STRIVE FOR CHANGE

Post-Hummus (Error Intended)

2007-09-11T10:09:00.000-04:00

It feels weird to post here because its been so long, but good to express some ideas again. So, Strive for Change sort of fell apart about a year ago, but I was really glad we were able to come together the way we did. I had this crazy idea this morning that I would put together a sort of retrospective zine of the articles that were written for the the zine that never happened. Although its not coming together the way I had intended it, I really think it'll feel good to get everything out there. I'm going to try and see if I can squeeze in the time to write one more article. I'm also really hoping that we can stir up some communication again and use this blog and the Strive for Change e-mail as a vehicle for self-expression and way to keep in contact with close friends that aren't so close (maybe also a way to use my free time at work more effectively). I was really proud of everything we did and in no way look back on what we did as a waste of time. Communication is so important in my opinion and one of the only the only things that keeps us human, we forget that sometimes. We can get so wrapped up into work, school, friends, or whatever that we forget that it is really important to discuss things going on around us or we're really becoming robots following a daily routine. So in light of that, I'll share somethings on my mind.

I realized the date a little while ago, it's been 6 years since 9/11. That's pretty significant, its really one of the few historical events that has happened in my life that I feel has really affected me. It took away the American sense of invincibility, THEY could reach us, whoever that is. I can remember the principal of my high school announcing what had happened over the loud speaker at school, that's how significant this was. Although, if you went to my high school and knew my principal, you maybe could argue me on that point. I can remember coming home from school and can remember my mom watching TV and crying about the event, that's how much this event affected me. But really, what's changed since then? They made it such a pain in the ass to get on an airplane that they'll make you throw out your toothpaste, make women drink their own breast milk, as well as take the opportunity to frisk every cute girl that walks through the gate. Homeland security - what a joke. There's a big hole in the ground were the World Trade Center used to be that the city of New York has been promising (FOR 6 YEARS) to waste your tax dollars and build this overbearing, monolithic symbol call the "freedom tower" that will be the new tallest scar on the New York City skyline, but has done absolutely nothing. The war, which I'm not even going to touch on. Also, PEOPLE ARE STILL GETTING SICK from the toxins that this building coming down put in the atmosphere (http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=3579320&page=1). Now, there's this whole issue of Giuliani's role in the 9/11 memorial (http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070910/pl_nm/usa_politics_giuliani_dc_2).

What has this all amounted to? NOTHING. Isn't there something wrong with that? Now Americans walk around the street scared of the 'unknown terror' which could be down the street, in another country or your best friend. Just think about what kind of unbelievable power this gives your government (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patriot_act). I know we've all heard this before, but its been a while since we've thought about any of this, its been sort of accepted. Which is maybe scarier than anything, just a thought.

-Zack

Meeting Info

2006-09-26T18:10:00.002-04:00

So this week's meeting held online a.k.a. LiveStrive. If you'd like to participate in the meeting please log onto AOL Instant Messenger at 10:30PM on Wednesday and IM the screen name clintandthebeat

Hope to speak to everyone then.
~Zack

Meeting Info

2006-09-26T18:10:00.001-04:00

Meeting Info

2006-09-26T18:10:00.000-04:00

She writes alot...

2006-09-11T21:47:00.000-04:00

This is another arictle she submitted.

Cheers to Living Moderately
-Alexandra Hoefinger

"We could be richer than industry as long as we know that there's things that we don't really need." Other than a slight grammatical error, that line from Willy Mason's song "Oxygen," is brilliant, I say. It extols the simple logic of minimalism that is frequently abandoned or not even considered at all. We as a population are obsessed with having and buying and consuming more things that lead to excess. Its the entire concept of "more" that does us in. Its no new breakthrough that for many people, material goods are the key to inner happiness and self-content. But wouldn't it be lovely if we could all just quit complaining, give more than we take, and reach the frame of mind in which we realize that we've already got everything we need?

I think it comes down to a necessary shift of values, from continuous desire to acquire quantities to an appreciation of anti-consumerism. Its about simply being pleased with what we have and just not wanting more to begin with. Its not like some torturous crash diet in which you still want what you're not letting yourself have, that's just an unhealthy mode of self-restraint.

