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Frank Chu (born 24 March 1960) is one of San Francisco’s best-known eccentrics. His street protests against US Presidents, corporations, and a distinctive concept he calls the '12 Galaxies' have been held in San Francisco and nearby locales since at least 1995. Chu has been compared to Joshua A. Norton, an earlier famous San Francisco eccentric. Image File history File links Circle-question. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... is the 83rd day of the year (84th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 83rd day of the year (84th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... Frank Chu, a San Francisco-area street protester Street protesting is a form of individual public demonstration, more prevalent in larger cities. ... The presidential seal is a well-known symbol of the presidency. ... Corporate redirects here. ... Joshua Abraham Norton ( 1819[2] – January 8, 1880), also known as His Imperial Majesty Emperor Norton I, was a celebrated citizen of San Francisco, California who, in 1859, proclaimed himself Emperor of these United States[3] and later Protector of Mexico.[4] Born of Jewish origin in London, England, Norton...

Chu lives in Oakland, California and commutes daily to San Francisco where he can find the largest audience of passers-by and television news crews with whom to share his thoughts. He supports himself through a combination of state aid, sign sponsorships and small donations from his supporters. This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ...

Before his protests

Little is known about Chu's life before he started protesting. An old resume of his states that he has worked as a truck driver and holds an associate’s degree in Business Administration.^[1] An associate degree is an academic degree awarded by community colleges, junior colleges, business colleges and some bachelors degree-granting colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study usually lasting two years. ...

In early 1985, Chu, then 24 years old, took 11 members of his family hostage in his home in Oakland and was reported to have been beating some with his fists. Chu fired a .38 pistol at one police officer who came to investigate, but missed. Police cordoned off a ten-block area for three hours. Chu eventually released his hostages and surrendered to the police.^[2] He says that he was acting in self-defense.^{[citation needed]} Year 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar). ...

Performance/Protest technique

Frank Chu being interviewed by a CBS reporter during Bay to Breakers 2006

Frank Chu protests daily, or nearly daily, typically walking throughout the daytime hours in downtown San Francisco (particularly along Market Street and Montgomery Street^[3]) holding one of his signs, and occasionally supplementing this with spoken remarks on similar themes. He is also known to protest elsewhere, for instance in downtown Oakland and at the University of California, Berkeley campus. Image File history File links Interchu. ... Image File history File links Interchu. ... The Bay to Breakers is an annual footrace which takes place in San Francisco, California. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... Market Street in downtown San Francisco. ... A statue on Montgomery Street in the heart of the Financial District commemorates the United States annexing San Francisco and California from Mexico during the Mexican-American war in 1848. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Sather tower (the Campanile) looking out over the San Francisco Bay and Mount Tamalpais. ...

Chu will deviate from his usual rounds in the pursuit of a larger audience, and he is frequently seen at street fairs and protests. Although he claims to be a Republican himself,^[1] he seems equally at home at protest demonstrations representing all shades of political opinion. Occasionally, people who oppose a protest group will single out Chu as an example of the protest group's incoherent message, not realizing that he is not protesting on the same terms as the other protesters in the group.^[4]

Although the form of Chu's actions is that of a picket-sign-carrying protester, it is misunderstood if interpreted merely as a protest or picket. He sometimes refers to “a live performance of my protest” rather than simply “my protest.”^[5]

Chu also likes to appear in the news media, and will try to position himself in view of television news cameras and to offer himself to be interviewed. He pays close attention to the local news media scene and keeps tabs on where he has received good coverage. He will depart from his usual parade ground to attend media-magnet events, for instance the Scott Peterson trial^[6] or the BALCO grand jury hearings^[7] or the court case deciding on the timing of the California recall election.^[8] Scott Lee Peterson (born 24 October 1972) is a former fertilizer salesman convicted of the murder of his pregnant wife, Laci Peterson, and unborn son Conner Peterson. ... The Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative (BALCO) is a controversial sports nutrition center in Burlingame, California, USA. The company achieved fame due to a long investigation in accusations that the lab provided anabolic steroids and other banned performance enhancing drugs to athletes, many famous. ... Arnold Schwarzenegger, winner of the 2003 California recall The 2003 California recall was a special election permitted under California law. ...

