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The News of the Oaks
by Gordon except where noted.
"I Smashed the State" or "God is Down"
saga of a Twin Oaks Naming Party
– story by Spot Etal (Woodfolk House), photo "River
on God"
As folks may know, the energy put into rope production has
had a positive impact on the Twin Oaks budget. So, it was not
long before the names Old and New rope machines were replaced.
A long list of combo names such as John and Yoko, Moose and
Squirrel, Mick and Keith were assembled, and everyone gathered
to make hammocks and pick names.
Although well over 100 pairs of names were suggested, discussion and
straw polls pared the list down to a more manageable list and serious
voting got underway. Harold and Maude, Sodom and Gomorrah, Marx and Engels,
all fine names, were eliminated early. Itchy and Scratchy managed to survive
longer than Ren and Stimpy, an unfortunate victory for the corporate elite.
But this was overshadowed by a strong anarchist showing including Sacco
and Vanzetti, God and the State, and Bakunin and Kropotkin. Clankety Clank
Hank and Da Bomb made a strong showing, as did Rosencrantz and Guildenstein.
Maybe it was the energy from the inaugural protest, or Frodo's
pizzaschnecken served at the weekly anarchist dinner that put
both Sacco and Vanzetti and God and the State, into the semi-finals
along side Rosencrantz and Guildenstein, and Clankety Clank
Hank and Da Bomb. Then the grave news came that Rosencrantz
and Guildenstein were dead (please pause for dramatic effect).
While God and the State had a comfortable lead (I have heard
both are very influential), Sacco and Vanzetti were tied with
Clankety Clank Hank and Da Bomb; a runoff was in order. Paxus
presented a history of the campaign to save the lives of Sacco
and Vanzetti, and while such notables as Einstein had failed
to win the poor immigrants a pardon, in the hammock shop, the
names were reprieved. But even at Twin Oaks, Sacco and Vanzetti
would not triumph over God and the State.
Following up this story, the management of the rope shop
noted that while so far no one had smashed the State, God was
due for a lube job the next day and would be down. Some effort
is being put forth to make the book "God and The State"
available on tape for those working on the rope machine, but
until then the text is available on line at the anarchist archives
found at <flag.blacken.net>.
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