Gwydion

**PLEASE CIRCULATE WIDELY** Brisbane Rally TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER LEADERS AND ABORIGINAL LEADERS WILL MARCH ON PARLIAMENT HOUSE GEORGE STREET BRISBANE CITY 1PM ON FRIDAY 22ND JUNE TO DEMAND THAT PREMIER BEATTIE MEET WITH ALL INDIGENOUS COUNCILS AND JUSTIFY THE NEW GOVERNMENT AMALGAMATIONS OF COUNCILS WE DO NOT WANT TO LOSE OUR LAND WE DO NOT WEANT TO LOSE OUR CULTURE WE MUST STAND AND FIGHT FOR OUR RIGHTS AND FOR THE RIGHTS OF OUR CHILDREN COME AND SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITIES HANDS OFF OUR COUNCILS PAY THE STOLEN WAGES GIVE US BACK OUR DEPARTMENT GIVE US BACK OUR MINISTER MEET AT JAGARA HALL, MUSGRAVE PARK AT 11AM THEN MARCH TO GEORGE STREET ( all inquiries – Sam Watson 0401227443 ) ************************************************************** Sydney Rally *Demand Justice for Mulrunji * *Mourn for the death of justice in Queensland* Friday 22 June, 12:00 noon Sydney Town Hall for a speak out, then march to State Parliament *Wear black or Indigenous colours.* * Implement the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal deaths in Custody in full! * Establish elected community controlled civilian review boards to hold the cops to account * No justice on stolen land ************************************************************** Melbourne rally Demand Justice for Mulrunji Mourn for the death of justice in Queensland Rally, Friday 22 June, 12:30 pm Steps of the old GPO for a speak out and march to State Parliament Wear black or Indigenous colours. * Implement the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal deaths in Custody in full! * Establish elected community controlled civilian review boards to hold the cops to account * No justice on stolen land For more information contact: Cheryl: 0401-806-331 Sean: 0428-160-661 Land lines: 9639-8622 or 9388-0062 Called jointly by Indigenous Social Justice Association – Melbourne and Socialist Alliance ************************************************* There will also be a national day of acton of July 14. Family may sue Hurley verdict a travesty for Aboriginal people

Does anyone have any of these, or know whether we are still in a state of severe shortage? All my plants have succumbed to various distasters, and the left-over seeds no longer appear viable.

Good news Tort! My experience with mate seeds (like almost everyone else's) has been Apart from the process you just described (ie pure luck), can you possibly share the (general) origin of the seeds (ie commercial variety, wild, etc)? I presume they from Arg.

Back on topic, news from Boliva: Boliva to Industrialise Coca Leaf

It is true, there is an oil boom. However, Chavez knows this, and rather than *simply* casting out wads of cash to the masses to buy their vote, the Chavez government is building a "Socialist Bolivarian Revolution" - they are providing free education, training, and housing - things that don't evaporate when the oil dries up but form the basis for social development - as well as free health care and subsidised food.If you want an example of chimp-like populist behaviour, look no further than the opposition candidate for the presidency, Manuel Rosales, whose key policy was the racist-named debit card "Mi Negra" (which is a term used in a denigratory way in Venezuela for female afro-venezuelans - it translates roughly as "my nigger") that handed out money every month, instead of building the infrastructure to improve people's lives. Furthermore, Venezuela is redistributing land to landless workers, setting up agricultural cooperatives, urban and rural permaculture gardens, and the like, to overcome, as I said above, their over-reliance on US food imports. More again. A key policy of the Chavez government is that of Mision Vuelvan Caras (Mission "About Face"), which is designed to industrialise Venezuela so as to overcome its reliance on mono-industrial income from oil. In fact, if anyone wants a quick overview of the various missions, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolivarian_Missions - a site that even has links to criticisms of the missions, just to make Apothecary happy. The point is - what is coming will be NOTHING like the 70's. Pure lies. Nothing but pure lies. The principle of separation of powers remains in practice in Venezuela in a very real way. The Congress (the legislative arm) remains powerful (more powerful, in fact, than it was before Chavez). The fact it is 100% controlled by Chavistas is due to the fact that the opposition tried the pathetic stunt of boycotting the election. And it served them right. The judiciary is even more clearly in operation - in fact, it constitutes some of the most active opposition to Chavez, which is worrying, because a judiciary is meant to support the rule of law, rather than take political sides. Nevertheless, they have managed to turn a blind eye to militia killing peasants who try to take over land that they are allowed to under law, arbitrarily stopped the investigation into the assassination of Danilo Anderson, and are providing cover to the police force's abuse of human rights and murders. That the judiciary remains as it does - a bastion of the political aspirations of the filthy rich who used to run the country - without serious overhaul is testament to the tolerance of Chavez and his supporters, but such a situation cannot last.

