Thursday Q and A

H.L. Mencken
Mr. Mencken, has our recent technological advancements in newsmedia--written press, TV, radio and blogs--produced a more educated and issue-connected electorate?

"When a candidate for public office faces the voters, he does not face men of sense; he faces a mob of men whose chief distinguishing mark is the fact that they are quite incapable of weighing ideas, or even of comprehending any save the most elemental--he faces a mob of men whose whole thinking is done in terms of emotion, and whose dominant emotion is dread of what they cannot understand. So confronted, the candidate must either bark with the pack or be lost...All the odds are on the man who is intrinsically, the most devious and mediocre--the man who can most adeptly disperse the notion that his mind is a virtual vacuum. The Presidency tends, year by year, to go to such men. As democracy is perfected, the office represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. We move toward a lofty ideal. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron." Baltimore Sun, July 26, 1920.

NWerners...

Blogumentary:

is a documentary about blogs from filmmaker / blogger Chuck Olsen. Heads-up to those of us here: The NW premiere will be this Friday in Seattle at U-Dub.

Blogumenary explores the many ways blogs are affecting our media and politics. Personal political writing is the foundation of our democracy, but mass media has made us into passive consumers instead of active citizens. Blogs return us to our roots and reengage us in democracy.

WHEN: Friday, May 13th, 6:00 - 8:00
WHERE: Parrington Hall, Rm 308 on the University of Washington Campus.
EATS: Light refreshments (probably pizza and soft drinks).
REVIEW: Mother Jones Jan/Feb 2005

The Monday Quote

Republican President

Dwight D. Eisenhower (1952)

"Should any political party attempt to abolish social security, unemployment insurance, and eliminate labor laws and farm programs, you would not hear of that party again in our political history. There is a tiny splinter group, of course, that believes that you can do these things. Among them are a few Texas oil millionaires, and an occasional politician or businessman from other areas. Their number is negligible and they are stupid."

Thursday Q and A

Saul Bellow

Mr. Bellow, in the end, was there any sense to be made of such concerted artistic approaches to life such as your own?

"As for types like my own, obscurely motivated by the conviction that our existence was worthless if we didn't make a turning point of it, we were assigned to the humanities: to poetry, philosophy, painting - the nursery games of humankind, which had to be left behind when the age of science began. The humanities would be called upon to choose a wallpaper for the crypt, as the end drew near."

Pierre Moerlen 1952-2005

Avant Music News reports the May 2nd passing of

Pierre Moerlen

of Gong

Bio from Planet Gong
Pierre had a deep musical heritage. Both his parents were music teachers, his father thaught piano and organ at the Strasbourg Conservatory as well as being organist of Strasbourg Cathedral. So naturally was taught to play piano from the age of seven but soon declared a preference for drums. He started with a snare, progressing to a drum kit and then full percussion. In '67 he went to the Conservatory to study percussion under Jean Batigue, leader of the Percussion de Strasbourg group. He graduated in '72 with the Premier Prix du Percussion. It was there that he met Mireille Bauer who graduated in '74 having won the same honour. Benoit Pierre's younger brother also went to the Conservatory, specialising in the vibraphone. Before joining Gong in June '73 Pierre toured accompying the Company Claude Confortes of Grenoble and worked briefly with Gabriel Federow, who went on to Magma.

Mireille guested on 'Angel's Egg' and 'You', Benoit also guests on 'You', but neither of them become full time members till much later.

Recorded 'Expresso II' under the name Gong (to complete the Virgin contract) with Mick Taylor, Alan Holdsworth, Bon Lozaga and Francois Causse guesting. The album was released in N. America as by Pierre Moerlen's Gong. Toured Scandinavia and Germany.

