A message from Mark Crispin Miller re: Symbolman

[graywarrior]

http://markcrispinmiller.com/

Two heroes are now homeless

Posted by mcmat December 13, 2008Micheal Stinson–a/k/a Symbolman–and Julie Sigwart, the couple behind Take Back the Media, are now homeless. Like millions of their fellow citizens, they
lately had the hideous experience of watching as their house was auctioned off.

Although they’re not people of means (obviously), over the years they’ve spent at
least $200,000 on their work against the Bush regime; and that work has been
invaluable. It was they, for instance, who first interviewed Don Siegelman, on
video, about the theft of his re-election in 2002; and they’ve done lots more in
the same bold investigative spirit (much of it with a certain piercing humor).

So if there’s any way to help them out, even if it’s just by helping spread the
word, please do so.

MCM

Technorati Tags: Julie Sigwart, Micheal Stinson, Symbolman

[OBrien]

1. I'll pitch in

These people have been around from the start. If there is some sort of fund I'll be happy to help.

[graywarrior]

2. Awesome...click on this link

http://www.takebackthemedia.com/pepperobama1.html

There are several other threads here, one which is on the front page sritten by Symbolman that you can refer to. http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x4641233

[Kaleko]

46. Happy to be able to send some dough to Symbolman.

Terrified of the suffering this collapse will bring to so many more...

The shocks keep on coming, it's relentless. And so it goes.

[Stephanie]

3. good - i sent him the link to the thread this morning

because I know they are friends.

[graywarrior]

4. You are awesome.

I swear, DU has some of the best people!

[Skidmore]

5. Done.

Couldn't afford much, but sent a little.

[Cha]

6. K&R for Symbolman and

his family! Thanks for all you've done for us, Symbolman and thanks for the link, graywarrior!

[EFerrari]

7. Sent to the CA Greens. And going through my address book.

Don't panic. Let's just get to work.

:hug:
:grouphug:

[EFerrari]

8. Has anyone contacted Mike Malloy or Thom? n/t

[EFerrari]

9. Sent to Michael Moore. n/t

[nashville_brook]

10. didn't symbolman used to run a video website? am i confused?

[Stephanie]

11. Yes - Take Back the Media

http://takebackthemedia.com

It used to be a news site - not sure what happened to the archives.

[nashville_brook]

13. thank you -- tht used to be on my daily surfing routine, until it kinda went "dark"

[Lisa0825]

21. The main url seems to be almost a different site from

the old site...

http://takebackthemedia.com/

http://www.takebackthemedia.com/flash.html

[Stephanie]

22. That's the one I was looking for!

Thanks!

[Lisa0825]

25. You're welcome!

I had to dig to find it myself. Some really, really great stuff there.

[EFerrari]

12. Sent to Glenn Greenwald. n/t

[spanone]

14. k&r

[EFerrari]

15. Sent to Amy Goodman. Who are we forgetting?

:kick:

[Stephanie]

16. Randy Rhodes, Mike Malloy

HuffPost?

[EFerrari]

17. Hartmann, Steph Miller? I don't know them as well. n/t

[Uben]

18. kick nt

nt

[Mari333]

19. kickety kick kick

[FloridaJudy]

20. Kicked in a little

And am kicking this as well.

[mikita]

23. thanks for this heads-up

love symbolman -- donated..... hope it helps.

[Waiting For Everyman]

24. K&R

[BrklynLiberal]

26. K&R

[mirrera]

27. done!!

[ooglymoogly]

28. Ok I'm in where can I send $

does anyone have a link. This is just heartbreaking. kr

[graywarrior]

29. Here.

http://www.takebackthemedia.com/pepperobama1.html

[ooglymoogly]

41. This looks like a non profit with all the rules that go with that.

I will donate there anyway hoping they are at least paying themselves a salary. If something better comes along that helps them directly let me know.

[EFerrari]

30. Kick

[Jackpine Radical]

31. I kicked in a few bucks. nt

[WillyT]

32. Big K & R !!!

:kick:

[trashcanistanista]

33. Done.

Thank you for the paypal link.

[Hekate]

34. Kick for tomorrow

:kick:

Hekate

[lonestarnot]

35. Good gawd, symbolman and family homeless. bushitler you pathetic piece of dog shit!

[ensho]

36. kick - wishing them well - I hate the neo cons who should be in prison

nt

[MasonJar]

37. I am confused. Please let us know where we can forward some

money. Is the Take Back the Media donation site still valid? Is it too late to save their home? Do not auctioned homes have a period of recission? I wish this had gotten out there pre-auction. Most importantly can someone please post a valid place to send help to?

[Stephanie]

38. Donate button is on this page

Takes you to his PayPal:

http://www.takebackthemedia.com/pepperobama1.html#rock

[Polly Hennessey]

39. Donation

I just made a donation to Symbolman as I sit here in my warm and cozy house. My only worries right now are take a shower first and then go shopping or go shopping first. Losing my home is not something I worry about so I can not imagine what it must be like. I have enjoyed Symbolman and hope my contribution helps a little. I also hope he returns to DU.

