Open Thread: Saturday in Fairview — The Joint is Jumpin’! (by LKB)
If you missed your invitation from about 100 different sources on Facebook or didn’t read one of the news articles or blog posts, there’s a block party going on in Fairview today! The events are listed on the flyer above. For a larger copy, just click on it.
As it turns out, something that could have put a damper on the day seems to have given the party PR a much bigger reach than it would have on its own. From Bent, Alaska (one of my favorite neighborhoods!):
If you’ve seen the flyers for the Fairview Block Party and you’re excited to see the band Ogopogo, well, you’re going to be disappointed. Although Ogopogo was booked for the 2 p.m. Saturday celebration on Nelchina Street between 13th and 14th Avenues, drummer Felix Rouse told Fairview Community Council Vice President Christopher Constant Tuesday his band wouldn’t be playing because of the “fag shit” at the block party. The Friday Night Divas — gay bar Mad Myrna’s resident drag performers — will be performing at the block party, which Rouse says he wasn’t aware of when the band agreed to play at the community celebration.
The residents of Fairview have been promoting this pretty well. However, thanks to Mr. Rouse, the story has legs!
One of those residents, my good friend Patti Greene, recently brought her popular musician’s newsletter “Gear Junkies” back to email from its stint on Facebook. I thoroughly enjoyed her musician-perspective rant about Mr. Rouse in this week’s version, part of which I’ll share with you now:
We here at Gear Junkies World Headquarters join the Anchorage Press in welcoming everybody to the Fairview Block Party: MC Kima Hamilton, Wolf Electric, Mad Myrna’s Friday Night Divas, Evan Phillips (of the Whipsaws), Historian, and Matt Hopper & the Roman Candles! If you’re in the ‘hood tomorrow, stop by and share the love. And Felix, you homophobe, you better start editing your song list, ’cause it took a whole boatload of flaming queers, not to mention boys dressing like girls, to put rock and roll on the map. If you’re gonna get “by-god” irate about this, you might want to follow through. Just sayin’.
What else is going on today?
Another reminder about why it’s now immoral to vote Republican:
http://www.politicususa.com/en/republicans-done-country
On March 14 we published a list of thirty pieces of Republican legislation “that Republicans are using to destroy America.” That list was updated on March 17 with several new items and now we present a completely updated list including those additions from March 17 along with additional pieces of legislation. … It has become impossible, due to the sheer volume of nihilistic Republican and Tea Party legislation, to keep this list down to 30 items, and has therefore received a new name, one that matches our level of bewilderment at how one of our major political parties could so hate America: “Look What the Republicans Have Done to My Country, Ma.”
A friend of mine who’s associated with Bouchercon posted this email. It is priceless!
To: Palin, Sarah (GOV sponsored) ; Perry, Kristina Y (GOV)
Cc: Leighow, Sharon W (GOV) ; Mason, Janice L (GOV)
Sent: Thu Sep 27 09:38:16 2007
Subject: Remarks for Bouchercon (mystery writers)
Your remarks for tonight’s reception, which begins at 6 p.m.
YOU ARE SCHEDULED FOR 6:30 p.m.
Dana Stabenow (pronounced stab-in-oh) will introduce you.
She is the co-chair of Bouchercon 2007 and an Alaskan author.
(Dee Ford is the other co-chair.)
Tara is printing the “pardon,” which you need to sign and take with you.
Beth Leschper
Deputy Communications Director
Office of the Governor
State of Alaska
Remarks for Bouchercon 2007 Reception
Thursday, Sept. 27 6:30 p.m.
Egan Center
I am pleased to welcome you to this gathering of mystery and adventure writers, and mystery fiction fans to Alaska.
I want to recognize a special group of writers Alaska Sisters in Crime. Congratulations
to the members of this wonderful group for all their work they are involved in so many projects that support literacy around Alaska.
They have arranged for 27 writers to work with students in our Bush schools. For the last five years this dedicated organization has purchased books for every library in the state. And Sisters in Crime held a pre-conference workshop for students and teachers who are interested in mystery writing.
(pause)
As Governor, I am pleased that you recognize that Alaska’s wilderness is a setting for mystery, drama and adventure.
But as Governor, I have solemn and important official obligations to discharge this evening.
As A1aska’s chief law enforcement official, one of my primary responsibilities is to
ensure that our many out~of-state visitors understand and abide by the requirements of Alaska’s criminal laws.
