Rallying Around Audacious Declarations

The King of Hearts and I pushed through the piece of cloth hanging half way down the door, ducking down to make it through it, feeling like we were going into someone's bedroom, pushed the half-door open, and went into COUNTRY STATION, in the Mission, (2140 Mission St) which was about as different as it could be from it's name. An urban Sushi restaurant that offered me a tambourine made of clothes hanger wire taped up, with japanese beer bottle tops strung along it. I provided integral accompaniment for the Mariachi band that came in. You've got to love a place that makes tambourines like that. That, for me, is what gives a restaurant a lot of stars.

The King of Hearts is part of the band Forever What?, which declares itself the most important conceptual band in the world. Their live shows will be rare, huge, over the top events with an unprecedented amount of quirky merchandise, like charms that go with each show. The music layers unprecedented combinations. The King of Hearts keeps us up to date with the brilliant other world of the band at the vastly entertaining blog, with music, Forever What? The band members discuss their role in a depraved San Francisco setting: “We are free here, enmeshed within this clot of sound, our own bodies the instruments of perfect melody and this darkness the corrupting pulse of every mammalian heart!”
“We are music.”
“No, we are the death of music giving birth to the future of sound.”

The King of Hearts and I watched the dramatized history of another San Francisco man who made bold declarations about himself. Dark Theater is showing Emperor Norton: The Musical, weekends, this month, www.darkroomsf.com/norton(2263 Mission Street).

Norton lost his fortune in rice in 1859 and promptly declared himself “Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico.” For the next 20 years he issued proclamations defending minorities. He boldly imagined the world as if he had power, and he ended up having noticable influence.

My heart rate jumped when Mark Twain told us in the movie that 30,000 people were drawn to pay him regards at Emp's funeral. That, my friends, is something many would like to have. Songs told us that he people like it when it looks like maybe you can change the world. Are we rallying around people changing the world enough?

People are rallying around the wacky, benevolant Norton these days in San Francisco, the anniversary of his death having just passed, on Jam 8, where people attended his funeral. Even his death in the play made me cry, though I was hoping no one would notice, stealthily wiping tears. .

People are rallying around Supervisor Aaron Peskin, who wrote the resolution to name the bridge between San Franciso and Oakland after him.“Emperor Norton Bridge” actually just became San Francisco’s official desired name, this Christmas. We see the value in characters who defy the limitations we are given, and become larger than life.
www.emperornortonbridge.org

The State Legislature hold Norton's name in their teeth. Will they bite?

Nortons declared Congress was to be abolished. And indeed, it certainly still could use a shaking up. The Bay Area has its own strong woman declaring herself a Congressional Candidate, Carol Brouillet, launching her campaign on the January 15th, Martin Luther King, Jr. day. Sunday, January 15th, 11:00am - 1:00pm
Speaking Out - For Truth, Peace, and Justice.(Palo Alto, Lytton Plaza)
She has a dream of a future as benevolant as King or even the one the one that made Emperor Norton so popular, and it is very sane. Minority candiates know they often have to be satisfied with getting their message out to the public, stirring up some controversy, as being elected is a tough order because of the system that is in place. But, those who empower themselves can be heard, and can create real change. She says
"The "War on Terrorism" is a bogus war, a war of terrorism
against all people, a war on truth, a war on freedom, launched by a
terrorist attack which has all the fingerprints of a special operation,
a Reichstag Fire. 9-11 was one of the false pretexts, lies, used to
sell the war on Iraq."

Like Norton, and King, Carols says "Another world is possible. We can do together what none of us can do
alone." 911 Truth

by Tantra Bensko
www.freewebs.com