A few months ago I read an article about a married couple that, for one full year, did not go shopping or purchase any luxury items like movie tickets, hotel rooms, jewelry, etc. They didn't even buy cups of coffee. Obviously they purchased simple food and necessary goods to sustain basic, healthy lifestyles; they just didn't buy any extra frills. I thought this was an amazing accomplishment and it inspired me to test out that same plan for just one month.

It was quite difficult and it did require a bit of brain work at first but in the end it really did make me realize how little I really do need to buy. As expected, I saved substantial amount of money by not spending it on stupid, disposable shit like cups of chai latte, semi-ugly dresses at the Salvation Army, and crappy movies at the mall. This test of anti-consumerism and minimalism also lent itself to an increased value of engaging in real human interaction and relationships. We played a lot of old board games and used our imaginations to stimulate entertainment. Anyway I'm not trying to toot my own horn, I certainly wasn't as successful in living as minimally as I originally set out to do, but it did open my eyes wide to tides of new appreciation for simple things.

Not everyone can or should surrender all of his or her goods in order to adopt the life of a monk or a nun. But living moderately with less excess baggage and making due with what is already there seems to be a morally satisfying way to get by. We have so much that we take for granted. Its long past time that we consider giving more than we take and loving more than we hate.

Another Article

2006-09-11T21:45:00.000-04:00

This is an article my friend Alex submitted to us to be submitted to us to be published in the zine. Read, post comments, think about it.

pantSTOPoverty
<>-Alexandra Hoefinger

Started last year at the hand of my sister's boyfriend, Ben Ramsden, Pants to Poverty is an ethical underwear company that exhibits a 100% transparent line of production. This means that when you purchase a pair of these fairtrade underwear, you can trace each precise step that they go through in the process of manufacturing- from the final product all the way back to the ethical cotton tree plantations at which they were started in India, called Agrocel Pure and Fair Cotton Grower's Association. The message behind the underwear, as stated on the website www.pantstopoverty.com, is that "manmade poverty is a scandal and together we can find beautiful ways to wipe it out."

The pants are more than just trendy black exact rip-offs of Calvin Klein's male and female designs, they are a tool for powerful change in manufacturing and business. Recently a swanky British department store, called Top Shop, rang up Ben's cell phone to offer sales of the pants in its shops. The pants are not sold in any stores yet, but Ben turned down the offer because Top Shop wanted to charge one extra pound per pair for their own profit. The price of the pants is calculated by the price of the cotton, the fair wages of the laborers, the exit tariff in India, and a handful of other factors, but individual profit is not included whatsoever. Therefore Top Shop's one pound profit would not comply with the ethical history of the underwear. But its about negotiating. Ben didn't cut ties with the store, but rather encouraged them to consider less of a profit margin and objectively change its business practices.

The line was launched on a rainy day this past Spring at a demonstration in front of the Royal Exchange, widely known as the heart of London's finance and banking. Over one hundred people of all ages danced around the front steps of the building, wearing nothing but shoes and Pants to Poverty, shouting anti-poverty slogans. Naturally the event drew the press and sizeable crowds and began the progress of public awareness and appeal for the underwear. Not long after that, Pants to Poverty landed a fashion shoot in an ethical magazine in England but the next shipment of underwear had not arrived at the time. When it came down to a panic on the day and hour of the shooting, with no pair of Pants to Poverty for the model to wear, the only option was for Ben to rip off the pair he was wearing and hand them over. To this day, few know the true story behind the crusty pair of underwear modeled in that mag.

It's a gritty, innovative project organized by real human beings with a sincere passion for human rights and ending poverty in creative new ways. They are lovely underwear. Pants to Poverty is all about having a great time while cracking the capitalist whip in the opposite direction! Let's sting those greasy fat fingers and make them listen… change is in our pants!

From the United States, they can be purchased online at the very Zen-like website that features quotes from Mohandas Ghandi, Nelson Mandela, and Mother Theresa: www.pantstopoverty.com!!!

