:: Abstract Harmony ::

:: Tuesday, February 18, 2003 ::

One other note - I took a bunch of pictures at the protest, all of which I intend to post here in the new future. I'm planning on putting together a new Blospot Plus site in the coming weeks that should include photos on a regular basis.

:: Jeff 9:37 PM [+] ::
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San Francisco Peace March - Sunday February 16, 2003

Wow, can't believe I let this one sit for over 48 hours before writing about it. I'm a firm believer that the threat of war against Iraq is just wrong. There is no justifiable evidence that Sadam Hussein is truly a threat to the US and the only ones to benefit are the rich oil and military conglamorates that fund Bush and all his cronies.

So it was about time I made it to the latest peace march, now the third in a series in SanFranciscoand the largest by far. Haven't checked the estimates but I would guess it was a few hundred thousand. I met some friends down at 1st and Mission and we began to march down Market street. The feeling was intense. People by the thousands around us....from all different cultures and walks of life. A group of Puerto Rican protesters began chanting a cheer in Spanish, than translated to English for everyone else to chant along - "...A people...united...can never be defeated...". A group of Japanese drummers ran in a circle, dancing and chearing for peace. Brazillian drunners laid out a study groove while the whole surrounding crowd danced around them. \

Meanwhile, signs bore slogans of all different kinds - "My bush and my colon don't want your dick and your bombs!", "If war is inevitable, draft SUV drivers now!", and pictures of Bush, Chaney, and Rumsfeld with the words "Empty War Heads". There were many others, way too many to mention.

The crowd converged on UN Plaza where we heard singers and speakers galore. Most notable were Bonnie Rait, Joan Baez, and a former member of the British Parliament who helped gather the record turnout of 750,000 people in London's Hyde Park the day before. Several other organizations led speeches, including radio station KPFA, war veterans groups, and peace organizations.

Everyone seemed to be united, more than I'd ever seen before for one cause. The only disapointment was a story told to me by an aquaintance who carried a sign proclaiming "Jail Bush". A member of Global Exchnage, one of the organizers behind the protest, told him to lower his sign because the Channel 4 News was filming in his particular area near the stage. Supposedly it was hurting the cause more than helping it. Now how can someone be asked to back down his stance for a cause like this, just for publicity sake. The fight for peace is all or nothing. We must speek out in any way we can while we still have the chance.

I was thoroughly exhausted at the end of the day, but I had not tired of my desire to change things in the world. Showing up and marching for peace is only one small part of what needs to be done, but I intend to be there religiously, every time San Francisco stands up to speak its mind against the injustice of war.

:: Jeff 9:37 PM [+] ::
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Morvern Callar

I was drawn to see the Scotish film Movern Callar upon hearing about its soundtrack, which included artists such as Stereolab, Can, Broadcast, Lee Hazlewood, and Lee Scratch Perry. The movie turned out to be even more fascinating than the soundtrack, a strange and twisted trip through the mind of young Scotish party girl.

The story begins as our heroine Movern wakes up to find her boyfriend has killed himself and left her some small gifts to console herself, along with an unpublished novel dedicated to her. After a rather momentary bareivement and a night of wild partying with friends, Movern decides to use the situation to her advantage. She covers up her boyfriend's death, burrying him in a field, and then sends the unpublished novel off to a list of publishers. She embarks on a series of adventures, soundtracked by a tape that her boyfriend has left her, which she plays in her walkman as she carries out her master plan.

Throughout the movie, Movern is cast with a look of innocence. She is just the shy girl, overcome by the desperation of life in a dreary Scotish town, and driven to madness by her boyfriend's suicide. However, as the movie progresses and she becomes more self assured, Movern begins to lose her innocence, and play out her circumstances to her own advantage. After tasting a wild an unabated lifestyle in southern Spain, she is determined to set a new course in her life at all costs. After coning a major publisher into an advance for the novel under the pretense of more writings to come, she sets off on a new trip. She returns to Spain to engross herself in the raver lifestyle. The look of innocence is gone, replaced by a look of determination. She is now a woman determined to get what she wants.

What was most appealing was the fact that there was very little dialogue in the movie. The story was played out through Movern's expressions and her wild behavior. The visuals and the music seemed to flow succinctly with her mental state. Durring scenes in which she was drugged out, the music and scenery seemed to blur. Manic scenes sped up. It was one of those movies where I left the theater in a temporatily bewildered state. I felt totaly drawn in by this character's dimensia, and it wasn't until I left the theater that everything seemed normal again.

:: Jeff 1:20 AM [+] ::
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