Free Press Houston February 2015

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LOWBROW Montrose, Texas

presents:

Your 2015 Weekly Schedule Please plan accordingly

MONDAY

Pizzas & Pitchers (cheap pizzas / $15 craft pitchers) Game Night (Cards Against..., et cetera.)

TUESDAY

Burgers & Beers

($9 burgers / $3 craft pints)

WEDNESDAY Frozens & Fries

($5 frozen cocktails / $8 stacked fries)

THURSDAY

Bourbons & Buckets ($5 whiskey / $15 can buckets)

FRIDAY

Lone Star & Fireball ($3 tall boys / $5 shots)

SATURDAY & SUNDAY Brunch 8am - 2pm

$2 classic mimosas / $5 micheladas / $5 marys / $5 frozens

MOVIE NIGHT - Er’ Night 1601 West Main, Montrose, Texas 77006 Open 7 days a week www.lowbrowhouston.com

LEDITOR: Horns are made for honking.

Believe it or not, some of us are honking our horns for their intended purpose. I think it generally is a loud way of saying 'heads up.' But many of you dummies believe it means 'fuck you bastard!’ Consequently, many 'people' who get honked at instantly put their middle finger out the window. I generally think it is a bad idea to flick people off without ascertaining whether or not you can whoop them. It is a dangerous time to flick folks off that you don't know.

Some of us are carrying high-powered laser weapons.

MON. 2ND OPEN MIC COMEDY NIGHT FRI. 6TH BRUNSON THEATER, GLASS THE SKY, FAKE BELIEVE SAT. 7TH OLD WARHORSE, CHARLIE AND THE REGRETS, SON OF BITCH MON. 9TH OPEN MIC COMEDY NIGHT THURS. 12TH GALLION, DESTROYER OF LIGHT, THE DIRTY SEEDS, SERPENT SUN FRI. 13TH OMOTAI, LOINSOF TSAVO, MOUNTAIN OF SMOKE, HOLY MONEY SAT. 14TH AIRPORT NOISES, MADD COMRADES, ESCATONES, TREEHOUSE PROJECT MON. 16TH OPEN MIC COMEDY NIGHT TUES. 17TH GROWN UP STORY TIME THURS. 19TH BOILING POINT PLAYERS DOORS FRI. 20TH THE HICKOIDS, DEAD END COWBOYS, WE ARE THE ASTROID SAT. 21ST PROVISION, OBSCURED BY ECHOES SUN. 22ND RYAN TRASTER, JARED PUTNAM MON. 23RD OPEN MIC COMEDY NIGHT THURS. 26TH RUDYARD’S BEER TASTING FRI. 27TH BAD ASS WEEKEND SAT. 28TH MISERY LOVES COMPANY CD RELEASE PARTY

Unrelated, I have 2 dogs. One is a greyhound-ish Mutt named 'Annie. The other one is a dastardly, little mutt named 'Najis'. This is the Arabic word for ritually impure. I believe that about him. My son and I joke that if we switched his brain with a cockroach’s brain, it would be an improvement.

Anyways, here he is sleeping on the mantle of the fireplace.

And yeah, FPSF lineup will be here before you know it ;)

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Soft Diet

Attachment Theory and the Work of Emily Peacock

by Michael McFadden

In 1973, Mary Ainsworth, a psychologist who provided one of the most famous bodies of research on the differences in individual attachment, wrote that attachment is a deep and enduring emotional bond that connects one person to another across time and space. Throughout her body of work, Emily Peacock not only displays but exudes a strong sense of attachment to various members of her family. A large portion of her portfolio directly features her family members as the subject, but in her latest exhibition, Soft Diet— on display at Hello Project Gallery through February 7—Peacock deviates from this tendency. Though a majority of the work still features members of her family, she focuses on manipulating items to depict the tactile experience of caring for her mother in a time of illness, and ultimately her passing.

Much of the work exhibited in Soft Diet is taken from a new body of work produced during this vulnerable time in Peacock’s life. Spending time with her mother, Peacock sifted through the family albums that her mother collected. “I am not even sure how she found the time to make the albums,” she said. “My [maternal] grandmother made each of her grandkids an album, and when they graduated high school, she would give it to them. So, I believe my mother was influenced by her mother.”

In attachment theory, adult behavior towards the child centers around sensitive and appropriate responses to that child’s needs. A positive relationship, particularly early on, influences the ways in which we form relationships throughout life. This trend appears to be universal across cultures, and attachment theory seeks to explain it. “ S he has influence d ever y thing about me ,” Peacock said when asked of how her mother has affected her artistic practice. Much of the research done in psychology has honed in on the ways in which people, particularly as infants, form attachments to others. Acknowledging attachment is simple because we know how we feel when we are apart from some-

one. As adults who are not stunted emotionally, we find ways to describe this feeling.

While Sof t Diet isn’t solely about her mother, Peacock expresses a strong sense of attachment throughout the work. “I would say the entire show is a reference to what I was experiencing; it was all made during the past six months ,” she said . “ It is com pletely my experience with taking care of my mother and family.”

“During her decline, I never wanted to photograph her, or make photographs,” she said. “It wasn’t until I began to look through over 20 photo albums that my mom put together of our family that I started to put things together.”

Throughout this new divergence, Peacock simultaneously exposes family photos as objec ts that people form attachments with and alters them in a meticulous, caring way that shows how difficult letting go can be. When asked about the process behind the works, Peacock said that she had no particular goal when she first started but wanted to toy with the idea of “ruining” the photographs. “I was experimenting in my studio and I was feeling like all these photographs and albums were ruined now that my mother was ill and dying,” she added.

By layering objec ts over the works , Peacock explores the relationship we hold with these objects.

She takes the precious memories of her family that her mother collected and transposes a new meaning onto them. Exposing a photograph as an object, over the romantic idea of its role as a memory, can be done in numerous ways. Peacock’s decision to place objects over these family photos seems to mimic the way in which she processed her mother ’s diagnosis and decline on an emotional level. It’s far easier to burn a photo than to gather toenails.

“I definitely knew that I wanted to use the family photographs, and when I made the first image of my baby teeth, I knew I was on to something.” While experimenting with these objects, a timeline develops

Incisor, Canine, Premolar, Molar courtesy of Emily Peacock

that shows her comfort with physically altering these formerly precious memories growing. The placement of her own baby teeth and the toenails over the initial photos in the series is done with a level of precision that denotes the sentimental attachment she must have felt when first deciding the photos would be her subject. As the series progresses, this composed hesitation is replaced with bolder moves in sweeps and spills of paint.

Because contemporary medicine has led to a time where people experience parental loss in adulthood instead of childhood, research pertaining to attachment theory has been expanded into how we maintain, disrupt, or dismiss the relationships that initiated our attachment behavior.

Victor Cicerilli purported that adult attachment motivates caregiving as sons and daughters seek to protect those they feel attached to in order to maintain emotional security. Attachment theory would lead us to conclude that our own well-being is at stake when we lose a parent. Without a solid means of expressing or releasing this loss, a stable adult cannot move forward.

With Sof t Diet, Peacock shares her means of release, providing insight to those who have yet to experience this loss. “Although the work is out of my experience with taking care of my mother, I will say that I don’t believe that the viewer has to know all this information to get something from the show,” she added. While this work was produced and heavily influenced by her mother’s illness and passing, it plays with many ideas of memory, love, repulsion, and sadness, any of which viewers can draw on to form their own attachment to these objects.

Emily Peacock’s Soft Diet will be on view at the Hello Project Gallery at 3508 Lake Street (near Richmond @ Kirby) through February 7th.

(Dis)Comfort Food Yo u k n o w w h at m y t h i r d fav o r i t e thing about this countr y is , par ticu larly in Houston? The fact that I can eat anything I want. We live in the country’s most diverse city. According to the Houston government website, there are 92 different consular offices, meaning that there are more than 92 different cultures living within the city. Naturally there is a lot of food to choose from, over 11,000 different places to be precise (once again taken from the city’s website). Food is more than just sustenance though; food reminds us of home—it fills our hearts as well as our bellies. I know whenever I come back from travelling, the first thing I want is a set of sandwiches my mom makes, and I’m not really home until I have them.

I ’m no dif ferent from the rest of the world; all we ever want is the food we grew up eating.

Being able to eat what we want is often overlooked and taken for granted, but in reality, it plays a huge role in our development, adaptation, and integration process. After all, we all have our comfort foods that allow us to step into the unknown and then retrocede back to what is ours. The beauty of food reminding us of home is that home is infinitely different from person to person, and Houston caters to that. If your comfort food is pizza, then Houston has got your back. You like Mexico City style tamales, Houston’s your spot. Into Ethiopian food? Yup, H ouston’s got it . I s your thing New York style Halal fried chicken that leaves you wanting more flavor and higher quality food? Then you’re in luck!

Houston has the place just for you— Jones Fried Chicken.

Jones Fried Chicken makes up part of the rather diverse back- of-Sharp stown-Mall scenery. It sits on Fondren, just north of Bellaire, right next to a Whataburger and caddy-corner to a dollar store that is too big to tell if it is open or not. If you are not new to the area, then you will recall that there used to be a James Coney Island in that corner—that JCI is now JFC. D r i v i n g d ow n F o n d r e n t h e r e i s absolutely no way to miss Jones. It has a taller-than-the-rest, bright red and white sign that sits right next to the street, and it is the only Halal fried chicken restaurant in the area. Southwest Houston is no stranger to ‘world’ restaurants—it’s not like River Oaks or West U where you will be hard pressed to find anything from Africa, the Middle East, or south of Mexico. So, standing out in southwest Houston is actually quite an accomplishment. Southwest Houston is like a box of chocolates: You never know what you’re going to get next.

I live a couple of blocks away from Jones and finally after the zillionth time of driving by J ones Fried Chicken , I decided to stop and try it.

Pulling in, the first thing I noticed was that the parking lot was full, so I was

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Jones Fried Chicken

By Alvaro Chivas Fernandez

excited because a lot of people were eating here. (That usually means the place is really good.) As I walked into the restaurant however, I turned and looked, and my assumption that a packed parking lot means a packed restaurant was proven wrong. Still, unphased by the emptiness of the restaurant, I stepped up to the wall-menu and tried to decide what my meal would be.

Ever y thing soun de d and looke d good—they had chicken wings, catfish, kafta, falafel, Philly cheese steak—they h ave p re t t y m u c h a ny th i n g a nyo n e could possibly want to eat. I ended up ordering the lamb sandwich with an order of French fries. Granted, Jones Fried Chicken has “ fried chicken” as it s middle name, so I should have ordered la pièce de résistance, but the rotating lamb looked delightful and I couldn’t resist.

While I was waiting at the counter, watching my food be made, my mouth began to water as they sliced the lamb and packed my sandwich with veggies that look impeccable—tomatoes redder than gala apples, lettuce greener than green crack , and onions so pungent they could be smelt three feet away. It goes without saying, but I was stoked on my lunch.

I decided to be adventurous and took my meal upstairs, right in front of the television playing some obnoxious kids’ show. Anxiously staring at my sandwich, I took a huge bite and to my surprise...nothing. I double checked to see if I actually had food in my mouth.

Confused, I kept chewing. “Ok, let’s try this again” I thought as I opened my mouth for another bite. I bit down onto the sandwich. This time I made sure to concentrate, but again, nothing.

I might as well have bitten into thin air. With each bite I took, disillusionment and I became better friends. Having finished the sandwich, I dubiously looked at the French fries and began covering them with the hot sauce they provided.

I began to munch away, and that’s when I realized that the best part of my meal was the children’s show on the television. Even the hot sauce they gave me for the fries was tasteless! It goes without saying that I felt like a little kid who was good all year so Santa Claus would bring him a Game Boy but instead Santa gets him an Etch A Sketch. Thanks for nothing, Halal Fried Santa!

