SRLC Welcoming Committee BBQ, this Saturday!

Have you heard about the SRLC Welcoming Committee? We are a coalition of New Orleans individuals and groups (including the Committee to Save Charity Hospital) coming together to welcome the Southern Republican Leadership Committee to New Orleans by letting them and the world know what we think of Republican governor Bobby Jindal's ruthless assaults on Louisiana healthcare and education. We're throwing a big ol' Second Line on Friday, April 9th, at 5:30 at Lafayette Square Park, and we'd love to see you there.

In the meantime, please help us organize and plan, to make this the best event it can possibly be. You can find our meeting schedule, as well as lots of flyers and other info, at the SRLC Welcoming Committee website . We would love the involvement of more people and more groups. Our coalition is steadily growing!

We're meeting at the Rail, Friday at 4 pm and Monday at 8 pm, but more importantly, please join us Saturday at 2pm for a glorious time making and eating BARBECUE and also making but not eating SIGNS and BANNERS for the Second Line!

Please bring yourself, and as much banner/sign/craft supplies as you can gather, and also all your artsy friends and their supplies. This is a lovely thing to do on a Saturday!

IRON RAIL CLEANING PARTY SAT FEB 20

What is it to be clean? Cleanliness? What is it to cleanliness? What is to clean? What cleanliness?

When you think of the Rail, does your nose twitch? Do the hairs inside your nostrils curl as if burnt? Do you, upon thinking of the Rail, perform an adorable bunny-rabbit-esque maxillofacial shrug, an instinctive aversive mouth-encompassing wince, twisting your mardi-gras-chapped lips across your teeth, rolling your chin back into your neck?

When you think of the Rail, do you think of dirty linoleum? Do you think of dirty linoleum's waxy, woody, grassy close-up smell? The grittiness of it, felt even through your shoes, its age-stratified gneiss detaching in scraps, pilling like old sweatpants? When you think of the Rail, do you think of the sour stink of accumulated dust? Do you picture the immeasurable nose-choking motes of must, thick in the air as superkrewe confetti, spangling like doubloons where the sun angles through the Rail's windows? Do you smell displeasing smells when you think of the Rail? Do you smell the humid, cabbagey scent of grease-stiff hair? The mammalian, ovine, sour-stale acridity of jeans worn weeks without washing? Do you think of the vegetal, salty-yeast tang of urine? The almost medicinal pungency of sweated-out wine in armpits whose flora flourishes unregulated? Footsmell? Do you think of stickinesses on surfaces that ought be frictionless, irregular patches of unlooked-for adhesion marking spillage, seepage, or christ only knows?

We fitna change that, we gwine clean the Rail. Help us do This Saturday Feb 20th starting at noon. It's a CLEANING OF THE IRON RAIL.

We have some supplies; bring more supplies! We have some enthusiasm; add yours!
Bring food and drinks and a positive mental attitude! Help us make better the poor old Iron Rail. We're gonna totally sparklize

Climate Ground Zero to speak at the Rail

Monday, December 14! 7:30 PM! Film, presentation, all type of thing. 
 Free & open to the publick...  Click image for larger flyer
One of the presenters writes:

****

Climate Ground Zero doea non-violent direct action in west virginia against mountaintop removal in appalachia. climate ground zero uses a variety of tactics, from rallies and marches and sit-ins to lockdowns to mining equipment and tree-sits. we work to raise awareness and bring publicity to the issue of mountaintop removal and coal and its direct effect on carbon emissions and the growing climate crisis. mountaintop removal devastates both the environment and people of appalachia; it poisons the groundwater and headsprings for the rivers which supply drinking water for the entire northeast region, wipes out indigenous species, demolishes some of the oldest and most biodiverse mountains in the world, and brings countless health problems to the people who live near mountaintop removal and coal processing sites.

Much of climate ground zero's focus is presently on coal river mountain, the last untouched peak in the coal river valley. massey energy very recently began blasting on coal river mountain; we're working hard on actions to stop work and bring attention to sustainable wind energy as alternatives to coal. the coal river wind project aims to put wind turbines on coal river mountain instead of blowing up the mountain for coal; this would provide permanent, green jobs in contrast to the few short-term mining jobs that would be available in destroying the mountain for coal.

ClimateGroundZero.org
MountainJustice.org

A Coming-Winter-Storms Letter............

Winter sky is dirty laundry, planet desaturated; Starlings leave the trees en masse. Out past the roof's angle, birds pepper cloudbank. Swirling shreds of spilled tobacco, their bodies become an amoebic jumble, twisting like smoke into... is that... a pattern? A shape? Impossible! The vast flock tightens, coalescing, forming the unmistakeable sillhouette of an....

