Punk Rock Monday

If there was a better band of sarcastic misanthropes than Mudhoney, I'd like to hear them. Mark Arm's fuzzbox belongs in the fucking Smithsonian.

"Touch Me I'm Sick"


"Suck You Dry"

Where are the people?

Like many of my colleagues in the sociology department, I spent a good portion of graduate school quite smitten with Marx. Where many of my friends were drawn to the structuralism of Das Kapital ("When Marx became a Marxist," sneered the more snobby of the structuralists, completely eliding the question of whether Marx was ever a Marxist), I, on the other hand, was drawn to the humanism of his earlier works, being pretty fascinated by his answer to the question, "Why does work suck?" The quotidian is, after all, where structure is generated and replicated. Political economy is only as important as its effects the lives of real people, right? I thought so. So did one of my professors, whose standard complaint at certain job talks was, "Where are the people?"

I found myself thinking that when reading about the bureaucratic infighting surrounding economic development in Iraq:

Paul Brinkley, a deputy undersecretary of defense, has been called a Stalinist by U.S. diplomats in Iraq. One has accused him of helping insurgents build better bombs. The State Department has even taken the unusual step of enlisting the CIA to dispute the validity of Brinkley's work.

His transgression? To begin reopening dozens of government-owned factories in Iraq.

Brinkley and his colleagues at the Pentagon believe that rehabilitating shuttered, state-run enterprises could reduce violence by employing tens of thousands of Iraqis. Officials at State counter that the initiative is antithetical to free-market reforms the United States should promote in Iraq.

The fate of literally millions of people is obfuscated in a paragraph that pits the military objective of fighting a counterinsurgency against the political and ideological objective of building a "free market" economy (forgetting, for a moment, that a state-run economy financed by foreigners doesn't look substantially different than a privatized economy owned by foreigners). The construction of that third paragraph makes people accessories to larger political ends, "Basically, cannon fodder," as Eugene McDaniels would have it. In other words, a goal of providing a better life for Iraqis is incidental to whatever bureaucratic objectives are prioritized (although some will argue that that goal is assumed, the actual objective for both plans is "stability," another lovely reification).

You realize, of course, that the vision of economic development held by those working in Iraq is fucked up six ways to Sunday, right?

Brinkley, who was interviewed in Washington, said he expects several factories to reopen this summer. By year's end, he envisions Wal-Mart stores selling made-in-Baghdad leather jackets and other U.S. retailers stocking Iraqi loafers, hand-stitched carpets and pinstripe suits.

That's right, Iraq. Your economic future in the world trade system can be as bright as Bangladesh's, thanks to your comparative advantage of a supply of low-wage labor! My god.

And while it's nice to see someone who doesn't think all nationalization plans are a bad thing (why hello there, inner socialist!), you can really see where their priorities are in this statement:

Brinkley, a balding 40-year-old who speaks in rapid-fire sentences, had joined the Defense Department as a political appointee in 2005 after serving as an executive at JDS Uniphase Corp. At the Silicon Valley manufacturer of fiber-optic equipment, he had helped the company acquire a factory in China that had been run by the government. The experience, Brinkley said, convinced him that "state-owned enterprises can provide jobs, and turn a profit and lift hundreds of millions of people out of poverty. [emphasis added]"

So, in order of importance: an abstract number of positions created in which to hire someone, profit, and the "well being" of the people.

I'm going to make the wild guess that a workers' rights movement would be relentlessly crushed under either model of development.

Scooby snacks

Shorter "L." Paul Bremer: And I would've gotten away with it if it weren't for those damn Iraqis!

Well, that was alarmingly quick

Our home was on the market for all of two days before we got an offer on it, and we got an offer with our asking price in it. We obviously accepted it.

They like us. They really, really like us.

As much of a whirlwind as that was, it actually allows us to now focus all of our energy on packing, finding a new place, and planning the logistics to get from point A to point B. In other words, the fun stuff.

