The Chestnut Tree

Desert Convention 2.0

2008-06-23T09:46:00.000-07:00

Sympathetic ears and people who want to help other people are not limited to the anarchist community alone. Hell, a lot of "anarchists" have caused a lot of damage in people's lives and many people are turned off of an idea or a person when the "a" word is used.

That's why we've come up with an idea.

2 convergences at the same time. The "Desert Anarchist Conspiracy" and the "National Activist Convergence" (both names are subject to change).

The same issues are present here, but the whole tone changes quite a bit.

1. This will happen in late May or Early June.
2. Our location will need to be larger and have more separate rooms. The possible locations still remain the same, and the necessity for a head count still remains. Locations include: recreation centers, UNLV, the convention center, the Gay & Lesbian Community Center, and any other place that we can think of that may become available.
3. Networking and advertising are necessities for every event, but now we have to focus on diversifying the places we attempt to pool from. This needs to start immediately, if at all possible. Making sure to include that we will cater to children and non-English speakers is just as important.
4. Housing and food will be harder as we will have to cater to even more people than before. UNLV is still our dream location, as it has classrooms, dorms, and the Thomas & Mack. We still need to look into people willing to donate food, find yards or couches for people to crash on, get convention rates at motels/hotels, and try to find more possible options.
5. Transportation will largely be determined by the location we choose. So will housing, for that matter.
6. Programming is going to be a logistical nightmare, I anticipate. We want to have both things going on separately with free movement possible between the two convergences. We also want to focus on harmony, mutually beneficial actions, and mutual goals that different groups are sure to have. We also need to get something going on for both convergences to make it relevant, interesting, and interactive. However, incorporating workshops, guerilla workshops, skillshares, art galleries, music, etc., won't be an issue.
7. Media and press involvement will mostly be done by the Independent Media Center we hope to be running by this time. Independent media is welcome, but the "Press" will have to sign contracts that force them to request to quote people or use their names or pictures, etc.
8. Funding may be an easier issue since we will be attracting more diverse people. Also, a fee that will be openly sliding-scale is a definite possibility to cover our costs.

Basically, the same thing will be going on in the same place, just as 2 separate and unified things.

The main focus for the first convergence, as I understand it, will be:
1. Networking and getting people to organize in their own cities. We want to promote the establishment of cultural centers for anarchism, radicals, etc. in every place radicals and anarchists exist, the nature of which is to be determined by that area. The thing to remember for these cultural centers is that it needs to be a place that anarchists, radicals, etc. are known to frequent and congregate so that other people of similar dispositions have a place they know they can go.
2. Planning for annual convergences in the Las Vegas valley such as this one. Also planning for convergences of every sort: art, music, networking, feminism, or anything.
3. Finding mutually beneficial actions, goals, etc. for various groups and promoting harmony within the anarchist community as well as between anarchists, activists, and others. Also promoting the negation of condemnation between varying groups.
4. The establishment of a centralized location for communication between anarchists in every city so that people can know how to find other people, what is happening where, where the cultural centers are in various regions, as well as a library-like database for literature, propaganda, skills and workshop outlines, instructions and plans, etc.

Convergent Reality

2008-06-23T09:34:00.000-07:00

As the fabric of space and time undulates and the distinctive dimensions of reality move their own ways, the time in which multiple realities converge approaches...

And in our own reality, in our own world, without any awareness of the various realities moving their various ways, a convergence of a totally different nature is being plotted.

Here in the desert, things are finally starting to get busy. Food, festivity, and business are happening, and things are starting to roll.

But what does this mean for people outside the desert? It means that we want you here. We want to meet you, we want you to meet each other, right in the middle of the Las Vegas valley.

Here's what we have so far:

The Desert Anarchist Conspiracy

Las Vegas has had several attempts at activism and anarchism in its humble valley for, well, ever since I can remember. There even used to be a community radio station. Each one has failed in time, some lasting longer for others. If you ask around, the general consensus falls into 2 regions of blame: the transitional nature of the city of Las Vegas (and to some extent Henderson as well) and the lack of motivation brought on by a flourishing entry-level job market.

Well, after some time and thought, one problem that we can’t beat can be turned to our advantage. Not all of us are using Las Vegas to transition. There are some natives and residents that plan to stay here. And not all of them are apathetic toward the world around them, though if they’ve been here long enough they are probably disillusioned to some extent. Transition can be used to our advantage, just as it is being used by the major casinos and the city itself.

We have at our fingertips access to cheaper travel (because without travel and tourism, there is no Vegas) and possibly some immunity to the increase in gas prices (and everything else) that our recession is bringing to us. We also have access to conference halls, dining rooms, convention centers, recreation centers, and various other facilities that are perfect for gathering large groups of people in. Hell, if porn and rodeo can get conventions, why can’t people interested in something greater than entertainment throw one together, too?!

And now is born the Desert Anarchist Conspiracy: a convention, our convergence, our way of making sure people who care about the world in Las Vegas have a meaningful way to contribute effectively and in a way that is sure to last.

The general issues we’ll be facing stand thus: finding a place to converge, making sure people have a place to sleep and food to eat, putting together a program that is applicable and interesting, getting the word out, networking, childcare, bilingualism, transportation, and funding.

As mentioned, we have tons of possible places to converge. The recreation centers around town often have conference rooms for rent, as well as gyms, tennis courts, game rooms, and other things we could use. UNLV may (emphasis on the indefinite nature on “may”) be willing to rent us their facilities (and if they do, we may have housing covered as well). The Gay and Lesbian Community Center downtown has facilities that they would probably let us use for free, and opening up conversation with them might provide us with friendly allies in the Valley as well. And of course, there are conference rooms in different hotels and casinos. The most extravagant option would be the rooms HUGE and small at the Convention Center downtown (with monorail access!).

The important thing to consider with the places we can meet is the size of the rooms we’d be using. How spread out or how crowded a room is can completely change the dynamic of an event, and significantly affects how positively or negatively people remember/perceive an event. We don’t want it too crowded and we don’t want it too spread out so as to prevent people from keeping only to themselves while making sure everybody is comfortable. This also means that we want to have a very good idea of how many people plan to attend so we can accommodate as accurately as possible, which is where networking and getting the word out come in.