Mate, it's little wonder that you have such a bad view of Venezuela and Chavez if you think Vcrisis is 'balanced' or 'well-researched' but reject Venezualanalysis.com and other sites, which are pack-full of data, often critical, but scientifically gathered as "biased", "Chavez bullshit propaganda". If you only read the news written by the (former) ruling elites of Venezuela, then you're going to end up with their world views. Pity that you can't form a view based on a balanced analysis of what has actually happened there over the past decade. Do you think it so believable that Chavez could 'defraud' the people to the tune of the results in the last election? Or htat the Venezuelan people are so stupid that they are promised all manner of rhetorical vistas, but, when they don't result, still vote for Chavez? Or maybe, just maybe, the Chavez government has begun a process of radically transforming that country for the best. I don't know what your agenda is, or why you won't accept that those "propaganda"-filled sites are pack full of reliable data - evidence that your friends at Vcrisis are lying. Of course, if you believe all pro-Chavez information to be nothing but propaganda, and that only Vcrisis and The Devil's Excrement (which ARE, as a matter of fact, full of anti-Chavez propaganda) are reliable news sources, then you are a lost cause. Nevertheless, even VCrisis is undergoing a period of change and reassessment, as Aleksander Boyd, having now spent four months in Venezuela (instead of dropping shit from a great height from outside) has admitted that he was wrong. Now, his analysis is still lacking much depth, and it may be a while before he admits the falsity of the 'figures' he uses, but he reflects the fact that in Venezuela, the elites have accepted that no amount of screaming lies at the wind will, or distorting facts, will circumvent the democratic power and rights of the Venezuelan people. Similarly, I am busy at the moment, but will return to this after the weekend, when I have time. Nevertheless, for anyone willing to do a bit of reading, it's all available on the sites I posted. Feel free to compare the "escualido" nonsense too, and make up your own mind. regards...

To keep up to date on Bolivia, you might want to check out http://boliviarising.blogspot.com. (Also, I came across a similar site for Ecuador - http://ecuador-rising.blogspot.com As far as Venezuela is concerned, Apothecary (and friends) has got it arse-backwards, and ought to do a bit of research on what is actually happening in Venezuela before talking about something you don't understand. The oil wealth of Venezuela is being used not only to fund free education and healthcare, housing, food, training, etc, but the 1999 constitution written by the people gives extraordinary powers and rights to women, indigenous people and working people. Venezuela is investing in development to get away from oil dependence, is (with Cuba) investing in a multi-million dollar project to make cheap solar power available to the carribean and other tropical regions, and is spear-heading a project of latin american integration based on human and social needs instead of profiteering. On the topic of agriculture, Ven used to have to import 80% of it's food from the US, that is now about 40% and dropping, as the land is redistributed from landlords to landless labourers. The food is often grown in cooperatives, sold to the Government to distribute, who then sell on at cost-price, effectively cutting big business out of a masive part of the market, and supplying the poor with affordable food. Worth checking out instead of chucking peanuts at things you don't understand. Good places to start include: www.venezuelanalysis.com www.greenleft.org.au www.aporrea.org www.vheadline.com There is also a petitition to get Chavez to Australia in 2007 (and the word I'm getting from Caracas is that it's almost a cert). To make sure it happens: www.venezuelasolidarity.org And a happy new year to all!

