The Passing and Passion of Grandpa Al Lewis, 1911–2006

Mitchel Cohen

What a sad day ... and what an incredible, artistic and political life!

I first met Al Lewis in person in New Haven in 1971, at a demonstration in support of the jailed Black Panthers. I remember it being a very raw afternoon, and I kept staring at the man I'd later introduce myself to, wondering at the famous fellow standing all by himself unlike so many actors and famous people, and then lost in the small crowd that turned up.

Later, I was to learn that Grandpa was rarely alone in that way. Campaigning with him for Mayor all over the City with other Green stalwarts like Frank Carr, Craig Seeman, Michele Daneles, Afrime Derti, Carl Lawrence, Pete Dolack and Robb Ross — the core of the Brooklyn Greens at that time — I was struck by the amount of adulation and genuine affection that so many people had for Al, especially (gulp!) cops. They all wanted Al to sign autographs. I collected hundreds of signatures to put Al on the ballot from cops riding home on the Long Island Railroad and the Staten Island ferry. It was amazing, the transformation that came over people when Al greeted them. He ended up getting just over the 50,000 votes we needed to put the Green Party onto the ballot in NY State.

Cindy Sheehan Arrested Before State-of-Union Speech

Clarence Williams and Allan Lengel, The Washington Post

Activist Cindy Sheehan was arrested last night after demonstrating in
the spectators gallery of the House of Representatives as part of a larger
war protest that was held outside the Capitol.

Sheehan, who was apparently given a gallery ticket by a member of
Congress, began to attract notice about 30 minutes to an hour before
President Bush's State of the Union speech.

Sheehan, whose son was killed in Iraq, opened her jacket to reveal a
T-shirt that, according to a supporter, gave the number of U.S. war dead and
asked, "How many more?"

She was also vocal, said U.S. Capitol Police Chief Terrance W. Gainer,
and after she ignored instructions to close her jacket and quiet down, she
was led out and arrested. Demonstrating in the House gallery is prohibited.

Microsoft Will License Windows Source Code

BRUSSELS (Dow Jones) — Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) said Wednesday it will license its Windows source code in order to comply with a European antitrust punishment.

Speaking at a press conference in Brussels, the company's chief counsel, Brad Smith, called the move "a bold stroke." The source code provides the building blocks of the operating system that competitors need to make products compatible with Windows.

In the past, Microsoft has refused to license this code. Software developers still will have to pay for the code, which open source advocates will not be allowed to "publish for free," Smith cautioned.

"Paramilitaries 'Disarm' In Colombia"

Reuters

BOGOTA, Colombia — More than 2,600
far-right Colombian paramilitaries have turned in
their guns, the biggest one-day demobilization since
the illegal groups started peace talks with the
government in 2003.

The disbanding of the Miners Block, a paramilitary
group in the northern province of Antioquia named
after nearby gold mines, brought to 16,500 the number
of militiamen who had turned in their arms so far,
government officials said Friday.

That left fewer than 4,000 in operation, according to
government figures.

The disbanding of the paramilitary groups, which were
formed in the 1980s by drug smugglers and cattle
ranchers trying to protect their property from Marxist
rebels, is key to President Alvaro Uribe's plan for
retaking Colombia from the control of various illegal
armed groups tied to the cocaine trade.