V for Vendetta

Just saw V for Vendetta, the new film from the Wachowski brothers of Matrix fame. Left the theater with mixed emotions, there are parts of the film that are quite moving and spectacular, but also the film seemed to fall short of the original artistic ambitions. I read the original comic book by Alan Moore a good 15 years ago, sadly the storyline about a totalitarian state seems even more timely today. My suspicions were aroused by the selection of the Stones' "Street Fighting Man" as the film closer...what's up with that?? How many millions of dollars did that licensing deal involve I wonder. Seriously though, it's obvious the Revolution will not be televised and probably not even webcast, too bad the movie wasn't released November 5 (Guy Fawkes Day) as originally planned now THAT would have been exciting.

Wheels keep moving on getting the album completed, as well as new show dates popping up be sure to check the DMZ//38 calendar for the latest updates.

3 Years Already

Enjoyed a sunny LA day yesterday with thousands of others committed to ending the occupation of Iraq. Especially had fun marching with the folks from Korean Americans for Peace, who had some exciting street action and good chants. Check out the pre-march training -













I wish there had been a bigger turnout though, given how unpopular the war has become I thought there would be more people representin'...lotsa peeps talk a good talk but I wanna see more faces next time, this will not go away on its own. Here's one more nice pic -














Other than that have been doing lotsa apartment hunting and may have found a new home, it's very musician-friendly and has a cool vibe. So much change swirling in the air of course it's the season.

I Know I'm Not Alone

Still giddy after watching the screening of Michael Franti's documentary I Know I'm Not Alone at the Hammer Museum in Westwood. What a film...depicting Michael's trip to Baghdad, Palestine and Israel in early 2004 meeting with everyday people, soldiers, children, elderly. Bringing a human face to the ongoing war, he then brought the overflow crowd together with a rousing acoustic set. On a night like this I am so proud to be not only a musician, but also a conscious freedom-fighter. Thank you Michael, for continuing to be a true inspiration...may our paths cross again someday - Stay Human!

Marching On

It's getting harder to find time to write a simple blog these days...Warding off this seasonal cold thing which seems prevalent in LA this time of year. I've decided to call off the full-time job search, it's taken away from my focus on getting this album completed and quite frankly doesn't make sense considering my overall priorities. Lately a couple of small tech consulting projects have come my way, enough to push me into re-starting my IT consulting company. It complements my artist's work schedule much better.

Lots of good progress artistically in the last couple days, the album songs and concept are finally coming together and we should be on track for release by this May. I'm even starting to get requests on pre-orders which is a good sign ;)

Burning Down Hegemony

I'm feeling a lot of rage right now, directed at my very own backyard of media-saturated idiocy aka City of Angels. This latest outrage on the Adam Carolla show which I found out about through NAPALC (National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium) has me contemplating sinister plots and revenge. For real. Take a listen to this kindergarten clown with his pathetic "ching-chong" routine and let me know if you think this is worth getting upset over. Better yet, write to CBS Radio and give em a piece of yr mind.

So while these ign'ant fools run around poking fun at us assuming we're too meek to protest (unfortunately often the case), we still have these ongoing riots in the LAC jail system, shameless un-constitutional surveillance, and the cartoon controversy in the Muslim world. Lately it seems like hope is a hard place to find...chant down Babylon

So Much Trouble In the World

It's gettin back to that feeling that it may be better to stop reading (and listening) to the news for awhile. Whether it's this nasty situation regarding the cartoons in the Middle East or the just-announced full lockdown in LAC jails due to rioting between Black and Latino inmates, I'm casting about looking for inspiration. So like KanYe says "when I need help, I look in the mirror..."

Super Bowl XL was reasonably entertaining if you were able to get through the endless advertisements, I felt like someone had driven a truck through my cerebellum by game's end. No wait, that's probably because I took my first full (sample) LSAT on Saturday morning and trying to remember if it's A) February 2006 B) Year of the Dog C) Black History Month (damn homie always shortest month of the year) D) time to move outta my apt. E) One week left to St. Valentine's...

I'ma take some fire for this sappiness, but can I just say that I LOVE "The Sound of Music"! They just don't make movies like this anymore. In early 2001, I told a friend that I was watching it to prepare for the onset of fascism under Bush II and he laughed uneasily...One PATRIOT Act, Abu Ghraib, illegal spying, suppression of civil liberties and foreign military adventure later I hate to say "I told ya so..." Tryin to stay positive in the face of all this madness, but my last question goes to all you fool neo-cons...how DARE you tell me the Cold War is over when the DMZ still stands on the Korean Peninsula?!?