Originally posted by Torsten: The main difference I see between socialism and the third way is that socialism does not provide incentives for wealth building and hence causes a decline in productivity. Actually, Socialism DOES provide incentives for productivity (terms like "wealth building" are too vague. Does this include a 'wealth of knowledge', or of experience?). The key difference lies in what you envision socialism to be. To the originators of the concept, and Marx and Engels especially it was more than a mere system of distribution. (This was one of Che Guevara's main criticisms of the soviet approach. He argued that you needed to create a "new human being", one driven by 'moral as well as material incentives". That is, someone who works because they see it is to everyone's social benefit, rather than individual or collective material profit. The cogestion system in Venezuela has at it's heart workers who are driven by just that sense of collective responsibility. The factories were private (and many, yet to be nationalised, ones are still), but the bosses and owners had shut them (in some cases boobytrapped them) in order to damage the economy and force Chavez from office. The workers retook them and demanded that they be able to work. The factories under cogestion, as well as those being considered for it, have all been ones where the owners have refused to restart them, and the workers have demanded the government nationalise them so that they could work TO PRODUCE TO MEET SOCIAL NEED. This consciousness was there from the beginning of this process (although perhaps not universal). Just as in Cuba, newer forms of production are competing alongside the old kind, and are outproducing them (the first cogestion factory, the aluminium plant Alcasa, which Carlos Lanz now manages, has undergone an 11% increase in productivity. More, the menagement are elected by the workers, are recallable, and have the same wage). Communism eliminates the incentive to capital accumulation as an aim of production, replacing the aim with meeting collective need. There is, therefore, still an incentive. The problem with the "Third Way" is that it simply cannot succeed without comprehensively breaking from Capitalism, and coming into competition with it. The only way it can do this is to create socialism (and I do mean socialism, not a bureaucratic nightmare). The reason that the third way leaves itself open to exploitation, etc, is because it has no clear perspective. It exists simply as an attempt to "civilise" the current system, to give it a human face. The problem is that the moment you start to threaten the immense profits that underly the capitalist mode of production, the mask falls, and you're left with the monster again, whether he's in Iraq, New Orleans or Venezuela. The most fundamental aspect of the third way I like is 'total cost' and 'community ownership'. Total cost eliminates problems such as pollution and social injustice which are a fundamental part of a sustainable future. Community ownership is where I feel the real issue is. People need to own their places of work, their banks, their utilities and anything else in their local economy. Investing into a company on the other side of e globe (or even the country) instils no personal responsibility and loyalty and this is where we have gone fundamentally wrong. The situation in New Orleans is a direct result of these shhortcomings. People don't own their neighbourhood, so they take no responsibility for it. People these days don't even know their neighbours, let alone invest into them. Exactly, but these things are not incompatibe with socialism. In Cuba, people own their own homes. They have private property. Ditto in Venezuela. But through broadening the collective sense of responsibility and ownership- the Solidarity- people can, like the Cubans, feel a sense of kinship and affinity (one sense of "ownership") with people suffering anywhere in the world, and volunteer in their tens of thousands to help them. What is incompatible, however, are these things you mention and capitalist society. Socialism begins at home, but it doesn't end there. Venezuela is ideal because it isn't dependent on anyone and can keep itself financial via the most popular commodity in the world - oil. Yes, for now. But Venezuela used to import 80% of it's own food. That is now down by 30%-ish. There are other examples. Venezuela cannot (nor should it) remain reliant upon oil. It's politically dangerous. It's environmentally deadly. It's economically bad policy. And so they are diversifying their economy- and this is tied to the other reforms (land, education, health, indigenous, etc). The current accusation is that Chavez rigged elections by having excessive influence over election officials. Actually, the current accusation is that Chavez has excessive influence over the people. The opposition can go and spin. I've been all over the country, and if the US-fed opposition can't handle the fact that noone likes them, they can bloody well move to Miami (which many are, btw). shortcut to Louisiana maybe? I doubt the US is going to do anything about Chavez in the short term. And I hope his paranoia isn't going to mean he wastest billions of tax dollars on defense. Actually, it was a deliberate detour. The US HAS BEEN TRYING TO GET RID OF CHAVEZ FOR YEARS!!!!!!! There are recorded assasination attempts, there was a military coup in 2002, an attempt at economic terrorism, and the much-lauded recall referendum of last august. They're running out of options, and the revolution's deepening, and causing a lot of the rest of latin america to say "why can't WE do that?". No, it's not paranoia.

