Goo Goo Dolls Fans For Peace

6.26.03

Did you know you can send letters to your congresspeople right from the Rock The Vote website? They'll even write most of the letter for you, all you have to do is personalize it and enter your info. Their issue du jour is, of course, opposing deregulation. So if you haven't written your senators about it yet, head on over there and join the 750,000 other people who have spoken out! Couldn't be easier! www.rockthevote.org

Love & Light
Myshele :-)

6.20.03

From MoveOn.org: In most presidential primary processes, pundits, pollsters and wealthy donors determine the outcome long before the actual primaries. By the time the rest of us cast our ballots, the nomination is typically a done deal. The MoveOn.org PAC Primary will allow hundreds of thousands of voters to speak out now, adding their weight to the campaigns of their choice. Voting in the MoveOn.org PAC primary starts Tuesday, June 24.

MoveOn's primary will give at least 1.4 million people the opportunity to make their voices heard. You can be one of them by registering to vote in the MoveOn Primary here:

6.15.03

Despite criticism from the conservative Allentown Village Society, Robby has stood up for the Buffalo music scene and his Allentown Music As Art Festival went off without a hitch. Just another example of the Goos challenging the status quo with creativity and passion. Congratulations, Robby! (he even managed to flash a few peace signs! big thank-you to Shelley for this fantastic photo!)

Love & Light
Myshele :-)

6.13.03

Lucky Friday the 13th! We're one of the featured sites on Absolute Goo today, right alongside Rock the Vote! Pretty nifty.... Thanks AG for all your support!! You guys rock!

Love & Light
Myshele :-)

6.12.03

Some great news for our regular visitors and message board folks.... Starting today, all submissions through the site (question of the month, what you're doing, sound-off, reccomended reading) will be entered into a random drawing for a Fans For Peace Prize Pack!! The Pack includes Goo Goo Dolls poster flats courtesy of Absolute Goo, a guitar pick from Miyoko, stickers, and more!! There will also be a random drawing from the message board posts, so the more you post, the better chance you have to win! We'll do the drawings every month until we run out of prizes :-) And remember, you still get a free poster flat just for sending in a picture! All kinds of yummy freebies for Fans For Peace....

Love & Light
Myshele :-)

6.11.03

A number of developments at this early stage of the campaign season.... In order to work against the huge amount of money and resources that the Republicans are getting from corporations, moveon.org is holding its own "progressive primary" election to find out which Democratic candidate is most supported by the progressive community. They will then help support that candidate in their campaign and help the Democrats put forward a unified front. Head on over to moveon.org to read about the candidates and make your choice!!

On the rock 'n' roll end of things.... Have you checked out Rock the Vote lately?? Very cool organization, and it's not just about voting. Their current campaign is called "You Can't Shut Me Up" and encourages young people to raise their voices and challenge the government - just like we're doing! There are lots of ways you can get involved.... The biggest thing is joining a street team in your area. With the summer concert season in full-swing, they're out there at shows helping people register to vote, and they're always looking for volunteers. It's a great way to meet other progressive-minded people who care about changing the world and also love great music! Cruise on over to rockthevote.org and check out all the ways you can help. Remember, the Goos are into Rock the Vote, too!!

Love & Light
Myshele :-)

6.8.03

Over the past few weeks, more than three quarters of a million people wrote, e-mailed, or called the FCC to oppose deregulation of our airwaves. This was the largest outpouring of public opinion in HISTORY - and lots of Fans For Peace participated! So even though the FCC voted 3-2 (along party lines) in favor of deregulation, we can still be proud that we were heard. The fact that so many people raised their voices gives yet another tangible example that the government is abandoning its obligation to We The People, and eventually they will be held accountable for hijacking our democracy. But as far as deregulation goes, it's not too late! The decision can still be vetoed in the Senate, so write some letters to your senators!!

Love & Light
Myshele

Hope you like the newly revamped site! Just a few minor changes, nothing too drastic.... But it should make navigation slightly easier.

After much thought, we're going to be adding lots more anti-corporate resources. You can see the beginnings of it now, and there will be plenty more over the next few weeks. There are three reasons for this. First, we've found a lot of interviews with the Goos where they express very strong anti-corporate sentiments, and we want the site to reflect that. Second, after the hypocrisy with the merch (WB having issues with the Fans For Peace merch, even though hundreds of people are making money on eBay using the Goos' name and likeness) we just can't leave the evil corporations alone anymore. It's personal now. Third, and most importantly, if you look at the war and violence problems in the world, most of them stem directly or indirectly from imperialistic corporate greed. The greed for oil in the Middle East, greed for cheap workers to exploit in Southeast Asia and Mexico, the greed for resources in Africa, the greed for water supplies in India, the greed for drugs in South America.... It's opressing a lot of people, and when people are opressed and desperate, they lash out. As Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "Peace is not merely the absence of violence, it is the presence of justice."