S o , i f yo u ’r e o n e o f t h o s e p e o ple who think that ISIS is invading the country, or that Obama is implementing Sharia law, or that the gay agenda is bringing Islamic extremists to Houston, believe me when I tell you: There is nothing to worr y about. With places like Jones Fried Chicken offering what they do—pass the Chick-Fil-A, bredren, Jesús of Suburbia is not going anywhere. *Disclaimer: French fries are now allowed and accepted by the good people of

‘merica! once again, now that France is back on the anti-Islam bandwagon after their reaction to Charlie Hebdo’s death.

Although, I do wonder if Jones Fried C h i c ke n c h a n g e d th e m to Fr e e d o m fries before everybody was choking on Charlie’s tip.

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“Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears.

I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.

The evil that men do lives after them;

Mythic Hero?

by Michael Bergeron

The good is oft interrèd with their bones.”

— “Julius Caesar,” Act iii Sc. ii

“Am e r i ca n Sn i pe r” h a s ac h i e v e d t h at r a r e e l e- “American Sniper” never wants to be a PG-13 examivation from just another film du jour to a cultural nation of war, the language alone would warrant an phenomenon. The things I like about American Sniper R-rating, much less the well-choreographed and often are not the things that vocal proponents seem to enjoy. brutal battle sequences.

The things I thought were bad about American Sniper One scene has Cooper, on a rooftop, making his are not the same things that tweeters find wrong. impossible mile-in-length-plus shot, only to give away Director Clint Eastwood has fashioned a mod- his platoon’s position to insurgents on the street below. ern day western, complete with a good guy, Chris Kyle, “You just fucked us Legend,” says one troop. This parplayed by Bradley Cooper with the kind of intensity ticular action beat turns into a massive firefight that is that Daniel Day Lewis brings to a role, and a bad guy exacerbated by an oncoming sandstorm, and provides right down to his black scarf. The film posits that Kyle perhaps the most cinematically arousing moments in was a hero and even a legendary hero, but “American “American Sniper.”

Sniper” also hints that being mythic entails darkness Eastwood the director can move from the proof the spirit. All journeys of the hero are allegories. foun d to the mawkish . J ust look at a dire c torial Let’s immediately move away from whether major filmography that ranges f rom “ Pink C adillac ” to (or minor) films should be 100% “truthful.” No narrative “Mystic River.” Sometimes “American Sniper” comes to movie, especially based on memoirs or biographies, a screeching halt as Squint throws in moments that are ever makes it to the screen with a totally accurate rep- supposed to be emotional but that come off as clumsy, resentation of said figure. One of my favorite films ever like when Kyle talks to his wife by satellite cell phone is “JFK,” and I certainly don’t take everything Oliver in the midst of battle. However, some of the domestic Stone offers as a stone cold fact. Current films like scenes leave the lasting impression of a character who “The Imitation Game,” and “Selma,” and “Foxcatcher” has lost sight of his humanity and may be teetering on have had articles and tweets point out historical inac- the edge of a PTSD breakdown. curacies. So what? If you want to know the unfiltered We catch glimpses of Kyle watching television at truth about anything, go do some serious research. By the beginning of the movie, and indeed, it is his reacthe way, UFOs don’t exist but I’ll watch a film with a tion to embassy bombings and subsequently 9/11 that saucer-shaped craft anytime. propels him into action. Late in the movie, we see Kyle Let ’s also address the violence factor. The per- again, watching television, with the set in the foreson who claims that films that show people killing ground (from behind) and Kyle in the background on a other people in wartime are immoral and offensive is sofa. We hear him talking in reaction to what’s on the the same person who’s addicted to “BReaking BAd,” tube. Only, when we cut to the reverse shot, the televiand rightfully so, since so rarely has a violent narrative sion is turned off. arc so added to a story’s psychological complexity.

There is no sharply defined side that “American The person who claims that someone who objects to Sniper” chooses, it’s almost like a litmus test where America being in Iraq (or Afghanistan) should leave some viewers will use the context to espouse their own the country because they aren’t a good citizen doesn’t political viewpoints, left or right, passive or aggresgrok that a soldier fights for the rights of pro and con sive. The hardest objective mode for a moviegoer it to alike. Violence doesn’t keep films like “Apocalypse judge a film on its merits rather than on the political Now” and “Full Metal Jacket” from being classic films climate of its time. Consider how a film like “Gone With that never get dull on repeat viewing. The same can’t the Wind” plays in 2015. Or consider state-sanctioned be said for other war films, no matter how well-pro- movies that were made by world-class directors under duced, such as “The Deer Hunter,” or “The Hurt Locker” political duress, like the biographies Sergei Eisenstein and now “American Sniper.” made under the Stalin regime. “Alexander Nevsky” In Eastwood’s landscape, Kyle isn’t the same guy was hailed as a masterpiece in Russia on its release, who authored the titular book or even the same per- yet pulled from distribution by the Soviets when they son who was successfully sued for slander by Jessie made a short-lived pact with Germany in 1940. Also, Ventura, but rather a Man With No Name-type per- Eisenstein’s “Ivan the Terrible, Part II” (1946) was consonality who excels at sharpshooting. It’s the same sidered so subversive the government suppressed the stoic façade that made Eastwood a star in Sergio release until 1958, ten years after Eisenstein’s death.

Leone films. There are less than a half-dozen people There’s a gulf between Russian art films of the on the planet that can make a 2100-yard killshot. For 1930s and current Hollywood fare, yet no film should his part in creating a character Cooper lifted weights be censored because of its potential interpretation, for months and studied hours of home video tapes whether it ’s “American Sniper” or “The Interview.” of Kyle’s accent. When, early in “American Sniper,” The latter is the film that everyone was talking about Cooper is being cuckolded by Channing Tatum (in a several weeks ago, that is presently residing in the forcameo), you have no doubt that Cooper, with his mas- gotten file. Any movie that gets people into movie sive pectoralis major, could easily punch out Tatum. theaters is good for all movies, indie, neat or tall.

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ALBUM-ING by km Anderson

SLEATER KINNEY No Cities To Love (Sub Pop) The adjective most used to describe these songs is urgent. I would agree in the sense that the songs sound like something is going on, and shit a lot is going on.

But from the middle class blues of “Price Tag” to the new wave/KISS jam “No Cities To Love,” this album addresses life in whatever we are calling this period.

We could say that the end of Sleater Kinney’s indefinite hiatus has birthed a different, and perhaps better, band. It sounds like Sleater Kinney, but it is not a hash or an attempt, hell, it sounds completely different from any record they have ever done to the point that reference points are a little pointless. “Gimme Love” is a funk odyssey, punk funk disco, shit like that, I’m into it.

BJORK Vulcinara (One Little Indian) The words, “new Bjork album” have been known to strike joy in my heart. Bjork is one of the most important musical archetypes of our time, anything from FKA Twigs’ LP1 to Arca’s Xen (who co –produced here) is a testament to that. This album is a break up album, but it is a Bjork breakup album; it is bare and naked in places, while still seeming to travel through some mystic future. “Black Lake” is an odyssey of sound and emotion. “Our love was my womb but our bond has broken / My shield is gone, my protection is taken,” the song begins and only seems to unravel from there as it veers between electronic skitter and stringed ballad, with only Bjork’s voice as the figure walking on the nearly collapsed bridge. “History of Touches” is alarming in its honesty and intimacy, again sparse accompaniment, expresses an end of a relationship’s communion, the last kiss, the last touch. The lyrics are not steeped in metaphor—here Bjork is not singing to nature or the world, she is singing to and for him, going to and away from him. We are only there to whimper and cringe. It as if this was not for us to hear, but we are there, like a child in the middle of an argument. Yes, it is good.

ELEPHANT MICAH Where In Our Woods (Western Vinyl) The Earth is being destroyed by man and his need for treasure and souvenir, the desire to conquer all, so that we are all slaves to our barbaric selves. Maybe the album is about that, but then a song like “ No Underground ” informs us that “ there is no underground, there is light shining everywhere.” Elephant Micah narrates these tales of demise and triumph, an imperfect world’s poems. “Rare Beliefs” a paean to conjecture, all that keeps us sane and insane, the need to be led and have a leader, even if that leader be imaginary. This world is fragile, this album is fantastic.

STEVE GUNN and the BLACK TWIG PICKERS Seasonal Hire (Thrill Jockey) In the rich storied history of music there are those albums that remind of tradition, of song and story, the time when we were entertained only by the aural bliss of our makeshift instruments as a soundtrack to the prosperity or destruction surrounding us, which mattered more or less, depending upon the quality of the song. Classicism is something that would be evoked in describing this collaboration between the magnificent Steve Gunn and The Black Twig Pickers, mainly because there are no blips or bleeps or hip hop breaks, and it is mainly done with (gasp) guitars, banjos, fiddles, stringed instruments. However, maybe those things are the symbols of distraction and this is the sound of engagement, musicians in a room engaged.

“Don’t Let Your Deal Go Down” is the blues, classic folk country, but it is also story and the violence of existence in love and living, love as conquest and danger.

“Trailways Ramble” is you on that mountain, on the back of that wagon, or pickup truck, or passenger side of that Fiat in the mountains, staring in the distance, pondering life or a grocery list; it is the place beyond.

ETERNAL TAPESTRY Wild Strawberries (Thrill Jockey) Psychedelic music is blessed with imagination, to an extent the idea of a blessing is figment of a wonderful imagination. Eternal Tapestry’s Wild Strawberries is probably what the title insinuates. I won’t say trippy, because that imputes druggy, and I don’t think that is necessary to enjoy this album inspired possibly by enchanted fruit. The actual song “Wild Strawberries” is fifteen minutes long and all fifteen minutes are necessary in order to understand the voyage from biting into the strawberry to basking in its gloriousness. This is an album for looking out into, or cleaning your house while inadvertently checking for ghosts and mysterious voices. There are two worlds, two universes, the here and now, and that beyond the mirror, there is the self and the true self, wait, sorry, let me ash this.

ALASDAIR ROBERTS S/T (Drag City) Alasdair Roberts is telling us tales; he is presenting the scenarios and welcoming into his world. “The Problem of Freedom” is a folk song, a love song, a description of creed and familial dismay. Accompanied mainly acoustic guitar, these songs have feeling and color, it is the poetry of the lyrics, the environment and tone.

It is an album that celebrates the lyrical tradition, the song and singer, the narrator and tale, “Roomful of Relics” is the tale of what we all will become, absent of physical body, but present are the souls and the effect of the lives we lived and loved (or hated), decorated only by the artifacts of pictures and souvenir.

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WORST WELFARE RECIPIENT

VALERO CORPORATION

By Ethan Nuss Art by Blake Jones

It wa s t he w eek before Christm a s and Houston City Council was approached by an old friend seeking a meager gift for the holidays. In the spirit of the season the Council voted to give their buddies at Valero Corporation a gift-wrapped welfare tax break of $17 million dollars. Of course, the City’s magnanimous gesture wasn’t pure altruism; after all, the friendly neighborhood oil company promised to create a whopping 25 ( Yes , you read that right: T WENT YFIVE!!!) permanent jobs in exchange for the humble gift. Wow! Thats almost as many jobs as the Hard Rock Cafe down the street from City Hall.

But Valero wouldn’t have asked if they didn’t really need the money, right? I mean, how else were they going to come up with the cash to expand their eastside oil refinery in Houston’s Manchester neighborhood and boost its refining capacity by a quarter million barrels of oil a day? It was a tough year for the struggling oil giant. They only made $138 billion in profits in 2013. Come on Houston, have a heart!

Sure, you could dredge up some inconvenient facts like how the State and the City already approved a $1.6 million tax rebate for the exact same facility. Or how Valero already announced to its shareholders a year ago that they were going to expand the facility regardless of tax incentives. Or how this corporation has sued 150 Texas school districts to return millions in tax revenue to their corporate coffers instead of seeing it wasted on frivolous investments in our children’s future. But come on, every good corporation deserves a little double dipping in the holiday gravy.

