Blog is moving to veganarchist.com!

Dear Readers,

I am moving my blog to http://www.veganarchist.com/. Please update your link! Thanks for reading!

Best,

Jess

How to Build Community.

Currently, I am living in the middle of the bible belt in Southern California. There isn’t really any place to go to meet people – as alternative/counterculture doesn’t really exist out here. I’ve been trying to change that. I’ve been working on organizing a handful of groups to find like-minded people. I started a veggie group, a queer group, and am also working on trying to form a chapter of Amnesty International.

How do you organize without having a central place to organize? The answer is the internet. The internet is a great tool for connecting with people. One of my favorite websites to network is meetup.com. I’ve had mix results with meetup.com – I’ve had some groups that no one showed up and had other groups that people did. I think my biggest problem was trying to organize in New York City. There is so much going on there, that it’s hard to connect. I’ve had more success out here just because there isn’t anything else around.

Another way to connect with people on the internet is forums. Forums are a great way to find people who share a common interest with you. I go to a couple of forums and have made some great internet pals. Some I am hoping to meet in person eventually.

I had a meetup on Saturday for the LGBT group and about five people came. It was a good first meeting. Everyone was a little nervous. Or at least I was, I was shaking a little bit. I am hoping the people will come to another meeting so we can get a core group going. It was nice to meet some other queers!

I am trying to get active again after a few months of inactivity. I still have no idea where to move to that would be a place I’d like. So, for now, I’ll try to make the best out of what I go. We’ll see what happens.

Disclosure of Information + 3d Printing: A New Age of Production To Come?

Sometimes saying less is more. Sometimes people need to learn to keep their mouths shut. We’ve all had traumatic experiences but there’s no need to blurt it out to every stranger you meet. It’s like a mental assault on someone – weighing them down with what they really don’t need to hear.

I’ve had people who I talk to for the first time disclose everything. It’s like being assaulted with all this emotional baggage. Like do I really need to hear about your your past drug addiction, your crappy job, or your abusive partner that you love so you won’t leave. It’s inconsiderate to the other person who probably has their own things they are going through but aren’t blabbing to the world.

Most of the time, the things a person goes through is because of poor choices they made in the past. Sometimes, there’s things beyond your control, but most of the time it’s people doing it to themselves. Plus, the past is an illusion that only exists in your mind. It means nothing in this moment unless you give it meaning and control over you.

I am a sweet, caring person but there is only so much my poor heart can take. Plus, if the problems that you have are the problems that you make – I am not going to feel sorry for you. You are doing it to yourself. If you don’t like your job, quit it. If you have past histories of drug abuse, go to therapy or a support group to talk about it. If you have an abusive partner, leave them. It’s not that hard.

The worse, is when someone asks my advice and they don’t like the response they get. Please don’t ask me just what I think because you don’t want to know. They want a sugar-coat fairy tales non-real outlook on things or pity or condolences. They don’t want reality to smack them in the face.

Apart from not wanting to hear your life story right away, please don’t ask me for things if we just met. It makes me think you’re a user who’s going try to suck me dry. If I offer, that’s one thing, but I owe you nothing. I’ll treat you with respect and kindness – just how I would like to be treated, but it doesn’t mean I am going to give you things. It also doesn’t mean I want to sleep with you if I am nice. I have this problem all the time, just because I am very friendly, people assume friendliness means I want to bed them. It is not the case. I am also not flirting when I am being nice, it’s just me being me. Also, don’t always assume everything is about you. That’s being really vain. If I had something to tell you, I would tell you, not send cryptic messages by blogging to the world. No one is psychic.

All I ask is for you to be considerate of my feelings and treat me like a human – not objectifying me as an object. I am not a prize to be won or a trophy to be displayed. I am really sensitive and have no desire to be mentally assaulted by your negative energy. Think before you speak. You never know how what you say and do affects another person.

With that being said, I was browsing a veggie forum, and found an awesome link about 3d printing. Will 3d printing make our production system obsolete? Watch the video here, it’s pretty awesome.

Designs and Punk Gear on Etsy

So, I thought I finished my jewelry designs. I have four done so far. But inspiration struck and I am trying to figure out this design. It’s going to be something great and iconic. It’s a logo for something that has yet to be define and needs definition to represent itself to the world at large. I can do this. So, my brain is currently in logo land.

I’ll share my work once they are made/copyrighted and all that fun stuff. The pieces have anarchist/feminist/queer/vegan themes to them. The idea of the project is to donate some of the profits to charities to support the different causes. So, you get a cool piece of jewelry plus help fight the good fight.

So, I’m an artist or I pretend to be. I am still working on some awesome paintings that I’ll post pictures of them when they are done. I have very little of my current work online but you can see it on my etsy if you want.

