Friday, October 31, 2008

Ben Edge On Music 3


Ian MacKaye & Ben Edge

Halloween/Samhain related:
Ben Edge once drove me past an aging punk rockers house in LA. The house overrun with shrubbery, his black car, and a pile of bricks. Recently Ben helped me decide which albums of this rocker's, who we will call D****g, are worth listening to. However, Ben also explained his hesitance of criticizing D****g by name online.
"I'd be afraid to put anything D****g related on a music blog. D****g is very litigious. Back in the Napster days of '00, my computer got a virus, and it was traced back to a D****g track I downloaded. Could be a coincidence, but I can totally imagine D****g intentionally putting those viruses into the songs himself. "Teach them to fuck with the Dark Lord!""
_____


T. Rex- "Electric Warrior" (because I know Ben loves Marc Bolan and T. Rex)
"You better believe I own this puppy.
Electric Warrior is T. Rex's second best album. The best T. Rex album is Slider, which came out a year later."

_____


Better Than A Thousand:
"I saw that band many times in the summers of '97 and '98. I saw them play three nights in a row, and Cappo made the same speeches between the same songs, and did the same yoga poses during the same instrumental breaks (not making that up).
That band has not aged well at all. A lot of it has to do with finding out how much of a ego maniac cheeseball Cappo is, and a lot of it has to do with the music just not being that great.
They recorded the music for a third album, it sat around for a few years, and then Tim McMahon (Mouthpiece, Hands Tied, Triple Threat, Double Cross Webzine) laid down vocals, and it became a band called Face The Enemy. That record is way better than the Better Than A Thousand ones. So, maybe it had a lot to do with Cappo afterall."

_____


T.S.O.L.- "Dance With Me"
"One of the best albums ever made. I love everything about this record. It's definitely in my top 10, not that I've created a top 10 list yet, but there's no way this doesn't make the cut.
Between the aggro surf beat, the chorusy guitar, and Jack's vocals (a punk singer who actually knows how to sing?), there's no weak point throughout."

____


Television - "Marquee Moon"
"I've got it. The first half is great, and the other half is boring, and I'm not the only one who feels this way. Both guitarists are playing lead a lot of the time, so the guitar work sounds all intertwined. These dudes know their music theory.
Tom Verlaine (the main one) even writes out a lesson every month in either Guitar World or Guitar Player (I can never tell those two mags apart). It's funny, because he's wedged between Dave Mustaine and some hair metal casualties in there.
They were the first "punk" band to ever play CBGB's, which is interesting because they don't sound punk at all. But in those days, anything that didn't sound like it could be played on the radio got lumped in with punk I suppose. Now that they actually play punk on the radio, what would "punk" sound like now by those standards?"

______


Mott The Hoople - "All the Young Dudes" [Boxset]
"I've been listening to these guys a lot lately. They broke up in '72, and Bowie told them that they couldn't break up, because he loved them, so he produced their next record (just like how the singer of the Cars saved the Bad Brains). Bowie wrote "All The Young Dudes", which is their best song. Kind of sad if you think about it, but they have a lot of good ones of their own. My other two favorites are "Sucker" (on All The Young Dudes LP) and "Whizz Kid" (on the LP called Mott)."
_____


Deerhoof:
"People jock this band a lot because said people are fucking weak.

During the summers, starting about two summers ago, the Los Angeles Museum of Natural History holds concerts inside the museum on Saturday nights, next to the life-sized diaramas of stuffed ground sloths and elephants and shit. It's a totally cool atmosphere, but the acoustics suck. I went to a Autolux/Deerhoof show there in '07, because even though Autolux has a hipster/model/actress/actor fanbase, I like some of their jams. The room was so packed by the time they played, that they didn't let us in, but we got in the museum, so we walked around, looking at bird teeth and shit while Todd Tyler got all excited and scientific on us. By the time Deerhoof played, they let us in. We were all bored, and the band sucked.
I attribute the existence of bullshit like Deerhoof, Blonde Redhead, and Butter 08 to the direct influence of Yoko Ono. She was into addressing abstract ideas like love and peace and happiness the way a toddler would, and also making those dreadful sounds with her voice.
There's a real kindergarten "play with your food" vibe to Deerhoof, as there is with one of my all time most hated bands, Fiery Furnaces."

_____

Neurosis:
"I can't hang with this band at all. This is probably the most loved band that just goes right over my head. Okay, Slayer is the winner, Neurosis is #2."
_____

Sam McPheeters/Born Against/Men's Recovery Project:
"Everyone has been sucking the dicks of Born Against since they dressed up like bunny rabbits and put out mediocre records so many centuries ago.
The best thing that ever came out of Born Against was a band that existed BEFORE Born Against, called Life's Blood. I think it was the guitarist.

