That's What She Said

Sorry, it's been awhile... I've been formulating my thoughts on a few amazing events.

Enjoy this celebration of Michael's favorite phrase.

Power Shift: in hindsight

This was one of the most fantastic weekends of my life. 10,000 people congregated in the hub of our nation's capitol to shift the power running the world. Through key-note speeches, workshops, music, and information sessions we learned how we can make a difference in making the communities safer and more sustainable.

It was such an empowering experience. I have never before experienced such a large demonstration of solidarity for one cause. (Well, excluding the Radiohead concert I went to in Montreal a few years ago.)

Though the main concern brought up in Powershift was obviously changing what resources are used, eliminating the use of "clean" coal and fossil fuels to wind or solar energy, but there was also an undercurrent to the message. Many of the presenters demonstrated a strong interest in getting people of color more involve in the environmental movement. They shed light on the severity of the situation. Our nation specifically targets areas of low income and communities of color to dump toxic wastes and largely ignore people's lives. The speakers addressed this issue, and it seemed like they were seeking to get more people of color involved.

Although I completely agree that they should also join the fight for their health and the ecosystems where they reside, to use the voices they have. However, I am somewhat unsure about how it would happen. The areas that are most polluted are also the areas with more poverty, so those are the people who cannot risk their jobs or get a few days off to go to Powershift for 4 days for example. How can they give up the time?

If the environmental movement is serious about getting more people of color involved, there should also be a creation of programs to give these people jobs. Anyway, I attended many speeches and took some notes. Here are some ideas from fabulous people whose names I more often than not did not get:

We have distorted the idea of supply and demand. Production should be made for human need rather than profit. Most of the products we create serve no real purpose, like snuggies and silly bands while there are countries still struggling to feed their people. People need medications for example, but cannot afford them and therefore don't buy them, so we do not produce enough to keep our population healthy. Instead we create cheap materials which are consumed at great levels because they are inexpensive.

The use of money in the world is also concerning. It would take 44 billion dollars to end world hunger, while the pentagon receives a 700 billion dollar budget annually. The pentagon also produces more carbon emission than 32 entire countries combined.

The way our capitalist system works is business are made to compete against eachother until someone loses, and has to end it. We should be operating with cooperation not competition.

To prevent further destruction the government should be giving out environmental reparations.

Our nuclear power plants have poor health regulations, and even with the policies in place they are often ignored or overlooked. Day workers are hired in nuclear plants to run in quickly, do a job that machines should be doing, and run out after a very short amount of time to avoid over contamination instead of creating safer methods of running the plants or using wind power. When has a wind-turbine ever gone rogue and killed someone? Nuclear power regularly threatens the health of employees and the surrounding communities.

Al Gore: ...need to decipher notes


Van Jones:...need to decipher notes


Lisa Jackson:
"If their air isn't clear my air isn't clear. If they can't drink their water, I can't drink my water." - referring to the polluted areas in low income regions.

Poison in the ground causes poison in policy.

The protection we need doesn't happen by accident, because we know they are worth fighting for."

Her speech was filled the brim with a lot of statistics, and to be honest her speech was actually a little disappointing.

Bill McKibben:
Referring to DC, "...it looks clean and it looks sparking, No. It's as polluted as Beijing...it's polluted by money."

Political system, we need to build and use a different currency, a currency of bodies, creativity, and spirit.

He spoke a lot about fighting with civil disobedience, and how the younger generation is who needs to start fighting. We have voices and we are strong. We can use art and music to fight. We are all interconnected, though we have been historically divided. There is no division between race, class, gender, socio-economic status, we all need to fight. This is not a one dimensional movement.

There was also a chicana woman who told her story. She was from the barrio of San Antonio, where people would develop liver cancer, asthma, and other health conditions because of pollution. When she was younger she thought that it was part of living in the barrio, but when she moved away she realized that everywhere is polluted. She joined the military to support her family, and she saw the pollution that the military brought. She realized that social justice, workers rights, were part of the struggle for fighting for the community and pollution was a part of it too.

5 years of obsession.

I just can't get enough Sigur Ros. Respect this.