Chavez USED to believe in the "Third Way" (ie neither capitalism nor socialism, but some ephemeral 'middle road'). He has since become convinced that this road does not exist. We need to transcend the system of the exploitation of human being by human being (capitalism), and the only alternative is socialism. He then went on to qualify that he did not mean a bureaucratic state-run 'socialism' like the USSR, but a humane, co-operative socialism of the 21st Century. Rather than then 'declaring' venezuela socialist, he went on to ask the venezuelan people to debate what socialism is, and how it might be built in relation to venezuela. What questions are there around Chavez' election? I've never come across any that have an ounce of validity. The electoral process is probably the most open, and scrutinised, not to mention fair, in the world. The hullaballoo of the opposition around Chavez' election, reelection, and recall referendum win meant that the focus of the world media (and the Carter Centre) were firmly on Venezuela. Even Jimmy Carter (through gritted teeth) admitted that the electoral process in Venezuela is the most open and fair that he's seen. More will follow, don't you worry about that. Also, there are about 60 other people around the country who just got back as well (from the first ever Australia Venezuela Solidarity Brigade) so keep your eyes and ears open for eyewitness report backs on the process in venezuela (most should be in the calendar at greenleft.org.au, but I'll post some here as they come up). ps. the worker management system ("cogestion") was the initiative of former guerrilla Carlos Lanz, and is still developing and deepening- another couple of hundred factories are being considered for it as we speak) pps. 2 us naval ships briefly entered venezuelan waters on friday see also http://smh.com.au/news/world/venezuela-pre...5302790303.html

Hi all. Long time no see. Just got back from Venezuela, so I'll post a quick response (more details later) Brian, what Chavez has done with the billions of dollars from the oil industry is: free healthcare (including now extending this to latin America and the US) free education and literacy (including textbooks, food, accomodation, transport, etc) subsidised and free food (to overcome malnutrition and prevent disease) initiated a campaign to create a sustainable economy subsidised oil to poor nations in Latin America and the caribbean (and now is offering the US) building housing to house the homeless, those effected by disaster and those living in overcrowded slums putting factories under worker management- increasing productivity providing no interest credits to women providing support to a people now overcoming what was 80% poverty providing the world with an example of what is possible if wealth is used for human needs, rather than corporate greed enabling the people to defend the gains of their revolution check out www.venezuelanalysis.com www.venezuelasolidarity.org www.vheadline.com www.greenleft.org.au

*** Please circulate widely. *** DON'T LET DOUGLAS DIE - BRING THE TROOPS HOME NOW Snap demonstration 12.30-1.30pm Wednesday 4 May PM John Howard's Sydney Office Phillip St (between Bridge and Bent Streets) Called by the Stop the War Coalition Dear all, By now you would have all heard the disturbing news that Australian citizen Douglas Wood is being held hostage in Iraq where he was working as a private contractor. While our thoughts are with Douglas and his family at this very distressing time, there is a very obvious way that the Australian Government can save Douglas: bringing the Australian troops home. While we do not in any way support the taking of hostages, we also do not support the Howard Government using the lives of people like Douglas and the hundreds of men and women deployed to Iraq as sacrificial pawns in its power game with the US for resource and geo-political supremacy. Removing Australian troops from Iraq would not mean "giving in to the terrorists". Rather it would recognise that it is the presence of occupying troops in Iraq that has augmented the violence in that country. It would recognise the fact that, according to the US' own polling, over 95 percent of Iraqis oppose the occupation, with almost as many supporting active resistance of the occupation. It would allow Australian resources to be directed towards supporting real reconstruction of Iraq by Iraqis rather than legitimising the building of US bases and protecting foreign multinationals seeking a piece of Iraq's economic pie. In this climate it is clearly foolhardy to place Australian troops and contractors currently in Iraq in such obvious danger; it is positively reckless to send additional troops to the same fate. The Howard Government, as part of the Coalition of the Willing, already has the blood of over 100,000 Iraqis and hundreds of foreign troops on its hands. Don't let them add Douglas to the list. Anna Samson for the Stop the War Coalition