Pierre and Benoit play on several Mike Oldfield sessions, including 'Ommadawn' (Virgin V2043), 'Incantations' (VDT1 01), 'Platinum' (V21 41), 'Crises' (V2262), 'Islands', and the live version of Tubular Bells. Pierre also appeared on 'Iskander' with Supersister (Polydor 2485134) in 1973, 'Desperate Straights' with Slapp Happy/Henry Cow (Virgin V2024), 'Mathematicians Air Display' with Pekka Pohojol a (V2084), 'Vibrarock' with Robert Wood (Polydor 23931 37), on which Mike Howlett also appeared, and Mick Taylor's eponymous solo album (CBS 35076)

Signed to Arista, recorded 'Downwind' in '78 (SPART1080) with Didier Lockwood, Mick Taylor, Terry Oldfield and Stevie Winwood guesting. 'Live' (SPART1130, 1980) was recorded during the Downwind Tour in early '79.

Recorded 'Time is the Key' in summer '79 (SPART 1105) with Peter Lemer (he didn't want to tour) and, guesting: Alan Holdsworth, D. Way, N. Ramsden, J. Kirby. Recorded 'Leave it Open' in March 80 (Lifetime 202 995 320 '81) with Charlie Mariano and Brian Holloway guesting. Toured America and Europe Summer to Winter 1980, then split.

Pierre Moerlen joined the Swedish Band Tribute from 1985 to 1986.

Records: Breaking Barriers '86 and Live '86 The reformed Pierre Moerlen's Gong and recorded Scientology-inspired 'Breakthrough' in Sept '86 with Tribute (Eulenspiegel EULP 1053) '86, and 'Second Wind' (LIDLP 50003) '88. Toured Europe '87 & '88.

When Movie-Press Interviews Go Awry

Steven Spielberg

on "War of the Worlds" and the holocaust

Tom Cruise

on his 20 years in Scientology

SPIEGEL: We visited one of your locations near Los Angeles and were amazed to find a fully staffed tent of the Scientology organization right next to the food tents for the journalists and extras.

Cruise: What were you amazed about?

SPIEGEL: Why do you go so extremely public about your personal convictions?

Cruise: I believe in freedom of speech. I felt honored to have volunteer Scientology ministers on the set. They were helping the crew. When I'm working on a movie, I do anything I can to help the people I'm spending time with. I believe in communication.

SPIEGEL: The tent of a sect at someone's working place still seems somewhat strange to us. Mr. Spielberg, did that tent strike you as unusual?

Spielberg: I saw it as an information tent. No one was compelled to frequent it, but it was available for anybody who had an open mind and was curious about someone else's belief system.

Cruise: The volunteer Scientology ministers were there to help the sick and injured. People on the set appreciated that. I have absolutely nothing against talking about my beliefs. But I do so much more. We live in a world where people are on drugs forever. Where even children get drugged. Where crimes against humanity are so extreme that most people turn away in horror and dismay. Those are the things that I care about. I don't care what someone believes. I don't care what nationality they are. But if someone wants to get off drugs, I can help them. If someone wants to learn how to read, I can help them. If someone doesn't want to be a criminal anymore, I can give them tools that can better their life. You have no idea how many people want to know what Scientology is.

SPIEGEL: Do you see it as your job to recruit new followers for Scientology?

Cruise: I'm a helper. For instance, I myself have helped hundreds of people get off drugs. In Scientology, we have the only successful drug rehabilitation program in the world. It's called Narconon.

SPIEGEL: That's not correct. Yours is never mentioned among the recognized detox programs. Independent experts warn against it because it is rooted in pseudo science.

Cruise: You don't understand what I am saying. It's a statistically proven fact that there is only one successful drug rehabilitation program in the world. Period.

SPIEGEL: With all due respect, we doubt that. Mr. Cruise, you made studio executives, for example from Paramount, tour Scientology's "Celebrity Center" in Hollywood. Are you trying to extend Scientology's influence in Hollywood?

Cruise: I just want to help people. I want everyone to do well.

Spielberg: I often get asked similar questions about my Shoah Foundation. I get asked why I am trying to disseminate my deep belief in creating more tolerance through my foundation's teaching the history of the Holocaust in public schools. I believe that you shouldn't be allowed to attend college without having taken a course in tolerance education. That should be an important part of the social studies curriculum.

SPIEGEL: Mr. Spielberg, are you comparing the educational work of the Shoah Foundation with what Scientology does?

