But wouldn’t you love to pry a president open and swap out his hard drive?

Patrick Nielsen Hayden, 28 July 2004:

I'm increasingly convinced that the success of modern American capitalism at providing us all with niche products perfectly suited to our individual quirky selves has led us to feel, vaguely but strongly, that something's the matter when the political candidates on offer don't include options as aptly customized to our desires as our own personal Macintosh. This is a delusion, an error, and a serious threat to real democracy.

James Poniewozik, 20 September 2004:

In life, we ask TiVo or the Web or the Cheesecake Factory to indulge our slightest whims. Asking this is not selfish; in fact, it is a duty. ("Have it your way!" — was that an invitation or a command?) But under a political system devised before the dawn of the fixin's bar, we are suddenly asked to settle for those options that can please half the voters or, at least, five out of nine Supreme Court Justices. That rankles our American souls. We should be satisfied! We should be catered to! We specifically asked for the vinaigrette on the side! And so the losers grow more aggrieved in defeat and the winners less generous in victory. What is it, after all, that most aggravates Democrats about President Bush? That he campaigned as a centrist but led from the right; he lost the popular vote but governed as though he had won in a landslide. And why shouldn't he? In iPod America, every citizen — bolstered by his self-created echo chamber — is a landslide victor in his own head.

They fight the power while I do the laundry

Man, I missed all the fun.

The heart of the local art scene in this chunk of Jersey City is 111 First Street, an old industrial building (originally a tobacco factory) that was converted to studio and office space. The traditional dance of art and commerce has been taking place, and we’re now at the bit where the artists, having done their job by helping make the area look cool and interesting to new tenants, have outlived their usefulness to the landlords, and are being priced out of their living and work space.

The latest move was particularly ugly. Lloyd Goldman, the landlord who owns the building, put up signs and guards prohibiting non-residents from entering, claiming the building was unsafe (though it had not been officially declared so), and filling the halls with workmen putting plywood over the doors of empty studios. Some of the artists moved their work outside, which worked better in today’s beautiful weather than yesterday’s clouds and rain. (I was in Queens gaming yesterday, so I’m a bit fuzzy on how much of this happened yesterday and how much today. I think the workmen thing was yesterday. There were definitely artists outside today.)

So I wandered around the neighborhood checking out the various other displays local artists had put up, but the energy-to-art ratio was much higher that way, and I wound up not seeing much that was interesting. I feel cheated of a source of inspiration. I’ll have to check out the Hoboken Open Studios in a couple of weeks, or maybe head up the some Boston-area studio tours, if I can find out about some in advance. Oh, and I did a much-needed laundry.

Then it turns out I missed the action. At some point this afternoon there was a protest, and a judge got 111’s doors opened to the public. A small victory for the good guys.

I haven’t been making much art of my own. I did a bit of drawing during drcpunk’s game yesterday. Putting a dark background in this one really helped pop the foreground out. Holy crap I screwed up that hand.

I’m stubbornly chugging along with the brush pens, even though my fine line work is so much better. The brushed lines charge up some part of my brain that thinks that is what a comic line is supposed to look like.

( Melorne waking up, about 500 x 800 )