Running around

like a dog chasin it's tail, appropriately for this new Year of the Dog. Finally getting back into the swing of things as it looks like I will have to settle for part-time tech consulting work in lieu of a regular "day job," allowing me more flexibility to develop artistically. One of the benefits of having a marketable skill-set is knowing there will always be plenty of work out there, the challenge is building a structure which allows an optimum life-work-play balance. Vocal cords still weak from holiday indulgences, stress and a nasty head cold, but am looking forward to catching the Grammys next week and seeing my man KanYE sweep the show...There's also the upcoming DIY Convention for the independent artist hosted here in Hollywood that also starts next week, should provide the needed kick in the ass and much-needed info to push DMZ//38 into higher ground in '06...Thought of the day - when the world gets you down, remember there's a star UP THERE with your name on it.

Burnin Up on Re-Entry

These past two weeks since returning from Mordor D.C. to the plasticene hyperreality of L.A. have me dazed and confused for the moment. My sense is that the accumulated effects of five years of Bush-ism have, for the moment, transformed Washington's dominant civic culture into an even more repressive environment I do not care to tolerate at this time in my life...Yes DC does have an underground, an alternative culture which manages to survive amidst the ditto-headed madness, but most importantly many members of my immediate family still live there. Still my future will be written here in Southern California, where the threats are more likely to be seismic or environmental (see Mike Davis' brilliant Ecology of Fear) as opposed to your friendly next-door Creepublican operative or CIA agent. The entertainment law program at UCLA in particular beckons, it's without a doubt the premier such program available, and seems to make so much sense as a natural progression of my recent and current combined professional/artistic endeavors. I envision the program providing the networking, guidance and ultimately credentials to become a more effective music entrepeneur, and transition from a sole focus on developing my own artistic career to working with other emerging new artists as well. Just started reading the slightly glassy-eyed yet fascinating Future of Music co-written by Dave Kusek, inventor of MIDI and Passport Systems, which delves into the new opportunities offered by the explosion of digital media, Internet and non-corporatized music.

The ominous warnings of the "triple evils" of militarism, racism and poverty continue to ring true today, as we commemorate the birth of one of the truly great leaders of the 20th Century Martin Luther King Jr. Now, as then, we confront the legacy of enduring economic inequality - in America's cities, countryside and truly throughout the world - in addition to civil rights struggles not only over race, but also gender and sexual orientation, and of course yet another injust foreign war with a body count rising daily. You can hear some of King's historic speeches at KPFK .

Reinvigorated

I never thought I would ever admit to under-estimating the effort required to achieve lasting relaxation. Almost two weeks back in DC with relatives seemed guaranteed to result in stress, and surely enough there were plenty of tense situations and needless hassles. Having said that, I have returned in a more calm, assured state of mind. The beautiful weather today here in Los Angeles certainly didn't hurt, and afforded a crisp view of the area during an afternoon hike through Griffith Park.

Personal resolutions for 2005 include improving health - stamina and energy, finances, and continued artistic achievement...And still hope for peace to break out suddenly when we realize that "War is over," widening resistance to tyranny, and truly a kindler, gentler civil society.

Winter Wackiness E-Coast Style

Well it only took about one week away from SoCal to miss the palm trees and sunshine...Though it's not unseasonably cold, I am not enjoying the chilly temperatures here in War-shington DC. On top of that is the stress of avoiding the emotional minefields associated with family get-togethers and the inevitable bickering associated. This is probably my last trip back here (non-music related) for some time. WHY is it that sometimes the further an individual is situated from the inner workings of the music industry, the more they feel entitled to make sweeping judgments calls and critiques?? Suppose sharing a surname might explain alot, still I'm not in the mood for toleratin haterz right now, was looking forward to some R&R before charging into the New Year but looks like that will have to wait. Did I forget to mention that the muffler on my Mom's car fell off today while driving my sis to the airport? Add to that randomly running into a long-lost friend at the auto mechanic's garage.

The best way to settle down after a day like this is enjoying a bowl of home-cooked Korean kimchi chigae which is incidentally great for warding off a cold. A random web search just revealed that DMZ//38 was chosen as a Top 12 Indie Pick on Independent Songwriter Web-Magazine. You can vote for us here ...Keep on rockin in the real world

The World Is Not for Sale

Much love and solidarity to comrades in Hong Kong who are protesting against the greed of the WTO, especially the Korean activists struggling against unfair policies impacting farmers and the poor. Once again it's on...And congratulations are in order to newly-elected President Evo Morales or Bolivia, the first indigenous president in the Western Hemisphere. Seems like we here in the old U.S. of A may be behind the times, how long before a woman, African American, Asian American or Latino occupies the Oval Office?? Speaking of which, isn't it about time to INDICT THE PRESIDENT? If an individual has knowingly broken the law, especially one who should be the exemplar of civil propriety, then let than individual be prosecuted according to the letter of the law. NO ONE is above the law, right?? Everybody is reporting that Prez personally ordered ILLEGAL surveillance on US AMERICANZ...why y'all sitting obediently at the office, school, wherever? Let's rock this boat, turn this mutha out and seize the time!

