Author: Lisa Derrick

Last week Bergamot Station in Santa Monica had a series of openings. I was especially excited to see two very different SoCal artists.

Mike Watt, punk pioneer, Minutemen, Secondmen, super session bass-man, plays with Iggy, jams econo, lives in Pedro (San Pedro, our local South Bay port town–which as Watt once showed me on a tour that include the WPA mural at the post office–has north, south, east and west facing beaches!) now exhibiting his photographs of the hometown at Track 16; and

Craig Kaufman–a Los Angeles artist now based in the Philippines, part of the New Cool movement here in the 60s and 70s, who forms luminescent acrylic sculptures–at Frank Lloyd. Both men revel in nature, using different mediums and expressions to show their reverence.

Next week I take off for Baja California to see what promises to be an incredible, color saturated art show, Virgins Warriors & Dreamers at La Casa de la Tunel in Tijuana, featuring Clark V Fox, Elizabeth Conroy Benati and Peggy Reavey.

In his current series, Fox–who founded The Museum of Contemporary Art in Washington, D.C. and continued its development for 14 years–explores the history of Native Americans and the vibrant culture buried by the white man’s assumptions and sensibility using pop culture iconography.

Clark is an amazing man, a real champion of contemporary art, and a wonderful painter. The two other artists are old and good friends of his, well-respected and fine painters.

Reavey’s mixed media artworks engage history, re-imagining familiar figures from Anne Frank to Meriwether Lewis and Sacagawea, altering outcomes while Benati’s works of social realism are inspired by her love of Venezuela, its people, and the intensity of the noonday Caribbean sun.

Plus I want to see who is showing up as subjects of paintings on velvet. For while Bart Simpson was everywhere, plus a some renderings of Jim Morrison, but very few portraits of Elvis…

More photos of the art work on La Figa

 

A number of students from Itawamba Agricultural High School have  joined the discussion on the post The MEANEST Town in America.  According to the most recent comments, there were three

parent run proms

for students on the night of April 2, the night of the country club prom that Constance attended with five others. The student, screen name fentdog goes on to say:

I don’t much about the school run prom. I do know that everyone went to Evergreen because more work was put into it.

As the photos show, a lot of work went into the Evergreen prom, including a marquee tent with decorations like huge cut outs of masks seen above, balloon arches and disco lights.

The student writes that the Evergreen  event did not have tickets, that there were no invitations, instead kids were “told about” the Evergreen event. The student writes about Constance

people tried to go contact her, but she would never pick up her phone. On the night of the prom, she goes to a different one…the school sponsored one. She didn’t know that everyone had decided to go to Evergreen, thus she had a fit. I can personally recall trying to call Constance to go to Evergreen….but she never answered.

Hmmm, okay. So then why wasn’t she emailed, or Facebooked about it? And what about the other kids who showed up at the country club?

The Evergreen prom/dance party, the one which had photos that appeared on Facebook, the one with kids dressed to the nines cruising away stretch SUVs, the one “everyone went to” where two girls where photographed tongue kissing, shared the same theme as the original school prom which was to be held at the IAHS Commons, according to a memo, dated February 5, which appears to be from the school, issued by two teachers.

The apparent memo about the original prom stated the theme, Masquerade. That theme is seen in photos from the Evergreen party.

The memo also laid down the criteria for the students’ guests. It clearly states that  guests

must be of the opposite sex

Constance challenged that.

Constance isn’t the first student to face discrimination at IAHS. Just before Constance spoke out, another student was forced to leave town…

On February 4, 2010,  WTVA reported that IAHS student Juin Baize was suspended for wearing make up, women’s clothing and boots to school.  Juin, who per Dan Savage, currently prefers the use of the male pronoun, said

They told me that I can not come to school dressed like a girl.

The story continues:

And that’s unfair…says Juin’s friend, senior Constance McMillen.

She says a group of girls came to school Thursday morning, dressed as guys in support of Juin dressing like he does.

Constance says the principal immediately told Juin to go home.

McMillen said, “Mr. Wiygul came to Juin and told him he had to leave and I stopped Mr. Wiygul and I said Mr. Wiygul why are you making him leave? Because he’s dressed like a girl? And he said yes, and I said you know that’s not fair because all of us are dressed like boys. Why aren’t you telling us to leave? And he just said I’m following orders from the school board and I said you can’t rightfully make him leave and not make us leave because, I mean, it’s the same thing.”

Juin was was given a suspension notice and sent home, and when he returned to school after his first suspension, he was suspended again. The reasons for a student’s suspension are supposed to be noted on the suspension form, but that part of Baize’s suspension notice was left blank, according to Kristy Bennett, legal director of the ACLU of Mississippi.

Bennett told Dan Savage:

Juin’s case was a situation where a transgender student wanted to attend school dressed in feminine clothing, and the school district would not even let him attend school.

Neither the superintendent nor school board attorney wanted to go on camera with WTVA, but both did talk to WTVA by phone at the time of the incident, telling the news station that they.

are simply following the handbook rules, which allows a student to be sent home, if he or she is determined to be a distraction.

The situation escalated, and Juin’s mother, who had just relocated from Indiana to stay with relatives, moved Juin out of state to live friends, fearing for Juin’s safety. Juin is currently attending a virtual school, and the ACLU which was investigating the cae said they won’t be pursuing it.

Juin not being in Fulton makes it difficult for us to pursue any kind of legal action here. And personally, I feel it may be a better decision for Juin to relocate and move on with his life.

The “distraction” issue is being used by the American Family Association to bolster the IAHS school board’s decision. In an editorial published on the Itawamba County Journal site, NEM360.com, Bryan Fisher, the AFA’s Director of Issues Analysis cites a Supreme Court decision, Morse v. Frederick (2007)

that school officials are entitled to restrict student speech and expressions in order to maintain an orderly, disruption-free school environment.

