That subliminal kid

On Monday night I went to see Paul Miller, better known to the world as DJ Spooky, speak about the ways in which dj's (and non-dj's) use sampling and remixing not just as musical tools but as a way to create and modify cultural discourse. Spooky (whom I had never seen before and whose music I was almost completely unfamiliar with, save for his track on this CD) combines an emotional, playful love of music with a formidable intellect and a deep interest in pushing the boundaries of art and thought without divorcing himself from mainstream culture. He's collaborated with everyone under the sun, from Yoko Ono to dozens of people I promise you've never heard of. One of his next collaborations is with Chuck D and Slayer. (Really. He played some of Chuck's vocal track for us.)

Rather than reading my inadequate descriptions of his work, you should click your way to his website, which contains copious media and information and a long links page. I plan to delve deeply when I have the time. If you're in the DC area, you can see Spooky perform at ye olde Black Cat on Tuesday, November 2. The presidential race may be decided by the end of his set; if not, then definitely by the time the Dillinger Escape Plan plays their Hot Topic-sponsored gig the next night. Don't get me started.

Never woulda happened in Perkasie

I just stood behind Guy Picciotto in line in the grocery store (diet of nothing, my ass). I didn't have to. Other lines may have been shorter (fortunately, I am a patient boy). But it had "anecdote" written all over it for my non-DC friends, and I guess I'm new enough to the city that these things still amuse me.

Have I told you about the green couch in my house? Oh, my...

Some perspective

Attacks against "coalition" (ha) troops in Iraq averaged 87 per day in August. Based on population, that would be the equivalent of about 1,000 per day if the same situation existed in the US.

Who edits this thing?

The Washington Post today carries a profile of Khalid Agami, a Saudi professor who is running for a seat in his country's upcoming nation-wide election for local officials. The Post informs us that "Agami is running for office in November as part of a cautious experiment by the Saudi royal family." Except that the the royal family announced a few days ago that it was postponing the elections for a second time, so that the first round is now scheduled to begin in February, not November. I read a blurb about the postponement yesterday in the NYT, but here's a story with a September 12 dateline. Seems like a pretty big oversight to run the Post story without an update on the situation. Regardless, these elections will mostly serve as window dressing (women may not even be allowed to vote, it's unclear at this point) for one of the least democratic states in the world. Since 9/11, and with all the discussion about oil and geopolitics that's taken place since then, the Saudi royal family has received a lot more attention than I imagine they'd care to attract. Perhaps they're hoping that this "dose of democracy," as the Post calls it, will divert attention away from their special blend of oligarchy and theocracy. It was nice to see today that the State Department has added the kingdom to its list of countries that severely repress religious freedom. I don't doubt that the Bush administration occasionally exerts minimal pressure on the royal family to bring its nation up to at least 17th century standards of freedom, but I also don't think we'll be seeing meaningful democracy in that country for quite a while.

Another one bites the dust

It seems like 50 is to punk rockers what 80 is to the general population. Johnny Ramone just kicked it at 55. While it's true he was that most moronic of oxymorons, the conservative punk, he still managed to be part of one of the most important bands in rock history. So he won't get a pass on his politics here, but you also won't find me writing things like, "well, that's one less bonehead stumping for Bush." I promise.

One more (little) notch in the bullshit belt

It's no secret that the Bush administration a) lies, b) twists and manipulates half-truths with pathological regularity, and c) is generally aided and abetted in this ignoble enterprise by the better part of the media. The folks at 1600 Pennsylvania exist almost entirely in the parallel universe of propaganda, in which up is down, war is peace, and conservatism can be compassionate. In a way, it makes it easy for an observer to determine facts, based on the opposite of what he or she hears. For example, one could do some research into Ariel Sharon's past as a general in the Israeli army, including his complicity in civilian massacres, and his foul treatment of the Palestinians during his tenure as Prime Minister, and conclude that he is a bellicose person. Or, one could skip all that pesky reading and attention to current events and reach the same conclusion upon hearing President Bush declare him a "man of peace." Same goes for the present attempt to gut the tremendously effective Clean Air Act with a piece of legislation benignly titled "Clear Skies." In what will this trojan horse likely result, dear student? Very good! Dirty skies, filthy skies, shit-brown skies - the exact opposite of clear skies. You don't even have to read all that painfully dry bureaucratese, just flip the lingo on its head.

All this is to say that the sentient citizen ought by now to be well aware of the administration's Orwellian m.o., including its biggest public whoppers. But perhaps more amusing are the subtle manipulations of less consequence, one of which I'd like to share with you. Here at the library where I'm employed, we've just received a copy of Public Papers of the Presidents, Book II for 2001, which is obviously Dubya's first year in office. This is a government document published by the Office of the Federal Register. On the title page, opposite a soft-focus smiling headshot of the fucker-in-chief, we are told that this book comprises the president's papers and speeches from July 1 to December 31, 2001. The first entries in July are from the 2nd, and include such rousing content as "Remarks Prior to a Meeting With New Jersey Gubernatorial Candidate Bret Schundler and an Exchange With Reporters" and "Letter to Congressional Leaders Transmitting a Report on the Extension of Normal Trade Relations Status With Belarus." While your heartrate slows to its normal tempo, allow me to point out that these are not the first entries in the volume. There are two that precede them, both dated June 30, 2001. "But wait," you protest, perhaps still winded from the excitement of the Schundler business. "Didn't you tell us that--" and yes, of course, I did. July 31 - December 31. Unambigous. But there they are, two of them, from June 30. Curiously, these stowaway entries touch on a subject of much greater concern, namely the terrorist-coddling theocrats who, at the time, were running the government of Afghanistan. "Letter to Congressional Leaders on Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to the Taliban" states that "[t]he Taliban continues to allow territory under its control in Afghanistan to be used as a safe haven and base of operations for Usama bin Laden and the al-Qaida organization who have committed, and threaten to continue to commit, acts of violence against the United States and its nationals. This situation continues to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States. For these reasons, I have determined that it is necessary to maintain these emergency authorities in force beyond July 4, 2001." Signed, George W. Bush. The second June 30 entry is on the same topic, titled "Letter to Congressional Leaders Transmitting a Report on the National Emergency With Respect to the Taliban."

