Living the Liminal

Sitting in Dave’s Coffee in Charlestown RI, right off route 1. Some light jazz playing in a funky and laid back atmosphere, and I’m finishing a “monster muffin” - which is damn big and was still warm and the raspberry is all gooey and red and sticky and the iced coffee is good, approaching very good. Except to buy a duffel bag for the trip, it’s the first I’ve left my parent’s house since we unpacked the minivan with all my crap (well, all my crap minus a bunch I ended up giving away or leaving in the Brooklyn apt). The last few days have been difficult and I’ve been in a bit of a funk and spending my time mostly reading or playing around on my new iPhone. Thursday evening I introduced my folks to the new Battlestar Galactica and we watched the mini-series - we will probably watch a couple episodes of the new series Sunday and I’m hoping to get them hooked enough to watch the rest of the series without me.

I did, however, manage to ride my dad’s stationary bike for about 30 minutes yesterday morning and am trying to get back into the habit of morning crunches & push-ups. I drew up a list of things to do today, which include getting halfway through rewrites for my horror story “Subway Voices” and writing a script for a new episode of Letters to Lost Friends which I’ll record tonight. I’m hoping that I’ll feel better after having done some work.

The next few weeks are going to be challenging, especially when it comes to getting some writing done. I generally don’t do all that well with living in a physically liminal space and like to have a space that I can call my own, that I can form to my own fit. But the next several weeks I’ll be sleeping in others homes or on the road and have no place to call my own. Not having a home, my own home, scares me - almost as much as the dawning realization of the magnitude of what I have chosen to do by going to a place I’ve never really been before, with no support system but my own skills and talents and brains and (hopefully) courage. I hope that I will use the next couple of weeks to learn how to carve out the necessities of my own space, even when staying with friends or family.

Oh, and by the way, once more with feeling: go watch Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog!

Next Entry - “The hammer is my penis:” Joss Whedon’s particular musical genius”

Moving, regardless of the opportunities it will bring . . . sucks.

Moving apart after being together for 4 years, regardless of the rightness of the decision . . .

Yeah, that sucks too.

A lot.

Happy Birthday Toni Arruda.

Wherever you are.

I just found this great media website, Fora.tv, and am currently watching a talk given by George Lakoff, after watching a speech by Neal Stephenson and one by Malcolm Gladwell. If you are interested in watching smart people talk about fascinating subjects, check it out.

Bill of Rights

The conventions of a number of the States having at the time of their adopting the Constitution, expressed a desire, in order to prevent misconstruction or abuse of its powers, that further declaratory and restrictive clauses should be added.

After the first enumeration required by the first article of the Constitution, there shall be one Representative for every thirty thousand, until the number shall amount to one hundred, after which the proportion shall be so regulated by Congress, that there shall be not less than one hundred Representatives, nor less than one Representative for every forty thousand persons, until the number of Representatives shall amount to two hundred; after which the proportion shall be so regulated by Congress, that there shall not be less than two hundred Representatives, nor more than one Representative for every fifty thousand persons.

No law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect, until an election of Representatives shall have intervened.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Article the fourth [Amendment II]

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

Article the fifth [Amendment III]

No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

Article the sixth [Amendment IV]

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Article the seventh [Amendment V]

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

Article the eighth [Amendment VI]

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.

Article the ninth [Amendment VII]

In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.

Article the tenth [Amendment VIII]

Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

Article the eleventh [Amendment IX]

The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

Article the twelfth [Amendment X]

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

(link: www.constitution.org)

Yippee!

Teaser from Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog on Vimeo.

It will be playing, for free, online between July 15 - July 20, with other distribution models to follow.

“For every day . . . there is a night.”

Ok, so maybe Academia isn’t quite like La Cosa Nostra, and maybe I’m not quite like Al Pacino as he exclaims “Every time I try to get out, they keep pulling me back in”—in large part because I kinda volunteered for this—but despite the whole leaving academia behind trip that I’m on, I just received confirmation that I am returning to NYC in early November to present a paper at the American Theatre Conference at St. Francis College.

