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News From Elsewhere (13 unread)

Protestant, Catholic and Jewish Clergy Speak Out Against The War On DrugsCommon Sense for Drug Policy RSS Feed

Posted: March 31st, 2008, 8:10am EDT by Doug McVay

Common Sense for Drug Policy Chairman Mike Gray, an author and film maker, in cooperation with the Interfaith Drug Policy Initiative, has created a documentary titled "Protestant, Catholic and Jewish Clergy Speak Out Against The War On Drugs."
Al Jaffee profile in NY TimesBoing Boing

Posted: March 30th, 2008, 12:10pm EDT by Mark Frauenfelder

The New York Times has a loving profile of Mad magazine idiot gang member, Al Jaffee, who at age 87, recently completed his 400th Mad Fold-in!
“When he brings in fold-ins now, a lot of times, it’s, ‘Geez, this guy’s painting better than ever,’ ” said John Ficarra, Mad’s editor.
And Sam Viviano, the art director, seems in awe of Mr. Jaffee’s old-school technique. “I think part of the brilliance of the fold-in is lost on younger generations who are so used to Photoshop and being able to do stuff like that on the computer,” he said. “It’s matching the colors and keeping the sense of what exists at two levels, the original image and the folded-in image. We’ve never actually known anyone else who could do that.”
Mr. Jaffee does have a computer, but its main benefit, he said, has been to make the typographic tricks in the fold-in easier to create. He doesn’t draw with it, which leads to another surprise: the master of the fold-in never actually folds.
“I’m working on a hard, flat board,” he said. “I cannot fold it. That’s why my planning has to be so correct.”
“The computer would make it so much simpler,” he added. “But I think I’m going to remain a dinosaur.”
Link | Interactive Fold-In gallery (Thanks, Coop!)
Journey + Heart + Cheap Trick at Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View on 27 Sep 2008Last.fm Events - System Recommendations For PhineasFoo

Posted: March 28th, 2008, 3:44am EDT by (author unknown)

Location: 1 Amphitheatre Pkwy, Mountain View 94043, United States
Soldiers Sound Off with Latrine GraffitiNPR Programs: The Bryant Park Project

Posted: March 27th, 2008, 8:49am EDT by (author unknown)

While on assignment in Afghanistan, Steve Featherstone began taking pictures of latrine walls at an airbase in Kuwait, not far from the border with Iraq. The images, he says, are a rare glimpse into the minds of U.S. soldiers.

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Coop's paintbloggingBoing Boing

Posted: March 26th, 2008, 3:42pm EDT by Mark Frauenfelder

The supremely talented Coop is working on a new painting, and he's letting his blog readers in on his work process and thoughts. Fascinating stuff. I wish more artists would do this.
This painting has been a particularly strange beast, fighting me every step of the way, and revealing itself in unexpected ways. It is now almost completely different in composition that the day I started to apply paint to canvas, one of the major surprises being the most recent step. The line art that first became a stencil, then this Napthol Crimson overlay, was not part of the original plan at all. Strangest of all, it wasn't until I drew the original drawing of "Lil' Mort," that I realized what the subject of the painting was in the first place. When I realized that it was what it was, everything else fell into place. I felt like a safe cracker, listening through a stethoscope as the tumblers fell behind the steel door, locks clanking open to reveal... what exactly? I still don't know. This painting isn't finished yet, though everyone who has seen it so far seems to think that it is complete. I still have at least two major steps to go, one of which will completely change the way the painting looks right now.
Weird, huh? Strange as it might sound, this is all part and parcel of the creative process, and after 20+ years of doing this for a living, it is the only part that still excites me.
Link
Barack Obama Speaking About Medical MarijuanaCommon Sense for Drug Policy RSS Feed

Posted: March 24th, 2008, 4:30am EDT by Doug McVay

Barack Obama, asked by the Medford, OR Mail-Tribune about his position on medical marijuana, specifically regarding state laws allowing access and whether the federal government should interfere with these laws, responded: "I'm not going to be using Justice Department resources to try to circumvent state laws on this issue."
US Congressman Barney Frank To Introduce Marijuana Decriminalization BillCommon Sense for Drug Policy RSS Feed

Posted: March 23rd, 2008, 6:45am EDT by Doug McVay

US Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) is to introduce legislation to decriminalize marijuana possession. Rep. Frank made the announcement on national TV late Friday March 21.
Yes at Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View on 19 Aug 2008Last.fm Events - System Recommendations For PhineasFoo

Posted: March 22nd, 2008, 8:15pm EDT by (author unknown)

Location: 1 Amphitheatre Pkwy, Mountain View 94043, United States
Lost state of Jefferson ... still has its supportersBreaking News

Posted: March 18th, 2008, 8:15pm EDT by (author unknown)

Source: AP (3-17-08)
YREKA, Calif. - In extreme Northern California, far from the bright lights of Hollywood and the foggy charms of San Francisco, is a place unknown to most people: a handful of counties that once sought to make themselves into a separate state called Jefferson.

The idea lasted only a few days in 1941 before it was quashed by the attack on Pearl Harbor. But for a few who remember its history, the movement embodies the mindset of this sparsely populated country that still longs for more autonomy.

