From: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org (fegmaniax-digest) To: fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Subject: fegmaniax-digest V10 #144 Reply-To: fegmaniax@smoe.org Sender: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk fegmaniax-digest Tuesday, April 24 2001 Volume 10 : Number 144 Today's Subjects: ----------------- RE: peaceful & violent ["Thomas, Ferris" ] Re: Bristol ["Paul Vallis" ] the new lyrics [Bayard Catron ] Detroit Observer Article- march 29, 2001 [Bayard Catron ] Bill Drummond [Tom Clark ] Re: Feel free to ignore [steve ] Re: John Quaindy [steve ] Re: peaceful demonstrators & violent idiots [Christopher Gross ] iwdy covered? [Eclipse ] Re: iwdy covered? [Chris Dumm ] Re: Mr. Kennedy's older than I thought... [enzo ] Re: Feel free to ignore [steve ] Florida Fegs Have All The Fun! [steve ] Robyn played baritone? [Ben ] RE: peaceful demonstrators & violent idiots ["Brian Huddell" ] Worst joke of the week [Traveling Riverside Blues ] Re: Worst joke of the week ["J. Brown" ] What I do when I should be asleep [JH3 ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 23 Apr 2001 18:46:15 -0400 From: "Thomas, Ferris" Subject: RE: peaceful & violent Motherfucking Asshole shouted from the rooftops: >...it's actually so exxon can make oodles of money >stealing oil from the middle east and selling it >to americans. Last time I checked OPEC sold crude oil to the Americans (and any other buyer with money, for that matter.) >but if we all stopped driving...they'd be up shit creek. Amen to that. Or at least amen to ending dependencies on fossil fuels. Getting rid of the Big Three's lobbyists against alternative energy sources is the first step. The second is to coerce someone into mass producing not just fuel cells but regenerative ones, and you'll be onto something. Is it going to happen? Not until it has to. (Personally love the term 'designed obsolescence.' Came about, if I'm right, from the automotive industry who made parts that would intentionally wear out so as to sell new ones. Pure slime, that.) Will I give up driving? Nah. I'd have to give up my job and that would be cutting off my nose to spite my face. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 23 Apr 2001 23:52:54 +0100 From: "Paul Vallis" Subject: Re: Bristol I was at the Bristol gig too, but forgot a pen to note the set list! If anyone else if up for going to the Oxford gig from this area then I would love to go along. I've been to the Zodiac once before (to see Robyn a couple of years ago), and its a pretty good venue. I don't have a car but there is an outside chance I might be able to borrow one. Any takers? Paul - ----- Original Message ----- From: Michael R Godwin To: burning ring of cheese Sent: Monday, April 23, 2001 6:03 PM Subject: Bristol > Bristol Set > > I don't think anyone has posted a full setlist from Bristol, so here's > what I remember, not in order. A lot of new numbers, but regrettably no > Astonomy Domine. Maybe I'll have to go to Oxford after all! > > You'll have to go sideways > Tonight > Queen Of Eyes > Old Pervert > My Mind Is Connected To Your Dreams > Kingdom Of Love > Give me a part of r&r > Only The Stones Remain > Sudden Town > Airscape > Leppo And The Jooves > Insanely Jealous > I Wanna Destroy You > Underwater Moonlight > Sleeping with your devil mask > Bells Of Rhymney > Train Round The Bend > Mr Kennedy > Rock'n'Roll Toilet > > All corrections, revisions, additions welcomed. > > - Mike Godwin ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 23 Apr 2001 15:41:41 -0700 (PDT) From: Bayard Catron Subject: the new lyrics thanks to susan and the lyricsmaniax, we have the new lyrics in a text file here: http://www.bitmine.net/~bayard/robyn/lyrics/lyricsnew.txt Take a look and let me know if you see anything that looks wrong (anything at all... no nit too small.) to subscribe to lyricsmaniax send an email to majordomo@smoe.org with "subscribe lyricsmaniax" in the body. lyricsmaniax is a listserv for figuring out lyrics and finding mistakes in robynbase. (: =b ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 23 Apr 2001 16:21:12 -0700 (PDT) From: Bayard Catron Subject: Detroit Observer Article- march 29, 2001 thanks, Carissa! there is a picture from this article here: http://www.bitmine.net/~bayard/robyn/pictures/detroitobserver.jpg They look pretty sleepy! The Observer & Eccentric/ THURSDAY, March 29, 2001 Together again. Soft Boys reunite, ready to rock BY STEPHANIE ANGELYN CASOLA, STAFF WRITER scasola@oe.homecomm-net Robyn Hitchcock has never gazed at moonlight from underwater. But he thinks he ought to try. Twenty-one years since the release of Underwater Moonlight, Hitchcock has reunited the Soft Boys. Along with the re-release of the album on Matador Records, and a second CD And How It Got There, the Soft Boys are about to return to rock's regular vocabulary. "Basically this tour is a 21st birthday party," said Hitchcock, during a phone interview from his London home. "It is