But a reader succinctly refutes that, stating that Fisher misrepresents Morse v. Fredrick, which was case about drug usage, quoting an analysis:

Joseph Frederick, a student at Juneau-Douglas High School  in Juneau, Alaska, displayed a banner at a high school event on which was written:  “Bong Hits 4 Jesus.”  The principle, Deborah Morse, regarded the banner as promoting illegal drugs and confiscated the banner and suspended the student.  After the Ninth Circuit held that the principle violated the student’s First Amendment’s rights, the Supreme Court overturned and held that his rights were not violated…

Chief Justice Roberts wrote “[And] that the rights of students ‘must be applied in light of the special characteristics of the school environment.’ … Consistent with these principles, we hold that schools may take steps to safeguard those entrusted to their care from speech that can reasonably be regarded as encouraging drug use.”

The environment at IAHS may come up very soon. Chris Keifer reports in NEM360.com

The American Civil Liberties Union is questioning the motives behind the two events as it drafts its lawsuit seeking damages from the Itawamba County School District…

We are disappointed at the sparse attendance (at the event McMillen attended), and we’re looking further into the situation,” said Kristy Bennett, legal director of the ACLU of Mississippi.

“Whatever we find will be brought to the court’s attention, whether it is in the damages trial, or whatever. There will still be a trial on the merits. The case didn’t end in the preliminary hearing.”

[ht Dan Savage,  Queerty.com]

 

Last night PIL played on Jimmy Kimmel. Today, the New York Times announced that Malcom McLaren, the man behind the Sex Pistols–and Adam & the Ants and BowWowWow–has died of mesothelioma at a hospital in Switzerland. He was 64.

McLaren had managed the New York Dolls as that great glam band fell apart, and on his return to London, where he and his girl friend at the time Vivienne Westwood ran a clothing shop called Sex, the budding impressario put together the Sex Pistols.

Boom! Punk rock! The world changed for millions of us. Goodbye Malcolm. And thank you.

 

I need a good laugh tonight. Could we just tell some jokes and whoop it up?

 

[UPDATE: Photos from the prom and more now on La Figa.]

Constance McMillen’s prom was this weekend, and the town of Fulton, Mississippi is getting a reputation as the meanest place in America.

Last month, a federal judge in Mississippi ruled that Constance McMillen’s rights were violated when she was not allowed to wear a tuxedo and bring her girlfriend to the Itawamba Agricultural High School prom. Judge Davidson would hold a trial on the matter later and stopped short of requiring the school board to reinstate the prom, as parents had already formulated their plan to hold a private prom.

There was a private prom all right. On Wednesday, the school’s attorney announced that “the prom” was to be held at the Fulton Country Club on Friday. Constance, her date, and seven other kids showed up.

Because the “real prom” was held in a secret location outside of the county, reports nmisscommentator.

How rude, cruel and vile.

 

It’s a full moon! Let’s go crazy!

I don’t know where to start–celebrating idiocy or celebrating Ricky Martin. Oh heck, let’s go Ricky! I saw El Vez, the Mexican Elvis do a great slow creepy version of Living’ La Vida Loca, and it was then I realized how utterly dark the lyrics are for this huge hit.

Anyway, thank you Ricky Martin for coming out and giving hope and inspiration to lots of your fans and their families. Hopefully your honesty will help other LGBT kids, especially in Hispanic families. And hopefully there will be a time when sexuality will be accepted simply with love, grace and ease.

Now on to the crazies: White supremacist Glenn Miller is running for U.S. Senator as a write-in candidate from Missouri and bought ad time on KMBZ-AM in Kansas City and on other stations in other Missouri media markets. Under Federal Communications Commission rules and federal law, a “legally qualified candidate” must be given reasonable, uncensored access to broadcast airtime if he or she can pay the cost, and since Miller qualified and has the cash, the ads are running, but with a disclaimer. KMBZ program director Neil Larrimore told the Kansas City Star:

The company is required by federal law to run these spots and to do so without any edits. Our hands are tied.

If you have the stomach, you can click the links to hear the ads. They are repugnant. Ugh.

And then today Glenn Beck’s even less witty stand-in Doc Tompson tried to be like all satirical and funny by saying the tanning bed tax included in the health care reform bill is racist because “dark skinned people” don’t use tanning beds.

Yup, full moon.

 

I’ve been doing yoga on and off since high school. PE sucked — all those nasty outdoor team sports — so when yoga, modern dance and self defense were offered as indoor alternatives, I jumped, or at least  jettéd, at the opportunity to avoid the evil yellow hurty thing in the sky and its companion balls: soft, base and basket. Ugh.

I loved yoga; we did hatha yoga, and our teacher explained, theoretically, what organs were affected by the various poses. It was mellow, fun and meaningful, unlike other yoga classes I took decades later where there seemed to be a level of competition with regards to both dress and the ability to do a wheel pose. I felt kinda empty after those.

Yoga has been in the United States since the late 1800s, and really took off in the mid-1920s. A ban on Indian immigration from 1924 to 1965 kept traditional practitioners out of the U.S.; but in spite of the ban, yoga became an underground staple with celebrities and alternative types.

Then came the Sixties and all that came with that decade of seeking. The Beatles and the Maharishi, altered states of consciousness, health food, and the lift on the immigration ban.  Yoga expanded slowly at first, but by the mid-90s, yoga studios were cropping up everywhere, yogaini were appearing on morning news shows and gyms were expanding their classes to schedules to  include power yoga with its interminable aerobic “Astanga! Down dog!” Baby yoga! Doggie and me yoga! Yoga pants, yoga mats, yoga magazines, yoga work out videos…and inevitably yoga lawsuits.

