Thursday, April 23, 2009
City The Future of 12th Avenue
Posted by Dominic Holden on Thu, Apr 23, 2009 at 6:30 PM
The question was what can be done to perpetuate the evolution 12th Avenue. The strip—for a long time the sparse connector between Little Saigon and Capitol Hill—was partly transformed by a recent construction and renovation boom. But that ground to a halt.
About 100 people jammed into the seats and aisles of the Northwest Film Forum last night listening to a panel discuss what can be done, especially considering this economy. Folks brought up a few interesting ideas:
Transforming 12th and Madison Storage: Seattle University owns a five-story building on the axis of three streets (12th, Madison, and Union) that, for as long as I can remember, has been a gigantic beige wall (see photo). People store their stuff there. The university will evict the storage and renovate the building within five to six years, said Michael Kerns, SU’s VP of facilities.
Developing SPD’s Parking Lot: The former Paul Schell administration vowed to develop this 30,000-square-foot lot, which officers use to park their cars while they’re on shift and SPD uses to dock their massive, rolling anti-crime yachts. Capitol Hill Housing, a low-income housing developer who hosted the forum, may consider building a housing project on the site, says CHH project director Kate Steinback. But CHH can’t afford to build enough underground parking spaces—which cost about $35,000 each—to make up for what’s there currently.
No Parking: Building rules don’t require parking in a lot of places on 12th Avenue. To force people out of their cars and onto public transit, developers can just stop building it altogether. Clearly, plenty of old buildings on Capitol Hill lack parking and they’re full of tenants.
Getting Choosier About Tenants: Joining Seattle’s intolerance for national chain stores—such as Subway, Solar Tan, AT&T Mobile, etc. that seem to appear before new buildings are even complete—developer Liz Dunn, wearing mahogany high-heel boots, supported simply refusing to rent to non-local businesses.
King County Detention Center: The south end of 12th Avenue doesn’t get nearly the love it deserves. Maybe it’s because SU has several blocks of buildings and play fields that turn their back on the street between Capitol Hill and Little Saigon. Or, perhaps, everyone’s afraid of the kid jail on East Alder Street. King County Juvenile Detention and it's asphalt tundra consume 8.5 acres, but the county—which wasn’t represented at the meeting—is nurturing plans to replace the parking lot with a multi-acre, mixed use project. One of the challenges: King County is in a tough financial spot these days. Godspeed, county.
Visual Art More Big Names at SAM, 2009-2010
Posted by Jen Graves on Thu, Apr 23, 2009 at 5:17 PM
Seattle Art Museum's new schedule is out, and it looks quite like the old schedule. Remember how the Romans were coming? Then how the Impressionists were coming? Then the early Americans (with so much bunting!)? Now, Michelangelo is coming to Seattle Art Museum—and not just Michelangelo but also Calder and Cobain.
No new exhibitions are scheduled at the Olympic Sculpture Park, or inside its pavilion, through the end of 2010.
SAM's choices for historical shows aren't terribly exciting, but they never are (this is an exception). The Michelangelo exhibition (Oct 15, 2009-Jan 31, 2010) is a loan show of 12 of the artist's preparatory drawings, along with works by his contemporaries, borrowed from the Casa Buonarroti in Florence. It could go either way. What will be nice is seeing contemporary Seattle artist Heide Hinrichs's ephemeral anti-monuments up at roughly the same time (Nov 7, 2009-June 13, 2010) as the jealously guarded objects that Michelangelo himself wanted burned. The Calder show (Oct 15, 2009-April 11, 2010) is a straight-up survey said to include many special works rarely seen in public, but somehow that seems only mildly interesting.
At SAM, the real action almost always takes place away from the spotlight. Special exhibitions that draw crowds are just so-so, while quiet interstitial stuff is what steals your heart. I'm looking forward to a formalist take on Jacob Lawrence (Dec 1, 2009-Oct 3, 2010), a 60-image survey of Imogen Cunningham (July 11, 2009-Aug 29, 2010), a pairing of the graphic works of James Ensor and Georg Baselitz, who did not know each other (April-Oct 2010).
The hit of the Seattle Asian Art Museum will be a show of the famous ukiyo-e prints of 18th- and 19th-century Japan, including the recently acquired Hokusai Wave as well as his Red Fuji (Nov 19, 2009-Feb 10, 2010). After this year's Indian paintings show, that may be ho-hum.