IRON RAIL NEWSLETTER

This is the bad time, the frozen hibernal heart of death's own season. It's frickin' miserable, & when the going gets tough, the prose gets purple. What to do? how to survive? Suggestions follow:

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6 <-- a big daaaay RECORD SWAP! Lobby of the Rail 1PM-5PM. FREE. Remember the 80s? I don't; I'm too young. Tell me, were there cars back then? Could women vote? I'm curious about such days of yore. Were there humungous novelty frisbees that only stored like 10 songs? Is this true? LOLz! People really had those? Let us verify or disprove this cultural apocrypha by attending the massive and eagerly anticipated RECORD SWAP! at the IRON RAIL. There will be an abundance of obsolete media storage formats, ranging from the 8-track & cassette tapes of our great-grampas' days to those shinier things that are like wack, low-capacity DVDs... Compact Disks, I think my auntie calls them. Yes, all sorts of folks are pumped up about this, and for good reason. If you want FEWER RECORDS than you have, MORE RECORDS than you have, or DIFFERENT RECORDS than you have, for sure come by on Sunday to buy, sell, and trade records/tapes/etc... or be extra awesome and just give the damn stuff away! Bring a table! Browse a wide selection... so many genres, so many decades, so many different people to be.

On same daaaay....
MASSAGE! The Rail, also 3-7 pm. Pay what you can! Want to see a roomful of jaded, sullen burnouts begin giggling and squirming like they were adolescents in sex ed class? Just tell them "Asher's going to be giving massages." His hands are legendary, his training is professional, and his touch will change your life. He will be present with his massage chair giving pay-what-you-can massages. No price would be too high, for realz; Asher's wicked good at what he does. He will be on hand from Three to Seven in the PM.

And....
BOOKS 2 PRISONERS WORKNIGHT Nowe Miasto, 4-7PM This isn't at the Rail per se, but it's 100% Rail-endorsed. Books 2 Prisoners has experienced a glorious renaissance; NOW is the time to parasitically attach yourself and ride their cresting wave of mega-success!

- TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15.
Iron Rail Movie Night RETURNS!... en Espanol.
Película de Disney / Some Disney Movie
8PM. FREE. Iron Rail Book Collective
Disney hace lo mejor doblado (hay que entrar a las cabezas de los jóvenes de
todas las lenguas). Entonces vengan y vuelvan a vivir una memoria sórdida de
su niñez y cantamos. Hay varios, entonces vamos a hacer el voto.
Subtitled!

- MORE/MISC:
*There was a fun party on Monday; see the details at http://nolarts.wordpress.com

*Our pals over at Hot Iron Press were kind enuf to plug the Rail & the 'Zine
Library in "ReadyMade" magazine's December issue. Kyle & Jenny are hardworking
artists who do a lot, and we appreciate the juice. To see the article for
yourself, shoplift a copy of the magazine from the Borders on St. Charles.

*People wanna start doing Iron Rail Social Nites, because... that's... a very
appealing idea. We're looking to coordinate with some other local folks, maybe
Ashe, maybe that Gay & Lesbian center over by Frenchmen. There will be food,
folks and fun. Interested in helping? Come by a meeting!

*On January 3, the Iron Rail presents Margaret Killjoy in an evening of ANARCHY AND FICTION, including readings from "Mythmakers and Lawbreakers," edited by
Killjoy hirself & newly published by AK Press. This book looks good. "Learn
about novelist assassins, post-colo­nial african squatters, writers who fought
in revolutions and went on to write childrens’ stories!" More details about
this event, before it happens... Print Out The Pretty Flyer.

*Also coming up soon (though dates still TBD) the Rail will host a roadshow from
Climate Ground Zero. They do non-violent direct action in West Virginia to help
stop mountaintop removal coal mining. What is "non-violent direct action"? Is
that like, levitating the pentagon? Can't wait to find out!

*Hopefully we will also soon be having a teach-in about security culture and how
best to deal with those pesky snoopy indictin'-ass federales. Details TK...

*Every Wednesday at 8pm the collective drags its constituent carcasses into the
Rail for our open-to-everyone Collective Meetings. These are a blast. New
volunteers are welcome; everyone's welcome.

*Every Thursday at 7:30pm is Iron Rail Ladies' Nite, a time and place for
females and female-identified persons only. For this week's plans or other
info, write ladiesnight.ironrail@gmail.com

Hang in there. Winter's a motherfucker all 'round.
Sunsets come at 3 pm,
wind whips off the river,
lips too chapped for kissing,
bicyclists a-shiver,
"warm" clothes smell like mold and dog pee,
heat bills eat up all your money.

When everyone you like's in jail... come volunteer, down at the Rail!

Critical Resistance Halloween Haunted House this weekend!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN TO FRIENDS, ALLIES & SUPPORTERS:

CRITICAL RESISTANCE IS HOSTING A HALLOWEEN HAUNTED HOUSE, FRIDAY & SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30 & 31, 6:30 pm-9:30 pm

$2.00 PER PERSON (FUNDRAISER FOR CRITICAL RESISTANCE)

@ DOTS FASHION CENTER
2903 ORLEANS AVE
(N. DUPRE AND ORLEANS)

FOOD AND DRINKS FOR SALE!!!!!!!!

BRING THE KIDS AND HAVE A SPOOKY GOOD TIME WITH C.R.

FROM ALL OF US AT CRITICAL
RESISTANCE, NEW ORLEANS

PROTEST! New time! Keep the heat on wage-stealing TONY MORAN'S ! Time to escalate!

NEW TIME!

Meet up Thursday, October 29th at/outside Tira Misu 55, a bar at 123 Carondelet, at seven thirty P.M. to organize and plan. From there, we'll march over to the location of the protest: TONY MORAN'S "Italian" restaurant on Bourbon st. near the corner of Bourbon & Conti.