Power Shift 2011

This weekend I'm going to Powershift. I'm a little too excited to post about it, and would rather post about my experience there BUT here's a little tidbit:

Technicalities

Have you ever gotten that comment like "Why do you like Thom Yorke's dancing - clearly he has no idea how to really dance?" or "Have you completely lost your sense of hearing? - Joanna Newsom's voice is so crass it could break windows and make your ears bleed simultaneously!" Well, I get them all the time and after the first dozen or so I realized why they happen. When I look at the creative world, I generally gravitate towards people who completely expose themselves through their craft. There is almost nothing I appreciate more than watching someone who is authentically good at what they do, and see someone transform into a vessel for whatever message they are trying to send is one of the most beautiful things in the world.



When people give me this criticism with my taste they fail to realize the importance of demonstrating real feeling and artistry rather than just strict technical skill. What the hell is the point with being perfect all the damn time, especially when sometimes the most beautiful minds do not fall into the typical convention. The world doesn't need any more Black Swans running around. Poo Poo to all those negative nancies when they criticize people like Tom Waits. If you watch the video posted below, you can tell that he's a complete bad-ass who has a really unique voice.



Without true artists innovation and evolution are impossible. If you look at Cezanne's paintings, he laid the tracks for the transition from the 19th century ideas of art to the new and radically different world in 20th century art. Both Picasso and Matisse claimed that he was "the father of us all," and it was because he chose to not paint in the classical style. He used new techniques to represent the world on canvas causing a shift in painting which essentially began the cubist movement.

I'm not trying to say that people can't have opinions that aren't mine, just questioning why they have them.

Also, check out this article with Joanna Newsom. It's sorta related, but she also discusses how scathing reviews affect her. Just sorta neat to get into the mind of such an intriguing artist. http://www.undertheradarmag.com/interviews/joanna_newsom/

My First 5 K

Oh hey everybody! Just running in my first 5K (3 miles) tomorrow morning! Not sure how accurate my weather widget is, but ... looks like I'm going to be running in a lightening storm?

...I'll let yall know how it goes.

*Update* It was extremely muddy along the trail, and the pizza given out at the finish line was fabulous. During the tougher parts of the race I kept myself by talking to myself. "You can do it, Greta! You're awesome! You have a wonderful life! You have a fabulous boyfriend who is going to be so proud when you get home, and he's going to say, 'You are the best runnist!..." I'm pretty sure the people running near me could hear me say those things and probably thought I was a little crazy, but these things happen! What an incredibly rewarding experience.

Nearly Stream of Consciousness Post About $$$

Over the past few years I have started to notice a trend in my thoughts on capitalism and political power. At first it was surprising for me to think about how capitalism, a financial system, affects individuals and the government. I used to wrongly think about the world as multiple separate divisions, which fill specific niches; government, financial affairs, healthcare, etc... but it's all so closely connected. Money makes the world go 'round, money can buy influence in high places both within the government and outside of the political realm. Even in regions or nations where our policies should have no immediate effect by the Western culture of imperial financialism there are clear capitalist influences. We have infiltrated their way of life, often under the guise of spreading democracy.

Just the other day a thought came across my mind...our current system based on political boundaries could become obsolete. Instead of nation-states ruling over a certain region, creating laws for each region large companies with swollen bank accounts could potentially become more powerful. Politicians are already influenced in lawmaking and law enforcement with money, would it be much more different to have actual companies inducted into the United Nations? It is mind boggling how influential financial status can be.

Money as a whole is just bizarre to me. The idea that something has a value which can be represented by little pieces of paper and metal, regulated by other people to correspond the actual amount of worth each bit counts for. After thinking about it all, bartering just seems like a much more pleasurable experience.

Check out this interesting piece called 'The Invention of Money' from NPR's This American Life.

"Five reporters stumbled on what seems like a basic question: What is money? The unsettling answer they found: Money is fiction."

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/sites/all/play_music/play_full.php?play=423

Great Scenes

The Great Last Monologue of Jack McCoy, Law and Order:


The Final Scene of There Will Be Blood:

A Growing List of Purchases To Make Before I Die:

1. A Rusty-Orange Vespa
2. House in Italy
3. Digital SLR
4. Thom Yorke
5. Tablet (for digital drawings!)
6. Printmaking Studio Space
7. Lake-side property
8. Solar Panels
9. Espresso Machine

... To be continued.

Thanks Pals!

Just wanted to say that I have wonderful, supportive friends. Thanks a lot, all of you! YOU'RE THE BEST.

here's an adorable wrinkly photograph