DMX <3s Obama

In late January 2008, XXL Magazine conducted an interview with former rapper- now soon-to-be gospel star, DMX. Ya, the same DMX who uses pitbulls as props in his photoshoots and videos and has twice been tied to animal neglect.
XXL asked him about Barrack Obama and this was just too fuckin funny not to post:

XXL: Are you following the presidential race?
DMX: Not at all.

XXL: You’re not? You know there’s a Black guy running, Barack Obama and then there’s Hillary Clinton.
DMX: His name is Barack?!

XXL: Barack Obama, yeah.
DMX: Barack?!

XXL: Barack.
DMX: What the fuck is a Barack?! Barack Obama. Where he from, Africa?

XXL: Yeah, his dad is from Kenya.
DMX: Barack Obama?

XXL: Yeah.
DMX: What the fuck?! That ain’t no fuckin’ name, yo. That ain’t that nigga’s name. You can’t be serious. Barack Obama. Get the fuck outta here.

XXL: You’re telling me you haven’t heard about him before.
DMX: I ain’t really paying much attention.

XXL: I mean, it’s pretty big if a Black…
DMX: Wow, Barack! The nigga’s name is Barack. Barack? Nigga named Barack Obama. What the fuck, man?! Is he serious? That ain’t his fuckin’ name. Ima tell this nigga when I see him, “Stop that bullshit. Stop that bullshit” [laughs] “That ain’t your fuckin’ name.” Your momma ain’t name you no damn Barack.

XXL: So you’re not following the race. You can’t vote right?
DMX: Nope.

XXL: Is that why you’re not following it?
DMX: No, because it’s just—it doesn’t matter. They’re gonna do what they’re gonna do. It doesn’t really make a difference. These are the last years.

To his credit, DMX did then go on about how the president doesn't actually control everything- much to the confusion of the liberal interviewer.

Children Of Men TV show

Children Of Men is one of my favorite films. Now it might be a TV show.

The Children Of Men TV pilot will follow the novel closer than the film.
"it's about how, when you don't have a responsibility to the next generation and you're free to do whatever you want, where do you draw the line?""
It will question how society defines responsibility, freedom and a sense of values when it doesn't necessarily believe humans will survive as a species.

Trek: 1st look

Working For The Weekend

My life recently took a turn that could be seen as an examination of the effects of work. I don’t mean to sound overly grandiose about me simply getting a real job but what I am trying to write about is what I have felt over the past 2 weeks.

Some background: I had been in the same laidback office for 8 years. The low workflow and the casual attitude allowed for me to not only pursue personal interests online while at the office but certainly didn’t require much post-work decompression.
I now find myself in a situation that I think most workers find themselves. While at work, I am focused on the job (-no surprise there). After work requires a rushed attempt at relaxation. I have to squeeze any actitivy in the time allowed before rushing to get the rest required to be able to take on another day at the office. It isolates me from my social group(s) and my peers. I also find myself watching more TV as an act that requires no thought.

"Everyone's watching, to see what you will do
Everyone's looking at you
Everyone's wondering, will you come out tonight
Everyone's trying to get it right"
-Loverboy

I feel like I never leave work… and I don’t.

"if we recognize the emptiness of leisure activities and the impossibility of rest- we can pose the question more realistically: What would not be wasted time?"

The Situationists were clear on how the 8hr work day and/or the weekend saved capitalism. They are a facade of relief valves. They present us with what is supposed to be free time belonging to ourselves. This free time is spent relaxing or, more accurately- getting ready for the next workday. So even when we are off, we are just getting ready for work and that certainly is not time belonging to us. It is time belonging to work.

"The use of everyday life, in the sense of a consumption of lived time, is governed by the reign of scarcity: scarcity of free time and scarcity of possible uses of this free time."
-Debord

I'd rather elect his pastor

"The African-centered point of view does not assume superiority, nor does it assume separatism. It assumes Africans speaking for themselves as subjects in history, not objects in history."

"people of color had not gone away, faded into the woodwork or just 'disappeared' as the Great White West went on its merry way of ignoring Black concerns."

"We supported Zionism shamelessly while ignoring the Palestinians and branding anybody who spoke out against it as being anti-Semitic."

"The government gives them the drugs, builds bigger prisons, passes a three-strike law and then wants us to sing 'God Bless America.' No, no, no, God damn America, that's in the Bible for killing innocent people...God damn America for treating our citizens as less than human. God damn America for as long as she acts like she is God and she is supreme"

Portraits Of Past reunion!

In the 1990's before the term "screamo" was coined and before "emo" took on the awful connotations it has today, the enclave of Half Moon Bay brought the world of punk Portraits Of Past.

Portraits Of Past were massively influential over the past decade's bands that play fast music with high pitched emotional screams. POP sorta morphed into Vue and its members went on to play in Funeral Diner and Bellavista. Their discography is coming soon via Ebullition.
And now they announce their reunion!

The band consisting of Rex, Rob, Matthew, Jeremy, and Jonah have already met up and confirmed they plan to play 4 shows in late summer. One at 924 Gilman St. in Berkeley, one at Bottom Of The Hill in SF, one in NYC, and another somewhere in the Midwest.

Portraits Of Past consist of some seriously nice and genuine dudes and I am excited to see how all this turns out.


(thanx Grimace)

Dru Hill reunion...