Tony Moran's management have been demanding workers do hours of prep while off the clock, have CONSISTENTLY STOLEN TIPS, and have withheld, bounced, and fiddled paychecks, often hiring people for catering jobs and then just refusing to pay them.

This behavior will continue-- more hard-working restaurant employees will be fucked over-- unless we send them a strong message that this behavior is unacceptable!

New Orleans restaurant workers are NOT interchangeable or disposable. All employees deserve fair pay, honest treatment, and dignity-- NOT bullying, discrimination and theft.

Attendees of the last protest got a chance to meet arch-villain Jobert Salem, the owner of (among other things) Tony Moran's and a world-class charmer : he was out there slapping at cameras, attempting to bully and shove protesters, press and passers-by, cussing, threatening, calling the cops, dancing with rage like a tantrum-throwing sweater-wearing child.

Have you or anyone you know had an abusive, bullying boss? Have you been underpaid or maltreated by your employer? This is a chance to stand in solidarity with others, united and strong, and say: ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. We must send an unmistakeable message to Jobert and bosses like him: Treat your workers fairly.

This protest is being organized by ROC-NOLA, Restaurant Opportunities Center of New Orleans on behalf of its members who've been cheated and robbed by Tony Moran's.

All of us must KEEP THE PRESSURE ON this restaurant until management agrees to sit down and negotiate. It is vital that all New Orleanians concerned with social justice join in this effort. Last week, ROC's initial protest, went well, but let's bump the turnout up and let Jobert Salem and fat cats like him know the era of screwing over workers has ENDED.

Our city is overdue for some social justice victory... let's take a stand for our fellow restaurant workers! Please join in this important action, please invite friends and associates, please help spread publicity, and together, we'll stand strong against worker exploitation!

Thanks... and we'll see ya on the picket line!!!

YOU DEMAND, WE SUPPLY

I try to get the word out.

Having just mass-mailed a newsletter with no subject line and committed whatever passes for a faux pas in the horrid twilit dork-a-verse that is "Facebook," I cannot but eagerly anticipate what will go wrong with this fuckin' blog posting. Perhaps I will inadvertantly include my social security number? Perhaps I will CC my employer?

Anyway, to the crux:
ASHER is back at the Iron Rail, giving massages!

Today, Sunday, 3-7 p.m.!

Now, I try not to objectify allies, but rest assured, were you to find Asher merely TWENTY PERCENT as charming as does the average person, you would still be more charmed by him than first-time parents are by their newborn.

I say 'newborn' for purposes of analogy, but make no mistake: Asher's hands are unambiguously full-grown. They are the hands of a great sculptor, or perhaps a symphony conducter who splits his own cordwood: the hands of a do-er, a master craftsperson, a kinaesthetic shaper of better destinies.

And folks, it is THOSE EXTRAORDINARY HANDS, those same heaven-infused, sinewed extremities which Asher will deploy to sculpt YOUR VERY FLESH, working out stresses that might date back months, even years... tension you've been carrying for a decade, unawares! This is your chance. He's got the goods; let him heal you.

Asher is a certified, professional masseuse who is generously donating his skills to help raise funds for our ambitious but impoverished littleinfoshop/spa. He's got a chair and everything. Pay what you can, but do not miss out on this...

YOU KNOW WHAT'S WONDERFUL?

The talented Asher putting his strong, soft hands on you, and massaging you.

That's wonderful!

Seriously, the dude has a gift. He went to school for this, but more importantly, he's just great at it. Those who he's touched rave about him, and this is YOUR CHANCE to find out why!

...because Asher is AT the Iron Rail, today, Friday, with his actual professional massage chair, giving people massages! Come pay whatver you can-- no amount would be too much-- and let Asher make this ugly stressful day significantly better for you.

YOU LIKE MIKE

This is not a picture of Mike; this is a picture of Charles Mingus, a hero of mine and the subject of a short film being shown tomorrow (Tuesday) night at eight.

If you know collective member Mike, you are likely as fond of him as I am. Mike has been an anchor-- a cornerstone-- of the Rail's existence for quite a while now.

WHAT THE FUCK ARE WE GOING TO DO WITHOUT HIM? For serious, we are experiencing a critical volunteer shortage!!

But in any case, it's Mike's birthday today-- he's turning 35 or so-- and if you're down for a small, low-key informal dinner gathering to honor one of the collective's Most Valuable Playerz tonight around 8 p.m., holler at me or Gina or "westbank reppin'"

We love ya Mike...

MY DELICATE CRIME-DETECTOR IS VIBRA-TING VIOLENTLY

...and the indicator points towards the Iron Rail.

Here are some month-of-March Popular Music Concerts that it might behoove the Rail to table.

To learn more about any of these shows and other local events I recommend visiting NOLADIY.org. If you'd like to table something not on this list... anything from an opera to lunch hour at an institution of higher learning... that'd be cool too. For more info on tabling, you can contact long-suffering abuse-magnet Bryan at the e-mail address: flyerstorm at yahoo dot com.

Motorized transport is probably the name of the game for some of these shows, but 'zines tote easily in a messenger bag or backpack, and if you have two people, biking a couple big pack-loads of stuff to and from the Dragons' Den is not at all a big deal.

