i’ve been real busy working on creative stuff every day and night for the past several weeks. on top of that, there’s so many of us here in the city that are so talented but we all have our own pockets and cliques that we never link up and join up like voltes 5 to make stuff together. i totally want to. let’s do this!
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tonight, ______ and i are off to the east bay to capture footage of the underground fight club the biker club, East Bay Rats, put together. tonight is part of their two night grand re-opening and there’ll be full contact fights, college girl strip show fundraiser, bands, kegs, and general mischief.
there’s tons of stuff to do but ______ and i decided to work on some alternative media video journalism apart from the usual and cover sadistic motorheads instread. should be fun!
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last night, i shot footage of the band DEATH ANGEL for their documentary. it was so hectic! Slim’s wouldn’t allow two cameras on at the same time lest the band be charged $2k?? so i had to shoot the whole thing by myself back and forth, onstage, in the pit, by the side, backstage, blah blah. i didn’t mind at all though but, because i’m short, my arms were up the whole time. i swear my wings are sore!
omfg! it was, like, metal high school reunion with everyone’s favorite band shirt and denim jacket on! haha! testament’s chuck billy was there! mordred! and (get this) jello biafra of dead kennedys!
i was shooting from the pit and this guy taps me on my shoulder and asked, ‘hey! is that jello biafra right there?’ i looked and said, ‘it looks like him. you want me to ask?’ and this big burly long haired blonde caveman junior looked at me and said, ‘…could you?’ so i turned around and said to the guy, ‘excuse me. mr. biafra?’ and he said, ‘yes.’ and everyone around him went, ‘HEY!!!!’
after a song, the caveman junior guy had the cute nerdy girl take a picture of the two of them. he was totally cheezin! lol
later, i saw jello again backstage and we were both wearing a voivod shirt so he gave me props. haha!
death angel tore the house down. they played for 2 hours and everyone was happy even if they were bleeding, especially the cavemen from montreal, paris, and tokyo who came all the way just to see them play. insane!
Toronto remix masters, MSTRKRFT, blesses the Mighty stage in San Francisco for one night between Los Angeles gigs before embarking on a heavy duty tour through Nevada, Colorado, and on the East Coast playing every fucking night before they set off to Austria and Germany to break everybody else’s asses there! For all you Bay Area motherfuckers, you better represent and get some new kicks or something cuz they finna bring a crew from LA to show off their tits so we better get our own pop and lock tight!
Again, I dared to write their management directly to set up a fan interview and they were kind enough to get back to me and say, “what for?” I was like, “umm…it’s for…THE FANS!” then I went on about how DFA1979/MSTRKRFT was a crucial force in bringing together all peeps electro-rockers here in metropolitan SF. “…most especially,” I said, “to ask technical recording technique questions.” At that, the head management guy wrote back to say, “no problem. meet at the venue?” FUCK YEA!!!!
So, LXNDR will host like he did on “The Horrors tour bus interview for sound geeks” that we did for SHUTTER-POPSCENE last year. He did a good job then and handle interviews well. He also did The Bravery for me last year and did an awesome job. But when I told him to come up with unique questions, his questions were like…”so, is she your girlfriend?” and “can i get another drink?” my favorite, “are you like a total douche or what?”
I might have to come up with questions myself.
Definitely, whatever footage I get I’ll remix to my own rendition of what MSTRKRFT really means. As a fan of DFA79, I was real bummed at their breakup. But when JFK went on to do the erectro-cock stuff, I was ultimately blown away. It’s good to be a nerd.
this morning, i had to walk in to ku’s school instead of dropping him off like usual. i had to reserve a ticket for his school’s auction fundraiser night (which they should call “‘clarendon alternative school parents getting drunk and their swerve on while spending all their money’ night”). i really don’t want to go because it’s the same night as the MSTRKRFT show. but, i have to reserve a ticket anyways just in case I could swing it.
ku dragged me in to the principal’s office for some reason. i asked him, “why, dude? i have to get to work.” he was like, “just come in! one minute!” so, i went in. he just stood around the assistant principals office pretending he was interested in the flyer posted by her door. then she came out.