I was there for the Pickle Patch "show." If I had a time machine....
They (Men's Recovery Project) showed up, sat in their van, and when it was time to play, they walked into the Pickle Patch wearing t-shirts over their faces that had images of other peoples' faces on them. Some of them weren't wearing pants or underwear. Straight up dicks hanging out. They had big, brown paper bags full of mashed up food, and they kept repeating, "Our food is digested food" over and over again, and throwing the food on the carpet. They marched back into their van and drove off, fast. And that was that. Brett Bazilko (a resident of the Pickle Patch at that time), stood by the door and said, "That was lame." It sure was.
If I had a time machine, I'd slash all four of their tires, so that when they tried to make their getaway, they'd be fucked. Or better yet, pull shit out from under the hood of the van, so it didn't even start. Can you imagine how embarrassing that would be for them? They'd be turning the key, sweating, and then, "Does anyone have triple A?" MAN that would be sweet.

Sam is damn right when he says Born Against were no Articles of Faith. Not even close! Boy, he sure hated Refused. I don't know what he was talking about when he said Dennis seems like someone with serious problems. I hung out with Dennis on a golf course with Sam Velde and Aoki during the INC days (are they still around?), and he seemed like a totally nice, enthusiastic, well-adjusted individual to me.
I think he's SOOOO wrong when he says hardcore stopped being innovative after 1986. There was a great period in the late 80s and early 90s of bands totally being innovative (Born Against not being one of them). Verbal Assault, Absolution, Burn, later Turning Point, Inside Out, Moss Icon, Statue, Fugazi, Pitchfork, Gorilla Biscuits, Reason To Believe, Lifetime. All those bands were doing cool things within hardcore that were never imagined pre-'87. Especially Burn. And as much as I HAAAATE what I call "random core" (bands like Dillinger Escape Plan, Botch, and the like), IF you were to consider those bands hardcore, they certainly were blazing their own trail musically. So those bands were doing shit in the late 90s / early 00s that were never thought up before. Party of Helicopters goes so far into left field, that I wouldn't call them hardcore, but they are a good example of a band that disproves the popular notion that "it's all
been done before."

To each his own. I liked Sam's short stories. I'm glad he's finally doing something creatively that I can appreciate."

_____


SPLIT BEAVER s/t 7"
"This shit rules! I've never heard of these guys. I'm all about obscure heavy metal, as long as it's not of the thrash, death, black, speed, or grind varietals."
_____


The Kinks - 'Muswell Hillbillies'
"This album is too low-key and country sounding for my tastes. It is by far, my old roommate's favorite Kinks album, and he's been a Kinks fan way longer than me."
_____


Hammerfall - 'Masterpieces' (cover album)
"Ouch. Is "We're Gonna Take It" a typo, or is it their own twist on the Twisted Sister classic?
"Man on The Silver Mountain" is in a Coors commercial.
Priest and Riot are tight.
How can you cover Yngwie Malmsteen with a straight face?"

_____


Tom Gabel - 'Heart Burns EP'
"It took me a second, but I figured out that this is the dude from Against Me, a band I tried to get into, but couldn't, and then was eventually glad I couldn't, when a bunch of kooks got into them (the same kooks that made it uncool to listen to Hot Water Music).
Here's what I hate about this music: it reeks of adjectives like ernest, heartfelt, sincere, and serious, when in real life, no one is like this. Against Me are the leaders of what I call "Bruce Springsteen Punk", which is a sucky new genre. But don't get me wrong - I like a lot of Springsteen's music, I just don't like what these punk bands have done with it.
I don't buy into the self-congratulatory vibe of this folk punk shit. It is entirely possible to fuse folk and punk and come up with something good (Violent Femmes anyone?), but this is doody. There are bands like this all over the country now. I think the granddaddies of it all are Avail, who have some tight jams on their earlier albums, but they haven't aged too well. The first song on 4AM Friday is still phenomenal though."

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Bill Ayers and an era

Gary Leupp wrote an excellent piece regarding MccCain/Palin's bringing up Bill Ayers and what it really means.

While John McCain was killing civilians in a bullshit imperialist war, Bill Ayers was acting to aid the positive change that made it possible for a Black man to even run for president. An era that McCain, especially Palin, and Republicans in general seek to undo!

Palin has been explicitly vague on Ayers' supposed terrorism other than to say he blew up buildings and killed people. He was not convicted of any crimes and he did not cause any casualties. She is vague precisely to let your imagination wander and play with the term "terrorist" present tense.

Defend Bill Ayers!

Hell, by the current US definitions of torture, McCain wasn't even tortured in Vietnam.

btw Gun Show

After approximately 15lbs, 5 years of insecurity, and countless Clif Builders Bars, I reached the initial goal I set for myself of 15'' biceps.
Yep, 15'' pythons.
Congrats to myself.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Ljungberg: Smart Move


A smarter move and smarter purchase than... ah, I don't even wanna mention the other guy.