There are various ways of contacting and connecting with people. A lot of people are familiar with Infoshop as a method of anarchist communication, and many people have forums they frequent, etc. These are a decent way to get word out. However, the most effective way is to pay attention to the people you interact with and then talk to them specifically about whatever it is you need to talk about (in this case, the Convergence/Conspiracy). If you give somebody personal attention and talk to them one-on-one, you’re more likely to catch their attention and get them to go along with whatever you’re trying to do. So to get this ball rolling, we have to talk to people. One possible thing to focus on for this first convergence is specifically seeking out organizers so that we can have them act of their own accord to find more people (think Pyramid Scheme without the capitalism). Also, having flyers, leaflets, posters, etc., already available for people who are interested so they, too, can get word out is advisable.

Aside from bringing people in from around the nation (at a time when that is an expensive endeavour), we want to bring people in from across the valley. With several buckets of chalk, interested and dedicated people, printers, mouths, markers, paint, and any other media you can get your hands on, over the span of 3 days, we could conceivably inform the entire city of our event. Also making sure people RSVP is integral. We can account for a lot of people to show up unannounced, but as mentioned before, the more accurate we are the better.

Networking should start as soon as possible, but in regards to advertising, timing is everything. Finding a balance between these and making sure we have the adequate space is worthwhile. Of course, accuracy can be completely negated as an issue if we aim for big and encourage people to move up, scoot in, and talk with each other. However we decide to do this, we can. Keep the issues in mind.

Once we have word out and facilities selected, or somewhere in-between, we need to look into securing housing and food. In regards to housing, it is conceivable that we could acquire convention rates at hotels/motels for people coming in. This would mean that we let the motel know we have people coming in and ask them to give people attending our conspiracy a discount rate. If we secure facilities at the university (which by all means is the most ideal route), we may be able to rent out the dorm rooms. Tents in yards and people on couches can also accommodate people, though this becomes an issue of comfortability with the people who wish to offer their homes and/or yards to people attending (and would demand carpooling). Any other options people can think of are more than welcome. Transportation can come in the form of buses, carpools, etc., and will all be relative to the location we select.

For this entire event, during it’s planning and execution, two issues we want to be absolutely certain we address are language barriers and children. Making sure that we can provide for Spanish-speaking people so that we can attract that community will broaden our range of people, issues, and interests, giving a broader pool of people to tap and diversifying the event for the better. Making sure we have childcare available is also important, as this issue can turn people away or convince them not to attend. These are also two issues in which we have to make sure are 100% definite in their execution: there can be no maybes.

Programming is going to be the final issue. There are tons of ways to do this. We can do it like a caucus, starting out on a national, regional, or state level and then moving to bigger or smaller groups, giving each group a list of pre-prepared, broad questions. We can hold workshops, guerilla workshops, and skillshares. We can provide workspace, areas for tabling, and so on (possibly even an art gallery). This is also the perfect time to work on addressing specific issues and give time toward planning for the next convergence. It is also extremely important to remember that whatever we do needs to be relevant and interesting: what we do and how we do it will determine the success or failure of the conspiracy/convergence.

It would be nice if everything was free, but as it stands today, it’s not. We can probably get a lot of things donated, etc., however, we’re going to want to look into how we’re funding this whole project. Fundraising, donations, or possibly even a sliding-scale fee are all possibilities. How do we want to go about this and how much do we need?

This is all we have so far: a general outline of our convergence. For those who don’t want to read it all, here is the outline:

Time

We hope to see this in late May or early June, 2009, and are going to plan as such

Location

Recreation Centers
University (Thomas & Mack, etc.)
Gay & Lesbian Community Center
Convention Center
Whatever we can think of.
Not too crowded, not too open.

Networking and Advertising

Get word out on internet.
Talk to people personally.
Specifically look for organizers? Leave nobody out.
Make sure to cater bilingually and include childcare
Figure out timing on advertising, network constantly
Get together supplies and volunteers for local advertising.

Housing and Food

Motels at convention rates
Dorms
Tents in yards and couches/floors?
Anywhere else we can think of.
How are we going to go about getting food? Ideas?

i. Possibly ask for donations from various charities or stores? Sunflower Market might be open to us. Does anybody have experience with this out here? Possibly link this to restarting the FNB around here?

Transportation

To Be Determined: based on housing and convergence location.

Bilingualism and Children

Make sure for everything to focus on making this friendly for Spanish-speakers and people with children.
Whatever we set up has to be absolutely certain to not fall through.

Programming

Caucus style?
Workshops, guerilla workshops, skillshares
Art gallery?
Workspace and tabling
Hopefully much, much more.
Discussions and planning for specific things?
Organizing and networking for the *next* convergence

Funding

Donations, free stuff, and possibly a sliding-scale fee.
Any ideas?

Desert Anarchist Conspiracy

2008-06-18T09:48:00.000-07:00

That's right... Watch out! Anarchists in the desert are finally deciding to do something!

It's not like this hasn't happened before, but it's definitely going to happen again.

What is this conspiracy, you ask? It's a conspiracy to converge, collaborate, converse, cooperate, and live.

More information as it becomes available will be on here.

For now, go out and plot something! You know you want to!

Far, Far Too Long

2008-06-07T10:47:00.000-07:00

Yes, it has been that long since I posted a blog worth reading. Amazing, isn't it? Well, I plan on updating a lot more.

Here's an update as to what is going on in Las Vegas. There is a group known as the Alliance of the Libertarian Left. People who consider themselves members call themselves ALLies. Kinda clever, I think. I'll be meeting with them soon to talk about what's what. The guy the contacted me in regards to it is also giving a talk at the Libertarian Party of Nevada's thingamawhatsit. So far as I can tell, these are pretty high-quality people I'm dealing with. Thank you infoshop! Hopefully soon there will be much more going on in Vegas, but then again, that could be too much to hope for.