US church's illegal tea faces ban Believers in the religion say the tea is sacred The Supreme Court is to consider whether a US branch of a Brazilian religion can import an hallucinogenic tea used as a sacrament. An appeals court ruled the sacramental use of the tea cannot banned because of a 1993 religious freedom law. The hoasca tea which comes from the Amazon contains an illegal substance that can pose health hazards. But adherents of the O Centro Espirita Beneficiente Uniao do Vegetal religion say the tea connects them to God. 'Mind-altering' substance Founded in Brazil in 1961, the religion is a mix of Christian and indigenous South American beliefs. It has about 8,000 followers in Brazil and since 1993, around 130 in the US, centred around a branch in Santa Fe, New Mexico. In 1999, US customs officials seized a shipment of three drums labelled "tea extract" sent from Brazil to the US branch. The ... decision has mandated that the federal government open the nation's borders to the importation, circulation and usage of a mind-altering hallucinogen Paul Clement, Justice Department Thirty gallons (136 litres) of the tea was also taken from the home of Jeffrey Bronfman, the head of the church's American chapter. The tea contains dimethyltryptamine, or DMT, which the government says is unsafe for use, even under medical supervision. But lawyers for the group cited experts who maintain sacramental use of the tea causes no harm. They called for an injunction to prevent the authorities from impounding the tea and to allow its importation and use in church services. The Justice Department called for a Supreme Court review after the government lost an appeal. "The ... decision has mandated that the federal government open the nation's borders to the importation, circulation and usage of a mind-altering hallucinogen," acting Solicitor General Paul Clement of the Justice Department said. The Supreme Court will hear the case and announce a decision during its next term which starts in October.

*************PRESS RELEASE*************PRESS RELEASE*************PRESS RELEASE************* Monday April 11, 2005, marks the third anniversary of the US-backed military coup against the democratically elected Government of Venezuela and President Hugo Chavez Frias. In the face of renewed threats from the United States, the Australia-Venezuela Solidarity Network has called for a “Week Of Solidarity” with the people and government of Venezuela. Since election in 1998, the Chavez government has used the country’s enormous oil wealth to launch a massive social revolution, including a literacy campaign, which has eradicated illiteracy by UN guidelines, created 3000 new schools, brought 1.5 million people into the education system free of charge, and established a free university system. The government has also: *given access to safe potable water to millions for the first time, *provided free or affordable food to the poor and homeless, *redistributed land to the landless poor *increased the minimum wage by 30% *created a women’s bank to provide poor women with cheap credit, and *facilitated the popular rewriting of the constitution to guarantee popular democratic control. Despite the pro-Chavez forces winning nine national elections in six years, the Bush administration and the Venezuelan opposition continue to plot against the government. On April 11, 2002, they staged a coup against the government, which lasted 36 hours until it was overcome buy popular revolt. An assassination attempt was uncovered in early 2005, and former CIA-operative and prominent Bush supporter Felix Rodriguez, in an interview in March, stated “that he had information about the [bush] administration’s plans to ‘bring about a change’ in Venezuela, possibly through military measures’”. This comes at a time when the Venezuelan government has announced knowledge of the secret presence of “US Marines, along with military planes and amphibious vehicles” on the Caribbean island of Curacao, just 75 kilometres from the Venezuelan mainland. Throughout Australia, film screenings, protests and other solidarity events have been organised for the week April 11-17 to commemorate the three year anniversary of the defeat of the US backed coup in Venezuela, and to send a message to the US Government: *No more Iraqs! *Respect Venezuela’s right to national sovereignty! *US Hands Off Venezuela!” http://www.venezuelasolidarity.org [email protected] For more info ph. Duroyan 0403 919 377 or Fred 9690 1230 *************PRESS RELEASE*************PRESS RELEASE*************PRESS RELEASE************* [ 11. April 2005, 17:19: Message edited by: Gwydion ]

