I'm starting up a new performance series!

...I know what you're thinking: this is the worst possible time to start a new art series thing, in the middle of a Recession, a war, and a Burning Man



And you may be right. But as usual, I aspire to swim against the tide, not go with the current. So everyone, please meet and welcom

mikl-em's First Frickin' Fridays

coming to an East Bay Venue near you on Friday September 6th.

[continuing...] a scary thought about the current administration

what if this is the new formula? President Lightning Rod who smiles
and talks stoopid and charming and seemingly... well it's pretty tough to
say "benign" in regards to Dubyuhck. While in the background, behind
the screen a Grand Wizard of greed (like DICK) pulls the real strings, not of
the President puppet, that's just spectacle it means nothing, it's a DIVERSION.
The closed door meetings, and things not uttered from the White House press-conf.
pulpit. Dick Cheney's undisclosed location is where our government is being
run from. Our government is undisclosed.

So Republicans were thrilled to hear the vice president tell a worshipful crowd of white, wealthy people at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco last week that he would be willing to run with the president in 2004.

[....]

Like a buoyant Dr. Evil holding a napping Bush Mini-Me in a Snugli, Mr. Cheney seems to relish running the world alone. Consider how primary the secondary man is.

From the New York Times Op-Ed page. I have more to say on this, but not the time to right now. more later.

Why is my MP3-sense tingling?

oh OF COURSE Winamp3 has been released!

I got up early this morning to greet Dick Cheney at the Farimont Hotel. He was there doing a song n' dance for about $30-100 members-only Commonwealth Club address. I never saw the real thing, but this fake dick looked familiar.
Oh yeah, he's Ed Holmes, that guy from the San Francisco Mime Troupe, who has played Dick Cheney in the last two SFMT productions and moonlights as Bishop Joey of TFCOTLL. Five people got arrested for interrupting the actual speech. Those of us outside just got herded around a bit by the SFPD and their constantly-pooping equine transport. There's sfgate coverage of the speech and the picture on their website's front page right now.

It was fun and funny. But I have to also say that I'm in for the theater and the loud garbled statement. I don't think anyone has ever said anything articulately or effectively via a chant. It lets them know you are there, and allows you to give a broad yay or nay vote. But I don't think it is possible to communicate complicated ideas, nor certainly solutions in that form. Though I also think it's valid as an outlet for people's anger (there were a lot of people there with anger). I think it's important to have fun, maybe meet some kindred spirits, and to have a presence there to tell clearly that not everyone in San Francisco will stand for the Bush admin's brand of executive control democracy. Especially an executive who himself is controlled.