Tis’ the season!

Speaking of the children, what do those living next to the refinery have to say about this heartfelt $17 million gift? After all, they’re the ones who have the unique privilege of breathing seven known carcinogens from the Valero refinery and other petrochemical facilities that completely surround the Manchester neighborhood. The majority of residents I’ve interviewed expressed grave concern with the refinery’s pollution and its detrimental impact on their health and home property values. It seems like almost everyone has a family member or a neighbor sick with asthma or cancer and stricken with premature deaths.

These accounts aren’t surprising considering the fact that children there suffer a childhood leukemia rate of 56% higher than their counterparts living just 10 miles away. Fifty-six percent!

Some would say that this kind of pollution in a low income community that’s 98% Latino/a is another textbook case of environmental racism and corporate greed. Fortunately, our vigilant councilmembers were on the lookout for this kind of exploitation and raised some serious concerns about the lack of community consultation in the process. In an attempt to stay of f of Santa’s naughty list, Mayor Parker and

Council Member Gallegos — whose district includes Manchester — engaged in some quick political finger pointing about who dropped the ball on the community input process. Mr. Gallegos, who knew about the proposal since September and ultimately voted against it, had initially trusted Valero at its word that the community was cool with it. Fortunately, at a critical moment in the Council’s vote, two old white guys from Valero were called forth to express the communities’ views and clear up any misunderstandings. After hearing that the Valero rep had attended informal meetings with 6-12 members of the neighborhood’s pro-industry civic club, a majority of councilmembers, including C.O. “Brad” Bradford, Michael Kubosh, and Jerry Davis (to name a few), were pacified and voted 11-6 in favor of the measure. Phew! It would be a shame to let all those asthmatic Scrooges from the community ruin a lovely present.

So, on behalf of all the hard-working Houston taxpayers who struggled to put gifts under the tree this year, let ’s all rejoice in wishing Valero Corp. a Happy New Year. May this $17 million present from the City be a symbol of our friendship and goodwill toward your billions in profits for the coming year. May your expanded facility process this precious glut of domestic crude and bring more pollution to poor communities here at home and to good little boys and girls across the globe. After all, who needs more money for struggling schools and social services when we’ve got a friend like Valero who has all of our best interests at heart? Happy New Year, Houston!

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There’s not a comic in Houston that had a bigger year of growth and accolades than Ashton Womack.

I’ve consistently watched Ashton grow as a comic over the course of about eighteen months, and he’s never fallen short of impressive. He puts in the work, he hits a ton of mics, and he pretty much walks the path solo.

2014 saw Ashton win the Best Comedian award at the first annual Free Press Houston Sammy Awards.

He also won the grand prize of two grand cash and a live recording at Heights Vinyl at the Beta Bracket Comedy Contest. What those at the awards show and at the bracket didn’t see, was the time, the work ethic it takes to make a joke work and to deliver the kind of sets that get people talking about you. FPH was lucky enough to grab an interview with a guy who lives and breathes comedy, and we are pleased to make Ashton the first featured comic in this series’ second year.

You’re from Houston. How long have you been doing stand-up?

The week we’re doing this interview, it has been two years.

Kevin Hart recently said, “My hard knocks made me better. The life I grew up with and the mistakes I or everyone around me made, are what made me a stronger comic.” Do you feel like you can echo that ideal?

I can, 100% yes echo that. You don’t have to have had it tough to be a big name comic. But, not to sound cliche, but my drive definitely comes from my dad not being there for me. But, he taught me comedy; so it’s probably 50/50.

Your dad is a stand-up, do you think that other comics think that he “trained you” to be where you are as a comic today?

Not where I’m at as a comic, but all of the local comics know that he helped me. Not with my writing or anything like that, but my style of it is definitely from him.

You have the most charismatic on stage persona I’ve seen since probably Chris Rock. Is that coming from within, like is it who you are, or is it a skill developed over time?

I definitely feel like it’s inside of me, this “attention seeker.” I love Chris Rock, so if I’m emulating him; then that’s probably true.

You hit more mics in a week than pretty much anyone else in Houston. Is there a room or a type of audience you want to be stronger in?

Everyone, every audience is the core. But right now I wanna’ be stronger in front of a more ratched crowd.

Because, they want you to be funny; and if you aren’t funny they’ll let you know. At this point in, I know that this is what I’m going to do as a profession. So I try to hit every stage and every audience.

When was the moment when you decided that you wanted to become a professional comedian?

Honestly, all of my life. It was the first profession I watched on TV as a kid. I watched Def Jam as a baby, Comic View as a kid; and when I met my dad and I found out that he was a comic; it blew me away.

You have a very relatable form of humor, so much so that I know that there were people who thought you were studying engineering based on a joke. Is that a regular occurrence because you come off as so sincere, or was that just a one time thing?

It happens at almost every show I do. If someone isn’t offering me a job in engineering, then they’re telling me where I should apply.

You’ve been the topic of conversation amongst many of the Houston pros, yet you don’t appear to belong to

one clique of comics or another. Do you think that forging your own path has helped you become stronger as a comic, or has it hindered it?

I definitely think there are pros and cons to it. My friends who are in the scene are my friends, but we don’t write together. I think that because I don’t drink, it makes it harder to hang out. But just because I’m not part of one clique or another, doesn’t mean I’m not cool with everyone. I do my stage time and I go home.

It’s helped me focus on my craft more.

Who are your favorite comics of the past, and your favorite presently?

From the past I really like Lil’ Rel Howery and Chris Rock. Currently, I like Jim Gaffigan and Mike Epps.

Well, I’ve always liked Mike Epps.

What’s your definition of a successful career in stand up?

A successful comedy career, in my eyes, is to have a comedy career to begin with. If I could be happy the whole way through it though, would be a success. Also, if I could buy my mom a house someday or something like that, then that would be legit.

I feel like all that Womack has gotten in the form of awards or success, is a testament to hard work and dedication. His ability to put in the time it takes to make it as a stand-up comic is inspiring to witness. While Ashton hones his craf t enough to buy his mom a house, you can catch him in more than one spot around town . H e hosts the open mic at Christian’s Tailgate in the Heights every Wednesday, and he’ll be recording his live album at Heights Vinyl on February 28th.

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FPH 02.15

Badvice

Fuck sober, thoughtful, level-headed advice. Here’s the truth: BADVICE Disclaimer: You don’t have to fucking read this if you don’t like it. I know I sound like an asshole. The

By Marini Van Smirren Illustration by Valeria Pinchuk

title states: “BADVICE” which therefore constitutes an awareness that one reading should anticipate

How do I get my boyfriend to not depend on me so much? He expects me to not keep him from falling into a pit of depression even though I live over 20 states away.

Send him diapers with notes implying that he’s a baby anonymously. Maybe he’ll be so humiliated that someone out there thinks he’s a fucking baby and start to man up. He’s supposed to be “your man” not your fucking “baby boy”.

Anyway, the problem here is that you’re in a long distance relationship. Unless you guys have the long distance relationship sex toy, you guys are prob ably just going to be miserable since he can’t pop one off in you and you’re probably doing the “right thing” and being faithful. Relationships without sex is called “friends”.

pid, and you’re an idiot (stupid person) for asking me this question because we all know the answer is to angle that camera and capture all your assets while making your face look decent, in case you didn’t get it.

the nature of said bad advice.

when is the best time to tell my date (who i met online) that i have lied about my age and name? is the end of the first in-person date too late? that’s sort of my comfort zone.

The Legitimacy of a Pickup Line. How is the denial of her phone number while offering to pour her some honeywine (mead) not a pickup line?

Before you start worrying about what is or isn’t a pickup line, let’s work on your syntax. You can’t put a question mark at the end of a series of words and call that a questions. Also, the fedora you undoubtedly wear is not making you appear slimmer, and drinking honey wine isn’t helping either. i think i have an addiction. i get off on talking to comcast customer service representatives. i dont even want actual sex anymore. they let me stay on the phone for as long as i need and they never really know what im doing on the other end of the line. i have so many extra services i cant even afford now because of this. sincerely, blast plus tripleplayer.

You should sell yourself on craigslist. I’m sure people would pay so you could handle their account issues.

Might as well get paid while you’re rubbing your dick on the phone with them.

You might also want to seek help because this is maybe the most disturbing question I’ve received, and I’ve received some fucked up questions.

The girl I’m hooking up with sleeps with her small dogs in the bed. Like, she’s okay with them being under the covers. I want it to be more than just hooking up, but dogs on my junk while I’m trying to sleep is a weird thing for me. I don’t have any pets. I’m also not bringing up the fact that they stare at us while we do sex, because, while I do find that strange, it’s not stopping me from doing it, so no harm no foul.

Let’s just get this straight right now, you are a tourist in this girl’s life; a traveling penis that once in a while beds down after a jostle. You’re fucking a pet human in front of her masters. If by now your dick hasn’t made any dent in her sleeping arrangements don’t expect them to change anytime soon. Either learn to love the animals and all the Disney movies she watches or find a new lady to tramp.

I’ve always wondered… What if God was one of us?

He actually already tried that and WE MURDERED HIM. how do i know which is the best profile photo for my serious gay-dating website profile? i’m more comfortable with my bod than my face and gay guys are more into looks, but it seems too aggressive to use a shirtless photo, plus i don’t wear tank tops. please don’t say anything about books and covers.

The one that makes you look as easy and slutty as you are. I’m implying that easy and slutty people are stu-

Before the first date is the real answer. But since you’ve surpassed “before the first date”, just ride that shit until they’re eating out of the palm of your hand.

Use it to your advantage. Then when they’re least expecting it because they’re so drunk in love (Thank you, Beyoncé), dump it on them to where they can’t say “no”. If whatever you’ve got works, keep working it until it doesn’t work anymore because one day that shit will end anyway. spray tans. when are these a good idea?

I think that when you’re dead and have a funeral you should be able to look however you want. how much maintenance is considered high - main tenance in a girl ? guys always claim they want a low-maintenance girl, but the reality is that they want a low-maintenance, high-maintenance LOOKING girl. how much do you need to be doing to maintain yourself, anyway?

If a tree puts on makeup in the woods will anyone be annoyed by how long it takes? how to be a better liar?

Often liars will avert their gaze and mumble when lying. Make sure to keep direct eye contact and shout your words, that way your victim will know you are super serious and totally not lying.

FPH 02.15

2015 h a d ba rely begun w hen, on the 7th of January, two gunmen forced their way into the headquarters of a French satirical publication and opened fire, killing twelve and wounding eleven. The gunmen were heard shouting “Allahu akbar” and “ the Prophet is avenged.”

The attack, for which Al Qaeda in Yemen would later claim credit, shocked the world with it s motive and barbarit y.

Hundreds of thousands of French people turned out in marches and rallies across the country in shows of support.

Leaders in the Muslim world joined millions of those from any or no faith in denouncing the vicious attacks.

But a troubling response also stood out, and should be addressed. Some leftist writers and publications joined right-wing religious conservatives and one controversial British Sunni Muslim cleric to say, more or less, that the publication , Charlie Hebdo, brought the killing upon themselves with the cartoons they published. The religious right saying that “they had it coming” isn’t the least bit surprising to me. What disappoints me, personally, is to see anyone at all from the lef t also say anything along the lines of “they had it coming.”

Charlie Hebdo,

Censorship, & the Dangers of Authoritarian Sympathies

by Jacob Santillan Art by Shelby Hohl

"Slut-shaming" Lady Liberty?

B rendan O’ N eill , a B ritish writer complains of the rise of today ’s “ S te p f o r d s t u d e n t .” I s h a r e h i s c o n cern about a generation of students so worried about their ideological and intellectual comfort that they’re willing to shut down people and ideas and discussions they don’t like. One common tac tic is what ’s c alled “no plat form ing,” where they petition universities to deny speaking opportunities to controversial figures.