Profiles in douchebaggery

Rush Limbaugh is so, like, middle-school in the way he acts. In proving his point about Don Imus, Oxycotin Boy becomes that smug prick who would be an asshole just to prove the point that he could get away with it and there's nothing you can do about it:

The leading US shock jock Rush Limbaugh is taunting the liberal media by repeatedly airing a derogatory and racially charged song about the Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.

Limbaugh, whose rightwing talk show is one of the most listened to in the US, has been running a song called Barack the Magic Negro, to the tune Puff the Magic Dragon.

On his show Limbaugh says he is an entertainer and the song is a parody. He justifies it by saying the first linkage of the term "magic negro" to Mr Obama was by a black commentator, David Ehrenstein, in the liberal Los Angeles Times.

Really, he's just like a twelve-year old. And Obama seems to understand that Rush is just an angry boy acting out, given his decision to pretty much roll his eyes and shrug, "What're ya gonna do?"

Rush is fishing for a controversy à la Imus to garner some free publicity, I'm sure, and he'll undoubtedly get some. Where Imus's remarks were seemingly off-the-cuff and aimed at a group of young women whose achievements and stature didn't warrant public ridicule, Rush has carefully constructed a parody aimed squarely at someone who expects to be the butt of many, many jokes over the course of a campaign. As an African-American who has run for office before, I'm sure Obama knows that there are those who will be hostile to any black person in a position of power. And the higher the authority, the more intense the hostility. I also love how Rush smugly clues his audience in to the clever historical references that he's made. Really cute.

Even though his actions resemble that of a pimple-faced seventh-grader, I'm still shocked by the cynicism with which he wields his racism. Rush knows his audience. He knows that Senator Obama has received threats. And while able to cover his ass with the claim of parody and distancing himself from more extreme and violent sentiments, there exists no other reason for his actions than to inflame a backwards put potent voting base.

What a douchebag.

This is not my beautiful house

How did I get here?

Life changes are picking up at such a pace that I'm experiencing a little anomie. We officially put our house up for sale this evening, which is weird, to say the least, and more than a little sad. And we now have a financial advisor.

When did I get to be so middle-aged? And why don't I feel middle-aged?

What Jane Austen hath wrought

I'm at a loss to describe how appalled I am about the coverage of the Queen's visit to D.C., breathlessly recounted in the WaPo. The coverage reads like a bad romance novel, with dreary descriptions of pointless protocol and charmingly staged vignettes of "everyday life" at the White House:

President Bush welcomed the queen with a royal faux pas about her age, suggesting she had witnessed American independence in 1776. Expressing admiration for her long friendship with the United States, Bush noted that Elizabeth had dined with 10 presidents and had "helped our nation celebrate its bicentennial in 17 . . ." He quickly caught and corrected his mistake, "in 1976."

Her Majesty did not appear to be amused.

Laughter rippled across the South Lawn, but the queen, who celebrated her 81st birthday last month, shot Bush a look that he sheepishly acknowledged "only a mother could give a child."

It wasn't his only comeuppance of the day.

Laura Bush acknowledged she and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had tag-teamed Bush to coax him into white tie for the White House's most formal dinner of his presidency.

"Dr. Rice and I took it upon ourselves to talk him into it, because we thought if we were ever going to have a white-tie event, this would be the one," Mrs. Bush told reporters.

For fuck's sake. Getting disciplined by his "mother?" Being "tag-teamed" by Laura and Condi? Barbara Cartland couldn't pack any more innuendo in there.

And someone please explain to me again why everyone has to walk on eggshells around this woman?

Punk Rock Monday

If pressed for a description, I'd have to say what happens when punk rockers start taking ecstasy and playing dance music, that's !!!. Yeah, I've been on a kick of late. Enjoy.

"Must Be the Moon"


A spiffier looking and sounding "Intensify"

And when it's actually drowned?

The WaPo does its homework and begins to connect the dots between the series of institutional failures that led to the Virginia Tech shootings.

I've had a hard time knowing exactly what to say to people who believe in Small Government as some sort of Good unto Itself. You tell them about the homeless gathering for morning coffee in the park, or the family living in the pick-up camper behind the church downtown, or the senior citizen spanging at the University. You tell of the relative with a disability who wants to work (well... kind of) but the social agency responsible for placing her is underfunded and not staffed by the most competent people in the world. But those who want to drown government in the bathtub either never see it, floating from one sanitized conclave to the next, or don't think it's their problem. Why should their tax dollars be spent on "someone else?" Someone else who probably doesn't even have a job!