SHE WAS FUCKING HOT!!!!
she was bringing a chair into the principal’s office for a meeting. she was drinking a jamba juice. she glanced over and said ‘hi’ to ku. we made eye contact and she smiled then sort of skipped into the office. i swear, i felt like i was hit with a brick! the principal walked out and she followed but i noticed that while she was talking to him, she kept looking over and i was trying not stare at her. i guess i got scared. i had to get out of the office but ku was chatting with the attendance lady who he intended to visit, he said.
i swear though. omfg. she had big nerdy glasses on and her hair up. like a total hot librarian with a stewardess outfit on.
i’ve been in hiding underground and behind the scenes reading and writing a lot about politics and religion all over the world as i prepare myself to join back in the mass communication game, not as dj, vj, or love letter blogger, but as a an alternative media journalist and spin doctor.
i’ve also found lots of time to really go deeper into my relationships, especially my son, his mom, my mom, my old friends, and my Self. it’s been quite an awakening.
my passion for storytelling also took a major turn. for a while, i was about to give up on the film, bizarre love pentagram, but after posting it on a site populated by critical thinkers, it became apparent that i should put it in the forefront again.
an anonymous comment left a great impression on me. a grandfather showed his divorced son my movie and he broke down in tears…opening up a conversation that they’ve needed to address. it brought them closer and provided some healing. the grandpa wrote me giving me praise and it validated everything i’ve set out to do. i feel accomplished and inspired to continue…
i haven’t smoked a cigarette for 2 weeks. i haven’t drank for 3 weeks. i haven’t dated in 4 weeks. i haven’t danced forever. i feel like i’ve lost touch with nightclub associates who no longer need me around since i’m ‘out of the game’ or became a ’scene drop out.’ i feel cleansed and no longer fiend. in fact, i could safely say, that i feel more handsome than ever.
but, there is one thing i do truly miss…KILLIN ON THE DANCEFLOOR!
MSTRKRFT AT MIGHTY MARCH 1ST!!!!!! WHO WANTS TO SHAKE THEIR ASS? LIKE REAL HARD!!!
Religious democratic droppings
Pizza with Ghormeh Sabzi toppings
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persia.
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in her 30’s, my mom traveled all over the world. my dad insists that it was because she was running to find a better man and couldn’t. my mom denies that (but she did admit that there was no other man better than my dad).
she left manila and went to san francisco first. from there she went to new york. she decided to hop to copenhagen and started a trek down western europe where she partied and had her spoils. but, her aim was to make it to Bethlehem. she traveled through all the main cities including Baghdad and other ancient sites like Ctesiphon before moving on to Tehran.
after finding a picture of her in those days with some dude right beside her staring at her butt, she recounted how this one well dressed persian man along for the tours she took followed her everywhere and always sat next to her in tour busses. that’s all she said about him but my sister did find other pictures of the guy in her older photo albums. hmmm…
she eventually made it to Tel Aviv and was able to visit the places of her youthful dreams including Bethlehem, Nazareth, and Mt. Sinai. it was her dream come true.
she eventually headed back to new york where my dad was waiting. it turns out he had hired a private investigator to follow her and “keep her safe” throughout and knew she’d be in new york next. she was happy he was there. supposedly, he got on one knee and started singing to her in the airport and wouldn’t stop singing until she agreed to come back to him, which she did.
June is on the run for so long
Pushed and pulled then shunned
It was so wrong
These four walls crashing in won’t stop me now
Cause I’m alive, I’m out tonight, all night
Everybody needs to know it’s the year of the rat
Every day we’ve got to hold on
’cause if we hold on we could find some new energy
Streets with flags unfurled like treasure
Thank me for my words, it’s a pleasure
Just don’t ask me to stay ’cause I’ll be gone
But it’s alright I’m OK – always
Everybody needs to know it’s the year of the rat
Every day we’ve got to hold on
’cause if we hold on we could find some new energy
One plus one is one – together
One plus one is one – forever
One plus one is one – together
One plus one is one – forever
Everybody needs to know it’s the year of the rat
Everybody needs to know it’s the year of the rat
Everybody needs to know it’s the year of the rat
Everybody needs to know it’s the year of the rat
Every day we’ve got to hold on
’cause if we hold on we could find some new energy
People born in the Year of the Rat are noted for their charm and attraction for the opposite sex. They work hard to achieve their goals, acquire possessions, and are likely to be perfectionists. They are basically thrifty with money. Rat people are easily angered and love to gossip. Their ambitions are big, and they are usually very successful. They are most compatible with people born in the years of the Dragon, Monkey, and Ox
Chinese New Year is the longest and most important celebration in the Chinese calendar. The Chinese year 4705 begins on Feb. 18, 2007.
Chinese months are reckoned by the lunar calendar, with each month beginning on the darkest day. New Year festivities traditionally start on the first day of the month and continue until the fifteenth, when the moon is brightest. In China, people may take weeks of holiday from work to prepare for and celebrate the New Year.