I have a patch I made and a few vests I worked on for sell online. For stuff, here at etsy.com. The Riot Grrrl vest has about 2,000+ studs on it. They aren’t the cheap studs either, they are steel with bronze. Which means if you are daring like I was, you can wash it without it getting rusty. I hang dried it. It’s really clean though so I don’t think it needs to be washed again. It’s really awesome but it’s like 8 pounds of studding. The other vest is really cool and a lot lighter. It’s a classic punk vest. It’s a little ironic with the band Conflict being painted on leather. It has about 1,000 studs on it. It’s pretty easy to repaint over the bands if you don’t want those/want different ones. I used Tester Acrylic Paint Markers.

Queer Zine – Call for Submissions

I went looking for the underground – the place were queer punks, anarchists, and free thinkers hide. A place free from hierarchies and oppression. A place where people could be themselves and be accepted. I found the underground but I didn’t find what I was looking for. But, somehow along the way, I became what I was seeking. I am the revolution. I can’t be the only one. I want to find the others.

*****

In a world treated like a machine; where everything is a commodity to be bought and sold, there lives a human who dreams of something more: community, solidarity, and connection. Can what they seek be found in such a world?

*****

Basically, my idea for the zine is two-folds: writing of an ideal underground that doesn’t exist quite yet almost like the groundwork for such a place; a manifesto of sorts, and the journey of a person to find if such a place exists. Part fact, part fiction, and queer as queer can be.

*****

So, what do I want from you? Poems, vegan recipes, drawings, gay shame theme material. Not looking to have it be anything beyond PG-13. I haven’t set the idea in stone yet – so it’s all just brewing. I have some jewelry designs I need to finish up this week before I start working on the zine. I haven’t decided how I am going to publish it yet – I might even make it a small book/pamphlet – maybe color if you have color works. We’ll see what comes of it.

I just read two issues of J.D’s last night from QZAP and I am fairly confident I can do an awesome job of putting together something that’s radical, queer, punk, and interesting.

Contact me for more details. You can leave a comment here or email me – kale.and.glitter (at) gmail (dot) com.

Thanks! Hope to hear from someone. Don’t be shy. This could be an awesome project. 🙂

Victim or Culprit? Life in the Matrix.

I found an old vest I covered in patches and painted on the back, “Victim or Culprit?” It’s something I think about sometimes, “Are we a victim of society or a culprit for perpetuating the system?”

When I lived in New York City, the closest grocery store to my apartment was Whole Foods. Whole Foods is corporation that’s not very sustainable. To the consumer, it’s pretty awesome that they have fruits and vegetables from all over the world so nothing is ever out of season. However, it’s not so cool all the energy used to transport the goods. Was I a mere victim of the corporation for having to buy my food there or was I a culprit that was continuing the system?

I try not to support sweatshops and slave labor but sometimes it’s unavoidable in this Matrix. I’d say about 75% of my clothing is from the United States and European Countries. The remaining 25% is from questionable origins. I try really hard to be ethical with everything I consume but sometimes things slip through the cracks. Am I a victim or a culprit?

Choice is a very limited commodity. Sometimes the choice is left up to the lesser of two evils. For example, I am an anarchist but I helped the Obama campaign because I didn’t want McCain to win. I don’t believe in the corrupt political system we have, however, just because I don’t believe in it isn’t going to make it go away or stop affecting my life. If things are going to change, it is going to because people work for it. Apathy is never the solution. But, it’s really hard when given two choices with almost the same agenda.

I usually go for independent and handmade over mass produced and corporate. People who are living on very tight budgets don’t really have the luxury of making that choice. They need to go with what’s available. I watched the movie Food, Inc. and the movie followed a family on a tight budget. When only having a dollar to spend to feed their hungry kid, it’s easiest to go to a fast food chain and get the dollar menu items to satisfy their hunger. Fruits and vegetables are more expensive than meat because of how the government subsidizes the food supply. The family out of need would go with the unhealthier options because it’s cheaper because money is the deciding factor. Are they a victim because of financial restrictions? Or are they the culprit for supporting the system?

Nothing is really black and white. There is a system of control that built up making the world how it is now. There’s so many systems within systems within systems that it’s mind boggling. With the structure of society that we have, living a hunting and gathering lifestyle just isn’t an option in the modern American city as even the trees aren’t from the city. They are planned and developed. With the absence of nature and being born into this system to begin with, from birth to death we aren’t given a choice as to the way we should live. Are we victims in the Matrix or the culprit who makes it?

What do you think about the Uganda Anti-Homosexuality Bill?

The Uganda Anti-Homosexuality Bill would be a violation of humans rights. The spirit of the bill is undemocratic and would be a blow to the progress of democracy in Uganda. It also isn’t a bill just against homosexuals – it’s a bill against everyone. A new draft bill includes a provision that could lead to the imprisonment for up to three years of anyone, including heterosexual people, who fails to report within 24 hours the identities of everyone they know who is lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender, or who supports human rights for people who are.

The existing law, Section 140 of the Ugandan penal code, penalizes “carnal knowledge of any person against the order of nature” with imprisonment of up to 14 years. This legacy of British colonialism was introduced to punish local practices of what the colonial powers deemed to be “unnatural sex.” The laws stand as proof that same-sex sexual practices and gender diversity are, and always have been, part of Ugandan culture. The draft bill tabled today seeks to imprison anyone convicted of “the offense of homosexuality” for life.

