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[Environment]
Keep San Diego Green
By Christie Bartlett
of sandiegolovesgreen.com
The days are longer, school is out and we find ourselves
spending more time outside. Whether it’s playing with
our dogs at OB dog beach, hiking up Cowles Mt., body
surfing at Moonlight Beach, or walking and biking
through our many diverse neighborhoods there are many
ways we spend our summer days outside.
Above: enjoying hookah in La Jolla / 92037, photo by Paul Burlingame.
[Book Review]
La Jolla / 92037 by Olivier Dalle
with photos by Paul Burlingame,
from En Ville Publishing,
envillepublishing.com
Review by Robert Shamlin
An amazing book about an amazing place. The team of French writer
Olivier Dalle and photographer
Paul Burlingame have hit on a fine
concept of highlighting the various
qualities that make La Jolla the ritzy
seaside bedroom community it is, the
San Diegan jewel that was named
by the Spaniards for a “Hoya” - a
hole - which could be referring to the
sea caves along theh cliffs or, just as
likely, the valley behind The Shores.
For a town so rich in history the book
could get into the sordid background
of the community a bit... Nary a mention of the infamous La Jollans, the
crooks, criminals and murderers, or
how it was a white-only “covenant”
real estate development for much of
its history until Jonas Salk expressed
his desire to settle there and the University of California system wanted
to plant it’s San Diego institution on
the high bluffs overlooking La Jolla
Shores. Only then the waspy ranks
begin to show signs of cracking when
it came to land ownership. Then of
course when Shah of Iran fell and
all his wealthy oil buddies needed a
place to relocate to La Jolla was on
their list. That was a culture shock
to the surfers at the Shores. But like
[New Music]
T.S. Brooks Reacclimator
Self-Released, 2011
Reviewed by Kent Manthie
[Recorded between January and
February, 2011, in sunny San
Diego, CA, at the House of Plenty.
New songs, like ‘Spiral anymore’
and ‘When you sleep’ blend well
with hitherto unrecorded live
favorites ‘Ribbon’ and ‘Kelly in se.’
Quite raw, quite sparse, quite real;
and only available digitally (until
further notice). ~ From the artist’s
download page. Editor]
Out of the blue I was just turned on
to this troubadour, T.S. Brooks, a
native of San Diego who is currently
living it up in Berlin with his German wife and new child. The album
that has turned me on to him is his
latest, Reacclimator, which is his
third album under his real name.
I don’t know how I could’ve missed
him, as eclectic and being the lowfi, neo-folk, singer-songwriter in
the tradition of geniuses past such
as Nick Drake, Tim Buckley and
Robyn Hitchcock. But, hey, better
late then never!
For the past 11-12 years, Brooks
has been recording records under
the nom de plume, Minmae, as well
as many single releases, collaborations with other like-minded bands/
artists as well as contributions to
various compilation CDs. Also,
during his time as Minmae he did
a LOT of touring – criss-crossing
North America five times as well
as a multitude of gigs up and down
the East & West Coasts as well as
the occasional turn at some music
festival, e.g., SXSW & CMJ. Reacclimator, as was mentioned, is his
third “solo” (?) album, a follow-up
to The Spanish Years which has
been in record industry limbo for
some time now, but for you needto-hear mavens who love to hear the
freshest, idiosyncratic indie workmanship, you can get it at myspace.
com/tsbrooks.
Brooks’s first album as T.S. Brooks,
Tertiary Allotment is a Delightfulness was released on San Francisco’s Snowstorm music last year
(2010) and it made its way around
the country through that wondrous,
almost-magical thing called wordof-mouth that is so crucial to getting
one’s indie gems to the ears of
people who know where to look for
such hip, new stuff and it’s helped
build up a cult-following for Brooks.
SanDiegoReviewer.com
all strong communities La Jolla has
weathered the changes well and become a pretty diverse and accepting
place. The La Jollans will allow just
about anyone to buy into their town
now, as long as that someone has a
lot of money. Read more at envillepublishing.com. Buy this book at
Warwick’s, phone 858-454-0347.
The main groove running through
the veins of Brooks’s work is its
sparseness: on Reacclimator all
the songs are just Brooks singing
and playing acoustic guitar. But the
feeling one gets from listening to
these introspective, heart-felt tunes
makes the quiet, folksy, almost Neil
Young-like creativity, seem gigantic
in its thoughtfulness and soul-baring
nakedness.
We enjoy these activities not only because the weather is
great here but also because the water is relatively clean,
the trails and parks are easily accessible and we can
breathe the clean air effortlessly. Our wonderful environment is possible with considerable effort. With over 3
million people in San Diego County it is becoming more
challenging to maintain clean, natural open spaces we
can all enjoy without long term consequences.
We have an obligation to keep our beaches, parks, trails
and neighborhoods clean and accessible not just for
ourselves but also for our children’s future. Our communities do not clean themselves and we can’t rely on
the notion that it is someone else’s job to help keep San
Diego clean and healthy.
This message spoke clearly to me today when I sat in my
office looking out my window watching people eat their
lunch in the small urban park across from my window.
This area was created specifically for local office workers
to enjoy on their lunch hour. There are a few benches and
trash cans available and the landscaping is beautiful and
well maintained.
