August 2022
Vol. 2, Issue 8
What’s Up With Me?
Got lots of fun projects in the works.
One story I’m having a lot of fun with is about Slowjamastan, the world’s newest micronation. Turns out anyone can declare their own independent, sovereign micronation, and hundreds have around the world. They’re not recognized by macronations, of course, but that’s not the point. It’s a growing community of people—some who take it more seriously than others—who are very dedicated to the idea. Slowjamastan is an actual plot of land in the desert, just over 11 acres located southwest of the Salton Sea, ruled over with an iron fist by Sultan Randy “R Dub!” Williams, a radio DJ from San Diego who spins, of course, slow jams. Anyone can apply to become a citizen and even purchase an actual passport or buy and name a state. There are laws, too: you must eat string cheese by pulling strings off; no feet allowed on a car’s dash; and, most importantly, no wearing crocs. The nation’s official language is English with GFA (General Foreign Accent). Slowjamastan also has a Ministry of Communication that has very effectively gotten the word out about the world’s newest micronation through social media and the press. The country has an actual border gate, a flagpole, a presidential desk (the first one got stolen within a month), a payphone, and signs around the border that warn of landmines and not to feed the national animal, the raccoon. It is ready made for Instagram, but it is part of a much larger movement that has been around for a long time. I was assigned by Alta Journal to cover MicroCon 2022 in Las Vegas, a conference dedicated to micronationalism where eccentric diplomats—many dressed to the nines in the regalia of kings, presidents, dictators, chancellors, emperors, barons, and other heads of state—gather to hear presentations on various aspects of micronationalism, learn about each others’ countries, and present awards to each other, like a Model UN for adult hobbyists. Each micronation’s display features coins, banknotes, flags, stamps, and medals and offered trinkets for attendees such as pins, passport stamps, and even branded condoms. Stay tuned for my full report.
We took a trip back to Paradise Springs, one of our favorite places on Earth. It’s amazing what the French glamping company Huttopia has done with it. The camp has a fascinating history. It was a debaucherous resort for A-list celebrities and elites during Hollywood’s Golden Age of the 1920s and 30s. Folks like Charlie Chaplin (who hand-built a staircase in a cabin that still stands today) and Gloria Swanson partied it up, brewed illegal hooch during Prohibition, and raised millions of trout in ponds that Huttopia is now restoring. In the second half of the 20th century, it was a Christian camp, in stark contrast to its racy past. Now it’s a family-friendly glamping site that is a must-see. Read my LAist and Pasadena Now stories about Paradise Springs (which I’m turning into a full book), and learn about booking a stay on Huttopia’s site.
Watch the latest episode of Pasadena Media's award-winning TV talk show, “NewsRap Local with Justin Chapman,” featuring an interview with Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo. We talk about John Kennedy's legacy, the process to appoint his successor on the City Council, the 710 stub, the new city manager and pending police chief, and much more, including breaking news on the USS Pasadena. Read more about the show in Pasadena Now.
Thank you as always to the Pasadena Media Foundation for their support.
Stories to Keep an Eye On:
International: Putin has ordered a dramatic increase of the Russian army. He’s digging in for a long haul in Ukraine. Perhaps he doesn’t want it to end. Perhaps he can’t let it end. There are hardliners in Russia who think Putin is being too soft on Ukraine and holding back from an all-out siege of Kyiv. Strange to think of Putin as a moderating force, but just like one side of American politics has become completely radicalized, that’s what’s happening in Russia, too.
National: This Mar-a-Lago FBI search blows my mind. What the hell was Trump thinking bringing hundreds of the United States’ most secret and sensitive documents to his home/overpriced club? The redacted affidavit released today makes clear that he had these documents and he had several off-ramps to give these documents back and stubbornly refused to do so, basically daring the Justice Department to come after him. And boy, did they ever. Hard to see how he doesn’t get indicted at this point, but I’m sure his looming 2024 campaign announcement will complicate matters (imagine if that man gets back into office after all this—talk about a scorched earth policy). The government should have moved a lot faster than it did. The affidavit also shows that there were a “significant number of civilian witnesses” and some of the documents had Trump’s personal handwriting on them. This is a legitimate espionage investigation of a former president. Just think what Republicans would say and do if Clinton or Obama or Biden did what Trump did here.
California: The petition to recall George Gascón failed to qualify enough signatures. First he was elected, next the recall failed. It’s safe to say the voters have spoken.
Local: Pasadena’s got a new city manager, Miguel Márquez, as of Monday. He’s got an impressive resume: he served as the Chief Operating Officer of Santa Clara County which has an annual operating budget in excess of $11 billion; as an associate justice of the California Sixth District Court of Appeal, the first Latino justice to be confirmed in that district; as the county counsel for Santa Clara County; as the general counsel of the San Francisco Unified School District; as deputy city attorney in the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office; and as deputy county counsel in San Mateo County. My advice for him in this new, important role: be collaborative, inclusive, and accessible; listen to the residents of Pasadena; consider all points of view; and be responsive to the local press.
Great Reads
Here are some recommendations for great books I’ve read recently:
Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama—Bob Odenkirk
Bob Odenkirk is a national treasure. If you didn’t watch the final season of “Better Call Saul,” our last trip to the “Breaking Bad” universe, do yourself a favor and get with the program. One of the best shows on television, and a big reason why is Bob. His new book talks about his long and storied career, from early comedy clubs to writing for SNL (including the famous Chris Farley sketch about the inspirational speaker who lives in a van down by the river) to “Mr. Show” to his many other projects before he switched gears and tried drama on for size with “Breaking Bad” and its spinoff “Better Call Saul.” Phenomenal actor and show and book.
Assignment Russia: Becoming a Foreign Correspondent in the Crucible of the Cold War—Marvin Kalb
I can’t get enough of the Cold War. This book focuses on the author’s time reporting for CBS in the late 50s and early 60s, when he was one of the first to understand and reveal the Sino-Soviet split. It was universally assumed that China and Russia were strong and forever allies, dedicated to international communism. But the two actually never got along and real cracks in the relationship broke out into open hostility around this time. Russia wanted China to recognize them as the leader of the global communist movement, and China thought Russia was becoming too bourgeois. Their interests clashed over Southeast Asia and other regions, and they each “saw the world through the prism of their own national interests rather than a commitment to global communism.” China, which plays the looong game, won that particular battle; they’re still around as a communist (in name, anyway) superpower.
Spotlight on My Past Stories
With the sad passing of Pasadena City Council member John J. Kennedy, I’d like to highlight my stories about his successful effort to get Pasadena to establish a Sister City relationship with a city on the continent of Africa: Dakar-Plateau, Senegal. He played a key role before and after this process.
And read all of my journalism here.