T h e C h a rli e H e b d o m u rd e r s a re the ultimate example of a no platforming attempt, and censorship in one of its most extreme forms. I call it censorship because it is a successful attempt to silence people by killing those who produce what others find objectionable.

The dead certainly won’t be able to produce anymore writings or cartoons so, mission accomplished? Fortunately not, because It’s also a similarly extreme case of the Streisand effect, which states that any attempt to suppress the publication of something exacerbates its spread with a print run of at least 3 million copies of Charlie Hebdo (which normally prints roughly 60,000 copies) without any interruption. The point of advocating for free speech is the respect of the right to present words and ideas which challenge those words and ideas which should be challenged, which should be any idea, in almost any form.

This massacre inevitably evokes comparisons with the Rushdie Af fair.

In 1988 British Indian novelist Salman Rushdie wrote a book called The Satanic Ve r s e s . T h e b o o k , w h i c h R u s h d i e described as not being about Islam , but immigrant experiences of “migration, metamorphosis, divided selves, love, death, London and Bombay” faced accusations of blasphemy. For this, he was placed under a religious order by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini of Iran calling on Muslims (at the time Rushdie was one) to kill him and his publishers... for writing a book. Many of his translators would face violent attacks, some of them fatal, for making such a book more available globally. Rushdie has since 2006 described himself a “hardline atheist” and the order still remains in place. In 2012, he wrote a book about his experiences in a life of hiding entitled Joseph Anton, the alias he used while running for his life.

I t ’s i m p o r t a nt to re m e m b e r th e hostile response too many had at the time for, guess who? Salman Rushdie.

Labor and Conservative members of the British parliament at the time villainized him by marching in favor of banning the book, or denouncing him for blasphemy a n d b etrayin g eve r y thin g a b o ut his upbringing. But Salman Rushdie to this day rightly laments such sentiments similarly expressed in today’s publications, and in the blogosphere as the arrival of the “’But Brigade.’” “Murder is wrong, but...” “I’m all for free speech, but…”

Today some similarly couch their not-quite-but-maybe-one-or-twos te p s - r e m ove d s y m p a t h i e s f o r t h e

attackers, or lack thereof for the victims, in calling the publication racist.

Some writers do so with no evidence, nor even a single argument in support of that claim. Others do so by quoting long-time French Communist Party supporter Stéphane Charbonnier, one of the gunned-down cartoonists, in which he simply says that he is not a Muslim.

Certainly, some of their cartoons come off as questionable at first glance.

I don’t know exactly what they were trying to get at with their Boko Haram cover, for example. I don’t speak French, so some of the contexts and nuances are inaccessible to me. Some French citizens have expressed their annoyance at these accusations of racism , noting that the supposedly racist cartoons actually, ironically ridicule the attitudes and policies of the French Right. They also express irritation with Americans who arrogated the role of Grand Cultural Arbiter without taking any real interest in French politics and culture. Unfortunately, the people who produced these images are no longer alive to explain them.

The refrain we hear from those who apparently sympathize with the attackers is that “Freedom of speech doesn’t mean f re e dom f rom conse que nces .”

That may do well and good for someone getting fired from their job for saying something stupid in public, but 22 people were made casualties because a group of people feel that people should die for drawing cartoons. Bluntly put, the term used to describe this behavior is victim-blaming.

S o m e a re co n ce rn e d th at th e se attacks will stoke the enduring climate of Islamophobia in Europe, which has taken on a more substantive and sinister veneer with far-right, nationalist parties making substantial gains since the recession began. Parisian Mosques have been attacked in the immediate af termath of the shootings . It would be no surprise were it the work of farright supporters of Front Nationale (the far right political party which picked up 25% of the vote in the last election).

It should be noted, too, that far-right gains come also with the spec ter of anti-semitism, which looms in ways not seen for decades.

But we should not let this discourage us from principled stands in favor of free speech. You don’t have to fall into the trap some censorship advocates set of being goaded into defending content of a statement while defending the right to say it. Regarding free speech, It’s been said “It’s all okay, or none of it’s okay”. I steadfastly agree with that.

Everything should be open for discussion, ever y subject should be on the table, and ever yone should have the right to hear, or not hear what they want to (with very few exceptions, none of which easily come to mind), without others assuming the power to control what others get to see and hear because they don’t like it. What people say should stand or fall on its own merits.

French cartoonists target Muslim extremists while ignoring their own barbaric, oppressive, not-too-distant colonial past.

FPH 02.15

‘equally brutal,’ good satire should be more ruthless towards those in power than the underclasses. If there is any group that should be alienated from laughing along with a satirical cartoon, it should be the most powerful, not the least.

Opposing Murder Vs. Standing in Solidarit y

Segregated Epitaphs

By Nick Cooper Art by Shelby Hohl

When people are assassinated for speech, regardless of how odious, we should demand that their assassins to be arrested and tried. We should demand freedom of the press and free speech. However, marching under the ‘I Am Charlie’ banner goes beyond simply opposing assassination and affirming free speech, because it ignores the question of why aren’t we ever marching or identifying with people like Rami Rayan, Sameh al-Aryan, Tariq Ayoub, Saeed Chmagh, and Namir Noor-Eldeen. These journalists were among many killed by attacks that our government launched or supported, so our solidarity with them should have been a much higher priority. Standing in solidarity with those killed by one’s own government and its allies means marching without government support, and it’s harder.

People who say, “I would stand with any assassinated journalist equally,” are lying to themselves. With 50 killed each year, and 72 in 2014, we only hear about a tiny fraction, and make statements of solidarity with even fewer. Certain types of victims consistently get more support and coverage than others.

Those marching for ‘I Am Charlie’ in France were ‘led’ (in what photos reveal was actually an entirely separate photo op) by an assortment of hypocritical world leaders. Most of them were complicit in an endless list of abuses against journalism and free speech (as London School of Economics student Daniel Wickham tweeted during the march). If the international corporate media were brave, it would have asked every single one of those leaders what they could possibly mean by ‘I Am Charlie’ when they have overseen governmental attacks on journalists.

Segregated Solidarit y

“Why Haven’t Muslims Confronted E x tremism?”

Analogies to Muslim Popul ations in Fr ance

Muslims in the U.S. and European media are given the chance to speak up on one topic: ‘Do you support this latest attack by some Muslim/s?’ Imagine if Jews only got on tv to answer: ‘Do you support this latest attack by Israel / Israeli settlers?’ Even more insulting to Muslims is the question: ‘Why aren’t Muslims speaking out against these attacks more vehemently?’ Every Muslim group, from progressive Muslim organizations in the West to the Iranian Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami, denounce such murders, but their denunciations are constantly overlooked. Leave it to Rupert Murdoch to take it even one step further, tweeting, “Maybe most Moslems peaceful, but until they recognize and destroy their growing jihadist cancer they must be held responsible.” Aziz Ansari famously responded, “Rups can we get a step by step guide? How can my 60 year old parents in NC help destroy terrorist groups?

Plz advise.”

Taxpayers have a responsibilit y to speak out about about atrocities they fund, and white Americans have a responsibilit y to speak out about the suffering that created the legacy of benefits they’ve inherited. However, Muslims who happen to share a same holy book with assassins have no responsibility to denounce, or magically stop attacks from occurring. They have nothing to do with such attacks, and it’s oppressive to treat them as if they do.

I t i s i m p o r t a n t to q u e s t i o n i f t h e We s t h a s made any attempt to reduce fundamentalist terrorism. Žižek deconstructs the false narrative of liberal democracy and religious f undamentalism at war, rather seeing them as inextricably linked. For him, only the radical left can present alternatives to their death dance.

Even for non-French speakers, it’s clear that the cartoonists portrayed highly stereotyped terrorist Arabs.

They did not run similar stereotypes of Jews. Emily Lever noted that “[s]ince September 11, the paper began railing “against ‘Islamic Totalitarianism’ with rhetoric similar to George W. Bush’s speeches against ‘islamo-fascism.’ But primarily, the paper expresses its commitment to combating extremism by consistently publishing virulent caricatures of Muslims.” Charlie Hebdo’s juvenile obsession with the anus is a reminder of US Abu Ghraib soldiers’ anal humiliation and domination of Muslim men in the context of America’s Islamophobic phallic-militarism.

Like B la cks an d N ative Americ ans in the U S , Muslims in France live in separate areas from whites.

Also like Native Americans and Blacks in the US, they are much more unemployed than whites. There are also historical parallels—the French colonial empire oppressed large sections of northern Africa, while in the New World, whites were subjugating and killing Africans and Native Americans.

One can imagine an all-white-run satire newspaper in the U.S. that similarly mocked Blacks or Native Americans. In fact, in 2013, The Onion did just that, joking that a 9-year-old black actress was a “cunt”. It wasn’t liberating, liberal, or funny. However, The Onion apologized and deleted the tweet instead of doubling down like Charlie Hebdo seems to do.

We have heard constantly that Charlie Hebdo criticizes all religions and groups equally, but comparing its depictions of Jews and Muslims, it’s not even close.

This same bias is built into French law—denial of the Holocaust (alone among genocides) by journalists can result in imprisonment for five years. Even if it were

Protests that aren’t inclusive of those who experience the most injustice only make things worse. ‘I Am Charlie,’ can’t be a slogan for all French Muslims, even for the vast majority who disapprove of the assassination of the cartoonists. They have lived under Islamophobia, and might not be ready to just laugh about cartoons by white guys mocking their prophet.

It is oppressive to put French Muslims in a position where if they don’t declare solidarity with those who insulted them, they risk being written of f as sup porting the killing. A space where they can say “I am against murder,” and also “I think Charlie demeans us,” has to be created. One can oppose every murder without standing in solidarity with every victim.

When we are ready to challenge the ongoing media narrative featuring white victims, Muslim bad guys, dangerous Black rioting, benign white rioting, and ignored non-Islamic acts of terror, we can see ‘I Am Charlie’ for what it is: a nationalist loyalty pledge.

It affirms identity with the white victims of Muslim extremist violence, but not the victims of white violence, or even the Muslim victims of Muslim extremist violence. Ahmed Merabet was the Muslim cop who died trying to stop the assassins from leaving the scene of the Hebdo murders. The issues associated with standing in solidarity with a cop aside, there was a response across France to the ‘I Am Charlie’ movement around the phrase ‘I Am Ahmed.”

Everyone could have stood together in an inclusive movement declaring ‘I am Charlie and Ahmed,’ but this didn’t happen. The segregated epitaphs along with the rise in Islamophobic and anti-Jewish hatecrimes in France, and attacks on Christians in Niger, reflect that things aren’t being healed. Non-inclusive forms of solidarity only increase racism.

