random thoughts and ideas from the members of the band PUBLIC

http://www.toromagazine.com/?channel=11 ... amp;n=1173

As of now this document, Charter 08, has lead to the arrest of at least one signatory, the 12 hour detention of another and the questioning of at least 70 others in China.

Here is an excerpt of an article by Bill Schiller of the Toronto Star:

"That document, Charter 08 – which is drawing comparisons to Charter 77, the clarion call for justice that eventually lead to Czechoslovakia's 1989 Velvet Revolution – is drawing praise and admiration from around the world.

The charter sets out core principles – including freedom, human rights, democracy and constitutional rule – as well as 19 recommendations to reshape China's sclerotic political system.

Charter 08 was drafted by an unknown number of intellectuals, lawyers and writers and posted on the Internet with 303 signatories on Dec. 9 – a day before International Human Rights Day. By yesterday, more than 7,200 Chinese had signed it, including workers, peasants, high school students and citizens from all walks of life.

That's a significant accomplishment in a country where "Internet police" are working day and night trying to remove references to the document as soon as they appear."

A copy of the Charter 08 is here:
http://www.nybooks.com/articles/22210

An ancient iPod - purchased in Dec 2003 in Soho in NYC on a snowy night while standing on the edge of a precipice that was the music industry, just before it grew fangs. Despite the claw marks however, and it's portly nature, the iPod still works as does the music of PUBLIC which will be appearing on the iTunes store sometime before Jan 20th.