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O=
/) FLIPPERSMACK 015
`= culturemag for a penguin generation
http://www.flippersmack.com
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A common misconception is that raves are all about drugs. Sure, you'll find them
there, but people forget that you can find drugs at concerts and schools just as
easily. Sometimes these misconceptions lead to ravers to be pre-judged as
drooling babbling crackheads. Last Saturday in Los Angeles, a pair of ravers were
pre-judged.. by the LAPD. Their rights were violated, and their pleas for justice
fallen on deaf ears. They were video journalists, part of the underground rave
crew F.A.M.I.L.Y. George Gomez wrote a letter to the community about his experience.
pinguino
[pinguino@comicartist.com]
Flippersmack Archives:
http://www.penguinpalace.com/
http://www.nettwerked.net/
http://www.ghu.ca/
tABLE oF cONTENTS
I Was Arrested Last Saturday Night .................George Gomez
[review] Sojourn #1 ................................Stone Dragon
[review] Generic Comic Book #1......................Stone Dragon
Fear and Loathing at DefCon .........................Random Dent
An Introductory Guide to DATU Systems .................The Clone
Blood and Gin ...........................................Mr. Log
.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x
I WAS ARRESTED LAST SATURDAY NIGHT
George Gomez (phathead@phatnetwork.net)
It was around two forty in the morning. Technically it was Sunday August
12, though we had been working since six in the afternoon, and
F.A.M.I.L.Y. 7-Year Anniversary party was schedule for Saturday August 11,
2001. I had been working for eight ours now with myself acting in a
couple scenes. All major takes had been shot by now with only the party
people shaking their ass left to cover. I was tired but happy since
everything up to that point was going far better than I expected. The
crowd, though smaller in turnout than expected, look like they were having
a good time and was acting very respectful to our request to film the
event. I just feeling good that I was living my dream of directing my
first feature based on the life that I love the most.
We (my Director of Photography and I) had spent the last 5 minutes filming
me dance when he realized it was time for a new tape. He told me he was
going to the viewing room to put in a fresh new DV tape. Meanwhile, I
decided to go to the bathroom to catch my breath and get a drink of water.
As I walk out the main room I notice 4 Los Angeles County sheriffs walk in
the main doors of the gym. Having experience cops walking in to past
events before I became very nervous. Afraid that they would do something
to intimidate the attendees I ran back to the view room and snatched the
camera from my DP. I ran back into the main room and looked for the
sheriffs. At first I couldn't find them so I ran upstairs (the location's
main entrance - the gym was underground) to see if they left. As I ran
upstairs I saw Doug ( F.A.M.I.L.Y. originator and producer of the show ).
He informed me that the sheriffs had gone inside the gym and that I should
go find them. I ran back to the gym. I begun to look around the crow
when I finally saw them on the opposite corner of the room from the
entrance between the main light rig and the left speaker tower.
I could tell they were hiding themselves in the dark corner of the room
watching the crowd. I proceeded to turn on the camera and record their
actions. At first one of the officers shined his flashlight on the lens
of the camera making it impossible for me to get a good shot. I began to
walk away from them as they approached the camera. One of them asked me
to turn off the camera. I told him I was on my right to have the camera
on. He told me that he wanted to talk to me. I said fine. He again told
me to turn off the camera. By this time we had kept walking back towards
the entrance of the room where I was able to get a good shot of me
standing next to the sheriff. I again told him that I wouldn't turn the
camera off and that is not against the law if I refuse. He then ask me a
third time to turn it off. I told him that I was in the middle of
production and that anything he had to say to me he can say it while the
camera was on. At this point he reached for my free hand and twisted my
arm around my back. Another officer went for my arm with the camera and
began to pinch my wrist. The pain from the pinch forced me to let go of
the camera. I began to ask him what did I do wrong. He put his arm on my
chest and asked me why was my heart beating so hard. I told him that it
was because I had two sheriffs next to me with one holding my arm around
my back. He then told me to put my hands behind my back and proceeded to
handcuff me. I asked him what was I doing wrong. He told me I was "under
the influenced." I denied the charges explaining that I was working and I
was completely sober and was willing to take any drug test they wanted.
