4/11/20

RICK CASTRO: DIARY- 4/10/2020


So This Is How The World Will End: by Rick Castro 4/10/2020


Look! I made this in crafts class when I was 13 years old. Fired clay on burnt wood, inspired by a cover of Blue Chip Stamps catalog… Now I’m really dating myself, Bluechip Stamps were stamps my mum would receive whenever she shopped at markets, and participating stores. Once you filled a certain number of books with your stamps, you could trade in. For example with 5 books you’d receive a toaster, for fifty books a small refrigerator. To see what was available the Blue Chip company would publish these catalogs every so often. One particular cover had an image of this Queen Anne beauty. I became obsessed with this house, in part because it reminded me of The Addams Family house, but also the house itself.. I was intrigued that something like this actually existed as a place to live. As an adult I was ecstatic to find the actual house in Angelino Heights, just off Carroll Avenue.


Gov, Gavin Newsom just declared California a nation-state. This is a very big deal, this is historic. As far as I’m concerned Newsom is calling out Trumpworld. According to one definition, "a nation state is a sovereign state of which most of its subjects are united by factors which defined a nation in common descent.” Leave it to California to lead. She always has… NY always takes credit, (Stonewall for example, The Black Cat riot was two years before in February of 1967, and drag queen protest at Copper Do-nuts, Downtown LA goes back to 1959)  but it’s California where social movements begin. Women’s rights, Black civil rights, Latino civil rights, GLBTQ civil rights, all formed here in California, many in Los Angeles. 



California is The largest economy in Amerikkka, and the 5th, (!) largest economy in the world. She, (we) have a larger economy than other countries, like Italy, and recently surpassed the UK! California’s federal tax revenue goes to fund poverty stricken red states like Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. By declaration as a nation state, makes clear Newsom is taking on Trumpworld, who’s been trying to break our economy since he connived his way into the White House. We’re talkin 21st Century civil war here. Newsom has good instincts and doesn’t backdown from battles. His decision to legalize Gay marriage as mayor of SF, was a bold, much maligned move at the time, but his decision ushered in federal marriage equality. If California withholds federal taxes from Trumpworld, and it should, the White House would collapse. NY, Washington and Colorado States should follow suit. Bankrupt Trumpworld! 
This plus California makes 81% of all US wine.


I’m now obsessing on this chair in Bee’s cabin. I don’t know the history, don’t remember where it came from, but I love her. She’s not even comfortable to sit in, and is a bit fragile, I’m afraid i’ll break her. I just love looking at her… there’s such  a presence.. 
What do you think?

So this is how the world will end.
copyright-rick castro- 4/2020

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4/10/20