"We've always fostered an independent streak up here," said Pete LaFortune, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce in Yreka (pronounced why-REEK-ah), about 270 miles north of San Francisco.

More than six decades later, many residents of the mountainous region along the California-Oregon border continue to complain that their concerns are overlooked and undervalued by decision makers in more populated areas.

The State of Jefferson began as part publicity stunt, part political gesture. Even today, the movement is made up of tourist-friendly whimsy intertwined with more serious themes of discontent.
Pulp and Archie détournementBoing Boing

Posted: March 14th, 2008, 1:47pm EDT by Mark Frauenfelder

Here's a clever détournement using panels from Archie comics and the lyrics from Pulp's Common People.
It reminds me a little bit of Graham Rawle's brilliant novel written from snippets of vintage women's magazines, Woman's World.
Link (Thanks, Moe!)
Big changes at Tunnel View today.Yosemite Blog

Posted: March 14th, 2008, 2:23am EDT by Edie

Well, I missed it. I wish I could have been at Tunnel View today to photograph the historic moment, but I wasn’t. They cut three large ponderosa pines down that have been blocking the view for many years.

All that is left are the stumps, and for now, the lingering scent of pine sap.

Those old behemoths were handsome in their own way, yes, but my gods, the view now is stunning. I made a point of taking a picture from each block along the low wall.

According to one bystander there tonight, an “environmentalist was p*ssed off* about the felling of the trees.

There is now much more elbow room at the wall.

—

For some reason comments aren’t working and I’m getting a ton of them emailed to me on this article so I’ll post a few here until they’re back up and running. If you have a comment please send it to me: loyd@yosemiteblog.com and I’ll get it up as soon as possible.

Bodieangels wrote in: “Well, I am happy that you think this is progress
I personally side with John Muir and think that the (old behemoth) trees should have been Regally left to live and grow!
Photographically, the branches of the tree were wonderful to frame an image and give perspective.
But, let’s not stop the powers that be destroy that which they are charged with preserving….
a “very sad day” indeed….
Stay tuned, more of your forest to be destroyed soon….
on purpose by man……
God knows……Yosemite was made a National Parkfor it’s Elbow Room….and Stumps!!!”

Loyd comments: “Personally I think if you’re a photographer and you cut down a tree just so you can take a photo then you need to put the camera down and do something else. There are plenty of other places that can and do yield much more interesting (and less copied) photographs within 1/2 mile. It just take a little more effort than walking 10 feet from your car.”

John Kirby: “Cathedral Rocks are blocking my view of Half Dome. Please remove them.”

Edie replied: “I tried to present a balanced view of the tree removal at Tunnel View. I’m not keen that they were removed without any public discourse on them. With the exception of one, they were healthy trees, handsome in their own right.

Tunnel view is very accessible, a perfect place for a stunning view for those who aren’t able to climb the 1.3 miles up to Artist’s Point. But there are no curb-cuts for wheelchair access. That REALLY bothers me. Yes, there are the busloads of power-tourist, folks who drive hundreds of miles, get out and take pictures, and then get back on the bus to head to the next vista, several hours away. That really bothers me. However, I can’t regulate other’s behavior, any more that I want to be told to get out of the way because I’ve had my allotted amount of time at the wall.

This was done by fiat. I would love to know who decided it needed to be done, and who authorized it. Historic, my ass. Yosemite changes on a daily basis. Are they going to try to put the recent rockfall back up on the wall because it historically belongs up there?

With the arrival of the white folks, things changed dramatically. The valley became overgrown with brush, marshes were drained to make way for cattle and to reduce mosquitos. Trees sprung up in ancient meadows.

The Miwok people used to burn the valley floor every few years to reduce brush in order to hunt deer better. They too changed the valley. This isn’t a white vs. native debate. This is a human vs. nature debate. We’ve all changed the valley.

I do know this: When trees grow too close, disease risk increases. Fires are much worse when the brush is thick beneath canopy. They’ve let this forest go too long, and when they set fires the damage is much greater than they can control. The likelihood of a conflagration is higher now because of the partially burned woods along southside drive.

Culling trees by hand may be the only way to restore the forest health. I’m not sure about that, though; wood cutting has an enormous impact on the soil.

As for putting the wood to good use, the best use for the fallen trees is to let them return to the earth that nurtured them. Removing them from the valley for commercial use robs this ecosystem of the nutrients that went into the growth of the tree. I’d rather that the log be chipped and spread on the floor.”
McCain's Spiritual Guide: Destroy IslamMotherJones.com

Posted: March 12th, 2008, 3:00am EDT by (author unknown)

Televangelist Rod Parsley, a key McCain ally in Ohio, has called for eradicating the "false religion." Will the GOP presidential candidate renounce him?
New Study Shows One Adult For Every One Hundred Is Behind Bars In USCommon Sense for Drug Policy RSS Feed

Posted: March 3rd, 2008, 8:45am EST by Jennifer Janichek

Another study has been released demonstrating the absurd number of individuals incarcerated in the United States.