Outside of Vegas, people are preparing for the DNC and RNC (Democratic/Republican National Convention). Some people are going to participate, other are going to observe, and the rest of us are going to disrupt, if not stop, both events in most possible ways, each person to their own means. I'm looking to get a tight group of people together to travel to Denver and then St. Paul, and hopefully even fly out an indymedia friend/photographer/amazing person. This will take fundraising, coordinating, and a lot of work, but it should also be a lot of fun! Check out www.unconventionalaction.org for more info. The site also has links to the nornc and dncdisruption sites.

My favorite place on earth burnt down (The Alystra), my two favorite painted areas were painted over, and my contacts and connections seem to have fallen into disarray over the past 3 years, so I need to get to work on all three. http://mycellar-door.blogspot.com will have a page up on the Alystra soon and we plan to hold a memorial service. I'll need 10 good people to help me with part two, and my network will be a constant project, I think...

If you read this and you are interested in getting involved, networked, etc., email me.

Enjoy life,
Le Reveur

Tiptoe

2007-11-27T23:00:00.000-08:00

A lot of people simply don't like the police. So far as I can tell, this is with good reason, for those in power not only can, but do abuse it. Unfair laws, unconstitutional laws, peaceful protests: police are a weapon against the people. Police very, very rarely do anything positive. Rather, they are used by people against other people, or by the state against the people. In the meantime, the state profits from every bit of it. Police are paid, bureaucrats are given money, and more and more money is siphoned from people who want help to pay for more weapons against more people. $60 court fee, fines for walking across the street, fines for not paying fines, fees to get your paperwork, fees to register into programs, and the list goes on and on and on...

Most notably, however, is that the police make everybody feel uncomfortable. They are like the gun between two people, and whoever reaches it first doesn't die. Ironically, the weapons themselves carry weapons, making the situation even more dangerous. People feel like they have to slow down, move carefully, watch where their eyes are, etc., when a pig is around. One has to justify one's actions to oneself when simply walking by one, thinking something along the lines of "I'm doing nothing wrong, so I don't have to worry."

So why don't we all do ourselves a huge favor and let the police know what we're really thinking. Let's all tiptoe, slowly and obviously, any time a pig is around.

It is with great sadness...

2007-10-03T15:48:00.000-07:00

that I view this most recent post of my good friend. Though I, myself, am united in this failure to this blog, I was surprised to see what he had to say when I opened it today, especially when I was about to recommend that we get more engaged in it. Of course, our viewers our few, and that was another thing that I had hoped to finish.

With sincerity, I would welcome and request you in this endeavor, as the potential is still great, as with all things, and we can achieve great things.

And with this in mind, I can't help but think of all people who involve themselves in an endeavor and let it fall to waste, or dispose of all their energy manifested from their passions in things that aren't conducive to those passions.

I speak of the poltical artists who create their art and don't talk to the viewer and incite their passions toward greater things.

I speak of the punk rockers who go to concerts, sew their clothes, steal what they don't make themselves, and waste their energies in mosh pits and petty theft when they could apply it to direct action and organized theft.

I speak of the "emo kid" who cuts themself, listens to angry or sad music, and focuses on aesthetics and superficiality when they could be acting to amend their situation, aiming their discontent toward removing the objects of their discontent.

I speak of the activist who goes out and protests the war yet never thinks to go out and physically stop those who go out and kill (by nonviolent means, mind you. What is more counterproductive than violently ending violence?).

I speak of the blogger and writer who says what should be done, points out the injustices, or even holds their tongue, without going out and directly promoting those things that they research and write about so passionately.

And I speak of those who try and unite one group to create our glorious disaster without appealing to those other groups: the anarchists that don't appeal to the democrats, the communists who don't appeal to the socialists, the democrats that don't appeal to community organizers, the charity workers who don't appeal to the anarchists, the punks who alienate the emos, the hippies who alienate the industrious, the do-ers who alienate the thinkers...

So let us first pick up the yoke of our duty to ourselves and others, that obscure duty that nobody seems to agree upon what it entails or where it came from, and then go out with the weight of the world on our shoulders and begin our glorious disaster. Not on one persons shoulders, but on the shoulders of every benevolent and caring individual, so that the weight itself does not crush us entirely.

Come friends, unite in this decaying world to utterly decimate it! Long live the disaster!

This is my last post.

2007-10-03T15:19:00.001-07:00

I am sorry to say that I have failed this blog. It had the potential to be great and I let it go. My only hope is that my friend who I leave this with can one day make this a seedy spot where collaborators of all walks of life to come together to tear down what is evil.

I will leave you with these words:

We do not want a revolution. For a revolution implies that we end up in the same place when it is all over. What we want, my comrades, is disaster.

Brothers, revive the Black Guard!

2007-09-30T01:35:00.000-07:00

Quite a while ago, when the glorious Revolution was happening in Russia, the Anarchists found in the communists staunch comrades. But they also foolishly believed that, once power had been seized, it would be immediately dissolved, and their wishes were betrayed. Soon after, the Bolsheviks killed, injured, and arrested Anarchists in Moscow. They were again betrayed by the Russians when they formed a peace treaty with Germany, and argued against the treaty, saying that it was an "obscene peace" and betrayed the world-wide revolution, calling for guerrilla warfare against invasions to be carried out by "relentless partisan warfare." Basically, the people must protect themselves by resisting everywhere, at all times, constantly, relentlessly against any who would try and destroy liberty.

They then began to form "Black Guards" under the emblem of the black flag, arming local people with pistols, rifles, and grenades.

We need to be prepared, because we will soon come under attack by our ruthless, oppressive government. We must protect ourselves, our friends, our families, our communities, and all who are oppressed by these authoritarian bastards who would kill, torture, and imprison us. Look around you, look at what is happening, and you will see that they are moving pieces into place to kill us, quiet us, oppress us, imprison us simply for our beliefs.

Therefore, arm yourselves, and organize, organize, organize!

Long live the Black Guard.

Far too long

2007-09-25T02:02:00.000-07:00

Since we've posted. There's another blog (much more frequently updated) at mycellar-door.blogspot.com

Other than that, here's a few updates.

-Trying to organize a conference of organizers over the internet due to transportation issues.
-Thinking about a convergence or two.
-Loving college... Yeah, bite me. I'll use it to teach at Anarchist U in Toronto one day, mark my words.
-Hoping that you, the reader, are interested in acting or organizing. Let us know.