Spielberg: No, I'm not. Tom told you what he believes in, and after that I told you what I believe in. This is not a comparison between the Church of Scientology, the Shoah Foundation and the Holocaust. I was only showing you that some of us in Hollywood have set out to do more than just be actors or directors. Some of us have very personal missions. In Tom's case, it's his church, and in my case, it's the Shoah Foundation, where I'm trying to help other people learn about the mortal dangers of pure hatred.

SPIEGEL: How do you set about doing that?

Spielberg: I think that the only way we're going to teach young people not to kill each other is by showing them the reports by the survivors of the Holocaust -- so that they can tell them in their own words man's inhumanity to man. How they were hated. How they were displaced from their homes. How their families were wiped out and how by some miracle they themselves survived all that.

Cruise: How did the Holocaust start? People are not born to be intolerant of others. People are not born bigots and racists. It is educated into them.

SPIEGEL: Mr. Cruise, as you know, Scientology has been under federal surveillance in Germany. Scientology is not considered a religion there, but rather an exploitative cult with totalitarian tendencies.

Cruise: The surveillance is nothing like as strict anymore. Any you know why? Because the intelligence authorities never found anything. Because there was nothing to find. We've won over 50 court cases in Germany. And it's not true that everyone in Germany supports that line against us. Whenever I go to Germany, I have incredible experiences. I always meet very generous and extraordinary people. A minority wants to hate -- okay.

SPIEGEL: There is a difference between hate and having a critical perspective.

Cruise: For me, it's connected with intolerance.

SPIEGEL: In the past, for example when "Mission: Impossible" (1996) came out, German politicians called for a boycott of your movies. Are you worried that your support for Scientology could hurt your career?

Cruise: Not at all. I've always been very outspoken. I've been a Scientologist for 20 years. If someone is so intolerant that he doesn't want to see a Scientologist in a movie, then he shouldn't go to the movie theater. I don't care. Here in the United States, Scientology is a religion. If some of the politicians in your country don't agree with that, I couldn't care less.

SPIEGEL: Do you think "War of the Worlds" is a religious movie? H.G. Wells praised the wisdom of the creator for creating even bacteria, because in his story the microbes are the ones who finally finish off the aliens. The 1953 movie version even moved the final showdown inside a church.

Spielberg: I think people will either find their personal beliefs confirmed, or they won't. But in particular, they'll be scared and duck under their seat and say afterwards that it was a great experience. We both consciously decided not to end this movie inside a church, a synagogue or a mosque.

Cruise: It's simply not that kind of story.

SPIEGEL: Mr. Cruise, Mr. Spielberg, thank you very much for this interview.

My Speech to the Mayor of Portland Today

People's Tour of Lentz w/ Tom Potter
In today's MACG action on the Meth-Crisis, I have four minutes to address Mayor Potter, Lentz Neighborhood Leaders and the 200+ assembly:

(after introduction) Thank You.

It was over a year ago when I first heard about a certain “people’s candidate” who was running for mayor, Tom Potter, and what fantastic and creative ideas he had. At the same time, I also heard that he couldn’t win. He couldn’t possibly win an election against the power of Portland politics.

And this, “He can’t win” was instantly appealing to me, not only because of my attraction to anybody who takes-on those wielding power over others, but mainly because I heard that said about me…a lot: Scott’s a great musician, he’s a creative guy and all, but he’ll never beat his drug-addiction. He can’t win.

In my long battle with drug addiction, I was so isolated and so disconnected with any concept of support, any idea of community, that I saw no other way to cope but self-medication. I was out for myself, and I drew my lines in the sand and I survived the best I could.

Today, I stand before you a determined “winner” in recovery precisely because of an intentional participation in community. “You alone can do it, but you can’t do it alone.” And there are a lot of us here that know exactly what O. Herbert Mowrer was talking about. My brothers and sisters in RAP certainly do.

Although you don’t have to be in addiction-recovery to understand this; there are a lot families and people who draw their own lines in the sand every day, and survive on their own the best they can. And a lot of us only connect and participate in community indirectly through technology: computers, cell-phones, and television and because of this, we begin to lose relationship to our own bodies and we begin to lose relationship to our own communities.