probably the best record the Soft Boys ever did." Releasing the record worldwide proved difficult, according to bassist Matthew Seligman. Matador came along. "They seem to be really into what they do," said Seligman. "We just kind of said yes. [Sick of shadows] Underwater Moonlight, a popinfluenced punk album filled with imagery, seemed unusual for the state of music in 1980. "It was to the side of its time,' said Hitchcock. "It grew out of the '60s and mid to late '70s, the Punk Era. There was a lot of kind of Beatles denial. (Musicians were) sick of the shadow of the Beatles, the Byrds and the Beach Boys, all the people who began with B. That was the music we'd grown up with." Rather than deny those influences, Hitchcock and his bandmates - Kimberley Rew, Morris Windsor and Matthew Seligman - embraced them. For Hitchcock, the album represents "the first time I really started to write good songs." Though he'd been writing for years with friends at art school, it wasn't until the late '70s with the Soft Boys that Hitchcock found he truly had something to say. Those words came in the form of Queen of Eyes and I Wanna Destroy You, songs like Insanely Jealous. For Seligman, the album represents his first try at recording. "We were quite a poor band," he said, reflecting. "Simple would have to be the word." The album was written and recorded rather quickly, during sessions in June 1979 and again after young bassist Matthew Seligman replaced Andy Metcalf [sic] in March 1980. The Soft Boys didn't have much money. They took to recording in a boathouse in Cambridge. Those sessions are roughly documented on And How It Got There. It's an auditory glimpse into the mindset that created songs that have stood the test of time. "We were working on more complex, bluesy stuff. Insanely Jealous, Underwater Moonlight, the words hadn't congealed," said Hitchcock. Seligman laughed and said he's glad the extra CD is free. "There is some weird bass playing," he said. "I kind of wonder what I was on." For Hitchcock, it incites memories of what it was like to write those songs. "I'd be basically staring at something out on the water, staring at a beam of light," he said. That hypnotic state served him well. "Once someone threw a bicycle into the river. It still had a light on. The light shined up through the water from this sort of drowned bicycle. [A vision] Such a scene might have been an inspiration for Underwater Moonlight, said Hitchcock, He's not sure. "I just had this vision of Underwater Moonlight. I might even have heard the title before. ... I imagined these two people going out for a row, two lovers, and then their boat is intercepted by a huge sea creature. Two statues appear where the lovers stood. I remember writing it, but I don't remember then what I was feeling." By the time Seligman joined on, the band had moved to London from Cambridge and had begun rehearsing at another space near Waterloo. "We were definitely trying to be a punk band when we recorded I Wan Destroy You," he said. Seligman remembers it as an exciting time. "I think I was very committed. I was very happy that I made this record. I'd never been to America before." Underwater Moonlight brought him to New York for the first time. The Soft Boys have rehearsed a few times since last July. Most of its members remained in music through the years, working together or keeping in touch in some form. Rew's band the Waves, became Katrina and the Waves and hit with Walking on Sunshine. Seligman spent some time as a barrister. "I think he just needed a break," said Hitchcock. But he also played early on with the Thompson Twins, Thomas Dolby before they became household names. He even shared the stage with his personal idol, David Bowie. "When you play with someone like Bowie," Seligman said, "it sort of ends your career." He worked as a session musician until the early 1990s. When the Boys finally came back together, Hitchcock said, it sounded surprisingly good. "I think Insanely Jealous is the best song," said Hitchcock. "I've never written anything better than that." There is a strong contrast between the band today and the low-fi wails on Underwater Moonlight. "The edges are much smoother, even if the music is the same," said Hitchcock. Seligman agreed, noting that it's strange to hear it so well-played. "We never played to an audience," he said in a modest, teasing tone, "We always played to empty rooms." When the Soft Boys hit Detroit tonight, the room will be full. The band plan to record the show and broadcast on the Web. "It really matters there," said Hitchcock. "The Soft Boys gotta make a live album in Detroit." Seligman too is looking forward to the show. "If its good, everyone will be in a state of shock, including the band," he said. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 23 Apr 2001 16:57:44 -0700 From: "Natalie Jacobs" Subject: Re: fegmaniax-digest V10 #143 >And from Natalie J.: Whereas one of the most important >reasons the Columbine killers did what they did was just that - >to become famous. And in that respect, they succeeded. EXACTLY. They ARE famous now - as is Mark David Chapman - REGARDLESS of whether we superstitiously refuse to mention their names. You know what? I can't *remember* the names of the Columbine kids - yet somehow or other, I still remember what they did! Weird, huh?? I will argue vigorously that this whole "ooh, don't mention their names" practice stems from the fact that John Lennon is considered by some to be a heavenly saint (rather than a talented fellow from Liverpool), and that the name of the dastard who dared to violate his holy body must be eradicated from the earth. >Ignoring the latter group does NOT >mean "forgetting" the former group or anything they did; it's two >completely different things! I don't think acts of evil should be ignored. I understand concerns about copycat killers and so forth, but it seems to me that ignoring killers - big or small - is ultimately just putting your head in the sand and hoping it won't happen again, without actually having to *do* anything that might prevent any recurrences. gnat "Jehovah! Jehovah! Jehovah!" the gnatster _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 23 Apr 2001 17:10:31 -0700 (PDT) From: Capuchin Subject: RE: peaceful & violent On Mon, 23 Apr 2001, Thomas, Ferris wrote: > >but if we all stopped driving...they'd be up shit creek. > > Amen to that. Or at least amen to ending dependencies on fossil fuels. Ahem. That's not going to cut it. Energy is energy. And when you're talking about moving your self, whatever cargo you think you need for the trip AND a vehicle designed to travel high speeds and survive impact, etc, you're talking about more energy than any individual should really feel they have the right to use at their discretion. Public transportation and human powered transportation are the way to go. Public transportation divides the energy of moving the vehicle by the number of passengers it moves and protects. Human powered transportation is inherently limited in energy consumption. > Getting rid of the Big Three's lobbyists against alternative energy > sources is the first step. I don't really think this exists anymore. The oil companies are doing all the market control. And, of course, the energy companies know they need to move from fossil fuels but aren't going to do it until the governments are willing to pick up the whole tab for the changeover. > The second is to coerce someone into mass producing not just fuel > cells but regenerative ones, and you'll be onto something. Well, break out the chemistry set, kiddo, and get cracking. > Is it going to happen? Not until it has to. It has to happen right now. The energy crisis has begun. Look around. > Will I give up driving? Nah. I'd have to give up my job and that > would be cutting off my nose to spite my face. Your job is more important than the environment? The money you're making today and the fun you have at work, etc., is more important than the long term survival of our planet and the cancers and asthma being caused and exacerbated by air pollution? That's one hell of a job. And anyway, it's a fucking cop out. I don't know any place of work that isn't within five miles of residential areas... unless, of course, you're in the forest service or work on strip mines. What you're really saying is that you want to keep your current home AND your current job... and you wouldn't've voluntarily taken them at the same time if it weren't for the car culture. And don't the busses take bikes where you live? J. - -- _______________________________________________ Capuchin capuchin@bitmine.net Jeme A Brelin ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 23 Apr 2001 17:27:49 -0700 From: Tom Clark Subject: Bill Drummond While listening to Cope's "Fried" today I was compelled to look up the name Bill Drummond ("Bill Drummond Said"). His bio states that he produced and managed Teardrop Explodes and Echo & The Bunnymen back in the day and then put out his own album in 1989 called "The Man". I'd be curious to hear from anybody who's heard this and has an opinion. Laughing Boy, - -tc ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 23 Apr 2001 20:08:26 -0500 From: steve Subject: Re: Feel free to ignore On Monday, April 23, 2001, at 12:44 PM, Tom Clark wrote: > Assorted feg-bretheren have expressed an interest in my life post-Apple. What I want to know is how "Rearden Steel Technologies" = hardware and software products for the consumer marketplace. Is this some obscure reference? Does sound better than Genuity - Steve __________ Is this thing on? Sent via OS X Mail. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 23 Apr 2001 20:34:23 -0500 From: steve Subject: Re: John Quaindy On Monday, April 23, 2001, at 02:14 PM, Motherfucking Asshole wrote: > saw Last Crusade on the day it opened, and once again a week later; and > haven't seen it since. can't remember much about it. That's the one with the scheming bitch, as opposed to the one with the screaming idiot. If they do pull off #4, please let Spielberg make up with Karen Allen! - - Steve __________ Is this thing on? Sent via OS X Mail. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 23 Apr 2001 21:41:25 -0400 (EDT) From: Christopher Gross Subject: Re: peaceful demonstrators & violent idiots On Mon, 23 Apr 2001, Capuchin wrote: > Personally, I demonstrated (as much as it was) in Portland to raise public > awareness, but realize that public opposition, even public OUTRAGE doesn't > make one lick of difference here. Not true, at least in theory. If there was *enough* public outrage, in the next couple of election cycles an anti-FTAA government would be elected that would pull the US out of it. True, this is very unlikely, but it's certainly *possible*. More important (because more likely), enough public opposition can put pressure on the member governments to modify the agreement and put pressure on businesses to behave themselves. Sure, this kind of pressure isn't as much power as you might like to have, but it is still a real form of power and should not be scorned. > Action in Quebec City should have been to stop the conference by any means > necessary. Whenever I hear the phrase "by any means necessary," I reach for my ... well, I don't reach for anything, but I groan a little. In this case, violence could not possibly be considered a "necessary means" because, while it could possibly stop the conference, that would not achieve the ostensible larger goals of the demonstators. Even if our heroic black-clad youth had burst into the conference and killed all the delegates, it wouldn't have stopped the FTAA. The ONLY thing that can stop or modify the FTAA is public pressure, as expressed democratically at the ballot box, in boycotts of misbehaving companies, etc. Violence alienates large segments of the public, reducing this public pressure. > Many > delegates didn't even show up and the treaty was adopted as it was written > before the conference by the only first world nations in the Western > Hemisphere (and therefore the only ones that matter). Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think they adopted any treaty at all, just a statement of intent. Their idea is to have the treaty finished by 2005. > At no point will it matter whether or not the people of the United States > are "aware of the problems" because they don't have a viable alternative > to the raping and pillaging done by the multinational corporations. So what you're saying is it's inevitable, there's nothing to be done, your own opposition is hopeless, and we should all just sit down and weep and do nothing. Interesting; I thought you actually advocated activity of some sort. It's also interesting that you're willing to accept violence even though the cause is hopeless. > So, most people have no choice but to patronize the large > corporations. The large corporations continue to siphon resources out of > communities and into the hands of the few. And control of the resources > means power over the politicians. VOTES are the true power anyone has over politicians. Politicians follow the money because it buys votes. (If they wanted money for its own sake, there are far easier and surer ways to get it.) Anything else that can sway people's votes is also a form of power over politicians -- and that includes peaceful demonstrations, canvassing, handing out leaflets in front of the supermarket, spray-painting "Nader's Soy Bomb" on Eb and throwing him onstage with Bob Dylan, etc. It might not be as much power as Exxon has, but it is still real power and you should consider using it. > The violent protestors proved several things for us: Government is no > longer of or for the pople, it is armed against them and fears them. How did it "prove" that? In my humble opinion, ANY democratic government should be armed and afraid (or at least wary) of violent people. People who advocate their political points by smashing and burning and chucking rocks have no place in a democratic polity. > The > talks were clearly a show because the treaty was adopted en toto, even > though the talks didn't really take place. Again, the treaty hasn't been adopted or even finished yet. What's all this about the talks not really taking place? Several people have mentioned this. Any sources? My arm hurts so I'll stop now. - --Chris np: Ozzy Osbourne and Miss Piggy, "Born to Be Wild" ______________________________________________________________________ Christopher Gross On the Internet, nobody knows I'm a dog. chrisg@gwu.edu ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 23 Apr 2001 18:53:01 -0700 From: Tom Clark Subject: Re: Feel free to ignore on 4/23/01 6:08 PM, steve at steveschiavo@mac.com wrote: > What I want to know is how "Rearden Steel Technologies" = hardware and > software products for the consumer marketplace. Is this some obscure > reference? > Steve (Perlman, that is. Why do I always work for Steve's?) has publicly stated that he thought it would be cool