Dirt City Zine is a collective voice of talented individuals and creative scenes who breathe energy into the Daytona Beach, FL and Phoenix, AZ metro areas. The purpose is to serve as a community resource by welcoming new forms of artful expression, with hopes of our articles feeding and inspiring each reader's own creative aura. If you want to keep up with the skateboard world... link up below at sk8dirtcityzine.blogspot.com.

1.31.2008

The New American Slavery

By Jolly Roger
slicingthroats@yahoo.com
4-2-5


The average American in the year 2005 lives a fragile existence, in a struggle for survival that can be ended by missing a few paychecks. The carrot at the end of the stick which was formerly known as "the American dream" has been replaced by a whip that can best be described as the American nightmare of homelessness, and slow, early death. You no longer work to achieve a better life for yourselves and your children. You work to keep a roof over your head, and you pray that you don't lose it. You became a slave when fear replaced incentive as your motivation to work, but I still suggest that you work while you can, because if the company you work for can't send your job overseas, the U.S. government is allowing 2000 people per day to enter this country illegally, because they're willing to do your job for less.

It doesn't matter if you're a "white collar" or "blue collar" employee. If you're an American, you're too highly paid. There are billions of people who want your job, and your government is doing all they can to see that you lose it to them. You see, we're not really Americans anymore. Now we're just anonymous faces in the "global village," because our government has sold our nation to foreigners and international bankers, and the new bankruptcy law has doomed the American citizen to a life of debt slavery. They'll insist that illegal immigrants are only doing jobs that Americans refuse to do, and you'll probably believe it, because if you're watching the TV that shovels that crap, you probably still have your job. The illegal immigrants are doing jobs that Americans always did, and every unemployed American I talk to can't find a job anywhere. And just like the European immigrants that flooded this country before the economic depression of the 1930's, today's illegal immigrants also have no gripe with a government that has allowed them work for high wages in America, and send billions back to their homeland. Nor do they care very much about our constitution, bill of rights, or way of life. They're only here for what they can grab, and our government has welcomed them with open arms, because they're grabbing it from you.

You're already working much longer, and much harder, to achieve a much lower standard of living than the previous generation, and 25 percent of working Americans no longer even get a vacation. The Social Security retirement age has been raised to match the life expectancy of American males, so apparently, you're also expected to work until you're dead. When you do finally get a vacation, they only trip you'll be taking will be in a pine box, and that's only if you're one of the lucky ones. Most of us will only get the state-issued canvas bag that gets tossed into the pit with all the others. If you don't mind the fact that you'll be working until you're dead, you might also want to consider the fact that you'll get nothing for your labor, because this nation's economy is about to crash like a freight train, and when it does, everything you've worked for will vanish. After the depression gets ugly, and your family has made the adjustment from three meals per day to three meals per week, the newspapers will blame your hunger on "the economy," as if it were some magical force that uncontrollably ruined a couple hundred million lives. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Politicians and international bankers can manipulate national economies at will, much in the way the media manipulates your mind, and a decision has been made to impoverish Americans, because global government requires that everyone in the world have an equally low standard of living. Simply put, we're being robbed of all we've worked for, because our government wants us to be poor, hungry, and docile, dependant upon them for our existence, and in fear of them for our lives. The government of the United States is intentionally destroying the economy of the United States, because the politicians and the international bankers they work for have decided that the American way of life, and catering to the demands of the American constitution, is simply too expensive.

Regardless of how wealthy you think you are, you actually have no real money at all. The "federal reserve notes" that are in your wallet, and your bank account, aren't really money, but are actually only paper on a debt that can never be paid, not even by combining all the assets and labor of every American alive today. Any loan-shark with a third grade education will tell you "the paper's no good," and naturally, the foreign investors who allow us to float this debt, have come to the same conclusion.

What is commonly known as the "U.S. dollar," represents a debt that is owed by the U.S. federal government, to the federal reserve bank. The federal reserve bank happens to be the privately owned entity that lent the money that's represented by the paper in your wallet. The federal reserve act signed away everything you own, and the fruit of your labor as collateral on this debt, and as foreign investors are becoming increasingly unwilling to invest the $2 billion per day needed to cover the interest, our creditors will want to collect it.