World view and interests

Frank Chu holds Bill Clinton responsible for directing the CIA to withhold payment to him for being the star of something called "The Richest Family" during the presidency of George H.W. Bush. His protests frequently called for the impeachment of Clinton even after Clinton was no longer in office. Bill Clinton and various other US presidents are frequently accused by Chu of cooperating with the 12 Galaxies to commit crimes and treasons. Chu is strongly interested in television reporters and newscasters, who will bring him the publicity he requires to inform the world of the injustices committed against him. He hopes that this wave of publicity will cause a public outcry, which will result in the impeachment of various US presidents and the awarding of "$20 billions" in compensation for the damages he and his family have suffered. Another source says: William Jefferson Bill Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III[1] on August 19, 1946) was the 42nd President of the United States, serving from 1993 to 2001. ... The CIA Seal The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is an American intelligence agency, responsible for obtaining and analyzing information about foreign governments, corporations, and individuals, and reporting such information to the various branches of the U.S. Government. ... Superstar is a term used to refer to a celebrity who has great popular appeal and is widely-known, prominent or successful in some field. ... Order: 41st President Vice President: Dan Quayle Term of office: January 20, 1989 – January 20, 1993 Preceded by: Ronald Reagan Succeeded by: Bill Clinton Date of birth: June 12, 1924 Place of birth: Milton, Massachusetts First Lady: Barbara Pierce Bush Political party: Republican George Herbert Walker Bush, KBE (born... Depiction of the impeachment trial of Andrew Johnson, then President of the United States, in 1868. ...

Frank Chu performing at the 12 Galaxies bar in San Francisco

The 12 Galaxies bar in San Francisco is named in honor of Chu’s cause. Its bartenders have standing orders to give Chu free Budweiser whenever he drops by.^{[citation needed]} Chu has occasionally performed spoken-word on-stage at the 12 Galaxies — his performances have a similar theme to his signs, with riffs off of the twelve galaxies theme and the seemingly abstract use of syllable combinations for poetic effect; to this he adds the use of a percussive “ah” syllable at irregular intervals between words, superficially similar to the “uh” pause seen in ordinary conversation but with a more constant tone and duration and a less-conversationally-natural placement. The KGB emblem and motto: The sword and the shield KGB (transliteration of КГБ) is the Russian-language abbreviation for Committee for State Security, (Russian: ; Komitet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti). ... Extra-sensory perception (ESP) is defined in parapsychology as the ability to aquire information by paranormal means. ... Image File history File links ChuDrHal_s. ... Image File history File links ChuDrHal_s. ... Budweiser, sometimes referred to as Bud, is a global pale lager brand owned by the St. ...

In the summer of 2002 Chu sued the Gold Dust Bar in small claims court in San Francisco, claiming that the Gold Dust had failed to provide him with complimentary drinks as they had on previous occasions.^{[citation needed]} The lawsuit was dismissed, and although Chuck the bartender bears Chu no ill will, he has permanently banned him from the Gold Dust to discourage future lawsuits. Chu has said that he enjoys the lawsuit process.

Artistic lineage

Frank Chu’s variety of performance art is nearly unique, but not entirely without precedent. Daniel Pratt (1809–1887), “The Great American Traveler,” wandered incessantly, lecturing about “The Four Kingdoms” and “The Solar System,” obsessing about U.S. presidents and complaining about being deprived of his fairly-won fame by the powers-that-be. He was characterized by his incoherent speech and his made-up words, sometimes formed by what appeared to be squishing other words together haphazardly or with a method known only to him. He was widely thought to be insane, but was humored and honored in a tongue-in-cheek fashion by young wiseacres. This biographical article needs to be wikified. ... Year 1809 (MDCCCIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar). ... 1887 (MDCCCLXXXVII) is a common year starting on Saturday (click on link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. ... In psychiatry, thought disorder or formal thought disorder is a term used to describe a symptom of psychotic mental illness. ... A neologism (Greek νεολογισμός [neologismos], from νέος [neos] new + λόγος [logos] word, speech, discourse + suffix -ισμός [-ismos] -ism) is a word, term, or phrase which has been recently created (coined) — often to apply to new concepts, to synthesize pre-existing concepts, or to make older terminology sound more contemporary. ...

Chu’s eccentricities are also reminicent of San Francisco icon Emperor Norton. Like Norton, Chu is embraced by the city, and he dines and drinks for free at various city establishments. Joshua A. Norton Joshua Abraham Norton (January 17, 1811 - January 8, 1880), also known as His Imperial Majesty Emperor Norton I, was a celebrated citizen of San Francisco who famously proclaimed himself Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico in 1859. ...

