Rants Archive Year Two

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November 2004 seems a long ways away, but I've been thinking about the future alot lately. Ralph Nader was on CSPAN yesterday, talking the reality that GOP Americans just can't seem to swallow. Images of big-cock Dubya on the USS Lincoln still dot the Web, and Dems are crying photo-op at the taxpayers expense. Dem presidential prospectives seem like a pack of feral cats at the moment, and I keep hearing about the GOP Presidential Convention. It's being held in NYC, next September, right around the anniversary of 9.11 (can we say REAL BIG photo-op?). So here I am in May 2003, wondering who the hell I'm going to vote for in the 2004 presidential election. Right now, I have no idea. If a Dem has a shot at beating the cowboy, then I'll vote for him. If not, it's Green once again and another four years of hell. I do know one thing for certain: I plan on being in NYC in September of 2004. I'll be in the street, most likely handing out copies of the Bill of Rights. Meanwhile, check out Dubya's resume. It sure does give you an idea of what/who's running the US.

05/21/03

Yow! Once again, so much to talk about, so little time to say it. I think the new image of an old Committee of Vigilance (a San Francisco vigilante squad from the Barbary Coast days) says it all: No party, no creed, no sectional issue. This whole recall issue has gone too far. I'm not a big fan of Gray Davis, but having a rich, Republican, convicted felon head up a campaign to recall a valid election is bullshit. Talk about party politics: the Republicans in Sacramento only see budget cuts as the way out of the current fiscal crisis. They refuse to raise taxes on anything. Cutting budgets for social programs isn't a good idea, but that doesn't stop the GOP from slowly cutting Davis' political career to death. And don't forget Arnold Schwarzenegger's silent campaign to run for governor. He sits quietly in the wings while promoting his Terminator movie, but I'm sure the cogs are moving in his camp. Well, I have one word for anyone who's tired of these games: secede. I've mentioned it before, I'll say it again. The New Committee of Vigilance is rising, and we're gonna officially take most of Northern California out of the union. Who's with me?

06/28/03

The world is no longer black and white, it is 256 shades of gray. While Mr. Bush taunts that "You're either with us, or you're against us," the reality in the street proves that us is a complex, two-letter word. Us for me may not be what us is for someone in Iowa. Us is a mixture of this crazy, post-ironic, globalized world. Borderless trade and finance have trickled down to borderless America. Welcome to the new us: dictatorship weary, American military dulled-down, and tired of getting yanked around. Jobs go somewhere else, steel comes from somewhere else. The military tries to protect our interests, but they only see them and us. I see 256 shades of humanity, sick of big oil, big guns, and big posturing. The next time you think about the terrorists, think about the complexitites that we all face in life. It ain't simple anymore, and Mr. Bush's crew will never bring security to our children.

The California recall election looms and someone may become the Governor of the world's fifth largest economy by winning as little as 15% of the vote. As a historian, this is an amazing era to be living through. First there is a recession that may have topped the Great Depression. Second the attacks on 9/11 happen, cutting into the heart of neoliberal capitalism. Third the corporate scandals hit and we invade Iraq without world mandate. While this is going on, lies spin out of the White House. Protestors hit the streets by the millions. The veil becomes thin for the top 2% who have the accumulated wealth and power. And now we have a Republican-pushed recall election in California. And the Green Party is at the table preaching truths. Arianna Huffington is connecting the dots debating on Fox News. No matter what happens Oct. 7, one thing is certain: the memes are placed and we have nothing to fear of if we wake up from the TV-comfort of our McDonald's Land reality. Viva 2003.

09/26/03

My hometown is in a tizzy right now. US 25, one of two four-lane roads that goes through Travelers Rest, SC (pop. 4,000), has been heavily developed by the typical sprawl kings in the last 7 years. Now the Emperor of Sprawl, Wal-Mart, wants to build a supercenter on 13 acres of land that is currently zoned residential on US 25. The people that live behind that land aren't happy, as are many small business owners around town. Others are afraid that Wal-Mart will build outside the town limits, thus killing of TR's tax base via its putting the small businesses out of business. Its a 21st century catch 22, and the community seems evenly split over the big box store's location. I'm proud of the neighborhoods putting up a fight against Wal-Mart even though its only over the location. My mom realized that the land where they want to build is the highest point in TR, with a priceless view of the Blue Ridge Mountains to the North. It'll be a shame to see a huge Wal-Mart go up there, but I guess that's what Americans see as progress nowadays.

10/31/03

The San Francisco mayors race has really gotten exciting. In the run-off, Dem turned Green Matt Gonzalez, is giving corporate-backed Gavin Newsom a run for his money. Where there were Newsom billboards (he has the funds to professionally nail 4 x 7 signs on the sides of supporters buildings) dotted across the city, Matt's volunteer horde has covered the City with his smaller yellow signs. Cars sport his signs, hipsters wear his tour shirt (100 parties in 30 days). I'm not sure what Gavin is doing to get the votes, but I've seen Matt speak at least 4 times in the past 3 weeks: in Dolores Park, in a cafe, in a night club, and at the Green Festival. He consistently talks honestly and logically about the issues that affect the city. When he speaks about funding, he wants to create the money to fund the programs in a way that makes sense to me. I got to shake his hand and tell him that the artists/managers at CELLspace look forward to working with him on funding and housing for the arts in SF. Meanwhile, I have yet to see Newsom out there with the people, unless its a photo op.

12/01/03

Are all things actually connected? Science is finding that the universe works like a well engineered jet. The phrases used are systems and networks. If nature and technology works like this, then why not simple coincidences. For instance, Janet Jackson's boob being flashed to billions of viewers is surely connected to the important Democratic primaries that are happening today. Her boob is also connected to Bush's red ink budget release (please tell your Congressman to cut back on the military budget), the poison ricin being found in the Senate building, Israeli PM Sharon's announcement that all Jews need to leave Gaza, and the suicide blasts in Iraq. You see, the universe has mysterious logic that is currently revolving around the Jackson family. This logic tells me that boobs and freaks make for good profit. To have the FCC investigate the boob, while local communities scream to be heard by the corporate airwaves, only supports the thesis that we live in a woven world. Expect to see the boob in the yearly highlights this Dec. Oh, and to outspectacle the ultimate spectacle, the Super Bowl, has Osama and his legion of suicide bombers envious. Look for boobs at the next terror spectacle: most likely where you'd least expect it. Praise Jackson!

02/03/04

Spring is coming and CELLspace is about to turn eight. Last year has been rocky, with continued good and hard times for the all-volunteer, artist collective. We've still made rent, and received our first national grant (via the Ford Foundation) for a youth education and art archiving project. We also began to let San Franciscans work off traffic tickets via Project 20 volunteering. In these hard times, it is still difficult to manage a space and a community of the nonpaid workers who run it. Consensus decision making is drawn out and difficult. Working in a capitalist world that demands we be insured, permitted, and pay on time adds to the burden. Trying to do what's right in a neighborhood of extreme dynamics (live-work dwellers to van/street dwellers) is a constant tax on energy. Being an artist-run center, management can be bumpy. Using the word management can even be a source of debate. With CELLspace's thorns, you may wonder why I still volunteer there (on my sixth year). I still see CELL's space, mission, and energy inspire all kinds of people. The founders' vision to replicate the idea continues to happen locally, nationally, and world-wide. Creating noncommercial space for all communities always keeps me happy. And watching people work hard to keep the clunky engine chugging every month helps me believe that new ways of human organization are possible. Though I wish we could do it better, what we do still matters. For you, and me. Happy birthday CELLspace.

02/23/04

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