An Article Submitted to Us

2006-09-11T21:43:00.000-04:00

My Experiences of April Revolution in Nepal

-Gagan Kr. Thapa

Nepal's formalised struggle for democracy is marked by the revolution of 1950, a political manoeuvre coordinated between the Nepali Congress and King Tribhuvan (an ineffective figurehead) to overthrow the Rana regime, which had monopolised political power since 1846. Multi-party democracy with constitutional monarch was established after the King fled to India for refuge and the Nepali Congress conducted a military assault on the Rana state infrastructure. Many of the participants in this rebellion were students who had been exiled to India in 1947 for participating in the student movement Jayatu Sanskritam ('Victory to Sanskrit'). This student movement was the first recorded organised protests by students against the Rana regime. Since then students have been fighting for the democratic movement in Nepal.

In the post-1990 democratic era, student organisations had a co-dependent relation with the parties. In fact, for the first time in political history, it was possible for one's tenure as a student to be the beginning of a guaranteed political career. But also during this period, the students returned to their campuses. Their movements at this time once again became norm-oriented and they contested issues like tuition increases, facility improvement, and petrol and transportation price decreases. They did not have reasons to fight on the ideological grounds, so they agitated for issues that concerned the student population and general public. The nature of these student movements according to the students' convenient description- that they are social movements that served the larger public good- worked on a number of different levels that benefited both the students and politicians. The process of student movements and the discourse around them were exploited as general categories that attempted to perpetuate public commitment to party ideals regardless of whether the parties were presently following those ideals.

It was not until after 2002 when King Gyanendra interfered in the parliamentary process that the role of student movements returned to a value orientation once again. Their mission was to radicalise the discourse of the political parties' movement against regression by taking the risk to make political demands that their more conservative mother organisations (the political parties) did want to take. The students not only saw this as move against the king's autocratic actions but also as an opportunity to carve a space of political autonomy for themselves. It was at this time I was charged with the act of sedition against state for shouting anti-king slogan. The student movement was so spearheaded that it compelled the centrist party like Nepali Congress to remove the constitutional monarchy from its statue.

Coup d'etat that took place in the 1^st February displayed fully in a state of emergency, arrests of party leaders, suspension of fundamental constitutional rights, censorship of media and the return of an absolute monarchy. The political process and activism was in the stagnant phase until the 12 points understanding took place between the Maoists and the political parties thus, making the triangular political conflict a bi-polar. This put the confident among the political activist that together the Maoists and the political parties are in a position to thwart with the monarchy in Nepal. Thus the movement was called by the Seven Party Alliance which was backed-up by the Maoists. This was followed with the intense repression and curfews for almost 19 days which people of Nepal defied and were vowed to overthrow the institution of monarchy once and for all. April revolution came to an end with the King decision of reinstating the dissolved House of Parliament.

I have personally experienced the April revolution as I have been assigned by my party to ignite the movement in the constituency No. 3 in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. One day prior to the indefinite strike, I was addressing a corner meeting. We were only twelve participants and I personally thought that this struggle would be another episode for three years long struggle. On the day of the strike, people were scared but we managed to enter the prohibit zone. Two young guys who were just in front of me sustained rubber bullets. But we continued our protest. Second day of the general strike was unbelievable as thousands and thousands of people came to streets completely ignoring the curfew orders, peacefully rallying in different parts of the country. I started to move at time when curfew was lifted for limited time and could see that people were participating more and more. I managed to evade arrest and addressed nine mass meetings in a week's time.

Then government was losing its hope and was applying every possible measure of repression like deployment of excessive forces, brutal tortures and in fact, it was fuelling the movement. The news was coming out from different parts of the country; people were their leaders themselves. They did not have directives from the leaders but even though they participated wholeheartedly. When the "Ring Road Gherao (Circling City)" program was announced by the seven party alliances, million people turned up. I personally walked for almost eight hours which was continued the next day as well. King Gyanendra finally vowed thus reinstating the parliament that was dissolved in 2002.