The first thing he does is burns some because their high fiber booties don’t sage. Grabs a hot coal from the smoker, stink (never mind the labor and environputs it in a terra cot ta planter, then mental problems with big agribusiness). sprinkles sage from a nearby bush on And from some carnivores, too, because top. Blue smoke in a gray sky. people want to think that meat comes Back in college, I had a roommate off the meat tree wrapped in cellophane, who would declare, “I honor your soul, on styrofoam, with a little meat diaper noble warrior,” each time before he to soak up the excess blood. brought his shoe down a cockroach. He It’s all so neat and sanitized. Except got it from the movie The Last of the it’s not. We just prefer not to think about Mohicans, in which the protagonist says it. We let somebody else do the dirty this to a deer he’s just shot, right before work for us. he slits its throat. I understand the senWe p re f e r n ot to th i n k a b o u t it timent. It’s a way to honor the life you’re just like we prefer not to think that our about to take, on which your own life unsustainable lifestyle is, well, “unsusdepends. It’s acknowledging the symbi- tainable.” We think that we’ll shift to a otic natural order of things. It’s a way to kinder, gentler, “greener” version of our show respect and give thanks. current lifestyle and everything will be But I’m not in college, I’m in a back- fine. Just flip the switch—no interruption yard on Houston’s East End. I won’t say in service. We’ll just swap out the gasexactly where, but it’s the back yard to powered car for an electric car...swap a duplex in a residential neighborhood. out the coal and gas power plants for We a re a b o u t t h r e e m i l e s d u e e a s t wind, solar and nuclear power plants... of the G e orge R . B rown Convention in cre a se ef f icie n c y a ll a ro u n d . . . a n d Center and about one mile north of the that’s it! We all get to keep all our toys University of Houston. In other words, and invite our Chinese, Brazilian, and we are within spitting distance of the Indian friends to the party. Or so we like gleaming glass and steel towers of the to think. fourth-largest city in the US of A and We mock people who deny human we are about to kill some rabbits and influence on the global climate, but this skin them on a wooden shed bearing belief that a closed system with finite the shadow of a satellite dish as it sits resources (Earth) can support limitless amidst raised garden beds and a white- growth and expansion if only we just washed chicken coop. “green” things up is equally inane.

Alvaro holds open the top of the But this is not a story about beliefs; cage and Eric jumps in to grab one of this is a story about deeds—about rollfour rabbits . He’s about to leave for ing up your shir tsleeves and getting M exico for a month , and these four- your hands dirty. Beliefs alone won’t month-old rabbits need to get killed stop global warming, nor will they put and cleaned and frozen before he leaves. food on your table when fuel and fertilAlvaro asks if he names them. izer become so expensive that we return “Fuck no!” Eric laughs. “I mean, the to local, seasonal agriculture of necesones that we breed and don’t kill, yeah, sity, not because of a fad. but not the ones we eat.”

Af te r h e kills , skins , clea ns , a n d He “blesses” the rabbit in the sage butchers the first of the four rabbits, smoke, then sets it on the ground beside Eric brings together a pair of male and a boat paddle. Alvaro stands on one end female breeders into the same cage so of the paddle. Eric lifts the other end, they can do their deed, so there’s a fresh puts the rabbit beneath it, then lays the litter when he returns from his trip. I stick across the back of the rabbit’s neck hum the Benny Hill theme as the eager and puts his foot down on the other male chases th e reluc tant, ann oye d side. A plane passes overhead. I imag- female around the cage. Their offspring ine I hear a soft snap. The smell of sage are being slaughtered in another part of fills my nostrils. Eric lifts the rabbit by the yard, but they are both oblivious. In its hind legs and runs his hand down its the words of Jane’s Addiction, “Sex is back to make sure that it’s dead. violent.” Cycle of life and death.

He carries the rabbit’s limp body to Eric kills the second rabbit. Then the side of the shed, where he hangs it with the same brutal hands, he gently upside down by the feet from two pro- plants tender greens in his garden beds truding screws . On this crisp, winter and tends to the chickens while Alvaro afternoon, steam rises off the pink flesh tries his hand at killing the third rabbit. when the skin is removed.

I chicken out when it’s my turn, so Eric But this is not a story about blood finishes off the fourth. and guts. This is a story about self-reliAll told, the four rabbits yielded ance, self-sufficiency, and living off the close to 20 lbs of meat that day. Only grid in the shadow of empire. the fourth one squealed—not from physThis is a story that goes beyond the ical pain, but it must have sensed what bumper sticker, “Think local. Act global.” was about to happen more than the othParts of it ain’t pretty, but even the ugly ers. The first three went silently. parts are preferable to factory farming Eric says he got about 90 lbs worth livestock and multinational agribusiness of rabbit meat over this, his first year. flying in “organic” produce from far and That’s not enough to cut out supermarwide, all borne on the backs of exploited kets, but 90 lbs of protein would shave migrant workers. a good chunk of anybody’s grocery bill.

We expect that we will catch some This story makes no claims of moral flack. From the vegetarians, of course, superiority. We—people, cows, rabbits,

corn, kale, the viruses and parasites in factory farm slurry—all of us— are swirling and swimming in the interdependent cycle of life. You are just one small part of a dynamic biosphere, and the best you can do in life is tread lightly, and there’s no treading lighter than growing your own food on the soil beneath your own foot. “ My rabbits eat grass ,” says Eric .

“They live a good life. You want to tell me that flying in vegetables from overseas is better for the planet, just because they’re vegetables?”

Nope.

Rabbit Food

By Harbeer Sandhu

Lynne Dozier, award winning writing teacher, has created a complete guide to business, literary and academic writing, standardized testing, grammar, punctuation and vocabulary development — a book for “struggling writers” who understand that even though they might not earn a living as writers, they will all have to write to earn a living.

• For more information, visit: http://teacherweb.com/Dozier •

FPH 02.15

Houston Roller Derby Returns For the Scoring Pass

by Jennifer Fox Bennett Art by Blake Jones

a guide to houston roller derby & beyond

T h e 2 0 15 s e a s o n at H ouston Roller Derby star t s Saturday, February 21 at 7 p.m. at the Bayou Music Center with a double-header of the league’s four home teams. The season continues every 3rd Saturday until August. Here is a look ahead of what to expect on the home teams.

The Br awlers

O ne of the biggest losses that The B rawlers will feel this season is long-time crowd-pleaser and jam skater phenom, Freight Train. The quick-footed tourde-force recently moved from Houston to Austin, where she will very likely join the ranks at the ground zero of roller derby, The Texas Rollergirls. Missing, too, will be powerhouse Pattin Painz and stalwart D’Amity. But before you get too weepy, too quickly, the Brawlers will keep vets, Radium DK, Flyon Maiden, and 2xForce. Their biggest goal to a Champs run will be cultivating their returning skaters to take it up to the next level and making haste with up-and-coming rookie, Chi Chi’s Rodrigues.

The Valk yries

Modern (a k a , “fl at t r ack ” ) roller derby is now entering its second d e c a d e . M o d e r n d e r by wa s b o r n i n Austin, TX around 2000, but it became “of ficial ” in 20 0 4 when the United Leagues Coalition formed, representing a handful of cities. The following year, the U LC morphed into the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA), a skater-run administrative body that ove r s e e s a l l a s p e c t s o f g a m e p l ay from rules to safety to sanctioning to tournaments, much like the NBA and NFL—but different in some fundamental ways (more on that in a minute).

While the game in its current form has roots from the 1 930s , WF TDA legitimized fair game play and also fostered its international growth. While there are a handful of banked track leagues and leagues that skate under a different rule set, WFTDA remains, by several strides, the most common type of play you will see around the globe. The Men’s Roller Derby Association (MRDA) even plays by the WFTDA rule set.

The thunderous goddesses return this season to be lead by vets, Hot Assets and Dutch Destroyer—both members of the Houston All-Stars. They will also be suffering a gap left by Goldie Bloxx who retired after almost a decade with HRD. But, the crowd will be happy to see the athletic and quick Speed’O return to jammer duties. This year should see sophomore, Kelly Killpowski, stepping up her derby game from her previous skating life as a hockey star. And the bright-eyed, bushy-tailed rookie, Tchaikillsky, will be joining them in 2015.

Bayou Cit y Bosses

The second-placed Bosses will also be missing big talents from their offense in Photo Finish, and their defensive beasts, Mayhem Angelou and Sox Star.

Returning to their deadly defense in 2015 are Jenetic Defect, Betty Watchitt, and Mommy Fearest. And, Big Bad Voodoo Dollie will continue to zip warp-speed around the track as a jammer, alongside foxy-sly Feisty this year. Keep your eye on rookie Pseudonym.

Psych Ward Sirens

Of all the teams returning in 2015, the Sirens had the smallest change in their lineup and will be returning with crowd-pleasers, Brand-aid, Jekyll and Heidi, Mistilla, and Singapore Rogue, all members of the AllStars. Many will recognize the face of one “new” skater on the 2015 squad, The Angie-Christ will be donning skates once again from a several-year hiatus from home-team skating, though she’s been tearing up half-

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While modern women’s roller derby a pp ea rs fe minist f ro m th e o ut sid e — with strong, powerful women engaging in grueling, team-based, full-contact comp etition a ccording to th eir own rules—that’s probably because it is on the inside, too—whether or not skaters choose to identify as feminists. WFTDA requires its member leagues be majority-owned and -operated by the skaters of women-only leagues. Additionally, o n e t e n e t o f W F T DA m e m b e r s h i p requires that each member league selfgovern following democratic principles and practices. Each league must identify a minimum of two representatives to the WF TDA who are given duties within the organization, voting rights, and a voice in its operations and ruleset.

Tournaments are run by WFTDA skaters. Rulesets are argued over by WFTDA skate rs . G ames are sanc tione d by WFTDA skaters. Not only does WFTDA expect its leagues to self-govern democratically, but it holds itself, as a greater administrative body, to the same standard. No other major sports league in the history of American or International sports can stake that claim. What a radical idea.

And in case you were wondering how WFTDA defines who “women” are, WFTDA scripted one of the first gender policies for inclusion of trans-identified skaters in competition , ahead of the International Olympic Committee. It ’s not perfect, but unlike the IOC , it has greater leeway for self-identification and privacy and does not require sex-reassignment surgery.

S o d e d i c ate d h a s W F T DA b e e n to the promotion of the sport that the o r g a n iz a ti o n h a s a t t r a c te d s k a te r s to form leagues in all but one continent. Nowhere was this more apparent than the second inaugural Roller Derby World Cup (hosted by a private entity, but played with the WF TDA ruleset) in Dallas this past December. In 2011, the very first World Cup attracted 13 national teams. Two months ago, the World Cup had 30 national teams competing with Team USA taking the gold, Team England silver, and Team Australia won over Team Canada for bronze. New to the World Cup were the first teams f ro m A sia ( Te a m J a p a n) a n d Af ric a (Team South Africa).

While the f ull- conta c t nature of roller derby can lead to serious lowerbody injuries (upper-body injuries are less common and concussions are rare), rollerskating is actually a low-impact sport. This peculiar property of roller d e rby also allows fo r a tre m e n d o us spectrum of body types to excel at the sport: there is room for everyone, one need only get through the intense training regimen. To highlight this point, one can look at the two world class jammers from the 2014 World Champion WFTDA team from New York City, the Gotham Girls All Stars. Suzy Hotrod, one of the most respected jammers in the world was a featured athlete for her muscular

physique in the NSFW 2011 ESPN Body Issue alongside Olympians Apolo Ohno and Julie Chu. Her teammate, Bonnie Thunders, is even more decorated, with nearly double Hotrod’s point-per-jam averages at international championship level-play. And Thunders stands a few inches over 5 feet and barely broke a 100 pounds a few years ago. Her agilit y and speed set the gold standard fo r roll e r d e rby a n d sh e e a rn e d th e nickname “the LeBron James of roller derby.” If anything has changed about Thunders, its been her—and countless other skaters’ in the top 10 teams—dedication to packing on the muscle in the off-season to keep up with the change in strategy.

S p e a k i n g of, s tr ate g y h a s b e e n the biggest change in the sport in the past five years behind its breath-taking growth. The sport has become more controlled with short bursts of speed and changes of direction (mimicking h o c key m ove m e nt s) th a n th e tr a d i tional skate-forward-fast-turn-left of the early days. As a Canadian derby blogger writes, “thinking that the strategies that defined the banked track would survive forever on the flat one is equivalent to thinking that ice hockey strategies could be transported to field hockey: different surfaces, different games.” The nature of the flattened track allows for the game to function at multiple speeds, but most efficiently, at slower speeds. The slower speed also allows for greater foot agility.

And while some may think that slower means lazier, the heavy focus on defense means that jammers have to increase their core strength to push against multiple-blocker walls. Blockers have to up their high-intensity interval training to constantly dart in all directions to maintain position over opposing jammers.