I noticed a silver diet soda can lying on the ground near
one of the benches. The sunlight made it particularly
shiny and I watched throughout the lunch hour at least
six people walk right past this can and not take the effort
to simply bend over & pick it up and put it in the trash
can nearby. Lastly, a young woman walked by it but then
stopped after a few feet and turned around and went back
to pick it up and throw it into the trash can. It was interesting to see that it didn’t automatically register for her
when she first saw the can to pick it up but she couldn’t
just walk away from it either.
Continued on back page...
Of the eight songs on Reacclimator,
it’s impossible to pick one or two
out and say that they are the best,
when each one is a creative opus in
itself; it’s definitely an album that
is meant to be listened to all at one
sitting, though not a concept album
in any obvious way. But a couple
tunes worth mentioning, just for one
to pick up a good feel of where he’s
coming from include: “Angel On a
Pin”, “California Grass” and “Lori
to the Nines”.
T.S. Brooks should definitely be
heard by those who cried when Elliott Smith snuffed it, who get lost in
some of the lush beautiful acoustic
melodies of Neil Young or love
the low-fi bigness of Lou Barlow’s
superb songwriting, whether with
Sebadoh or the too-short-lived Folk
Implosion. Brooks is just that good,
captivating and should be heard.
-KM
p.o. box 87069, SD CA 92138
ph. 858-779-4355
[email protected]
The San Diego
REVIEWER
Magazine
“Local to San Diego since 1996!”
San Diego Reviewer p.o. box 87069, san diego, ca 92138
Mail your review submissions, CDs, books, DVDs, fan mail, love letters, threats, cheery suggestions, resumes & applications for employment.
Contact the editor by email at [email protected]
Phone: 858-779-4355
SanDiegoReviewer.com
Features Editor: RS - Robert Shamlin
Society & Advice: PA - Polly Amiry
KM - Kent Manthie
Crime Desk: BY - Bob Yunger
JW - Jessica Wright
EM - Elmer McCurty Circulation: Family Dog Distribution
Advertising: [email protected]
Writers & Contributors In This Issue:
RR - Reviewer Rob
TC - Tynan Clark
MN - My Nguyen
Heraldry for the Revolution
As Described By Bob Yunger
So the Teaparty got their wish
and slammed down the American
economy because they would not
“compromise” and raise any taxes
on anyone even the most wealthy
and they also wanted to reduce
entitlements so the poor and the
minorities wouldn’t get any money they don’t think they worked
for (why should we have to pay
for the poor, right?). But who are
they Teapartyers? They seem to
have just popped up on the politi-
cal scene in 2009 as a platform for
resigned Alaskan Governor Sarah
Palin to be hard squawking on.
They’re mostly white, mostly
middle class, so they say. But who
do they represent, and who is really to benefit if they get their wish
to revolutionise the American po-
Issue 42, Summer, 2011. All contents printed herein are copyrighted © by Reviewer
Magazine and the respective authors and are protected by applicable laws. All contents,
reviews, images and articles are the opinions and products of the individual authors
and may not reflect that of Reviewer Magazine’s editor or the magazine as a whole. All
contents are for entertainment and educational purposes and are protected by Fair Use
statute, English Common Law, the law of the jungle and the First Amendment of the U.S.
Constitution which guarantees a free and uncensored press. God bless America. :D
The Recurring
Age of Fascism,
and its Politics of
Hate...
Is the Teaparty a harbinger
of a larger movement?
litical landscape,
as they have
already begun to
do? It would be
good if they could
at least come up
with some new
iconography
though. I mean,
the “Don’t Tread
On Me” flag?
Come on... And
using the name
“Teaparty”?
If these guys
party it’s with
Coors not tea.
Fascism, the radical, authoritarian nationalist political ideology, advocates the creation of
a totalitarian single-party state
that seeks the mass mobilization of a nation through indoctrination, physical education,
and family policy including
eugenics.
News reports
have been saying
that the Republicans, especially
the Teaparty in
the GOP, wanted
to “take an axe”
to entitlements in
the Washington
D.C. budget debates Maybe this
really is what
they meant.
The name
reminds
me of The
Minutemen
(remember
them?) who
got lots of
press before
the election
in 2008 by
being spotters for the Border
Patrol. Come on, guys. Be original, please. Why not appropriate
the Roman fasces symbol as a
Fascists seek to purge forces,
ideas, people, and systems
deemed to
be the cause
of decadence
and degeneration, and
to produce
their nation’s
rebirth based
on commitment to
the national
community
based on organic unity,
in which
individuals
are bound
together by
suprapersonal
connections
of ancestry,
culture, and
blood.
fear-inducing image of systemic
change? You know you want to.
It’s already in the American (preWWII) governmental landscape...
Aw, heck, go for it!
The term “fascism” comes
from fascismo which is derived
from the Latin word fasces.
The traditional Roman fasces
consisted of a bundle of rods
that were tied around an axe,
sometimes a two-bladed axe, or
a single blade protruding from
the bundle, and was an ancient
symbol of the authority of the
civic magistrate. They were
carried by his lictors and could
be used for corporal and capital
punishment at his command.
Capital
punishment
without
trial by jury:
probably the
most extreme
example of
a totalitarian state in
action.
The word
fascismo
also relates
to political
organizations in Italy
known as
fasci, groups
similar to
guilds or
syndicates.