Power, Corruption and Lies

So now it's coming out into the mainstream media that the NSA is engaging in wholesale domestic spying...actually this has been known by the activist community for years, lately we've also discovered that the Pentagon has been monitoring peaceful antiwar groups. When does this all end?? You would think that these agencies would have better things to do with taxpayer money like combating "real" terrorism. Then again the Feds have shown they can't even handle basic functions like disaster relief and prevention. All that money spent after 9-11...lining the pockets of the military-industrial-police state complex. At least there is a real fight going on right now over this horrible piece of legislation known as the "Patriot Act." I've endured a lot of repression in these past five years, more enough to justify expatriation to a saner culture like Canada or those fry-eating fools in France...but like homegirl Margaret Cho says "I have chosen to stay and fight."

Distillation

I am having fun with this software application called Masterwriter that helps songwriters compose and organize material. I've been holding off on setting up my demo for awhile, but already I'm quite impressed with ease of use and a wealth of features. Just recently I realized that I had loads of incomplete lyrics and themes scattered in various notebooks, easily enough for a full album or more...of course I have to finish recording this first one haha.

Enjoying some down time before a trip back home next week, and still researching before making a final decision on selecting a recording studio. Am also reading Angela Davis' excellent Are Prisons Obsolete? Seems like a timely pamphlet given the recent execution of Tookie Williams, which still rests heavily here in LA...as well as the last couple shows connected to the theme of political prisoners. The criss-crossing lines between this Iraq madness and the injust conditions revealed in the Katrina disaster are clear not only to activists but "average" working people as well...there is an old revolving door between the jails/prisons, gangs and armed forces replete with racism, brutality, hatred, exploitation and violence which must be addressed by the growing Antiwar Movement. Especially young men of color have so few positive role models left...no mystery why the FBI wanted the Black Panthers smashed, and leaders from Malcolm to Martin, Huey to Pac have been assassinated. "They killed all my heroes, locked the rest up but I rose from the dead to tear this shit up!"

Winter In Amerika

As the clock ticks toward midnight we here in LA are bracing not only for yet one more death, but what could follow. It seems that this society and certainly Gov. Terminator have no faith in the power of redemption...With all the killing already going on in the world today this is hardly necessary. I don't believe that Tookie is "innocent" however I believe that he is potentially more valuable to civil society alive than six feet under. We need strong voices like his to help sway our youth away from "thug life." But then, without more gangstas running loose...where would the justification for more prisons, guards, cops (pro-Republican no doubt) come from?! So perhaps there is a twisted logic behind this mess after all.


My community was right in the cross-hairs last time but this is not 1992...if white Amerikans have still not come to terms with the racist underpinnings of this nation after Hurricane Katrina maybe it's time to give 'em back their white sheets and masks. I won't be the only one sayin "I told you so" and we as a community will NEVA AGAIN be a sacrificial lamb...Screw the mainstream media, neo-con whites and police...To the brothas feeling that Tookie's execution is the last straw, consider that the man himself has stated for the record that he wants to be remembered for his PEACE-MAKING WORK, not fomenting more violence. We need y'all to be working, FREE, representin, takin care of yr families, making music, not rotting in jail under watch of the downpressor man or lying dead. Let's just make it thru the next 24 hours y'all.

Death or Glory

A very encouraging note to end this year...Here I am holding the "Outstanding Political Band of the Year" plaque at the Rock City News Awards from last Thursday, presented to DMZ//38. Thank you to everyone who voted for us, this is just the beginning!

The same night, I also ventured over to John Lennon's Hollywood star in front of the Capitol Records building on Vine near Hollywood...there was a small gathering to honor this tremendously inspirational artist who was taken from us 25 years ago. We miss you, man - IMAGINE

Sleepless In Silverlake

This cold weather has me stuck indoors and fighting a weird cold/anxiety spell. I am feeling unusually keyed into my surroundings to the point where it's getting uncomfortable. In the past a term like "Seeing the Matrix" would have seemed appropriate but now that sounds quaint. What about being a fully-conscious member of the "reality-based community?" With all the recent setbacks for the neo-cons you would think that we progressive-minded types would be more cheerful but unfortunately the struggle continues as we seek to re-define a vision of a more equitable, just and healthy society. I believe that many of the generalized, entrenched conditions widespread today in the U.S. - from a mental health epidemic, affordable housing crisis, dysfunctional health care system, violence in the cities and rural areas - have their roots in the 1980s rollback under Reagan. It's almost as if America itself has experienced a long-term Structural Adjustment Program which is typically enforced by the IMF/WTO on developing nations to dismantle civic society protections to bring in foreign investment (let's call it what it is - corporatized rape or good old fashioned imperialism)...Who profits? The usual suspects - wealthy, elites, corporations, reactionaries...Who suffers? Those most at risk - mentally ill, elderly, poor, ethnic minorities, immigrants...as well as an ever-shrinking middle class "public" expected to pay for it all. In the meantime continue to distract the masses while they are being pickpocketed with ravenous headlines about a Never-Ending War On Various Foriegn Undesirables and you have the makings of a techno-cratic, religious fundamentalist authoritarian state. PEOPLE- WE ARE BEING LIED TO!! Excuse the rant, but WHAT is it going to take to turn the tide? How much bare-faced corruption are we expected to tolerate passively? How many body bags? How much pollution? Is this the future we want to bequeath to future generations?