So, basically, these entries were put at the front of the book, which was published in 2003, for show. After some additional (if egregiously un-methodological) research, which involved walking up a flight of stairs and glancing at three or four other Public Papers of the Presidents volumes, I can say that I didn't see any other case of a volume including text that fell clearly outside its delineated timeframe. I can also say that Book I of Bush's 2001 papers includes entries for June 30, but not the ones about the Taliban. Does this matter? No. Not at all. It is of absolutely no consequence which papers are included in which volume. It does show, however, if you buy my hypothesis, the pervasive nature of the Bushies' manipulative tendencies.

If this doesn't make you shudder...

I linked this piece from the New York Times in the previous post because of its mention of civil lawsuits that either are currently or will soon be pending against the city of New York for its treatment of anti-GOP protesters last week. There is some discussion of the alleged filthy conditions of Pier 57, the primary detention space used by the NYPD. (I say alleged not because I don't believe the protesters who have lodged complaints, but rather because I don't personally have any first- or even second-hand evidence of the situation). Have a look at the last paragraph of the piece:

Norman Seabrook, president of the Correction Officers' Benevolent Association, said that he thought the pier was better than some jails he has seen, and that he would be the first to complain if his officers were working in a poorly maintained facility. "They would not be happy going through Rikers Island," he said, speaking of the protesters. "The rats, the roaches, the mice, the alleged rapes and sodomies. They should count their blessings. Many of the protesters were not from New York City, and they should just go on their way."

How many things are wrong with this statement? Depends how you count, I guess. I would start with the improbable notion that anyone who would utter those words could belong to any sort of "benevolent" association. But really, think about it. First of all is the small-minded and vulgar suggestion that an experience is necessarily benign when compared with the same experience augmented by the presence of vermin and the overt threat of sexual assault. Next is the disturbingly off-hand way in which the good president refers to the deplorable conditions of Rikers Island. And of course, polite society is just shocked, shocked by recidivism. One might be forgiven for thinking that disease and brutality are the quickest path to humane behavior, but it's funny how it doesn't seem to work that way. Then there's Seabrook's notion that prison rape, in Riker's or any similar institution, is only "alleged." If you had been wondering what kind of fucking scumbag could form a sentence like that and be able to sleep at night, I guess you found your answer. And beyond that, to use sexual brutality as a scare tactic to discourage nonviolent political demonstrators is unconscionable. Not that the quote requires further dissection at this point, but it's worth noting how Seabrook ends by implying that all the folks who travelled to New York to protest shouldn't have come in the first place. Unlike, I suppose, all those gun-toting Anglophones currently hanging out in Basra, Najaf, etc.

Turn that frown upside down

Maybe you're down because of the Ossetian school massacre. Perhaps the death of the 1,000th US soldier in Iraq has you blue. Maybe you were one of the 1,800+ people arrested protesting the GOP in New York. Or, possibly, sewage water has invaded your bedroom (ahem). Well, cheer up! M.A. is glad to bring you the Laugh of the Day, courtesy of The Smoking Gun. A conversation with a coworker led me to visit the site for the first time in a while, and there are a couple of gems I felt were worth sharing with you, my broad audience.

Number One: the creators of personalized postage stamps probably didn't expect this, but they shouldn't be surprised.

and

Number Two: a few years late, but still worth seeing . . . the 2001 License Plate of the Year.

And just in case anyone takes the first part of this post the wrong way, I think the school disaster is unspeakably awful; I would like the families of the dead American soldiers to have the opportunity, if they wish, to stone the president and his cabinet; and despite the tribulations of arrestees in the Big Apple, there may yet be some good to come of the city authorities' abuse of civil liberties - a legal counter to their smug thuggery. (The last paragraph of that Times piece requires special attention. See above.)

Katie Couric needs to find another masturbation fantasy

Turns out that Navy SEALs don't always "rock."

Bush accepts nomination, appears to support abortion rights

George W., only hours ago: "And in all we do to improve health care in America, we will make sure that health decisions are made by doctors and patients, not by bureaucrats in Washington, D.C."

In other news, that high-pitched whine you hear coming up out of the ground is Orwell's corpse pulling about 9,000 rpm's.

Pneumothorax

Yeah, I had never heard of it either (till now). Bad times. Although it would make for a sick band name.

Week-long absence = tough luck

That's right: for you, tough luck. And I don't have much to add at the moment.

Great little piece in the Times yesterday that I didn't get around to putting up till now. It's about a handful of restaurant workers, ethnic minorities, who lost many friends and coworkers in the Trade Center attacks, and now find themselves serving hors d'oeuvres to RNC delegates who throw around "September 11th" willy-nilly to justify their ultra-priveleged reactionary politics.