The paper is on the Living Theatre and the narrative that has been created about the IRS seizure of their theatre, the subsequent closing of The Brig and how the Living Theatre was able to use those events—or at least the stories about those events—as a kind of symbolic capital that helped sustain the organization throughout the years. Based on archival research, this is a paper that actually uncovers evidence and facts that have fallen out of the “official” biography of the Living Theatre and constitutes my most original and important work as a researcher and academic. I’m hoping to use the conference as a way to help me refine my ideas and to develop a longer paper for publication.

In fact, a larger number of the books that I’m bringing with me to New Mexico are books that I cite in this paper and that I will be using for the expansion. I’m really proud of the work I’ve done on this and am glad I get to share it with others at the conference and hopefully will get it published next year.

Unfortunately, I mis-remembered the dates of the conference and my beautiful plan of coming back to the East Coast for the conference and having that merge into Thanksgiving weekend up in Maine with my Grandparents and that weekend culminating with my 20 year high school reunion. I so did not just type “20 year high school reunion” did I? I did. Frak me!

Point being, the conference is November 7 - 9 and Thanksgiving/Reunion is November 27 - 29. Now, maybe, just maybe I’ll have banked enough money by then to just take nearly a month and hang out on the East Coast writing and visiting friends and family . . . but somehow I kinda doubt it. So that means flying out twice in a space of twenty days. Missing either event is not an option. Hopefully gas prices will have come down a bit by then and flying will be cheaper, but LtL would certainly not refuse an offer of airline points to help offset the airline costs, as it will be used in the spirit of disseminating knowledge (the conference) or . . . or . . . heck, I have no idea what the reunion will offer. I guess the chance to reconnect with old friends. Unfortunately, the term “old” will be more literal than I might like.

(Flying the true colors of his flag: partisanship and lies)

Important information the next time someone tries to argue against Habeas Corpus and actual Justice in relation to Guantanamo Bay:

A new report from the Seton Hall University School of Law explodes the myth that some 30 detainees released from Guantanamo Bay prison have “returned to the battlefield” against American forces.

[From Think Progress » Report: Scalia’s Claim That Released Gitmo Prisoners Have Killed Americans Is An ‘Urban Legend’ ]

In fact, despite the fact that this myth is being repeated over and over again (because that’s how the truth gets made, don’t ya know: when 2 lies love each other very much, they . . .):

According to the Department of Defense’s published and unpublished data and reports, not a single released Guantánamo detainee has ever attacked any Americans.

So Justice Scalia may want to think about presenting the facts in his next opinion instead of parroting some unsubstantiated urban legend lie that he was fed by GOP Senators in their continued (and largely unchecked) pursuit of fascist power.

(via Pandagon)

I can’t really write about the FISA events of the day without getting in a rage, but if you don’t know what happened today, if you don’t know that the 4th Amendment has been gutted and that the Congress has just sent a message to the Executive branch that operating above the law is just peachy-keen with them, then you need to read Glenn Greenwald’s coverage:

UPDATE III: This article from Dow Jones, celebrating that the telecom industry is completely off the hook as a result of this bill, has the full quote from Sen. Bond, which is even better (h/t C_O):
“I’m not here to say that the government is always right, but when the government tells you to do something, I’m sure you would all agree that I think you all recognize that is something you need to do,” Bond said.

Even when the Government is wrong, even when it orders you to do something illegal, your role is not to question but to obey. That’s what he is saying explicitly.
When Democrats took over the Congress, they issued a document vowing to “end the ‘dead of night’ special interest provisions that turn bills into special-interest giveaways” and proclaimed: “Lawmakers must have the opportunity to read every bill before they vote on it. It’s common sense.”

Today, the House leadership has set aside a grand total of one hour to debate the FISA/amnesty bill, and gave its members less than 24 hours from the time it was released yesterday until they have to vote on it today. That’s the same bill which the NYT this morning calls “the most significant revision of surveillance law in 30 years.” They’re going to enact massive changes to our spying laws without having the slightest idea what they’re voting on. All they know is that the President demanded this, and that’s enough, because — as Kit Bond says — “when the government tells you to do something, I’m sure you would all agree that I think you all recognize that is something you need to do.” In this formulation, “the government” means “The President.”