About 90 percent of all Americans are mortgaged to the hilt, and would have little or no assets left if all debts and liabilities were to be paid.* Most Americans have taken advantage of low interest rates, and are now paying a mortgage on their homes. The booming real estate market has made every purchase profitable, because the price of a home always rises. The problem is that the price of a home today is incredibly over-inflated, and the real estate boom that's been keeping the American economy afloat, is about to bust. Interest rates are going to rise, and the price of your home is going to drop drastically, which will leave you stuck paying for a house that probably wouldn't pay the interest on your debt if you sold it. If you're lucky enough to remain employed, inflation will shred your paycheck until you can no longer make mortgage payments. This is when you need to remember that when a nation's economy collapses, the wealth of the nation doesn't disappear, it only changes hands.

Millions of Americans are about to be tossed into the street, and because we're a kinder and gentler America, from the street they'll be tossed into shelters. Once in the shelter, they'll be wards of the social service system, which will make sure they all have food, and a bed to sleep in. In exchange for that food and shelter, the "welfare reform" act will put them to work at jobs where they will collect no additional salary. I guess the idea of "welfare reform" is a lot more acceptable to Americans than "forced labor" but regardless of what you call it, many Americans will soon experience slavery once again, and the slaves are not just sweeping public streets. Under the welfare reform act, many Americans are being put to work for private companies for no wages other than the cost of their food and shelter, both of which constitute the bare minimum requirements of survival. By causing the economy to collapse, and then "saving" the poor, our government can legally force millions of Americans into slavery. The new slavery will be blamed on "the economy," and it will employ a much larger percentage of the population than it did before the civil war.

To understand how they're accomplishing this, we need to turn our thoughts back to our monetary system, because due to the fact that it is no longer based on the gold standard, our government is in control of the money supply, and that gives them the ability to cause rampant unemployment, which is exactly what they're doing. The framers of the U.S. constitution protected us from this brand of tyranny, but because Americans were foolish enough to ignore and/or trust their government, they will become slaves, but most of them will blame themselves for their plight.

Article 1, Section 10, of the U.S. constitution clearly states that "no state shall... make any thing but gold and silver coin a tender in payment of debts." The constitution's prohibition of "fiat money" (what's in your wallet) guarantees that the wealth of the nation remains in the hands of the people, which leaves the government incapable of stealing the population's wealth, as they're doing today. You can collect all the dollars that you like. Our government decides what they're worth, and by keeping the presses working overtime, they're insuring that the dollar will soon be worthless.

The U.S. department of labor has also changed the way it collects data regarding unemployment, which allows for the fraudulent unemployment figures that are printed in the newspapers, and allows working Americans to believe that things aren't really that bad. Their new "household survey" system avoids counting most of the poor by basing unemployment figures on telephone surveys. A real estimate, based on population and payroll taxes, reveals that about 25 percent of the American workforce is presently unemployed, and that will eventually force them into the social service slavery system. Unless your mortgage and debts are completely paid off, and you can still pay your property taxes, there's a good chance you'll soon be joining them. Welcome to the third world, and to an American world, where slavery is legal once again.

What are you going to do when your government forces you into slavery? You can't avoid it, because if you're homeless, you'll be rounded up and brought to a "shelter", where you'll be fed, and probably medicated if you're not happy to be there. With so many people becoming homeless, it will be easy for them to find an apartment for you, and social services will pay your rent, and give you food stamps.

Soon after that they will find you a job, but naturally, you won't be taking home a paycheck because you're in debt to the social service system. They'll tell you that you're working your way back to independence, but since your salary will never be more than your expenses, you'll work for free until you're dead. If you refuse to work, the government "assistance" will be cut off, you'll be back out on the street, and you'll probably do your next job with a shackle around your ankle.

I'm not asking that you waste the time or paper required to write your congressman, because they don't care what you think anyway. What I am asking you to do is to remember something. When the economy does crash, and you're forced into the street. I want you to remember that this isn't your fault, and it's not the result of a "bad economy." Please remember that you're poor, hungry and homeless, because that's where our government wants you to be, and they intentionally destroyed the U.S. economy because they want you to suffer, and beg. And regardless of how bad things get, never sell your rifle. -- Jolly Roger

"Lenin is said to have declared that the best way to destroy the capitalist system was to debauch the currency. By a continuing process of inflation, governments can confiscate, secretly and unobserved, an important part of the wealth of their citizens..... Lenin was certainly right." - John Maynard Keynes*

*90 percent of all Americans are mortgaged to the hilt, and would have little or no assets left if all debts and liabilities were to be paid. --- Rep. Traficant to U.S. Congress.