Help us out, make friends, seem like someone who's part of something. Please help. Heaven knows, we need the $ $ $ .

Wednesday, March 11th
Eearth Fiirst! benefit @ Candle Factory

Thursday, March 12th
Big Blue Marble @ Dragon's Den
Mars @ Saturn Bar
Dark, Dark, Dark @ Sidearm

Friday, March 13th
instrumental fest @ Big Top
one man band fest @ Saturn Bar

Saturday, March 14th
In Tomorrow's Shadow @ The Bar
instrumental fest @ Big Top
Turboslut @ Hillary's house

Sunday, March 15th
King Khan @ One Eyed Jacks
One Man Machine @ Saturn Bar
Enormous Poets: Open mic & poetry slam @ Dragon's Den

Monday, March 16th
Hurray for the Riff Raff @ Tulane (Dixon Hall)
Peelander-Z @ One Eyed Jacks
So So Glos @ Zeitgeist

Tuesday, March 17th
White Colla Crimes @ Dragon's Den
Mi Ami @ 615 Gallier

Wednesday, March 18th
The Death Set @ Saturn Bar

Friday March 20th
The Weakends @ Saturn Bar

Saturday March 21st
Alternative Media Expo @ CAC
^^^I GOT THAT WORK
Dangerous Ponies @ Hillary's house

Sunday March 22nd
Des Ark @ Ducbo (matinee)
Kylesa @ Candle Factory
This Bike is a Pipe Bomb @ Saturn Bar

Monday March 23
Pygmy Lush @ 2608 Magazine
The Queers @ Dragon's Den

Tuesday, March 24th
Masshysteri @ Nowe Miasto
Frank Gratkowski @ Blue Nile
Truth Universal @ Dragon's Den
Cling to the Trees of a Forest Fire

Friday, March 27th
Orchard of the Living @ Circle Bar
The White Bitch @ Dragon's Den

Saturday, March 28th
Angry Banana @ High Ground
Mynameisjohnmichael @ One Eyed Jacks

NO LAWS WILL EVERY BE PASSED WILL ALL THIS FARTING GOING ON!

So, there is a meeting this Wednesday at 8 p.m.

Our collective meetings generally resemble the above, except with people smoking cigarettes.

There is also an AMAZING SHOW at SIX P.M. that would be really good to attend!

and on Tuesday evening the 10th, 4-8 p.m., visiting folks will present free interesting informative valuable workshops at the Iron Rail on consensus (we already rule at this) facilitation (we can always use more of this, especially with our finest facilitator abandoning us) and SECURITY CULTURE (now, more than ever). These workshops will resemble the above.

SUPPORT GOVERNMENT-PERSECUTED LOCAL ARTIST: SUNDAY JAN 11

This is going to be quick, because I have to hurry help prepare for tonight's IRON RAIL HOLIDAY PARTY, which I neither think sounds fun nor plan to attend. If you are less of an asshole than I, contact an Iron Rail Collective member for details or swing by the Iron Rail itself before 7 p.m. I'm sure someone will give you the 411.

Moving on: SUNDAY, January the ELEVENTH, (postponed from the 10th) there is going to be a NoLa RiSiNg PaInT PaRtY in the 3000 block of St. Peter.

Why? To support Willow Schroeder, a local artist whose scumbag gentrifying neighbors moved in across the street and then decided they didn't like the house they'd moved in across the street from because it artistically commemorates Willow's son who got shot to death.

Willow's bullying, ugly persecutors, the Taylors, are as bad as it gets. They're working hand in hand with scumbag Robert Mendoza at City Hall to try to destroy Schroeder's life. Already Schroeder has been forced to make alterations and tear down some of her work... but villainous monsters like the Taylors cannot be appeased.

To learn about this ongoing anti-art, anti-artist outrage, visit http://davidshouse.wordpress.com/ or read this choice-quote-laden article from the Times-Pic.

We at the Iron Rail salute NoLa Rising for helping draw attention and publicity to Schroeder's persecution, and stand in solidarity with ALL artists against the oppression of the state and the conformist would-be-dominance of "people" like the Taylors.

This is not at all a direct action... it's more like a fund-raiser kind of thing... but please do come by JANUARY 11, SUNDAY at ONE PM to help out or at least get more acquainted with Schroeder's work and her struggle... who knows what kind of interesting ideas you might get?

there is a meeting: UPDATED

Thanks to all who came to the meeting last Wednesday, 'Christmas eve'. There is also a meeting on Wednesday December 31st irrenonantidisunregardlessly of that being new years eve. but also in consideration of cool shit occuring this meeting is at three p.m.


to repeat since I seem to have lost the gift of communication, the meeting is at 3 pm instead of 8



2009 is coming. Resolve to destroy.

god why does that picture of some guy on like a tiny garden tractor plowing make me so irrationally angry? what the fuck is wrong with me

WHAT HOBOS LIKE US CAN DO

Let me break it down for you. Let me make it clear for you. Let me drop elucidatory gems on this shit as best I can. We do AWESOME when we table. Note: "Table" as a verb in this context means "sit behind a table repping Iron Rail, spreading subversive writing."