I went on to different parts of the city even during the time of curfew igniting the mass for the complete revolution. In my experience, April revolution has been fundamentally different to that of the revolution of the past as this movement was spearheaded by the alliance of seven political parties largely supported by the middle class Nepalese and the Maoists largely supported by the rural mass and peasants. This was a unique combination that established the importance of non-violent movement in Nepal. However; the mandate of the April revolution is less likely to be materialised as the political parties are derailing the process of going to the election of constituent assembly election. "Democratic Republic Nepal" was the mandate of the April revolution and if not materialised, Nepal is likely to move forward for the 3^rd round of political revolution which would be largely led by the youth of present generation. What I really experienced from this movement is the strength of non-violence, hunger for change of the Nepalese people and finally display of Nepalese character that was ready to give its life to buy liberty.

Update

2006-09-11T21:30:00.000-04:00

So this week's meeting is again at Rob's. I'll be posting the usual info towards the end of this entry. I hope everyone has something written. I haven't gotten a chance to rewrite my article, but everyone who was at the last meeting got a chance to read it and I got a positive reaction to it. When its completely rewritten I will post it on the blog so everyone can make comments. Also please bring donations of money, food and/or clothing. The meeting is Wednesday 10:30PM at Rob's.

Here's the usual info:

Apartment 274 Knox Village Complex New Windsor, NY 12553

Apparently, mapquest doesn't give very good directions. So we made our own:
From 5 corners in Vails Gate, go north on 94. Make right onto Marshall Drive (1st road after Hanaford) take that all the way down until stop sign where you can only make a right or left, make left. Apartment is on the right, bottom Apartment #274.

Hit Rob up for help with Directions: (845) 781-0984

Hope to see everyone there

Open Invitation to Submit

2006-08-31T16:41:00.000-04:00

So, Strive for Change will be putting out a 'zine soon and we decided to open up article submission to the general public. If you have something say here's your chance to get it out and get it published. We'll take anything from an informational article to an editorial and everything in-between. We'll be reviewing all articles and only take the best of what is submitted. There is no specific length constraint, but we ask that you try to keep it relatively short to save space for other articles. Please submit all articles to striveforchange@gmail.com and we'll be looking foward to reading your writing. The due date for submission is October 4th.

Back in Full Force

2006-08-29T15:51:00.001-04:00

So we're back. Sorry for not posting anything last week, but as everyone knows we haven't had a meeting for a hot minute. So we ARE having a meeting this Wednesday at Rob's. I'm going to post directions and his address up again in case anyone forgot how to get there.

We've left all this time in hopes that people have gotten writing because we really need to get stuff going. I should have something descent written by then.

Stuff we have to discuss:
The Potluck - We need to get a date and a location.
Farm Santuary - We are going to pick a date very soon, we need to do this before it starts to get cold out.
The Zine - I'm going to look into printing information, if anyone else knows anything helpful with this please bring that information to the meeting.
Alternative Transportation Event - I got in contact with Randall from the Troy Bike Rescue again, they're starting back up this month and he'll discuss setting something up with them next week.
Donations - ROB! Please call the Knights of Columbus. Anyone else, please try to look into something.

Here's the usual info:

Apartment 274 Knox Village Complex New Windsor, NY 12553

Apparently, mapquest doesn't give very good directions. So we made our own:
From 5 corners in Vails Gate, go north on 94. Make right onto Marshall Drive (1st road after Hanaford) take that all the way down until stop sign where you can only make a right or left, make left. Apartment is on the right, bottom Apartment #274.

Hit Rob up for help with Directions: (845) 781-0984

Hope to see everyone there,
~Zack

Sorry this is so late...

2006-08-16T16:10:00.000-04:00

I was at work all day and kept forgetting to put this up, I apologize everyone. Anyway, some bad news. This week's meeting is cancelled. A few members expressed an inability to attend and I myself have alot going on. I also figured that no one probably got anything done, because I know that I didn't get anything done. Anyway, I thought this would be a good time for everyone to get work done instead of being at the meeting. So use this time to work on Strive for Change stuff and especially, PLEASE GET WRITING!!! We need material soon for the zine so please use this time to our collective advantage. We'll get a confirmed location for next week and hopefully have alot to talk about. I was also considering making the Farm Sanctuary trip on Sunday the 27th, if anyone has any major issues with this please get in contact with me and we will try to accomodate as many people as possible. Hope to see everyone next week with alot to talk about and get done.