Curator Michael Darling's next big contemporary undertaking is Kurt, devoted to you-know-who (May 13-Sept 12, 2010), concurrent with Andy, devoted to you-know-who. I like the contrast between these for next summer (here's at least one thing that will be in Kurt) and the hard-headed Target Practice (contrasted with the soft-headed Andrew Wyeth small survey) planned for this summer, and I'll be looking forward to seeing what the museum programs around the shows. Cobainartposium?
Science Galaxy of Rum
Posted by Charles Mudede on Thu, Apr 23, 2009 at 4:51 PM
From the Guardian
Astronomers searching for the building blocks of life in a giant dust cloud at the heart of the Milky Way have concluded that it tastes vaguely of raspberries.And that? That is one of the most beautiful sentences I have ever read in my life.
This post owes its existence to Ben Demar and his universe. The photo is by blmurch.
Crime Students Threaten to Taser, Pour Bleach in the Eyes of "Snitch"
Posted by Jonah Spangenthal-Lee on Thu, Apr 23, 2009 at 4:45 PM
A group of students at the African American Academy are under investigation for allegedly threatening to taser and blind a 14-year-old girl for "snitching" to school administrators about an assault.
According to a police report, the 14-year-old girl witnessed an assault outside the school on April 13th and provided the principal with a written statement about the incident.
Since providing her statement, the 14-year-old told Seattle Police that she's been constantly harassed and threatened by a group of six to eight other teenagers. One girl—who, according to school administrators, was best friends with the 14-year-old up until she provided a statement about the assault—allegedly told the 14-year-old "I'm gonna Taze you and pour bleach in your eyes."
The 14-year-old told police she never saw the Taser, and although school administrators heard about the threat and sent the girl home, they did not search her for a Taser or bleach.
Teh Internets Apropos of Nothing
Posted by Paul Constant on Thu, Apr 23, 2009 at 4:42 PM
Sometimes you just want to throw a goat around, you know?
(Via.)
Teh Internets Don't HB, GeoCities
Posted by Sam Machkovech on Thu, Apr 23, 2009 at 3:38 PM
Yahoo Inc is shutting down GeoCities, a free service that hosts personal home pages for consumers, which it acquired for more than $4 billion 10 years ago during the heyday of the dotcom boom.
Before there were blogs, there was GeoCities, the free, "make-yer-own-page" community that molded the late '90s Internet era with overwhelming high-contrast color schemes, obnoxious designs, and plenty of Baby's First HTML. People still post that stuff on MySpace, obviously, but Geocities was a trailblazer for incompetency in Web design and, as such, deserves a tribute.
To your end, GeoCities, may we offer a 21-GIF salute.
EDIT: I just re-read the press release. Yahoo paid FOUR BILLION DOLLARS for that crap? Boy, those were better days.
Film Commie Pinko Jewfest
Posted by Eli Sanders on Thu, Apr 23, 2009 at 3:30 PM
In this week's Stranger I write about the Seattle Jewish Film Festival, which begins tonight with a movie that wouldn't play for me when I was screening the films: Little Traitor. But the other films I saw—well, they had a bit of an inadvertent theme:
In trying to select a bunch of "eco films" for their green Jewish Film Festival, the organizers actually ended up with a collection that has far more interesting things to say about the other kind of green, and it feels all the more current and urgent as a result.
Jewish communists immigrants! Jewish communist communists! Read all about them here. Meanwhile, here is a bit about tonight's film:
Based on Amos Oz's novel Panther in the Basement, this uplifting family-friendly film captures the unlikely bond between a kindly British soldier and a spirited boy. Set in 1947 Palestine and the birth of Israel, 11-year-old Proffy Liebowitz and his friends want nothing more than the departure of occupying British forces. While out after curfew, Proffy is seized by British Sergeant Dunlop (Molina). The chance encounter leads to a deepening relationship among ostensible foes.
Politics / Drunk You Know That Obama Tattoo...
Posted by Kelly O on Thu, Apr 23, 2009 at 3:19 PM
... you've been dying to get? Well, now is the time! More details on LINEOUT.
Politics Bigot, Carpetbagger, and Tax Evader
Posted by Dominic Holden on Thu, Apr 23, 2009 at 3:05 PM
We’ve already established that pastor Gary Randall makes money off of running a bigoted, anti-gay organization in Washington State, that his group Faith and Freedom plans to run a referendum to repeal the state's domestic-partnership bill, and that because he’s not registered to vote in Washington he can't even file or vote on the referendum himself.
But what about the tens of thousands of dollars he makes as president of Faith and Freedom, which is already raising funds for a possible referendum? One thing is clear: He isn’t paying all of his taxes.
According to the Clackamas County Clerk Recording Division, a Gary Randall who owns property in West Linn, Oregon has several federal tax liens against him. The county’s Assessment and Taxation Division confirms that Gary and Marjorie Randall own that West Linn property. In other words, it's the same Gary Randall. Here, according to the recorder's office, are the liens filed against Gary Randall for unpaid taxes:
• The IRS filed a tax lien against Randall in 1990 for $9,991.42.
• The IRS filed another tax lien against Randall in 1990 for $4,584.38.
• And finally, the IRS filed a tax lien against Randall in 2008 for failing to pay taxes in 2005 and 2006. The total for those two years is $21,436.79. These are the years that Randall received the greatest pay from the Faith and Freedom Foundation. The nonprofit paid him a salary of $28,552 in 2005 and $53,877 in 2006.
• In addition, the Clackamas County Clerk Recording Division says Randall owes the Oregon Department of Revenue $2,479.04 for a debt from 1991.
I called Randall to ask how he explains the tens of thousands of dollars in unpaid taxes. I also wanted to know if he had additional employers in 2005 and 2006, and by whom he was paid in the other years for which he owes taxes. But before I could get to those questions, Randall said, “I have tried to make myself available to you and be open and respectful to you. You have not been respectful in return. So I do not have any more comments for you.” He added that I have made errors in my previous posts, but when I asked what those errors were he hung up the phone.
Another thing: Randall told me on Monday, “I have a home in Issaquah,” but it appears he doesn’t actually own any property there. The King County Assessor’s Office searched for properties owned by people named Gary Randall in King County—of which there are three—but none is in Issaquah (they are in Seattle, Redmond, and Federal Way), and none is owned or co-owned by a Marjorie Randall. If Randall has a home anywhere in King County, he rents it.
Why shine a spotlight on the personal details of this man’s finances and domicile? By preparing to change our laws by public vote, Randall is supposedly acting in the interest of Washington state voters and making himself a public figure here. But he holds no real stake here. The laws in Washington are of no more consequence to Randall than the laws across the border from Washington in Canada, where same-sex marriage has been legal since 2005.
It’s also a matter of public interest that Randall is raising money from Washingtonians—money that donors assume will be handled in accordance with state and federal law—while simultaneously failing to pay taxes intended for the common welfare 19 years after it was due. So, sorry if asking questions about the money you owe isn't “respectful," Gary, but some of us find it pretty disrespectful to meddle in our lives, our laws, our families, and our elections, all while draining from the public coffers.
Tech Now Only Outlaws Will Have Baby-Shaking iPhone Apps
Posted by Anthony Hecht on Thu, Apr 23, 2009 at 2:55 PM
Wired reports that Apple has removed an iPhone app called Baby Shaker after "widespread outrage from parents."
It's a stupid little app that shows a picture of a baby, makes some gurgling sounds, and if you shake the phone hard enough, little red Xs appear on the babies eyes.
Predictably, people with children who were shaken as babies—babies who suffered horrible and crippling injuries—were furious that such a thing would be allowed in the world and Apple bowed to pressure and removed the app, pointing out yet again that their Application approval process is absurdly capricious and unfair.
What the hell, Apple? Sure, it's a stupid, pointless, generally offensive app. So fucking what? These people who've had horrible things happen to them and then insist that there is never, ever, ever any acceptable way to discuss these things except in somber, hushed, reverent tones need a good shake, if you ask me.
Just kidding! I'm anti-shaking in all cases, I swear! It's not even funny, I know.
Religion At Last! A Reason For the Internet!
Posted by Paul Constant on Thu, Apr 23, 2009 at 2:39 PM
Houston Belief has an interview with Gary Thomas, a reverend who regularly performs exorcisms:
THe Rev. Gary Thomas knew was dealing with a man who’s life was falling apart.The man was a scientist, and a skeptic about supernatural evil. So is Thomas, a modern-day exorcist.
The subject of demonic possession is still controversial, as illustrated by the media storm that greeted the revised exorcism rite 10 years ago. While it warned exorcists not to confuse possession with mental illness, it also affirmed ancient teachings about spiritual warfare.
Truth is, Thomas said, the events of the recent Holy Week make no sense without real demons, real temptations and a real hell.
But you don't have to have a real exorcist come to you to determine if you've been possessed: Pastor Bob Larson ("Doing what Jesus did") has set up a web quiz to discover if you have a demon living inside you. I recommend taking this very important test, especially if you have been "incested," which is one of the 21 criteria for possession.
(Thanks to Slog Tipper Rich for the Demon Test.)
??!! / Nightlife / Drunk Snuggie™ Pub Crawl: IT'S HAPPENING!
Posted by Bethany Jean Clement on Thu, Apr 23, 2009 at 2:00 PM
At last—tomorrow night!—IT'S HAPPENING: Seattle Snuggie™ Crawl '09 in beautiful Ballard. Finally! It's not really even Snuggie™ season anymore. EXCEPT IN OUR HEARTS.
Rules include:
1. BYO Snuggie*. Yes, you must wear a Snuggie. Even the paparazzi covering this event are expected to wear Snuggies. Show up without one at your own risk. We won’t take violation of this rule lightly.2. Be creative with your Snuggie! You are encouraged to bedazzle or otherwise wow everyone with some sort of Snuggie fashion statement.
3. Slankets and other kinds of blankets with sleeves are completely welcome. The “Snuggie” in Snuggie Fest is being used colloquially as a genericized trademark, like Jell-O or Kleenex. Even homemade numbers are fine. But see Rule #1. Dress code is a blanket with sleeves. Don’t stray too far from the concept!
4. Treat all hosting waitstaff and barstaff with respect and tip them! Serving a marauding drunken band of fools in Snuggies isn’t easy.
5. Please bring food for Northwest Harvest.... Let's help others while having a great time.
Like Snuggie™ says, "Blankets are OK but they can slip and slide, plus your hands are trapped inside"—inside, where they cannot convey a beer or other alcoholic beverage to your mouth. It's just not right.
All the details for Seattle Snuggie™ Crawl '09 may be found here.
*Failure to use ™ throughout from the original, not the liability of this writer, Slog, The Stranger, Dan Savage, or any associated entity.
Homo / Film "The Story of Three Consenting Adults, in the Privacy of Their Own Home...."
Posted by David Schmader on Thu, Apr 23, 2009 at 1:59 PM
That is the quietly menacing tagline for The Killing of Sister George, the trashy lesbian melodrama of 1968 that's grown into a beloved, over-the-top camp classic.
Tonight at the Northwest Film Forum, Three Dollar Bill Cinema hosts a one-night-only screening of Sister George, as part of their "God Save the Queens" film series. If you like lesbians, ludicrously overdone psychodrama, and/or perversely comforting reminders of How Far We've Come, go.
Movie starts at 7pm, full info here.
At Large Five Things Houston Does Better Than Seattle
Posted by Erica C. Barnett on Thu, Apr 23, 2009 at 1:58 PM
I know it's de rigeur to rag on Houston, and rightly so—among other things, the megalopolis is famous for its freeways, mosquitoes, mind-numbing heat, pedestrian and bike-unfriendliness, and pollution. But as a native, there are plenty of things about Houston I'll go down fighting to defend. Over the last week, I got reacquainted with some of them.
ADDENDUM: 1a) Not really a "does" but an "is": Diversity. Houston's racial breakdown: 49.27 percent White, 25.31 percent Black or African American, 0.44 percent Native American, 5.31 percent Asian, 0.06 percent Pacific Islander, 16.46 percent from other races, and 3.15 percent from two or more races. 37 percent of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race. Seattle's? s 67.1% white, 16.6% Asian, 10.0% African American, 1.0% Native American, 0.9% Pacific Islander, 2.3% from other races, and 3.4% from two or more races. 6.3% of the population is Hispanic or Latino of any race.
1) Outdoor dining. To all those who object that outdoor dining spaces are "impossible" in Seattle because of our lousy weather, I present Exhibit A to the contrary: Houston, where you can find outdoor dining most of the year despite weather that goes from 70 and sunny to torrential downpours to 110 in the shade in the blink of an eye. (Outdoor misting systems were invented for Houston summers—the same way sidewalk umbrellas and propane heaters were invented for Seattle falls). Just about every street in Houston is dotted with tons of cute outdoor dining spaces like the one below (the Empire Cafe on Westheimer). If they can do it, why can't we?
2) Light rail. Yes, overall, Houston's transit system sucks. Yes, it's useless if you're going to the suburbs (where my parents live, there literally is no bus service, and the closest park-and-ride is many miles away). But damned if they didn't manage to get light rail on the ground sooner than we did—and despite the concerted efforts of right-wing extremists (e.g. Tom Delay) the likes of which we've never seen in Seattle. And the kicker is, it's been so successful, they're expanding it.
3) A Real Museum District. Say what you will about Houston's lack of zoning, its museum scene kicks our museum scene's ass. In the 1.5-mile area that makes up the city's designated Museum District (also within walking distance of awesome Hermann Park and the beautiful Rice University campus), there are nearly 20 world-class museums, from the tiny-but-storied Byzantine Fresco Chapel Museum to the massive Museum of Fine Arts to the meditative Rothko Chapel to the Museum of Natural Science, home of the fascinating Cockrell Butterfly Center. The gorgeous (and free!) Menil Collection is one of the nation's great modern art museums, with a collection of Cornell boxes (one of which is pictured below) that I never tire of visiting.
Crime Wonder Bra
Posted by Charles Mudede on Thu, Apr 23, 2009 at 1:25 PM
The lifesaver...
A US woman had a lucky escape when a burglar's bullet bounced off the metal underwire in her bra.Je représente le wonderbra, le wonderbra.Police in the city of Detroit said one of three intruders fired a shot when the woman looked out of her window and saw them raiding the house next door.
The bullet smashed the window and hit her, but instead of causing serious injury - or worse - it was deflected off the wiring in her bra.
Books People Are Talking About Books in Questionland
Posted by Paul Constant on Thu, Apr 23, 2009 at 1:14 PM
Some book-related questions on Questionland:
Will I be disappointed if I watch the film version of Catch-22 or read other Joseph Heller books?
Is anyone else reading Captain America these last four years??!! It's been GREAT!
Bonfire of the Vanities was the answer to a trivia question on Cash Cab today, and I thought to myself "should I read that?" It was a bit adult for me when the book and then film came out, so I missed it then. Is it worth it? A guilty-pleasure beach read, or a more serious tome?
Has anyone read "Tinker, Tailor, Solder, Spy" by John LeCarre?
For people who've never read Gore Vidal novels before, is 'Burr' the best introduction?
I would like to point out that I didn't write any of these questions. I'm pleased to see that people are using Questionland to talk about books. Maybe we can arrange some sort of book club over there?
SIFF / Hump / Film Humpday at this Year's SIFF
Posted by Lindy West on Thu, Apr 23, 2009 at 12:44 PM
SIFF just announced that they're "revitalizing" their Northwest Connections series this year:
Sixteen extraordinary features and documentaries and thirteen shorts pay tribute to the thriving filmmaking community in and around Seattle, and highlight an enduring international interest in cinema from and about the Northwest.
That means we'll finally get to see Seattle's three lauded entries in Sundance 2009: Lynn Shelton's Humpday, David Russo's The Immaculate Conception of Little Dizzle, and Bobcat Goldthwait's World's Greatest Dad.
Crowning the series is the SIFF Centerpiece Gala on Friday, June 5, honoring Humpday, the acclaimed new feature from Seattle director Lynn Shelton. Filmed in Seattle, Humpday is the story of two college buddies who test the limits of heterosexual male bonding by agreeing to take part in an amateur porn contest, based on the real-life competition held by The Stranger.
Northwest Connections will also screen Sandy Cioffi's documentary Sweet Crude, the filming of which landed her in a Nigerian prison for a week.
Economy Summers' Snooze
Posted by Charles Mudede on Thu, Apr 23, 2009 at 12:31 PM
Huff Post reports that Larry Summers, President Obama's chief economic adviser, fell asleep during...
"...a high-profile meeting with credit card industry officials in the White House." The matter of the meeting was reforming the industry by ending "deceptive practices." If Obama does not do this, does not force the banks to keep their greed in check, their fees and interest rates reasonable, they will do to the credit card system what they did to home loans. And the American economy can't afford a credit card crisis. And Summers was asleep for all of this.
Film / Nerd Harry Potter Fans Excited About the New Harry Potter Movie
Posted by Lindy West on Thu, Apr 23, 2009 at 12:26 PM
I forwarded a friend some information about the release date of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and received a prompt reply:
Chow Where Do You Get Breakfast at 2 am?
Posted by Megan Seling on Thu, Apr 23, 2009 at 12:25 PM
It's late—you've been dancing or rocking out or drinking all night and now it's 2 am and you're not ready to go home... in fact, you want some goddamn breakfast! Where do you go? Who's got the best late-night/after-hours breakfast?
Kitschnsync says: "Beyond 13 Coins and the typical craptacular places like Beth's, the Mecca, etc., there doesn't seem to be a decent place to get late-night food in this town."
Is that true?
Or, maybe you're more civilized and you're awake at a normal hour and you want some crepes. So where do you go for the best crepes in Seattle?
Let us know about some of your favorite breakfast spots in the city and if we use your suggestion in our upcoming breakfast guide, we'll send you a prize!
(Here's what else we're currently looking for: best brunch spots if your parents are paying, best brunch spots if YOU are paying, best bacon, best hashbrowns, and best tofu scramble. Hooray for breakfast!)
Politics Fundraiser for Dow Constantine at the Crocodile Tonight
Posted by Dan Savage on Thu, Apr 23, 2009 at 12:09 PM
Tonight at the Crocodile, everyone is invited to a party hosted by Krist Novoselic, Kim Thayil, Susan Silver, Dave Dederer, John Roderick, Kerri Harrop, Victoria Gentry, Dave Meinert, and more to support Dow Constantine for King County Executive.
A VIP reception with the host committee (with hosted bar and Tribunali pizza) starts at 7 pm for a $100 donation. Then starting at 8 pm there will be music by John Roderick, Shawn Smith, Carrie Akre, DJ K-NOw, and Kristen Ward for a suggested $25 donation.
For more information (or to make a donation online) visit www.dowconstantine.com.
Politics Glenn Beckwatch: Where Do You Want the Republican Party to Go?
Posted by Paul Constant on Thu, Apr 23, 2009 at 12:08 PM
Hey, what's going on over on Glenn Beck's side of the internet? Well, when he's not taking calls from people chopping down trees on Earth Day and complaining about how Janeane Garafalo is ruining 24, he's running polls!
Today's poll is "Which way do you want the GOP to go from here?"
Apparently, Sarah Palin is a "cultural populist." I had no idea. I just thought she was pissed off about big 'mercan cities what hate Jesus. Maybe it's a euphemism?
So those are the choices. Ron Paul, Sarah Palin, Mike Huckabee, and Olympia Snowe. That's a hell of a foursome. Maybe it's just because I'm from Maine, but I think Snowe has to be the only logical choice here, right? Her brand of government even has the word "good" in it! Here are the results:
Wow. Ron Paul is totally in the lead, with Palin batting cleanup. Looks like all those ReLOVEutionaries who were carrying around posters and putting up videos about how "First they ridicule you, then you rent a giant blimp, then you win" were actually telling the truth.
Of course, if, say, a whole bunch of people were to vote for Mike Huckabee's "big government," that sure would confuse the fuck out of Glenn "libertarian small government" Beck, wouldn't it? I'm just saying.
Visual Art Currently Hanging
Posted by Jen Graves on Thu, Apr 23, 2009 at 12:05 PM
In Erin Morrison's landscapes (at Vermillion), made using crushed pigment, things are dire and fantastic. Above is Metropolitan Park (Spread Your Seed), Seattle. Here's Bipolar Magnetic Field, Elkhart, Kansas.
Science You Yourself: Part I
Posted by Charles Mudede on Thu, Apr 23, 2009 at 11:44 AM
All of the thinking in philosophy about the self, the individual, the one, the point of being, has been either psychological or intellectual, psuchê or nous, the ego or cogito. If not one of these two, or a combination of them, then we exit the problem of the self through the post-humanism of Foucault's face in the sand. The result being a dissolving of the self ("erased, like a face drawn in sand at the edge of the sea"). In this understanding, the self is an invention and nothing more. But an immunological understanding offers philosophy a hard idea of the self: the self as a state of defense. In this situation, in the terms of the human immune system, the self is not an area of doubt but of action. The self is vigorously maintained by a class of white blood cells (phagocytes, T cells, B cells), that attack non-self stuff. Cells, chemicals, viruses that have on their surfaces genetic flags, proteins, that are not recognized as a part of the self are devoured, destroyed, coded, and stored as cell memories for future wars. The immunization system regulates, reinforces the self by rejecting what is not the self. But why is this defense system philosophically significant? Because this self happens unconsciously and yet determines the self. For as long as there has been reason, the unconscious has meant the losing of self, dissolving into the oceanic, the old chaos—the foamy sea washing the face on the sand. The immune system is anything but that. It asserts the self aggressively and with intelligence. Not only does it memorize, it even predicts. The system produces millions upon millions of weapons for invaders that have never entered the self. All it worries about is keeping you, you. No human political system matches the fascism of an individual's immune system.
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