Mental health

Frank Chu’s perception and interpretation of the world and his eccentric behavior resemble those of people who have been diagnosed with schizophrenia. One news report from 1985 quoted a police lieutenant as saying that Chu had a history of mental problems and had been prescribed medication.^[2] His speech and writing manifest several subtypes of formal thought disorder including his distinctive neologisms. In psychiatry, thought disorder or formal thought disorder is a term used to describe a pattern of disordered language use that is presumed to reflect disordered thinking. ... In psychiatry, thought disorder or formal thought disorder is a term used to describe a symptom of psychotic mental illness. ... A neologism (Greek νεολογισμός [neologismos], from νέος [neos] new + λόγος [logos] word, speech, discourse + suffix -ισμός [-ismos] -ism) is a word, term, or phrase which has been recently created (coined) — often to apply to new concepts, to synthesize pre-existing concepts, or to make older terminology sound more contemporary. ...

Though he has been known to raise his voice at times, Chu respects personal boundaries and most social customs, and is always happy to share his views and answer polite questions. His personality fluctuates in response to changes in his environment and the people around him. Some theorize that Chu has an “in character” persona that he moves in and out of depending on the nature of the audience. Others theorize that his delirium or psychosis increases with exposure to hostility or isolation, and improves greatly with friendly nonthreatening contact. Some testimonials regarding his demeanor:^{[citation needed]} This article is about the mental state and medical condition. ... Psychosis is a generic psychiatric term for a mental state often described as involving a loss of contact with reality. Stedmans Medical Dictionary defines psychosis as a severe mental disorder, with or without organic damage, characterized by derangement of personality and loss of contact with reality and causing deterioration...

A reporter noted: Major league affiliations National League (1883–present) West Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers NY, NY, 3, 4, 11, 24, 27, 30, 36, 42, 44 Name San Francisco Giants (1958–present) New York Giants (1885-1957) New York Gothams (1883-1885) Ballpark AT&T Park (2000–present) a. ...

Chu at the 2004 Independence Day messenger barbecue

Chu is also a regular at San Francisco Bike Messenger Association events, usually in the form of barbecues and parties, and maintains a social relationship with a few bike messengers who live in the East Bay. At such functions he, although quiet at most times, behaves as anyone would expect a sane person to. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 519 pixelsFull resolution (1677 × 1088 pixel, file size: 301 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Frank Chu at Marx Meadows, Golden Gate Park, July 3, 2004, attending the Independents Day independent messenger company (Docket Rocket, Theresas Messenger, Zoom... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 519 pixelsFull resolution (1677 × 1088 pixel, file size: 301 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Frank Chu at Marx Meadows, Golden Gate Park, July 3, 2004, attending the Independents Day independent messenger company (Docket Rocket, Theresas Messenger, Zoom... shelby was here 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... In the United States, Independence Day (commonly known as the “Fourth of July,” “July Fourth”, the “Glorious Fourth”, or simply the “Fourth”) is a federal holiday commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. ...

Physical Health

Chu occasionally walks with a limp, commonly attributed to his strenuous protesting schedule which requires him to walk many miles every day. Supportive friends occasionally buy him new shoes when his current pair seems beyond repair, and one local shoe store gave him a new pair of shoes as part of a promotion (Size: 7½–8 US).

On 14 April 2001 the San Francisco Cacophony Society awarded Chu a pair of shoes, a certificate and a small honorarium as part of a “Frank Chu Day” ceremony honoring him. April 14 is the 104th day of the year (105th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 261 days remaining. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... The Cacophony Society is “a randomly gathered network of free spirits united in the pursuit of experiences beyond the pale of mainstream society. ...

Sign sponsorships

Chu has been sponsored by the likes of Barbary Coast Consulting, Adidas, Learn iT!, Quiznos Sub, Rasputin Music, Chris Daly’s 2006 San Francisco Supervisor campaign[11], and Phil Angelides’s 2006 California gubernatorial campaign^[13] — typically through ad-space purchased on the back of his signs.^[14] As of May, 2005, his going rate was $100 (U.S.) per week.^[15] Adidas AG (ISIN: DE0005003404) is a major German sports apparel manufacturer, part of the Adidas Group, consisting of Reebok sportswear company, Taylormade golf company, Maxfli golf balls, and Adidas golf and is the second largest sportswear manufacturer in the world. ... Quiznos Sub is a fast-food sandwich franchise that specializes in toasted submarine sandwiches. ... Rasputin Music is a chain of new and used CD, DVD, LP and video stores. ... Supervisor Chris Daly - An editor has expressed a concern that the subject of the article does not satisfy the notability guideline or one of the following guidelines for inclusion on Wikipedia: Biographies, Books, Companies, Fiction, Music, Neologisms, Numbers, Web content, or several proposals for new guidelines. ... California State Treasurer Phil Angelides Philip Nicholas Phil Angelides (IPA: æn. ...