Or maybe someone else is a disturbed college student...

That's not to say a well-funded system of social services, staffed by talented, committed, and respected professionals would have identified and managed someone like Cho before he completely cracked. It may not have. But the events in Blacksburg are only an extreme example of the thousands of catastrophes that happen everyday because the social safety net has been slashed beyond all recognition, and the private charities that conservatives thought would move to fill the gap are completely overwhelmed and unable to respond to the needs presented.

We've been held hostage by the Small Government theocrats in charge for the last ten or so years. It's time we start assertively pushing that they are responsible for failure after failure, Virginia Tech after Katrina, and that these failures are a intrinsic to and completely foreseeable consequence of their philosophy of government. And the goal is not to do Small Government better than they do, it's to try a different way altogether. Maybe instead of drowning it, we can take government to the lake and teach it how to swim.

Welcome to the Fringe, EmRom

I know pattyjoe wants Mitt to make a run at the GOP nom, but it ain't gonna happen (via atrios). Plus, he's as dumb as a box of rocks:

"It seems that Europe leads Americans in this way of thinking," Romney told the crowd of more than 5,000. "In France, for instance, I'm told that marriage is now frequently contracted in seven-year terms where either party may move on when their term is up. How shallow and how different from the Europe of the past."

I actually did a quick google search of French marriage and divorce law summaries, and could find nothing that even remotely came close to a "seven-year, risk-free marriage contract." I mean, jeebus, that's fucking out there.

And with a statement like that, we'd like to welcome EmRom as the latest to join the GOP Fringe.

[updated on May 6, 2007 at 3:08 PM]: My bad - I'd already declared Mitt a member some time ago, in which case I should congratulate him for really distinguishing himself from his Fringe colleagues who merely don't believe in evolution.

You'll begin?

So sayeth John Boehner (R - Cracklyvania):

The leader of House Republicans said today that his members would begin to seek another strategy in Iraq in September, should President Bush's troop "surge" strategy clearly not be working by then.

Now call me crazy, but when undertaking something as massive as, say, a war, shouldn't a Plan B have been thought out well in advance? Along with, say, a Plan C, D, E, F...? You know, basic contingency planning that should have been done for something as unpredictable and fluid as a counter-insurgency campaign?

Well, I suppose I should be thankful that in September, the GOP has at least tentatively planned on joining the reality that the rest of the world acknowledges, right?

But he pledged that his caucus would stand firm against any Democratic timetable or benchmarks that mandate the withdrawal of U.S. troops.

[...]

[Boehner] emphasized: "We [will] want a clean bill. We don't want artificial deadlines. We don't want handcuffs on our generals. We don't want artificial measures in there to try to ensure failure. Iraq is very important. And we need to win in Iraq."

Oh shit.

Housecleaning

It's been another busy week that has either found me asleep or out in the blogging hours, thus leaving my promise of content, content, content to you, the reader, left unfulfilled. So, a fun-filled week in review:

• May Day found me whooping it up with the GTFF for an International Worker's Day rally, highlighted by the traditional delivery of flowers and the Big Card to university administrators, and keeping the GTFF's streak of situationist actions alive and well. That evening ms. wobs and I got our groove on to !!!, which has been the most welcome CD that pattyjoe has dropped on me (and he's dropped an awful lot of welcome CDs). If they're coming 'round your area (ash! May 12!), I highly recommend checking them out.
• Got to have a fun swanky "professional" lunch with patty joe and dave on Thursday at the Excelsior. Nothing like a new job to give you a reason to blow some dough, eh?
• I helped with my last GTFF officer election yesterday. On Monday, we welcome a new board who 7/8s of will remember me as "the insurance guy."
• We're doing a massive house clean-up today as we prepare to put our home on the market. This morning was dedicated to getting rid of the detritus of grad school in my office, where lots of other stuff resurfaced (like my diplomas! and mouseshit!). Tomorrow will be dedicated to doing some scraping and touch-up painting around the exterior of the house.