ANTM: dumb...dumber

America's Next Top Model continues to address the issue of racism in a manner that makes viewers stupider just from watching it.

"Bottom line is we all come from some sort of background. Whether we have been repressed, whether we have been racially criticized. Stop putting it on being European. Grow out of it. Come out the shell."

"I don't have time to worry about immigration!"

BE SURE TO CLICK ON THE QUOTES FOR ESSENTIAL AUDIO

too funny not to post.
Thank you FourFour

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Government fears Twitter

US Army intelligence thinks the messaging software could be used as an effective tool for coordinating attacks against the government.

They even give scenarios of how Twitter could work in such ways.
"Extremist and terrorist use of Twitter could evolve over time to reflect tactics that are already evolving in use by hacktivists and activists for surveillance," the intelligence report said. "This could theoretically be combined with targeting."
Apparently, the US government is afraid of Twitter's use by "socialists, human rights groups, communists, vegetarians, anarchists, religious communities, atheists, political enthusiasts, hacktivists".
____

Maybe I am just old or maybe it is because I do not use a mobile device but Twitter always seemed like a waste of time to me.
I guess I need to keep up with the tools so that we can use those tools against the system.

Ceremony Election Special Offer

Ceremony are offering specials on merch pertaining to this election:

Vote in this elect​ion and get cheap​ merch
Here'​s the deal -
If Barac​k Obama​ wins the presi​denti​al elect​ion,​ and you bring​ us your "i voted​"​ stick​er,​ you'​ll get a dolla​r off any of our shirt​s,​ or $2 off a hoodi​e.​ Peopl​e livin​g in Ohio or Penns​ylvan​ia get $​2/​$​4 off. I know it's not much,​ but it's somet​hing.​ This will go from the Denve​r show on the 5th until​ the end of the tour on the 19th.​ Actua​lly it's not even if Obama​ wins,​ Nader​ will do just fine.​ If anyon​e that isn'​t McCai​n and his polar​ bear killi​ng sidek​ick take the presi​dency​,​ the deal is on. Sprea​d that aroun​d,​ make sure peopl​e know and vote.​

Saturday, October 25, 2008

New Fave: Streetwalkers

After posting the other day about how Never Healed were the only band I was interested in seeing live, I am jumping on The Streetwalkers bandwagon late.


Ceremony is so last year. Streetwalkers is the new black.

(photos by Kimpossible. Thanx)

Anarchists Attack (Too Soon)

A Seattle Obama headquaters was attacked. This attack was claimed by anarchist 'H.A.N.D (Hooligans Attack at Night, Duh)'.
Apparently, windows were smashed and anti-government slogans were written.

This is pure adventurism and lacks much vision or any strategy.
Their statement notes serious inherent ills of The Democratic Party. It also reaks of the typical 'post-leftist' banktupcy of waiting for the sky to fall (" imminent collapse").

The real failure of this action is the timing.
Liberals and progressives have invested so much hope in Obama. Attacking the man and his party before they even win their victory over the GOP will just eliminate real radical choices as a viable option when these same progressives/liberals become disenchanted by Obama.

Friday, October 24, 2008

Music According To Ben Edge

Fucked Up - 'The Chemistry Of Common Life'
"I haven't heard the new Fucked Up. I've read reviews in more mainstream publications, and the way people who have nothing to do with hc fawn over them makes me disinterested. And how they have electronic interludes or some shit? Sounds like Refused Shape of Punk to Come part deux. The biggest poseurs in the world who had no association with hc or sxe jocked the fuck out of that band AFTER they broke up, and couldn't have cared less about their pre-art fag material. Come to think of it, Refused was never that great to begin with. I can't blame them."

Danny Diablo - 'Thugcore For Life'
"I wonder if his song "Mechanix" is a Megadeth cover. Wait, actually I don't."


Joy Division - 'Les Bains Douches 18 December 1979'
"Yeah, this is their best live recording, and it captures the energy that Martin Hannett buried in the records he produced."

Token Entry playing a reunion show:
"Token Entry was a "you had to be there" kind of band, because their records kinda suck. And too bad for me, I wasn't there."


state of the union: d.c. benefit compilation (released in 1989)
"Fugazi is great, but they got way into being boring (and by that I mean playing slow, extended instrumentals) towards the end.
Red Medicine is definately their least best album. Diehard fans like the boring shit the most, because that's what happens when you get WAY into a band. You burn yourself out on the good material, and start thinking differently about the bad material.
All the early shit is by far the best material.
the best band on the State of the Union comp, hands down is RAIN, followed closely by ONE LAST WISH."


No Warning -' Suffer, Survive'
"haha. I remember when that album came out.
I was never a fan to begin with, but I think it's funny that some wack, new jack B9 band ended up on Warner Bros. (the company that put food in my mouth)."