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one particular tradition associated with chinese new year is the giving of red envelopes to kids and love ones, as they would in weddings and birthdays. these envelopes are filled with either coins or paper money and the red symbolizes ‘luck’ as it does in chinese culture (kinda like santa!)
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did you know that fortune cookies did not originate in china? nope. they originated in san francisco.
3 years ago, the u.s. powerball lottery paid a total of 110 second place winners in an unprecedented and unexpected $19.4 million pay out. 89 tickets won $100,000 and lottery officials quickly suspected fraud. in fact, these second place winners all got their numbers from fortune cookies made in queens, new york, by the same company. haha!
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i’ve been bogged by all the politics lately. i’m glad, though, that my a-political attitude had matured out of disgruntlement and retransformed into activism again. although i don’t condone one candidate alone, i managed to get back involved and thus reshaping my own matured stance in humanitarian and liberty issues.
hang in there!
***
the boy is out of town and i’m free to get wasted today and tonight! haha! let’s go!!!! i feel like a million bucks! get in your red dress and let’s paint the town…red!!!
Josef Stalin once said, “It’s not the people who vote that count. It’s the people who count the votes.”
so i went around the polling booths and started counting everyone’s votes but for some reason everyone got mad and chased me out. =P
***
speaking of Stalin, i’ve been researching the rise of violent white supremacy in russia the past day or two after watching something on Current.TV titled “From Russia With Hate.” (go check it).
i stumbled upon it during a research after i finished my oi-core track video. it puzzled me to be reminded of what was happening here in the US (san francisco, specifically) during the 80’s when punk skins divided into two major groups of brace and lace colors: white for white power and red for traditionalists / SHARPs. i remember this time accurately cuz i lost a good friend, (although we treated each other as childhood friends later on when we saw each other again). i remember getting into fights a lot.
my white lace buddy use to be the ‘baby huey’ type. we all teased him and treated him like an idiot (cuz he was) but i endeared him like the giant little brother he was.
one day, he opened up a Mein Kampf For Dummies book, shaved off his mohawk, practiced his salute, vowed to never take any shit from anyone, then went on a rampage beating anyone he can beat, especially if anyone fucked with me. after a while, he stopped hanging out. i saw him once more at an oi show and he was there with the other 4skins. he ignored me most of the night but in the pit he wouldn’t let anyone fuck with me.
(i remember meeting this one cute skin chick who was real friendly then, all of a sudden, as if she caught herself, ran to the other skinheads. she was half-mexican).
my red lace buddy was really just a crazy skater idiot who wasn’t afraid to fight. he’s a total redneck that hated white power skins cuz…well…i think he read Marx For Beginners and sided with proletariats. 1 + 1 meant hating Nazis. one day, he moved to Guerneville, by Russian River and the last i heard from him was that he was run off the road by the husband of the lady he was screwing. he also grew a big beard.
there were more. one guy, someone who was there with the sister of the girl who gave me my first blowjob, went from being a thrasher to being a bonehead. in the pit at a show, he punched me in the head with his spike rings then realized it was me, with great shock, and held me while rubbing and blowing my head saying ‘fuck, sorry, li’l joe!’
there was this other girl, who was a popular new wave chick in middle school but became a white lace in high school and denounced all her jewish and non-white friends. she did, however, go out with my buddy who was half flipino-half russian, but he doesn’t look it. she went on to write for the SF Weekly.
***
when i went to the philippines 3 years ago, i decided to walk to my old elementary school to see how big it really was compared to how i remember it (you know, like big macs). walking towards it, i saw some guy wearing a red shirt with the german swastika on it. i stared at him with great confusion. “da hell?” i thought. what the fuck is this nerdy filipino dude wearing a nazi swastika shirt for? my instinct was to first laugh, then he gave me a hostile stare and i automatically wanted to run across the street and beat the shit out of him. but, instead, i laughed.
***
commenting on that current tv pod about russian skinheads, i went on to look for information regarding what’s really going on. there’s a concurrent rise of the Antifa, an anti-fascist group counter-combating the growing street violence by gangs of skinheads in russia. google that shit.
there’s more. they are growing and many white power racists from all over have goals to reach russia. this may be bigger than we realize.
then i came across an article on about.com written by someone who took her information from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), the nation’s leading anti-semitism (Jews) organization. i was reminded of how we have our own neo-nazi issues ourselves. here’s what i found out
“Today America’s largest Neo-Nazi group is the National Socialist Movement (NSM).
NSM is a Minneapolis-based hate group known for its Nazi uniforms and open display of explicit Nazi symbols.
