the Story of Stuff!

Stimulus payments are “in the mail.” The first time I heard the phrase “stimulus package,” I thought it sounded like an email I don’t want to open. When I learned what Bush’s plan to boast the economy actually entailed, I still couldn’t believe what I was reading.

The aim is to boost consumer spending and help mitigate problems caused by the slowing economy.

The program calls for rebates of up to $600 for single filers making less than $75,000. Couples making less than $150,000 would receive rebates of up to $1,200. In addition, parents would receive $300 rebates per child. Filers who do not owe income taxes but have at least $3,000 in income would get a $300 payment.

Let me get this straight. The U.S. is 9 trillion dollars in debt and we’re borrowing another 187 billion (from China of course), which will be portioned out to privileged first world Americans so they can buy buy buy as the only solution to save the economy.

It reminds me of the scene, “Cousins,” from Coffee and Cigarettes. A rich and famous cousin gets a visit from her sassy less-well-off cousin. After catching up over a cup of coffee and a cigarette, the rich and famous cousin gives her sassy less-well-off cousin a present (some makeup I think). After she learns it is “swag” (a British term, I guess, for the free gifts given to rich and famous people for free in the hopes that they will make more money when people see her using it), she says something that is right in line with our stimulus package.

“Its funny, don’t you think, that when you can’t afford something it’s like really expensive. Then when you can afford it, it’s like, free. It’s kinda backwards don’t you think?”

Rich and famous cousin responds: “The world is a bit like that sometimes.”
(view scene below)

Also, now more clearly than ever before, our economic system is truly exposing itself for what it is, a system that requires perpetual growth or it will quickly collapse. Capitalism, as an economic model, requires that we buy and consume—not as a privilege, but as a necessity. I can’t be the only one that has a huge problem with this.

Don’t forget about our local film festival, which starts today! I’m skipping off to NM to see Michael Franti this weekend, but I hope to make it back to see some of the Sunday shows. The film, Drowning River, in particular, has me very interested.

1. Today I woke with the sun. I stumbled into the kitchen, grabbed a glass from the cupboard and, in the dark, mixed up some emergen-C. Upon the first sip, I felt something crawling in my mouth. When I spit it into the sink, low and behold, a wolf spider!

2. Everybody in the United States should watch the film, Trade. Some films are just important.

3. I’ve been listening to the new Japanther album non-stop for a week. There are lots of familiar stuff from other albums and singles, but it’s soooo good.

Event #1

Myra’s Women’s and Gender Studies 191 class is doing a fund raiser, sponsored in part by Northland Family Help Center.

WHAT: Film Screening of- Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats & Rhymes by Byron Hurt

WHEN: Monday, November 19th at 7pm (doors open at 6:30pm)

WHERE: Gardener Auditorium (First floor of the new Business Building on South Campus Room 101)

The first goal if this event is to raise funds for the new Indigenous Youth
Media Center & Infoshop Bookstore. The class is suggesting a $2 donation;
there will also be a book list in which you can buy a book for the infoshop.

Event #2

WHAT: The PEACE Project is performing!

WHERE: Northern Arizona University Studio Theatre

(College of Arts and Letters- between the parking garage and cline library
on North Campus)

WHEN: Tuesday, November 20, 2007 at 7pm (doors open at 6:30pm)

Let me know if you have any questions.

Come out and support Flagstaff’s newest Flagstaff’s newest Indigenous established community space.

Youth Media Arts Center & Infoshop Bookstore Presents:

FILM NIGHT
Every Tuesday in November!
1926 N. 4th St. #7B - Flagstaff, AZ
(In the Pine Grove Shopping Center Near Hunan East)

Nov. 15th - 6:30PM - Film screening: “EL NORTE” and Discussion of Border
Justice. Join us for this report back from the No Borders Camp.

Nov. 20th - 6:00PM - “BEYOND OIL: 8 Shorts

Nov. 27th - 6:00PM - “THE END OF SUBURBIA: Oil Depletion and the Collapse of
The American Dream”
The End of Suburbia explores the American Way of Life and its prospects as the
planet approaches a critical era, as global demand for fossil fuels begins to
outstrip supply. World Oil Peak and the inevitable decline of fossil fuels are
upon us now, some scientists and policy makers argue in this documentary.

I apologize for posts being so sparse during the last week or so. I went to a Halloween party and instead of waking up the next morning with a hangover, I woke up with the flu! Oh man it was gross: achy, vomit, blasting headaches, 15 hours of sleep a day interrupted by trips to the bathroom, sips of Echinacea tea. Living under wooly blankets, watching terrible movies, pawing away dogs that were starved for attention, subsisting on bread and soup….I don’t remember the last time I was that sick.

I’m almost back to 100% now. Things are looking up. Now I have piles and piles of papers to grade on a Halloween night, interrupted by trick or treaters, and perhaps a zombie movie. Speaking of which, I saw 30 Days of Night last night in celebration of solid bowels. More than one person (albeit unreliable film opinions) told me that this movie was great. Horrible! The end didn’t make a lick of sense. It doesn’t do the graphic novel any justice.

The Noise is out. I’m in it. You should read it. For the December issue, I’m looking at animal rights issues, particularly exposing NAU’s animal testing. Before I lie to them so they’ll talk to me, I wanted to ask if anyone knows any information or particular people I should speak to about this. That would rock my world.

This is great….except the line where science and progress is held in such high regard. If we change our understanding of “progress” to one that actually serves the majority of people and nonhumans on this planet, Charlie is very inspiring here.

Charlie Chaplain - Amazing Speech - video powered by Metacafe

Two NAU events that speak to the ongoing affects of free trade in poor and indigenous communities in Mexico.

Free Trade and Community Resistance
Wed., Oct. 24, 7 p.m., Free
Cline Library Auditorium at NAU

The Mexico Solidarity Network presents Cecilia Santiago Vera, a social psychologist and adherent to the Zapatista initiated Other Campaign from Chiapas, Mexico.

Vera’s presentation, in Spanish with English translation, will cover the following:

• Free trade and threats to indigenous communities, especially women
• Human rights abuses in Mexico
• The Zapatista-initiated Other Campaign
• How indigenous communities are working to resist free trade practices
• The leadership of women in fair trade cooperatives ~ traditional weavings and handicrafts from the cooperatives will be available for sale

MAQUILAPOLIS
[ city of factories ]
Mon., Oct. 22, 7 p.m., Free
Cline Library Auditorium at NAU

The film Maquilapolis portrays the struggles of women at work in a maquiladora electronics factory, at home in an extremely poor community, and as they work to improve their lives and communities in the first Mexico-U.S. free trade zone. The film is in Spanish with English subtitles.