~Zack

Why Capitalists Want to Sell You Deodorant

2006-08-14T12:05:00.000-04:00

As soon as I finish all these final projects, I'll have honestly, sincere, intelligible posts, but until then...

"Full Text" if your are interested.

Body smells are erotic and sensual. Capitalists don't like that because they are impotent and opposed to all manifestations of sensuality and sexuality. Sexually-awakened people are potentially dangerous to capitalists and their rigid, asexual system.
Body smells remind us that we are animals. Capitalists don't want to be reminded of that. Animals are dirty. They eat things off the ground. They are openly sexual. They don't wear tuxedos or corsets or have their hair done.
Body smells are unique. Everyone has her own body smell. Capitalists don't like individuality. There are millions of body smells but only a few deodorant smells. Capitalists like that.
Deodorants are harmful. Many capitalists like that because they are always looking for new illnesses to cure. Capitalists love to invent new medicines. Medicines make money for them and win them prizes. They also cause new illnesses so that they can invent even more medicines.
Deodorants cost you money. Capitalists are especially pleased about that.
Deodorants hide the damage that capitalists' products cause to your body. Eating meat and other body pollutants sold by capitalists makes you smell. Wearing pantyhose makes you smell. Capitalists don't want you to stop wearing pantyhose or eating body pollutants.
Deodorant-users are insecure. Capitalists like insecure people. Insecure people don't start trouble. Insecure people also buy room freshners, hair conditioners, and makeup.
Deodorants are unnecessary. Capitalists are very proud of that and they win marketing awards for it.

SEMIOTEXT[E] USA

Meeting...oh word?

2006-08-09T13:08:00.000-04:00

PREVIOUS WEEKS MEETING INFO.Well, turn out wasn't so great last week, but whatever. It was good that anyone came out. Hopefully things will be looking up for tonight.

I realize its a little late, but better late than never right?

This week's meeting is tonight at my house in Washingtonville. As usual, we will be providing information on how to get there and all that jazz.

Usual time - 10:30PM

Address: 15 Cranberry Lane Washingtonville, NY 10992

My number in case you get lost: (914)-474-7426

Directions: From Route 17 get off at the Monroe/Washingtonville exit and head North on 208. Follow 208 through one traffic light and when you get to the second make a right onto Mountain Lodge Road. Follow Mountain Lodge Road for about a mile and make a left onto Felter Hill Road. Make the first left onto Cranberry Lane and my house is the one at the top of the cul-de-sac #15.

Hope to see everyone there.

You CAN make a difference,
~Zack

Weekly Meeting Posting

2006-08-01T09:22:00.000-04:00

PREVIOUS WEEKS MEETING. This week the meeting will be at Brizz's house in Bloomingberg, usual Wednesday night at 10:30PM. The address is:

78 Stone Schoolhouse Road, Bloomingburg, NY 12721

What's Brizz's number in case I get lost?
Chris Brizzolara (a.k.a. Brizz): (845) 988-6518

Don't feel like looking up directions? Don't worry we got you covered:
Get on Route 17 going west and get off at Exit 116 (Rt. 17K/Bloomingburg/Montgomery). Make a left at the stop sign. Make the first left onto Stone Schoolhouse Road. My house is about half a mile down, number 78, and the first one with lights going all the way up the driveway. When you get here, go past my front door and around the side of the house and into the basement. If you get lost, call.

Hope to see everyone there,
~Zack

Google is a Privacy Time Bomb

2006-07-28T14:08:00.000-04:00

Beware the New Google Feature!
www.google.com

Type your home telephone number into Google's search bar & click the search button
MapQuest returns with a physical location of your phone number.
People could use this feature to locate your home address, and receive explicit directions on how to get there from anywhere in the country.

You can remove your name off this database.
To do this:

Type in your full phone number — using dashes — like this: 555-123-4567.
If your number appears in the mapping database, an icon resembling a telephone will appear to left of the entry on the results page.
Click on this icon and it will take you to a page containing a description of the service, and a link to request your number be removed!
Recheck your phone .. to be sure it has been removed.

Also, if you have children, please check their phone .. too!