[From Glenn Greenwald - Salon.com]

I know I shouldn’t be nearly as stunned as I am, that the Democrats are spineless saps that talk a good game and never seem to live up to their own rhetoric and ideals, or that those in power are inherently interested in covering their own asses and accumulating more and more power . . .

But I am. Stunned, angry, sad, and disgusted.

The other day I read a piece by Laura Flanders in which she wondered, in the wake of Tim Russert’s death, what would happen if journalists demonstrated the same level of emotions and pain toward other deaths, asking:

I know it’s possibly a subversive thought for all those deluded believers of objectivity in journalism — and heaven forbid we challenge convention — but what if — what if — in journalism, mourning, not to mention expressing feelings, wasn’t saved up just for journalists? What then, do you think? (Link)

However, there is a deeper problem than journalistic displays of emotion and mourning relegated to the loss of journalists when it comes to questioning how the American people deal with the repercussions of war.

The deeper problem is that we, as a culture and as a nation simply don’t deal with the repercussions of this war in any real way.

Take a look at what CBS New Chief Foreign Correspondent Lara Logan has to say:

Tonight, I watched the News Hour on PBS and at saw the faces of 16 young American men who have recently died in Iraq and wondered about the fact that this “liberal” (which of course means “un-patriotic” to loud-mouthed Faux News and far Right talk radio hosts) institution, the Public Broadcasting Service, is one of the only mainstream news and media outlets bothering to honor the American men and women dying in this war.

I want to be clear, I believe that everyone killed and wounded in this war ought to be recognized and honored, not only the American soldiers but the Iraqi soldiers and civilians as well. However, it is particularly hypocritical of those wrap themselves in the flag and who have championed this war to turn a blind eye to the one cost of this war that you would expect a patriot to exam: those men and women who have died in service to their country.

If you go to the Faux News site, and search either “iraq casualty list” or “operation iraqi freedom,” you will find a list of the “Fallen Heroes of Operation Iraqi Freedom” . . . that has not been updated since September 3, 2007.
If you go to the Department of Defense site, and search “iraq casualty list” you will find this pdf:

And yes, you will find the various press releases that identifies US military casualties as they are confirmed, but there doesn’t seem to be a comprehensive list or page that honors the men and women who have laid down their lives in this conflict. To find a list of those names, or to put faces to those names, you have to go to sites like Zeitlangers, Iraq War Heroes, the San Francisco Chronicle, or the Washington Post. The Washington Post site is particularly powerful because it has the pictures of the 4100+ soldiers who have been killed.

I am not a very pro-military type of person and I’ll be honest, I don’t know very many people who have served. I disagree with the policies that led up to the war in Iraq and am absolutely disgusted by an administration that seems to have no real plan for peace and who has used 9/11 as an excuse to destroy a great many honorable aspects of this country. That said, attention must be paid.

Attention must be paid.

In a mediascape agog with news about the iPhone 3G, titillated by Ashlee Simpson’s Jaime Lynn Spears pregnancy, rabid for manufactured “news” that is little more than rumor, gossip and innuendo; in a culture that plays at patriotism through fancy tv graphics and flag pins, all the while busily burying its head in partisanship and sniping and name-calling, it is even more important that we find ways to pay attention to the real news, the real sacrifices, the real costs of war.

So I have decided to read aloud and record all of the names of those who have died in Operation Iraqi Freedom as well as in Operation Enduring Freedom. A rough estimate puts the time it would take to read all the names at six hours. I’m not 100% positive of how that reading and recording will occur, but I’m leaning toward trying to find a theatre space and inviting a number of people to help read the list with me. If you have other ideas or suggestions or would like to be involved, or have an “in” with a theatre space in the NYC area, please get in touch with me. I am thinking about performing the reading on July 4th or July 8th. As this project develops, I will post here with further details.

[Update: It looks like July 5th may be a better date.]