[xxqqqzme]

40. A little help.....

Symbolman motivated me to get to DC for the electoral vote on Jan. 6, 2005. Met some great DUers on that trip

[Spiffarino]

42. $50 from me

It's all I can afford right now.

Good luck and Happy Holidays, Symbolman and family.

[williesgirl]

43. Keeping kicked for one of the good guys.

[navarth]

44. kicking.

I'll be back tomorrow and I'll damn sure contribute.

[Mari333]

45. kick

[Zhade]

47. No! That sucks!

They truly are heroes - the small, almost unknown kind that still give me hope for humanity.

[Baby Snooks]

48. What angers me most...

My heart goes out to Michael and Julie. I wish I had the money to buy them another house. I wish someone like David Geffen who can well afford to would. Maybe someone like David Geffen will.

What angers me most is all their money as well as their commitment to making a difference in the end is somehow meaningless.

Congress simply doesn't care about us. It panders to us. It issues little bits of praise here and there. "Keep up the good work." But it really doesn't care. Congress has been just as complicit in the literal destruction of this country as the Bush administration.

I don't support either party at this point. I look around at what is happening and I blame the Democrats as well as the Republicans. They are bankrupting not only us but our children and grandchildren.

[Swamp Rat]

49. k&r for our friend symbolman!!

:toast:

[Champion Jack]

50. K & R & D

Kicked, recommended and donated

[ArrowMan]

51. I am pretty confused by all of this, can someone shed some light here? Please.

Others, though, are finding creative ways around the rules. Julie Sigwart, a Web designer, is holding what she calls a “skills contest” to give away her six-bedroom, four-bathroom house with ocean views in Maui, which she has been trying to sell since last October.

As in the raffle for Ms. Crawford and Mr. Kelly’s home, she will charge a $100 entry fee, but participants will have to write an essay — the theme is “Aloha, what does it mean to you?” — which will be judged by a group of “prominent members of the community,” she said. (The judges have yet to be finalized.) Because the contest isn’t a game of chance, state approval is not required, and teaming with a nonprofit group isn’t necessary.

Ms. Sigwart has wanted to downsize for more than a year, and has repeatedly marked her house down, from $729,000 to $600,000. But the market in her area is terrible; she recently attended an open house in a nearby neighborhood and was the only person there. After a contract on her house fell through in August, her husband suggested the contest, and she created a Web site for it this week. Asked when she hopes to begin the contest and declare a winner, she replied, “As soon as possible on both counts.”


http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/25/garden/25raffle.html?ref=style

[symbolman]

52. I'll answer this one, before the BULLSHIT gets too thick

That home is GONE. Now OWNED by the bank. Auctioned OFF on the steps of the courthouse last FRIDAY. All monies have been returned. It was a last ditch effort to get the house into someone's hands should enough people have entered. Enough DIDN'T.

We're now Broke and Homeless.

The HOUSE is WORTH ZERO now. Get it? ALL of my wife's LIFE SAVINGS ARE GONE. GET IT?

And We are BUSY trying to find a place to live and not starve.

I haven't slept for two days.

If you are trying to slander me or create some bad impression it probably won't work, too many people know my history here, that I've spent literally hundreds of thousands of dollars fighting Bush, and have helped other people at the same time.

Don't like that photo of me, but think my wife and child look beautiful.

Starving in Hawaii is no different than anywhere else, only warmer.

Enough for you?

UNDERSTAND NOW?

Good, I've got a few lives to save, and being crippled on top of it doesn't help.

Thanks for EVERYONE who's helping us, you have my heartfelt gratitude for the rest of my life. I have to go now, sorry if I seem terse of this kind of Obvious slam really pisses me off.

[ArrowMan]

53. I'm not trying to slam you, I am trying to fugure out the auction thing.

I did, however, send you money once before, quite a bit of money, in order for you to go to the Networks to see why none of them were following John Edwards. And I never heard anything about it since. What happened with that project? Also, I know of at least one other instance in which you solicited money from DU users. I'm also sorry about you being crippled. I didn't know about that either.

[supernova]

55. You're really not helping here

It's a sad thing to kick a man and his family when they are down.

Go play scrooge somewhere else.

[Name removed]

57. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ArrowMan]

58. Self-delete

[Name removed]

54. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[KamaAina]

56. The PC term is "mobility disability"

and being crippled on top of it doesn't help. :-)

Check thy PM posthaste, Sir. That makes you a potential consumer of our agency... and they thought all I did was waste time at DU all day! :P

edit: I typed 1 for ! like a FReeper :dunce:

[graywarrior]

59. One more kickee-poo

[Champion Jack]

60. KICKED