We could always table more. We could do operas, we could just cold table lunchtime at a college, we could table cultural events-- art openings, lectures, parades, anything where people are. Now, it would help if we had more handbills we could hand out while tabling, to bring people in to the space. We're working on that.

In the meantime, people-- you, me, everybody-- want answers to why modern existence is such a hideous nightmare. Those are answers our po-faced prescriptive 'zines and bajillions of Derrick Jensen books can provide.

Following, please find a list of December musical performances it would be cool to table. THANK YOU for keeping the Iron Rail alive.

12/09 - Zoroaster @ Hi Ho (METAL)
12/11 - Haste the Day @ Cypress (HARDCORE)
12/13 - Metrnome the City @ Circle Bar (INDIE)
12/13 - Zydepunks @ Saturn Bar (PUNK)
12/17 - Further Reasoning @ Howlin Wolf (PUNK)
12/18 - Ritual Killer @ The Bar (METAL)
12/19 - Benjy Davis @ Howlin Wolf (INDIE)
12/20 - Soul Rebels @ Dragon's Den
12/20 - Meadow Flow @ Dragon's Den (INDIE)
12/20 - Bywater Market @ Markey Park
12/20 - Mod Night @ Saturn Bar
12/23 - Meriwether @ Howlin Wolf (INDIE)
12/27 - Capitol Offense @ Dragon's Den (PUNK)
12/30 - Revolutionary Youth @ Neutral Ground (PUNK)

More information about these specific shows as well as a superabundant superabundance of other crap can be found superabundantly at noladiy.org. Also, the really good person to get ahold of if you're down to table any of these shows, or any other musical concert, is flyerstorm AT yahoo DOT com. He's got the hookups.

FUCK THE VOTE

Voting at all represents compromise with the illegitimate systems imposed upon us, fuck it!

but

if you wanted to know what your fave embarrassing-older-brother figure the D-Block would recommend voting for regarding the LOCAL stuff (and the presidency) then click here for a non-Iron Rail-approved voter guide. Again let me stress this is not related to the collective, it's just one collective member's views (based on views of others).

UPDATED!!! AS OF 8:45 PM, NOW MORE ACCURATE! PLZ RE-PRINT IF YOU SAW IT BEFORE.

90s ROMANTIC COMEDY MOVIE MONTH

Some may think I'm joking, some may wish I was, and some are wiggling in their chairs with glee at the prospect: The Iron Rail is showing romantic comedy films from the 1990s throughout October. This bold and refreshing filmic initiative first manifests itself on

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7th, at EIGHT P.M.:
A screening of "Ten Things I Hate about You."

Next week will likely be "She's All That," but we'll keep ya posted. Regardless,

THE FUNDAMENTALS OF MOVIE NIGHT ARE STRONG

BOW TO SANTA'S BLEND

This has nothing to do with Santa's Blend, though while we're on the subject, isn't it delicious? Chocolatey, Pepperminty, Cockroachleggy, it's the special coffee with the dusty zing, the coffee that says "Iron Rail." God, even writing about it makes me crave a murky jarful.

But really, this post is about Iron Rail volunteers tabling popular music concerts. If you are remotely connected with the Iron Rail now or at any past point and disinclined to swindle us, please accept this cordial invitation to spend an evening or two staffing a table at a local music event. You can meet people and sell them things and tell them about the Iron Rail... many of our most valuable collective members first learned of the Rail's existence by just such means.

Following is a list of October shows it would be cool to Table. If you are interested in attending and shilling radical/anarchist books and 'zines at any of these shows-- specific shows, or just generally-- please send an e-mail to our Live Music coordinator, the Big Dawg of New Orleans punk: flyerstorm AT yahoo.com

OCTOBER
Thu 02 - Theresa Andersson | The City Life | Big Blue Marble @ Howlin Wolf
Thu 02 - Guitar Lightning Lee and His Thunder Band | The Young | Hollywood Blues | King Louie One Man Band @ Saturn Bar
Fri 03 - Rotary Downs | MyNameIsJohnMichael @ The Republic
Sat 04 - Antenna Inn | The Revivalists | The Other Planets @ One Eyed Jacks
Sat 04 - Start Select | Pumpkin | Party Time | Epic @ Parlays
Mon 06 - Why Are We Building Such a Big Ship? | Nick Jaina @ Dragons Den
Tue 07 - Sourvein | Zoroaster | Hellkontroll | Thou @ Hi Ho Lounge
Wed 08 - Elysium | Consumed | Sisera | Raum @ Hi Ho
Wed 08 - Saviours | Hawg Jaw | Thou @ One Eyed Jacks
Wed 08 - The Walkmen | The City Life @ Republic
Wed 08 - Helios Creed | MC Trachiotomy and th' Cone of Uncertainty | Rampede @ Saturn Bar
Thu 09 - My Graveyard Jaw | Deering + Down | Jamie Randolf @ Dragon's Den
Thu 09 - The Dead Science @ Hi Ho
Fri 10 - I, Octopus | Meadow Flow | Smiley With A Knife | Tony Italiano @ Dragons Den
Sat 11 - Spickle | Terranova @ Checkpoints
Sat 11 - The Pallbearers | Switchblade Combs | All Rise | Blanks 77 @ Hi Ho
Wed 15 - Sunburned Hand of the Man | Rob Cambre / Donald Miller duo @ Hi Ho
Thu 16 - Hail Seizures | Chin Up, Meriwether | A Collective of Dirt @ Ducbo
Fri 17 - Spider Bags | The Golden Boys | Die Rotzz | RomanGabrielTodd's Beast Rising Up Out of the Sea @ Saturn Bar
Sat 18 - Black Tusk | A Hanging @ Saturn Bar
Sun 19 - Ladyfest 2008 @ the Big Top
Sun 19 - Bridge and Tunnel | O Pioneers! @ Dragons Den
Sun 19 - Tim Green + Steve Masakowski + Larry Sieberth + Doug Belote @ Hi Ho
Tue 21 - Jack of Heart | Die Rotzz @ Saturn Bar
Sat 25 - Why Are We Building Such a Big Ship? | Japanther | Killer Dreamer | Turboslut @ Heavy Metal Parking Lot
Sat 25 - Fishbone @ Dragons Den
Sun 26 - Watain | Withered | Book of Black Earth | Ritual Killer @ Dragons Den
Tue 28 - The Matadors of Shame | Party Time @ 4722 Palmyra (house show)
Wed 29 - The Screaming Females | Pumpkin | Spring Break Shark Attack @ Zeitgeist
Thu 30 - Evil Army | A Hanging | Tirefire @ Heavy Metal Parking Lot
Fri 31 - Zydepunks (plus, early show with Angry Banana) @ Dragons Den