That's the update for now. Just wanted to let you know that I'm alive and still "believe" in evolution.

Profiles in Douchebaggery

What. A. Dick:

A missing pair of pants has led to one big suit. A customer got so steamed when a dry cleaner lost his trousers that he sued for $65 million. Two years later, he is still pressing his suit.

The case has demoralized the South Korean immigrant owners of the mom-and-pop business and brought demands that the customer -- an administrative law judge in Washington -- be disbarred and removed from office for pursuing a frivolous and abusive claim.

Flotsam and jetsam: presidential edition

I've been avoiding talking about politics for awhile now, not for any reason, per se, other than the fact that plenty of other people do it, and for the most part I don't really have anything to add, other than a little snark. But all this hoopla surrounding the potential Fred Thompson candidacy (not to be confused with the already declared and mortally wounded Tommy Thompson candidacy) has gotten me hot under the collar, and pattyjoe has been fanning the flames playing Fantasy Ticket '08. I'll see his EmRom-Thompson v. Obama-Edwards, and will state unequivocally that the best "political theater" match-up will be Thompson-EmRom v. Gore-Obama.

Is anyone else more than a little intrigued that for the second time in thirty years, the GOP may have an actor at the top of its slate?

The NYT is currently running a pretty bland is he is or is he ain't piece on Thompson. What's missing from the article, you ask? Any mention of Iraq.

I'm announcing a new caucus, the "We can do better than Hillary" caucus. I know many of you have professed some strong Anyone but Hillary inclinations, and I can hardly blame you. She's been wrong on some pretty important issues, and I can say that I'll do my share of the lifting to see that we elect a good alternative - and for once, we do have some very palatable alternatives in the top tier of presidential contenders. However, if the Hillary Juggernaut does happen to steamroll the competition (a distinct possibility), I know damn well that she is better on my issues six way 'til Sunday than anyone the GOP might beat out of the Bushes, and I know damn well that another GOP presidency - with a narrowly divided Senate hanging in the balance - would be disastrous for this country: for women's rights, for civil rights, for Iraq, for unions... do I need to go on? Hillary will never be ideal. Indeed, we're fortunate right now, because we know we can do better. But let's stay real and act accordingly.

Putting the cart before the horse

From the WaPo:

World Bank President Paul D. Wolfowitz said yesterday that he is the victim of a "smear campaign" designed to portray him as unethical and an ineffective leader and that he will "not give in to such tactics" by resigning.

Oh, Wolfie. We already knew you were unethical and an ineffective leader thanks to your performance in selling the Iraq War. Your current actions demonstrate that you're also slimy and that you put your ladyfriend on some sort of sexual retainer.

You. Are. Icky.

Punk Rock Monday

You will never ever over-estimate how important the Pixies were to my coming of age. While I can listen to every single track on every single album they released, it's obvious that Surfer Rosa and the Come On Pilgrim EP are head and shoulders above the rest of the catalog. The latter of those two recordings was unlike anything I had heard when I was 14 years old.

"Caribou"


"Levitate Me"


Surfer Rosa still strikes me in its rawness and irony-soaked aggressiveness. There's a furious urgency to their tales of bizarrely sexualized violence that nonetheless fails to hide the playful "yeah, we're singing about priests molesting altar boys" vibe.

"Something Against You"


Also from Rosa, this is from their 2004 reunion tour, "Bone Machine"


The YouTube has a pretty big collection of clips for the Pixies, including some not real good stuff from '91 where the tensions within the band are blatantly obvious (especially when you have the '88 performances for comparison).

Did I mention how much I love the fucking Pixies? Because I really do.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Holy crap, the past few days of my life have been busy, busy, busy, and there are no signs of things letting up soon. I'm just now beginning to grasp the enormity of the transcontinental move that is now only eight weeks away. I'm also beginning to come to terms with the fact that I'm leaving my home of 11 years, a place and people whom I've truly loved like no other. On top of that, I'm dealing with the fact that I'm now an "East Coast Professional," with all the good and bad that that entails.