(All this information is widely
know but it and most of the
images above were found on
Wikipedia listings... Check
them out yourself. ~Editor)
Are Tourism &
Conventions Going
To Be Enough For
San Diego?
Military budget cuts are
slated by Congress as a
way to bring the nation’s
deficit down. If that happens and more sailors and
troops leave America’s
Finest City the economy
here will take a greater
hit than it has since the
defense reductions of
the early 1990’s when
companies like General Dynamics shed its
thousands of jobs and left
town. This, coupled with
the decline in housing
values, will be hard on
San Diego. How can our
city be productive again?
Email your answers to the
[email protected].
SanDiegoReviewer.com
p.o. box 87069, SD CA 92138
Above: an actor at the San Diego ComiCon, 2011,
photographed by Dan Chusid.
ph. 858-779-4355
[email protected]
[Opinion]
The Politics of Pot
San Diego’s Fight For The Herb
By Kent Manthie
On Friday, May 27 severe new regulations were
slated to go into effect in the city of San Diego
– a de facto ban according to supporters of the
right of those who qualify and who continue to
suffer from various illnesses due to the asinine
politics of trying to overturn what California
voters passed in 1996 – the initiative that legalized the medicinal use of marijuana.
But – good news for anyone who cares about
the sanctity of elections and the rule of law and
not the whim of self-appointed kommissars
who think they can restrict and regulate what
individuals decide to do with or put into their
bodies: This unconstitutional action has been
suspended because (finally) people stood up
and organized by gathering 47,000 signatures
– enough to get a referendum on the ballot to
end the ban on medical cannabis in the city of
San Diego, according to the California Cannabis Coalition and Patient Care Association of
California.
“’We needed 32,000 signatures for the referendum to end the ban’, said Craig Beresh of
the California Cannabis Coalition right before
the initiative was filed”, according to an article
written by Mark G. Conlan on April 3, 2011.
Another poignant quote from that article was
voiced by PTSD sufferer and medical marijuana patient Michael Corbett: “’I don’t think you
should be taking the collectives from downtown,’ said medical marijuana patient Michael
Corbett. ‘I have to use public transportation
to get around, and it takes three and one-half
hours to get there [to an industrial zone] and
back. I’m a Viet Nam [sic] vet with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), chronic depression and arthritis. The medical marijuana helps
me quite a bit, especially with my sleep apnea.’
Corbett also warned that if medical marijuana
users have to travel long distances to obtain the
substance, criminals will target them. ‘I’ve had
people follow me and wait for me,’ he said. ‘If
[my dispensary] were in an industrial area, I’d
probably get jumped for my product.’”
The thing that will have all sorts of pot aficionados talking is that it was filed at 4:20 pm on
Friday, May 27 – get it? 4:20, you know, the
“magic number of pot”.
So the good news is that, pending the actual
outcome of the referendum, the so-called “ban”
which is really only a “ban” because overzealous, scared-of-feds SD officials refuse to honor
what has been California law for 15 years now.
Only in San Diego could this happen.
This is just one more reason to hate this
screwed up city. I, myself, would love to be
back in San Francisco, where the medical marijuana “industry” is and has been rolling along
without a hitch almost continuously since the
initiative was approved in 1996.
SanDiegoReviewer.com
One thing I don’t understand is why the
Obama administration hasn’t moved forward
and stopped this harassment of the legitimate
usage of marijuana by people who suffer immensely without it. These are cancer patients
who suffer devastating side effects of chemotherapy and radiation which suppresses their
appetite among many other things, as does
AIDS – AIDS patients have trouble holding
down food from being sick but mostly from
the harsh antiviral medications they are taking. But there are many other illnesses that
come under the banner of medical marijuana
like glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, major depression, asthma and others. I can see why the
evil Bush administration would care least of
all about these poor, sick and suffering people,
especially when he’s got so many corporate
donors to reward for monies donated (also
known as quid pro quos). But for Obama, the
so-called president of “change” and
“hope” to turn his back on these same
people and not step in with some sort
of executive order or whatnot, to stop
these state and municipal authoritarians from refusing to enforce a law that
was voted for as a ballot
initiative 15 years ago.
THERAPY 3rd. Saturday @ Til Two
4746 El Cajon Blvd. 92115
UNDERWORLD 4th Friday @ Kadan
4696 30th St. 92116
www.klubs.com 619 461 3825
Right now the best thing
that you, the average
person out there can do
is to bombard the San
Diego city council, your
congresspersons, senators and above all, bury
the White House and the
Justice Department with
emails demanding to stop
this usurping of the rights
of Californians – to put
initiatives on the ballot
and have a referendum
and stop standing in the
way when the people win.
The most important thing to do,
though, is to ORGANIZE!!!
If Americans, in general, just
sit back and take whatever the
government does – say, pass the
totally unconstitutional PATRIOT
ACT – a real horror show if there
ever was one, then these elected
officials will keep on doing only
what the lobbyists and their
campaign contributors ask them
to do. If you, the man/woman on
the street doesn’t get out there and
protest, send letter after letter after
letter and be very vociferous, then
don’t expect this country to get
anything except worse and worse.
As it is, America is a dying
concept, a once great nation that
used to be run by its people but is
now controlled by multinational
corporations, huge conglomerates
that don’t give a damn about you
or your sick neighbor.