Here's a picture from last Saturday's event down in the hood, I don't know where the rest of y'all were hiding but I'm gonna be harrasin suckas in the New Year to make it out to one of our shows before we bolt L.A.-

Indecision Time

One of the big drawbacks to maintaining artistic independence is the constant threat of being spread too thin and pulled in many directions at once...every so often I remind myself of the importance of a centripetal outlook, and at least attempting to keep activities organized, planned and reviewed methodically. So much easier said than done, practices I honed over 10+ years of business experience in stressful corporate IT environments doesn't necessarily translate consistently into successfully developing the career of an upstart political rock band. And having several interviews but nothing final yet in the way of a day job is keeping things in limbo going into next year. I have great hopes for the full-length debut album (tentatively titled "No Man's Land") and the material is nearly completed, but nagging questions relating to personnel and budget may delay the schedule further...

In other news, the clock is winding down for Tookie Williams and while there's still a chance that the Governator may grant clemency it's looking uncertain at best. Keep the pressure on, your fingers crossed and pray.

No Man's Land

Feeling mildly disoriented and bloated just days after the widely-observed feasting occasion. Had a case of cold guitar fingers at a cozy event last night highlighting US political prisoners in Little Tokyo, just a lead-up to the gathering this Saturday at Southern California Library where the full band will be performing. Aside from the better-known cases such as Mumia Abu-Jamal and Leonard Peltier, I learned about Puerto Rican independista Oscar Lopez Rivera, Marilyn Buck and Japanese national Yu Kikumura...The targeted repression illustrated by these cases is chilling and eye-opening for anyone harboring illusions that such injustice does not exist here in the U.S.

Just found out that the guys at Axis of Justice host a regular show on KPFK...is an interview imminent in the future perhaps?? About to send out another major press mailing, keeping fingers crossed while I somewhat half-heartedly mull the ongoing day job search.

New Day Rising

Everywhere I turn, it's a ball of confusion...that's all the world is today. We become a monster so the monster will not overtake us. The best of times, the worst of times, hope you have the time of your life.

Apparently one of the signs of impending madness is heightened narcissism and increased self-absorption. Not a very comforting thought. Yet lately I've been discovering new sources of strength and inspiration. Daily meditation is helping with maintaining some mental clarity, as well as balancing vision and practical focus. Looking for a "day" techie job lately is reminding me of so many reasons I left that scene in the first place...bureaucracy, conformity, boredom, stifling of free expression. I think it's the same kind of environment that breeds the attitudes behind road rage, domestic violence, mindless consumerism, might=right.

How many people know about the pending execution of Stanley "Tookie" Williams? This man, who helped found the notorious Crips gang in the early 70's, is facing imminent death at the hands of the State of California even though his life story (featured in the film "Redemption" starring Jamie Foxx) vividly illustrates the ability of individuals to consciously change patterned behavior. Though approached by several major publishers to write exploitative stories glorifying gang violence, he instead authored a series of childrens' books warning of the perils of the "thug" lifestyle so to speak, saving countless lives in the process, and was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. This Thanksgiving, sign the petition and pray that Gov. Schwarzenegger does the right thing and grants Stanley Williams clemency.

On a lighter note, the weather right now in Los Angeles reminds me of why I dragged my butt here in the first place...just phenomenal! I've been too busy to even notice that the latest Harry Potter movie (my favorite story in the series) just came out. Do You Believe in Magic??

I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends

Lately I feel over-committed to my musical project, and embarassingly in need of encouragement and support from many directions, familiar and strange. Months of time and effort invested somehow don't add up to the paltry material returns so far, and while that was hardly the initial motivation, we musicians have to pay rent and bills too. It would certainly be a boring and quiet world without us. My energy level is flagging but should return shortly...planning an updated press release, finishing new songs with an unstable band lineup, and finally preparing to return to the recording studio have got this Korean American gypsy bard momentarily exhausted.

Once more, with feeling
It's more than a feeling
Are we fillin it yet
Head full of steam
I could be forever
Staid
To act without decision or care
Is time on my side?