I'll post a more substantial blog when I get the time and feel up to the task.

Until then, enjoy life.

Oh, and you might want to check this site out. http://www.freewebs.com/crimethincwestcoast/
It's freakin' awesome.

A New (old) Holiday

2007-05-02T22:51:00.000-07:00

May Day!!!!

Mayday, mayday, the system is going down!!! And, it's about FUCKING time!!!

May 1st, from now on! Spread the word!!!!!

Celebrate your humanity, and your fellow beautiful human beings, in their newfound freedom, their newfound life, a life of Anarchy!

The following is a list of suggestions that can be rearranged to suit you, added to, or completely ignore for your May Day celebrations.

1) Start at midnight. Better yet, start preparations the day before! Make sure that you can be an uninhibited, benevolent, and absolutely free human being for at least 24 hours: think of it as a respite from slavery. :)

2) Begin the night by stealing a flag. Yes: steal it. It wouldn't be a very decent thing to contribute time and resources to somebody so you can lawfully obtain a flag, would it? Steal a flag of your former nationality. Each liberated being should be represented. Now steal a bunchload of fabric dye: black... Pitch. Fucking. Black. If you can make it yourself, even better!!!!! Get a large enough container to dye your flag in, and usurp the future of your nation symbolically, as will one day happen when humanity is liberated from its tools. It takes a long time to dye things, so you may want to take turns. Make it an activity for the group, not a chore, and enjoy the process.

3) Find a place in nature, or created by your own hands, to celebrate the day. Wage-slave labor and blood, corporate industrial facilities, or government institutions are no fun, and their existence is an affront to man. Enjoy life in the midst of life. Or go somewhere you're not supposed to be, and claim the territory for your own, liberating the place made from sweat and tears from the slavemasters themselves.

4) Ditch the radios and televisions! Sing songs made by people you know and love; watch life play itself out not through a screen, but right next to you! Sing, dance, play music, etc. Even better: take the time to create a masterpiece with your friends right there! Get rid of the feelings of embarassment that society and religion have caused you to feel: you fucking rock! I'm telling you!

5) Use this time to get to know everybody: this is the anarchist community, or if somebody hasn't joined the free yet, they hopefully soon will. This is a great time to network. Better still, this is a great time to sit everybody down, plan an impromtu low-medium risk guerilla direct action and execute it! Yay for more group activities!

6) Food. What is a 24+ hour festival without food? It's probably a malnourished, fatigued, hunger-pang ridden festival, that's what! Provide food for your festival: potluck style!!! Of course, since any good anarchist refuses to promote the subjugation of any form of sentient life, vegan/vegetarian all the way! Respect your life and the life of other creatures. Of course, respect plant life to, but take them for what they are.

7) Fire. Lots of fire. Get a fire going all day long. Burn remnants of a once-enslaved you, burn the bounty of nature that has come to a natural end, burn the safe-to-breath things that the fires of industry created. Recycle what you can, burn what deserves to be burnt, but realize that heat needs to be obtained somehow. If you are very environmentally conscious, make sure that if you have a fire, you are okay with how you've created it.

8) Make some art. For the kiddies, maybe have a workshop or arts-and-crafts area? Give them a bunch of "these can't hurt you" supplies of any and every sort and see what comes up! Kids can be amazingly creative sometimes.

9) Make some art of your own too! Find a wall and let some spraypaint and stencil artists work their magic, bring some frames and canvas for your painters, bring everything you might need and then some: you never know! Make it into another group project! Human interaction is amazing.

10) Post a couple of voluntary lookouts, maintain a perimeter, deter surveillance. People don't like freedom lovers for some reason....

Have any other suggestions or ideas? Let me know: I'd love to post them.

A homework assignment...

2007-05-02T18:41:00.000-07:00

Give yourself no more than 2 weeks to do this.

So you want to go out and participate in revolutionary, or at the very least radical, actions. But there are good ways to do this, and bad ways. Seeing as how revolution is illegal for the most part, you may want to take precautions.

One of the most brilliant precautions developed so far is the black bloc. This is where everybody dresses up the exact same and participates in an action: no leaders, no followers. If you have a leader, they will be targeted, and your movement will die. However, if you have no leader, and everybody works together, then you can't be stopped until everybody is stopped, and that won't be easy.

If you want more detail, ask for it in a comment.

Here's what you'll need:
1) Something to keep the tear gas, etc., from searing your lungs. Optimally, you would want a military gas mask with a tube that attaches to a canteen so you can still drink and breathe safely. If you can't get one, seeing as how they are expensive and all, then you can do this... Get a bandanna (preferrably a black one) and a small bottle of apple-cider vinegar or lime juice. If you fear a gas attack, then (hopefully you already had it on...) put your juice of choice on the bandanna and breathe through it. This will save you a lot of pain.

2) A black hoodie. A simple, solid, blacker than the night, unmarked hoodie. This gives you the ability to cover most of your head and all of you hair. This is important to make sure that they can't give a description, can't easily distinguish your gender (if you are a well-endowed woman... well, at least they can't describe your hair style or facial features! That, and what if you're a guy with long hair!! :P ), and it will protect you from some of the harsh chemicals they tend to douse you with...

3) Black jeans. I'd tell you to go out and get black military fatigues made out of canvas, but I don't know how easy that would be, and everybody would need the same ones! Jeans are easier, and still provide some protection from the elements and chemicals.

4) Boots. www.budkww.com has some good military combat boots for twenty-five bucks. Any black boots will suffice, but I really recommend those (or some military boots that are similar). They are made for wading through the elements. Doc Martin has some good boots. Try to make sure they are similar though, still! The reason the budk boots are good is their soles. Those things lasted me two years with heavy wear. They have a small piece of steel to give them some semblance of support (called a "shank". Look it up.), the soles are semi-hard rubber that doesn't let much through, the nylon is pretty sturdy (the army has some now with more leather, and if you can get solid-leather ones that are waterproof, those are ideal, especially since they look similar to other military boots!), and they'll serve you well.