PS: to read the full legal
ordinance that regulates
the legalized medical
marijuana ordinance, go
to: www.americansforsafeaccess.org for the 13 page
legal document
-KM
:::
The Opinions expressed
in this article are solely
those of the writer and do
not reflect what may or
may not be the opinions of
the publisher or editor of
Reviewer. ~Editor
p.o. box 87069, SD CA 92138
ph. 858-779-4355
[email protected]
[Film]
and a keen dedication to disheveled fitness.
Trantastic
Phil Thea is the “Not a Faggot” but
rather a self proclaimed “Goddess”. This persona is every bit
serial killer with a little dog meets
Drug Store Cowboy, minus the hot
leading man and meds. His stance
seems to be the least offensive of
the wig wearing wonders. With a
je’n a sais quoi that teeters on an
80’s VHS video made in a NYC
basement, Phil remains nice and
grainy.
released 2011
from scumbagmovies.com
directed by Brandon Gadow
with music by Damn Laser Vampires, ∆AIMON, Paul Rey, The
Jim Rowdy Show, Uncle Butcher
indy movie review
by Anjela Piccard
There is point when introductory
visuals actually take the cake. In
this case it’s more like a barrage of
lipstick over candles. With vintage
flair wrestling alongside creatures
of the night styling, this art film
is offbeat sarcasm that rings the
right bell. The crew of “straight
talkers” pushes the propaganda
of their 3 and on occasion 4 man
support group N.A.T.A.G. (Not
All Transvestites Are Gay). From
the beards to the bellies this band
of men in ladies clothing wobbly
walks you from one pair of cheap shoes
to a thought provoking enigma.
Chuck the married cat lady has a way
that is oddly lovable in its pure mess
form. His June Cleaver sense of elegance makes Dolly Pardon toilet seat
covers seem trailer charming. There is
Brandon the thin bottle of angst is
the sugar in the gas tank. His long
legs and even longer blond locks
are a far cry from a distraction as
he pushes his hostility. Even God
TV cannot begin to curb this arm
flailing funeral disruptor.
something about a large man in a kitty
cat necklace that is non-threatening, regardless of what slurs slip from smeared
lips.
Jesse the pink panty and cheetah print
wrapped church lady is one hairy bible
thumping pinup of questionability. However, he does seem to have the most taste
This film runs the full course from
camp to compelling. Each one of
these men is someone you might
actually know, or at the least were
warned about. With documentary tight
shots and candid conversation the message is petroleum jelly on the lens clear,
blurry yet entertaining. As for the score,
androgynous LA vampire throwbacks
and filth mongers alike will find it right
on point. To view the trailer visit www.
scrumbagmovies.com.
Amy Winehouse And The 27 Club
“The Saturn
Return”
By Silvia Mich
silviamick.com
of all the baggage you have to let go of,
in one way or the hard way, and, last but
absolutely not least, chronic and debilitating conditions and disorders in health.
We all experiment the “Saturn Return”
when this implacable planet returns to
the same zodiacal degree where it was
placed on our birth, and this happens
each 27-30 years, meaning that Saturn’s
Amy Winehouse, the English singersongwriter found dead last Saturday
in her London apartment, is the latest
musician to join the so-called “27
Club”. Occasionally known as the
“Forever 27 Club”, this group includes many rock stars and artists who
passed away at the age of 27 like Jimi
Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison
(followed by his 27-year-old girlfriend
Pamela Courson), Kurt Cobain, Brian
Jones, and Jean- Michel Basquiat, just
to name the most influential ones.
In astrology, Saturn is a stern planet, the
ruler of karma, of the past, of restriction,
Good news is that Saturn, as harsh as
he may seem, imposes his challenges
on you because he really wants you
to “come of age” and mature for real,
so he will never ask you to close ties
with your past without offering new
opportunities nor he will question
your patterns and habits unless you
need to revise them.
Saturn wants you to step up to who
you really are, to become responsible
of your own life, to let go of the old
patterns and re-emerge as a new,
stronger and much more aware individual in order to achieve results that
are going to last.
But what has made the 27-year mark
so tragic in all these people’s life?
Maybe, looking back to your own life,
or at your current life, if you’re aged
between 27/28 and 29/30, you realize
that something life- altering happened
to you as well, or is in the process of
happening right now, and hopefully is
not nearly as devastating.
This is usually the effect of what in astrology is called “Saturn Return” – you
may have heard of this phenomenon in
the documentary Hit So Hard: The Life
and Near-Death Story of Drummer Patty
Schemel, which describes the struggle of
Hole drummer against a life-long drug
addiction that almost felled her at age
– you guess it! – yes, 27. Original Hole
bass guitarist, Kristen Pfaff, was found
dead at the same age.
self-image and the hard work required to
reconstruct it; you may have to part for
good from all that is not 100% necessary in your life anymore; your life path
may change completely; and you may
feel pressed and stressed, and ight in the
middle of what the world usually calls
“Age Thirty Crisis”.
very first return happens when we reach
our late twenties-early thirties, depending on his position in your personal
chart.