U2:
"there's like one or two good songs each on their first three albums, but this band for the most part is crap.
Bono - so full of shit it's obscene."



Ya Ho Wa 13 - 'I'm Gonna Take You Home'
"I read about this guy. Reminds me of Steve Aoki."

Emerson Lake and Palmer:
"I have never physically met someone who likes this band. They are atrocious."

Angry Samoans - 'Play The Songs Of VOM' ep (1978 Demos)
"I bought this for my dad for his birthday one year. Richard Meltzer (Vom singer) was a very well known rock critic, as was Metal Mike Saunders (Angry Samoans singer), going back to the early 70s. So my dad knew both these dudes before punk was happening."

Let us know what you think of Ben's assessments. He will argue with you.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Still Never Healed

I saw Never Healed play again on Monday night. For well over a year now, Never Healed have remained maybe the only hardcore punk band I have much interest in seeing live.

They have new material due out in November and they will be heading to Europe with Ceremony.


(photo by Walter)

Anarchy Ampersand

I am a big fan of the clever "Ampersand T-Shirts."
I would get this one if it weren't for that cheezy Anarchy symbol.

One Man's Boogeyman...

The McCain campaign has leveled some serious accusations on Obama. They have accused him of being a socialist, cavorting with radicals, and following a Black liberation preacher.
If only it were true!

We can't let the right-wing dictate the terms. When someone points a finger at Republican associations with fundamentalist Christians, right-wing paramilitary, or international war criminals, Republicans respond with a resounding "so what?"
If we let it be known that progressive ideas and radical actions are not our enemies, the Liberal Dems might grow a backbone and not scurry away from such accusations.
This would allow the people to push for real progressive changes.

_____

The University of Nebraska canceled Bill Ayers' speaking engagement citing "safety concerns." Of course, this bullshit was spearheaded by self-hating Michelle Malkin.

I encourage us all to let the Director, Office of University Comm, Margaret Lauerman know how shameful it is for a university to bow to the demands of right-wing nuts.
her email: mlauerma@unlnotes.unl.edu

I would also love to see Malkin's life made into hell.

We owe it to stand up for Bill Ayers after all he has done and continues to do for progress.

Election Coverage



Right on CrimethInc.

The Banks are Falling!

U.S. intelligence officials fear that computer hackers could wreck banks and large financial institutions, or send stock markets into a more panicked frenzy, by covertly manipulating data and spreading false information.

The number of banks and other agencies reporting that they have received angry letters (some containing a powdery substance) is on the rise.
The FBI, U.S. postal inspectors and state and local authorities are investigating, causing what FBI spokesman Richard Kolko called "a drain on resources" for those agencies.

If someone blew up a bank right now, do you think people would sympathize with the bank?
...just a question...
_____

unrelated:
The security cameras at the Ocean Street McDonalds in Santa Cruz, CA have been removed.

Death Ray

The Air Force has published a new manual on the handling of "Directed Energy Weapons", or "DEWS" in Air Force lingo. Death rays by any other name, the DEWS "include, but are not limited to, high-energy lasers, weaponized microwave and millimeter wave beams, explosive-driven electromagnetic pulse devices, acoustic weapons, laser induced plasma channel systems, non-lethal directed energy devices, and atomic-scale and subatomic particle beam weapons," manual instructs. They "create unique hazards that are different from conventional and nuclear weapons," says the manual, before noting that some DEWS use ionizing radiation, which can scramble a person's DNA.

Ben Edge on music

I love the notorious Ben Edge. He used to do a blog but he doesn't anymore. I think the world needs to hear his opinions (and he gives them out freely), so here is more of what is becoming a regular feature:

Black Flag 1982 demo:
"Amazing shit. Considered by some to be the best Black Flag line-up.
This is the point at which a metal influence begins creeping into hardcore music."


dos -justamente tres aka two in Spanish (Mike Watt & Kira Roessler):
"I saw them once, and I got to talk with Kira about Black Flag. I was in love."

v/a - a small group of friends: a germs tribute:
"From what I remember, the only good song on this is the Melvins doing "Lexicon Devil.""

The Kinks - Village Green Preservation Society:
"People jock this album so hard. It isn't their best one. Their two best albums are:
Something Else By The Kinks (1967)
Lola vs. Powerman & The Money-Go-Round (1970)"


Ben on stoner metal:
" It's SO contrived. Plus, all those bands think they're ripping off Sabbath, but they're really only ripping off the sludgy elements of the band, exemplified by their third album "Masters of Reality." If you listen to Sabbath's work, it's very diverse musically and thematically. A lot of it is upbeat, positive, feel-good music."

Hipsters In Space

A little late but funny.

The animated Aoki doesn't say "buddy" enough.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Blowin' Up The Spot

I have said it a million times- Free music sounds better!