In Yoga, Inc., director John Philp takes us through the development and marketing of yoga in the United States including the idea of yoga competitions — which have been around for century, just not with the hopes of a sponsorship by Mercedes Benz, as one promoter wishes for out loud.

Behind the competitions is super yogi Bikram Choudhury, founder of the hot — literally and figuratively — Bik who has copyrighted his own style of yoga and order of poses (asanas), and sued those who dare to use either his name or the poses in the the same order he does. In some cities, chain yoga studios are putting the individually owned studios out of business, and the spiritual practice of yoga seems to have been replaced by a material striving and the desire to have a hard body.  Yoga, Inc. asks the question, “Can yoga survive with its good karma intact?” That remains to be seen, as it’s an $18 billion dollar a year business…

(Watch – Yoga, Inc.)

 

Friday, Dennis Hopper got his star on Hollywood Boulevard. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce had tried for years to give him one, but he declined the honor until now, in what are obviously his last few weeks of life. Much has been very well written about Hopper the actor, the crazy man, the resurrection tale–oh how we love a redemption and resurrection!

At the very foundation of Hopper’s soul, the grain the forms him, the cell that sprung him forth, is the artistic craving to Create, the passion of the Demiurge, his own and others. And to that end, Hopper embraced art and artists in a self-immolating autophagy of constant creation and re-creation. The through line in his life is Art, life as art, art as life’s blood.

Hopper collected works of art that contributed to his artistic life, that moved the nerve that runs from eye to spirit. As a young actor in Hollywood in the 1950s and 60s, while others were skiing or surfing, he bummed around in galleries, taking photographs of the artists and their patron. He bought Warhol’s first soup can, Man Ray photos, and much more; some of his collection was created out of trade, like the Julian Schnabel’s portrait of Hopper which was partial payment for the actor appearing in the first film Schnabel directed, Basquiat. (Hopper ‘s collection includes at least one Basquiat as well as works by Keith Haring and Kenny Scharf and dozens and dozens of others from Gehry to Graham). Hopper collected what moved him, inspired him, saying

I collect things I wish I’d made…I don’t care what the artist’s intention is. I don’t care about his intention at all. I either get it or I don’t. Generally I get it.

Hopper’s democratic non-elitist view of art, collecting what he loved carried over into his interactions with others involved in art at all levels, embracing gallery rats and young artists. Pop Surrealist Anthony Ausgang, who before his career ascended, made ends meet moving and installing art for wealthy collectors, recalled for us Hopper from the mid-80s.

When I worked as an art installer/delivery boy I went to Dennis Hopper’s place a few times. A week or two after “Blue Velvet” opened I saw him at an art opening and he was very loquacious and interested to hear about the other collections that we had attended to. He wasn’t jealous, just really into art collecting. When I told him that we had been moving the Vincent Price collection, he was completely stoked. He was a good guy and didn’t treat us art movers like shit, unlike some other collectors.

Hopper’s first collection burned up in the Bel Air fire of 1961; undeterred he kept collecting. For him, collecting was about being a custodian for art that would live beyond one’s lifetime, as evidenced by his curation of a show at the Harwood Museum in Taos, NM last year.

Hopper claims in court documents that he has spent almost all the money he has made on his art collection, in order to maintain and  storing his paintings, photographs, drawings and sculptures. In nine years, he claims, he has sold $1.9 million worth of art–but spent $1.85 million. on his collection. Hopper’s contentious divorce has put his collection in peril–the actor has filed court documents claiming his estranged wife Victoria Duffy

surreptitiously removed from my home very valuable personal property while I was extremely ill, refused to tell me where the property was when I asked her, and then left town.

The missing art, including a portrait of Hopper by Andy Warhol and sculptures by Robert Graham and Bansky are worth more than $1.5 million. Duffy countered

I removed my own property. He is making a big deal about me removing things that are legally mine from the house. I have legal letters saying they belong to me.

Hopper’s days as the custodian of five decades of modern art and his photo documentation of the same are drawing to a close. His vast and beloved, cherished and brilliant array of art, a visible manifestation of his spirit and inspiration, will hopefully stay intact, but nature of art is ephemeral, it’s value both quantifiable and indefinable, and the desire to possess it–whether for noble and lofty aims, avarice, or a combination–may outstrip Hopper’s wishes and tie the pieces up in litigation for years.

 

Yesterday, I wrote about some idiot tea partier posting what he thought was the address of Representative Tom Perriello, so that people annoyed with his health care vote and other issues could pay a visit and have

a good face-to-face chat.

Only, it was the address of congressman’s brother. Now Federal and local authorities are investigating a severed gas line at Bo Perriello’s house. The gas line led from a propane tank to a barbecue on the back porch, and while it posed no immediate threat to the Perriello family, both the FBI and the Albemarle County fire marshal are investigating the incident, and police have stepped up patrols in the area as well.

Monday, Teablogger Mike Troxel said:

If they would like to provide me with the address of Tom, then I’d be more than happy to take it down.

Troxel then posted a long response about how it was not his fault if the internets were wrong, so neener. His site has currently exceeded its bandwidth, so you can’t read his cringe-worthy, self righteous screed, but it was pretty icky.

Another Tea Partier, Nigel Coleman, wrote on his Facebook page:

This is Rep. Thomas Stuart Price Perriello’s home address … I ain’t holding back anymore!!

According to a number of news reports, Coleman also wrote on another blog–since removed:

Do you mean I posted his brother’s address on my Facebook? Oh well, collateral damage.

Coleman later said that:

his choice of words was “definitely in poor taste.” He said he was not aware of anyone actually visiting the address and said this was not an organized effort by the 5th District tea parties.

