Bill Clinton Is Not on My Mind

Not as I loll in Prospect Park. Yeah I watched, not too attentively, the 60 Minutes interview. All I could feel was this really ambivalent frustration. He's such a typical boomer case. Convinced he's gawd's gift to u and me but is really just a cheesy campus dealer with not particularly good stuff. I mean did he really think his Middle East Peace Agreement was going to work? Especially when he pulled that whole Arkansas swiftie move about avoiding kissing Yasser Arafat. I don't care who says he was the black president, if you want someone to blame for the mess we're in, it's not Al Gore, nor Ralph Nader, nor the Supreme Court, or that AG from Florida. It's Bill Friggin' Clinton.


Oh, no, he didn't engage in "classy" affairs like JFK. He was too working-man righteous for that. He had to have affairs with the cheesiest women imaginable. 'Cause that's how mama taught him. And that last embarrassing tryst with Monica. Because he had demons? Let me tell you something, every dork who gets elected to dog catcher has demons, you fast food-eating hillbilly (and i don't mean jíbaro)! Wouldn't a Rhodes Scholar be able to forsee that Monica could the ultimate weapon for his political enemies? The more I think about it, I'm going to call the conspiracy theorists in on this. Sure Bill, we'll let you be president as long as you set up NAFTA, excoriate welfare and social spending, and continue to promote a climate where privatization of everything is desirable. But because you have risen too far above your station, you will have to take a big fat fall at the end. (But we'll let you build the library.)

Mea Culpa



In the entry Yanquis en Mi Casa, I didn't hand out due credit to D. Santiago, digital scribblist, whose works are seen here during a fabulously cool outdoor art exhibtion on 106th Street this past Sunday. Santiago's work has an immediate, visceral intensity, working on a very elemental graphic art level. Again, it's icons, and D. has rendered Pedro Pietri and Tito Rodriguez in similar digital scribbly fashion.

Speaking of Pietri, after a satisfying encounter with some ensalada de pulpo


we stutter-stepped around the méjica invocation thingie



and headed down Lex where we found De La in a pink polo, entertaining guests as they strolled by. He was particularly concerned that we check out his recent homage to Pedro Pietri.



De La seemed wistful about the prospect of incarceration. But even the threat of this is a disgrace. Señor de la Vega is probably the most influential street artist since Basquiat. He is trying to make art on the canvas of his life, which includes East Harlem and the Bronx. The mayor is kind of a putz, if you ask me. Here's some info from Willie Perdomo, if you want to take further action:

We can't let them throw this brother in jail. I've spent a few afternoons in front of his store/studio and I see the effect he has on the city, communities, and the world judging from the tourists who come through. Send the judge a letter. Send him five letters. But let him know that this needs to be treated like art, man. Make him do something creative, leniency, anything. Pass this on, please.
Take care, Willie Perdomo

Any letters to the judge should be addressed to:

Honorable Seth Marvin
Crminal Court Judge
Bronx County Criminal Court
215 E. 161st St.
Bronx, NY

SEND ALL LETTERS TO DE LA VEGA'S ATTORNEY:

Daniel J. Ollen, Esq.
20 Vesey Street
Suite 1200
New York, NY 10007

See below for more info:

Become Your Dream
On Thursday, June 10, 2004 New York artist James De La Vega was convicted on 3 counts of Class B misdemeanors. Originally charged with criminalmischief, making graffiti, and possession of graffiti materials, the DA reduced the charges to Class B misdemeanors on the opening day of the trial eliminating the option to defend his case before a jury.
De La Vega returns to court for sentencing on July 29th, and the conviction could mean up to six months in jail for allegedly marking a wall with the intent to damage. According to a witness for the prosecution, the cost of removing De La Vegas painting was $20 - this statement further disproves that any real damage was done. Although De La Vega has never denied painting on the wall located at 80 Bruckner Boulevard without permission; he holds steadfast to the fact that his intent was never to damage or devalue, but instead to provoke thought as motorists stopped at the red light on their way into Manhattan via the Willis Avenue Bridge.
Friends of De La Vega have gathered our resources to send a message of protest against a system that would enforce a law that devalues the lifework and efforts of one of our citys most prolific artists. If you have ever walked upon a De La Vega drawing or thought and paused to smile, or are one of the many who has dragged home a found De La Vega drawn on discarded furniture or cardboard, you understand the value that he brings to our city.

For more information about how you can help, contact Friends of De La Vega at 347-512-3703 or e-mail friendsofdelavega@yahoo.com