I am a fanatic about downloading music online and I have hit the jackpot. Perhaps the best site with the best selection of music to sample!
Deek Media
The layout is fresh. The selection is eclectic and near unbelievable. The manner is which they anonymously link to downloads is smart. I don't mean to blow up the spot but you better get on this!

Friday, October 17, 2008

New Trek

Yesterday and today new info and photos of J.J. Abrams' Star Trek surfaced.
HERE and HERE

I am geeked!
(but does anyone else think that the Entertainment Weekly cover pic of Spock is wack?)

Thursday, October 16, 2008

FMTM: NYC and Onward

From Monument To Masses have gathered in New York City and are playing one show before touring Europe.
Friday, 17th Oct. 2008
The Knitting Factory Tap Bar, 74 Leonard St.
Joining the rare show are Kalpana and Golden City (ex-Christie Front Drive).

If you are in Europe, catch the boys on your continent and bring them cool revolutionary cultural artifacts and your progressive spirit!
TOUR DATES

Some of FMTM's new material is also available for listen on their MySpace page. This upcoming album is a banger. People get ready!

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Out Of Nowhere At The Cafe

Yesterday was hot as fuck in The Bay. I couldn't believe it was October.
On a trip to a cafe with a co-worker, I was comparing our weather to my former home of Wyoming which just got about 7'' of snow and temperatures in the 30's (farenheit). This led to a discussion of my time in SLC and then the film SLC Punk. I mentioned being into punk when I lived there at age 14.
At this point in the conversation, we entered the cafe where the first person I see was, in fact, my neighbor from Salt Lake (Sandy to be precise), Matt! Matt was not just some dude who lived behind me. He had a decent music collection and introduced me to a lot of 80's punk and indie. He actually was the 1st person to play Youth Of Today for me (something which he insisted I would not like because "the singer sounds like a cat"). The other band that he introduced me to which made a big impact on me was the Toy Dolls.
Can anyone hook me up with some Toy Dolls mp3s???!??

I told Matt about this blog, so maybe he will drop by.

Ruud Gullit back in USA: Conspiracy??

Monday, October 13, 2008

Life On Mars


I had been wanting to catch BBC's Life On Mars TV series before ABC Television began their version. Luckily, I was able to catch what turned out to be a very abridged 2 seasons of the original courtesy of BBC America.
I highly recommend it.
The show tells the story of DCI Sam Tyler, who, after being hit by a car in 2006, finds himself in the year 1973. It is unclear whether he is insane, in a coma, or if he really has travelled back in time.
Named after a David Bowie song, the show ties in a lot of 70's British music along with the police and sci-fi elements. The main character also has to deal with differing socio-politico situations.

I watched ABC's US remake and enjoyed it. The 1st episode was almost identical to the British version (aside from a very different ending). I am not sure that the US version lives up to the original and apparently I am not alone.
The biggest beef I have with the remake is changing the "unsatisfying" ambiguity of Sam's story was removed in favor of a "mythological element" and "deeper mystery".

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Malcolm X: new info

Historian Manning Marable has spent a decade working on a new biography of Malcolm X. He is one of the few historians to see the three missing chapters from “The Autobiography of Malcolm X” that he says paint a very different picture than the book or film.

Marable has also had unprecedented access to Malcolm’s family and documents that shed new light on the involvement of the New York Police, the FBI and possibly the CIA in Malcolm X’s assassination.
CHECK OUT THE INFO HERE.
AND MORE HERE
Marable's book will be out in 2009.

Female Fury


Two friends of mine, Shalon & Violet, are fighting on the undercard of this event.
Come support!

Footie Outing


The San Jose Earthquakes have been making an impressive run at the MLS playoffs for a 1st year expansion team. Therefore, a few friends and myself (Mosswood FC!) made the trip to Buckshaw Stadium to support.
Unfortunately, the date we got tickets for, 10/11, turned out to be an international fixture date. This wouldn't affect SJ but it did mean Sacha Kljesten would not be on the Chivas USA squad playing SJ. I hoped this would help translate the match into a win for SJ.

We would need to get a bite to eat before the match and luckily found out about Loving Hut. Loving Hut is a vegan restaurant in the suburban wasteland of Milpitas. We gorged ourselves on decent food served to us by super nice and friendly folks.
Apparently, Loving Hut also has locations in SF and Palo Alto.