• I was in DC for the past few days getting trained up on the new job. It's going to take a few days to get my feet under me and get myself networked in to where I feel comfortable, but once I get in the groove, things should be pretty fun. I'll start work-blogging tomorrow, so if you get a chance (or are interested in the subject manner, as all of you academic and ex-academic types are), pop on over.


• We had a yard sale this weekend. It's truly amazing how much money you can rake in by just slapping some of the crap from your garage onto a card table. We made about $200 for the weekend, and what didn't sell got taken to the Goodwill. Hooray for downsizing.


• We went to see David Sedaris tonight with Dave and others. Hi-fucking-larious.


• The ever-enchanting ms. wobs surprised me when I returned from my trip with tix to go see !!! on Tuesday. Me likey.

So there's my life in a nutshell. I'm going to try to get some consistent posting again around here, but adding new content will probably be an evening gig from here on out.

Honey, I'm home!

And I brought you all a gift!



Enjoy it now before Disney makes the YouTube take it down again!

Irregularities

The posting is going to be infrequent for the next little while as I take to the road sans laptop. I'll update if and when I get a chance, but otherwise will be back at some point over the weekend. Until then, stay out of the liquor.

Punk Rock Monday

I never really liked the Misfits. Too angsty for my tastes, and Glenn Danzig is just a freakin' ham, but they are important to that whole punk rock narrative we're trying to document here. Moreover, these early 80s clips provide a pretty interesting window into a peculiarly alienated masculinity. Finally, watching these clips made me remember this kid Morey, with whom I came up through high school. Dude was fucked up.

"Skulls"


"Can't Tell No One" (w/Negative Approach's John Brannon)


"Rise Above" (Black Flag)

Graduate employee union has been

Goodbye GTFF.

Except for the office, and the people who work there. And a lot of the activists. Huh, and I guess some of the members, too. Yeah, I'll be seeing all of you around for a couple more months.

But, all the same, goodbye GTFF.

Unclear on the concept

Oh my:

Preparations to sedate as many as 300 horses stabled at Belgrade's racecourse to keep them calm during a Rolling Stones concert have enraged Serb animal lovers who are lobbying to have the gig moved to another venue.

[...]

The sedative would be diazepam. In Serbia it trades under the name Bensedin, a very popular drug during the 78 days of NATO air strikes in 1999, when much of Belgrade's adult population was on tranquillizers.

ORCA said that if it failed to convince the organizers to change the concert venue, it would contact the Rolling Stones directly and ask them to use their influence.

"I believe we'll succeed since such a reputable band will not allow such a stain on its record," Burazerovic said.

As for the Rolling Stones not allowing such a stain on their record, I have one word: Altamont.

On the other hand, if the animal rights activists succeed, Keith Richards will be able to have one helluva pill party.

Life outside of a Rambo flick

Why the armchair commando argument of "if only they'd been allowed to carry concealed weapons when (gun tragedy X) occurred, this tragedy could've been averted" rings completely and utterly false.

Politics of the network stars

Wondering who your favorite Hollywood impressario is donating to this campaign cycle? Wonder no more!

Incidentally, I'm taking back everything I said about Adam Sandler beginning to develop some range.

And this will help your case how?

I'll admit it. I have no idea what the UFCW is gunning for here:

The leading US shop workers union has sent flyers to thousands of homes in Phoenix, Arizona that suggest Tesco sells alcohol to minors. The leaflets, distributed by the local branch of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, call on residents to "protect your family" by urging the State Liquor Board to block Tesco's alcohol licence applications. The move is part of a broader union campaign to force Tesco to talk to it. Bob Grossfeld, of the UFCW, said Tesco's management was refusing to make any contact. "They're exacerbating the situation by simply being arrogant and rude. It brings into question whether they are going to be a responsible member of the community."

I know this is standard operating procedure for the corporate campaign: dig up dirt on evil corporation X in order to build up public support for a unionization campaign. Tesco certainly fits the bill as evil corporation X as they mull over invoking the Wal-Mart model of employee relations, but the dirt dug up by the UFCW in this case seems like it could backfire mightily.