-mikey williams

Stuff We Have Going On

2006-07-24T10:24:00.000-04:00

PREVIOUS WEEKS MEETING INFO.We have alot of stuff in the works and there should be alot to discuss at the next meeting. By the way, our next meeting is same time and same place as last week. The meeting will again be at Rob's apartment this Wednesday at 10:30PM. If you'd like the mapquest (or whatever directions website you use) directions, the address is:

Apartment 274 Knox Village Complex New Windsor, NY 12553

Apparently, mapquest doesn't give very good directions. So we made our own:
From 5 corners in Vails Gate, go north on 94. Make right onto Marshall Drive (1st road after Hanaford) take that all the way down until stop sign where you can only make a right or left, make left. Apartment is on the right, bottom Apartment #274.

Hit Rob up for help with Directions: (845) 781-0984

I got in contact with someone from Camp La Guardia and he said that we just need to contact him when we want to drop off donations. He said that they are specifically looking for men's clothes because they are a men's homeless shelter. So at the next meeting, if you'd like to make a donation please bring men's clothes and/or non-perishable food.

I also, got in contact with someone from the Troy Bike Rescue about setting up an event with them for alternative transportation. They have a meeting on Wednesday and they'll be discussing it with their volunteers. He told me about this though which I thought was interesting:

"Free bikes are given to those who earn it by rehabilitating a bike top
to bottom (redoing all bearings and cables and adjusting brakes and
derailleurs). If the bike you want doesn't need repair, you can repair
another top to bottom and then have the bike you want. It generally
requires more than one session to rehab a bike top to bottom. If you
don't have time to rehab a bike, bikes can be purchased for reasonable
amounts, rarely over $100."

Check out their website at: http://troybikerescue.org

Hope to see everyone at the meeting.

You CAN make a difference!
~Zack

Recycle.

2006-07-20T01:05:00.000-04:00

Recycle.

Over 1998 I worked at a recycling center for about nine months.
Here's what I learned:

only buy glass. When aluminum and plastic are melted down you lose a lot of the material in the form of fumes and smoke. When you melt down glass you lose almost nothing. Additionally the more people use glass, the more likely it is that stores will go back to the washing a reusing bottles, which takes even less energy than recycling them.
Plastic isn't really recyclable. You can turn some plastics into harder plastics, but you can't turn the harder plastics into much of anything. Easy solution - don't buy plastic.
Aluminum isn't recycled into cans. When you put your aluminum cans in the recycle, they get smashed into blocks and then they get sent to Asia where they are melted down and made into car engines. Therefore every time you drink soda/beer from a can, the can is made out of virgin materials. That means they cut up a mountain and use a whole slew of toxic chemicals to separate the ore from the earth. Simple solution - don't use cans.
Paper is recyclable. It seems like most people only recycle their newspaper. You can recycle colored paper, newsprint, cardboard, blueprings, magazine, etc. Basically everything.
Here's a list of other things that you can recycle: Brass, Copper, Scrap Aluminum, Lithoplate, Xerox cylinders, Steel. If you live in a small town they not take all of these, but if you live in a big town there is probably a place that will.
There's a lot of pretty severe Alcoholics working at the recyucling centers.
There's a big section of hell set aside for people who put things like dirty diapers and vomit in their bags of recycle.
Most counties have a recycling hot line, so if your recycling center doesn't take certain things call up the hotline and find out who does.

page 154
Ot t, Jeff. My World: Ramblings of an Aging Gutter Punk. Subcity records. USA, 2000.

More:
Orange County's Recycle Standards.

MEETING!!!

2006-07-17T12:28:00.000-04:00

PREVIOUS MEETINGS INFO. The 2nd Strive for Change meeting will be taking place at Rob's apartment in New Windsor this Wednesday 07/19/2006 at 10:30PM. All are invited, please just bring an open mind. If you are so inclined, feel free to donate money, canned food, old clothes, or whatever you have.

Apartment 274 Knox Village Complex New Windsor, NY 12553

Directions:
From 5 corners in vails gate, go north on 94. Make right onto marshall drive (1st road after Hanaford) take that all the way down until stop sign where you can only make a right or left, make left. Apartment is on the right, bottom Apartment #274.

Hit Rob up for help with Directions: (845) 781-0984