**John Maynard Keynes is the economist for whom our present monetary system is named.

Unlike this nation's wealth, anything written by Jolly Roger is the property of the American people, and the author hereby grants permission to anyone who so desires to post, copy, forward or distribute this letter as they see fit, and in fact, the author encourages you to do so.

1.30.2008

The Pitbull Run by Dug Ketterman (guest editorial)

This story cracked me up, I had to post it...so I hope Dug is okay with that....

So this is a crazy story that happened while I went cruising with Kyle Beachside last night....

We were just checking out the new paranormal neighborhood that we have rescently moved to on Beachside, Daytona Beach Florida. I say paranormal because of the famous haunted Lillian Place that our 100 yr-old home looks over, while nestled descretely above the burial remains of native american indians, and also happens to be right on the end of the Orange Ave. bridge; that has had reported sightings of a transluscent hitch hiker. Needless to say...kinda creepy...oh yeah, I forgot to mention the serial killer that is on the loose in Daytona...

Now I was cruising on my New-Jersy style low-rider beach cruiser while Kyle surfed his way through the dark side streets and alley's on the fence post with wheels, showing me my endless street spots and rad places to get killed! After skating some fairly interesting spots, we found ourselves on a sidewalk of a tiny, dark side street that would prove to be a bit squirrelly.

...I swear this dog was 96.3% wolf, and 3.7% hell. ?He was jerked back with his 4-ton chain just before it tore into Kyles head...but this is wear it gets good....

A couple of blocks later, Kyle gets a call from Claire, and is oblivious to the world around him, except for the asphault and concrete that was laid before him. I, on the other hand, had a a full view of what could have been a disaster....

All I hear is some kids yelling out a name...Killer, here killer.....then I look over and this Huge pitbull is running right next to me, then passes me up and heads for Kyle's heels...chomping and ready to "play". ...I just said as calmly as possible..."Kyle, just keep skating"...after about a block of the dog chase, it finally gave up and returned to its property it was trying to protect.

After Kyle hung up the phone, I said "holy shit man, that was close!!!"
He replied, "what was close?"

He had no idea the dog was back there! That was why he was so calm, and the dog backed down...what a session!

1.29.2008

Show Calendar

DARKEST HOUR


FEBRUARY 06, 2008 AT THE SOCIAL(ORLANDO) with guests Cephalic Carnage, Emmure, Whitechapel.
Doors at 6:00PM, $15.00, All Ages.
Tickets available at the Social Box Office, the door, and Ticketmaster locations.



Agent Orange is playing a show in DAYTONA BEACH on February 9 at Frank's Front Row (located at 308 Seabreeze Boulevard). Time is currently unavailable. It's a bar and a punk band, so I'm figuring 9pm. $5 cover charge. Also performing is SKIF DANK and FORTITUDE. Bring your best friends and your dancing shoes. If you miss it, they're also playing these Florida shows...
2/10 Back Booth in Orlando, FL
2/11 Jack Rabbits in Jacksonville, FL






MARCH 09, 2008 AT THE SOCIAL(ORLANDO)with guests Riverboat Gamblers
Doors at 9:00PM, $12.00, All Ages.
Tickets available at the Social Box Office, the door, and Ticketmaster locations.




More to come.

New Smyrna Beach Skatepark


Under the original bidding law, if you submit a design, you can not be involved in the bidding to build. Unfortunately, Team Pain donated the ramp plans for the new NSB Skate Park, so they would have been cut out, which could have potentially left who knows who to demolish a great design.

Luckily, the city engineer and my dad, who is an attorney for NSB, pushed a proposal for a design and build bidding. So, the City Commission agreed, and Team Pain is still in the running for the bid. The ground breaking should be in no time. The park is expected around Sept. 2008, if not sooner. Make sure you check out NSBSkate.com (click on the title) for the plans and donation info., etc.

1.28.2008

HOMETOWN HERO VISIT-www.thischildhere.org- Feb.2nd








Many of you may recognize the name Robert Gamble from the old “church shows”, as he used to coordinate all the bands to come and play at First Presbyterian Church. As much as Bob enjoyed breathing in the youthful spirit of the East Coast music scene, he needed a break from the social mores of his life in the United States, and the pulpit. So, he traveled to Odessa, Ukraine, where he would visit with the Way Home Shelter, and feed homeless and runaway kids. The fire that was lit within him there has changed him forever, and now leads the most passionate life I have ever witnessed.