“A lot of us who are tea partiers, we communicate through social networks,” Coleman said. “One of the other tea partiers in another group put up an address and said it was Tom Perriello’s address and several others of us put it up on our Facebook pages and Twitter accounts.

“Turns out that it was not in fact his address, it was his brother’s. That was not something we were going for. We just wanted people to get a little closer to their congressman.”

Yeah, morans, it’s all fun and games until someone loses an eye. WTF?!

Oh, and BTW, the increased cost of protecting members of Congress will come out of all the taxpayers’ pockets, and could result in a decrease of personal freedoms. You idiots, idiots, idiots!

And yeah, I am waiting for the double-douche comment that

Oh the Perriellos or some progressive activist cut the gas line themselves to discredit the Tea Party.

Please link to that when that–or posts about how anti-Democratic vandalism is just pissed off progressives trying to make true patriots look bad–show up. Because it’s never their fault. (See: Tiller). Facefuckingpalm.jpg.

Tags: Health care, right wing violence, Tea Party, teabaggers, Tom Perriello, vandalism

 

Growing up, my aunt/godmother who hailed from Ware Shoals, SC would tell me about the “revenuers” who would try to find hidden stills in hills, since the bootleggers were making liquor that wasn’t taxed, and during Prohibition that was doubly illegal. NASCAR grew out the souped up cars bootleggers would drive at breakneck speed to outrun the government men.

At times there was gun play, since both sides were very serious about their jobs. And now Fox News to pumping up the drama about armed IRS thugs coming with their guns to make sure you sign up for socialized medicine! WTF! Well, at least that’s what Ron Paul discussed with Fox Business Network, America’s Nightly Scoreboard host David Asman:

PAUL: I think symbolically, the American people didn’t have concern, they ought to just think about it: 16,500 armed bureaucrats coming to make this program work

ASMAN: It’s incredible.

PAUL: If it was a good program and everybody liked it you wouldn’t need 16,500 thugs coming with their guns and putting you in jail if you didn’t follow all the rules.

ASMAN: Exactly. I think you just said it. If it was a good program, you wouldn’t need coercion. This is coercion. Using the power of the state as a coercive body rather than a representative of the American people’s will. There’s something deepy, deeply wrong with that

Look, the health care bill isn’t what a lot of people on the right or left wanted–for different reasons–but freaking people out about armed IRS agents is just going to lead to Something Bad.

Tags: Entertainment

 

Part of freedom of assembly is the right to show up and complain. I have had people opposed to my views visit my block and bitch about me to my neighbors — and leave fliers that attempted to cast me in a disparaging light on nearby doorsteps. It was sorta creepy, but legal, as long as the fliers didn’t go in mailboxes, no one carried lit torches and the pitchforks were made of cardboard. I have a dog and curtains, though I did step out and have a word or several with the folks each time — my camera in hand — and my neighbors gave them a piece of their minds too since they don’t care if I march in an LGBT Pride parade or attempt to expose totalitarian pseudo-religions.

My car getting egged recently was a little juvenile, but if that was the best response to something I disseminated via the media, well golly, that’s teh lulz one has to accept for doing good works and exercising freedom of speech and free press.

At least my protesters got the car and the address right, unlike a Tea Party member who posted up what he thought was Rep. Tom Perriello’s home address on his blog with a suggestion for those opposed to his vote on health care reform:

Just in case any of his friends and neighbors want to drop by and say hi and express their thanks regarding his vote for healthcare. I personally believe it’s so important for representatives to remain fully grounded and to remember exactly what it is their constituents are saying and how they are telling them to vote. Nothing quite does that like a good face-to-face chat. It has a much more personal touch to it.

Only the address isn’t Rep. Perriello’s; it belongs to the congressman’s brother. Teablogger Mike Troxel told Politico that

he has no intention of removing the address from the blog.

Troxel found the address through a directory website and said he would only replace what he currently has on the blog with an address provided by Perriello’s office.

“If they would like to provide me with the address of Tom, then I’d be more than happy to take it down,” he said. “I have no reason to believe it’s not his house.”

So far no one has bothered to visit Perriello’s brother, most likely because no one can be bothered, and there’s that whole golden rule thing. But Troxel’s remarks, and continuing to keep up the wrong address smacks of intimidation, purely and simply, and involving family members is a cheap, sleazy shot.

At one point during the height of my activism,  my home address was posted on a public forum with a veiled threat. I took it seriously. Very. Seriously. When a member of the LAPD took me aside at a protest and told me to be careful walking to and from my car because random crime can happen, I took that very seriously; he was warning me about the people we were protesting and their goon squads. When I was in a cab getting chased through Hollywood by two guys in an SUV, I took that very seriously. Yeah, there are teh lulz, but the again there’s personal safety. Dog. Curtains. Etc.

I responded by being very public about what was happening, which is the only way to defuse intimidation.  The stories being published about Troxel’s troll fail do much the same thing. And reveal many things about Tea Party members. Some of which aren’t very pretty.

Tags: intimidation, Mike Troxel, Tom Perriello, troll fail

 

Most neighborhoods have them, little mini marts that sell daily necessities. My local corner store is part of a chain, but in other cities less car-driven, these convenience stores tend to be mom-and-pop businesses. In the San Francisco neighborhood of Mistro, between the Mission and Castro, Yousef (Joseph) Elhaj owns the Church Street corner store.

More than ten years ago, this Christian Palestinian left his family behind Bethlehem, Palestine and came to America working first for his brother-in-law and then buying the Church Street store from his older brother. In Palestine he worked as a salesman for a plastics manufacturing company, but after the Second Intifada, realized that his wages were not enough to support his family. Corner Store documents a pivotal point in his life.