And for the love of GOD, no flip-flops or sandals please!?

4)A really good backpack. If you can obtain them, the best you can get is called and A.L.I.C.E. They were once the bags of choice used by the military, and you may have seen a homeless person with one. The acronym stands for: Aluminum Lightweight Infantry Carrying Equipment. It has an aluminum frame that spares your back, and a strap that goes behind your waist that spares your shoulders and lower back quite a bit of strife. It has a waterproof main pouch, and places to attach your own gear. Attachments you can obtain include: a first-aid kit, a canteen, a sleeping-bag, a rifle-cleaning kit (though why would you want a rifle?), and a mess-kit (a little thing that is and contains a pot/pan or more, bowls, spoons, forks, and cups, all compacted together). If everybody could get this, a group could effectively go out for weeks in the wilderness. It will house your supplies. Otherwise, get yourself a good backpack. If worst comes to worst, you'll be ditching it anyways.

5) The aformentioned First-aid kit. Make sure it's something you know how to use. The ones for A.L.I.C.E. packs are awesome and strap right onto the bag!

6) A change of clothes that will fit over your black bloc clothing without looking too conspicuous. That means you might want to make sure your gear was thin (ghetto-bagging probably isn't the best idea). You want to make sure it will fit in your bag, too.

7) A comfortable sized piece of Lexan with a comfortable and impact friendly handle. This is what will save you. Preferably rig a way to get the shields to lock together too, and you can have a shield wall or shield charge. Lexan is kinda heavy, but I'm pretty sure it's stronger than the crap riot-pigs use and it is clear. Lexan is 50 times stronger than steel.

8) Goggles. If your gas mask has it, great. If it doesn't, you will need some. Chemical weapons are nasty. If you get ANY chemical substance on you, don't touch anything, anybody, and get to a cold shower (NOT hot: it'll just open your pores...) to get it off of you, wash your clothes several times... Be careful.

These are just a few things for a nearly-all-riot-situation type kit. If you're planning something special, make sure everybody is outfitted and you know how to work together as a unified whole.

Hopefully in the future, I'll be able to give you some tips and tricks for training yourself. Until then, may you confront danger and return unscathed so we can meet your beautiful face under the stars once more.

Lending a hand... Read through to the end please!!!

2007-04-08T06:49:00.000-07:00

A couple thursdays ago, I attended the "Exploited" concert at the University Theater.

It was an amazing show. A couple bands I've seen before attended (So Unloved especially), and I got to listen to some local psychobilly as well. As the show wore on, the crowd became more and more involved, things heated up, and the room got warmer, and warmer, and warmer...

A couple of interesting facts about the University Theater. It is sponsored by the Xpose Coalition. For those that aren't familiar with this organization: it is an organization targeted toward removing business and therefore profits from big tobacco. What was REALLY interesting was the fact that a lot of people stepped outside for a smoke between bands. Even MORE interesting: a smokeshop just opened next door. Irony at it's best.

An interesting event took place also. You know when fights break out, people crowd around it? Well, I think fighting is retarded, so I ignore it. This was the case this time around. Turns out, I actually knew the chick that got jumped. I had just met her, and she's dating my friend Scooch. She was set upon by a girl with a grudge and 3 other girls took a couple cheap kicks at her. It was after I found this out that I realized I was being apathetic. Now, understand, apathy is my greatest enemy. I didn't care about the event. But now I think about it... Every fight involves somebodies friend. Every murder involves somebodies child. Every war involves the death of a rational human being. So, I will make an effort from now on to attempt and break up fights, regardless of how much bodily harm I may receive... It may be advisable for me to also get a group of friends to dedicate themselves to this purpose, now that I think about it. Oh well... Think about it.

So, as I was saying, the show wore on and the crowd wound up. When "The Exploited" came onstage I had my first taste of live British punk rock. It was amazing. The song "Sex and Violence" got the biggest crowd involvement, excepting what happened after the show.

At the designated time, the house lights came on: it was time for people to leave. But nobody left. Nobody so much as moved to leave. So "The Exploited" played another song. Then, one more song, after which some people went on stage and told the band that they weren't to play anymore. Still, nobody left. The singers microphone was unplugged, and nobody left. A chant started: "One more song!!! One more song!!!" A voice came over the house speakers, informing people that they should leave peacefully and now. The chant faded and then rose again, this time stronger. I was near the sound booth at this time, so I looked inside and saw the ominous house voice, and heard them cursing the stupidity of the people. I watched as one of the people inside flicked a switch, at which point my gaze went up to the stage where the band was still standing and a guy was holding a camera to catch a glimpse of the enthused crowd. They finally gave in. The microphone was plugged back in, and the band started up their last song.

The ENTIRE room became a pit, and a good one too. For those not familiar with Mosh Pits, I'll explain it to you, and then tell you why it isn't just a bunch of stupidity. At punk shows especially, and at metal shows sometimes, a circle forms. In the center of this circle is a crowd of people moving in a sort-of rhythm with the music, crashing into each other and pushing in any direction. It's painful and violent, but if you fall then everybody near pulls you back up, often so fast you actually are in the air for a second. If you need out, you are often pulled out if people can recognize that that is your intention. Sometimes you get real assholes in or around the pit that ignore you on the ground or push you back in when you're trying to get out. I ran into a guy that tried to push me in again sometime during the show, and I'm pretty sure he's the one I broke a (sharpened :) ) nail on: he pushed, I grabbed his arm and pulled myself out using his body.... Asshole.... So, anyways, that is the gist of the circle pit. Sometimes it doesn't move in a circle at all, but usually that's the case. During a good song, you actually get to a slow run with everybody. (There are different types of pits. At a psychobilly show, the buff guys get into what looks like a "punch-in-the-stomach-war" until somebody gives up. At hardcore shows, people aim to do damage and swing their arms, fists, elbows, knees, feet, legs, etc., in circles trying to hit something sharp and hard. In metal shows you normally get a circle pit, but I've heard of all out melees too. Scary!). People lose stuff all the time, too, but you usually see it being held above the crowd waiting for somebody to reclaim it. :) How courteous!