Robert is in town for a little while, and he will be speaking, and showing his photography at First Presbyterian Church on Saturday Feb. 2nd at noon. Please check out www.thischildhere.org for more information on his life in the Ukraine. There is a video below from the short visit I had to Odessa.

1.24.2008

Bro Bowl







Last weekend, Dug and I took a trip to Tampa, and one of the missions was to find the Bro Bowl, which is in danger of being extinct very soon. Despite the fact that neither of us had any sense of how to get around Tampa, with its dead end streets and lanes that leave no option but to turn, we eventually fell upon it.
The Bro Bowl starts at length, at the top of a hill, and then opens its mouth wide, or spits you into its stomach (whichever you choose) at the bottom. It feels so much a part of the natural environment; it awes me to think this bowl is in danger of being removed. This was once somebody’s simple dream, and grew to make positive vibes in a shady part of town, for over 30 years..…check out www.myspace.com/thebrobowl or www.savethebrobowl.com for info.
For whole story visit www.hurley.com Video coming sooon.

1.22.2008

Arts and Crafts #1

This is an idea to cover up something ugly, or just reinvent something old to something new; for instance, a surfboard.

1. Pour liquid soap onto the object

2. Spray paint wherever you want

3. Spray soap off with hose.

4. The soap acts as a negative effect, so you come out with a cool design.

1.17.2008

You can make a difference...

GET ACTIVE!
Every Tues.-Thurs. & Sat. HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
8am-2pm Volunteer for various construction tasks; ages 12 and up welcome.
Please call for application (386)257-9950

Monofilament Recycling VOLUSIA COUNTY ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
Adopt a container and empty it on a regular basis. Proper disposal of fishing line is important for fish and wildlife survival in our waterways. For more information (386)736-5927

KEEP VOLUSIA COUNTY BEAUTIFUL
An official affiliate of the national organization, KEEP AMERICA BEAUTIFUL, and of the state organization, KEEP FLORIDA BEAUTIFUL, started in 1998.
Be a part of a non-profit, public education organization that is dedicated to litter reduction, increased waste prevention and recycling by residents and businesses. For more information on how you can become involved, please contact
Recycling Education at
Keep Volusia County Beautiful
Ms. Regina Montgomery
Recycling Coordinator
Deland, FL 32724
Phone: (386)943-4905

"The nation that destroys its soil destroys itself"
-Franklin D. Roosevelt


1.16.2008

Interview w/ Dirty Bird Threads

“I always repaired blown-out butts and crotches from our guy friends that skateboarded. Eric Marzinco gave me his whole wardrobe once, and I never sewed anything from it. I was in a sewing slump. I probably still have them. I know I do, they’re up in my closet. He hates me now. I should do them all now, and give them to him for his birthday.” KS







Dirty Bird Threads…a.k.a. Kerry Sawicki and Lorraine Carrig

Sitting across the kitchen table from me, Kerry gives me half thoughts and tangent answers to my questions, as she diligently places a large peace sign for a new, Dirty Bird t-shirt. This calm atmosphere is a little different from 2 months ago, when she and Lorraine were blood-shot eyed, and on the verge of developing Carpel Tunnel Syndrome; a last minute fashion show had afforded them no extra time, nor room to crank out a Dirty Bird line. Clothes camouflaged the living room, along with fabrics, threads, elastics, scissors, sewing machines, labels, and “oooow!”, some crazy hair-dos. At anyrate, due to an undeniable demand for a one of kind, embroidered Dirty Bird Thread, Kerry and Lorraine have since come up with a more efficient way of doing things.

MM: Describe the workmanship behind Dirty Bird Threads?

KS: “A sweatshop. We buckle down in Nan’s old room, when we have a deadline; put everything aside. We need more motivation like that (referring to the fashion show). It is really organized though (the walk-in closet in Nan’s room), with fabrics stacked to the ceiling. Very colorful.

MM: About how many pieces of clothing do you girls put out each week or month?

KS: Between personal and worklives….what time is left. It’s like when you get inspired. That’s when I really get shit done. We are working on making at least 100 pieces for a line. And screenprinting for the guys stuff.

MM: What is your work-life?

