Cambridge is becoming more gentrified and more demographically polar because of real estate costs. A lot of people bemoan the number of chain stores in Harvard Square and now increasing in Central Square. I live in Inman Square, which is essentially the last outpost of the old-fashioned, peace, love and granola, anything goes, hippie liberal leftist past of the city.

Strolling through Inman today, I was charged by the poster series under the “YO! WHAT HAPPENED TO PEACE?” exhibit eminating from the Zeitgeist Gallery. Throughout Inman, the bars and shops are hanging posters as a “dissent walking tour.”

Fucking AWESOME. These are fucking fucked up times, where every turn reminds you to watch what you say, while zoning free speech seems like a defensible idea. Ask me about watching what you say, mother fuckers, ‘cuz these be strange days indeed.

Anyway, seeing some grass roots shit tweaking the establishment raises endorphins almost as much as the big O or the little death, depending on your metaphor.

And, smack dab in the fringes of it all, I’ll be doing my thang, at a fund-raiser political thing — Democratic National Comedy at the Cantab Lounge Central Square, Cambridge, MA on Monday night, July 26, 2004 at 8 p.m. and working three weekends non-stop on rehearsals and filming of a comedy short “Bush Focus Group.”

I am almost psyched to not have to worry about the 9-5 daytime world while history is shifting and being made in my own backyard.