THE FUNDAMENTALS OF THE 'ZINE ARCHIVE ARE STRONG

Eric McDavid

Several folks from New Orleans' radical community came to Iron Rail Tuesday night to watch representatives of Eric McDavid's prisoner support team discuss Eric's case & to give suggestions on how to pretect oneself from suffering the same injustices dealt Eric.
Learn More:
@ Earth First
Anna in Elle Magazine (indymedia)
Crimethinc's Elle Retraction?
Coax

RNC Riot Porn & Prisoner Support Tour

9/13/08
7pm
@ Iron Rail

This Saturday, September 13, there will be a report-back from NOLA anarchists who went up to St. Paul, MN to protest the RNC with thousands of other like-minded individuals. Videos taken at the RNC protests will also be shown. There will be free PBR to encourage cheering in the crowd during cool parts of the videos.

9/16/08
6pm
@Iron Rail
There will be a presentation by people from Eric McDavid's support crew about his crazy case involving government informants, entrapment, and lies. This is a presentation not to be missed! Eric was recently sentenced to almost 20 years in prison for thinking about committing an eco-defense crime, and being pushed along by a government agent. Come see this presentation and support Eric!

JAKES ON THE BLOCKS WE OUT-CLEVER

Here is a video showing a pair of pigs skulking along in a St. Paul poor people march. Keen eyes may spot other items of interest as well, and by 'items,' I mean awesome ion-beam sweethearts, and by awesome ion-beam sweethearts I don't really mean much at all because I'm too burned out to formulate a properly tedious and convoluted inside joke.

Quick Update

-Some of us are going to the RNC! Ours hours may be sporadic this week due to that. Call our phone at 504-944-0366 just to make sure we are open.

-We are showing RNC/DNC news footage, youtube, and Indymedia videos at the Iron Rail for the next movie night, September 2nd, the day after the big action day at the RNC. If you can't make it to Minneapolis for the RNC, come watch what is going down on a big screen with some friends and cheer and clap!

-If Gustav comes, our plans will be changed, but yours no doubt will be, also. You understand.

-All Iron Rail September Movie Nights:
*RNC Videos
*Where's Poppa?
*No Movie: Auburn 3/Eric McDavid Speaking Tour will have a presentation about Eric's case.
*Cache
*Baby Doll
Movies are shown on Tuesday nights at 8pm.

August Movies and Iron Rail Events!

Lots of great stuff in this August email, coming as it is in the midst of our building excitement for the re-emergence of anarchists as a visible national presence in the streets, with the DNC and RNC protests looking to be off the hook at the end of the month.

- August "Long, Hot Summer Survival SALE"
- Iron Rail Supports Anarchist Injured by Police
- August 11th workshop: Self-Defense and Hold-Breaking 4pm
- Shut Down the RNC with us!
- August Movies
- End Notes and Quibbets

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The very first Iron Rail sale EVER!
It has a taken us four long years to get this great idea, but our blossoms have finally borne their succulent fruits in the form of a sale!!! We must take a moment to pay homage to our heroes of sales, Frankie & Johnny! Let em haveit! Here's the terms of our "insane" idea:

-All pamphlets are buy one, get one free (almost all are priced at $1)
-All $1 used books are buy one, get one free. (These books can be found in the large "used fiction" section, as well as scattered through all of the for sale books, in every section.
-All books with "Bush" in the title are 50% off, because the bastard's almost history! Woo!
-Our large size 2008 Slingshot organizers are down from $10 to $6 because the year is half over.
-We have some books on permanent sale to reduce overstock. Another World is Possible, Get Your War On, SchQuall Yearbook 2001 are all $5.