In fact, I demanded to be drug tested. None of the officers responded to
my pleas.
At that point while handcuffed I can hear Doug arguing with the officers
about the fact that I was the cameraman hired to film the event. He also
began to show the officers the permits. The officers ignored his pleas
and asked him who he was. He told them he was the producer of the show.
One of the officers replied with, "well your eyes look dilated and you are
acting very agitated. As far I can tell you are under the influenced." At
that point they handcuffed him. They begin to search me and ask me if I
had anything on me. I said no, but they searched me anyway. They asked
Doug if he had anything on him. He said yes that he had a bag of
marijuana on him.
They began to search him.
The sheriffs began to harass the partygoers and working staff. As Doug
and I where lead outside the sheriffs began doing random searches and
other illegal activities to intimidate the crowd. From what I can tell
this made everyone real nervous and give the impression to attendees that
the event was being shut down. Doug and I where driven away in the back
of a sheriff cruiser to the station with my rights still not given to us.
Later I was told that tactics of the sheriffs worked leaving the event
empty of attendees. The event never officially got shut down.
We arrived at the station around 3:40 am. At the station, Doug and I kept
insisting on our right to be drug tested, but we where never tested. We
were never given our free phone call and our rights were never read.
After spending little over six hours in a holding cell we were both
release. Final violation on my ticket was 11550(A)H&S UNDER THE INFLUENCE
OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE ( STIMULANT). I called later to find out
details on the final report and the nightwatch officer informed me that
the sheriffs had the decency to write that we refused to be drug tested.
A PLEA OF INNOCENCE!!
As you can imagine Doug and I are very traumatized by the event. The more
I play the incident in my head the more I can't believe the injustices
that were done to us. The sheriffs had no reason to intimidate the crowd.
The location was fully permitted for both people and production crew.
There was nothing legally they can do to shut us down so they arrested the
people in charge of the event and intimidated the attendees into
submission. They never read our rights nor told us whether we were being
sustained or arrested. And finally, after many requested to be drug
tested, we where not given any tests. And like I said before, final
reports have Doug and I refusing to take the test. It is because of all
this I make a plea to anyone who was there and who saw myself and/or Doug
get handcuffed, and heard what was being said to us, and can testify to
the fact we demanded to be tested to please come forward. Doug and I
could be looking anywhere from a year in probation with weekly drug-
testing, to a year in jail if we decide to plea not guilty and decide to
fight the case. Because of this, Doug is seriously thinking about calling
it quits and the end of the F.A.M.I.L.Y. gatherings. Anyone who has been
to a Friends And Music I Love You event knows how much these gatherings
have defined the meaning of "Underground" and "House Party," to many of us
and now this could mean the end of an era that only F.A.M.I.L.Y.
gatherings events offer. I personally would be very hurt to see this be
the end of such an underground experience. This attacks on our scene have
only gotten worst in the past year and they will continue to succeed in
forever killing our scene unless we stand up to them. I'm willing to do
what ever it takes to prove my innocence. The only thing I'm guilty of is
loving my House and Techno Underground Scene for the love it has shown me
back and my wanting to put that love on film. But one person can save the
love. We all have to do it together.
Love & Respect,
George Gomez
P.S. - Anyone with information on eyewitness to the events I just mention
should e-mail me to phathead@phatnetwork.net. I also recomemd to everyone
to really look at the Summer of Unity website. I think this proves just
how bad things are in our country and is only going to go away if we stand
up to it. The Youth Unite Coalition March is today, Tuesday August 14.
I will definitely be there to demand that our generation is not just kids
on drugs. We are the future and we demand a better world!!
http://www.phatnetwork.net/summerofunity
Updates on the situation will be posted at www.phatnetwork.net
-.x.x.x.-
Sojourn #1
by Stone Dragon (r_lull@hotmail.com)
Sojourn issue one involves setting the storyline for Arwyn, a lovely
female archer, who has just lost her husband and baby daughter in a raid
from the Troll army of Mordath - an evil conqueror returned from the grave
after 300 years. After her family's death, Arwyn, and her faithful dog,
Kreeg, set out to destroy Mordath once and for all.