Each Saturn Return marks a season of
life, and rest assured that this authoritative planet won’t let you get away with
the lessons you will have to learn: in particularly, the first Saturn Return happens
right during the transition from Youth
to Maturity so you may experience
relationships falling apart; you may have
to deal with the deconstruction of your
What if you are unprepared to face all
this life-altering changes in your own
life? And what if you cannot let go of
your destructive ways/useless habits?
It can be a time of great suffering, as
the pressure and the struggle to give
your life that meaning and structure
you have to achieve may be accompanied by the defeating sensation that
you’re never going to make it, and you’ll
never be able to live up to Saturn’s high
expectations of you and your life.
[Health and Beauty]
Skin Care
by Michelle Nachtigall
Ahhhh, Summer, a magical time filled
with trips to the beach and booze infused
nights on the patio. It’s also a time when we
can relax a bit and take a laid back approach
to beauty. Ladies, this is NOT the time to
be fussing with your hair or worrying about
meticulously applied makeup. But what you
DO need to worry about is sun protection.
We all know a tan looks great, but do you
REALLY want to look like an old baseball
mitt when you’re 50? NO! If you decide to
bake in the sun despite my warning you will
rue the day, trust me. Even Sun Goddess
Christie Brinkley admitted she wished she’d
practiced safe sun like the creamy complected Scarlett Johansson likely does today.
Not to mention the risk of skin cancer. But
if vanity is what it takes to get you to slather
on the SPF, then so be it.
I highly recommend anything made by
Neutrogena. Their sunscreens contain the
patented ingredient Helioplex, which is
a more stable form of sun protection. If
you’re worried about greasiness, try Ultra
Sheer Liquid Daily Sunblock, which works
well under makeup.
I’m not much of a fake baker, but I had a
chance to try Avon’s Satin Glow Absolute
Glow Gel, and I was very impressed. My
pasty legs have a realistic looking glow, and
the light, refreshing gel also helps reduce
the appearance of hair, and firms the skin
with regular use, all while hydrating without
the heaviness of a cream.
Summer tends to take a toll on hair, with
sun damage, heat, frizziness, chlorine, etc,
not to mention those mandatory highlights,
but Nexxus thankfully came out with a
great new line of haircare, the Pro-Mend
line, which uses negative and positive ions
to bond split ends together. Pro-Mend Split
End Binding Overnight Treatment Creme,
which claims to “bind 94% of split ends
back together and dramatically strengthens
against future splits”, is a breakthrough
product that gave me noticably smoother
hair. And you only have to use it once or
twice a week before bed on damp or dry
hair to really see a difference.
One more beauty tip - very important STAY HYDRATED! Sun plus booze, not
good for your looks. Have a safe, happy
summer, and don’t forget to thank me in 20
years, when you’re still getting carded at the
bar.
Below, the writer of the article,
Michelle, displays her pale complexion skin-care credentials.
Knowing Saturn placement in your
horoscope is essential to know how this
planet will influence and alter your life.
Regardless of that, after this rough but
essential transition time, rest assured that
you will never be the same again. Plant
good seeds, and you’ll be sowing a great
crop.
Photo above: Amy Winehouse in performance during a relatively sober moment,
from her Wikipedia listing.
SanDiegoReviewer.com
p.o. box 87069, SD CA 92138
ph. 858-779-4355
[email protected]
The Skinny on Fashion
“Dangerously skinny models endanger both themselves and others.”
By Bridgett Rangel-Rexford
Young models are chasing an impossible
dream to fit the requirements of fashion
designers at both the local level and high
fashion level. As a curvy Mexican woman
aspiring to model in San Diego, it was difficult for me to find work. Two years ago
when I was 20, my weight was 135, and I
had a 38in bust, 31in waist and 38 in hips.
I may have been the perfect pin up model,
but I could not find work anywhere else.
For example, a local San Diego fashion
company asks for models that are at least
5 7’’ with measurements no greater than
31-25-35. Even if I had starved myself,
my ribs would not allow me to fit the demands of the clothing maker. While some
girls are naturally this tiny, most are not. It
is said the average healthy waist size has
grown six inches since the 1950s and we
are only getting bigger frames.
The Skinny on Fashion
Dangerously skinny models endanger both
themselves and others. Models with anorexia often suffer from malnutrition, with
symptoms ranging from “thinning hair,
dry skin, and brittle nails” to “lower than
normal body temperature”1. Models who
become bulimic can suffer from “swollen
salivary glands”, “loose skin”, and “tooth
decay”, all of this in addition to symptoms
caused by malnutrition.2 While the physical harm that these models face is reason
enough to be concerned, their health is
only the tip of the iceberg. For every
model who essentially tortures herself for
a photo-shoot or runway, there are too
many women of every age and ethnicity
who witness this pain. Many will at least
intuitively understand that the figures seen
are impossible, but the increase of eating
disorders amongst American females
show that there are enough women who
have sadly come to the conclusion that
these walking coat-hangers are not just
acceptable, but imitable.
To be fair, there will always be some
women who have slim and / or petite
figures. At the same time that Marilyn
SanDiegoReviewer.com
Monroe was making curves sexy, Audrey
Hepburn showed that famous icons can
be naturally slender as well. Both actresses were viewed as “beautiful” in their
own way, and both complemented their
looks with a wardrobe to match. Imagine if Marilyn Monroe starved herself
to such a point that she was able to lose
her curves and approach a frame more
similar to Audrey Hepburn. As ridiculous
as it sounds, a similar trend is lived out in
fashion houses across the country. There
will always be a few “Audrey Hepburn”
models, slender women who can serve as
“walking coat-hangers” without any harm
to themselves. But for every one of these
women, there are other models that starve
themselves in attempt to attain an impossible frame. So long as the fashion industry
universally requires a body that only a few
can naturally possess, this cycle of pain
will continue.
