EAST BAY RAY

I keep finding cool pictures of people from the early west coast punk rock scene on face book and am now in Portland and running into some of those same people.

But my favorite pic of late is this one of East Bay Ray, the guitar player of the Dead Kennedies. Here looking very stylish and not so Dead Kennedies really. Awesome shoes.

FIGMENT !!

Figment has launched! Very excited about this multiple purpose reading and writing post for teens. I especially love the stories and writings of actual teens. And check out the book muncher (pictured), which will have a ton of YA book reviews

And keep in mind that you can continue to read Dream School. I think we're up to Chapter Nine. Dream School is of course the sequel to my first book Girl.

The best thing about Figment is that it's creators are very open about what it will be. They want it to form itself. it's really an all encompassing forum. So check it out and see what you like and--especially if you're a writer, or just want to have a voice--contribute!

Outtakes and B-Sides

I was looking through some old versions of Destroy All Cars in preparation for the Sister Spit tour, and I found some funny bits that did not make it to the final version.


THE FIASCO OF AUTOMOTIVE TRANSPORT

At my high school, when school lets out, many students have to cross Hillsdale Blvd. to go home. THERE ARE SO MANY CARS ON THIS ROAD, THE STUDENTS CANNOT GET ACROSS. They have to walk all the way to the light on 72nd street. There, they push the WALK button, and stand and wait. First all the left turn cars go. Then all the right turn cars go. Then all the straight ahead cars go. The students observe this endless flow of cars as they stand pathetically on the side of the road with their rain-soaked backpacks and their dripping rain-ponchos. They see the people in the cars, talking on their cell phones, drinking their Big Gulps, but do those people see them? Of course not. Why should they? People without vehicles are second class citizens. People standing on the side of the road are of no consequence. People who walk are laughable. ALL SERIOUS PEOPLE ARE OPERATING VEHICLES. Thus by the process of humiliation, we teach our young people that they must join into the fiasco that is automotive transport or be cast aside onto the pedestrian crosswalks of life.

PROM ANONYMOUS

A friend writes:

Totally burst into tears on the bus this morning after reading this part of Prom Anon, which undoubtedly alienated the Mexicans around me:

"I think I love Zach, she said quietly.
"You do?" said Jace. "But you just met him."
"I know. That's what's so scary about it."
"How do you know?" asked Jace.
"I just...I just want to run away from him forever and I want him to always be trying to catch me."