An event so huge, so colossal, and so awesome...

By Galen Benshoof (Bemidji, Minnesota) and Dan Golden (Ashland, Oregon). Galen is a recent graduate of Pomona College and will be working for the Bus in the fall, and Dan will return to Pomona for his senior year. They are both active Bus Project members and describe themselves as "inspired by alternative energy, social capital, and irony."

[Editor's Note: The following was initially distributed through the internet tubes as a 'chain letter' - and we received permission to print it here. Anyone who is easily offended should move along now.]

Here at the Oregon Bus Project, we do NOT fuck around with chain letters, period. That's why we decided to send this to you: because everything in it is totally true, guaranteed. Seriously.

"I'm a Harvard Law graduate, and I can say with 100% certainty that this e-mail is not a hoax. Anybody who tells you it's a hoax is trying to trick you out of the sweet financial independence you deserve." - A Harvard Law graduate

"I used to be unemployed, unpopular, and a sex offender. Now I own controlling shares of one of the world's largest media conglomerates, and I owe it all to forwarding this e-mail to my 6 friends." - Rupert Murdoch

"I used to have it all. Friends, riches, a killer 8-track... I laughed and I laughed when I got this email... Now I'm serving 10-15 for embezzlement. I guess the Bus Project sure got the last laugh, on me." -Tom Hojem

If you don't send this e-mail to 10 people within the next 10 minutes, you will become afflicted with amnesia, bird flu, West Nile virus, the SARS, and amnesia. My aunt's friend thought he was too smart for an e-mail chain letter, and then BAM! Gonorrhea.

For every person you send this e-mail to, Bill Gates will pay you 470,000 Japanese Yen. For every person they forward it to, that rebel billionaire guy I saw on Fox in 2004 will pay you 4.7 million Canadian Acorns. This is not a trick. You're a few minutes away from total financial independence... or, the clap. The choice is yours.

Now that you know what's on the line, let me lay down for you what this is all about. For Saturday, August 12, we're organizing an event so huge, so colossal, and so awesome that even Michael Crichton couldn't write a runaway bestseller about it. We're meeting up in Eugene to volunteer for two fantastic legislative candidates, Vicki Walker and Chris Edwards.

Right about now, you must be thinking "Okay, but what's in it for me?" And now you're thinking, "That's amazing! How did he know what I was thinking?" Fair enough. I mean, your freedom is probably just going to defend itself, right? Don't be so naïve, Hansel and/or Gretel. Come on. Bread crumbs? Please.

Senator Walker is highly targeted by the northwest utilities that used to grossly overcharge consumers by exploiting a tax loophole, and Vicki closed that loophole. We all know that the legislators who stand up to special interests usually suffer for it. If we want to keep these kinds of leaders in Salem, we have to be willing to stand up and volunteer for them.

This is an extraordinarily tight district that could easily tip the balance of power in the Oregon State senate as well as yank the House from the deathgrip of the badguys. Our precinct analysis tells us that a huge volunteer effort could be THE deciding factor in the outcome of this election. Direct conversation is the best way to engage voters, and statistically has the greatest impact on elections. Plus, you'll have fun. Expect frisbee, slip'n'slide, drinking, BBQ, and catch-the-greased-up-pig.

We need to make noise for progressive candidates with our proverbial pots and pans and many other clever alliterative phrases that we have in our quiver. Sign up now!

Go down to August 12 and fill in the appropriate fields, and then click "Submit" at the bottom of the page. Or, call the Bus Project at 503.233.3018 during normal business hours.

If you can't make it to this trip, we have a few other really important trips coming up, on August 26 and September 9 (sign up on the same page!). Feel free to save democracy on your own schedule.

Cordially,

Galen & Dan
The Oregon Bus Project