Anyways, my training at work is coming along reasonably well. The shop seems fairly promising, but it’s going to take a good amount of agitation to get any progress. I feel a little overwhelmed by the prospect to be honest. At school, SDS got recognized as an official club, and I’m currently sitting in class in this very lame, very boring software applications class. I’m thinking about dropping it, getting a refund, and taking a Credit By Examination (CBE) if I can get away with it. I could probably teach the class, considering I’ve been on computers for as long as I could spell. That would make my summer a whole lot easier!
We’re having our first Hartford SDS meeting in a couple weeks’ time, which I’m probably most excited about right now, and the SDS Action Camps are shaping up really well. I won’t be making the national convention, because, well, Rage Against the Machine is doing a reunion. I know, it’s cliche, but they were my favorite band growing up and they’re probably the reason I’m even an activist. But, I felt guilty about missing the convention, so I pulled some strings and managed to get a free literature table for SDS at the show. Really stoked.

This past weekend, we had a statewide student activist camping retreat, organized by an excellent new organizer named Jason Ortiz out at UConn. It’s not specifically SDS, and that’s fine. The point is to build a movement first, an organization second. Or something like that. Anyways, the most exciting prospects that came out of it were the ideas that (1) the Uconn Free Press, a solid weekly/biweekly radical paper will be expanding to a statewide student newspaper (which Capital BADLY needs) and (2) we all thought organizing a statewide student union was a fantastic idea. The main idea would be to fight for lower tuition, greater freedom of expression, a greater voice in curriculum and academic policies, and other bread and butter issues. There was also the more controversial idea that the union could also be a venue for the discussion of broader issues, such as the war. My belief is that there’s nothing wrong with bringing up political issues for debate and arguing for action on the part of the union (something good workers unions do regularly) whereas others felt that it would be inappropriate.

Aside from that, we intend to do a banner making/affinity group workshop in the near future to kickstart our new alliance and spread the buzz about what we’re doing and what we wanna do. It was a very direct action-oriented gathering, and I think we all agree that it was a crucial first step in the right direction. Rock, rock, rock on.

I know I’ve rarely updated this thing (though for me, it’s actually a decent accomplishment) so I’m going to try to keep at it more often. Even if nobody reads it (except Richard), it’s good for me to put my thoughts on paper.

(more̷

The other night I had one of my usual bouts of insomnia. If you know me, you know there are two things I love. Cheese, and sleeping. Sometimes, I do so much of it, my sleep cycle gets all effed up, and I can’t fall asleep when I need to. Wednesday night was one of these nights. So after a futile 45-minute attempt at sleeping, I got up and dug in for a good night’s worth of internet time. Yes, that’s a shitty solution to insomnia, but it’s an addiction. One thing at a time.

My mind wanders a lot, and fortunately there’s such a thing as wikipedia. It allows me to enter in just about any topic that isn’t utterly fringe, and get at least a cursory understanding, and oftentimes an in-depth one. So, one thing I was wondering was what exactly insomnia is. As it turns out, it’s a few things. It’s a symptom, which can be caused by any number of problems, and it’s also a psychophysiological disorder where you’re completely unable to sleep, or sleep well. I sleep very, very well once I get to sleep, assuming I have the time.

Anyways, the important thing is I came across this (more̷

So, I’m stoked.The other day I went to CCC to sort some shit out. Apparently, when you’ve failed as many classes as me, they don’t let you take whatever class you like. So, I pled my case to the most obnoxious person I’ve ever met, the Dean of Student Services. My god… So, after that festival of torture, I stopped by the Student Activities office to see Jai Smith, a very friendly and helpful guy that always remembers me. I picked up a sample constitution for a student club, which I’ve used to begin drafting one for a Capital SDS chapter. (more̷

By m(A)tt
So here we are, closing in on 2007, and CLASH has finally broken onto the blogosphere. I feel so… savvy. I, for one, am leaving one horrendous job for another which will at least, hopefully, give me some hours that will allow me to get some organizing work done. I’m living back at my mom’s in Glastonbury, again, after a couple of years of living in and around Hartford. So, the ‘H’ in CLASH is currently being held down by Jerimarie in the West End. But between work, organizing, and soon-to-be school, I’ll be in Hartford a big chunk of the time as usual.

After a much-needed semester off from Capital Community College, I’ll be going back with a new major: library tech. The certificate is 24 credits, which will get me out of retail sooner rather than later, and start me on the road to relative financial stability. Becoming a teacher has become less and less attractive the more I think about it. It seems like all the good ones have to struggle enormously against everybody, to little or no avail. The whole dual role as mentor and prison guard also doesn’t sit well with this little anarchist. But I’m really looking foward to this. It’ll give me the tools I need to do research in an intellectual and idealistic setting that is not only working class, but quite progressive as well.

Last semester I did terribly, which I primarily blame on my inability to limit what I put on my plate. So, between staffing the infoshop, doing the bike courier gig, maintaining a relationship, and trying not to be a complete slob at our apartment, school just didn’t fit in the equation, despite my willingness and ability to do well. But I feel like this past years’ misadventures were a good learning experience, and I have some great things to show for it already. For the first time, I feel like I’m in control.

For the upcoming year, building SDS at my school is central, followed by building it locally and regionally, and finally beginning direct action against the war. I’ve been whining about the antiwar movement for almost as long as I’ve been in it, and it’s long overdue that those of us who believe in militancy get our act together and just fucking do it. Fortunately, it’s been budding in places near and far, and that gives me genuine hope.

Aside from that, it would be nice to organize some local support for the IWW Starbucks Workers Union, which there seems to be support for, but there needs to be some initiative. If it’s going to have to come from me, it’ll have to wait a little while, at least until CCC SDS is doing well. Fortunately, CCC is of course a commuter working class school, and through doing SDS tables, hopefully we can also promote the union. Being a retail worker, Wobbly, and SBUX union enthusiast, my little wet dream is to get a Retail Workers Union going here. In CT, there’s only so many entry-level jobs out there, and retail is at the top of the list, and also the suckiest. Just waiting to be organized!

The other thing that would be nice is to actually expand CLASH beyond the four of us. It can’t be that hard - I meet supportive and interested people all the time. It’s just a matter of making the effort to invite people to this or that meeting. Then again, maybe CLASH’s purpose should remain limited to a point of reference for anarchy in the area. Put out a zine, do some events, agitate, organize larger groups, etc. Sometimes, small is beautiful, and easier as well. Getting people to the same place and time is a pain in the ass.