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The Iron Rail recently sent $50 to an IWW member in Providence, RI who got her leg broken a year ago at an IWW demonstration. She has undergone surgeries and physical therapy because of her extensive injuries. We also signed letters asking the DA to drop her charges. More on her case: http://www.iww.org/en/taxonomy/term/679/all

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Self-Defense and Hold Breaking Workshop
August 11th, 4pm, Iron Rail Books
Come learn self-defense and hold-breaking techniques from a knowledgeable Kung Fu practitioner. This is a useful skill for: getting away from cops, defending yourself from an attacker on the street or in your home, staying safe and out of jail at protests (such as the RNC: see below), and more! This will be super fun, there will be cold drinks like lemonade and a comfortable atmosphere for all. Come!

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Shut Down the RNC with the Iron Rail!
Some of us will be headed north to the Republican National Convention at the end of August to join with tens of thousands of others in shutting down the RNC. We are trying to co-ordinate interested people from New Orleans into a car caravan to ride up ttogether and fill every car that goes to St. Paul, MN from here. PLEASE, email us if you want to go or help with gas money or in any way.

The dates are flexibly from August 29-September 4. If enough volunteers end up going, we may close for a few days during this time. Email nolabookcollective@hotmail.com to get hooked in. RNC Protest info:
http://www.nornc.org
http://www.unconventionalaction.org
We also have papers about the protests available free at the Iron Rail.

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August Movies - All start at 8pm on Tuesday nights

August 5: The Triplets of Belleville
When her grandson is kidnapped during the Tour de France, Madame Souza and her beloved pooch Bruno team up with the Belleville Sisters--an aged song-and-dance team from the days of Fred Astaire--to rescue him. Fun animated movie.

August 12: The Gits
The story of the promising, underground Seattle band, The Gits. Fronted by charismatic vocalist, Mia Zapata, and poised to explode onto the national music scene, a stranger came in and took it all away. A decade later, the legacy lives on. 'The Gits' party included, as they are one collective member's favorite band of all time. WOO!

August 19: Breaking the Spell
Anarchists make a documentary about the WTO protests in Seattle, telling their story and getting us pumped up before we head to Minnesota to shut down a spectacle of capitalism ourselves!

August 26: Fourth World War
From the front-lines of conflicts in Mexico, Argentina, South Africa, Palestine, Korea, 'the North' from Seattle to Genova, and the 'War on Terror' in New York, Afghanistan, and Iraq. It is the story of men and women around the world who resist being annihilated in this war. It is the story of a global movement for justice, against the corporate tyranny swallowing the world. Another film to get us pumped up before the RNC protests, and to remind us of the millions of people who would be there with us if they could, whose lives are devastated by the policies of the US empire.

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-Bring us your textbooks, they help keep us open and buy awesome books for the library.
-What the hell is a quibbet?

CHOCOLATE CHIP LABELING

REVENGE OF BRIDE OF RETURN OF LABELING PARTY

Do you know how sometimes something feels so good that you just can't stop doing it? That's where we are with the labeling parties. Oh dear. The labeling, the alphabetizing - where do we start? Where do we stop? Slowly, the dream that was the labeling party has become our day-to-day, and the rest of our lives... the hours empty of labeling... have faded to the texture of dream. Only labeling is real. Did you know that piracy goes in class war/labor studies? I did. Plus, we chucked out a bunch of Maoist stuff, so if you want hardline polemics to inspire your shrill, hectoring newspapers which no-one reads, you'll have to go elswhere. Seriously, 'communism' is now 6 books thick - it's original texts only - direct action/protest has been EXPANDED. Christianity is the next to go - tomorrow. Each book in the section will be marched up the steps to the guillotine, summarily judged, and sentenced to the free pile.

My co-author is being kind. We're burning books at the iron rail. No way, that's not even funny. Yes, it is. We aren't, though. Because YOU, gentle reader, will come be a voice of reason in this purging, by contributing your time and talents to the labeling and cataloguing process. It's spelled cataloging!!! However it's SPELT, there will be a lot of it tomorrow, and it will be exhilirating, like a fox. Like the hot orange blur of a fox, and the henhouse is our overstuffed shelves full of insufficiently revolutionary books. He totally stole 'like a fox' from me, btw. Like the internet for dummies, and "A pseudo marxist critique of freudian lesbianism from the 1950s". No just kidding.

We're thinking it will kick off around 1:30 PM, and we'd love you to intervene and save us from ourselves. We're going to hopefully provide chocolate chip cookies. Sunday, July 6th. COME GIVE US A HAND WE'RE WICKED SWEET. (That is true).

-- SARAH -&- the mighty d-block

CATALOGUING PARTY THIS SATURDAY

The Iron Rail is volunteer-run. We're here because we CARE, and one of the things we care about passionately is finding the best method for cataloguing our library. Finally, we have arrived at that method. We've sorted it all out, every detail of it, and will never have to address the issue in any capacity whatsoever at any time in the future ever again. To celebrate this, we are having a CATALOGUING/LABELING PARTY this Saturday afternoon at 1:30 PM.

WHAT IS A CATALOGUING/LABELING PARTY?
We are gonna go through our whole library and label each book with its category and shelve it alphabetically and catalogue it by hand

WHERE'S THE FUN IN THAT?
Don't knock it 'til you've tried it. This is librarianism at the fringe. Didn't you read that clipping your mom sent you about how it's cool to be a librarian? She was right. Not right about you going to library school, but definitely right about it being cool.

