excuse me for not being as prolific in writing on this half of my existence. as i'm a few months away from leaving NYC, i'm spending more time on the luck of seven.

as my world turns one more rotation, i've been contemplating the world though the basic lens of cause and effect.

the past few months have seen unprecedented announcements promoting corporate environmentalism or the popularization of environmentalism capitalism. sadly, these all come with a cost. just like the (red) campaign seem to bring AIDS activism into the act of consumerism. on earth day, PC World featured another disturbing statement of reality.

"Most large enterprise companies have strict rules for IT procurement and deployment, but only vague guidelines for hardware retirement and disposal, [Bob Houghton] said. Many of those companies are glad to make grand statements about upholding their environmental responsibility.... Generating revenue from the process can change the whole equation."

WELL thank goodness things are profitable for hardware recyclers. my good friends at greenpeace have been articulating a similar statement within their ToxicTech campaign.

extrapolating this argument a few steps out... what would happen to profitability when governments forced recycling? would the recyclers become the new barons of the world or worse? would we this be part of a more regimented, regulated society?

tomorrow, my good friends at the change you want to see will host author / filmmaker Heather Rogers and Freegan activist Adam Weissman for a feast of a conversation. we will masticate on the the history and politics of household garbage, and yes, it will be a catered event!

Wednesday, April 25, 7:30pm
84 Havemeyer Street, store front
at Metropolitan Avenue
Williamsburg, Brooklyn 11211
917-202-5479 or 646-221-7845
http://www.thechangeyouwanttosee.org

Technorati Tags: (red) campaign, freegan, greenpeace, heather rogers, not an alternative

last week, i had the opportunity to catch one of cinemas' greatest films ever - two or three things i know about her. with our society revisiting our consumerist tendencies, this 40 year old film reminds us that the problems we face are not new, but as old as our desire for modernity. hopefully this beautifully restored 35 mm print will soon be released on dvd. until then and only for the next two weeks, you can catch it at the film forum - btw, i'll be seeing it again this thursday!!!

also on thursday, you can check out a trailer premiere and benefit party for mehret - a documentary film about a young harvard educated doctor and her fight against HIV. if i didn't have plans, i'd definitely hit up this open-bar and ethiopian cuisine by queen of sheba! on a side note, it's sad to see that the event is sponsored by brooklyn brewery, a sponsor of the atlantic yards project - for more information check out develop don't destroy brooklyn, nolandgrab.org and the atlantic yards report.

unlike robert reich who says "don’t pay good money to see this movie" and sen. hillary clinton who called it "disgusting" i had the fortunate opportunity to see the new film death of a president and have a Q&A session with the Director Gabriel Range, a former Greenpoint resident. don't misunderstand me, i do not support the killing of our president, no matter how wrong he might be and no matter how wrong our current leadership (left and right) might be, they are people who can be impeached, voted out of office or convicted of criminal acts, but they shouldn't be assassinated... thank god nor does the director, Gabriel Range.

if you're a film buff, take note that the film took less than 18 months from conception to be shown at it's first festival. most of the script was dictated by archive footage. Mr. Range's best piece of advice for making a controversial movie, never call the film by it's real title.

if you're one of those people who's intrigued by our ever increasing loss of civil liberties, this movie is a must see... mr Range takes the lovely format of the History Channel or Discovery Channel... removes the narrator and through the eyes of bush's speech writer, secret service agent in charge of detail, protesters, innocent bystanders... we are told the the fateful day of 19 October 2007. was it the anti-war protester, was it the muslum, was it the former iraq war vet??? while, we flip between each story and proceeding trial, we quickly see how our government erodes into supporting another patriot act. in this movie there are no heroes, we are all losers.

so Robert Reich is saying "don't pay good money to see this film," i can't help but to think of all the christians who protest the last temptation of christ. mr Reich states, "Yet we're a democracy, and I don’t like the idea of banning any form of speech, no matter how sick and warped it may be. This film doesn’t try to make a political point, but suppose it did? Suppose a film portrayed scenes of political violence as a means of conveying a political message? Once we start banning this kind of thing we’re on a slippery slope to Big Brother."

this film poses the same question, but not just "speech." the movie clearly depicts an angry bunch of protesters frothing at the mouth for President Bush's removal. what if in the future, it becomes illegal to assemble? in new york city, we are fighting a lengthily battle in an attempt to protect our ability to freely assemble under any political reason.

what if i told you on 17 October 2006, we already lost that battle? Public Law 109-364, or the "John Warner Defense Authorization Act of 2007", signed by the commander in chief on October 17th, 2006, allows the President to declare a "public emergency" and station troops anywhere in America and take control of state-based National Guard units without the consent of the governor or local authorities, in order to "suppress public disorder." (toward freedom source) what if i told you this law also came with a $70 billion provision for the construction of containment facilities to be created on our own soil?

what if i told you death of a president confronts this issue head on through in hard hitting faux-documentary? Sen. Clinton or Mr. Reich, will you now see this film before pre-judging it?

This is a copy of my posting for OnNYTurf.com

If you thought Clear Channel/Live Nation has taken complete control over McCarren Pool - think again! The pool's future is still open for discussion. This Friday the pool will host the rescheduled Billyburg Short Film Festival (BSFF).

The 3rd Annual BSFF promises a rockin evening with comedian/filmmaker Mike Showalter, japanther and 6 shorts that will stimulate your retinas. This year's best in show - Baby Eat Baby promises a 10 min journey into a surreal world about war and truth, and Fiim Threat.com says "represents dangerous filmmaking at its very, very best."

Event Details on Upcoming.org or Official BSFF Site

Let's also not forget the unique opportunity to explore one of New York's last remaining New Deal Public Park structures. As I said, the fight for using McCarren pool for community events is not over. While Clear Channel/Live Nation have deposited their equipment and stage in the pool, community organizations like Jelly NYC and Pool Aid are still fighting.

On July 10 at Union Pool, Pool Aid will host an organizing party for their summer long events. For more information email beka at beka(at)notanalternative(dot)net.

Don't forget to check out JellyNYC's summer POoL PARTIES

MONDAY MAY 15th. Doors open at 7:15, movie starts at 7:45, $5 at the door.
Location:
Collective: Unconscious
279 Church Street, New York, NY 10013 - across from the Tribeca Grand

On May 15th, Speakeasy Cinema will have two guests, director-producer-actors Susan Buice and Arin Crumley, to present a secret film of their choosing followed by a discussion of the film that will bring about a greater appreciation of cinema and break the fourth wall. As always, you will have to be there to find out what the surprise film is....

ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Susan Buice and Arin Crumley independently produced FOUR EYED MONSTERS - a film which chronicles the transformation of their own online romance into a real one. When they began their relationship, they swore to only communicate through artistic mediums in a hope to have a more hightened sense of communication. They wrote notes, drew pictures and created videos for each other, but never actually spoke in person for 4 months. FOUR EYED MONSTERS presents a very personal and an internal perspective of real life merged with fiction. Since it's debut at Slamdance 2005, F.E.M. has garnered praise from every corner of the film industry and festival circuit. It is set for release this summer and to find out more, check out Susan and Arin's very cool website http://www.foureyedmonsters.com

...more info after jump