9.5

...even more

10

Let's get this one out of the way...

I'm an independent voter. I believe in third parties. The country is making history with this past primary election and the current presidential election. The next historically political ground breaker will be a third party candidate in a tight (and realistic non-Ross Perot, non-Ralph Nader) primary race. I believe in the third party because I decide my vote based on my own personal agenda. I've gone through periods of questioning whether or not this was a moral stance. After all, I do believe in socialized health care. Most importantly though, I believe public education should be paramount. Magnet schools and charter schools are okay too. I didn't go to a good public school. Some would say that West Philadelphia has none anyhow. I did go to a school where ethnic diversity was almost utopian and I did have a few stand out teachers that shaped my teens. The content of my classes lacked but the context saved me. There was no art program (which was a serious minus) and I was forced to think outside my situation (which was a serious plus), make lemonade you know? I was lucky. Most kids in lower economic neighborhoods are screwed by the first day of kindergarden. You all know how shitty this scenario can get. So in my questioning of whether or not voting on my personal agenda was selfish, just recently I realized that the personal and the social are not so mutually exclusive. I'm right in tune with the problems that need to be addressed right now! Hence my official endorsement of Barack Obama.

ten point five

I've been M.I.A from my blog. I apologize to the 11 (or so) people who read it. I'm gearing up for a super-duper top 10 to end it - probably before the election. I'll then keep the blog viewable for a bit afterwards.

Stay tuned for in-depth coverage of illuminating visual and textual descriptions of enlightened self-deprecating tales that span the surreal, mediocre, sublime, pensive, intoxicating, exotic, occasionally reluctantly geniousy(type) adventures of Aaron Wexler!

11

some new works
Blink, 2008 - 30" x 38" - paper collage and acrylic on panel.
Hide N' Seek, 2008 - 66" x 48" - paper collage and acrylic on panel.
Strong as a Symphony, 2008 - 60" x 44" - paper collage and acrylic on panel.

12

August or Bust!

I did not expect August to be such an eventful month, or I should say I did not expect to be so tuned in to the events of August.
The Olympics were exciting and a truly curious event for me to root along with. It wasn't so much a feeling of global inclusiveness but a fascination with the intricacies of how the competitions work. Is it some sort of voyeurism to enjoy watching how a pole-volter warms up? or listen to the technical language of divers (not to mention the robotically precise tiny movement the make up the dive being talked about)? or seeing how China navigates a marathon through it's facade of a toxic waste site?
I know they cosmetically hid the unwanted people, neighborhoods and propaganda... but we were not fooled, it was all there behind the cheap walls they built. We were also not fooled by those poor 12 year old gymnist girls. What a weird scenerio it must have been when some chinese governmental official was yelling at them "You're 16 now!... You're 16 now or you go to re-education labor camp!!!" And Michael Phelps... okay, the guy can swim fast. According to the NY Times his contraversial 7th gold medal race (which I saw) was nice and fixed at the end by OMEGA - the official time clock company of the the olympics and ALSO Michael Phelps sponsor. Whoops.

Next the Democratic convention. Hope you watched it on PBS or all you saw was prime time coverage after Dancing with the Idiots or I can't believe I lost my dignity on a japanese game show. WNYC has been absolutely amazing with its presence and involvement with the convention during the last week. They have aired extensive interviews with everyone who has spoken - 9am or 9pm. Well, except for Obama I guess. Last night I watched his speech right along with the rest of America.... I hope.
Nuts and bolts- he could stand a little editing here and there. Between the content, the foder about defining America is the equivelent of saying "ummmmm" or the dialogue between the kung-fu fights.

I want Obama to be our next president but I'm voting independent (3 elections in a row). We need a third party - that would be real change. I'm glad Obama defined his methods of what change will be. Unfortunately none of them aside from cheaper health insurance will effect me directly. I will not get the tax breaks or benefits or credits as I have no wife or children - in other words, "middle class family". I hope he can secure social security because I've been paying in to it since I was 17!
I hope his lecture on individual responsibilty reaches the masses that need to be told. Unfortunately most of those people were probably playing video games, or watching FOX news, or driving around in SUV's at the time.

I thought Gore rocked! He's miles ahead intelligence wise. His speech was all content. Thank god he's not a politician anymore.

Next is the Republican-mega church-big tent event. I'm even more interested in this than the Dem's.

And finally the US Open. I'm old school and I have such fond memories of John Mcenroe.
Here is a little taste: (including an appearance of Yo La Tengo on his short-lived tv show)

13

The summer of the state of things.
Taken in Brooklyn, August 17th, 2008.

14

The Paper Trail is Painted.
If you try to find the exhibition Yellow in Chelsea, you won't because it's not there anymore. It was a 12-day group show in an ephemeral space that closed yesterday. My friend Katy was in the show and I was really happy to see it because her work is beautiful. You can see images of her work at her website: Katy Krantz

Here are a few images from the show: