The Secret Life of Clowns

11/01/2024

This can be our country next week.

In the next four days, do everything you can to everyone you know, and many you don’t know, to VOTE.

11/01/2024

VOTE!

INVITE YOUR FRIENDS TO VOTE!!

INVITE TOTAL STRANGERS TO VOTE!!!

10/27/2024

On March 24, 1945, a teen-aged infantryman stationed in Germany received his copy of the U.S. War Department’s pamphlet “Army Talks.”*

“You are away from home, separated from your families…and risking your very lives because of a thing called fascism…It is important for our future and that of the world that as many of us as possible understand...fascism in order to combat it."

"[Fascism] is government by the few and for the few. The objective is seizure and control of the economic, political, social, and cultural life of the state…The people run democratic governments, but fascist governments run the people.”

The pamphlet went on to list three core tools of fascism:
1) Pit religious, racial, and economic groups against one another to break down national unity [including] a “well-planned hate campaign against minority races, religions, and other groups.”
2) Replace international cooperation with a “perverted sort of ultra-nationalism which tells their people that they are the only people in the world who count.”
3) Insist that “the world has but two choices—either fascism or communism, and they label as ‘communists’ everyone who refuses to support them.”

That soldier was my father. He suffered PTSD from fighting against fascism, which contributed to his death 20 years later.

This would be a good week to do what you can to strengthen a government run by people.



*Heather Cox Richardson’s “Letters from an American”

10/25/2024

It was Citizen Day for me today-- phone banked with my union this morning (and will again next week), then went over the ballot with my wife, and finally voted!!

Thank you all for helping me sort out the CA State Propositions; here's how I ended up voted on them:

Prop 2 YES
Prop 3 YES
Prop 4 YES
Prop 5 YES
Prop 6 YES
Prop 32 YES
Prop 33 YES
Prop 34 NO
Prop 35 YES
Prop 36 NO

10/23/2024

Rent Control helps communities survive and thrive - it has certainly helped me - so I will always vote for Rent Control unless there are very compelling arguments against.

But a trusted friend warned me that Prop 33 is an anti-rent control measure in disguise, which is an unfortunately often used tactic.

Is this true?

HELP!

"Prop 33 expands local governments’ authority to enact rent control on residential property. It repeals Costa-Hawkins rental housing act of 1995, which currently prohibits local ordinances limiting initial residential rental rates for new tenants or rent increases for existing tenants in certain residential properties."

Supporters: CA Nurses Assoc.; CA Alliance for Retired Americans; Mental Health Advocacy; Coalition for Economic Survival; TenantsTogether

Opponents: California Council for Affordable Housing; Women Veterans Alliance; California Chamber of Commerce

10/23/2024

Thank you for your help on Prop 32! I'm leaning “Yes” for a minimum wage increase, even though it might strain small non-profits I support.

Now I’m struggling with Prop 35, which “provides permanent funding for medi-cal health care services.”

What could be wrong with that? Medi-cal has helped me and my family, and many people I know, but, amazingly, two organizations I trust are on different sides of Prop 35!

HELP!

Here are their arguments:

Jodi Hicks, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California:
"It’s important to ensure that Californians have access to health care which is exactly what [Prop 35] will help ensure. This measure will help Planned Parenthood health centers, and other community health centers…Funding for Medi-Cal is critical for the millions of Californians who rely on the program for essential reproductive health care."

League of Women Voters of California: “Prop 35 is a well-meaning but misguided effort to try to provide more and steady funding for Medi-Cal and potentially improve reimbursement rates for medical providers. Prop 35 would…require the tax proceeds to be used to support only Medi-Cal and other health programs – making that money unavailable for other priorities and making it difficult to respond to future changes to Medi-Cal that might be mandated by the federal government."

10/22/2024

OK, I got stuck on Prop 32, which raises the minimum wage in California.

This seems like an obvious "Yes" to me for many reasons, including my grandfather who started out out delivering groceries, I assume for a minimum wage. But he ended up running Raz Delivery, which meant he then had to make payroll every week.

I was about to click "yes" but then I saw that there are NO SUPPORTERS listed.

What am I missing here?

HELP!

