along the border

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keep in mind as you watch this that it is filmed ENTIRELY within the U.S.. we NEVER crossed an international border.

it is a sad state of affairs that we are not allowed free passage within the united states. there are checkpoints in every state as you cross the country that daily violate our constitutional rights with random searches. along the border the department of homeland security has taken to spying on citizens, and downright harassment of populations of color by the border patrol.

the border is a conundrum. division suppresses us all. but if we erase borders and rise up and demand a living wage, are we creating a global government that represents nobody. would it be worse? i mean, we humans are an ugly lot, and prove me wrong, but it seems there will always be those who would subjugate others to their will. no matter how sadistic. in fact the worst of the worst will always scratch their way to the top. isn't that anarchy? really?

we are already there.

Mobile Broadcast News First Micro-Cast

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We held our first Micro-Cast on Sunday the 15th in Slab City.
Micro-Cast is an outdoor screening of our independent media in underserved communities. This first Micro-Cast went off without a hitch! we had about 15 Slabbers in attendance, many of whom have little or no access to the outside world unless they go into town and use the public library.

The library in Niland is really a small store front that is open only on Tuesdays and Thusdays for about 5 hours. And, the edict justcame down that the library will NO LONGER be available to people who want to bring in their lap tops and use the free WIFI there.

This is MANY Slabbers ONLY connection to the world outside of this four mile radius, and the Slabbers are righteously pissed. I was encouraging them to go to city council meetings and such, but the reality is that many of the Slabbers are not really living on the same time space continuum as the rest of the world, and CANNOT utilize the "proper channels", 'cause they can no longer access the internet.

So, if you are so inclined, i encourage you to call and write the Imperial County Library Staff, and the Imperial County Board of Supervisors and encourage them to support education, and connectivity, by keeping their library open and available to everyone, including use of the internet!

Imperial County Free Library staff at 339-6460

and

Imperial County Board of Supervisors

District 1 Victor Carrillo 760-482-4309 & 760-357-5476

District 2 Jack Terrazas 760-482-4306 & 760-337-1142

District 3 Michael W Kelley 760-355-2042 & 760-482-4308

District 4 Gary Wyatt 760-344-2181 & 760-482-4613

District 5 Wally Leimgruber 760-356-2639 & 760-482-4305

the ahhhhmenities!

after spending the last month in the "slabs", i finally got a real shower last night!
you might say that not having a real shower for a month is gross. and you would be right. but in the slabs there is running water, a la geothermal hot wells, but it ain't that clean. the cleanest you get is showering in the culvert downstream, with volunteer maintained bio-remediation pools with cattails and fish etc to clean the water pretty good. well, it still smells a little funky, and it gives you dreadlocks as you can see in this lovely photo.

but the slabs are really great, and i recommend a trip out there for anyone who can poop in the bushes, or has an RV. there is tons to do, and it is a great place to chill out and get with the natural rhythms of the day, like going to bed when it's dark and cold. we've had alot of time without electricity, heat, water, and all that jazz, and let me tell you, sitting in this cheap hotel is feeling pretty damn luxuriant. but i digress...

the slabs are a decommissioned military base near niland california. at some point in the sixties the tore the base down to the slabs except for a couple of defunct water tanks it is gone. being federal land it falls into a classification where you can camp there indefinitely, and many people do. the chocolate mountain gunnery range forms the nearest border, so there is plenty of bombing, which surprisingly becomes background noise at a certain point. it's a trip on the slabs.

the folks are friendly and highly social. we got invited to join two clubs on our first day out there. i am not a joiner, but i would consider membership. they make some great omelets at the oasis club for 3 bucks, but if they invite you to play scrabble, be prepared to lose. these guys have scrabble pretty much nailed down. we made alot of friends on the slabs, lots of visitors, lots of fun.

but as i sit here in calexico, just walking distance from the border, in this warm hotel room, with all this electricity, so i can even start to think about getting back to work (gotta thaw out the brain) i can see how some people never leave the slabs. you are completely cut off in a way. something insular and warm about shutting out the outside world and getting off grid, even without the actual heat.

more to come as the brain thaws and batteries charge!
xoxox
skinnychef

gopher flats, slab city

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well, happy valentines day everybody! isn't love grand??? hmmmm...

anyway, Flux and i went with jim and rene and had a great time golfing at gopher flats out in slab city. it is a really fun golf course, and this being my first time, i am not sure, but it looked a little dry.

music by airracket

The Tomato Festival

We were in ANOTHER parade yesterday!!!
The Niland Tomato Festival! Apparently Niland used to be some kind of tomato capitol. Who knew.

The 32nd Occasional Doo Dah Parade

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Pasadena, CA
Featuring some of the greats of Doo Dah!
Count Smokula, Roobie, Uncle Fester, the Fabulous Furries, Queen Skittles, the Disco Drill Team, and of course, the REAL queen-- Erica Valentine!
Enjoy!

All the Doo Dah Day!!!

Yesterday was the 32nd occasional Doo Dah Parade in Old Town Pasadena, CA. The Mobile Broadcast News team (me and Flux) was there in force supporting the REAL queen of Doo Dah, Erica Valentine.
Here is a snippet of the live broadcast. I will be editing the footage of the parade and posting it as soon as possible, so in the meantime enjoy the formerly live broadcast on Ustream!

Free video chat by Ustream

Malibu Sunset

Last week we had a beautiful vacation in Malibu. We had the Howling Wolf Full Moon Bonfire and were joined by some heavy hitters and old friends...lovely! Here's a beautiful sunset you can share with us. We live broadcast it (and are planning to live broadcast the parade on Sunday, too...)


Live Videos by Ustream

well seasoned greetings

We are having a lovely xmas in Slab City here by the Salton Sea! Hot springs, snowbirds, a great view of the prison. Apparently there was a Xmas cease fire, because they aren't bombing the shit of the chocolate mountains yet... give 'em a coupla hours...it's the 26th.

anyway, the flies aren't too bad, and you can only smell the CAFO's and the sea when the wind blows! hahahha!
happy holidays!

xoxoxo
skinnychef

on the road again!

well, thanks to the support of the community, and some good old fashioned elbow grease, skinnychef has got the new roof on the house and is back on the road!!! we are headed west. follow the travels on the map on the side bar!
more original videos to come!!!!
yay!
thanks for all of your support!!!!
xoxoxox
skinnychef

The PAD WINS!!!!!!!

Hooray! the people of thailand have succeeded in their peaceful stoppage of commerce in the country! the PAD has persevered and acheived their goal!

here's part two of the story...



bbc makes their opinion fairly evident with their corporatist spin.

and the AP, who, however, are the ONLY ones reporting the fifty explosions...



congratulanins and thanks to the PAD for showing us all how it's done!
great stuff!

Bangkok protests are highly effective

wow! these guys really now how to do it! they have crippled the airports and taken the prime ministers office for DAYS now! really great show of peaceful dissent by the PAD. they are trying to unseat the Thai PM who was put into office under martial law during the coup d'etat of 2006.

Thai Coup Anniversary from NTDTV on Vimeo.

here are the protesters taking the airport



a successful blockade such as this will inconvenience some people, but that is the point, isn't it.


and because they've taken a public place full of international visitors there will be no military solution in the military state of thailand!


hooray! power to the people!