I know techincally this is not about music rather only my experiences in this small corner of the planet but this scene here, this week in Seattle, is what protest songs are made of. Right against might, good against evil, David against Goliath, people against the system. It's brought all manner of factions together unifying them in a common cause to speak out against the injustice being perpetuated by this good ol' boys club the WTO. Makes me proud to be an American.

Because of the recent turn of the seasons the rain and cold have become more prevalent here in the Northwest. This makes what I enjoy doing a bit more of a challenge because the steel that my saw blade is made of is prone to rust. So I sought out a permit to perform in the underground Metro bus tunnel where it's warm, dry and resonably quiet. The Westlake plaza site is closest to all the major shopping downtown and to the event unfolding with the WTO. I managed to get to the site entance without being accosted by over zealous, action starved "peace" commandos. Then came the test. As I entered the stairway leading to where I was going to perform, there were four authorities just in front of me on the escalator. When we reached the bottom they paused and as I passed they called out, "Hold on there. What have you got in there?" Then they surrounded me, hands on weapons and ready for action. I told them, as I've told nervous law enforcement types in the past that they wouldn't believe me if I told them. Then one senior officer steps forward to feel my rifle case and I volunteer, "It's a musical instrument." I ask them if they would like to hear a song and manage to convince them to hang a minute and listen. The really tense moment came when I unzipped my case as it lay on the ground to retrieve my saw. As none of them were certain I wasn't just some kind of crazed lunatic with a death wish, the moment reminds me of those western movie scenes where the two gun slingers face off waiting for the other to draw his weapon first. There was an eerie silence and it seemed as though no one breathed a breath, waiting. You could almost hear the sigh of relief when I pulled out my blade. I guess they had other duties, or bigger fish to fry as they say. They only caught half of Sawlent Night before deciding I was no threat, and started to wander off to seek other more dangerous types to engage. I called to them as they walked away, "What you're only gonna listen to half the sawng?" and I asked if they would be so kind as to inform the rest of their crew that the guy with the rifle case is a musician. They did but as it turned out the Metro bus tunnel plaza area wasn't such a good sight to busk in, at least not that evening.

As I wandered down the corridor looking for another spot to play, having been unsuccessful at the first I spied what I thought might be a good location. Just as I was about to sit down, one of them real life police action scenes began to take place. Down the way was a man being pursued by no less than half a dozen security types. The chase ended right where I was about to perform. The police and security personnel wrestled the guy to the ground and did their thing with the cuffs. The guy wouldn't go peacefully so there was a kind of an instant replay of the whole wrestling bit while they also shackled him. They finally had to just carry the man off, which was no easy task as he must have weighed 300 lbs or more. I quickly backed away and watched the event unfold. Then I walked up to some of the people waiting in line to get their bus passes who had witnessed the confrontation as I did and asked the rhetorical question, "This probably isn't a good time for me to play Christmas songs on my musical saw, is it?" and went home.

Bringing you all the action as it happens from fertile fields of revolution, this is Reggie Sawman Miles signing off.