NSM Profile
Leader: Jeff Schoep
Founded: 1974 by Robert Brannen and Cliff Herrington
Ideology: Neo-Nazi
Mission Statement: NSM calls for a “greater America” that would deny citizenship to Jews, non-whites, and homosexuals.
Composition: Mostly young, including racist skinheads; some older members of the American Nazi Party of the 1960s.
Structure: It has a vaguely paramilitary structure, with military ranks for its members.
Character: One of the most explicitly “Nazi-like” neo-Nazi groups, emulating the uniforms and paraphernalia of the Third Reich.
Outreach: NSM Magazine, Web site, literature distribution, conferences and rallies
NSM has outpaced other anti-Semitic groups in both membership and activity.
NSM Activity
NSM has chapters in 32 states.
NSM has absorbed members from various racist and skinhead groups.
The group’s activities, ranging from literature distribution to raucous rallies, have proven popular among these young recruits.
NSM has a growing Internet presence that includes online radio and a “news service” geared to white supremacists.
NSM launched its own in-house white power music label, NSM Records.
NSM plans to release an anti-Semitic video game called “ZOG’s Nightmare,” whose object is to kill minorities and Jews. ZOG is a racist abbreviation for “Zionist Occupied Government.”
The NSM holds public events in various cities while dressed in full Nazi regalia and shouting “Seig Heil!” NSM members wear Nazi uniforms and openly display swastikas to a degree unusual even among white supremacists.
Other Anti-Semitic Groups in the United States
In the United States, the Constitutional guarantee for freedom of speech allows political organizations great latitude in expressing Nazi, racist or anti-Semitic ideology. Due to First Amendment restrictions, the federal government generally cracks down on such organizations only after members engage in hate crimes and violence.
Other American Anti-Semitic Groups:
American Nazi Party
Aryan Nations
Aryan Brotherhood
Creativity Movement
Jew Watch
Ku Klux Klan Libertarian National Socialist Green Party
National Alliance
National Independents Movement
National Socialist Party of America
NSDAP-AO
Overthrow.com (Bill White)
Stormfront.org
White Aryan Resistance”
***
although the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), the world’s leading organization against anti-semitism (jews), report that anti-semitic incidents declined in the US since 2005, anti-semitic (arab) sentiment continue and persist in american popular culture today as it did in the 70’s and 80’s.
I’m feeling rough, I’m feeling raw, I’m in the prime of my life.
Let’s make some music, make some money, find some models for wives.
I’ll move to Paris, shoot some heroin, and fuck with the stars.
You man the island and the cocaine and the elegant cars.
This is our decision, to live fast and die young.
We’ve got the vision, now let’s have some fun.
Yeah, it’s overwhelming, but what else can we do.
Get jobs in offices, and wake up for the morning commute.
Forget about our mothers and our friends
We’re fated to pretend
To pretend
We’re fated to pretend
To pretend
I’ll miss the playgrounds and the animals and digging up worms
I’ll miss the comfort of my mother and the weight of the world
I’ll miss my sister, miss my father, miss my dog and my home
Yeah, I’ll miss the boredem and the freedom and the time spent alone.
There’s really nothing, nothing we can do
Love must be forgotten, life can always start up anew.
The models will have children, we’ll get a divorce
We’ll find some more models, everyting must run it’s course.
We’ll choke on our vomit and that will be the end
We were fated to pretend
To pretend
We’re fated to pretend
To pretend
everything seems to be on the up and up! i’ve been getting gigs that are leading to bigger and better things while pushing my creative (and technical) know how. i just wanna give props to buddies and colleagues that are always looking out: CORY, JOSH, and MICHELLE! thank you comrades! =D
***
i’ve been working on music much lately. i haven’t forgotten about my film at all. in fact, i’m in the middle of writing the score for it. thanks to NIKKI and CURTIS for egging me on! i’ve been picking up the guitar and fiddling with the keys in between paid projects and my deeper senses have been smiling back at me lately. my son’s been inspired to play piano too, seeing me always play music. he’s even signed up for the school’s talent show and have been practicing his song with a drum machine even!!! =D go KU!!!
i know that if we all keep positive that things eventually turn out good. even though the rest of the world seem to be topsy turvy, i’ve been able to keep my ground. i don’t have to pretend to be happy…cuz i really am. friends, let’s keep our creativity flowing, hook each other up, and look out for each other. i swear we can change the world one person at a time!
***
speaking of the movie, music, money, and pretention, i’m currently working on releasing the film score and need “models” to pretend as band members for the upcoming shoot. i’m looking for glam rockers, sideways haircuts, and boobs. if you’re interested, send me a msg! =D