There is a fundamental difference in the
world of fashion between high fashion and
“mainstream” clothing that helps explain
why models are doing as they do. When
Merona by Target releases a new line of
affordable clothing, the goal is straightforward: make a large amount of money.
This obvious goal of a large corporation
leads to another basic principle: in order
to make the most money, the clothes need
to be sold to as many people as possible. A
Target clothes catalogue will show models
that seem perfectly “average” in appearance; physically fit, but neither skinny nor
plus-sized. This tactic allows Target to
cast the largest net possible: the majority
of Americans will find that the clothes
fit them well. Contrast this “consensusbuilding” with a clothing line by Rodarte.
As designers of high-fashion, the Rodarte
sisters have a completely different goal: to
create clothing so distinct that those with
money to spend will insist on having the
latest creation. Rodarte does not need to
draw in audiences from many different
weight demographics. Rather, they deliberately choose to specialize in creating a
specific style of clothing that is best worn
by people with certain frames.
Above: three panels from Chrome Fetus #7, a book of comic art by Hans Rickheit.
Fashion Week so much that they actually
banned “size zero” models from their
show, causing a drop in model applications from the 300 typically seen to 68,
five of whom were disqualified for being
underweight. While not many other
fashion shows have taken as drastic of
measures, the case of Madrid shows that
there are ways to fight this abuse, even at
the highest levels.
Even at the individual level, there are
actions that we can take to help fight this
harmful chain. Although it may seem like
a fruitless act, boycotting brands that actively seek out size 0 models to advertise
their clothing sends a powerful message
that this kind of behavior will not be tolerated, especially as several fashion houses
have already committed to change. Even
making a conscious effort to be aware of
the models in the latest copy of Vogue or
a fashion catalogue can help make others
aware of just how widespread this health
pandemic has become and the need for
action.
Unfortunately, in the case of so many
high-fashion designers, they have
chosen “impossibly skinny” as the type,
and only hire models that can display the
clothing as such.
What will stop this atrocity from continuing? Perhaps the models themselves
can serve as warnings. It seems that the
actual deaths of models are the only
events traumatic enough to force the
fashion industry to take off its rose-colored glasses. A recent and tragic incident
occurred when two model sisters died
one after the other from causes highly
related to malnutrition in 2006 and 2007.
After walking a runway, Luisel Ramos
22, fainted on her way back to the dressing room and officially died of heart
failure. Her shockingly minimal diet
consisted of lettuce and diet coke. Not so
long later, her sister, Eliana Ramos, 18,
died of a heart attack while working for
a prestigious Argentinean fashion company.
Her diet
consisted of
apples
and tomatoes.
The
close
timeframe
of these
horrible
deaths
shocked
the organizers of
Madrid
p.o. box 87069, SD CA 92138
ph. 858-779-4355
[email protected]
[Live Music]
show review: D.O.A.
at The Shakedown Bar
June 19th, 2011
Review by Anjela Piccard (pictured at
right)
Photos by Katherine Sweetman
“D.O.A has agreed to give us an interview,” buzzed the text message on my less
than reliable and often dropped BlackBerry.
The only response I could muster was
“YES!” What followed were rambles of
“where the hell is that record?” Real-
izing why divorce is bad for a punk rock
dame, knowing the only answer is “my
first husband took the vinyl collection.”
Never mind the fact I had a mere thirty
minutes to transform from a scumbag
artist to a real live boiling vat of she acid
interviewer.
From there it was the longest ten-minute
car ride I had encountered since being
swiftly cuffed and carried into the back of
a San Diego’s finest last fall.
Arriving to The Shakedown Bar was like
riding my vintage Schwinn Hollywood
[New Music Review]
Blaze Eisner
An Unquiet Mind
Self-Released, 2011
blazeeisner1.bandcamp.com
Reviewed by Kent Manthie
Just came across this unique album by local guy, Blaze Eisner, entitled An Unquiet
Mind. The album was put together with no
in short shorts, it just felt right as rain.
For being the only punk venue you can
actually park your chopper in front of,
one would have to agree this may be the
closest thing to the notorious Fenders this
county may ever know. As I wiggled my
way through the front door at four o’clock
in the afternoon, managing to
shimmy onto a barstool for
my standard “make everyone
handsome” gin greyhound, I felt
genuinely tickled. You see punk
rock has a history, not unlike
sultry jazz. The similarity of
the two is much like that of its
audience, they understand angst
and pangs. For the American
punk movement, D.O.A was and
remains one of the most prolific
bands to introduce Hardcore.
Considering the band hails from
Vancouver Canada, one would have to respect the level of influence these pioneers
contributed to their craft.
It was a fair amount of time, a bowl of
pretzel sticks and another cocktail before
I caught a glimpse of the legend himself.