KS: Boat Maintenance. Interior/ exterior, woodwork, varnishing, etc.

MM: Describe the process of making a signature Dirty Bird Thread.

KS: We focus on patchwork for t-shirts. Designs. Embroidery. Sewing. It is long and tedious. Just takes a long time. Everything is 50/50. Whether it’s her or my idea. We’re just one; we both love each other’s ideas and things.

MM: Have you gotten faster.

KS: Yeah! Once you get a couple of designs, and can make a pttern- then you can get on a roll. Cutting a bunch of patterns and stencils before sewing them on the shirts really cuts time. But it’s all fun.
I’m thinking about getting some more people for the sweatshop- hiring people- give them a design, and have them cut it out.

MM: Do you remember a moment, or a piece, when you thought, “Hey I’m actually really good at this.” ?

KS: Highschool, Mrs. Pringle’s sewing class is where it took off. I had ripped up an old western button down shirt, and made it into a tank top. The teacher saved it and showed it to everyone.

One of my favorites though, is a dress I made out of a long pillowcase-pink- Everyone is like, “you made that? That’s a pillow case?”…. I don’t know, I just like being resourceful, you can recycle things, ya know?

I always repaired blown-out butts and crotches from our guy friends that skateboarded. Eric Marzinco gave me his whole wardrobe once, and I never sewed anything from it. I was in a sewing slump. I probably still have them. I know I do, they’re up in my closet. He hates me now. I should do them all now, and give them to him for his birthday.

MM: What are you making now?

KS: I’m makin a Dirty Bird Peace shirt. It’s a huge peace sign, with different patches of fabric.

MM: Inspirations?

KS: Morgan. You brought back the whole Heart of Dirtona, which triggered the Dirtona shirts….and then realized every city has a nickname that represents the city, like Sledge Water. It’s a cool kind of thing to represent where you are from.

I always had some sketches. One of our main things is looking at something ordinary, and seeing we can make something like that, but with patches- patchwork is one of our signature things.

“I really wish my partner was here- You wouldn’t happen to be able to do a quick interview with her, would you?” (I said yes, but thought it to be unnecessary in the end).

Picking back up with inspirations….

Bright colors, environment, surroundings. It just kind of comes- past styles- just kind of bring them back, but in a different way. Each piece is original and different. Ya know, it’s just special because they aren’t all alike. “Mass” produced, but hand sewn_ not corporate.

We got a lot of ideas from our road trip we were on, seeing different parts of the country.
Friends. For instance, the “Squid Shirt” (after Crystal- whose house we were currently at); Sean Davis- “The Freak of Nature”- (she tries to describe it too me, as slow as fast as my hand can write) big foot on skateboard, glasses, beard profile. We do custom stuff, if you want a piece personalized.

MM: What do you have in mind for guy’s clothing?

KS: Printed tees for guys. Just got textile paint. It’s like a screen-print but with airbrush. I personalize things on jackets too. We really want to expand on the guys.

MM: How long is the sewing session today?

KS: A typical t-shirt takes at least 4 hours. People won’t realize it. It’s hard to make a price. We want to be affordable, because we sure don’t have that money. We have an idea (about prices)- we are just hoping people are willing to pay and understand. If you like it, you like it, and is going to be worth buying it.

MM: Contact, ordering, how is this handled?

KS: E-mail. We are working on the dot-com thing.
- dirtonadirtybirds@gmail.com

1.15.2008

Steve McCurry Photo Exhibition

The Southeast Museum of Photography is located on the Daytona Beach College campus, on ISB. All events and receptions are free! Last weekend, I went to see an exhibition by Steve McCurry, who is a famous photographer for National Geogrpahic. He was there speaking with Lawrence Cumbo, about a joint film work, "The Search for The Afghan Girl". This film was about a small girl, whom Steve had taken a photo of twenty years ago, at a refugee camp in Afganistan. 20 years later, they miraculously tracked her down based on technology and her striking eyes. The coolest part was to see how peoples lives and fates cross though. When Lawrence Cumbo attended DBCC (now DBC), he was to write a paper on his favorite photographer. He chose Steve McCurry, never imagining he would one day get a chance to pitch a film to Steve McCurry, and then produce it with him. Further more, they were able to set up a scholarship fund and medical aide for the family.

For Steve's work and Museum Events Check out:
www.stevemccurry.com and www.smponline.org