SJ had a big electronic screen announcing their newly formed partnership with Tottenham Hotspurs. Why anyone would want a partnership with them as they possibly fight to stave off Premiership relegation is anyone's guess. As an Arsenal supporter, it certainly makes it more difficult for me to get behind SJ. At two different spots, SJ brought out Tottenham bigwigs which we booed... Well, I booed and Neel booed, hollered, and screamed obscenities at. Our section was confused as to what anyone could have against these men that they surely had never heard of.
The game was mediocre. Chivas definitely had size on their side. SJ just can't seem to pass the ball and that has been an issue every time I have seen them. SJ does have a few players which I see coming into their own with the squad (Salinas, O'Brien, and of course Huckerby).
Unfortunately, the entire experience was marred by the crowd. It seems like every Quakes game I attend, I am surrounded by annoying children who want nothing to do with the sport of football. I had constant shouting about fuckin cotton candy and hot chocolate in my ears while these little boys got lectured to by their father and put their feet on Neel's jacket! They were awfully close to getting an earful from us, the Spanish-speaking Chivas fans who they mocked, or anyone else in the section. I hate the Alexi Lawless model of fan attendence that encourages the family outing of people uninterested in the game itself.

In the end, Chivas won 1-0.
Big thanx to Mike for driving us and dropping gems about HC history along the way. Watch out for Mosswood FC starting our USL club to best the Quakes!

"That's Violence"





(thanx Harjit)

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Friday, October 10, 2008

Class Divisions Evident

Nothing makes class divisions more evident than economic downturns.

With the current "financial crisis", I see it glaring me in the face daily. I watch the news of the stock market, the capitalist masterminds emergency meetings, and the state bailouts with a sort of disconnect. I am merely an observer as I have minimal amount of money and/or investment in the stock market (only a small no-risk 401k).
However, at work, I am surrounded by MBA-having, real estate investing, Gordon Gecko-loving, upwardly mobile young professionals. It is through them that I watch the situation unfold. I hear how they have all lost 30-40% of their stocks. I hear them yell curses as they check the news or when their financial advisors call them. They are freaking out and depressed.
Of course to me they just lost 40% of fake money that they never actually had. (Is money real if you never spend it?)

It is my firm belief that this crisis hasn't even reached the masses YET. Of course, with any real economic crisis or just with this banking/investment panic, it will be thrust upon the poor immediately. However, materially, this has not affected the working class. Our essentials such as food, gas, or rent are just as high as they were a month ago when this system was supposed to be working fine. Of course, the wealthy are experts at creating a zeitgeist in their favor and all news media point to the stock market as the gauge for all of our finances. (Even though the amount of people who make money on Wall Street is very small... remember Wall Street is not a fuckin bank! It is a money making scheme based on religious-like myths.)

Trickle-down economics only works in one direction.

Thursday, October 09, 2008

Bill Ayers: Boogey Man

It is kinda nice to see people you have a firm respect for politically make national (or international) news.
Bill Ayers continues to be touted by the McCain campaign as the boogeyman. They even brought up Bernadine Dohrn!

I only wish that the potential next USA Pres. was down with former Weather Underground folks!

Too bad it is all lies... which McCain cleverly just quotes from other sources. I guess if you put someone else's lies on TV, they aren't your lies.

Wednesday, October 08, 2008

Socialism is when you nationalize the banks without compensation

When you compensate the banks without nationalization, I think that would be the opposite of socialism.

just remember that the next time some yob tries to say this bullshit bailout is "socialism"

October First 2008

As of October 1st, the US Army has an active unit stationed inside the USA for the first time in history (it only became legal in 2006).
The Army unit may be called upon to help with civil unrest and crowd control. The soldiers, known as "Raiders" are learning to use so-called nonlethal weapons designed to subdue unruly or dangerous individuals and crowds. They are definitely not here to help the people as they spent nearly three out of the last five years deployed in Iraq, leading the assault on Baghdad in 2003 and carrying out house-to-house combat.

People Get Ready!

MORE

MORE
_________________

8 supposed members of The RNC Welcoming Committee who were arrested before the RNC are being charged as terrorists.
Prosecutors say the defendants created fear in an attempt to keep delegates from attending the convention.

Underground Army

...Enlist today!

After some discussions with a comrade, thoughts about protracted struggle, and listening to great punk rock, something crossed my mind.

The now defunct band (and revolutionary theatre troupe), Please Inform The Captain This Is A Highjack (PITC), used to nail it with their live performances. One slogan that always stuck with me was "underground army: enlist today!". It generates excitement and urgency in my heart. It fueled, along with their flaunting of sampled audio from Underground, my long-standing desire for a US underground that was a viable option for those seeking change.

However, is such sloganeering counter-productive to revolutionary struggle?
We all seem to get excited at the thought of being glorious guerrillas but what about the legwork? There is work to be done now that is equally important to being part of any underground revolutionary unit. We are a long way off from having any sort of progressive (legal) movement that could sustain such forces.
Instead of dreaming, let's build.
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Of course, PITC was an amazing group.
I offer you their amazing audio tracks for DOWNLOAD courtesy of Damn Those Bloodsuckers. Of course, without their lyric books, liner notes, or live shows a lot is lost. I encourage you to buy these amazing documents and to support the revolutionary culture being put out by former PITC cadre, Baader Brains and Crisco Thunder.