Why on earth would anybody do this? Well, first of all, you throw yourself into an environment of pure emotion: you feel the music, you feel the crowd, you feel passion... You feel. It feels amazing. You have a place to put the energy the music raises within you. You also put yourself into a purely chaotic environment where you gain the respect and comradery with those in there with you. After each song you'll shake hands, pat on the back, and link arms with people you've only seen blurred, jarred glances of. Then the next song starts, and you find yourself arm-over-shoulder with some guy you just met, creating twice the chaos and having a generally good time. Friendship, comradery, and a cluster of emotion and motion...

The negative impacts of this go beyond the obvious. The obvious negative impacts are: bruises, cuts, broken clothes, rivalries, animosities, etc. The not so obvious impact is that you are keeping the emotion created in the concert in the concert!!! That same energy could be used for a march or riot, a protest or firebombing, a demonstration or "reclaim the streets." Instead, it's all conveniently contained in the venue, and not reachin the masses as it should!

But I should get to the real reason for the post. After the show the entire area was surrounded by police. There were more police at the house concert that got busted, but this was almost as bad. There were 2 police by each store entrance, and many more by the entrance to the venue. After a while, the place cleared out, and all that was left were those of us waiting for a ride. I saw a lady outside with a latex glove and a trashbag picking up the broken glass and empty cans from the sidewalk and parking lot. This is when I finally, intentionally followed Inascent's recommendation to offer somebody some help. "Would you like any help?" "That would be wonderful, if you didn't mind..." And so I walked with her, pulled the latex glove Inascent had given me for painting, and proceeded to help clean up. Drinking is a disgusting practice.... It felt nice to help. During these rounds, a guy (clearly drunk) rode by and fell next to us. I helped him up, and he attempted to get back on his bike. I recommended against... What was really nice was that he said, "If I wasn't so wasted, I'd offer to give you guys a hand..." It's the thought that counts, but I'll write later as to why one should avoid mind-altering substances.

It really does pay off to lend a hand. Turns out, this woman was the owner. I talked with her about past and upcoming shows (how I wished I could have and plan to attend shows), the venue, the evenings events, the craziness of it all. It was fun. I think I might apply to work there until school gets out.

Well, that's enough from me tonight.

Enjoy life... Go out and make something of it.

The Call...

2007-04-08T06:46:00.000-07:00

This is the call. A call for what you might ask? A call to start establishing underground communities from city to city… Your community is the group of people you associate with. When you go to a friend’s house, enjoy a night on the town, have a picnic, go to the park, or even participate in a church service, you are interacting with your community.

To most people this seems like nothing special. On the contrary: this is something extremely important. In doing this, you are acting contrary to societal norms, getting out of your steel and whitewashed boxes, treating other individuals like human beings, and going so far as to enjoy yourself. But, even better, you are making it possible to share, cooperate, and organize. Now is the time to join the ranks of Marxists, Anarchists, Activists, and other like-minded individuals, raising the cry: “Organize, organize, organize!”

Most people hear “organize,” and think to themselves , “Oh, no, we have another no good, goddamned, green-peace, save the whales, let dogs vote, tree hugging hippie calling for a picket line.” Well, shut the fuck up. When you organize, you can share your resources (paint collective, food, craft tools, etc.), you can improve your environment (beautify your city, do some ALF [Animal Liberation Front] work, good-ole direct action, and much, much more), and create a much more effective way for you and those like you to get something actually done for once…

I’m starting here in fabulous Las Vegas. This, even in my mind, is a daunting endeavor. With the transient nature of this city, few people have a care for their community, or nearly any other human being, for that matter. Few people that were born here stay. Fewer people that move here make it their permanent residence. Admittedly, I’m going to college away from here, but don’t doubt I’ll be returning frequently to visit friends, enjoy life, and organize.

So, here’s what I’m doing.

1) Gather people. I have friends. Finding real people in this city that actually care about their life, much less anyone else’s, wasn’t easy, but I’ve managed to find 140 plus. How many of these are staying is yet to be determined, but one can hope.

2) Introduce people to other people. Even though a community can consist of 2 or more people, wouldn’t it be so awesome to have a community of 100, 200, or 300 people? Keep aware, though, that the more people you have in a group, the more conflict there is bound to be. I’ve been doing this, but truth be told, some people don’t like others. I’m a social butterfly of sorts (mainly the MJROTC doesn’t like me), and jump between groups with ease. But groups exist, personal animosities are there, and I deal with these in stride.

3) Develop affinity groups within your community. 300 people are hard to get together all at the same time and get anything done. But, within your community, there will groups of friends that work well together. Chances are your community will start out as an affinity group. Then you have several groups that can plan and perfect something, and a whole community to bring it to fruition. My personal group has a couple projects going on.

4) Pay attention to the community. Without constant maintenance, a community WILL fall apart. That’s the reality. Once people stop getting together, talking, interacting, people will lose touch, and the community will dissolve. Do you have the willpower to keep your community together? Does somebody else? Is there a group of people dedicated to making your world a better place to live in? I’m having an especially hard time with this. There are just too many people and just not enough time!

This is something that needs to happen in all of the cities. My personal project, though, is to establish a community here that attracts people from around the country. The desert will once again have it’s free spirits, I dream.

Show some heart, care for your fellow humans, and enjoy life as it can only be enjoyed with good company.

See you under the stars…

In danger….

New stencils.

2007-04-06T12:57:00.000-07:00

I've put the new stencil set up for you to play with. Some of these I haven't even cut myself. But there you are. The link is to the right.

Here is an excerpt.

2007-04-06T12:04:00.000-07:00

Authors of "Recipies for Disaster"

"Disaster?
Yes, disaster.

When you think of disasters, perhaps some secret part of you thrills at the idea of something happening, something interrupting the tedious routines that comprise existence for so many of us. You might not be ready to own up to actually desiring one, but a disaster would at least offer a chance to escape your cage and explore the unknown for a little while. What anguish, to live in longing for a reprieve from your own life, never knowing when or if it might come!

