I am trying to reduce the contents of my apartment by one-half. It's supposed to be good feng shui, especially for attracting a partner into your life. It also helps align your life for the next great moment. And I need this. I'm not purging to attract a partner though, I'm purging to clean this freaking place up! Yikes! Seven years in West LA yields a lot of crap! I sure have a knack for accumulation.

I am also trying to liquidate assets I do not need. My goal is to come up with $1000 for liquidating my existing assets, and invest that money directly into my friend's restaurant. Her lenders get an excellent return rate (8% !) and that is much more stable than the stock market.

I signed up for Scottrade a few weeks back. I've already lost $70. Screw that crap. Now I know how the Baby Boomers feel, the stock market is unnecessarily emotional. I much prefer investing in something I understand (my friend's restaurant) than these nameless faceless companies.

So purging and money making. So far... I've made $222. It was kind of sad to say good bye to my rollerskates, my dancer pole, and other things that have been unused fixtures in my closets. But if they found their way into my home once, they will find their way in again (when I want them to come in). And I am really loving how the place feels with less crap in it. And yes, it's actually a lot of work for very little money, but it reminds me how hard it is to make a buck from selling your old crap.

I decided today to post 100 items online between Craigslist and Amazon.com. (And yes, sadly, I have even more items to shed). And each time something sells, I will find something else to sell. So that at all times I am poised to move 100 items out of this place at a time. It took forever. But once I started to post items up, I was hooked.

By the way, now Craigslist is a lot easier to use because you have to have an account to sell. And reposting a listing is easier.

Now whether or not people would buy any of the things I've posted remains to be seen...

Join me in the great purge! Find 100 things in your home that you would be willing to give up.

Labels: artist life., buy nothing year, i'm kristina wong, marriage grown up crap, The New Tweens

I'm still in LA. My folks are staying with me for a few days. I've been sewing and doing my thing. I've also been very post election bluesy....

Labels: artist life

I woke up, slightly hungover from a lot of late night celebrating to a slew of text messages this morning. They include:

"Pinch me."
"Good morning. No, last night was not a dream. It really is a new day for America."
"Good morning to a new page in American history!"
"Yes we can (crap in our pants)"

I was surprised how early John McCain conceded but he so got his ass handed to him.

Last night, en route to the parties, I was in Soo-Jin's car thinking we had at least another hour to go before any kind of concession. But the swing states have spoken.
I now have faith in Florida, Ohio and Nevada like never before. I take back anything I said four years ago (and in the last year) about people from those states being inbred. They really have proved the world otherwise.

I was stunned how extraordinarily classy McCain was about his loss. His concession speech was probably the first time in all these months I've actually been able to listen to him for more than two minutes and feel no creepiness emanating from him.

I was screaming in the car ride as McCain was giving his speech: "We need to get out of this car! We need to watch Obama's victory speech!"


We paid $20 to park Soo-Jin's car in Hollywood to go to the "No on 8" party at the Music Box. Last night was like Happy New Year except Tuesday and a week night. The place was at capacity and we were in line outside trying to get in. Cars were honking victoriously. People jumping and screaming in the street (mostly me).

I was screaming at the security people keeping the line at the Music Box: "Please let us in! There is history happening in a bit! I can't tell my kids that when Obama gave his speech that I was stuck in a line outside the Music Box!"

We decided to go to the restaurant next door which was a very good option. They had TVs, beers and seats. It was amazing to sit there with people who were also so awed by the moment. I was a wee bit out of control in my enthusiasm (as I'd been a bit inebriated since 6pm-- taking sake shots with each state that went blue) but so was everyone else. We were screaming in that bar. Toasting! Crying! I even kissed a couple people (in a non-romantic way)! And when Obama gave that speech there wasn't an unawed faced in the crowd.



I finally got to watch McCain's speech just now on Youtube. On the radio, you couldn't see how Sarah Palin was crying in the back. Part of me is going to miss that crazy unqualified would be VP... but not enough to ever want to see her or her politics near my country again. May she rest in peace along Dan Quayle in the annals of political humor history.

I think it's odd to see disappointed Republicans who remind me of left wingers of 2000 and 2004. They are now the downtrodden. They are the ones who are depressed. They are suddenly "the oppressed" the "unheard." They talk of doom and gloom the way we did when Bush was elected, then re-elected.

Maybe they will be the ones to start making bad performance art. They are kind of off to a good start with all their "anti-Obama" art. They seriously should consider taking a survey class in post modern agit-prop theater art.

Later that night, I was at a burrito stand in Echo Park. Cars were still honking and hipsters were screaming in the streets about the high speed train to San Francisco that we will build. One guy was so wasted that he screamed into a police car at a red light, "WE DID IT!! OBAMA!!"

It was amazing, then sobering again when two homeless people came by begging for money and booze. They could have cared less who was elected.