Joseph works hard; he lives in the backroom of the store and makes sure that the goods are stocked in a logical, thoughtful manner, always greeting his customers with warmth and courtesy. His  customers and neighbors like him, they have grown to know him over the years in short, two-minute bursts of  conversation, but Yousef is isolated and lonely, and desperately misses his family. Despite his business ownership, when the film starts, he has not been able to work through the immigration bureaucracy to bring his family to America.

Producer/director/editor Katherine Bruens and cinematographer Sean Gillane follow Yousef back to his homeland where he reunites with his family, passing through check points along the lengthy route through Jordan to Palestine. Once back in Bethlehem, Yousef sees what his hard work has given his families, material comforts, private school education, a safe home, but without his presence. One of daughters remarks that Yousef planted a vegetable garden but once he left they didn’t know how to tend it, and the plants all died.

The realities of the West Bank confront him–the negatives out weighing the positives–so when finally the family visas are granted he makes the difficult decision to bring them to America, knowing how hard the adjustments will be for his teenage children. But he also realizes the opportunities are much greater in the United States…

This is sweet loving documentary that shows another side of immigrant life, as well as giving us a unique look at life in the West Bank. In San Francisco, Yousef must struggle with isolation and protect himself from bigotry–after 9/11 he hung an American flag inside his store, and symbols of his Christian faith decorate the walls–in the West Bank, there is also bigotry and fear as evidenced by the huge wall that bifurcates Bethlehem, a trash strewn concrete scar decorated with graffiti.

Yousef is such a delightful man; hopefully we’ll see more of him and his family as they adjust to America and each other.

Tags: Corner Store, Katherine Bruens, Palestine, San Francisco, Sean Gillane

 

Svengaliworld Link – Click Here

I am huge fan John Roecker as a person and as an artist. He embodies the DIY punk rock spirit and has created an impressive body of work. His body is pretty hot too, but that’s another matter.

The other day he sent me a link to this video, and I was touched to see he’d included me in the thank yous. All I did was write about him and later host him on FDL Movie Night, but to John anyone who actually does anything creative–whether it’s about him or or not–deserves a thank you because they are being true to themselves.

That being said, this poignant video is his self-directed artistic retrospective, a love letter to Los Angeles, movies, and punk rock, a celebration of creativity, a paeon to the urge to be a demiurge, a call to manifest.

Now get out the knitting needles and Modge Podge! You’ve got a world to create!

Tags: art, culture, Green Day, John Roecker, Los Angeles, Punk Rock, Rancid

 

The Department of Justice has served subpoenas on six Las Vegas businessmen with ties to Nevada’s favorite GOPlayboy — the guy who put the “fun” in being a fundamentalist Christian, Senator John Ensign.

Las Vegas Now reports that on March 8 a two-person team — a special agent from the FBI and a prosecutor from the Criminal Division, Public Integrity Section of the Department of Justice — descended on Sin City

to interview several prominent business and political figures in what appears to be a wide-ranging and deadly-serious criminal probe….

A parallel investigation by the Senate Ethics Committee has also generated subpoenas to Nevadans. Most of those subpoenaed by the grand jury were also subpoenaed by the Ethics Committee, but a few served by the Senate were not served by the DOJ.

The investigations center around scenario wherein various business were asked hire Doug Hampton, husband of Ensign’s sweetie, Cindy, because, in theory, a job would make Doug keep his mouth shut about the senator’s affair with Cindy. Additionally, it appears at least one company was asked to make a nice financial donation to the GOP in exchange for Senator Ensign helping them out regarding pending legislation. Sleazy!

Las Vegas Now breaks it down:

Mike and Lindsay Slanker were hired by Ensign to run the fundraising effort for the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Mike was also helping Doug Hamilton get a job as a lobbyist while Lindsay arranged contributions to the GOP from eComm, a Nevada based prepaid credit card company:

Senator Ensign’s then-Chief of Staff John Lopez welcomed the opportunity to help a Nevada company. But sources say Ensign’s office quickly seized on the opportunity to get something in return.

Sources close to the situation say Ensign’s office warned eCommLink and others about pending prepaid card regulation and that donations and support could make those troublesome rules go away.

Ensign’s office wanted a lunch meeting and a fundraiser. Then he planned an office visit a few weeks later. Then the big push — more protection from regulation in exchange for a $28,000 contribution to the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the Majority Makers…Ensign’s people wanted someone, anyone, to hire Hampton as a lobbyist. Many companies declined.

Ensign, of course, says he has done nothing wrong legally or ethically.

Tags: Cindy Hampton, Doug Hampton, investigation, John Ensign, John Lopez, Majority Makers, Nevada, NRSC, scandal, Senate Ethics Committee

 

So my census form came yesterday and I filled it out and there are some pretty interesting questions. Like how many people live in your house, what are their names, races and relationships to you. “Unmarried partner ” is a new option. There are lots of options for race (versus ethnicity) available, including “other/fill in.”

Pam’s House Blend points out that this will be the first US Census since the US Department of Energy Human Genome Project announced that race does not exist.

There’s a push in the Taiwanese community to to have members check “other Asian” and fill in “Taiwanese.” I noticed that “Armenian,” a huge segment of my neighborhood population was not an option, though Pakistani was (under Asian).

I actually got a little uncomfortable having to fill out the names of my household members. Like, why? I can see giving up that I have roommate(s) and I sort of understand why “race” question (though what if you are of mixed race?), but why do I need to say their names? How will that help matters?

Oh and I saw The Runaways. It was great.

