O.K. So I can breathe a sigh of relief. Finally got through to a wonderfully knowledgeable technician who authorized me to do expressly what the machine’s instruction manual said to NOT do which is blow compressed air into the machine.

It’s something I so badly wanted to do (not because I’m some tech wiz, but more because of that gnawing urge to pick at a scab for relief. Uncharacteristically for me, I resisted, not wanting to really screw anything up.

Turns out sensor was blocked. Yes I promise to take the machine in ASAP to get it properly cleaned. Sorry for the freak out y’all.

Thank you Lisa for lending me your machine and thank you Leslie for your offer as well!

I could never stay mad at you...

I hate to say it, but due to technical difficulties flag production has come screeching to a halt. Problems with my machine (that my I have been paying off for 2 years with two more to go!) have caught up with me. Its glimmering LCD screen is giving me an incurable error message.

Next steps,

1) Get it serviced.
I’m trying, however that is a process that is unfortunately held up as well. The one service professional in the region (50 miles away) has been receiving a series of surgeries and may be back to work next week… then again maybe not. So it may be at least a week before I even know if this is a quick fix or if I need to say goodbye to my machine for who knows how long.

2) Use a different machine. Even if it doesn’t embroider, I can still sew.
I tried. My spare isn’t working either.

3) Ask for help.
OK here it goes.

Two ways you can help White Flags stay on track.

1) Does anyone in the Charlottesville area have a sewing machine in good working condition I could use temporarily? If so I am more than happy to pick it up.

2) Amongst the institutions that I have solicited help from has been the manufacturer of my sewing/embroidery machine. I spoke to a very polite representative of the company, whom, although compelled by the project, wasn’t convinced that they should support the work. She did say however that equipment was much easier to procure than funds. While equipment didn’t seem that important at the time. I now realize that having a backup system to ensure continuous (and even simultaneous production in the case of embroidery) is something I really could use. So if you want to help you could contact the company’s representative on behalf of White Flags to suggest that they support the project by donating the necessary equipment.

If you are interested in doing this, please let me know and I will send you their contact phone and email.

I’d be eternally grateful. Otherwise stay tuned to find out how much fabric I can pre-wash and cut to keep things moving forward towards the 9/11/11 deadline.

So it turns out that two weeks is just about my cut-off before I go bonkers if I don’t make something with my hands. After a little holiday travel, and trying to get this new website to a respectable state (which I’m not saying it is yet). I just need to get back to sewing. It really is my grounding for this project. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing like pitching your project out in the world for exhibitions space and financial support and getting no response to elevate one’s mood. But that aromatic mixture of steam and spray starch is something I’ve come to love as I do the smell of sawdust or turpentine. And it’s been two weeks too many spent on other things. I need my fix. So I’m picking some flags for this month. And I’m looking for suggestions. As always a mix of easy medium and a couple of difficult ones will keep me on quota.

I’m finishing up Venezuela, Tajikistan, and Slovenia from last month, but I’m now thinking of a little Kyrgystan…

Photo of writing on Charlottesville's Free Speech Wall

I took this picture the other day at the Free Speech Wall on Charlottesville’s Downtown Mall. The wall is a public treasure. It is one big outdoor chalkboard (chalk included!) For ANYONE to write whatever they want for all to see. Revolutionary, I think, in our over sanitized world.

It was sponsored by the Thomas Jefferson Center for the protection of Free Expression and designed by friend and mentor Rob Winstead and Pete O’Shea. Without the wall I don’t hink I could have found the courage to ever stand out in public with my flags. It was a public space where I knew I had permission to speak.

This particular note caught my eye as it really is the reason I’m making white flags. To remind people that we are all one. My wife Dahlia gave the key note address at the wall’s inauguration. It’s a great reminder that in addition to being free to speak our minds, we need to remember to actually listen to what others  have to say, lest we become more divided from each other.

While this is the dream i have, it’s not the dream I had last night in which I was trying to make photocopies on a rather large photocopy machine. As the machine got going it began lurching back and forth. then spinning round the room ultimately wrapping me in its cords. I think it’s the result of wrestling with all this technology to try to get this project out in into the world. It’s the difficult dichotomy of both having to make the flags and desperately wanting to make the flags, and all the effort that is necessary to try to get them out into the world so that they fulfill their purpose.

That being said, this blog post is also a test to see if I can sync these posts with the project’s Facebook page, in an effort to join these two forums into one. Wish me luck!

Charlottesville’s downtown mall must have at least 10 storefronts that have been vacant for over 12 months. Perhaps a peace and or art loving landlord would be willing to let me occupy one of these spaces, por gratis, on a month-to-month basis.

With a home on the mall the flags could become a more integral part of the Charlottesville community. During the day they could extend outdoors, drawing in passers by and potential volunteers for the project. At night the storefront could contain dramatically back-lit flags.
This sketch is of the old A&N building where the Obama headquarters resided. I can just imagine the roof lined with flags dancing in the wind.

OK people, what am I missing here? Massive liability issues? What? Just how does someone who gets things done get something like this done??? Anyone want to help make this happen?