This morning, I was in bed wondering: Holy shit, what am I going to do for a living now that cynicism has been eradicated from this planet? It's like I have to look at my role as an artist in a whole new way. It's no longer through the POV of the reactive and helpless American, but instead, from a place where an impossible victory was had. It's like we've been freed by some awful prison sentence. Finally our utopia has arrived.

Oh, but wait....

Prop 8 passed. Some church that I don't belong to (and one very large church in Utah that I definitely don't belong to) has decided how half the state should define marriage. Ah yes, I remember that old familiar cynicism because it's coming back to me.


Yesterday I worked for three hours at a polling place in Brentwood to remind voters "No on 8." It was amazing how many people took the day off of work to volunteer. There was even an exchange student from Chile there who is going home in a few months but didn't want to see the proposition pass and was spending the ENTIRE day electioneering at the polls.

My bright moment was when I managed to fenagle a couple of potential "Yes" voters to "Nos." They were these women who were a little one the shortbus side. You know, wearing their ID's and bus passes on those clear plastic necklace thingies, lobotomy scars, and wearing sweatshirts and scrub pants even though they clearly didn't work in a hospital.

The scenario played like this....

KW: Hi, vote no on 8.

Shortbus women: Which one is this?

KW: This is the one that would eliminate marriage rights for all.

Shortbus: (confused) So I believe marriage should be for a man and a woman. Is this the one it is?

KW: Yes, this one is for equal rights and the right to marry for all. (Then I start nodding obligingly like I totally get them.)

Other volunteer: Yes, see, Arnold Schwartzenegger endorses No on 8. A no vote is about marriage equality and equality for all.

(women seem obviously confused by what the word "equality" means)

Shortbus: So if I vote "no" that would mean I am for or against gay marriage?

KW: Yes, a "no" vote would support marriage equality. (I hand her a flier as if it will help her in the booth to meet her objective.)

Shortbus: Oh! Ok! (She starts nodding to her friend. Looking at flier. They walk off.)

(We act calm as volunteers and start screaming at how we just manipulated the mentally challenged as soon as they are out of earshot.)

Hey, listen! I didn't lie to them! I just told them what was up. That a NO vote would support equality. Which is all it is.

There was an occasional hostile voter who would grumble or shoot a bad look as soon as they saw us. But it was nowhere near as hostile as how I thought electioneering would be. I imagined getting into shouting matches with old people. But nothing close to that ever happened.

One woman said, "I'm voting against this! But if there is anyone who has an issue with gays sees this they won't vote no! You just totally screwed yourselves!" and stormed off.

We were pretty confused by her too..

I had a tough moment with one woman who said, "It's not that I'm against gays or anything but my church told me that if gays are allowed to marry, then our church would have to marry them. And we don't want to be sued and lose our tax exempt status for having to refuse to marry gays. I have to vote 'yes' to protect my church."

Of course, what she had been told by her church is a huge point of misinformation about Prop 8. Churches cannot be forced to marry gay couples (and why would a gay couple want to be married in a church that hates them?) and the government does not have a role in changing how churches run. But Churches have told this and other lies to get their congregations to vote YES.

Sheep and Mentally Challenged people-- these are the voters who favor crappy propositions.

I learned from our volunteer captain that propositions get on the ballot when enough petition signatures are gathered. This is not how it happens in other states. The proposition system is great and problematic this way. The perks-- anyone can get a proposition on the ballot. The bummer--- anyone can get a proposition on the ballot. This is why so often, we have very strange propositions on the ballots.

There was this one proposition about requiring roomier chickens cages that passed. I actually looked at the voting grids and it looks like everyone in California cities voted in favor of it while the rural farm parts voted against it. It's kind of like Prop 8, people who aren't affected by gay marriage deciding the fate of gay couples. Except it seems that people who don't own chickens care more about having room for chickens than they do about actual human beings and just want the equal right to marry who they love.

It was warming to see a lot of older folks, folks who were straight and had no immediate stake in gay marriage say things like: "Absolutely! Without question!"

Some people were so passionately supportive: "I can't believe this fucking thing is even on the ballot? Who cares if gay people get to marry? It's none of my business!"


One great funny moment last night was the Mayor came by to the "No on 8" party. I was inebriated, but my friend was more so. And as I stood at the side of the stage so the mayor could come through, she threw her drunk ass on me and we both fell on the floor.

I was screaming as she was on top of me, "Get up! Get up! The mayor is trying to get through."

And next thing you know, Mayor Villaraigosa is hovering over the two of us on the floor holding his hand out to us, getting us up off the ground asking, "Are you ok?!"

By the way, our mayor is really freaking handsome.

It strikes my friend and her wife that we are talking to the mayor and they start screaming! Then I start screaming, "Sorry! We're drunk! And you are the mayor! And I voted for you!"

I took a picture of him with my friends who just got married and was screaming to him: "Mayor! They just got married this weekend and we want to keep it that way!"

He is a good guy and gave a great speech that we would not let this fight end here.

But anyway, Prop 8 passed. I'm still in denial. I haven't moved the "No on 8" sign off my balcony.