And we lose relationship to that guy there at the market. And we lose relationship to neighbors down the street. And we lose relationship to our own civic leaders. And we lose relationship with those around us without jobs and homes, and those around us without hope. And we lose relationship with that meth-addict.

We have more power and hope together in relationship with each other than we have isolated, adrift, on our own.

That’s why we’re here today - to stand together for what we know we need, and for what our community needs. Our community is us; whether or not you live in Lents, or know someone in Lents, or live somewhere else in the Portland Metropolitan area, we all have a huge stake in what happens here...right?

I think we all understand that there isn’t a quick solution to the Meth Crisis. I’ve heard on television and read in newspapers that the Meth-Crisis is out-of-control – again, something we can’t win.

But this morning we are more than 200 people here—more than 200 people!—and we're going to walk together, share our stories, and act together to confront the underlying issues of this crisis that in fact, we can win.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Courage consists in the power of self-recovery”, and in closing, I want to be very clear to those courageous individuals and families who feel hopelessly trapped in the bondage of meth-addiction or condemned meth-houses in neighborhoods: We in MACG stand beside you, in community, in organizing with you in support of your recovery and self-respect, and we stand with you in support of opportunities to prosper and provide for all our families, in support for opportunities to develop and recover through quality education and career training, and in the dignity of affordable home ownership for all of us.

I know together we CAN win: As you did, Mayor Potter, last November, and as I did in my own battle against addiction and isolation. Today we’ll walk and we’ll listen and we will act, and we will take one more step closer to being a healthy community. Together we can win.

new feature: The Thursday Q & A

Albert Camus
"Mr Camus, since you do not believe that people can escape into religion, aren't you afraid that young people today will be led into a dangerous neglect of action?"

"If it were not possible nowadays to live or act without reference to God, then perhaps a very great number of people in the West would be condemned to sterility. Young people know this very well. And if I feel so great a solidarity with so many students, for example, it is because we are all confronted with the same problem, and because I am confident that, like me, they want to solve it by trying to act more effectively and to serve man."

from Lyrical and Critical Essays, p. 347

Detroit Tiger Philosopher

Dimitri Young on Barry Bonds:
“I look at him like Jesus Christ. I’m talking Barry Bonds.
As great as he is, he gets persecuted more and more and more. It’s not fair.”

via Jim Rome

You’re right Dimitri, Barry is a lot like Jesus...except for:

• Jesus’ trainer wasn’t loading him up on steroids.
• Jesus’ head didn’t expand five hat sizes late in his career.
• Jesus never suddenly went from 49 to 73 homeruns.

Don’t think MLB isn’t privately thrilled to hear that Barry's back on crutches. The last thing MLB wants is for Jesus Bonds to run down Hank Aaron.

Sue the Bastards

Tom Waits
Adamantly anti-commercial artist Tom Waits is contemplating legal action over an ad campaign for GM's Opel car line running in Europe's Scandinavian region that reportedly boasts music and a vocal resembling his own. The singer/songwriter learned of the ads through fans who contacted his record label, Anti-, a division of Epitaph.

"In answer to the many queries I have received: No, I did not do the Opel car commercial currently running on TV in Scandinavia," Waits said in a statement. "I have a long-standing policy against my voice or music being used in commercials and I have lawyers over there investigating my options."

Waits has previously fought several advertisers who have aped his distinctively graveled voice and avant-garde style for commercial purposes. Among past infringers are car manufacturers Audi (Spain) and Lancia (Italy) and snack manufacturer Frito-Lay for a SalsaRio Doritos radio spot in the United States.

"If I stole an Opel, Lancia or Audi, put my name on it and resold it, I'd go to jail. But over there they ask, you say 'no,' and they hire impersonators. They profit from the association and I lose -- time, money, and credibility. What's that about?"

Victoriaville 2005

This Year's (Stunning) FIMAV Schedule

Though I'd certainly be excited to see/hear Frith and Braxton, and Lars Holmer (Samla), and Thurston Moore, and Zeena Parkins with Ikue Mori (from DNA), and on and on...I might actually be most excited to see Kid Koala, a huge recent favorite of mine. I love these animated videos --and the songs--Basin Street Blues from "All My Best Friends Are DJ's" and FenderBender from "Carpal Tunnel Syndrome".