This increased physicality means that skaters at the top of their games work out as much as five or six times a week, easily exerting 1,000 calories or more in a workout. High-competition skaters regularly do CrossFit in their spare time to keep up.

B u t , th e b i g q u e s ti o n re m a i n s— where it will go from here? This same question popped up in the 2011 documentar y “ Derby Baby,” which hinted that some skaters wanted to go pro or move into a relationship with the existing USA Roller Sports organization. There was a brief campaign in 2011 to have it included as one of the roller sports in the 2020 Olympic Games, but that lost. There was hotly contested internal debate about whether or not the sport was even ready, as WFTDA had made some significant revisions to rules in the previous years. The skaters that comprise the sport don’t seem to have any answers to their direction, except that they want to continue growing the sport, it’s clear that no one wants to give up their autonomy. With its inherent “by the skaters, for the skaters” mission, why would any WFTDA skater want to give up that kind of self-determination?

marathons across Texas. Additionally, SyRenge will be returning from a maternity leave to stand alongside vet Bustin’ Beaver on the jam line. Their offense will be rounded up with the ravenous upcoming rookie, Mad Cap’nCap. Houston All-Stars

As with many WFTDA leagues around the country, the home cities of their respective All Stars rarely get to see the holistic display of talent at home.

Much of All-Stars training occurs at closed practices and at multi- day tournament s out- of-town .

Additionally, to a notable conundrum, many cities have trouble attracting crowds to All-Stars games.

T h e tre at of g et ti n g to watc h th e l e a g u e ’s b e s t skate together as a team on the world-wide stage of international roller derby, or of seeing the skills of international skaters and teams, is somewhat lost on home crowds. If anyone knows why, send me an email to explain, because I don’t get it, but I might be biased as a rabid fan of international play.

The 2015 Houston All-Stars actually began their season in December with sanctioned and unsanctioned games against Team Columbia, Team South Africa, and the Sun State Roller Girls from Queensland, Australia. The All-Stars typically host home games at their practice space, Houston Indoor Sports, near I-45N and the Beltway. They have a tentative game against long-time rivals, Tampa in April, and another scheduled against the Oklahoma Valley Victor Dolls from Norman, OK in July.

At the end of 2014, the All-Stars took a dangerous dive in Division 1 rankings at one of the annual four WFTDA Regional Tournaments, losing all three games and placing last of 10 teams at the tourney.

They are currently ranked 42nd from an all time high in the top 20 in 2012. They are painfully close to losing their Division 1 ranking and dropping into Division 2, if they don’t squeak above the 40th cutoff point by June. They will have a fresh start with returning coach, Spanky, as Chris and Dylan will be stepping down from coaching. The squad will be missing long-time vets from their offense, Brandi Brown (Brand-aid) and Freight Train. But they keep the ever-charismatic, talented, and sassy Death By Chocolate, HRD’s unofficial ambassador to all things derby. Nature abhors a vacuum, and it will be fun to see how the returning skaters and new rookies will fill the retiree’s shoes.

Regional Derby

If women’s roller derby is considered somewhat “underground,” men’s roller derby would be hovering below the earth’s crust. Despite having existed in a handful of cities for almost seven years, it’s taken much longer to get off of the ground. But, it’s gaining traction. The Rocket City Rollers in nearby Deer Park are fomenting a powerful group of lads in the HardWood Rollers. Catch one of their games to see what the guys are doing with the traditionally female sport. Hint: it is a bit different.

Lastly, I’d be remiss to not say something about the Texas Rollergirls (Austin, TX). They are the godmothers of roller derby, but more importantly, remain one of the top leagues in the entire world, consistently ranked in the top 5, coming microscopically close to a world title in 2013. If you have the opportunit y to c atch one of their All-Stars game ( The Texecutioners) or even a home game, grab it. Texas!

Texas! Kill! Kill! Kill!

The opinions in the article are the author’s, only, and do not necessarily reflect Houston Roller Derby or the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association.

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January 6, 2015, Houston

Pinche Peña Nieto, and the Houstonians who want him gone

“Quien Fue?” (who was it) the Houstonians chanted, and “Fue el estado,” (it was the state) they replied.

The protesters were expressing their certainty that the Federal government of Mexico is responsible for the disappearance of 43 students from the Normal Rural Teacher’s School, located in Ayotzinapa, Guerrero.

On a chilly Tuesday af ternoon , roughly six t y people, including journalists, college students, grandmothers , and brown berets , gathered before the The sordid career of the current Mexican President, Peña Nieto, is finally Mexican consulate in Houston to send a message beginning to catch up with him, even in Gringolandia to Mexican President Peña Nieto, who was meeting by Eric DeBruin that day with President Barack Obama at the White House. Those gathered before the consulate, led by the Asamblea Popular de Houston, made their sentiments clear that Peña Nieto is not welcome in this country. The demonstration here was mirrored in over twenty cities across the country, including a protest at the gates of the White House.

For many gringos, the disappearance of the 43 students (Normalistas) was the first major wake up call regarding the criminal nature of Peña Nieto’s regime.

However for most Mexicans the disappearance of the Normalistas was not a wake up call, but perhaps the last straw.

L@s 43 Normalistas

On September 26th, over 100 Normalistas left the Raul Isidro Burgos teacher’s college in Ayotzinapa, Guerrero, to protest perceived discriminatory hiring practices of teachers by the Mexican government.

Although Federal police blocked the highway and prevented the Normalistas from arriving at their indented destination of Chilpancingo, the Normalistas rerouted their protest to the town of Iguala, where the story becomes more complicated.

The official federal report claims the Normalistas then hijacked three buses, and intended to disrupt a meeting that was being headed by the then-mayor of Iguala’s wife, Maria de los Ángeles Pineda Villa, and, in response, the then-mayor of Iguala, José Luis Abarca ordered the municipal police to stop and kidnap the protesters.

Originally José Luis Abarca maintained that he had no knowledge and did not order the kidnapping at all, and that the municipal police acted alone. (Here it should be noted that hijacking a bus in Mexico is not what a gringo necessarily thinks it is. The author of this piece has witnessed numerous busses being hijacked for transportation or blockade purposes in Oaxaca. These hijackings are usually accomplished with no more than a simple request by a group of protesters. The author has never seen violence or weapons used, and has never seen a police response, even when the buses have been used to block streets for hours at a time.)

By the next morning a few things were very clear.

Six people had been murdered—two Normalistas and three others in a bus full of soccer players and a passenger in a taxi, all of whom were caught in the crossfire. Furthermore, 25 were wounded and 43 N ormalistas on board those buses were missing, their whereabouts (with the exception of one student) have yet to be accounted for. That said, it is important to remember that the majority of the Normalistas escaped, and have been able to provide crucial testimony.

Two days af ter the attack, the federal government arrested 22 Iguala municipal police officers in the murder and disappearance of the students. The Mexican federal government and Attorney General Office (PGR) have since maintained that the attack was carried out by the Municipal Police of Iguala, who then turned the 43 students over to los Guerros Unidos (United Warriors) Drug Cartel, who, according to federal officials, killed the students and clandes-

tinely burned their remains beyond recognition. The PGR indicated that the attacks were masterminded by then-mayor José Luis Abarca, who claims he had no knowledge of the attack and at the time of the ambush he was, “busy dancing.”

THE UNOFFICIAL STORY

Thanks to in-depth reporting by Anabel Hernández and Steve Fisher of the Mexican Magazine, Proceso, it is clear the federal government was complicit at every level of the ambush, and furthermore, the PGR has engaged in a cover-up campaign.

The Normalistas were not just college students, they were activists, who originally intended to arrive at a protest in Mexico City. Furthermore, one of the forty-three disappeared students was a member of the Normalista school’s highest governing body, and ten were members of the Politics and Ideology steering committee.

The federal government was aware of this, and aware of their movements from the moment the students left Ayotzinapa at roughly 6 p.m. A government report, obtained by Proceso, indicates that the federal government was in constant communication with local police regarding the whereabouts of the Normalistas before Federales blocked the highway to Chilpancingo at 8 p.m., and remained in communication with local police up until the ambush began at 9:40 p.m., when the first shooting was reported in Iguala. Here, it is important to note that in the aftermath of the ambush, the federal government claimed the protestors were en route to disrupt a meeting held by the then-mayorof-Iguala’s wife, even though that meeting had ended over two hours prior to the ambush.

Since the ambush, over 12 cell phone videos have surfaced that were recorded by escaped Normalistas.

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In one of the videos, a student can clearly be heard saying, “Now the police are leaving…the Federales are staying, and they are going to want to torment us!”

Testimonies from the surviving Normalistas attest to fact that police involved in the ambush were equipped bulletproof vests, helmets, and machine guns, which the municipal police of Iguala do not possess in their arsenal. According to the Proceso report, the video clearly demonstrate that many of those firing on the buses were wearing uniforms belonging to Federales.

Another Normalista, Luís Perez Martinéz, indicated that after the shooting he witnessed federal police picking up shell casings to hide evidence.

Furthermore, Felipe Flores Velázquez, former Secretary of Public Security in Iguala, claimed in a court statement that he called the Federal Police to report Normalistas were taking buses in Iguala 10 minutes before the first shots were fired. Lastly, the Iguala police radio operator clearly stated that all reports reaching the local station are simultaneously transmitted to the Federal Police. Faced with this evidence of Federal government complicity, the Attorney General and Secretary of Government Relations have refused to comment, saying that it would damage the ongoing investigation.

The federal government originally claimed the bodies were incinerated by the United Warriors cartel. However, a group of scientists at the Autonomous University of Mexico demonstrated that at least 33 tons of logs would have been necessary to cremate the bodies to the point indicated by the Attorney General of Mexico.

PRECEDENTS TO A COVER UP

On June 30th, 2014, twenty-two alleged criminals were massacred by federal troops in the town of Tlatlaya, Mexico. The pattern that emerged in the aftermath of that incident demonstrates that the massacre and subsequent cover-up in Iguala is a practiced tactic by the federal government.

The “official” account of this earlier incident states that the army was attacked by criminals from within a warehouse, and the army then engaged in a firefight that left all twenty-two criminals dead. The federal government attempted to maintain this story and refused to open a federal investigation into the killings until independent investigations conclusively demonstrated that 21 of the 22 alleged criminals surrendered their weapons to the army, which used them to execute the alleged criminals at close range.

Only after three months did the attorney general intervene and begin a formal investigation. (In the case of the Normalistas, the attorney general opened an investigation after only 10 days.) Before that time, Human Rights Watch reported that state prosecutors detained two of the three surviving witnesses and tortured them with beatings, asphyxiation by plastic bag, and threatened sexual abuse.

This precedent of repression of activists goes far beyond the past year. The full tally of activists ambushed or assassinated with impunity is simply beyond the scope of this article.

PEÑA NIETO: A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE AND CORRUPTION

Although many gringos are only now becoming aware of problems with Peña Nieto’s regime, most Mexicans are pretty well fed up.

Prior to assuming the presidency, Peña Nieto served as governor of the state of Mexico. During this time, according to a report by Mexico’s National H uman Right s Commission (C N D H), state police attempted to evict flower vendors from a market in Texcoco, and in response, the neighboring town blocked the federal highway between San Salvador Atenco and Texcoco. Thousands of state and federal

officers then moved in to attack San Salvador Atenco, eventually arresting 145 individuals inside their homes, subjecting more than 200 individuals to cruel and unusual punishment, torturing at least 11 women and 15 men, and sexually abusing 26 women.

The CNDH provided this information—the government’s own report—to then-governor Peña Nieto and called on him to investigate the abuses. The ensuing state investigation resulted in administrative sanctions to a total of nine state officers, four of whom were removed from their posts, and the other five placed on administrative leave for 90 days.