Within moments I was out the backdoor
testing the mic for the video segment of
the interview, all the while making the attempt to not completely blank out. When
you are standing before someone who
influenced not only your musical taste but
stance on lifestyle and politics, you tend to
quietly tremble.
label support, which, nowadays, is almost
irrelevant. It’s a project that was done with
two other people: Darla Hawn on drums
and Rick Sybrandy on bass, while Blaze
does the singing and plays guitar.
The seven songs on this release are all
written by Blaze Eisner, thus have a
personal touch to them. The album is a
laid-back, pop-ish set of tunes and I don’t
mean “pop” in a pejorative sense, but rather a broader type. I suppose if you found
this at a record store it would definitely
be tucked away in the “rock” section,
but of course, record stores have a pretty
limited number of genres they catalog for
their wares: there’s
“rock”, “country”,
“classical” and
maybe, if you’re
at a better one,
something else
like “new age” or
“spiritual”, etc.
But, at least for
now, don’t expect
to find this at your
local Sam Goody
store or even one
of the only two or
three indie stores
left in the San
Diego area.
The mellow, but
captivating tunes
“Joey Shithead, the
pleasure is all mine
darling”, made its way
from my lips. Thirty
years and numerous
bankrupt record labels
later, this band and its
antiracism message
carry on. You know
you are a true legend
when your country
deems December 21
each year D.O.A. day
while you are still alive.
On father’s day, this
father of sum three children and a loyal
wife is back on the road touring the states
and seems to be in talks of touring Europe
next year. Released and available as of
June 1st is his new book “Talk-Action=0”,
an illustrated history of D.O.A. There
is no definitive answer if he will
be recording with Jello Biafra
anytime soon, but this old DK
connoisseur is hopeful. If you are
not familiar with D.O.A., my firm
handed suggestion would be to
start with HardCore 81’.
With a wrap up and a few photos
for posterity, I was back inside
for what we were all there for, a
PUNK show. Seated lady proper at
the front of the stage, this was pure
energy in a hot tight space. As the
drums lit up, so stirred the heads and elbows out which define the frolic of the pit.
Before I knew it, we were down to the last
song. Quickly I pulled out my cherished
MAC ruby woo lipstick and scribbled
my song request feverishly. In a kung fu
a-go-go blink of an eye, I lifted the mic
stand and stuffed the paper beneath. To the
roar of the crowd, my brazen suggestion
of “Fucked Up Baby” was honored. For
this punk to the core dame, life comes full
circle. On occasion this circle finds you
between a pair of filmmaking twins and a
D.O.A. record.
Wonder who is next darling?
Photos for this review by Katherine
Sweetmen, from The Shakedown Bar,
3048 Midway Drive, San Diego, California 92110
For more information on the pioneer
punk band D.O.A. you can go to suddendeathrecords.com
not too long and each song is a
gem in itself so, as long as you
have the time, you might as well
listen to the whole thing.
Also worth mentioning is Darla
Hawn’s drumming. She does
a terrific job, with a powerful
punch to those skins. It really
accentuates the songs without
overpowering them but is quite
noticeable for its hard-hitting,
time-keeping beats. She helps
pull things together in a way
that helps Blaze to emote without changing what he is doing:
a subtle thing, but definitely
noticed.
on An Unquiet Mind are closest, in my
mind, as far as comparing, to Chicago’s
genius, Owen (aka Mike Kinsella, brother
of Joan of Arc’s Tim Kinsella), whose 6 or
so CDs, which include an EP or two (with
a new CD out this fall!). They both have
similar hushed tones, acoustic-based tunes
that are introspective in nature and at the
same time pull the listener right in from
the first listen.
Some of the songs that serve well as examples include the opener, “Just For You”,
“Subtle Imperfections” and the closing
track, “Home”. But the whole album is
one of those rare discs that are worth
listening to from beginning to end; it’s
Nihilist.tv
Altogether, An Unquiet Mind
is a nice blend of mellow, charm and wit.
Plus it’s a welcome change from the typical “Emo” crap that gets played on commercial radio in heavy rotation, just one
more reason to be excited about it. Since
you probably won’t hear it on your local
Clear Channel commercial radio station
(which is a good thing, since it doesn’t
need to be commercialized), if you are
interested in finding out more about An
Unquiet Mind go to http://blazeeisner1.
bandcamp.com, you’ll be happy you did.
-KM
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[Legal Trends]
Closipine & Medical Cannabis
Yet Another Testimony About Why
Pot Is Great
by Tynan Clark
There was a point where I wasn’t completely closed off
to the idea that there may be something wrong with me
psychologically. Enough people tell you throughout your
life and you get a little suspicious. Now that I’m pushing
thirty (in a few days) I feel like I have a little perspective
on both my situation and these “people” that have been
telling me things. You see, the people who work for adult
probation/detention are trained in how to treat an adult
like a child. Which obviously makes sense because in
order to have dealings with them, you first have to break
their rules. My story is about the abuse of this tactic and
how it has effected my life beyond probation.
Four years ago, this one time, I was bored and shopping
at Target so I decided to buy some cocaine to enhance my
shopping experience. I made the call, received said package, and headed to the men’s room for a sniff. Now the
way this went down is still debatable because I had not
been in the stall 3-4 minutes when the police busted in,
tasers drawn. It scared the shit out of me, cocaine went
EVERYWHERE if you can picture that. I went straight
to jail.