"Raises minimum wage as follows: For employers with 26 or more employees, to $17 immediately, $18 on January 1, 2025. For employers with 25 or fewer employees, to $17 on January 1, 2025, $18 on January 1, 2026.
Supporters: None submitted
Opponents: California Chamber of Commerce; California Restaurant Association; California Grocers Association"

10/22/2024

If you're like me, your desire to be an engaged citizen is sometimes in direct conflict with getting down to reviewing the ballot and doing all the research.

So, this week I will be going over my virtual sample ballot on two platforms - vote.org and ballotpedia (recommended by Citizen Joy core team member John Boyer) and posting questions I have about candidates and propositions. Mine is an Alameda, CA ballot.

Of course, I'm looking for answers and opinions; I'm also hoping that you will post some of your questions from your ballots, wherever they are.

Voting is, by long tradition, solitary and secretive, but preparing to vote can be communal and even fun!

https://www.vote.org/ballot-information/
https://ballotpedia.org/Sample_Ballot_Lookup

Review the candidates and issues on your local ballot. When you're ready, send your ballot selections via email as a guide to take with you to the polls!

10/16/2024

Friends who have read or are reading "An International Circus Affair," would you please take a couple of minutes rate and review the book on Amazon. Thom Wall, our editor, says early reviews/ratings help a lot in the long run. He also says a picture or yourself with the book makes it even better. Thank you!

Here's a picture of Lu Yi giving Ori some tips when he was supposed to be answering our questions about his life. Yes, he was also showing off.

10/14/2024

Come celebrate the launch of An International Circus Affair with a book reading/book signing at the famed Club Fugazi!

3:30pm on Saturday, October 19th

You can just walk right into the club at 3:30 or you can catch the 2pm matinee of Dear San Francisco, a show that is featured in the book, and stay for the reading.

Three of the authors -- Jeff Raz, Ori Quesada and Devin Holt - will talk about the history of the Nanjing/San Francisco circus connection, read from the book and take questions from the audience.

10/05/2024

I’ve got a lot of neighbors to love.

10/04/2024

Everyone wants the power to make their life better.

At this moment, voting is that power.

Anyone can use this QR code to register to vote, a sometimes daunting proposition, in 5 minutes.

You can also check your registration and request a vote-by-mail ballot.

Share this QR code with everyone you know, especially young folks who may be voting for the first time and who have a huge stake in the future of our country. Also ex-pats, since this election with affect the entire world, not just the U.S.

10/02/2024

An International Circus Affair: How a Nanjing Acrobat in San Francisco Changed American Circus Forever is now available as an e-book and in paperback!

We’ve moved the official launch up to Saturday, October 19th 3:30pm at Club Fugazi.

Writing this book was well out of my comfort zone, which was the subject of an interview with Maria Angelova for Authority Magazine that just dropped.

https://medium.com/authority-magazine/jeff-raz-on-how-to-go-beyond-your-comfort-zone-to-grow-both-personally-and-professionally-4ea8e97d83fb

An International Circus Affair: how a Nanjing acrobat in San Francisco changed American circus forever

10/01/2024

And we're live!

You can order An International Circus Affair now as an e-book and as a physical book.

Enjoy!

https://amzn.to/3Y2gpbo

An International Circus Affair

09/29/2024

Join me at a fundraiser for the legendary Prescott Circus Theatre on October 2 in Berkeley.

2024 Sunday Variety Fundraiser   An afternoon of variety entertainment to support Prescott Circus’ free school and community based programs. Storytelling, circus, music and more with local artists and stars of the Prescott Circus Theatre. Hosted by storyteller, author, and writer, Brother Ben, wi...

09/26/2024

I LOVE THIS!!

My union sisters and brothers, the Broadway cast of Hamilton, singing some joy and truth into this coming election.

Listen, enjoy, vote!

To make it easy, here's a one-stop site to register, check your registration and get vote-by-mail.

https://citizenjoy.org/vote/

Here comes the general… election! The Election of 2024 is fast approaching, and your voice matters now more than ever.Your vote isn't just a right—it's a res...

09/22/2024

Did I mention that I love my neighbors?

09/17/2024

As of this morning, you can pre-order an e-book of "An International Circus Affair"!!

Now is a great to time order -- you'll get your e-book by the end of the month and you'll help us get good momentum going into the start of paperback sales on the 30th.

And you are all invited to our Bay Area launch at Club Fugazi on October 27.

www.modernvaudevillepress.com/nanjing

An International Circus Affair: how a Nanjing acrobat in San Francisco changed American circus forever