For a minute, everyone believed R. Nick Kuszyk was Banksy, when he was spotted talking to Colossal Media, while one of the Banksy productions was being put up. Kuszyk, pretending he wasn’t trying to obtain a few moments of internet hype, despite heading over to the site with a full beard, shades and hoodie, emailed Gothamist, stating he only did so to avoid the paparazzi cameras. Clearly this was not done to create internet hype for both Banksy (if he even knows the man) and himself. It would be beyond thought that the disguise was to create a buzz that perhaps Banksy was on site himself, and then get to email in to all the blogs stating NO NO, it was ME, look at ME! I guess that is what you need to do when your work is comparable to a Junior year art student. Anyway, here you go R., have two more seconds of fame.
After the successful window down advertising, run a few months ago, the MTA has unveiled it’s first fully wrapped subway car advertisements, once again taking a page from the graffiti handbook. This time the ads are for the History Channel’s TV show “Cities of the Underworld” (how clever to advertise underground, you gotta love it!). I will still never understand how public space can be invaded as long as the check clears, but if you aren’t rich enough to buy a voice, you are expected to sit down and shut up.
This is one of many documents to have come out of a conversation, which started 25 years ago between the blogger and the author. This is my first blog post so I felt it fitting to start my blogging career with a letter from the man who contributed 1/2 the biological material necessary for me to post this (i.e. my father).
Below is my father’s response to a week long rant we have been having regarding the stupidity of the current political discourse surrounding Treasury’s $700bn proposal. One of this weeks most notable morons is Nancy Pelosi who was quoted in The New York Times as saying, “we must insulate Main Street from Wall Street and keep people in their homes.” What does this even mean? It appeals to peoples’ emotions. That’s it! Excuse me, but Wall Street financed Main Street. The two work in lock-step not isolation. Maybe someone should have paid attention in their introductory economics course. Sorry, I am ranting again and taking up space that should be given to this honest, logical, and non-emotional take on the current financial situation. I hope you enjoy.
OMG! Did we really elect these people? Are our senators really trying to blame Wall Street “fat cats” for the financial meltdown? Ever notice that those loudest about pointing the finger of blame are usually the ones who most likely bear most of the blame? In this case there is plenty of blame to go around. Starting with the borrowers who, in their effort to grab a piece of the American dream grabbed more than they could prudently afford egged on by real estate brokers and mortgage brokers anxious to finance their own piece of the dream with fees, all of whom often played fast and fancy with the truth to achieve their goals. Next came the myriad of middle men who passed along the questionable paper to anxious investment bankers who, through the miracle of securitization and with the blessing of rating agencies, sliced and diced the expected future stream of statistically calculated cash flows and resold them to anxious investors desperate for a yield above Treasuries for their mountains of investment dollars. But why did the “fat cats” of Wall St. take on such enormous risk? They weren’t breaking any laws or rules so how did it happen. That same body that today pilloried Henry Paulson and Ben Bernanke for trying to suggest a plan to prevent a self-feeding ‘30s style crash is the same body that, in the late 90s tore down the barrier between investment banks and the candy jar of easy access to capital insured by none other than “we the people”. The repeal of the Glass Stegall Act was the crowning achievement of deregulation and it was not accompanied by any reasonable mechanism to insure that those new mega financial institutions would not use their access to cheap and boundless capital to generate fees and guess what? They did. Surprised? Don’t be…
Yesterday,I reported on the political imprisonment of Graffiti Research Lab co-founder James Powderly by Chinese authorities. Since then, many other blogs across the internet have also decided to report on this violation of human rights and free thinking, rightfully, helping to spread the word. Despite James’ unknown location, other Tibetan supporters and G.R.L. fans continue to upset the order in China. Yesterday, five more Americans were taken into custody by Chinese authorities, for unfurling a FREE TIBET banner, using G.R.L. LED technology, in Beijing’s Olympic Park.
Today in support of James’ unethical detainment, Evan Roth, the other co-founder of G.R.L. has released the FREE POW-DERLY tee. With all proceeds going towards getting James’ blitzed out of his mind upon his safe return to U.S. soil. This is a must have for all supporters of freedom and drinking!
While everyone is caught up in the spectacle that is the Beijing Olympics and China probably rigged the swimming events for Phelps to win, in order to get Americans to forget about the real events that go on in China, I am here to remind you about what is going on. James Powderly, co-founder of the Graffiti Research Lab, has been detained by Beijing authorities during his visit to China. Mr. Powderly was thinking, yep thinking, about using the G.R.L.’s L.A.S.E.R. tag system to write Free Tibet while in Beijing. Not wanting to remind the world, that is now in China’s corner, of the atrocities that are going on, even as you root for your favorite water polo team, the Chinese thought police have made Mr. Powderly vanish. At this moment James’ whereabouts are unknown and China isn’t talking. Don’t worry, the USA is sure to rack up a couple of more medals today, so this story can also be forgotten.