Labels: magic powers, Obama is hot, vision

Not bad. I got to my polling place at 7:04 am and was out of there just before 8am. The word on the East Coast from my tech Jen in Philadelphia was that the lines were 2 hours long.

Which leaves me wondering... either West LA polling places are super efficient or not enough people are voting!?!


But I loved being in that line with my fellow Americans, I took at least 20 photos of the whole process on my Blackberry. I was ready to wait up to 3 hours which is why I was up at the ass crack of dawn. I couldn't sleep as I listened to the rain. This is like the prom or something.

I feel so proud to be an American citizen.

There were times in line this morning when I just wanted to shout and scream, "Yes! We are Americans!!!" and high five my fellow Americans (be they Democrats or even Republicans-- gasp!) for showing up to vote!


It was cool seeing the teenage boy who lives in my building and his mom coming out of the polling place before me. They are black. I bet this was his first time voting and what a great thing it must have been for them to see a black candidate on the ballot for the highest position in the land. He said hi. It was so cool to see my neighbors at the polls. Like a real community.


Here is how I voted on one important item.....


And another.....

And in two hours, I'll be handing out palm cards for "No on 8!"


Those ballots are scary. I was shaking as I held my pen because I didn't want to make any mistakes. I've pretty much memorized all my votes, but as I'm in there looking at the different little dots.... I'm like: Wait! Did I do this right?! Is it No or Yes?!!

I double checked it all for accuracy and handed it nervously to the Armenian senior citizen poll worker who was taking the ballots and running them through the machine.

By the way, I don't want to give anymore attention to the opposition but I must point out how bad the acting in the following two commercials are. I don't know what remedial ass acting class they got these actors from, if anything, the bad acting should clue you in to how hard it was to find people willing to represent a "pro" position on this crap.

If you are still undecided on Props 4 and 8-- just vote against them based on the bad acting....



This is funny, I saw it when I got home and was laughing to no end. You can almost see the guy fishing for his lines. I'm glad that they were able to give work to the out of work writers of 80s afterschool specials for this one.



The look of disdain on the actor playing Mommy's face is priceless.

"And you know what else I learned Mommy? That the princess can use a harness and a plug and whips and chains!?!"

Anyway, back to freaking out around the house.....

Labels: Obama is hot, vision

Unfortunately, many of the fungoers out in West Hollywood did not have the imagination to see that I was Sarah Palin on Halloween night. It could have been all the excessive props (tiara, sash, assault rifle and binoculars for seeing Russia).

I can't believe I am setting my alarm at 6:15am so that I can exercise my right to vote today/tomorrow. I've been batshit antsy about this election. I don't want to miss my chance to do this right so I am going to be one of the first people in line. I've just prepared my voter cheat sheet so I know who and what to vote for. (Fyi, SEIU has a great one as does the League of Women Voters).

So far I've had at least two nightmares about the election. One dream I had last week was about how my friend Mike had to drive us to upstate NY so we could vote and when I got there I kept punching the wrong holes in the card. And when I went to pick up the card out of the puncher it was full of hanging chads (gasp!). The other nightmare was about the "Yes on 8" weirdos having their way with this election. Separation of church and state--- lest we forget!



On election day (Btw, I prefer to call it "Erection Day"-- no reason), from 11am -2pm I will be volunteering 100 feet (or is it yards?) from the polls to clarify voters on "No on 8." There is some really bad information out there. Apparently people think "Yes on 8" means "Yes for Gay Marriage." Also some shady "Yes on 8" proponents have targeted gay folks and confused them that "Yes on 8" means "Yes to gay marriage."

Right now, we're so close in the polls. It's pretty much, a tie. So every vote against Prop 8 is critical.

Argh! I've not done such sincere proposition campaigning in a long long time. I'm used to dressing like a fake billionaire and giving fake interviews. I went to a training on Sunday and it was really moving to see so many people ready to volunteer for equality. It was kind of teary for me to be in a room with so much passion. And it was people from all walks of life-- young and old, gay and straight, white people and people of color. I've been inspired by this election. How much hope and love there is this time around. How it isn't about "Oh no! Not Bush!" but that we've got an amazing candidate in Obama who has really made me rethink how cool and real politicians can be. How I can actually find a hero in a politician.

They told us that our job is not to debate or argue with people, but just to clarify to people what Prop 8 is. They reminded us repeatedly-- "disengage from confrontation"... what a challenge for me.... I so much prefer being a sassy pants. But for the cause, for three hours, I will be on my bestest behavior.

And then tomorrow night, I'm prepared for an Obama victory (it has to happen). I'm headed to an Obama Victory party which will be the greatest "Happy New Year"-esque party in the history of life. I want to be by beer and people and televisions. I want to cry and hold strangers like we've been given a second chance at a great American life.

We're in this place America. We're smack dab in middle of a fork in the road. It's either going to be the end of the worst and the beginning of the change we need so badly. Or it will be yet another chapter in the Red bloody nightmare that's being playing out the last 8 years.

Please vote.

Labels: Obama is hot