Or perhaps you cringe at the word, thinking of all the senseless tragedy and loss of life that real disasters entail. In that case, it may have already occurred to you that we are in the midst of the most terrible slow-motion disaster in history, as the natural environment is utterly laid to waste and the diversity of human experience is steamrolled into the monoculture of capitalism. In such a disaster, you can’t cook out of the books your ancestors developed for more peaceful times.

Whether disaster is something you privately pine for or desperately hope to escape, one thing is for certain—the old recipes won’t suffice anymore. We need recipes for disaster."

Some easy reading...

2007-03-20T15:59:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I've last been able to post, so I thought it would be kind to at least give people something to feast their eyes on. This document was legally taken from Crimethinc., and has some interesting information. Though the views of people may be different from what is expressed in this text, nearly any intelligent source will tell you to read something over and take from it something for yourself: very few people completely adhere to any ideology, even if it is their own personal one. Feel free to use all that I post as a resource, adapt it to suit your personal situation and beliefs, and do with it what you will.

So, without further adieu, voici.

Eight Things You Can Do To Get Active

1. Pay attention to where and how you spend your money. Is your money going to support companies that don't care about you? Are they destroying the environment, killing animals, treating your friends who work for them like shit? Are they trying as hard as they can to sell you a product that gives you cancer? Are their advertisements designed to manipulate you, to make you feel insecure or make their product seem like more than it really is? You don't need to give those motherfuckers your money! For that matter—do you buy many things that you don't need? Soft drinks and junk food at convenience stores, for example? Do you end up spending a lot of money whenever you want to relax and have a good time? There are a thousand things you and your friends can do that are fun, creative, and don't cost anything (having intense discussions, exploring hidden parts of your town, making music—instead of drinking at bars or going to movies and restaurants) just as there a thousand ways you can eat and live more cheaply (Food Not Bombs, building furniture instead of buying it, living in big houses with a bunch of friends). Once you experiment a bit, you'll probably find that you enjoy life a lot more when you're not always shelling out cash for it.

2. Now that you spend less, you can work less, too! Think about how much more time that gives you to do other things. Not only will it be easier to do things that help you spend less, like volunteering at Food Not Bombs (the less you work, the more time you have to make sure you don't need to), you'll also be able to do all the things you never had time for before: you can travel, exercise, spend more time with your friends and lovers. When it's sunny and beautiful outside, you can go out and enjoy it!

3. And you'll have time to do the other things you need to do to take back control of your life and your world. First, start reading. It doesn't really matter what, so long as it makes you think about things and gives you new ideas of your own. Read novels about human beings struggling against their society, like J.D. Salinger's Catcher in the Rye or George Orwell's 1984 or Joseph Heller's Catch 22; read the beautiful, dreamers' prose of Jeanette Winterson or Henry Miller. Read history: learn about the Spanish revolution in the 1930's, where whole cities were run by the people who lived in them, rather than by governments; learn about the labor union struggle in the USA, or the Free Speech Movement in Berkeley in the 1960's. Read philosophy, read about environmental issues, read vegan cookbooks and underground 'zines and comics and everything you can get your hands on. Here's a hint: if there's a university in your town, you can probably get a membership for about $10 a year—and most libraries include videos, too!

4. Reading isn't the only way you can expand your horizons and clarify your ideas. Talk to people about the things that interest you, arguing when you don't agree, so you'll get to know your own beliefs better. Write to the people who are doing the 'zines you like, discuss and debate things with them, ask them for directions to find out more about your interests. Try writing about your own ideas, and sharing that with people, until you feel confident doing this. Travel to different places, try to learn about other cultures and communities, so you'll have more than one perspective on the world and you can start to imagine what the world is like through other people's eyes.

5. Now you'll know what you want, and you can go about getting it. Seek out other people and groups with similar goals, and figure out how to support them or participate in what they're doing. Maybe you can copy fliers and give them out at shows; maybe you can organize benefit shows for organizations you want to support (women's shelters, radical bookshops, local groups protesting against the execution of Mumia Abu-Jamal or lobbying for protection of the environment). Maybe there are public protests and demonstrations going on that you want to be part of. Try to help find ways to make these more challenging and fun than just a bunch of people holding signs; everyone's so bored with doing that that there must be a more effective and exciting way to go about it.

6. You can start your own projects, as well, you know. If there's no Food Not Bombs in your area, get a group of people together and find some local businesses that will donate their leftover food. If there's something fucked up at your high school or college or workplace, try organizing a walkout to force the "authorities" to do something about it... and to show everyone that those "authorities" only have as much power as we let them have. If the main street of your town lacks life and excitement, try organizing an unexpected festival to take place in the middle of it one weekend. Shake up everyone's lives and expectations, shake them out of their apathy and boredom so they'll start thinking about things. Establish networks with other people who are also interested in having an effect on the world around them, so you can help each other do this.

7. Through all of this, don't stop questioning yourself and your assumptions. Try to see through all the social programming you've received throughout your life: consider how gender roles constrain the way you act, how your own relationships with people reproduce the same hierarchical order that your fighting in mainstream society. We're not going to really change anything unless we can create new ways of living and interacting, new values that show themselves in the way we treat each other. Show your friends how much you care about them. Consider doing things you never thought you should or could do: dancing, singing, admitting things that you've been taught to be ashamed of.

8. Now look to the future. How can you stay involved with these things as you get older? How can you construct your life so you will always be free to do what you want to? Talk to people older than you who haven't given up and gone back to the daily grind of eat-work-sleep-watch TV. With a little input from them and a lot of resolve on your part, you can maintain your activities and your lifestyle as long as you want to. Idealism, adventure, and resistance don't have to be reserved for youth alone. History is filled with men and women who refused to compromise or calm down, who went all out from the cradle to the grave. They are the artists, the leaders, the heroes and heroines even people from the mainstream respect. We can all have lives like theirs, if we're brave and idealistic enough.
If all of us demand control over what we do and what goes on around us, if all of us do what we can to make life exciting and fair for everyone, things are bound to change. A lot of people know that we don't live in the best of all possible worlds, but persuade themselves that it's hopeless to try to improve things because they're afraid to commit themselves, to take any risks. But it's that lack of ambition that is the biggest risk of all—for what if you do nothing, and nothing happens, and we lose our chance to make this world the paradise it should be? Don't be shy or timid—there's nothing more exciting than taking an active role in the world around you, and there's nothing more worthwhile!

this message brought to you by the CrimethInc. Special Forces

A Paint Collective

2007-02-23T17:32:00.000-08:00

Isn't it just so very, very FRUSTRATING when you can't find the right paint, materials, or utensils to put together your projects? Can you think of anything more depressing than knowing that there's this great idea in your head, something to make the world a little brighter, and you simply don't have the medium to make it happen? Good news, friends, comrades, compatriots: you can fix this. You and many you know may have the very same problem. And what one can't do, often 2-10000000 can.