Tintin, Snowy and the cast of sesame street will be there. Fat, fluffy goblins, their dreddy gnarls combed out and their fur gently, organically shampooed, will be there, be-ribboned, dispensing loving hugs. You may cry into their absorbent, fleecy nap, and the internal pressure that's been building up for weeks will dissipate, leaving you cleansed and calm. This will be a deeply healing cataloguing party.

BUT IT WILL ALSO BE FUN.

JOB OPPORTUNITY: Infiltrate Vegan Potlucks for the FBI

Some at the Iron Rail tend to follow a more continental diet-- black coffee, unfiltered cigarettes, discarded shrimp heads, and whatever middle-aged married businessmen buy for us at bars-- but if you're willing to leave the Clamato out of your beer for a meal or two, Uncle Sam wants YOU to rat out your skinnier, less diabetic fellow-citizens in the run-up to the RNC:

http://articles.citypages.com/2008-05-21/news/moles-wanted/

"What they were looking for, Carroll says, was an informant—someone to show up at 'vegan potlucks' throughout the Twin Cities and rub shoulders with RNC protestors, schmoozing his way into their inner circles, then reporting back to the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force,"

YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK LADIES AND GENTLEMEN

--the d-block

New Books, and the N.O. Human Rights FilmFest!

We recently got in:
-The Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein
-The Cunt Coloring Book
-Gender Trouble
-ANSWER Me!: The First Three
-Dishwasher
-As The World Burns by Derrick Jensen

All at or below cover price! Read, and give good books to people you love. Do it!

And please check out the AMAZING movies being shown in the 5th Annual New Orleans Human Rights Film Festival!

Saturday Night's Alright

Two great events happening this Saturday, March 1st.

IRON RAIL BENEFIT:
Blair Gimma + Jon Crocker
7pm at Py's Makeout Club
1909 Jackson Ave. Apt A (middle door)
uptown New Orleans

CONSTANCE BOOK RELEASE PARTY:
7pm at Barrister's Gallery
2331 St. Claude Ave (at Spain St.)
bywater New Orleans

Blair Gimma - At the Halfmoon
Jon Crocker - State Route 17

dainty doo-dads for the despondent

Movie Nights
Tonight, as I'm writing this entry, the folks are over at Iron Rail for movie night enjoying Harlan County USA. If you've fucked up like I have and wish you could somehow redeem yourself from the great fuckup that is missing this week's Iron Rail movie night, be still, dear readers, your chance at redemption comes next week:
Tuesday, February 26, 2008: Iron Rail Movie Night presents Koyaanisqatsi: Life Out of Balance.

Iron Rail Shows.
March 1 - Blair Gimma & Jon Crocker blast your ears with sonic sounds rivaling the best coming out of tin pan alley.
March 10 - Madeline Adams & Nana Grizol turn those frowns upside down.
March 17 - Peter Young (recently released political prisoner) spoken word.
March 26 - Chris Clavin shall masquarade as Captain Chaos (with Eric Ayoyye and The Let Down).


Suggestion.
Spend your next birthday listening to Phil Ochs and reading Dostoevsky. Become Raskolnikov.
Phil Ochs - Love Me I'm a Liberal

<3-coach

Coming Monday!

No Presidents Day Sale!!
To show general disdain for the 43 presidents of the United States, Nothing at Iron Rail will be reduced in price Monday. We see the position of president as a little past its time, a little old fashioned. The office was established in the same document which established that people of color were only 3/5s of a person. We just can't get behind that.
Enjoy your three day weekend, unless you're in a third world sweatshop or factory, in which case enjoy your rice.

<3
coach

SOTU 2008: "Curly Cue" Bush, Dick (head) Cheney and Lot Lizard

Just another night at the Iron Rail, another year looking at the projected versions of their beloved leaders: Bush, Cheney, Nancy Pelosi.

Classically acquiring the projector minutes before W heads into the house chambers, a crowd of nigh thirty witnessed another state of the union address while drinking high-life's and sharpie-ing the white board taped up in lieu of a projector screen.

Forever will we remember: the unibrow and french curly cue mustache drawn on W's upper lip; an exquisitely sharpied penis and testis on Cheney's forehead, ever slowly landing back on his baldness as the camera operator zoomed in; zzzz's for the napping, "resting eyes" has beens in the audience shots who can no longer stay up after 8pm; the spastic labeling of Pelosi as a "lot lizard"; and, last but not least, a small but formidable target symbol on W's forehead.

Throughout the speech, people hardly paid attention to his sentiments as lies were mocked and enthusiasm waned until the target symbol gave new found meaning to throwing dumpstered peppers wrapped in moist toilet paper at the target.

Though no one directly hit (Battleship!), there was a Bush pinata afterwards for baseball bat aggression. Candy splattered about and many dove for smarties. In one last hurrah, everybody played a quick game of unknown origin in the streets outside. From a spectactor's point of view, it was a perfect end to the evening: running, dodging, tagging, dramatic fake deaths and shrieks of euphoria.

Viva _____ !

--matt

(picture added 2/7 -coach)