After two weeks in George Baily (aka The Thunder
Dome) I was released on prop. 36 which if you don’t
know, is California’s way to treat felony drug offenders
with rehab instead of prison. It also provides applicable
felons with a chance to expunge their record. Seeing as
how you can go to prison for three years for a half gram
of Coke, I’d say it’s a good program. I digress. Part of
being on prop. 36 is being in an out patient program and
graduating it.
They had me enroll in U.C.S.D.’s Gifford clinic which
treats duel diagnosis patients, people with both psychological problems and drug addiction and compared
to most out-patient facilities, is not that bad. Right off
the bat they have you meet with a psychiatrist. I do not
think I am alone in this but I sometimes feel anxious or
depressed due to the constant emotional roller coaster that
is life. That’s pretty normal I think. Well the psych told
me that I should be on medication and prescribed me two
types, one was for blood pressure I believe. Clonasipam
and colonodine and that mix made me feel pretty rad. I
San Diego Loves Green
...continued from front page, fourth column:
Many of us have done the same thing. We
get lost in our thoughts or so busy to get to
the next thing or destination that we forget
to notice and take stock of our environment. The additional time and effort is
minimal but it requires us to change our
habits and routine.
Many of us take for granted the natural
beauty that surrounds us. We’re fortunate
that San Diego has:
-Over 17 state parks and protected areas
-6 rivers
-Over 230 mountain peaks and summits
-Over 25 bays, lakes and lagoons
-Countless canyons, mesas and beautiful
backcountry
If you’ve traveled to some foreign urban
cities you realize how bad the water, land
Took these two for some
time until I stopped taking
the blood pressure stuff.
The other one, clonasipam, needs a continuous
increases in dosage to
maintain effectiveness.
Little did I know, this drug
is Highly addictive and you
cannot just stop taking it.
To do so causes opiate-like
withdrawal symptoms and
what that means is that
your sick, for a while. You
can’t eat or sleep, your
body hurts unbearably and
you hallucinate a bit. Lots
of cold sweats too.
I have been off probation
for a good two years and
was still taking this drug
until currently when people
I knew started noticing the
difference in my personality that I did not realize.
After being confronted, I
made a plan to quit. First,
I tried going to VOA
(Volunteers of America)
and was turned away but
told to come back in a few
days. When I went back,
they once again turned me
away saying that I needed
a medical detox. I actually
agree with this, I was just
willing to kinda rough it out at that point. I did not know
what to do to get off that shit so, I called my Grama. My
Grama, the angle that she is, found me a spot to detox at
her friends house in East County. These wonderful people
let me stay for ten days so I could get through the rough
part. The really cool thing about staying there was that
everyone smoked LOTS of weed.
I used to be an avid weed head but quit for probation.
While I was sick, I was taking various medications to
deal with the symptoms. Nothing I had really helped. It
was only when I smoked weed that I had any relief. In
fact, I’d go as far to say that I don’t know if I would have
made it without. Even being clean from that shit has been
and air can get with so many people sharing the same resources without regard to
long term consequences. We need to stop
walking past our environment thinking
that someone else will take care of it and
ensure that we have beautiful clean natural
future.
If you enjoy San Diego’s outdoor beauty
here are a just a few simple ways you can
contribute to help keep it clean and green:
Reduce water waste – we live in a desert
environment and it won’t last forever. You
think the politics surround oil is bad wait
until we start running out of clean potable
water.
Plant drought resistant lawns and shrubs.
Don’t use your toilet as a trash can. Flushing away your trash wastes gallons of
water.
Install low flow faucets and water-saving
Above: Cannabis sativa, in a drawing from Franz Eugen Köhler’s
Medizinal-Pflantzen, published by Gera-Untermhaus, FE Köhler in
1887 (1883–1914). Image obtained from Wikipedia Commons.
tough. My only remedy, weed. Every time I wanna use I
just smoke and my higher consciousness gets the best of
me.
Now, I’m not sayin’ that everyone should smoke all of the
time, but, marijuana has really helped me change my life.
Well, that and Burners (people who go to Burning Man)
but that’s a different story. Please support your local pot
dealers and growers and thank you for hearing me out.
~T
shower heads.
Don’t run the faucet while brushing your
teeth.
Pick up litter – recycle everything that you
can. Much of it will end up in our waterways if not disposed of properly. Here is a
list of what you can and cannot recycle in
the City of San Diego: http://www.sandiego.gov/environmental-services/recycling/
pdf/recycguide.pdf
When hiking remember these two rules
– pack it in and pack it out and leave no
trace.
Donate – Donate time and money to a
local organization. The San Diego Chapter
of Surfrider Foundation works hard to
keep our coastlines clean and accessible to
all. http://sandiego.surfrider.org/.
Just a five dollar donation can make a
difference.
Use Your Power – Knowledge is power.
Take some time to educate your children,
friends and co-workers on the importance
of recycling, conserving water and protecting our environment.
Write your local elected officials when
it comes to legislation that will have an
impact on our environment.
Use the power of your wallet to buy local,
organic and earth-friendly products. Shop
at businesses that promote sustainable
earth-friendly business practices.
For more tips on how to keep San Diego
green and beautiful visit San Diego Loves
Green at SanDiegoLovesGreen.com.
Donate time and money to help maintain
our trails and parks.
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