Paragraph 3 of the draft bill sets out provisions on what it names as “aggravated homosexuality,” which will incur the death penalty, contradicting the global trend toward a moratorium on the use of the death penalty.

The final section of the bill provides for Uganda to nullify any of its international or regional commitments that it deems “contradictory to the spirit and provisions enshrined in this Act.” As both the African Commission and the UN Human Rights Committee have held, a state cannot, through its domestic law, negate its international human rights obligations.

Over recent months, there has been increased campaigning against homosexuality in Uganda, led by churches and anti-gay groups. The media have joined this campaign, and have publicly pointed to individuals they accuse of being gay or lesbian.

People suspected of being gay have faced death threats and been physically assaulted. Many have been ostracized by their families or faced discrimination, including dismissal from their place of employment.

“This inflammatory bill will be taken as further confirmation that it is OK to attack or even kill people perceived to be lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender,” said Victor Mukasa, of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission. “It is the government’s responsibility to immediately withdraw this dangerous proposal.”

It is a dangerous proposal for everyone. It will affect the lives of everyone of every sexuality because anyone can be accused. It’s like a war on human nature – it’s perfectly natural to be homosexual. They might as well outlaw breathing. I am appalled that in 2010 – this is even an issue.

What can you do to help? You can take action by going to the Amnesty International web page and send a email to your representatives to stop this violation of human rights.

The Birds are Up to No Good.

That isn’t a euphemism for anything – my three cockatiels are plotting something. I don’t know what it is but they are hard at work on whatever -it- is. This has been on my mind for the past few days. I don’t have any idea what they are up to but I know they are all up to something! They get this guilty look on their face when I look up from the computer to them and quickly scurry away. Their mohawks go up and they get this big grin on their face. I go over and inspect their cages and I don’t see anything amiss. I get confused. I sit back down. Once they think the coast is clear, they are back to work.

I don’t think they are plotting escape – as they chirp innocently back and forth to each other. They don’t like leaving their cages. When I open the doors for them to come out, they just sit inside. They are very happy to be just where they are. The birds sing all the time.

My dad called and I mentioned that the birds were plotting something to him. He didn’t seem concerned. He said they do the same thing with him too. I told him they must be plotting something. World Domination, maybe? I wouldn’t put it past our three cockatiels.

Genderfork + Free Music: Ryan Harvey

My fifteen minutes of fame has come – my profile was posted on genderfork. Check it out here.

In other news, I’ve been listening to some riot folk. I really like the album The New Enclosures by Ryan Harvey. It’s political and sounds good. You can download the album for free at http://www.riotfolk.org/?m=ryanharvey&p=music. Enjoy!

Pills: Is America Over Medicated?

Today I kept getting confronted by pills.  My friend is sick and needed anti-biotics.  Her insurance decided to disappear and there went $50.  I went downstairs to eat lunch and I was confronted by my dad’s wife sorting pills for the upcoming days of the week.  Lots of pills.  All rainbow of colors.  She made a comment, about something she thought was funny that her brother said, “Gee… you need to retire by the time you’re 65 because you need to go to the doctor, the dentist… pick up the medication, and sort it.  No wonder why you don’t have time to work when you are old being so busy taking care of yourself!”  I just stared at her blankly and she shrugged it off, “Maybe you had to be there for it to be funny.”  I didn’t know how to begin to explain what the hamster wheel in my head was formulating.  Are you saying you are so sick and broken with old age that you can’t function like a normal human being by the age of 65?  That you need these many pills to function properly?  I don’t want that to be my life.  I glance at all the pills and she comments, “I don’t know what I would do without my doctor and herbalist.”  I thought, didn’t say, “Maybe take less pills?”

I did some research and found that almost half of America takes at least one prescription drug with one in six taking three or more. About 130-million Americans take medication every month, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows. People in the United States buy much more medicine per person than any other country. According to an article written in 2005 by World and Nation, sales of prescription drugs were up two-thirds from the last decade to 3.5 billion yearly. Shockingly, more than 125,000 Americans are killed by drug reactions and mistakes which makes drug reaction the fourth highest killer in the United States. Most people are grateful to have a pill to take but is it really necessary?

For some people, pills are necessary for their condition but for others, it’s just abuse. Exercise and diet can fight diabetes and heart disease just as well as drugs – but popping the pill is easier than changing yourself. Maybe if people ate less meat filled with hormones and vegetables full of pesticides, we wouldn’t need as many drugs. Maybe if we lived in a world that didn’t confine you to a cubicle and force you in front of a screen for 8 hours a day, we’d have more freedom. Pre-historic man used to spend about four hours a day gathering food and the rest of the time playing. Modern man spends so much time at work and is so exhausted from his day, that the last thing a person wants to do is exercise. Modern man usually just plops down in front of the television to relax and go to bed without doing much movement. Maybe if we incorporated an hour or two of exercise into the day – people would be healthier. For now, drug companies are making billions off people’s misery and pain.