From that point forward, my entire life changed. As an excuse to keep track of me, SRI employees contracted out by the Seals, as well as personal friends of Chris Haines, began to monitor me remotely. Because Chris Haines trains Seals on ATV’s using government grants and his wife is a Hollywood scenster, they are well connected in that way. Half of Hollywood has heard their side of ‘my story’ or read this blog by now and I hear a few are making movies about me, which needs to stop, at once. I have submitted FOIA requests to the Navy, NSA, NASA, CIA and D.O.D. and my NSA file is currently in a state of approval.

The military men, agents, independents, and agents keeping track of me – took things to a level, they have never done before in all the history of black-ops. I was physically manipulated by astral projectors and empaths, raped, consciously and unconsciously, traumatized daily by the minute using remote hypnosis, necromancy, black magic, demons, and alien technology provided to all by NASA and the NSA. They continue to harass me nightly, claiming they are beating, cursing, and raping soul fragments of myself based off of modeling photos. I worked as a model in Seattle and the entire black-ops army has become completely obsessed with my appearance and every detail of my life.

They tried to convince me of things about myself and family that are so dark… I will not list them here. They told me it was my patriotic duty to commit suicide and get buried alive by the President Barack Obama, who is fully aware of who I am and what I am doing here – to bring world wide PEACE to the planet, with God’s help. Instead, he asked them to program me using remote surveillance techniques hailing back to Hitler’s day- to be a racist child molester and a user of other people. The use painful points from my past to weave a web of deception and guilt complexes to fragment my soul and keep me separated from myself. They use magic spells and hypnosis to keep my soul fragmented so that they can use aspects of my being, as super soldiers and Barbie dolls in light land. Due to the stress, my body has been failing physically and I am much worse for the wear.

I began writing a book called, “A New Kind of Liberty”, about my personal story of enlightenment and how to defeat all forms of evil on the earthen bound plane as well as on a galactic scale. As a result, the perps have violated time and space by teleporting back and forth from my past and future, to steal the book and to sabotage my childhood so as to completely annhilate my present existence. YAHWEH, Maia, Christ, Shin’ah, and Archangel Gabriel and Archangel Michael chose me as a candidate for a very important job. However, because the book fell into the hands of a male in power, the President Barack Obama, the vision of beauty, truth, and POWER of God which was intended to bless all – has been corrupted and perverted beyond all recognition. They have turned to war against each other, myself, and God in general as a result – even stooping so far as to tempt and corrupt the angels in Heaven to rebel. They say they want a man to be the vessel of God, like Yeshua was, but, they want to control this vessel and it is the shared opinion that a woman in power or blessed by God to such the extent that I am – should be strictly forbidden. They threaten to publically humiliate me sexually, should I ever be ‘taken into custody’, until I give up my own soul. Of course, they intend to brutalize me to death, no matter what, to ensure that the message is sent to Heaven from Earth – YOU ARE NOT WELCOME HERE. We intend to continue to corrupt, harass, rape, murder, pillage, and play God as we like – taking the names and faces of Heaven as a joke, to twist around our fingers, at will.

For some reason, they are afraid I will get upset and kick-of the Apocolypse……

They have been arguing their way collectively over the last year, as to who owns the copyright to my file, which is now being published in England under a title no one will recognize, The Cumming One.

They hope to make me look like a complete Barbie doll in real life as well as in light land (the astral plane)…. hoping to prove that man is capable of controlling the Divine. And… we are not.

General Petraeus of the National Security Agency, Brandon Mills of the C.I.A. and Charles Bolden of NASA as well as members of the cabinet, congress, and senate are fully responsible for the actions of their employees.  They are responsible for the trauma that is incurred nightly and I am suing them and their agencies for using me as an unwilling participant. I am entitled to my file, full disclosure, and they need to call everyone off. Branches of the military, including the Army, Airforce, Navy, the Marines psy-ops are all here on a daily and nightly basis, harassing me using empaths, telepaths, remote viewers, and astral projectors. They wait for me to fall asleep so as to molest my astral body in the realm of light land (the astral plane). By day, they verbalize through my mouth and are very corrosive to my self esteem, encouraging me to commit suicide daily. Because of the list of names below and in the tags, they are trying to push me to delete my blog, stay off of Facebook, and to stay out of trouble. They threaten to kidnap me and install me into the breeding program, Operation Monarch, and fall in with the victims located there in an underground facility in the outskirts of Louisville, KY. Even the victims of these programs MKUltra and Monarch are attacking me, as they have nothing better to do. I literally have thousands of the planet’s darkest souls abusing me and they are all either victims, Federal agents or employees, members of the military, private citizens located throughout the world, as well as… members of the United States government. They are doing this because I am 6’1 and very attractive, interesting in general, and apparently have been deemed supernatural by the men in black.

They have hard evidence on satellite maps which capture mass consciousness and because of how I show up on the maps, they claim they are entitled to harass me to keep my body weak and my energy low. These satellites are installed to protect the planet from anyone or anything who disrupts the ‘grid’. The Grid is an artificial force field around the planet installed by the Illuminati and maintained by NASA. They claim it keeps out E.T.’s from invading the planet when in reality, it is designed to control the population of Earth from reaching up to high to the celestial realms. The Illuminati think they own the planet but, they do not. They are quite literally E.T.’s in human form and it is now their time to leave the planet. I am going to help with that.

Below and in the tags are some of the agents/military men/politicians guilty of treason, illegal psy-ops harassment of me personally, rape, and embezzlement or laundering of government funds (grant $ from the D.O.D.)

Thomas LaProntrou, NSA/Seals

Lisa Taylor, NASA/area 51 type

George Masterson, contractor to NSA psy-ops

Chandler Petrone

Matthew Brunswick, SRI

Barbara Anderson, SRI (complete freak of an empath/astral projector,        unprofessional)

James Protok, NSA

John Christiansen, NASA

Peter Paulson, Army psy-ops

Trevor Watson, Army psy-ops clairvoyant

Chris Masterson, Seals psy-ops

Taylor Watson, Army psy-ops

Andrew Mariano, NSA/CIA

Lucille Webster, contractor Army, clairvoyant

Angela Webster, contractor NASA, clairvoyant

Patricia Baxter, contractor to NSA

Andrew Marstesen, Army psy-ops

Darius Henderson, Army psy-ops

Jim Sorrenson

George LaProu

Taylor Anderson, NASA/area 51 type

Peter Paulson

Steve Amarillo, Seals

Anderson Brusho, Navy empath

Eric Eisenhower, Seals

George Patterson, Air Force empath, psy-ops – Edwards Air Force base

Trent Troupe, Air Force empath, psy-ops – Andrews Air Force base

Clint Esteban, Air Force empath, psy-ops -Edwards Air Force base

Daniel Trayton, Air  Force empath, psy-ops – Edwards Air Force base

Marcus Garcia, Air Force telepath, psy-ops – Edwards Air Force base

Bob Morino, NSA & NASA

James Johnson, NSA, Seals, I.C.E. (fired!)

Matthew St. George, NASA contractor, Princeton University

Angela DeWitt

John Adams

Taylor Adams

Terrence Masterson

Lisa Morningstar

Andrew Wilkins

Patrick Roberts

Andrew Jones

Linda Mahoney

Mike Sorenson

Patricia Wexley

Taylor Amadameus

Sylvia Sylviano

Kate Atterman, SRI

Paul Peterson

George Harrison

Andrew Tailor

Anderson Cooper

Sarah DiCicco, SRI

Matthew Macmannahan

Matthew Johnson

Andrew Esteban, Army

Steve Amerson

….please see below tags for even more names. SRI, NASA, NSA, CIA, FBI = GUILTY OF Treason, dealing drugs, illegal harassment, black magic, infedility, rape, torture, abuse and overall…. shady characters. If the perps are not in PRISON by now…. it means you are not helping you are hurting. These people are using alien technology, demons, black magic, necromancy, traumatizing terror tactics designed for hard criminals, and supernatural abilities that have been passed through the ages by one Supreme Being alone – GOD. They are abusing their positions of power and their GOD given abilities to abuse others to the point where most are driven to suicide or mental institutions. The REALLY unfortunate ones are kidnapped and put into the breeding programs and kept at underground facilities where they are raped repeatedly in public and in most cases, on film. These GOVERNMENT RUN operations and independent studies which promote this sort of activity needs to be STOPPED AT ONCE. Please see my Facebook page, “A New Kind of Liberty“, for breaking information. I have started a petition there, seeking full disclosure.

_________________________________________________________

Hello,

I was wondering if you would keep me updated on a transcript that may have already reached your desk. The title of it is called, “A New Kind of Liberty….” – I am the author and I believe someone may be trying to sell the proposal around under a different title/author.

There are Princeton students who have harassing me along with members of certain experimental research facilities, like P.E.A.R. and SRI. They are intending to publish my story, without consent in white papers as well as a published novel. This is an infringement of my rights as a private citizen. The premise of the book is based on human consciousness and how it develops or breaks down over time. They have been using me as well as others for the purpose of experimentation but, took it waaaaayy to far with me because of my interesting lifestyle. I will be suing them of couse. If you receive a manuscript from a professor or student from Princeton University, Yale, or Harvard -University about a saint or “Messiah” referred to as the Coming One and a scandal revolving around prominent figures in the United States Government, including a tell tale photo – a classified photo of Osama bin Laden – shown to me personally by a high ranking Navy Seal – please contact me at once. There are intellectual property rights infringements here and they need to be disclosed. Do not publish, or I will be forced to sue all parties.

Thanks,
Danielle Noel Gibeson
Temecula, CA 92592
lefauconrouge.wordpress.com
951-302-3666

To the P.E.A.R. and I.H.O.P. (Iceland), members of the CIA, FBI, NSA, NASA, S.R.I. named below:

You have been watching me update my blog and act like an insane person for the last 2 years. Thanks to SRI breaking Federal Regulation, namely, Amanda Cruthen and Matt Brunswick….. know this: I am completely sane.

I have been fucking with you for the last 2 years, at this point, for one reason alone – to prove what arrogant, pathetic, pricks you all are – even the lesbian empaths who have been watching me in the shower- student loans & grant money – which is Federal money -  supposed to be used for books and tuition, not cocaine and marijuana. Amanda Cruthen is about to be picked up and put into prison by the F.B.I. She is located in a little hole of an apartment in D.C. Her address is: 2569 6th/John Apt. 601

She has written a book called,  A New Kind of Liberty: The Diary of a Fucked up Saint turned Destroyer – full of lies and deceit. Her fellow students do not realize the contains of this manuscript – describing them as insane, spoiled, drug addicts intending to sell everyone down the river….. even their own schools. She blames it on me, of course.

Matt Brunswick is guilty of treason and perjury as well as funneling government grant money into his Swiss bank account, replacing the student loan money he borrowed from Fannie Mae with school funds. He explains that the reason he needs the money is to study and discover the true identity of Danielle Noel Gibeson, who he found with Amanda after doing a magic ritual. He and she began following me around empathically for about a year until I really came up. They did not know who I was at first. Because they have been embezzling money for so long – fully aware of what they were doing – they both will be going to FEDERAL PRISON for the rest of their lives.

Because they have been sell-outs and have been corrupting others around them with the intent to discredit me and play god – they are going to be burning in Hell for eons. To those students who think they have any degree of authority to stick around and “monitor” me, whilst playing God – or a backseat driver thereof – I have news for  you. I know where you live.

Amanda (SRI/Princeton University/NSA lesbian hooker)  is guilty of treason at a federal level as are the professors Matthew St. George of Princeton and Larry Hardwick of Yale Universityy. Parading around as “mad scientists” – they along with Roger Nelson are guilty of copyright infringement, rape, illegal domestic surveillance, psy-ops harrassment of an unwilling civilian participant (me) and embezzlement, using government grant money from the Department of Defense to deal drugs to students in the name of science. They are buying cocaine, heroin, meth amphetamines, and LSD and dosing students up, daily. They ask them to keep monitoring me, explaining that I am most likely the anti-Christ and that we need to get everyone on board with this. In reality, you are the mice. They are studying you for the amount of compassion or violence you display under these drugs, as students of an Ivy league school, you should have caught on to this a long time ago. By showing violence, you attest to the primary animal nature known as “Animalia”. By showing compassion, you, IVY LEAGUERS, WOULD have SHOULD have COULD have displayed what is known as, “Empathic Resonance.” A theory developed by one of your predecessors…….

Despite every opportunity you have been given by me personally, on behalf of GOD = YAHWEH, you have chosen instead to beat and humiliate and torture me to the extent that has never before or ever will be seen again. Why? You are about to be picked up by FEDERAL AGENTS, all.

They have been selling secrets back and forth to one another, unbeknownst to the “authorities”. Thank your students for that. They are making TONS of money off of this. Watching their professors play god and act like complete fuck-ups, they are following your example by selling you down the river, any which way they can. The only reason they have not blown the whistle YET – is because they wanted to find out if I was sane or not- now you know, I am.

Who has been selling out to Yale? They ask…… matters of such unimportance. They are all going to wish they were never born. Those federal agents and employees so named corrupt and guilty (members of the FBI, CIA, NSA, and NASA) by me in a former blog – were played by students in an attempt to discredit me. They know them personally and have crushes on them. They have been blackmailing them, through me, calling them out by name, hoping I would corroborate… their nonsense. They are guilty of wasting the time and money of VALUABLE Federal employees who have better things to do than hang around and watch yet, one more woman, end her life or destroy it because they have nothing better to do than get fucked up and destroy the people around them……. rot in prison fuckers.

Danielle

http://lush4life.wordpress.com/art

Know what really gets a party bouncing off the walls?! Bumpin’ some Wallpaper! Signed with Seattle’s legendary K Records in spring of 2008, Wallpaper will release their new album with a show you’ll want to mark on your calendars, November 8th at The Comet. Wallpaper offers danceable diversity wrapped in a high energy garage pop rock sound born of influences like Pavement, The Pixies, and Weezer. Brothers Derek and Spencer Kelley along with Steve Potter, deliver fast paced jump up and down songs with puckish charm, enthusiasm, and a whole lot of energy.

The trio began playing in 2004 with Spencer and Steve, joined later by Derek on lead vocals. After listening to their first recording made as Appliqué, they heard a lot they wanted to change and stripped it down. Their sound became more raw ala The Breeders and Violent Femmes. They must have done something very right because renowned musician, DJ, producer, founding figure of the DIY independent music movement, and record label owner Calvin Johnson happened to be one of the seven attendees at The Sunset in late April of this year and really dug their sound. “Kurt Cobain’s only tattoo was of the K Records shield, you know.” Derek fills me in. I did NOT know that! Calvin and the boys exchanged 45’s and EP’s and three months later Wallpaper was signed to K Records alongside the likes of Modest Mouse, IQU, Dub Narcotic Sound System, and Yacht. Wallpaper’s short, fast, shooting star-like rise to musical success in Seattle is supported by a great fan base of youngsters who like to dance and rock out.

So why, you may wonder, is Wallpaper secretly blacklisted from playing all ages venues? Why would these three very adorable and talented musicians be blacklisted from playing at all-ages venues? The answer? Myspace drama. Myspace drama which led to false accusations directed at one of the members of Wallpaper which led to further slander and subsequent cancellations of shows as well as refusals to book Wallpaper at all ages venues. Because of one vindictive Vera Project volunteer, the tyrannical blacklisting of Wallpaper runs amuck within a small circle of misled friends who volunteer at all-ages venues in the Seattle area. As a result, Wallpaper’s 18 and under fans have to settle for waiting outside 21 and over shows to say hello and listen from the street. Can anyone say scandal?

“Is it really fair to allow the volunteers of Vera Project or any organization act out their own personal vendettas at the expense of the organization itself and the public that it is meant to serve? We can’t play at any all ages venues because of one volunteer who has slandered us on false pretenses. We don’t even know what to do about it.” says Spencer.

“Yeah…. we are OVER hipsters.” says Steve. They all nod in unison agreement.

Unwitting targets of Capitol Hill hipster politics, heroes of the teen dance scene, newcomers and favorites at Calvin Johnson’s K Records and darlings of Seattle underground pop,
I present- Wallpaper. Find them October 11th at Mars Bar and November 8th for their CD release party at The Comet and get the dish on their latest online drama at www.myspace.com/publicstudents. Steve, Derek, and Spencer are very charming and full of playful, positive energy which, comes through in their music. Wallpaper is a breath of fresh air and if you’ve been looking for some new tunes to dance in your socks to, look no further.

Written and photographed by January Fieldz

Photo editing by Adele Clark

D-List Magazine, Seattle, WA.
October 2008

With Randall Skrasek on guitar and back-up vocals, Shane Browning on bass and back-up vocals, Dave Foley on drums, occasionally joined by Sky Lynn on back-up vocals/percussion, and Lance Watkins- lead guitar/vocals and songwriter; together they weave a fairytale of music about the fictional place of Hypatia Lake and the make-believe characters contained therein. Inspired by The Point, a fable by American songwriter and musician Harry Nilsson, Lance conceptionalized the town of Hypatia Lake and brings it to life with the help of his bandmates. The name Hypatia comes from ancient Greece, Hypatia of Alexandria born between AD 350 and 370, a Greek scholar from Alexandria in Egypt, considered the first notable woman in mathematics, who also taught philosophy and astronomy. Not surprisingly, Hypatia Lake’s lyrics incorporate philosphy, metaphysics, and esoteric themes. When listening to their music, your ears are not only delighted and stimulated by the variety of dreamy sounds that come through, your mind is simultaneously aroused and enlivened by the depth of thought and information of the lyrics. This is intelligent, well-written music with an unstructured ambient soul and a satisfying palette of sounds ranging from neo-folk to shoegaze to true Seattle rock. The mind-sweeping trancy effects of their music are punctuated satisfyingly with interludes of heart swelling guitar solos that keep you awake and pumped without jarring you out of your senses. Most shoegaze bands will put you to sleep while other hard/indie rock bands sing songs that make you feel angry or depressed with noise that hits you like a car crash. Hypatia Lake seamlessly blends the best of the best along with a healthy dose of the unexpected.

Their live shows are complete with their very own visual projectionist, Ben Jones. It is a total package. Even if you don’t typically listen to psychedlic rock and find youself at dance clubs on the weekends- you should really give this a try. It’s a very stimulating experience and a complete departure from the usual. This is not your typical self-absorbed, self-pitying Seattle rock band making a play for a big break. They are saturated with pure creativity and experiment with sound and thought for its own sake- it is very rejuvenating and inspiring to be present at one of their lives shows. Hypatia Lake sets themselves apart not only through the quality of their sound but, also through the selfless, fun-loving character of their presence.

You can catch them at The Comet, September 26^th with Spirit Vine and Rocking Horse People. Until then, you can read about their adventures from tour, like the phantom deer that they saw bounding across a huge San Fransican cemetary last week, on their myspace page www.myspace.com/hypatialake or at www.hypatialake.com. Hypatia Lake deserves the spotlight they are in. Theirs is a sound that has been cultivated with alot of care and thought over the last 8 years and they deliver with a purity and rawness that every music lover can appreciate. Hypatia Lake’s soul is the last unicorn of Seattle rock. Satisfy your curiousity and check them out! Their live show is reward you deserve.

Written and photographed by January Fieldz

D-List Magazine, September 2008

www.dlistmagazine.com

The car careened around the corners of the dark city streets and in reply to my question, Mr. Glass merely turned again. Dark curly hair and handsome, the talented singer/song writer of The Reformation, former drummer for both Model Photographer and Say Hi and current beat-masta for The Thermals smiled as he said, “I think we’re almost there.” We parked and then exited the car.

“No, I meant about the magazines. You and the three bands you are in were all written about in a bunch recently, like Rolling Stone, Filter magazine, The New York Times, SPIN. The Stranger did a feature on you as The Reformation last year; I remember thinking…How’s that feel?” We walked through Capitol Hill towards the club. Damp streets and dusky skies, the traffic was just enough to keep you from sleepwalking through the intersection. I looked at him with a gleam in my eye, for we both knew this was my first time ever doing an interview.

With a deep grin he replied as we crossed the street, “Say Hi’s new record, The Wishes And The Glitch, was recently reviewed in Rolling Stone and Spin, among many other publications.  ’Sophisticated psyche-tinged indie rock … an eclectic collection of blissed out, bass and synth-heavy ruminations’ is what Rolling Stone had to say about it. Filter wrote about Model Photographer and mentioned the other two bands I’m in: The Reformation and Say Hi. So yeah, that was pretty cool. That’s the first time I’ve ever been talked about in such a big magazine.” He smiles with sincere and innocent charm.

We find our way to the Capitol Club and climb the stairs to the lounge, laid rich with Indian satin cushions and tiny candles all over the sand colored walls. Delicate tin lanterns threw intricate, beautiful patterns of light into the corners’ shadows. I ordered a glass of wine and began fiddling with my new Polaroid camera. “Be prepared. I am gonna use this, you know.” I looked at him all smiles. “So what’s on the horizon for you? You’re in three bands and they’re all going somewhere. You are obviously the common denominator. That’s a lot of balls up in the air. What if you had to choose?”

There was a pause in his reply. Ordering a Corona with a thoughtful look, he turned and answered with a deep vibrancy in his voice, “Wow. That’s a good question… I just take it one day at a time. Right now, I’ve got Say Hi’s tour which includes a performance at SXSW. We return to Seattle in April for a live performance on KEXP and the Sasquatch Festival. Model Photographer is doing well despite the fact that Alex Rose plays keys in Minus the Bear and I am on tour more and more often with Say Hi. Alex and I first began as “Bum Out Patrol” back in Albuquerque, NM. We would take turns singing and playing different instruments. After moving to Seattle we began playing together again with me on drums and Alex on guitar and vocals. Model Photographer was born. I’m very excited to be putting out a second album as The Reformation, however. Ultimately, expressing my thoughts and ideas through songwriting that I love best.”

We sipped our drinks and gazed around the room, looking out onto the balcony through the high glass windows where the city lights glimmered. The skyline majestic and dressed modern, we strolled outside and took in the cool night air, the starry city sky… I stood holding the Polaroid and said, “Stop. Stay there.”

He turned and looked at me smiling.
*FLASH!

“The first Polaroid. We clinked our glasses in a toast to celebrate the irony of the first picture taken on a newly bought camera that was sentenced to a life of extinction by Kodak less than a month ago. C’est la vie…

Westin looked at me smiling in earnest. “Touring. Let’s start by saying touring with Say Hi is very different than touring with The Reformation. Sometimes you have a few luxuries but yes, it can be very tough. Tough in all kinds of ways, including on romantic relationships…. but in the end, there is nothing I’d rather be doing than playing music. I can’t imagine what I would do with myself if I couldn’t play music all the time. I love it more than anything.”

I remembered suddenly, “Yes, actually one moment especially captures that spirit and dedication for me, which was last summer when you played as Revival Revival. You guys playing in the summer sun last year at the Cascade’s Block Party. Man, that was for real! The crowd was loving it! I was actually interviewed by the Seattle Times about the crime rate and homeless demographic in the neighborhood at one point and you were just having a ball with it all.”

“Yeah, that was great thank-you. What a day! Yeah, that was probably the best show Revival Revival ever gave. We just had so much fun playing the songs of Credence Clearwater Revival, it was purely a labor of love. We just had a great time performing throughout the summer of 2007 and gave our grand finale performance in September at the S.S. Marie Antoinette. It was a fun time.”

We took our second round of drinks and the Polaroid camera downstairs to the empty dining rooms. The exotic Indian décor and seductive lighting made the perfect backdrop for the photos… As the flash went off, we continued to chat between sips of wine and beer.

“Stand by that lantern…”

Find Westin at, www.myspace.com/reformationseattle

Written and photographed by January Fieldz

“Hops shortage you say? I had no idea. Really? Tell me more.” Sidetracked near the coat check, I stopped, captured in conversation by this idea. Talk of hops at a wine event? But why not mention her fair cousin, Beer? The young man leaned forward, pushing up his light gold frame glasses and said, “Crop damage actually. It’s hard to get at the moment and local breweries are going under. You can check it out online.” No way… the hop crop got creamed? That can only mean we’ll have to make more wine! Luckily, here we are at the “New Vintage” wine event put on by the Washington State Wine Commission in the very hip W Hotel in downtown Seattle. And by we, I mean Jeff Dorenbush, 22 year old business manager for Mutineer Magazine: easy on the eyes, quick on the trigger. And me? Standing fresh faced and fire-eyed at 6’3 in black patent leather heels, a silky new jet black dress and long black, wavy hair with bangs. Tonight, these hot pink lips are smiling because I, love love love wine…. and therefore find myself eclipsed into a hip, hedonistic wine lovers seventh Heaven. KEXP DJ Derek Mezzone is deejaying in a ballroom where swarms of twenty-thirty somethings dressed for cocktail hour buzz about. Scores of wine reps from Washington’s finest vineyards give samples of wine, walking freely and pouring liberally. Seattle’s best chefs and restaurants represent by passing one elegant appetizer creation of their making- works of art in every way. The wine… it was everywhere and tape recorder in hand, sip after sip after sip, I began to talk with everyone!

“So what do you guys think of the event so far?” I asked two girls, a blonde and brunette who were engaged in animated conversation. They turned to face me in slow motion, deer in headlights, open mouth smiling, wine glasses cocked out, one in each hand. I allayed their surprise by waving my rockin’ press badge. “See? I’m Danielle Gibeson, reporter for Mutineer Magazine. We’re doing a piece on this event. Actually, can we get your picture? With the wine.” The women snap to attention, all smiles. Jeff takes a few pictures which attract the attention of the wine reps. They circle like thirsty vultures and I, catching their eye bear into their souls with a look of such longing, I could have been crossing long miles of desert. Yet, I soon learn a mere eye flutter will fill my glass with wine. “Winthrop, Syrah”. How romantic. Can’t you just see the dusky mountain skyline? “Natural Slice Vineyards. Pinot Grigio.” One sip sends you into a golden summer, running through fields of wheat like a child. “Marysville winery, try the Merlot.” And we all just naturally laughed together, enjoying and talking about our wine. The brunette dressed in all white began to say, “It is really packed though. Last year the venue was better I think. It was bigger. It was at Qwest field last year.”

“Oh, really?” I had no idea what else to say because the idea of a wine event at Qwest field sounds vulgar and horrid to me and because this was my first real wine event of any scale. There must have been about 500 people moving around, drinking wine, dancing, eating out in the main ballroom, or lounging on the gigantic velvet chaises and furniture in a more quiet L-shaped room walled with dark glass which overlooked 4th Avenue.

The blonde chimed in, “Yeah, last year was not this crowded. But, the food is amazing.” On cue a waiter swings by carrying a tray of sashimi scallops covered in a miso vinaigrette, topped with wasabi aioli and presented on a sea shell. Absolutely exquisite!! We all gasp with appreciation and empty our glasses.

“Fantastic! Cheers to empty glasses! Time for more wine!”

Bingo! A tall wine rep in his mid-fifties wearing a dark flowered shirt and khakis appears almost instantaneously. Jeff moves around into position for the next shot and begins to focus on the camera on him. I push out my tape recorder towards his mouth and hit play.

“Tell me about your wine.”

All eyes on the rep, holding out a fanciful Hawaiian style labeled wine bottle. “My name is Phil Kline of Natural Slice Vineyards. I’ve had a 26 acre parcel of land my whole adult life but in 2002 I had a mid-life crisis and instead of buying a Harley, I got into the wine business. I have the highest elevation in Washington, situated in West Yakima. Snow just got off my land only last week. But, I don’t make the wine, I grow the grapes. I let someone who really knows what they’re doing to make the wine. But we make a very nice Riesling and Syrah. This is our Pinot Grigio.” He pours us all a glass. The wine is a sparkling pale gold and is very aromatic. Citrus and pear open with a light floral note. The taste is light and pleasing, subtle and sweet, enlivened with a spirit of good cheer, if not by the very sun itself! Just at that moment a woman with long red hair in a purple cocktail dress strode towards us with a look of intention. She stopped directly in front of Phil, “We heard you have good white wine. Would you come with me to our table over here? We need some good white.”

We all sung the wine’s praises and bid each other adieu with a final toast. I turned to Jeff, “Let’s eat. You have to try this stuff and we can take pictures of the chefs!” People hum around the edge of the room where Seattle’s up and coming chefs stand ready at tables, displaying their bounty. A French chef in a fedora dances around to the loud hip hop. His table is filled with miniature cups of peach mousse covered with a citrus gelee’. The centerpiece is a large ice sculpture of the letter D, also wearing a fedora. He speaks with a thick French accent, dancing from foot to foot as he presents the clear cuplet filled with pale fluffy crème. “Eat this… It is made from organic Washington summer peaches. It tastes like summer in winter. The citrus gelee’ adds an extra touch of summer with a light lemon zest to compliment the peach mousse.” The tiny spoonful nearly brings a tear to my eye. It tastes like innocence itself. Fresh, pure, simple… I was transported back to my childhood farm in Virginia where my grandmother and I had planted peach trees together. Endless baskets of peaches, heavy with sweet hot juice. We ran out of ways to eat them. The chef got a call on his cell and I was struck by how strange it was to see him and his red-lit ice sculpture wearing matching hats, side by side. I motioned for Jeff to get a picture, but the fleet footed Frenchman caught on and made a dash for the hall.

“Jeff, you have to try this. It’s amazing. Give me the camera.” Shaking off the nostalgia, I took the camera and danced in place to M.I.A. as Jeff tried the magical mousse. People were starting to loosen up. The laughter was louder. More single girls were showing up in pairs. The dance floor was a vortex of movement populated with silver pants and strapless dresses.

I detected a lack of wine in my glass. “So what does being a Washington Wine Ambassador actually mean?” Back at the tasting table — empty wine glass in one hand, tape recorder in the other — I held both out across the bar. The communications director for the Washington State Wine Commission was holding a bottle of local Syrah.

“It means you are basically learning and teaching everything you can about wine. You get to go on tours of all the local wineries and get to taste all the different wines. We sponsor and host lots of wine-focused events like this one and Taste of Seattle. Just promoting and enjoying wine culture.” She poured me a glass while I stood there stunned. Was this Heaven? Why have I never seen this world before?

“I want to be a Wine Ambassador! That sounds like fun!” The camera flash went off, mirroring the flashes of awestruck realization in my brain. This was a major discovery. This Washington wine world could be the next utopia. Walks down long rows of sun drenched grape vines on weekends spent touring beautiful countryside. Wine tasting mixed with city parties and elegant events showcasing the best bottles in the state?! I have reached the promise land!! DJ Mezzone was now reverberating the two story glass windows which showcased falling evening rain and high winds. My blood felt hot, happy, and whirling around. I prepared to interview more attendees, and crossing the lounge, I was stopped short for the third time by the same gentleman. He was slightly infatuated and persistent and I felt weird to be complimented so lavishly on the job and in front of Jeff. The conversation rounded the corner after I lied and said I had a boyfriend. That brought us to the topic of organic raspberries. Namely, he is a grower and gifted me a glass of his organic raspberry wine which was pure, sweet, and sunlit with Elysian Fields of organic raspberries…

Utopian, indeed.

-January Fieldz

http://www.mutineermagazine.com/blog/2008/03/the-new-world-of-the-new-vintage/

He continues after the room lets out unison sighs of relief or amused chuckles.

“Say we are at the Northwest Musician Appreciation club and we are here to elect a chairman. (scattered giggling) We use the old fashioned traditional run-off method like they use in unions. So we pass out a ballot, everyone gets a ballot. We write down our favorite and then we go have a drink, a bite to eat, chat a little bit. Now once they count ballots and if someone gets a majority of the votes, they win! If no one has a majority of the votes, we eliminate the last place candidate and pass out a second ballot. Ok. If your candidate is still in the race than you put him down as your first choice. But, if your first choice was eliminated, we’ll I’ve got to pick one of the four remaining candidates. So you put down your second choice. We count ’em again. If we have a majority winner we have a chairperson. If not, we pick up a ballot and do the same thing. You get it, right? We could go through three maybe four ballots. People are going, ’I didn’t plan on being here until 9:30pm!’. Ya’ know? We’re asking people to name their 2nd, 3rd, and 4th choices over and over again. Well we can do all this with one ballot. You can put down your 1st, 2nd, and 3rd choice and then we count them all up. If someone got a majority of votes, they won! If there is no majority, you eliminate the last place candidate and those votes just like the traditional way, you get those 2nd and 3rd choices and you distribute them to the remaining candidates evenly until someone gets a majority. It’s the same system. It’s in Robert’s Rule of Order which is what we use to conduct our business at our Musician’s Appreciation Association.”

Someone from the crowd asks why anyone would oppose this idea. What are the arguments against it? Rob Richie, Fair Vote’s Executive Director, answers first.”Why do people oppose it? Well, it speaks to people’s political survival instincts. People who are elected officials are uneasy about a system they were not elected under.”

Krist answers second, “There’s the geekwonkey non monotenicity anomaly- is that no election system is perfect. Say you’ve got a way right-winger, a left winger, and a moderate person- so you’ve got three choices. And all the people pick the left winger and the right winger so the moderate gets eliminated and those votes are distributed to the extremes. This never happens though. Usually, it works the other way. “

He continues with increasing animation, “You could be a jerk on a message board who really wants range voting, or the Condorcet method which are fine but alot of times the supporters of those systems are obsessive and they’ll follow like Rob or we’ll be on a message board or we’ll write something or we’ll appear in some newspaper and these people will do the same, in suspect and come and attack it. But, the thing is- we’re not attacking what they’re proposing. However, our proposals have been tested in Federal court. Our proposals have been used in the United States and theirs never have and its alot of work to get something on the ballot. And why would you want to take that risk on something that’s never been proven?”

I feel his passion more than his meaning- both have impact. IRV voting is a rebel cause championed by a rock ‘n roll revolutionary who truly believes in its pure democracy, fairness, and votes back into every American hand.

Rob cuts in with, “Like the governor of Vermont. Why we have to pressure the governor so much is because his political party has won several seats without a majority.”

“That’s a survival instinct!!!” Krist shouts with gusto. I can see him suppress the urge to punch the air.

Rob continues, “And he thinks that if this system was in its place he may have lost some of those seats and this may shock you- but, sometimes politicians consider those factors when evaluating electoral rule.”

Sneaky bastards. I wonder how you get this sort of thing in place? The speech concludes and we are all free to enjoy the lounge and complimentary wine bar. I turn with a spin on my heel to my coworker and frontman for local band Martian with, “Explain.”

Martin Link: “If your first choice doesn’t get picked then your second choice gets credit.”

“So it’s a process of elimination, basically.”

ML: “Yeah, basically. It costs less money. Look at the presidential elections, two democrats and one republican. What kind of choice is that? So like the Naders and more obscure people, you don’t vote for them because the vote is wasted. This is pure democracy. They use it in Europe and stuff and Pierce County.”

“How did they get it in Pierce County?”

ML: “They got it on the ballot and the voters voted for it. Eventually, they’ll have it on the King County ballot and then we’ll vote for it. I’ll vote for it.”

“How do you get it on the ballot?”

ML: “You have to rally support. Go ask Krist.”

I totter over to the other side of the room, never get used wearing heels and the wine doesn’t help. Here we go. Gotta know! “Hey, Krist how to you get ranks choice voting on the ballot?”

Krist Novoselic: “You get people’s signatures and petition to get it on the ballot. Elected officials can vote to have it on the ballot or it can be implemented by an elected official.”

“How did you get involved with Fair Vote?

KN: “Recognizing the barriers and reservations in our current system and not accepting it. Shake things up a bit. It’s about having more choices, putting power in the hands of the voters. It’s about fairness.”

“We can we do to help?”

KN: “Volunteer at an organization like Fair Vote www.fairvote.org. Get the word out. Talk about it. Talk to your statesman, congressman, city council. Write about it.”

-January Fieldz

Photography by Blush Photo

This is a story about love. It begins on the side of a mountain in Alaska with a 7 yr old boy named, Eric Howk. His dad knew one song on the guitar and his mom could strum a few chords and that was a good enough start for Eric who then taught himself how to play. Six bands later and at the age of 18, he’d done all he could do in Alaska. Radio play in Anchorage was hitting the roof in AK, and that had been done. When a good friend attending the Art Institute in Seattle, WA sent him a recording of live KEXP sessions; Eric’s world turned upside down. He moved to Seattle with a guitar and little else to begin answering ads which landed him a handful of unsatisfying gigs in jazz fusion bands. He got a job at the Levis store downtown and one day a new employee came on named Ben Clark. Ben, better known as Ben Lashes, invited Eric to join The Lashes and history was made. A deal with Columbia Records was struck, celebrity was had, and several years of non-stop touring later; Eric got a vacation and went back to Palmer, AK for a visit.

Visiting all of his old high school pals in Alaska got him thinking about what would have happened to him had he stayed. How would his life be different from the celebrity status he now enjoyed as one of the nation’s most beloved pop stars and rock guitarists? Most of his friends were already young parents, hard laborers, and still playing the same bars he had when he was 16. This was the inspiration that began Eric Howk and Palmer, AK: the perspective that he had never taken the risk to strike out on his own. And with that, he wrote his first two songs.

Eric’s sweet and sentimental lyrics are accompanied by his extraordinary guitar playing. Initial recordings first took place in his bedroom when he was strictly a solo act. Now he is joined by fellow Lashes members, Jacob Hoffman on back-up vocals/guitar and Nate Mooter on drums. Jacob’s girlfriend and Ghost Gallery art curator, Laura Kearney plays bass. Phil Peterson, a touring member of Nada Surf, songwriter and string composer in Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground, recording studio owner and producer of The House of Breaking Glass; plays electric cello and will be co-producing Palmer, AK’s premier album. You can also find Jacob and Laurie together in their indie-shoegaze band, Ships. Not to be left out in the cold with only one or two bands to star in, Nate Mooter heads up punk rock sensation Strong Killings along with The Lashes drummer Mike Loggins.

Eric’s songs continue to tell the story of a great love that always seems to be just out of reach. It is in his thoughtful longing and wistful reflections that draw the listener’s emotions in. His singing and songwriting are soft spoken and full of passion, hope, and an un-cloying possibility of a bright outcome. With so many talented and experienced musicians accompanying him, deny yourself their next performance and new album, only if you deserve to be punished! I don’t think I’ve ever missed one of his performances and never tire of them. When I asked when the next one will be, he says he plans to work on his new album this summer. “Records sound better when they are done in the summer.”

I join them at local vintage Capitol Hill clothier, Pretty Parlor for their July open house and artwalk. The sidewalk is thick with friends and stylish hipsters and the ease of a warm summer evening is in the air. The sun is falling in sheets of gold outside the plate glass window while inside, amongst pastel colored dresses and cowboy hats, Eric Howk and Palmer, AK are playing to an adoring crowd listening under strings of garden lights and parasols. The songs are soft and slow and Phil’s electric cello rides along the song of Eric’s voice and he’s singing about love. Because from start to finish, this is a story about a love for music so great, that it led one small boy from the Alaskan wilderness, all around the world and back, to the city of Seattle- where his mammoth sized heart beats out a love that lives on.

http://www.myspace.com/palmerak

written and photographed by January Fieldz

They met on a summer night last year in the hotel room of Young Love who was rolling through town on tour which was the same night Mark, Pearl, and I met each other! We all came out to meet our mutual friend Terrence Campbell, drummer for Young Love and a few days later, Champagne Champagne was born! I asked them each to give me an update what’s going on. Over lunch, Pearl tells me his solo rap, spoken word, and hip hop vocal stylings are on the back burner for now to let Champagne Champagne take center spotlight. He is looking forward to playing the Capitol Hill Block party at King Cobra, July 25th. He mentions the beginnings of a new project which would be a collaboration between himself with members of Strong Killings, The Lashes, Wild Orchid Children, Thomas Gray, and Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground.

Mark tells us what he’s up to, “At the moment I’m working on three main projects, Past Lives, Champagne Champagne, and a new band that doesn’t have a name yet. I’ll start with Champagne Champagne. I used to play in a band called The Blood Brothers and toured non-stop for many years. That made it really hard for me to try other projects with people outside of the five dudes I saw daily. So while on tour I would bring drum machines, samplers and recording devices to keep my creative side busy. After a few years I started to acquire a large amount of songs. When The Blood Brothers broke up last year, it was only natural to unleash the music I’ve been stock-piling. I tried a few different MC’s over the beats but nothing really worked out. Coming from a world 100% different from the hip hop world I really had no idea were to look. One day I was hanging out with my out of town friend (Terri from Young Love) and we were talking about what I was trying to do musically. He mentioned that he had a buddy named Pearl and that he was coming to hang that night. Pearl and I met, talked about what I was trying to do and scheduled a day to meet up and track a song. At the time my favorite beat I had was Soda and Pop Rocks so I put it on for him to try some stuff on. After a few takes we completed the track and it was fire. Ever since then we have been writing music and it just works.”

Curious about their first inspirations to begin play music and how life in Seattle has influenced their sound, I popped the question. Pearl credits his hyperactivity as a kid and dancing around to Michael Jackson (didn’t we all? J) for getting his creative juices flowing early on. Growing up in South Seattle, Pearl says he was exposed to the hardcore beats of San Francisco rap from Funk Daddy, a legendary Seattle producer. He cites Quincy Jones and Jimi Hendrix for illustrating the struggle of a black artist in the city. Sometimes you have to leave your home city to get respect which is exactly what Pearl did after his west coast tour with Spank Rock and Young Love in ’06. With the opportunity to record on the east coast, Pearl took up Terri’s offer to live in NYC. Following was a stay in Philadelphia to produce songs with popular Philly DJ Brendan Bringham.

Mark taught himself guitar after he and his family moved to a new neighborhood when he was in the 5th grade. “The transition between schools wasn’t that good for me. I hated my new school. I started to teach my self how to play. I feel like I was really lucky to grow up in the Seattle area (well the east-side). We have this place called the Redmond Firehouse that let’s bands come and show there shit. We were just a group of 14 year old kids that made noise. They still gave us a show and let us grow. After a few years of learning our instruments we started to make good music. The fire house always had its door open to us and I don’t think that music would be such a huge part of my life if they didn’t give me the option to explore it. I would have just been another kid that played guitar in junior high and then gave it up. It’s great to see that the old fire house is still doing what they do for the next generation of Seattle musicians.”

Champagne Champagne host a free monthly night at McLeod Residence every 4th Friday called PHIZZ!!! “It is a house party for the people!!!” says Pearl enthusiastically.

Mark adds, “Bodies were flying around, shirts were off, dancing was had. It was fun! We have a big projection screen behind the dj set up. It’s fun to play movies that most people know and can laugh at with out sound. Shit like Lost Boys & Goonies. We have a full bar and Dewar’s specials all night. All of the bands play on floor so the crowd just surrounds them and the room just pulses together. It’s fucking awesome. Everyone is a part of the performance. Check it out for the self.”

Champagne Champagne released their first limited edition EP on Go Midnight Records, Friday, June 13th with a full album release later on this summer. Their sounds will go straight to your head!!

http://www.myspace.com/champagnechampagne

Written and photographed by January Fieldz