During his presidential campaign in 2012, Peña Nieto gave a speech at the Ibero-American University in Mexico. At the end of the speech he was asked about Atenco. His response, that he had no regrets and would do it all over again if necessary, angered students to the point that he was forced to flee from the stage and take refuge in a bathroom as students chased him across campus (which makes for a very entertaining YouTube video). Mexican media claimed those chasing Peña were not actually students, who responded with a video of 13 1 student s showing their I.D. cards. “Yo soy #132” became a nationwide movement demanding fair coverage of the national election, which was widely seen as fraudulent once Peña claimed victory.

Since then, it has been one pedazo de mierda af te r a n oth e r. Th e a d minis tratio n of Pe ñ a N ieto passed laws to help privatize PEMEX just last year.

PEMEX represented the last bastion of the Mexican Revolution—a state - owned petroleum company— which, according to The Financial Times, is Latin America’s second-most-profitable enterprise, and accounts for roughly 1/3 of all taxes collected by the Mexican Government. Beginning in 2015, private companies will be allowed to bid on 80% of Mexico’s prospective oil resources.

And based on his histor y, Peña Nieto will get something sweet out of the deal. In November of last year, in a poorly thought-out comment, Peña’s wife, actress Angelica Rivera, let slip the family’s “real home” was a $7 million dollar mansion in one of the country’s wealthiest neighborhoods. But the home is not in the name of Mrs. Rivera, but that of Grupo Higa, a private company that was awarded over $650 million in contracts by Peña Nieto while he was governor of Mexico. Makes you wonder what more he will get as Pemex’s oil fields are sold off and the people of Mexico are further impoverished. It also makes it practically impossible to claim he has any moral principles whatsoever.

WHAT ABOUT THE GRINGOS?

But of course, as with any history of Mexico, the story is not complete until you factor in the culpability of the gringo government. According to the White House, one of the themes of Peña Nieto’s meeting with Obama was security concerns, and the U.S. State Department notes that since 2007, the U.S. has provided Mexico with more than $2bn in funding through the Merida initiative, which is used for security purposes.

And although 15% of this funding is dependent on Mexico fulfilling human rights guarantees, the Merida Initiative simultaneously strengthens the state’s repressive capacities. This is evidenced by the U.S. State Department’s claim that a goal of the initiative is to “better share information, develop actionable intelligence, and foster greater inter-agency collaboration,” within Mexico (like that which was implemented in the disappearance of 43 students).

As the search for the missing Normalistas continues in Mexico, so do the calls for the resignation of Peña Nieto, in Mexico and across the globe. Hopefully one day Mexico, and Peña Nieto, will receive the justice they deserve.

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Wasting the San Jacinto River Waste Pits

By Scott Squires Art by Austin Smith

Last fall, two companies—McGinnis I n d u s t r i a l M a i n t e n a n c e a n d Wa s t e M a n a g e m e nt— a g re e d to p ay H a r r i s Count y $29. 2 million for decades of i l l e g a l l y d u m p i n g tox i c wa s te f ro m paper mills in what have become known as the San Jacinto River Waste Pits. Residents of Highland, Texas and other surrounding communities have seen a severe degradation in community health, especially since a portion of the national Superfund site has been eroded and is now partially submerged beneath the river. (A third company, I nte r n ati o n a l Pa p e r, wa s fo u n d n otguilty for $3 billion worth of damages when the court decided not to include an environmental health assessment a n d t e s t i m o ny f r o m v i c t i m s o f t h e pollution.) The site is located in east H o u s to n , j u s t n o r t h o f I -1 0 , o n t h e banks of the San Jacinto River.

On Januar y 13 , community members an d organizers met in a public forum to discuss how to allocate the $29. 2 million settlement. Community advocates say that settlement funds should not go to unrelated programs or to the general revenue f und of Harris County; rather, settlement funds should be used for remediation, health s t u d i e s , a n d e nv i r o n m e n t a l e d u c a tion exclusively for related health and environmental problems in the communities impacted by the Waste Pits’ conta mination . With a bout seve nt yfive community members, activists and Harris County officials in attendance, the community forum sought to answer the question: How do we channel this m o n ey ba ck , m ost e q uita bly, to th e affected community?

Afterwards, FPH spoke with Jackie Young and Chris Schillaci, members of Texans Together, a grassroots advo -

cacy group that, together with the San Jackie: The cap consists of a geomemJacinto River Coalition, is fighting for brane layer (much like a plastic tarp) communities affected by the Waste Pits. that is covered with over 50,000 tons of crushed concrete. Anyone who has lived What were some of the major ideas at on the Gulf Coast is familiar with the Tuesday’s meeting as to how the funds extraordinary force of hurricanes and should be allocated? even tropical storms.

Chris: The following are the some of the The cap was constructed to withmost common ideas: stand a 100-year flood event but was partially eroded within one year of con• Provide cit y water to struction in a minor 10-year flood event. those on groundwater Additionally, the c ap does not even wells; cover the entire site! The northwest por• Use the funds to monitor tion is so steep, they were unable to put local pollution; the geomembrane layer and crushed • Use the funds to test well concrete over the waste. water or increase the curThe cap was never intended by the rent testing; EPA to be the final remedy, rather, a • Increase education and temporary fix... However, International outreach in communiPaper and Waste Management have ties on both sides of the proposed to upgrade the existing cap S an J acinto River and for the final remedy. With appropriate i m p l e m e nt o utre a c h at construction and engineering controls, local schools to increase it is possible for the waste material to be awareness and education; completely removed and relocated to a • Conduct health sur veys more stable environment or destroyed… for people in communities The problem here is that the comnear the Waste Pits. panies that are being held accountable fo r th e site h ave th e i r own a g e n d a .

How is the $29.2 million going to be div- Despite Harris County’s lawsuit, Waste vied up?

Management and International Paper…

Chris: The $29.2 million will be divided are required to remediate the site howthree ways. Roughly $9 million will go to ever the EPA decides appropriate. attorneys’ fees for the outside council, while the remaining $20 million will be A s a g r a s s r o o t s o r g a n i z a t i o n , w h a t divided [about equally] between Harris role does Texans Together play in the County and the State of Texas…These ef fort? Has your lobbying been ef fecfunds will not be used for remediation or tive in raising awareness and building cleanup of the actual site. Remediation community support? of the site will be handled through the Chris: Regarding the settlement funds, [EPA’s] Super fund process … and we we are working at the State and County are still working to make sure that the level to get the money earmarked back $20 million does not go to the State and to the community. We are effectively County general revenue. the voice of the community to local officials and the EPA…We have pressed the Can you explain “remediation?” Are we decision makers to do what the comtalking about cleanup or containment of munity wants, which is for the site to be the site? removed. We have had victories along Jackie: The remediation process is facil- the way but we will ultimately know the itated by the EPA… [They are] expected remediation decision in the fall of 2015… to announce their proposed remedy in September of this year.

The court case is settled, but obviously I n te r n a t i o n a l P a p e r a n d Wa s te there’s still a lot to do, what’s next?

Management have proposed [perma- Jackie: A firm hired by the companies nently “capping” or containing the site.] found responsible for the Waste Pits, However, EPA guidelines [state that] have conducted the remedial investicontainment is only appropriate in areas gation and feasibility study for the site of low flow velocit y…The Waste Pits and have proposed to upgrade the temare located at the area of the river with porar y cap as a final remedy for the greatest flow velocities…and have been Site…The Army Corps of Engineers is referred to by local experts as a “loaded currently conducting a third party invesgun.” We do not want to push this prob- tigation and we are patiently awaiting lem on to future generations, rather we the EPA’s proposal for the final remedy. want to see the site remediated properly The Environmental Protec tion in the Superfund process… The commu- Agency’s mission is “to protect human nities surrounding the site have made it health and the environment” and I feel clear that the only acceptable remedy is that the only way the EPA can ensure full removal. This is what the San Jacinto their mission is to remove the risk.

River Coalition is advocating for.

How are the pits temporarily capped?

What about in the event of a flood or hurricane? Can the polluted material be completely re-located? In what capacity are Waste Management and International Paper responsible for this?

Texans Together and The San Jacinto River Coalition are circulating a petition to help ensure the settlement’s funds are returned to the affected communities.

Sign the petition here: www.texanstogether.org/civicrm/petition/sign?sid=3

FPH 02.15

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Moving Forward

Houston Still Needs a HERO

by Laila Khalili illustration by tim dorsey

The Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO) was approved by Houston City Council 11-6 on May 28th, 2014. Though the ordinance was considered a sign of progress by many communities, it has triggered aggressive attacks from a coalition of conservative religious leaders.

In the month af ter HERO was adopted, a petition drive was launched by local area pastors to force a referendum on the ordinance. In order to put the ordinance on a ballot, 17,269 valid signatures were needed.

The pastors claimed to have collected roughly 50,000 signatures, putting them well over the requirement. When the petition was reviewed, City Secretary Anna Russell and then- Cit y Attorney David Feldman concluded that the petition contained with numerous errors, invalidating thousands of pages of signatures. The pastors filed a lawsuit against the City of Houston for not accepting their petition, and accused Mayor Parker of purposefully denying the people of Houston the right to vote.

The lead plaintif f s in the case are Former Harris County Republican Party C h a i r, (a n d d e c l a r e d c a n d i d a t e f o r Texas Re p ublic a n Pa r t y Ch air), J a re d Wo o d f i l l , a n d S teve n F. H o t ze , M . D . , who has since backed out of the case for admitting to handing in potentially fraudulent signatures.

Opponents of the Houston ordinance, who comprise the “No Unequal Rights Coalition,” have claimed that it can and will be used to oppress Christians and prevent them from exercising their first a me n dme nt right s . Th ey also b elieve HERO will take rights away from people with certain religious beliefs.

Backlash to non-discrimination policies is not new. In other Texas cities like San Antonio, which passed a similar ordinance in 2013, opposition claimed it would prevent Christians from holding of fice and exercising free speech. These claims, of course, hold no water.

I n D e ce m b e r, th e C it y C o u n cil i n Plano, Texas amended their existing nondiscrimination ordinance (NDO)—which provided protections from discrimination in city employment, housing, and public accommodations—to include more cate-

gories, like sexual orientation and gender identity. The anti-LGBT group Liberty Institute threatened to sue as a result.

What is the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance?

HERO prohibits discrimination against any person on the basis of certain characteristics in city employment, ser vices and contracting practices, housing, public accommodations, and private employment.

Daniel Williams, a legislative specialist and field organizer for Equality Texas, ex p l a i n s , “ M o s t H o u s to n i a n s b e l i eve that no one should face discrimination in Housing, Public Accommodation or Employment based on who they are or who they love. This is what HERO does.

A small group of out-of-town activists should not be able to manipulate the process to overturn this important ordinance.

HERO protects everyone.”

And it does. HERO outlines 15 protected classes, prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, familial status, marital status, military status, religion, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, gender identity, and pregnancy.

Under H ERO, you cannot be fired for becoming pregnant, denied service because you are a veteran , or denied housing because you use a wheelchair.

Under HERO, if you experience discrimination at a bar because you are with your partner of the same sex, or are denied service at a restaurant because of a religious head covering, you can seek legal recourse at the local level.

M any are unaware that without HERO, the City of Houston has no laws on the books that prevent discrimination resulting from any of the 15 characteristics listed above. If you are kicked out of a club because of the color of your skin, you’d have to file a complaint at the state or federal level.

Unfortunately, there are no existing policies at the state or federal level, nor have there ever been, that protect people who are discriminated against due to their real or perceived sexual orientatio n o r g e n d e r id e ntit y. To exclu d e th e LG BT (l e s b ia n , g ay, b isexu a l a n d t r a n s g e n d e r) c o m m u n i t y f r o m s u c h

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a co m p re h e n s i ve a n d ex h a u s ti ve l i s t would be inexcusable.

