thank god it's over

As is probably obvious, I've been auditioning NYC as a possible future residence. Rebbie, my host, says that it seems to wear down Californians after a few years, but it's worth doing for a while for the adventure. Indeed. I already feel worn down. The city has been so weird recently it wouldn't be fair to even count my experiences. All the sound arts spaces I know of were closed for August, so I didn't see/ hear them. And the town has been a police state. And errily empty. I was at Times Square at 1:30 or 2:00 AM several days ago and it was nearly deserted! The Republicans want to capitalize on 9/11 and ironically, their presence is recreating the kind of odd emptiness and economic lull that 9/11 caused. If nobody wants to go out, nobody is shopping. Buisinesses are loding money (except in the Hamptons) and everything feels strange.

My freind Allen thinks that this might be just the beginning and they want to continue this kind of police presence, but there's no way the city can afford it. The cops, who have been out for sixteen hour and longer days in the newly invented "orange plus" security alert level are working without a contract. They had a little protest about this and were put into a protest pen. The irony.

I went to many demonstartions, of which I will post details later (but check out Ethnically Ambiguous for Cola's account). Last night, Cola and I were riding the subway home late last night. I was holding a "Stop Racism NOW" sign, of the kind clearly made by the National Organization for Women. Very mainstream. I was being a bit less radical for the evening, as fear of arrest is too much for me after a while. And NOW-NYC is awesome. Anyway, I was holding a very mainstream sign and walking to a transfer point under Times Square. These three fat, old white men in suits, carrying red schwag leer at us (especially Cola) and say "Fuck Bush. huh huh" like Beavis and Butthead. I was momentarily confused. Then they leered and said "Fuck Bush" again and laughed like they were much smarter than anyone on earth and were entiteled to own the entire world. Have you seen that video of the kids dressed as republican gangsters, saying "fuck new york. when we want something, we take it."? yeah. I know some republicans and they're good people. But they should know that that the delegates, bigwigs and schwag- infested billionaries they send out to do the work of democracy are smug bastards who feel entitled to hassle any woman they see. I felt dirty afterwards. I wanted to break their kneecaps or take a shower.

and then, when I got the platform, theere was another Republican, but he was by himself and didn't have any of his rush-limbuagh-says-women-enjoy-sexiual-harassment-so-we're-doing-them-a-favor (true claim!) friends with him and was obviously extremely nervous and frightened. He had a police escort. But he was scared to be on the platform. Not so touch wihtout yer friends, are you? Except for the 20 or so cops in the station and the sageant following you around to make sure you're ok. Maybe he's a girlie-man?

The more I think of those smug, self-satisfied, overly-entitled bastards drawing out the words "fuck bush," sexualizing it, at me, the more angry I get. And if I had ylled at them, I think I would have been arrested.