This is a great comic for those of you out there who really enjoy a
medievil setting, complete with all the trappings of a typical Dungeons
and Dragons game. The art is well done, and the coloring is rich and sets
the mood very well. Nararation is done by Ayden, a warrior who slew
Mordath three centuries before this story takes place. How Ayden is able
to tell a story, let alone keep from breaking his hip, isn't really
explained. A future episode, perhaps?
It looks like those of you who want a little bloodshed and gore won't be
disappointed with this comic. In about four pages, Trolls are hacked,
pierced by arrows, and taken to gurgling deaths by throat slashing, all at
the hands of Arwyn. Payback is bitch. Literally.
Look for the second issue to this new and exciting comic from Crossgen the
22nd of August.
-.x.x.x.-
Generic Comic Book
by Stone Dragon (r_lull@hotmail.com)
We all have a generic idea of what most comic book covers look like,
whether it be a picture of some buff dude wearing a tight, midnight blue
uniform with a large "W" on the chest, or the female equivalent. How
about this one though: a comic book all in yellow, with only the words
"COMIC BOOK" in bold black letters on the front? This is one generic
comic that catches the eye right away with it's plainess.
Even the story inside this bleak exterior is run-of-the-mill, but it's
intentionally so. Enter evil genius eager for recognition for his
insidious work on the Destruction Beam. With it, he has the power to
destroy the entire universe. In order to get the world to know what he is
doing, he calls the media. Now, enter hot news babe, complete with a
bumbling Clark Kent-oid, attempting to ask for a date. News babe ignores
the Kent clone, intent on getting a great story about the Destruction
beam. She takes off in a cab to go straight to the evil genius's lab.
Mr. mild-mannered follows her, and changes into a super hero, courtesy of
a nearby phonebooth. He swaggers out, and calls a cab to follow "that hot
babe in the OTHER taxi". Spoof is the name of the game here, and it
doesn't fail to get a few laughs at the expense of the entire superhero
comic genre.
Masterfully pulled off by Comics Conspiracy, this comic is sure to make
you chuckle, and definately smirk a little. Enjoy it with a "GOOD BEER"
and some "TORTILLA CHIPS" brand snacks!
-.x.x.x.-
Fear and Loathing at Defcon
By Random Dent
Freaks, geeks, and hackers unite. Defcon is here.
This will be my first year here, ^CircuiT^'s second.
We arrived here around 9:30am for registration. 4 hours of waiting. I
guess we were a little anxious. After registration there wasn't much to do
around the Alexis. No speakers until tommorow, so we decided to head out to
The Strip.
Las Vegas is hot. Really hot.
^CircuiT^ got a Fruitopia from a vending machine outside, and it burnt his
tongue drinking it. We were sweaty, stinky, and no Mexicans would give me
pr0n. So we decided to hang out at out at our hotel until tommorow.
Friday morning a group of us met at Denny's before Defcon kicked off. Got
to meet some nice people, namely BlakeM, Limbo, and Scin. Also met
Ripper, who got handcuffed for having quite a few guns on him. I think I'll
stay away from him this weekend... We got back at the Alexis around
10:00am. Attended Sharado's "Security & Privacy- An Introduction To Some
Interesting Concepts." Pretty basic Privacy issues. He is from India, so
I'm not sure too many of us knew what he was saying.
After that we met Pinguino. Scavenger Hunt = hours of fun. Which is where
this article comes in. We were running around this horrible town for
hours. As in about 6 hours. Did I mention it's really hot in Las Vegas?
Probably. At least I got to get my picture taken with the Backstreet
Boys...*cough*
Later that night was Hacker Jeapordy. Our team didn't get picked. Bummer.
I was amazed how easily the people at Defcon were amused by some fat kid
drinking beer... Drunken-Whores = Pretty damn lame. We only stuck around
for the first round. Vana was getting down to very little clothing, and
^CircuiT^ had to go jump in the pool. Naked.
Saturday comes along. This is where I start the article. I'm at Ofir
Arkin's "Introducing X-Playing Tricks With ICMP." Maybe I should pay
more attention. Maybe not. I'm on a Scavenger Hunt.