Sign texts

Chu’s black signs with fluorescent, all-caps lettering are instantly recognizable even by those who know nothing else about him. His signs change from day to day, and tend to go through syntactically-similar phases, with the phrase “12 Galaxies” being his trademark and a constant presence in the signs. (Though in June, 2007, Chu broke from this tradition and started replacing this with “85 Galaxies”[12], “130 Galaxies”[13], “800 Galaxies”[14], or even “1000 Galaxies”[15]! He was spotted on 7/18/2007 with “50,000 Galaxies” on his sign.)

The earliest of the photos of Chu’s signs show his “classic” phase, in which the signs typically read “IMPEACH [figure] 12 Galaxies Guiltied to a [modifier] Rocket Society”, where [figure] was typically a living-or-dead former U.S. president, and [modifier] was something along the lines of “Zegnatronic”, “Omegalogical”, etc. The very earliest examples are handwritten, for instance:

• Impeach / Clinton / 12 Galaxies / Guiltied to a / Dectrological / Rocket Society[16] (another early handwritten version)

Later versions are professionally-printed, for instance:

• Impeach / Clinton / 12 Galaxies / Guiltied to a / Zegnatronic / Rocket Society[17]

Chu began to use adhesive letter stickers to modify frequently-changing elements on his signs. Examples:

• Impeach / Jefferson / 12 Galaxies / Guiltied to a / Omegalogical / Exortations[18]
• Impeach / Van Buren / 12 Galaxies / Guiltied to a / Omegalogical / Theoretical analysis[19]

He then extended this technique to modifying other sign elements, occasionally attaching the letters beyond the sign's original dimensions, while also moving from the classic text schema to a more varied set including phrases like “Grand Theft Against the Universe” and “Perverted Treasons” and heading the sign not with the demand for impeachment of a public figure but with a short set of letters, for instance:

• BRINST / 12 Galaxies / Betatronic Universal / Perverted Treasons / Against them ruling / Dectronic / Neutron Specu[lations][20]

This began to settle to a more consistent pattern, in which the “12 Galaxies” phrase was followed by a two-word partially-neologistic phrase, a partially-neologistic commentary on the news media, and then an ending phrase. Examples:

• WELCH / 12 Galaxies / Bretrokenitol persecutions / KGO: Textrochenical coverage / Faxkonutikel / Anabolic Contemptuous / Fibrillations[21]
• ALMA / 12 Galaxies / Triogonic scandal / PBS News Hour: Billionaire / Dectrogonic / Skeptical / Preemptive miscreants[22]

A more recent version of this sign phase begins the sign with a pre-printed name instead of a short collection of letters, and mostly abandons the use of adhesive letters. Examples:

• Bridgepointe / 12 Galaxies / Murotunikel repercussions / KBHK: Xaskutanekol / Psokitenucol / Cumbersome Contentious / Emulations[23]
• Massachusetts / 12 Galaxies / Quintronic criminals / Time Magazine: Star / Hextrotronic / Oscillating / Ebullient inoculations[24]
• Gephardt / 12 Galaxies / Quoklochiticil detrimentations / KICU: Dichukitechal coverage / Ulkukatichol / Exchatological contemplated / Agnostics[25]
• Cameron / 12 Galaxies / Kotsdrodenikel emanations / TASS: Gutsprosenical coverage / Phixgrostrenikul / Embellishments Consolations / Apologetics[26]
• Farber / 12 Galaxies / Humanoid Martians / CNN: Zotrorhotikul Coverage / Phoxrozenical / Intergalatial Rocket / Vacations

One version included the names of three medications and one category of medications, which could easily be misidentified as Chu-isms at first glance: “terfenadine”, “carbamazepine”, “sertraline”, and “tricyclics”: Terfenadine is an antihistamine formerly used for the treatment of allergic conditions. ... Carbamazepine (sold under the brand-names Biston, Calepsin, Carbatrol, Epitol, Equetro, Finlepsin, Sirtal, Stazepine, Tegretol, Telesmin, Timonil, sometimes abbreviated CBZ) is an anticonvulsant and mood stabilizing drug, used primarily in the treatment of epilepsy and bipolar disorder. ... Zoloft bottles, with blue and green tablets Sertraline hydrochloride (also sold under brand names Zoloft, Lustral, Apo-Sertral, Asentra, Gladem, Serlift, Stimuloton, Xydep, Serlain, Concorz) is an antidepressant of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) class. ... Chemical structure of the tricyclic antidepressant amitriptyline Tricyclic antidepressants are a class of antidepressant drugs first used in the 1950s. ...