Lick A Shot

…for Obama… ?

Jay Z has released a "song" in support of Obama. To be honest, it is hardly a proper song and I really don't know how much hand Hov had in producing it.
The "lick a shot for Obama" line is repeated over a beat and then the 'business, man' explains kinda why he supports Obama. Kinda.
His speech focuses on how politics never trickled down to the ghetto. Jay attributes this to politicians not caring about the ghetto. He attributes that to the ghetto not caring about (and voting for) politicians. His solution is that the ghetto should vote and should vote for "Hope" (trademark).
Hov seems to forget one major factor. One reason so much of the ghetto doesn't vote is because they can't! Convicted felons don't have the right to vote! With the ever increasing criminalization of things that affect poor people, it is no wonder.
Jay Z's rap persona of a street hustler must have gotten lost while Sean Carter, CEO, was being swept up in "Hope."

Jay Z - "Lick A Shot For Obama"

Beckham Failure (?)

David Beckham's first full season in MLS is an utter disgrace. His club, LA Galaxy, are in very last place and will, almost certainly at this point, miss out on the play-offs for a third straight season.
Of course, in terms of pure celebrity, Beckham is a winner.

Here are 2 fantastic articles detailing Beckham's failure/success:
One is written from the point of view of a US sports writer.
One is written from a British perspective.

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

Double Cross

If you are at all interested in HC and sXe history, I cannot hype up Double Cross enough!

This site is nothing but amazing info, photos, and interviews.
It is run by Tim McMahon & Gordo.
(There is even a photo featuring me at age 13 or 14 in an Insight interview)

Anarcho-Rejectionism

I coined a new term.

"Post-Left Anarchists" who just reject all critiques and do nothing else are
Anarcho-Rejectionists.

What a waste.

Sunday, October 05, 2008

CBS/MMA/$$$

CBS has now broadcast 3 Elite XC Saturday Night Fights. They all seemed a little too Hollywood, a little stacked, and not very genuine.
I found myself thinking: "If Kimbo or Gina Carano lose (despite being HEAVILY HEAVILY favored) lose, would CBS bring back their opponents instead of them? Why would they when Kimbo and Gina are the hyped names and that's all?"

Then it happened- Kimbo lost in 14 seconds to a nobody and was exposed as a MMA fraud.

Check out THIS expose article on the fight card!

economist/terrorist


About a week ago, Bill Ayers posted a great little essay arguing against the Wall Street bailout and pointing to the possibility of a different sort of "bailout." Suddenly, the essay seems to have disappeared from his site... so I will post it below:
AGAINST THE BAILOUTS

Against socialism for the rich, the free market for the rest…Against a trillion dollar golden parachute.

This sensible alternative just in from Birk (excerpted):

I’m in favor of giving $85,000,000,000 to America in a “We Deserve It Dividend.”

To make the math simple, let’s assume there are 200,000,000 bonafide U.S. Citizens 18+.
Our population is about 301,000,000 +/- counting every man, woman and child. So 200,000,000 might be a fair stab at adults 18 and up… So divide 200 million adults 18+ into $85 billion that equals $425,000.00.

My plan is to give $425,000 to every person 18+ as a “We Deserve It Dividend.” Of course, it would NOT be tax free. So let’s assume a tax rate of 30%. Every individual 18+ has to pay $127,500.00 in taxes.

That sends $25,500,000,000 right back to Uncle Sam. But it also means that every adult 18+ has $297,500.00 in the pocket.

What would you do with $297,500.00?

Pay off your mortgage - housing crisis solved.
Repay college loans - what a great boost to new grads.
Put away money for college - it’ll be there.
Save in a bank - create money to loan to entrepreneurs.
Pay for your parent’s medical insurance - health care improves.

If we’re going to do a bailout, let’s bail out every citizen. We deserve it and Wall Street doesn’t.
Sure it’s a crazy idea that can ‘never work.’ But can you imagine the Coast-To-Coast Block Party?!!
How do you spell Economic Boom?

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Today, Mr. Bill Ayers is actually in the (corporate) news again because VP Candidate, Palin, called him a "terrorist" and said he "pals around" with Pres. Candidate Obama.
Obama strategist David Axelrod said: "Bill Ayers lives in his neighborhood. Their kids attend the same school. They're certainly friendly, they know each other, as anyone whose kids go to school together."
In typical Democrat fashion, Obama has denounced the radical views and actions of Bill Ayers. When Palin was then questioned about her statement, she refused to backdown and said Obama's association with a 1960s radical is an issue that is "fair to talk about."

Fight The Power

VH1 just counted down the top 100 hip hop songs. I thoroughly enjoyed the countdown and rapped along to most of it (despite serious omission of Eric B & Rakim). I speculated on what the top 5 or the #1 could be. Top contender in my mind was "Fight The Power" by Public Enemy.
When VH1 reached #1, it turned out to actually be "Fight The Power." I got chills. I felt like they actually got it right and recognized the power of and in that song.