Tags: Census

 

Manifest Hope:DC (website) – watch trailer

Al Gragg’s Manifest Hope DC documents the grassroots art movement  inspired by Barack Obama’s candidacy. Shot primarily at the opening of the Manifest Hope temporary gallery in Washington DC, the film features  interviews with artists, musicians and community organizers set against a driving soundtrack and live performances, intercut with animation. It is really exciting to hear from the artists about their creative processes and to see how their conscious and unconscious minds expressed their feeling about Obama and the central issues of the progressive/liberal movement.

Manifest Hope DC celebrates  the influence of punk rock, hip hop and the DYI aesthetic  in the art as people during the campaign took charge and did what they could, creating art, placing art and talking about the power of art to make a difference.

Yes, at the Manifest Hope gallery there were many, many pieces featuring Obama, but what comes though in the artwork and in Manifest Hope DC more than just “OBAMA!”  is that campaign inspired hope for affordable health care, renewable energy, the return of our troops, better education, civil equality…All these are goals we should continue to strive for, goals we should to continue to speak up for and act towards.

Art is action and action can be artistic. That is what comes across so clearly in Manifest Hope DC, that making an effort can manifest hope. Hope combined with action makes change. We still have hope, let’s act together to make the changes we voted for.

Tags: Alfred Gragg, Manifest Hope:DC, Obama

 

In Los Angeles, public art requires a city permit to be on private property. Local Los Angeles blog The Eastsider reports:

Silver Lake residents Amy Seidenwurm and Russell Bates were so charmed by the bears and other critters that they commissioned the artist, Phil Lumbang, to paint a mural on the approximately 30-foot long by 10-foot high wall in front of their home. Most people loved it, stopping to have their photos taken in front of the colorful scene painted last April. More than 35,000 people viewed a YouTube video Bates shot of Lumbang painting the happy forest creatures. But one neighbor objected, complaining that the mural would make their Silver Lake street “seem ghetto” and attract taggers and other street artists, Bates said.

Los Angeles Building and Safety ordered the mural painted over by March 1, but the couple have been granted a one month extension while city officials–prompted by Councilman Eric Garcetti–try to figure out if there is a legal way to keep the mural up.

In February we reported:

Los Angeles City officials have decided Downtown LA has an arts district, and named it as such, but they are also fining the owner of the Down and Out Bar for a mural painted on the windows of his business because he and the artist Emmeric James Konrad did not go through the appropriate approval and permitting process.

But it doesn’t stop with murals. Private security are infringing on public right of away: On Thursday night, as part of the monthly Downtown Art Walk, Take My Picture Gary Leonard hosted an opening for political cartoonist Doug Davis. Local mobile noshery LaFuxion–a Latin-Asian taco truck–was parked out in front of the swanky new lofts/mixed use retail building in a legal parking space. Only the security guard for the loft-livers said there were complaints.

I watched as he had the private Business Improvement District patrol ask the truck to move. From a public street. Where they were attracting paying customers. During a neighborhood event designed to draw business to downtown, where gourmet food trucks selling everything from coffee to grilled cheese and bistro fare line the street outside galleries, along with Los Angeles’ ubiquitous bacon wrapped hotdog vendors.

So once again, Los Angeles mixes the concept of public and private. And art loses.

Tags: art, Emmeric James Konrad, Los Angeles, mural, Phil Lumbang, private property, public art, Silver Lake

 

The United States Supreme Court has said it would consider an appeal from the father of a slain Marine who hopes to reinstate a $5 million verdict against Fred Phelps’ Topeka-based Westboro Baptist Church.

At issue are rights of free speech versus the right of privacy. Richard Levy, a professor of constitutional law at the University of Kansas told the Topeka Star:

This is a hot area of First Amendment law. There are a lot of issues swirling around this type of case, and the court may feel it should step in and clarify the law.

The SCOTUS ruling could affect state laws designed to curb funeral protests and potentially affect free speech. I don’t like how Phelps protests, I don’t care for what he says in the least; it’s shoddy theology designed for maximum PR. But so what? WBC has the right to say it, in the same way Anonymous has the right to protest outside the Church of Scientology with signs that say “Holy Xenu! Stop the Cult of Greed and Lies!” or morans have the right to march holding placards depicting whoever is president now as Hitler/Stalin/Mother Theresa.

I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend unto to death your right to say it

wasn’t actually written by Voltaire, to whom the above quote is oft attributed; it’s a paraphrase of Voltaire’s attitudes by Evelyn B. Hall, possibly based on a letter the French philosopher wrote to Abbe le Riche in 1770:

Monsieur l’abbé, I detest what you write, but I would give my life to make it possible for you to continue to write.

Free speech–even Phelps’ troglodyte, hate-filled screed–is a necessary component of democracy. But as groups like Steal This Protest, the Pastafarians, Sabotage & Dialogue and others show, Phelps’ hate can be diffused.

Lets Keep it Fun, Funny, Clever, Stupid, and Absurd
and avoid the mean, hateful, political, or confrontational.

This is a party not a protest.
This is a celebration not a confrontation.
This is humorous and provocative street theater where we will respond to hate with love, humor and absurdity.

At the San Diego Pride Parade, the Phelpsbots are kept in a specific area with a horse patrol keeping them apart for the parade. The “God Hates <insert noun here>” crowd can bullhorn and shake their huge signs all day as they face the rear ends of the police ponies who um, kinda poop a lot when stationery.

Meanwhile, the publicity-loving, America-hating Phelps family is eagerly awaiting their moment before the Supreme Court:

Shirley Phelps-Roper, a church leader and daughter of Westboro founder Fred Phelps, said her sister Margie Phelps is likely to argue the church’s case before the Supreme Court. Shirley Phelps-Roper and Margie Phelps are licensed attorneys.

Phelps-Roper said it’s God’s will that the church gets to appear before the nation’s highest court. Regardless of the ruling, she said it’s a “win-win” for the publicity-hungry church.

