. The Right To Laugh Party will also serve as a de facto Swami fan club, where you can get discounts on products and performances, as well as other exclusive items throughout the year. By the way, our e-mail sublist was corrupted this fall so we may have missed some Right to Laugh members when we sent out the packets. If you haven’t received your packet with membership card, Get Out of Hell Free Card and Humanifesto, please, please, please let us know as soon as possible.

Again, thank you for being a Friend of Swami’s. We look forward to a year when the forces of consciousness (and laughter!) begin to move that boulder of fear and ignorance standing between us and “humanifest destiny.”

May the FARCE be with you, Steve Bhaerman

© 2003 by Steve Bhaerman. All rights reserved. Feel free to circulate
this if you include copyright and contact information. Contact the Swami
at (800) SWAMI BE or online at http://www.wakeuplaughing.com