To really understand the magnitude of the joint you have to know the lyrics, see the video, and understand the time and context in which it was released. This was a time when White kids generally did NOT listen to rap and it certainly wasn't played on the radio. When you heard "Fight The Power", you felt that confrontation. It was unquestionably rebel music.
The song came from the film, Do The Right Thing which sparked hella controversy. Looking back, it is difficult to even understand how or why a movie is controversial for depicting cops killing an unarmed Black man and the ensuing riot but it was. The song sure as hell scared White people. It even calls out Elvis and John Wayne!

I will never forget seeing Public Enemy shortly after on the 'Fear Of A Black Planet' tour.

Friday, October 03, 2008

SF Veg Fest + Sugar Beat Sweets!


Saturday & Sunday October 4 & 5, 10am - 6pm
$6 suggested entrance donation

Melisser and Mel will be there repping Sugar Beat Sweets!!

Kinnear and Newcastle in Crisis

This isn't gonna mean much to you if you don't follow Premiership football.
Newcastle and their poor owner are falling apart. Their temp manager gave one of the most quality press conferences ever.

sample:
Joe Kinnear: Which one is Simon Bird (Daily Mirror journalist)?
Bird: Me.
JK: You're a cunt.
Bird: Thank you
JK: Which one is [Niall] Hickman (Daily Express)? You are out of order. Absolutely fucking out of order. If you do it again, I am telling you you can fuck off and go to another ground. I will not come and stand for that fucking crap. No fucking way, lies.

LISTEN!

TRANSCRIPT

(thanx Pranjal)

Thursday, October 02, 2008

odds n ends

Mike Giant has an opening at White Walls on 10/11. I am hyped although the work I saw from the Albuquerque preview was a bit lackluster. (Warner Bros characters and Iron Maiden album covers?!?!)

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Here is a great way to tear down right-wing politicians: Start a fake racist group and very publically lend your support to them.
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The dollars decline is meaning less immigration and less money from immigrants being sent to Latin America as their currencies rise against it.

The era of American dominance is over

For the election to make any sense in such a crisis, the assumptions of the past 30 years must be thoroughly challenged
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Tom Gabel from Against Me! has a new solo album coming out.
His song "Anna Is A Stool Pigeon" is about an FBI informant and the case of Eric McDavid. Tom also made a video for "100 Years of War."
Since he is touring with members of Hot Water Music and Avail, you may need a beard to get in.
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Popular culture likes us to believe that every criminal gets caught and every crime gets punished.
That's a lie.
HERE is a list of unsolved cyber crimes.

free music always sounds better

I am obsessed with downloading free music from blogs. I do it all day every day. Mediocre hardcore and metal are easy to find. Good hip hop mp3s are harder to come by.
I don't usually link to the sites on Dead Time Pacifies because I want to allow them to keep a somewhat low profile.
A few of my faves are:
B Media<
Cosmic Hearse
Download And Comfort
Nah Right
I just recently discovered True Punk and Metal. It has some of the most obscure and interesting metal from the 80's. As usual, I came across a ton of shit that I just had to share with a friend. This friend being the infamous BenEdge, he of course already had everything I suggested to him. Ben was kind enough to still provide me with reviews of these choices:

Slipknot (NO! Not THAT Slipknot!)- 7'', Revelation Records 1989:
"I never liked this record. I own it though! It's early Rev. I have to own it. "They were pretty much responsible for being behind a really bad East coast hc/punk scene in 1988-90." I wasn't there, but I'd say that the early Rev bands totally stand the test of time, for the most part. I can live without War Zone or SOIA, but GB, Side By Side, No For An Answer, YOT, Bold, Chain of Strength, Judge, Inside Out, and Burn are some of the greatest hc bands I've ever heard."

Code Of Honor- Beware The Savage Jaw lp, 1984:
"That's one of the strangest albums that has ever come out of the hardcore scene. Nothing else sounds remotely like it. It's kinda gothy, kinda country, and really technical. Weird rhythms and lyrics that make the singer seem like he's actually losing his mind. I traded an extra Insted and Reason To Believe 7" with my friend Kevin for it. He still doesn't get that album. Most people never will."

Witchfinder General- Death Penalty, 1982:
"Great album. Their other album is also good. You gotta check out the cover art on those things!"

10.2.08

A little late notice but...

(tonite)
Matcha: Oct. 2 5pm-9pm
Japanese Tattoo
Asian Art Museum, SF

free w/museum admission

LIVE demonstrations of employing both traditional and modern techniques. Joining Horitaka's diverse, talented crew of tattooists are special guests from Japan -- Shige, Mutsuo, and Kazunobu Nagashima.

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