“You know how hard we’ve worked to get in front of them?” she said. “We came to the kingdom for this hour.”…

Westboro’s adherents argue that the First Amendment is designed to protect speech the majority may not want to hear. But Phelps-Roper is ambivalent, noting that man’s law won’t matter much when America meets divine wrath.

“Her destruction is imminent,” she said. Laughing, she added: “And it’s going to be marvelous.”

The Phelps are bughouse loony, and satire and humor are great uses of free speech to point out their utter craziness. With clever counter-protests, rather than matching their hate with anger, the WBC can be handled, cooled and made to go away.

Limiting speech simply because the message is uncomfy sets a dangerous precedent.

And dancing frat boys kinda makes free assembly worth keeping too.

Tags: First Amendment, Fred Phelps, free speech, Privacy, SCOTUS, Westboro Baptist

 

Howard Zinn’s monumental book,  A People’s History of the United States, lifted the curtain on the traditional American narrative, revealing class struggles, dissent, and the efforts of everyday Americans, people of color, women, day laborers, migrant workers to gain and live with the rights promised in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.

In The People Speak, Zinn is joined by a group of talented actors and musicians in bringing these people’s stories to life. Morgan Freeman, Viggo Mortensen, Marisa Tomei, Sean Penn, Rosario Dawson, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, David Strathairn, Danny Glover, Kerry Washington, Benjamin Bratt, Sandra Oh, Jasmine Guy, Bob Dylan, Pink, Eddie Vedder, Chris Robinson, Rich Robinson, John Legend, DMC and Bruce Springsteen are among the stars lending their voices to The People Speak, a documentary based on A People’s History of the United States and Voices of a People’s History of the United States, the companion volume of 200 primary sources, co-created with Anthony Arnove.

Co-directed by Howard Zinn and our guests Anthony Arnove and Chris Moore, The People Speak reveals some of the ugly truths about our country that traditionalists would prefer stay buried. Well, we are only as sick as our secrets, and it is important to know that our Founding Fathers owned slaves, that Lincoln would not have preferred to have kept the Union together without freeing the slaves. It is vital to realize that the rights of Native Americans were stripped from them, that Muhammad Ali was jailed for resisting the draft, that hundreds of thousands of Americans have lifted their voices and moved their bodies to make this country live up to the promises on which it was founded.

From the founding of America through the abolition and suffragist movements, civil rights struggles, union organizing and draft resistance, to the current wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, The People Speak shows that there is more than one perspective on history; the candy-coated rainbows of the traditional versions have shadows beneath that give a greater depth and meaning to our nation. And a greater hope for her future.

The beauty of America is that we can speak up and out, that we have the right to freely assemble; that in America, all are supposedly created equal. The sorrow is that we have to fight for these rights at home, while the government seeks to export to other countries with war what passes as democracy.

One stunning passage from Malcolm X makes this point:

If violence is wrong in America, it is wrong abroad.

The People Speak draws the link between racism, classism and militarism through the experience of real Americans, reminding us for the need to be vigilant, to question authority and to unite for the greater good. We the people can cause change by acting together.

Tags: A People’s History of the United States, Abolition, Afghanistan, Anthony Arnove, Benjamin Bratt, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Chris Moore, Chris Robinson, civil rights, Constitution, Danny Glover, David Strathairn, Day Laborers, Declaration of Independence, DMC, Don Cheadle, Draft Resistance, Eddie Vedder, Howard Zinn, Iraq, Jasmine Guy, John Legend, Kerry Washington, Malcolm X, Marisa Tomei, Matt Damon, Migrant Workers, Morgan Freeman, People of Color, Pink, Rich Robinson, Rosario Dawson, Sandra Oh, Sean Penn, Suffragist Movements, The People Speak, Unions Organizing, Viggo Mortensen, women

 

Live Blogging the Oscars–part 2, with FDL community Cat Noel, reality show star/radio personality and our special guests from the Writers Guild of America-East:

Michael Winship, WGAE President and senior writer on Bill Moyers Journal.

Fred Graver, Emmy Winner and founder of iLarious, Creator of VH1’s Best Week Ever, Letterman, In Living Color & pretty much everything else you’ve ever seen.

John Marshall, Emmy nominated writer from The Chris Rock Show, Politically Incorrect, The Electric Company.

Caissie St.Onge, Best Week Ever, The Rosie O’Donnell Show.

Justin DiLauro, CBS News Promo writer (and master of brevity).

Bonnie Datt, The Confirmed Bachelors and fashion blogger for Racked.com.

Dan McCoy, 9am Meeting, two time Channey Award winner shown on Channel 101 New York.

Dan McNamara, The Bear, The Cloud and God seen on Comedy Central and Atom.com and “Amazing The Lion” on the Independent Comedy Network.

Timothy Michael Cooper, Concierge: The Series.

Lowell Peterson, WGAE Executive Director.