International Week of Solidarity with Bolivarian Revolution, April 11-17 Through out Australia, solidarity film screenings, protests and events will be organised to coincide with the three year anniversary of the defeat of the US backed coup in Venezuela. Click on the link below to find out about events in you city happening between April 11-17. http://www.venezuelasolidarity.org Do you have an event to add to list? Email [email protected] to add it to the website! Sydney Wed April 13, 1pm Screening "Bolivarian Venezuela: The People, The Fight and the IV World War", Sydney Uni, Wentworth Bld. Wed April 13, 6.30pm Screening "Bolivarian Venezuela: The People, The Fight and the IV World War". Newtown Neighbourhood Centre, King St, across road from Newtown train station. Entry $7/$5 conc. Ph 9218 9608 Fri April 15, 5pm "US Hands off Venezuela" picket of US consulate, Martin Place. ph Fred 0438 931 414 Fri April 15, 7.30pm Screening "Chavez, Venezuela and the New Latin America". Resistance Centre, 23 Abercrombie St, Chippendale ph Katie (02) 9690 1977 Hobart Thurs Apr 14, 6pm Toast the bolivarian revolution in Venezuela. A Socialist Alliance meeting screening "Enter the Oil Workers" video, slideshow presentation and update on current situation in Venezuela. Hobart Activist Centre, 225 Murray St, Hobart. Ph Alex 6234 6397, 0413 976 638. Adelaide Sat April 16, 2pm Screening "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised". Resistance Centre, 1st Fl, 34 Hindley St, City. ph Sam (08) 8231 6982 Canberra Sat April 16, 2.30pm Screening "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" A film showing about how peoples power defeated a coup in Venezuela. Activist Centre, Upstairs, 175 City Walk, Civic (above Dymock's). ph (02) 6247 2424. Brisbane Thurs April 14, 2pm Screening "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised", Liberty Room, UQ Monday April 18, 1pm Screening "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" SRC room, Queensland College of Art. Perth Tues April 12, 3pm Screening "Comandante". Oliver Stone's award-winning documentary meeting with Cuba's revolutionary leader, which US networks refused to show. A close relationship is developing between the people of Cuba and Venezuela, and the fate of both revolutions, one in its early stages and one which has survived 4 traumatic decades, are closely tied together. Uni of WA, Geography and Geology Room 2, ph (08) 9218 9608 Thursday April 14, 3pm Screening "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" (followed by information session on Solidarity Brigade). An absolutely inspirational documentary by independent Irish film-makers who were in Caracas in April 2002, at the time of the coup. The intensity of the people's anger, courage and determination is all captured on film both inside and outside the presidential residence in Caracas throughout the 48-hour period from when the coup-makers took power and kidnapped Chavez, through to when the people and the sections of the military loyal to the revolution defeated them. A major victory for people's power was won on April 13, 2002 - come and see for yourself what actually took place. Uni of WA, Geography and Geology Room 1, ph (08) 9218 9608 Fri April 15, 4pm Picket of US Embassy, St George's Tce, City. As the US daily steps up its aggressive rhetoric against Chavez and the Venezuelan Revolution, solidarity activists also need to step up our campaign of support for the right of the Venezuelan people to control their own lives and resources. Information which implicated the Bush administration in an assasination attempt against Chavez prompted the Venezuelan government to demand an international investigation into the plot in February this year. Picket the US Consulate to demand: No More Iraq's! USA - Hands Off Venezuela! Sat April 16, 1pm Resistance Teach-In - What Solution? Revolution! Resistance Centre, 15/5 Aberdeen St, East Perth This is a chance for Resistance members and others from different schools, campuses and workplaces to get together and learn a bit more about some of the most important events and processes going on in the world today. Discussions will include: * Iraq - globablisation at gunpoint. * Revolutions sweeping Venezuela and Latin America * Struggles in Australia - past and present Come along for some alternative, activist education, and then stick around afterwards for a "Bolivarian" party with food, drinks and Latin American songs of struggle, which will be a fundraiser for the Venezuela Solidarity Brigade. Newcastle Sat April 16, 6.30pm Screening "Chavez, Venezuela and the New Latin America". GUOFF Hall, 21 Steel St, Hamilton. Entry $7/$5 conc donation towards Green Left Weekly and Socialist Alliance. Ph (02) 4926 5328 or 0408 702 996 Wollongong Wed April 13, 12pm Speak Out- "US Hands Off Venezuela" The Amphitheatre, Wollongong Mall, For more info Ph Amanda 4226 2010 Melbourne Fri April 15, 5pm Picket McDonalds, Swanston St, City, near Flinders St Station. Ph Bri 0439 694 505 for more info. International Week of Solidarity with Bolivarian Revolution, April 11-17 [ 11. April 2005, 13:32: Message edited by: Gwydion ]

novo = new castrian = 'of the castle' (Lat. caster, eg Doncaster, Chester, etc) Glad to see the words up about oz hiphop even in this neck of the woods (shoulda guessed). By the way, Hermitude aren't signed to Elefant Traks, they're PART of Elefant Tracks- it's a Hip Hop co-operative.