My first reaction (placing myself in the position of Joe Sikspak) was, "Okay, Tesco may sell booze to minors, and this means you should have a union because...?" The logic just doesn't follow, in my head. I then read these two grafs:

The latest batch of leaflets went out last Thursday to homes in Scottsdale, a wealthy suburb which attracts the likes of Christina Aguilera for its nightlife and Kate Moss for its rehab facilities, and is host to countless Republican party fundraisers.

For Tesco, this makes it a perfect destination for its Fresh and Easy neighbourhood market chain, which is expected to spark a revolution in US convenience shopping by offering high-end ready meals and fresh food. It also makes the residents unlikely union sympathisers, hence the threat of underage drinking at the heart of UFCW's campaign.

Oh, I see, since Scottsdale trends Republican, make underage drinking a "values issue!" Shrewd, except for the fact that said booze will be peddled by, you guessed it, employees who might want to unionize. So are folks who are already predisposed to be against unions in the first place going to be excited that the people selling their kids bottles of Boone's Farm and Thunderbird will be protected by a union grievance procedure and just cause? Probably not.

Which brings up the obvious question: is the goal here to force Tesco into some neutrality agreement with regards to a UFCW organizing campaign, or is it to keep Tesco from opening stores in the Phoenix metro area? Because if it's the former, this campaign might have hamstrung their community-organizing efforts right out of the gates.

Am I missing something here? Is this a brilliant campaign move or a paint-by-numbers corporate campaign where they're flinging the first piece of poo they can find that looks like a winner?

A funny thing happened on the way to Punk Rock Monday

A few hours ago, I had intended to just say fuck PRM, post a couple of John Denver vids, and say, "Anarchy in Aspen, biznits! Go fuck yourselves!" just to be ironically pomo and punk rock. Probably very, very poorly.

But then pattyjoe posted this blurb on SST band Saccharine Trust, with whom I was not familiar. "Aha!" I said to myself, "A quick and easy with little in the way of research post!" After a search through the approximately four actual ST YouTube posts, I stumbled upon these two vids of Mike Watt and the Missingmen from a March 31, 2007 performance. I found the accompanying text to be extraordinarily powerful, and I'm of the mind that some things do happen for a reason, so I'm reposting it along with the vids:

This performance is from The F.O.R. Benefit (Friends Of Richie) took place at Safari Sam's in Hollywood, on Saturday March 31st 2007.

Richie Hass is an amazing multi-instrumentalist musician. Alumnus of Zoogz Rift's band, he is best known these days for playing in Saccharine
Trust and also with Joe Baiza's Universal Congress - probably the top vibraphonist in Southern California.

Richie was recently diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a cancer of the bone marrow, and since he is a self employed musician, he has no health insurance.

The LA music community was rocked back on their heels by this news. Everybody loves Richie. So a group of musicians, together with the IMF, put together this benefit in Richie's honor. And while the benefit was held in Richie's honor, he has opted to donate the proceeds to the International Myeloma Foundation for much-needed research to find the cure for this disease.

To donate or learn more about The International Myeloma Foundation

Richie's my space page

So enjoy and maybe consider kicking down a few bucks to a good cause.

Oh, and go fuck yourself.

"The Red and the Black"


"Three Girl Rhumba" and "Ex-Lion Tamer"

Reacquainted with old friends

I've picked up a copy of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn for the first time since my junior year in high school and am enjoying it immensely, no, much more immensely than the first time around. The "reading snippets to teach a larger point about American literature/narrative structure" does a lot of damage to the work of art in the service of pedagogy. If we're going to have a "Great Books" curriculum, let's read the whole fucking book, no? At any rate, being able to take the time to read it slowly and savor its lyricism is proving to be especially pleasurable.

I've also rediscovered Tower of Power's epic Live and in Living Color, whose second side monster "Knock Yourself Out" powered many an acid-soaked dance party in my college days. The soul on this show is deep, the horns tight, and the funk ground-shaking. And it has a twenty-minute horn/organ showcase that is The. Shit. The only problem is that with a forty-five minute running time, it's far too short.