So here's an idea. Find a place that you can store the materials and use them. If you're going to be making asphalt mosaics (see next post) or if you're going to be doing some nifty stenciling, why not set up a workshop??? You can find a willing benefactors house, or you can find a secretive location that has at least a floor, a light, and a desk (though walls and a ceiling might help). Store the materials so people can pick them up from and return them to a central location. Make sure it's relatively accessible so that people don't feel like they're going way out of their way or spending half a day trying to get there.

But, here's the important part. Choose people you know aren't going to be untrustworthy or selfish, close friends you trust and would mutually benefit from setting this all up. Once you have these people, have everybody donate the materials to be used freely and trustingly amongst everybody. True to the nature of an anarchist endeavor, you must know who you can trust, and you must be willing to contribute not to the possessions, but to the creations of art: beautiful, rule-breaking art, or semi-legal gorgeous art, but nonetheless created by a human being, a friend, and a work of beauty no matter what.

The reason I've titled this the paint collective is because that's what we're starting. In one central location, people can access boards that can be cut into, exacto-knives, card-stock or transparencies, and paint of various colors and compositions, of which people can donate to and use freely. This is our paint collective. You can do it with whatever you want, but it's important to have a safe, friendly, and accessible place that people can use to make their contributions to humanity.

Beaux reves, mon amis.

My plans for tomorrow. (today)

2007-02-06T02:34:00.000-08:00

I plan to do my homework assignment, and the project proposed by Le Reveur. Both will take place in a library. I'll find someone looking flustered and do my idea, and then go into the book stacks and instert notes in a whole bunch of carefully picked books. These books will be books like 1984, and books on the occult. The notes will be cryptic, and lead them onto researching something mysterious. Maybe one will have a quote about chance. It will be fun.

If I haven't already said this: I'm a more moderate rebel. Reform is my way. But if reform fails, revolution surely follows.

-InAscent

A Project

2007-02-05T20:08:00.000-08:00

We walk around in this world without taking notice of things around us. The mystery, the intrigue, the wonder of it all is gone for some of us.

Of course, my first thought is, what can we do to fix this? How can we make this reality more mystical, more dreamlike?

Have some spare time on your hands? If so, good. If not, well, I'm sorry...

Take a moment to make somebodies life more mystical. Set up a scavenger hunt, or secret directions to some place, or a midnight meeting with an anonymous stranger indicating great import. Write notes, make stencils, chalk it up, do anything you can think to set up your trail of dreams. Place them in hidden places, hard to reach places, out in the open in unlikely places, in plain sight but somehow hidden, and all over the place, in order to make life more interesting. Who knows: it may be two years before that note is found behind the soda machine pleading for a secret meeting at midnight out on the railroad tracks by that one secondhand store. But what if they go there, and they meet some other person at random, and you've started a whole new chapter in somebodies life! That message in a bottle might just make somebodies life just a little bit more exciting.

This is just one thing you can do to put magick back into the world. Had I more time, I would tell you why you should, but for now, shouldn't it suffice that it's... Well, it's magick, and it's your magick!

Hello World

2007-02-05T20:03:00.000-08:00

Well, Inascent said that he would appreciate the voice of a radical in his blog, so I intend to fulfill it the best that I can.

Hello world. I won't tell you who I am. You will have to know me by my actions, my thoughts, my dreams, my loves, my hates, my wars, and my peace. Hopefully I can come to know those of you who take the time to read what it is I have to say. But until then, all I can do is say hello and disappear, showing myself from time to time for a fleeting instance to give what I hope is help.

I am an anarchist. That's all there is to it.... Sorta. There's so much more to it. I should soon be posting entire copies of books on here to explain it better, and giving links for more reading. Oh, and of course I'll be putting up stencils!!! Those things are so wonderful!!!

Well, until we meet, somewhere secret, somewhere safe, and hopefully in a better world.

Le Reveur

Extra Credit Option

2007-02-01T11:13:00.000-08:00

Entirely extra credit, this idea might put you in awkward situations. The idea is to look at your schedule.... Yes, I want you to look at your schedule... Find an hour or so that is entirely empty and you'll probably end up sitting in your La-Z-Boy thinking about what to do when you get up. I ask you to take that hour and walk up to someone, anyone, and ask them if there's anything you can do for them. For instance: walk into a law office, walk up to the secretary and ask him/her if there's anything you can do to make his/her life a bit less stressful. This isn't a pay it forward deal, just do it. Ask him/her if they need milk from the store, or if they need mail dropped off at the post office. Just see what you can do. You're bound to get some wierd looks, or an oddball that gets angry at you for taking up their time asking to help them. But try it. I'll do the same. And we'll see what happens.

-InAscent

Art, and its relation to rules.

2007-01-31T21:47:00.000-08:00

Art should break the rules. That's all I can really say. Art that's quiet and reserved will not be remembered. Sure, you can say that paintings like 'Whistler's Mother" are just that: quiet and reserved. But it was revolutionary because of the way Whistler treated it. He resented people calling it a portrait of his mother, and that made people make whispery noises behind his back. So art that breaks the rules is good art.

In a completely unrelated note, I'll be uploading stencils for public use soon.

-InAscent

Welcome, one and all.

2007-01-27T01:55:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the wonderful world of Dissent. A truly splendid place where anything is possible. To the reclaiming of our freedom from the oppressors, to the simple poem shared in an alleyway. This is the beginning of something magical, something for all ages, races, and creeds. This is the birthblace of, maybe not new, but certainly different ideas.

-InAscent