really? really

That's me on the right, looking confused and wearing atrocious sleeves. I' m going on tour with Neil / The Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt on Monday for 12-15 days. We're going to Colorado, Indiana, California, and all those places in between, stopping at road side attractions, attending The Price is Right (there may be shirts!), and playing shows.

Last night Galen, Helen, and I went to a secret show for Deer Tick and a girl with gold leggings and ugg-like boots was doing the Elaine dance the whole time in front of us. Then Ian and Julian handed out sparklers for everyone and a Hannah Montana pinata set the mood (it was the owner's birthday). On the subway ride there and back we told scary stories about The Bloody Hook or The Woman With The Ribbon Attaching Her Head To Her Neck or The Dead Girl Sitting Between Two Men On The Subway.

terror pigeon on myspace (it's pretty silly to listen to the mp3s though; it makes more sense live)

deer ticks

this and that

Last night I finally got around to baking vegan challah with black sesame seeds, recipe courtesy of the PPK. It turned out a bit too whole-wheaty and the banana had more of a presence then I would have liked it to have, but Joel and Francine are both into it. It was my first time baking bread without a machine.

"381: Turncoat


A well-known activist—an anarchic, revolutionary activist—is accused of spying on other activists for the FBI. The strangest thing about the rumor is, it's true. How Brandon Darby transformed from cop-hater to federal witness. Plus, a story by Etgar Keret, about a boy who betrays his people with a pair of shoes." - thisamericanlife.org

Brandon Darby, who worked with Common Ground Collective in New Orleans back when Siobhan and I were there was exposed of being an FBI informant back in September. Episode 381 of This American Life, "Turncoat", interviews him, somewhat sympathetically. Listen here There is also a story by Israeli author Etgar Keret, whom I love.

The day I got to New Orleans, Brandon Darby gave me a book about control units/solitary confinements in prisons. I didn't know much about him, but this news was still somewhat bizarre to me considering his supposed stance back in 2007.

livin on a prayer

Riding the A train on the way home this morning

I turned 21, which makes me feel a bit more like the kid in the middle then anything else. But it was a fantastic 24 hours. I still haven't gotten carded yet, however. It doesn't really matter. Galen baked a homemade tres-leches-esque coconut cream cake for my birthday and it was so decadent. This morning we went to a diner in Greenpoint and had the cheapest two eggs over medium with well-done homefries that we've had in years.

She told me that at Peter Tunney's recent opening she saw Jesse Camp, in the flesh, slightly older and less strung out seeming.

I might meet up with Alana soon and take a little trip.

Post-modern cereal boxes

Siobhan and I made carrot cake cupcakes from the box today. I felt really sorry for myself because I have to pay so much money to the city of Yonkers for speeding four months ago.

We remembered this guy in our art class from Marymount Manhattan College. The class simply existed to fill an arts general education requirement, focusing on basic painting and drawing aspects, culminating in a final self-portrait project. A balding, hip, nearly-middled aged man named Craig taught us about chiaroscuro and had us recreate “Old Masters” works, wherein Siobhan inadvertently created a pop-art looking piece emulating cherubs in clouds. One day when looking through a book belonging to Craig I discovered a photo of him receiving some herbal, incense, spiritual cleansing, and something provoked me to take it, to show Siobhan, to keep it forever. Siobhan has it somewhere now.

Our self portrait project turned out to be an interesting experiment, especially since our class was random and felt someone depersonalized. This Japanese student who spoke little to no English whatsoever managed to get by through out the semester speaking very little. He arrived that evening with an oil painting from the perspective of a tiny astronaut on Mars, looking out into the distance, gazing towards Earth. Lots of stars dotted the sky. Earth was tiny and distant; the astronaut was alone.

Our first reaction was that perhaps our classmate truly saw himself as this tiny astronaut, giving new meaning to a self portrait.

It turned out that he simply misunderstood the assignment (he did not see himself as a tiny, lonely, astronaut), but we never really figured out what he actually thought he had to prepare for class that day.

"1. Zapatistas demand release of prisoners
The Junta de Buen Gobierno in Morelia demanded the immediate release of eight political prisoners held in El Amate prison on charges invented by authorities. The prisoners, from San Sebastian Bachajon, include seven adherents to the Otra Campaña and one member of the Zapatista movement. Meanwhile, the state government is stepping up its media campaign against the detainees, particularly on the government-controlled television channel 10. Reporters referred to a "dangerous" band of "assailants" who were formally charged on Friday by state authorities. While these cases have gained national and international notoriety, they are not unique.

The Junta de Buen Gobierno claims state-sponsored paramilitaries aligned with the PRI and local security forces are waging a virtual war against Zapatista communities and supporters. The struggle is centered in the Agua Azul region where PRI-affiliated businesses and paramilitaries are trying to establish "eco-tourism" facilities, often at the expense of traditional landowners. The state is planning construction of a major highway through the area, something that is opposed by Zapatistas and the Otra Campaña in large part because it would displace hundreds of families."--MSN

also, i got a twitter (because the internet is never enough)

h1n1

"Hi Sarah,

I've been asked by the Vice President, Robin Kaufman, to ask you not to visit campus for at least a week after returning from Mexico. Since Mexico City is still largely closed this week, and since the incubation period can be up to a week, the campus wants to make sure that you are in good health before having you on campus. I hope you understand. Hope all is well,

[my study abroad adviser]"

today I got my nostrils swabbed to check for the flu. it will probably come back negative, in which case the sample won't be sent to the state health department (since I feel fine).

It is necessary to mention that there are more confirmed cases in New York City (population: 8 million people) then in Mexico City (population: 22 million people).

Marlena and I working on our zine. An electronic version will be available in a few weeks.