... and break up.
HILARIOUS

Bloodclot: "Meat Is For Pussies"

Check out what John "Bloodclot" Joseph says about eating meat and being tough.

(Ya, ya, I take issue with some of his terms but I think he is definitely targeting a demographic that needs it... and it is Bloodclot!)


(thanx Mel & Jenny)

16March08: Baader Brains

Since more people visit my blog regarding Baader Brains than anything else (except maybe Casey Watson), I want to let everyone know:
Sunday, 16 March 2008
@ 924 Gilman St. Berkeley, CA

Baader Brains is playing!

(Hopefully, I will come back with some cool Baader Brains content.)

Gaza: EMERGENCY!

Yesterday, I was talking with a friend of mine who identifies as a secular Jew. He felt I was "anti-semitic." When I asked him how he figured, he pointed to my raging hatred of anything having to do with IDF/Israel.
When faced with the deeds of Israel, I don't know how anyone can not be filled with rage.
_____

Gaza's humanitarian situation is at its worst since Israel occupied the territory in 1967!

Israel's blockade on Gaza is illegal collective punishment which fails to deliver security.
The blockade has dramatically worsened levels of poverty and unemployment, and has led to deterioration in education and health services.
More than 80% of population rely on humanitarian aid.
Unemployment is about 40%.
No running water for 25-30% of Gazans.


Last week Israeli forces launched a bloody and destructive raid in northern Gaza, in which more than 120 Palestinians - including many civilians - were killed.
_____

HELP!
Donate to help the people of Gaza:
United Nations Relief and Works Agency
Al Awda (specify GAZA EMERGENCY FUND)
Middle East Children's Alliance

NY Military Recruiter Hit

A US military recruitment center in Times Square New York was hit by an "improvised bomb" this morning.

I could say more but it would probably come under the scrutiny of the JTTF Secret Police.

Anarchy #65

Anarchy: A Journal of Desire Armed is pretty much what it sounds like; a journal regarding anarchy.

Some of the parties involved with the journal, I have a decent amount of respect for. However, the journal seems to be ridden with armchair critiques intent on splintering the feeble excuse for resistance that exists in the USA or in anarchist circles period. As if attaining a pure and solid ideology (and, of course, those post-Leftists would reject the term) is prerequisite to any praxis.

This entry is NOT intended to be a full critique of Anarchy or anarchy. This entry is to address an editorial featured in Anarchy #65. I have not read the editorial but based on Anarchy's own synopsis, it is obvious that this journal sits comfortably in their privilege:

Anti-Imperialism: Yet Another Statist Ideology" by Lawrence Jarach

No anarchist would be in favor of imperialism (or sexism, or racism, or fascism) of course, but declaring oneself to be an Anti-Imperialist still means one of two things (and perhaps an overlap of the two). On the one hand it is an empty and passive opinion, requiring no particular strategy or action, and needing no explanation. On the other hand, it doesn’t just mean that one is against imperialism; it specifies a particular way to fight against imperialism—that is Anti-Imperialism. It still means taking sides in disputes between parties vying for government control (either trying to keep it or trying to overthrow it).

"It still means taking sides in disputes"

haha
Of course it does! Any true radical (especially in imperialist USA) sees how crucial it is to 'take sides' in disputes over resources that we benefit from. It is our obligation to aid those fighting against empire. It is not our role to dictate as some great White burden the manner in which these parties struggle against empire.

Your semantics on the politics of true struggle mean nothing to those who are struggling. Continue spoiling any (White) anarchy movement(s) in your libraries, book clubs, and potlucks.

Jeffrey "Free" Luers: Sentence Reduced!

In February 2007, Luers was sentenced to 22 years 8 months by Judge Lyle Velure for burning 3 trucks as an act of environmental awareness raising. This action hurt no one, caused only $28,000 in damages and the cars were later resold!

Following his original sentence, Amnesty International and the Eugene Human Rights Commission (EHRC) issued letters of support citing that the sentence appeared to be politically motivated.
This support and awareness directly influenced the Lane County Circuit Court to declare the original sentencing "illegal."
Luers sentence was then reduced to 10 years.

We shouldn't stop until all political prisoners are free!


(thanx Dustin)

Made In Sheffield

I watch A LOT of documentaries.
I always struggle with whether or not to write them up on here. I don't want to necessarily recap the films and am not always sure if anyone cares. However, I have vowed to mention all documentaries I watch and feel are worth you (whoever you are) checking out.
_____

Made In Sheffield: The Birth Of Electronic Pop

The title kinda says it all. This documentary chronicles the post-punk rise of what would become electronic pop music (aka New Wave?) from Sheffield, England. In that era, there was a strong rejection of traditional rock music structure and instruments.
It was very interesting to see/hear the artsy "avant guard" beginnings of groups like The Human League, Cabaret Voltaire, Heaven17, and ABC. These bands I viewed as good but simple pop acts in the mid 80's had more in common with groups that I love like I Am Spoonbender.
The film also features commentary from Mr. Jarvis Cocker and where can you go wrong with him?!

3 Essentials

Go Away White

it is here...

"Go Away White" the new Bauhaus album!
It was recorded over 18 days in 2006 and will officially be released on 4March, 2008. Due to an unspecified "incident", Bauhaus is, again, no more and will not tour.