This July, following the fall of Srebrenica and Zepa, Camille Schenkel of "Schenkel Consulting", put together a SAFE HAVEN RELIEF, with an irony hidden in the name aimed to slightly criticize the activity of the U.N. in the region. In times when Republicans in foreign policy focus on the U.N. and its obsolescence, this agenda quickly grabbed attention of Freedom House, one of the oldest human rights organizations in the U.S., predominantly conservative and republican (despite that FH mostly handles freedom of expression issues, and this is a refugees issue). FH endorsed SHR and gave them its 501c3 non-profit tax- exempt status. Accordingly, AmeriCares will most probably be used to transport supplies bought by raised funds to Sarajevo.
Now, one wouldn't expect bands like Chris Whitley and Biohazard playing at such an event. Well, they were not expected by the public either, who stoically remained seated praying to God for the electricity cut-off. Which did not happen. Bands, which volunteered for the event, unfazed by the absence of slam dancing and stage diving marvelously completed their performances, and i did not know did I enjoy more that those 15 dollars that everybody paid would go to Bosnia, or that a bunch of yuppies actually paid 15 bucks to be tortured by two hours of old-school hard-core punk music.
Camille is a great person with an incredible talent to schmooze well with both Evin from Biohazard and the Freedom House likes. My friend and me taped the thing for Sarajevo TV.
Henry Rollins dissed Camille with a lame excuse that he does not want to perform with other bands (just a hint to the Bosnian consulate).
The evening was darkened just by my other friend saying that his rock band in Croatia was destroyed after their female lead vocalist was forbidden to perform with them by her husband (a big Croatian rock star in whose band she was a background noise girl) following their marriage, and she actually obeyed. Here, this must sound unbelievable. Can you imagine Kurt Cobain tell such thing to Courtney? He wouldn't live long enough to commit suicide. Heh, on the other hand, did you read what Tom Grant (formerly Courtney's private eye, obviously underpaid) wrote? He thinks she arranged the suicide. Maybe Kurt didn't want her to sing after all.
Today O.J. was aquitted and I was adjourned. Immigration judge postponed my hearing again giving me more time to find a lawyer. She says that it is to my advantage. I do not disagree. Delaying of deportation is always to deportee's advantage. And lawyers are above justice, anyway. But they cost money. And I ain't a football star. I am completely sure that Johnny Cochran would be able to prove that I am an American Indian from the long lost tribe of Croatan, and then arguing about the genocide the white Americans did to Native Americans, he'd embarass INS deep enough so that they'd beg me to stay, but I have no budget for that.