And so, I am obligated to inform everyone at this convention that A1aska’s criminal law prohibits bad writing.
In fact, Alaska’s laws include a crime called “Malicious Mystery Fiction Writing in the First Degree.”
This law was enacted years ago by the Alaska Legislature to express Alaskans’ frustration with bad fiction writers.
Alaska law now provides that a writer commits the crime of Malicious Mystery Fiction Writing in the First Degree if the writer produces any work of fiction that frustrates the reader:
* by stretching a 200 page story out to 800 pages
*l by including any illogical plot twist
* by withholding critical clues to the very last chapter
* by beginning any work of fiction with the line, “It was a dark and stormy night. . .”
* or by setting any work of fiction in Alaska which includes descriptions of penguins!
In Alaska, Malicious Mystery Fiction Writing in the First Degree is a felony offense.
In fact, if the writer is a serial novelist each volume in the series constitutes a separate, criminal offense. Consecutive sentences are mandatory.
Our law also provides that if a work of fiction is set in Alaska, and then the author
sells the movie rights to a producer who films the movie in British Columbia – a maximum jail sentence is required.
You should know that Alaska is one of the few states to have this law. And we have found it has been very successful.
We have found that bad fiction writers once they became aware of this law have simply left Alaska, and chosen to commit their crimes elsewhere.
I realize that some of you here tonight may find this law troublesome.
(pause)
But I have some good news for you tonight.
Alaska’s Constitution provides that the Governor may issue Executive Pardons.
So, should any of you be fearful that any Alaska law enforcement agency may investigate or bring charges against anyone at this convention for the crime of Malicious Fiction Writing
I am here tonight to exercise my constitutional authority of Executive Clemency.
[present bogus pardon have Dee Ford read the text of the pardon]
Two can play at this game…another film in the works about Palin, this one from a well known doc. producer offers a more scathing view:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/movies/2011/06/sarah-palin-documentary-nick-broomfield-undefeated-new-movie.html?cid=6a00d8341c630a53ef014e890e8af4970d
Scott Walker is at it again. This time, he sneaked in legislation forcing craft beer brewers to use major distributors. I posted links on the latest Unrest In Madison on the Forum, but if you just want to sign the petition, go to:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/325/278/039/
Have a great weekend. Health and peace.
Walker brews up another skunky lager: hop on the little guy and mash his business.
IOKIYAR: they’re fermented.
that just frickin baffles me. a business person does not have the right to distribute his or her own product? aargh
I sure hope this skunk get recalled as soon as practicable.
Thanks for the link!
I love having a small flower garden near our house, but we have a problem with deer. They seem to love eating the flowers. Anyone know how to keep them away from a garden?
Our neighbor has always had a lovely garden, but not this year. The deer cleaned it out last year, so he decided to skip it this year.
Wish I could attend a fun block party like that! Not much happening around here. I did put in a new flower bed yesterday. My friend let me dis up some rougue plants from her yard to add to my collection. I put them in along the drive way right beside the neighbor that won’t speak to me after I refused to cut down my pine trees. So that bed now contains a redbud tree, three small lilacs, a service berry, day lilies. From the back yard, and a bunch of geraniums I picked up at a home improvement store for $.75. They’re potbound and sad looking, but should perk up soon.
Merrycricket, that new flower bed sounds promising. Next spring it will be gorgeous. Squirrels have dug up about a dozen or more annuals I planted a couple of weeks. Dumb squirrels.
Linda – will the band keep its contractual obligations? I cannot believe the drummer would be so stupid as to publicly flaunt his homophobia. That will surely limit the band’s appeal and ability to book a wide number of gigs. Rouse is so 20th century.
ks sunflower – we have also been fighting the squirrels, and yes digging up potted plants. The answer, cover the soil with a bunch of cheap cayenne pepper. the squirrels do not like that and it does not harm the plants.
My god,you’ve got community organizers in Anchorage? The devil you say. Someone better warn Palin and her flaming tarts fire brigade to put a damper on this before the rest of America finds out. Never mind. Sounds like people can have a rilly good time just by showing up and if the drummist can’t abide flaming faggots,perhaps he shouldn’t drum with them. Myself.I’ll be worrying what could happen if we ever get a community organizer into the White House. Have fun.