One of these years, I'll save up and then shell out the money to make it to Victoriaville.

Hang It and Run Ads

via Freeway Blogger

a good one hung in S.F. on 101 by Portrero Hill (I think)

Sunday Night Trashing of Fundamentalism

John Spong
@ Powell’s Book Store 4.17.5

Five of us went to Powell’s last night to hear the former Episopal Bishop John Spong plug his new book, “The Sins of Scripture” which focuses on “terrible Biblical texts" that have been used over the years to justify such things as overbreeding, the degradation of our environment, racism, sexism, child abuse and anti-Semitism.

We arrived 20 minutes early and found ourselves in the front row. At 7:30, I turned my head and was surprised to see Spong standing right next to me on his way to the podium. He chuckled and said, “So, did you have to pay any money to sit in the front row?” (The lecture was free) followed by his extended hand and introduction to me, “Hi there, I’m John Spong. I’m glad to see you here.”

Spong was a fantastic speaker over the next hour. He described the American fundamentalist-right as, “merely motivated by politics and power-gain”, and hammered those “ignorant and gullible people who attach themselves politically to fundamentalist hot-button topics and then in turn, vote against their own economic interests that would help them make better lives for their own families.”

Among other things in his new book, Spong asserts that Paul was a closeted gay man whose anti-homosexual statements in Biblical text were motivated by little more than his own self-loathing and guilt; that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married; that none of the supernatural events described in the Bible took place--including the resurrection--and that theism itself is a conceptual misunderstanding of God.

”These horrible biblical texts are not the incontrovertible Word of God, but flawed human responses to fear and perceived threats.”

A few of my favorite moments:

• Funny anecdotes about being on Bill O’Reilly’s FOX news program, telling O’Reilly on the air, “I like you Bill, you’re sort of like Rush Limbaugh with perfume.”



• Why the Ten-Commandments shouldn’t be allowed in US courtrooms especially since the last commandment is about men treating their wives (women) as property along with their oxen and asses. “That’ll work well in our modern courts of law,” he sarcastically offered.



• On the repudiation of female preists in certain denominations, (based on a belief of the male image of God) : "If you take away all of the physical similarites between a man and woman - take away the eyes, the nose, take away the liver, the heart, take away the feet, the arms, and on and on...what are you left with? And that's the church's image of God?" (hilarious)



• Crazy “Biblical sins” of the past such as coveting your wife’s mother: “You must first be capable of imagining the sin, and I can’t imagine sleeping with my mother-in-law!”



• “None of us deserve Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, George Bush or Tom DeLay telling us who or what God is. It is unconscionable.”

Saturday's Big Winner:

Afleet Alex
wins at Oaklawn by 8 Lengths

Four weeks after finishing last in the Rebel Stakes, Afleet Alex posted a convincing victory in the Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park. The win stamps the three-year-old as the horse to beat in the upcoming Kentucky Derby.

Afleet Alex was the defeated favorite in the Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn. It was later revealed that the colt had a lung infection which caused the unexpected failure.

Coming into the Arkansas Derby, Afleet Alex was declared healthy by trainer Tim Ritchey and was made the 2-1 morning line favorite. Nine rivals went to the starting gate to see if Afleet Alex was indeed healthy.

Afleet Alex will try to duplicate Smarty Jones in the Kentucky Derby. Smarty Jones won the 2004 Arkansas Derby on his way to winning the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes.

Afleet Alex made his move around the turn for home and took the lead at the top of the stretch. The colt went on to win the Arkansas Derby by eight lengths. Finishing second was Flower Alley followed by Andromeda's Hero and Real Dandy was fourth. Rounding out the order of finish was Greater Good, Canteen, Rush Bay, Wild Desert, Cat Shaker and Batson Challenge.
The time for the 1 1/8 miles was 1:48.80.

Afleet Alex was ridden again by Jeremy Rose after John Velazquez had the mount in the Rebel Stakes. Velazquez was the winning rider in the Blue Grass Stakes and now has a decision to make for the Run for the Roses.