Yet that is exactly what has led to opposition from a small , voc al minority. Opponents to HERO have claimed there is no need to include sexual orientation or gender identity because there is no discrimination against the LG BT community. A 2013 Pew Research survey says otherwise, finding that 21% of LGBT adults have experienced workplace discrimination and 30% have experienced physical violence.

One need not look far to see that members of the No Unequal Rights Coalition , in their ef for t s to fight the ordinance, are opening up the door for discrimination. During her testimony in front of City Council, Pastor Becky Riggle of Grace Community Church argued, “I’m saying [business owners] have the right, if they want to, to be able to refuse service if it goes against their religious beliefs.”

Council Member Cohen responded, “If I’m asking for service and my faith is something that troubles them , they have a right to refuse me service? So you’re saying yes, they do have a right to refuse me service, as someone of the Jewish faith?”

Riggle responded, “Yes, I am saying that.

But that is not the issue that we’re talking about today.” The “issue,’ Riggle clearly implies, is not that the ordinance prohibits discrimination on the basis of religion, but that it includes sexual orientation and gender identity.

“We can’t wait for human rights coverage in Houston since far too many people are hellbent on discriminating against others, and we need a local remedy to combat those misguided attitudes,” said Monica Roberts, a Houston trans activist and community leader.

If someone were to violate H ERO, wh at wo ul d h a p p e n? Let ’s s ay so m e one walked into a bakery and asked for a cake with profanity written all over it.

The baker has a right to say, “Look, I don’t want to write profanity because I find it distasteful, but I’ll make you the cake you want and you can decorate it however you please.” The baker, however, cannot get away with telling the customer, “Look, I don’t like that your skin is darker than mine, or that the people eating the cake might be gay or Muslim.” In the event the latter occurs, the penalties would result in a fine of not less than $250.00 and no more than $500.00, with an aggregate total of $5000.00 for the same complaint filed by the same complainant. If someone is accused of discrimination, they are entitled to due process and, if convicted, would be guilty of a class C misdemeanor.

Contrary to what the opposition to the ordinance has claimed, violating HERO is not a felony and does not result in jail time. Additionally, HERO exempts religious organizations, private schools, and private clubs.

When it comes to non-discrimination ordinances (NDOs), the City of Houston is beyond late to the party, not only in comparison to other Texas cities, but also local institutions. In 2012, the Houston Independent School District enacted a

non-discrimination policy that was implemented without any problems.

Fort Worth was the first Texas city to enact an NDO, way back in 2000, and in 2009 expanded its protections to include gender identity. Dallas has had an NDO since 2002 and, on November 4th, Dallas residents voted in favor of a ballot measure to amend the city charter by adding sexual orientation and gender identity to the list of protections for city employees. Other Texas cities with protections against discrimination include Brownsville, El Paso, Arlington, and Austin.

Across the US , 1 8 0 cities have adopted equal rights ordinances for all citizens, and 21 states and the District of Columbia have passed laws prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in employment.

M a ny b u s i n e s s e s h ave a l s o m a d e a n ef fort to expand protections for LGBT employees, including 96% of top Fortune 500 companies.

Th e G re ate r H o usto n Pa r tn e rship endorsed HERO, saying on its website, “The Partnership believes that Houston is already a great city that is welcoming and embraces diversity. Adopting the ordinance now is essentially a reaffirmation of who we are and what we believe: that all Houstonians should be able to live, work and enjoy our great city.”

Fight for Equalit y Ahead

The Texas legislature began its 84th session on January 13th, and within the first week there were already bills filed that wo ul d u n d e rmin e l o c a l g ove rn m e nt s , their constituents, and render existing NDOs obsolete.

Senate Joint Resolution 10 (SJR 10), filed by state Senator Donna Campbell (R- N ew B ra unfe ls), wo uld allow b usinesses to turn away LGBT customers or fire them in the name of religious freedom.

It could also be used by certain majorities to discriminate against religious and ethnic minorities, even if that is not the intent of the bill. “ G ove r n m e n t m ay n o t b u r d e n a n individual’s or religious organization’s f re e dom of religion or right to a c t or refuse to act in a manner motivated by a sincerely held religious belief unless the government proves that the burden is in furtherance of a compelling governmental interest and is the least restrictive means of furthering that interest,” reads S J R 1 0. “ For purposes of this subsection, the term ‘burden’ includes indirect burdens such as withholding benefits, assessing penalties, and denying access to facilities or programs.”

Regardless of how the case regarding HERO unfolds in court this month, if SJR 10 passes, it would be placed on the November 2015 ballot as an amendment to the Texas Constitution. If you aren’t registered to vote yet and you want to ensure that all people are protected, now is the time to do so, because if SJR 10 becomes the law of the land, HERO and ever y other equal rights ordinance in Texas will become incapable of preventing discrimination.

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On Sat urday, Ja nua ry 3, 2015, a few days after a Harris County grand jury nobilled Houston Police Officer Juventino Castro for fatally shooting the unarmed and innocent 26-year old Jordan Baker, a rally against police brutality took place at Meyerland Plaza.

Local activist Shere Dore says that when participants decided to march up and down Beechnut St, two police officers familiar to protesters from other ra llie s a n d m a rch e s— Lt . U pto n , a ka “ P e a c h S ko a l ” a n d O f f i c e r Twe e d y— began shouting demands at protesters that were contradictory, confusing, and unintelligible. When Dore asked a belligerent Lt. Upton to clarify his instructions, she was handcuffed and placed under arrest. Her story picks up there: Peach Skull refused to give me the reason for the arrest while I was taken across the street. In fact, the charge wasn’t determined til hours later. As I sat in the back of the cop car, I was especially uncomfortable because the handcuffs had been placed on me extratight, causing discoloration and swelling on my hands and wrists.

Officer Tweedy finally attempted to sell me an altered version of what took place during the arrest. Since I had been filmed during the arrest, I knew that Tweedy was attempting to tighten up their police report because they had no probable cause to arrest me. I dismissed him by saying that I knew his tactics and refused to talk to him without my attorney.

Moments later, I was pulled from the squad car by a female officer who did a body search while her male counterparts were standing just a few feet from us. I was facing an open parking lot. During the search, the female officer lifted my sweater and groped my breasts out in the open. I felt violated

Through the Wringer One Woman’s Trip Through Harris County Jail

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and asked her why she would do such a thing when the men were around and when we were facing a parking lot where anyone could see what took place.

The officer ignored me as she continued to dig in my pockets. Meanwhile, I pleaded with officers to loosen the cuffs because my hands were numb at that point. Thankfully, an officer felt sorry enough for me that he loosened them and was careful when placing me back in the car. Ultimately, I spent over two hours in handcuf fs before they were removed for the night. I was initially sent to the Southeast City Jail on Saturday eve n i n g , th e n tr a n s f e r re d to H a r r i s County Jail by 7 a.m. Sunday morning.

Upon arrival at Harris County Jail, I was processed and placed in a holding cell with other female inmates. You could see fear on the faces of those who were new to jail, while other women who had been to county jail before gave advice about the processing and procedures. I had only been arrested and taken to county jail once before, twenty years ago. I’ve since gotten my degree, built my career and had three children before this most recent arrest. Now, as I sat in county jail, I had a “vehicle crime hold” and a “homicide hold” associated with my name, which no jail employee could explain.

I n m a k i n g my c a ll s , I wa s m a d e aware that my activist friends and my long time partner were working to get me out of jail. However, the county continued to process me through clinic , classification, then placed me in a cell block wearing county orange attire after the pre trial judge found probable cause to criminally charge me with “interfering with a peace officer.” I learned that a bond was being posted to get me out of jail but that it would take eight to twelve hours to fully process the bond and release me from jail.

Af ter experiencing five dif ferent holding cells, I observed that all cells are frigid, leaving female inmates shivering as they sit on cement benches for hours at a time, with no clocks to tell the time, and no way to catch a nap because the cells are filthy. For meals, inmates are given a green-tinted bologna sandwich twice a day. I refused to eat or drink from the water fountains that are literally located at the top of the toilet where there is a green subs t a n ce o utlinin g th e wate r fo u nt ain spout. I didn’t want to take a chance of getting food poisoning or getting sick from the green substance that bleeds into the water from the fountain.

Before you’re moved to a cell block, you’re required to go through the classification tier. This is where women are advised to strip down completely naked in front of other inmates and jailers. I personally felt violated for a second tim e sin ce th e a rrest . A s we fe m ale inmates stood naked, we noticed a jailer who goes by the name of Ms. G, who looks like she could be Snow White’s grandmother with her box-dyed black hair, extremely white, aged skin, and bright red lipstick. An inmate caught Ms. G with her hand at her crotch as we stood naked and helpless.

The moment the inmate spoke up to Ms. G concerning her action, Ms. G b e c a me combative a n d th reate ning while stating that we are the criminals wearing the orange jumpsuits and that no one would care what we had to say about her touching herself or her insensitive words. At this point, I spoke up, reminding her that not ever y person wearing a jumpsuit is a real criminal. She shouted back for me to “Shut the fuck up!” or else they’ll keep me in jail longer. I continued to speak out against Ms. G, though, because her violating and threatening us was way out of line.

Moments later, the women – with th e exc e pti o n of m e a n d t wo oth e r female inmates who had stood up to Ms. G—were pulled from the area. Ms. G’s jailing partner closed the door and explained that we three needed to be quiet and not cause any further problems. I pointed out that I won’t be silent when I see a jailer touching herself and talking down to inmates when she was caught in the act. I reminded her partner that by allowing Ms. G’s behavior, she is just as guilty in violating inmates as well.

The discussion ended in agreement on our part to be silent while in jail because it was stated twice more that the jailer can hold paper work intentionally to keep someone in jail longer. I certainly did not want this to take place.

I was placed in a cell block at 7:30 p.m. Sunday night, more than 28 hours af ter my arrest. As I spoke to female inmates throughout the day, I saw that roughly 65 -70 % of th e wome n we re black, about 20% were Hispanic, and the remaining were Caucasian. The majority of crimes consisted of marijuana charges – holding a joint or two but never any real drug charges. Another crime that s e e m e d to b e p reva l e nt a m o n g th e wo m e n wa s th ef t at Wa l m a r t . M o s t thefts took place as a way to survive— needing food to eat or clothes because individuals couldn’t afford winter attire.

A few others were in for speeding tickets, suspended licenses, and/or failure to appear in court.

At no point did I come across even a single true criminal. Not one murderer, rapist, or child predator. Regardless, we have a system in Harris County jail that violates human rights over and over again from the food served to strip searches led by jailers who pleasure themselves by naked women.

The second worst abuse I witnessed was when a few inmates and I were taken back down to classification to change back into our street clothes. This time, Ms. G was not there; however, we were met with a mouthy jailer who thanked us for being the criminals we are because without us, she wouldn’t have her job.

One inmate questioned what she was supposed to do with her feminine product while stripped down, when the jailer began screaming at her to shut up and throw the product in the trash, exposing inmates to the mess made on the floor after she was forced to bend and cough.

The inmate requested a fresh feminine product but was denied that product by the same jailer who continued to be condescending towards the group. The jailer and inmate continued to argue; however, the inmate was never given a feminine product to protect herself, her clothing, and most of all, other inmates that will eventually sit where this unprotected inmate originally sat. I was appalled that jailers would expose other inmates to a bloody mess left behind by this inmate who had no control.

Eventually, I was released at 3:23 a.m. and thankfully met by some of my closest activist friends, partner and son, with food waiting for me along with a gallon of water. Jail support was greatly needed after all I endured as a peaceful activist.

I am a woman who is highly engaged with the homeless community and has participated in raising awareness about many social issues plaguing us today. I am no criminal. I am a human being.

Walking out of Harris County jail has left me with a bit of PTSD days later. My stomach is still in knots, which doesn’t allow me to digest food properly. For the time being, I’m unable to get a full night’s sleep and my sore wrists are a very tender, lingering reminder of state violence on my body.

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