Besides the new anti-corporate stuff, things are pretty quiet here in the Fans For Peace universe.... But big plans for the summer! Stay tuned for all the details! And remember, if you'd like e-mail updates about the site, all you have to do is join! Have a great day :-)

Had a bit of a close call with the Fans For Peace merch, but after taking the name Goo Goo Dolls off everything, we're all legal again. And now there's even MORE merch for you to enjoy! The clothing section is pretty much done, and we're still adding more stickers and GOOdies.... Check it out here!

On a more serious note, Fans For Peace isn't just about resisting war.... It's about resisting the structures that make war possible. It's no coincidence that big business is a major supporter of violence and oppression worldwide, and corporations are gaining more and more power here at home. On June 2, the Federal Communications Commission intends to lift restrictions on media ownership that could allow your local newspaper, cable provider, radio stations, and TV channels all to be owned by one company. The result could be the disappearance of the checks and balances provided by a competitive media marketplace -- and huge cutbacks in local news and reporting. Good, balanced information is the basis for our democracy. There's a massive campaign to stop deregulation and ensure that the media doesn't slip any farther into corporate control -- and you can help! Moveon.org has set up a website where you can write your congresspeople and oppose deregulation with just a few mouseclicks. There's also more information about the issues and potential outcomes of deregulation. Check out moveon.org/stopthefcc

Big thank-you to GitG from the World of Goo board for finding an awesome audio interview with John.... It's from last November, and he talks about the "democracy gap" he sees in the US, caused by corporations that "run wild over human beings' lives." While he chooses to keep his views relatively behind the scenes because "nobody wants to hear some jackass rockstar... talk about politics," he said that he will "definitely support and protect and defend people that have the chutzpah and the cajones to get out there and do it... I can throw my support behind people and help them achieve their goals." Read the rest of the transcription here!

Perhaps that'll be the next FFP t-shirt.... Chutzpah and Cajones for Peace! :-) Remember to check out the rest of the fans for peace merch on cafepress.com!

After much careful compiling, the virtual interview has gone out to the Goos.... Hopefully they'll find some time in their busy schedules to get back to us! At any rate, we've given them some great issues to think about! If you want some brain food, check out the final interview, and also the original questions. If there's a particular issue you're hot to discuss, why not bring it up on the message board?? You never know who might stop by for a visit!

In other news, we now have a Fans For Peace shop on cafepress! Tons of fabulous peacegoo merch, from from clothes to lunchboxes to postcards.... More than thirty different items! Just about the only thing you *can't* get on there is a big honkin' banner like the Goo Bunnies had in Vegas! You'll just have to get creative for that.... At any rate, $1-2 from each item goes to Fans For Peace, to cover website costs, prizes, etc.... So check it out! And as always, your feedback is greatly appreciated.... Once you're done shopping, cruise on over to the message board and let us know whatcha think! Capitalism sucks, but this is a good cause....

And as always, there are new additions all over the site.... New Question of the Month (better late than never!), fans' thoughts, and even a few new entries on the Goos Speaking Out page.... If you've got something to share, we'd love to post it! And remember, if you have a photo of the Goos flashing peace signs, or a picture you've taken at a protest, you get a free poster flat just for sending it in! (thank you to Absolute Goo for making that possible!!)

With all the madness in the world, try to stay sane.... Put on some Goo, it helps! :-) A dose of reality in this mad plastic world.... Thanks, Goos!

In other news, the Fans For Peace List has officially reached 100!! Hooray! Which means we're compiling all your fantastic questions for the Goos and getting them out this week!

Goo fans are a smart bunch! In just a week, fans for peace sent in 25 submissions with almost 40 fantastic questions about topics ranging from war to the media to SARS. I bet the guys will be well impressed when they read them! In the near future we'll condense all the questions into a virtual interview and get it to them (no guarantee they'll respond, but here's hoping....) At any rate, after much consideration and deliberation, Rockin' Robin's rockin' two-part question gets the prize. It connects a lot of issues that everyone was asking about, and it's presented in a thoughtful, concise way:

Celebrities/Artists speak out about "politically charged" issues all the time.... gun control, AIDS, gay rights, environmental issues, animal rights, racism, etc., so why do they have to fear reprecussions (i.e. backlisting, boycotting) when speaking out against the war? What makes this subject different than the others?

And another question I have is, why is writing an anti-war song different than actually speaking out publically against the war? It's all freedom of speech, isn't it? Green Day, Lenny Kravitz, R.E.M. and a few others have recently written anti-war songs, so how come people aren't "up in arms" over that?

And, while we're on the subject of prizes.... After the generous donation of poster flats from Absolute Goo, we have enough to give something to *everyone* who contributes a picture to the site (well, unless there's a sudden deluge of peace pics, which wouldn't be bad at all!). So if you've got a random picture of the Goos flashing peace signs floating around, or a picture you've taken at a protest, or a peace banner you've brought to a show, there's an extra incentive to share it! ;-)

With so many great questions for the Goos, it'll be tough to pick the best one later today! If you've got an issue that you'd like to find out the Goos' views on, it's not too late to send it on over! Deadline is midnight tonight :-) Best or most original question gets a guitar pick and some poster flats!