• Kayser / 12 Galaxies / Stetrobenigul sertralines / TASS: Detrorunical coverage / Cutrogrenikel / Terfenadine Tricyclic / Carbamazepine[27]

Another version[28] used a different set of Chu-ism-like technical medical terms:

• Mickelson / 12 Galaxies / Thredrukenical cosmologicals / SHO: Ruxnegunical coverage / Voxnechutical / Deoxyribose brachytherapy / Prostatectomy(s)

Deoxyribose Deoxyribose, also known as D-Deoxyribose and 2-deoxyribose, is an aldopentose — a monosaccharide containing five carbon atoms, and including an aldehyde functional group. ... Brachytherapy for prostate cancer is administered using seeds, small radioactive rods implanted directly into the tumour. ... A Prostatectomy is the surgical removal of all or part of the prostate gland. ...

Awards

Frank Chu has received the following awards:

• 2001 “San Francisco Cacophony Society Certificate of Appreciation”, San Francisco Cacophony Society
• 2000 “Best Protestor” San Francisco Bay Guardian “Best Of The Bay”
• He is also known for holding the longest protest in the history of the United States.

The Cacophony Society is “a randomly gathered network of free spirits united in the pursuit of experiences beyond the pale of mainstream society. ... // The San Francisco Bay Guardian (also known as the SF Bay Guardian, Bay Guardian, and the Guardian) is a free alternative newspaper published weekly in San Francisco, California. ...

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b} Chu, Frank Resume undated[1]
2. ^ ^{a b} “Police Subdue Man Menacing His Family” San Francisco Chronicle 29 January 1985, p. 6
3. ^ Vigil, D. “A Frank Chu F.A.Q.” San Francisco Chronicle 6 February 2005, p. 17[2]
4. ^ “Four Minutes with Frank Chu: San Francisco, 15 March 2003” brain terminal 21 March 2003[3]
5. ^ “Behind Closed Doors in Washington” Starve.Org undated[4]
6. ^ Hay, Tim “T-shirts cause buzz outside Redwood City courthouse” Oakland Tribune 5 October 2004. p. 1
7. ^ Padecky, Bob “Bonds Part of Grand Jury Freak Show” The Press Democrat Santa Rosa, Calif.: 5 December 2003. p. C1
8. ^ Hubler, Shawn “The Recall Campaign: Outside a Sedate Courtroom, Scripted Chaos on the Street; In what has become a routine spectacle, candidates, advocates and oddballs compete for the media’s attention in San Francisco” Los Angeles Times 23 September 2003. p. A20
9. ^ Pearson, Timothy — account of interview given in email September 28, 2000[5]
10. ^ email to not publicly archived mailing list, 2 December 2002
11. ^ “SeenyaRita” commenting on Flickr, August 2005[6]
12. ^ Kamps, Garrett “Frank Chu: the man, the myth, the ‘Experience.’” San Francisco Weekly 17 November 2004[7]
13. ^ “Governor Votes, Angelides Gets Last-Minute Endorsement” Political Muscle (Los Angeles Times blog) 7 November 2006 [8]
14. ^ “Zegnatronic protester rockets toward profits” San Francisco Business Times August 24, 2001[9]; see also Reed, Dan “S.F.’s perpetual protester subs for capitalist” San Jose Mercury News 26 September 2001
15. ^ Amor “Chu-bot report” 11 May 2005[10]

See also

• Emperor Norton
• Bumvertising
• David Bradbury Haning

Joshua A. Norton Joshua Abraham Norton (January 17, 1811 - January 8, 1880), also known as His Imperial Majesty Emperor Norton I, was a celebrated citizen of San Francisco who famously proclaimed himself Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico in 1859. ... Bumvertising is a trademarked name for a form of informal employment in which a homeless person is paid to display advertising. ...

External links

• Short Documentary About Frank Chu — “Lunch Inside the 12 Galaxies”
• Behind Closed Doors in Washington: Starve.Org Interviews Frank Chu
• Frank Chu’s resume
• 12 Galaxies, a San Francisco nightclub named in honor of Frank Chu
• Flickr: Frank Chu
• N&UR Video Podcast No. 9: Frank Chu
• Video Interview with Frank Chu 09/05
• Video Interview with Frank Chu (4 mins)
• link — a WIPO domain name dispute concerning the “zegnatronic.com” domain
• Ratliff, Evan “Defender of the 12 Galaxies: Life as the city’s most dedicated protestor” 7x7 Magazine January, 2002
• “12 Things You Probably Don’t Know About Frank Chu” Telstar Logistics 4 December 2006
• Video of Frank Chu performing at the 12 Galaxies nightclub
• Frank Chu view from Google Maps Street View