Nominees for the 82nd annual Academy Awards:

Best picture

“Avatar”
“The Blind Side”
“District 9″
“An Education”
“The Hurt Locker”
“Inglourious Basterds”
“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”
“A Serious Man”
“Up”
“Up in the Air”

Best actor

Jeff Bridges, “Crazy Heart”
George Clooney, “Up in the Air”
Colin Firth, “A Single Man”
Morgan Freeman, “Invictus”
Jeremy Renner, “The Hurt Locker

Best actress

Sandra Bullock, “The Blind Side”
Helen Mirren, “The Last Station”
Carey Mulligan, “An Education”
Gabourey Sidibe, “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”
Meryl Streep, “Julie & Julia”

Best supporting actor

Matt Damon, “Invictus”
Woody Harrelson, “The Messenger”
Christopher Plummer, “The Last Station”
Stanley Tucci, “The Lovely Bones”
Christoph Waltz, “Inglourious Basterds”

Best supporting actress

Penelope Cruz, “Nine”
Vera Farmiga, “Up in the Air”
Maggie Gyllenhaal, “Crazy Heart”
Anna Kendrick, “Up in the Air”
Mo’Nique, “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”

Best director

James Cameron, “Avatar”
Kathryn Bigelow, “The Hurt Locker”
Lee Daniels, “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”
Quentin Tarantino, “Inglourious Basterds”
Jason Reitman, “Up in the Air”

Best animated feature

“Coraline”
“Fantastic Mr Fox”
“The Princess and the Frog”
“The Secret of Kells”
“Up”

Best foreign language film

“Ajami” (Israel)
“El Secreto de Sus Ojos” (Argentina)
“The Milk of Sorrow” (Peru)
“The Prophet” (France)
“The White Ribbon” (Germany)

Best screenplay (original)

“The Hurt Locker,” written by Mark Boal
“Inglourious Basterds,” written by Quentin Tarantino
“The Messenger,” written by Alessandro Camon and Oren Moverman
“A Serious Man,” written by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
“Up,” screenplay by Bob Peterson, Pete Docter; story by Pete Docter, Bob Peterson, Tom McCarthy

Best screenplay (adapted)

“District 9,” written by Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell
“An Education,” screenplay by Nick Hornby
“In the Loop,” screenplay by Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche
“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire,” screenplay by Geoffrey Fletcher
“Up in the Air,” screenplay by Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner

Best music (original score)

“Avatar” James Horner
“Fantastic Mr. Fox” Alexandre Desplat
“The Hurt Locker” Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders
“Sherlock Holmes” Hans Zimmer
“Up” Michael Giacchino

Best music (original song)

“Almost There” from “The Princess and the Frog,” music and lyrics by Randy Newman
“Down in New Orleans” from “The Princess and the Frog,” music and lyrics by Randy Newman
“Loin de Paname” from “Paris 36,” music by Reinhardt Wagner and lyrics by Frank Thomas
“Take It All” from “Nine,” music and lyrics by Maury Yeston
“The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)” from “Crazy Heart,” music and lyrics by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett

Best art direction

“Avatar” art direction: Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg; set decoration: Kim Sinclair
“The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” art direction: Dave Warren and Anastasia Masaro; set decoration: Caroline Smith
“Nine” art direction: John Myhre; set decoration: Gordon Sim
“Sherlock Holmes” art direction: Sarah Greenwood; set decoration: Katie Spencer
“The Young Victoria” art direction: Patrice Vermette; set decoration: Maggie Gray

Best cinematography

“Avatar” Mauro Fiore
“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” Bruno Delbonnel
“The Hurt Locker” Barry Ackroyd
“Inglourious Basterds” Robert Richardson
“The White Ribbon” Christian Berger

Best costume design

“Bright Star” Janet Patterson
“Coco Before Chanel” Catherine Leterrier
“The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” Monique Prudhomme
“Nine” Colleen Atwood
“The Young Victoria” Sandy Powell

Best documentary (feature)

“Burma VJ” Anders Østergaard and Lise Lense-Møller
“The Cove” Nominees to be determined
“Food, Inc.” Robert Kenner and Elise Pearlstein
“The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers” Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith
“Which Way Home” Rebecca Cammisa

Best documentary (short subject)

“China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province” Jon Alpert and Matthew O’Neill
“The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner” Daniel Junge and Henry Ansbacher
“The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant” Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert
“Music by Prudence” Roger Ross Williams and Elinor Burkett
“Rabbit à la Berlin” Bartek Konopka and Anna Wydra

Best film editing

“Avatar” Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua and James Cameron
“District 9″ Julian Clarke
“The Hurt Locker” Bob Murawski and Chris Innis
“Inglourious Basterds” Sally Menke
“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Joe Klotz

Best makeup

“Il Divo” Aldo Signoretti and Vittorio Sodano
“Star Trek” Barney Burman, Mindy Hall and Joel Harlow
“The Young Victoria” Jon Henry Gordon and Jenny Shircore

Best short film (animated)

“French Roast” Fabrice O. Joubert
“Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty” Nicky Phelan and Darragh O’Connell
“The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)” Javier Recio Gracia
“Logorama” Nicolas Schmerkin
“A Matter of Loaf and Death” Nick Park

Best short film (live action)

“The Door” Juanita Wilson and James Flynn
“Instead of Abracadabra” Patrik Eklund and Mathias Fjellström
“Kavi” Gregg Helvey
“Miracle Fish” Luke Doolan and Drew Bailey
“The New Tenants” Joachim Back and Tivi Magnusson

Best sound editing

“Avatar” Christopher Boyes and Gwendolyn Yates Whittle
“The Hurt Locker” Paul N.J. Ottosson
“Inglourious Basterds” Wylie Stateman
“Star Trek” Mark Stoeckinger and Alan Rankin
“Up” Michael Silvers and Tom Myers

Best sound mixing

“Avatar” Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers, Andy Nelson and Tony Johnson
“The Hurt Locker” Paul N.J. Ottosson and Ray Beckett
“Inglourious Basterds” Michael Minkler, Tony Lamberti and Mark Ulano
“Star Trek” Anna Behlmer, Andy Nelson and Peter J. Devlin
“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers and Geoffrey Patterson

Best visual effects

“Avatar” Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham and Andrew R. Jones
“District 9″ Dan Kaufman, Peter Muyzers, Robert Habros and Matt Aitken
“Star Trek” Roger Guyett, Russell Earl, Paul Kavanagh and Burt Dalton

Tags: Oscars, WGAE