to name a "New Economy" company with an "Old Economy" name. I've got to admit though, it gets purty damn hot down here with all those forges going!! "The torture never stops..." > Does sound better than Genuity - Eeeeew! - -tc ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 23 Apr 2001 19:07:20 -0700 (PDT) From: Eclipse Subject: iwdy covered? just happened to tune into VH1's '25 Years Of Punk' show, and going into a commercial break just after a bit about the Sex Pistols, i hear 'I Wanna Destroy You', but not by our beloved boys. is there a punk band known for covering this song? i am intrigued .. curiously, Eclipse - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Eclipse | eclipse@best.com If this is not what you expected, please alter your expectations. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 23 Apr 2001 19:23:55 -0700 (PDT) From: Chris Dumm Subject: Re: iwdy covered? The Circle Jerks Did it with Debbie Gibson on Back-ups. CD - --- Eclipse wrote: > just happened to tune into VH1's '25 Years Of Punk' > show, and going into a > commercial break just after a bit about the Sex > Pistols, i hear 'I Wanna > Destroy You', but not by our beloved boys. is there > a punk band known for > covering this song? i am intrigued .. > > curiously, > > Eclipse > > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - > Eclipse | eclipse@best.com > > If this is not what you expected, please alter your expectations. Yahoo! Auctions - buy the things you want at great prices http://auctions.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 23 Apr 2001 22:25:36 -0400 From: enzo Subject: Re: Mr. Kennedy's older than I thought... when we last left our heroes, Disinformant exclaimed: >Don't know if anyone's mentioned this, but I was just surfing through (and >downloading like a rabid wombat) the UK FTP site posted a few days ago. >What did I stumbe across but a version Mr. Kennedy from the RH/Grant Lee >Phillips show at Maxwell's back in October of 2000. I had no idea the song >was that old... you haven't been paying attention then, young ferris. tak tak. i posted the lyrics for the version performed at maxwell's last autumn and reposted the setlist when i uploaded the mp3s to the kind dr. halewood's ftp server. >It's a nice version of the song, as well. Sniffs of a soundboard, as well. >Anyone know for sure? yep. the mp3s at unidec came from a soundboard recording. well, except for the first few songs which were free air recordings since there was some confusion about whether or not board access was available. woj n.p. pens and caps in overtime (sorry, i have to give the stanley cup the excitement edge over the ncaa basketball championship) ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 23 Apr 2001 21:48:09 -0500 From: steve Subject: Re: Feel free to ignore On Monday, April 23, 2001, at 08:53 PM, Tom Clark wrote: > Steve (Perlman, that is. Why do I always work for Steve's?) has publicly > stated that he thought it would be cool to name a "New Economy" company > with > an "Old Economy" name. I've got to admit though, it gets purty damn hot > down here with all those forges going!! "The torture never stops..." Well then, tell him he should have called it the Ben Crawley Steel Company! - - Steve __________ Is this thing on? Sent via OS X Mail. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 23 Apr 2001 21:56:42 -0500 From: steve Subject: Florida Fegs Have All The Fun! http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/legislature/search/sfl- flibrary19apr19.story - - Steve __________ Is this thing on? Sent via OS X Mail. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 23 Apr 2001 22:58:11 -0400 From: Ben Subject: Robyn played baritone? http://www.underwatermoonlight.com/large_images/africa.html ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 24 Apr 2001 00:19:20 -0500 From: "Brian Huddell" Subject: RE: peaceful demonstrators & violent idiots Jeme: > The violent protestors proved several things for us: Government is no > longer of or for the pople, it is armed against them and fears them. Christopher Gross: > How did it "prove" that? In my humble opinion, ANY democratic government > should be armed and afraid (or at least wary) of violent people. People > who advocate their political points by smashing and burning and chucking > rocks have no place in a democratic polity. I agree. What about people who use violence (or vandalism, or whatever) to advocate "bad" political positions, positions that Jeme disagrees with? What if the tactics employed in Quebec City were used to effectively derail, say, an international conference on global warming, one that Jeme personally believes has the potential to improve emissions standards worldwide, a conference about which Jeme isn't the least bit cynical? But a grassroots smashing and burning and rock throwing campaign succeeds, and an opportunity to accomplish something important is lost. The behavior already has the endorsement of Jeme and a few others on this list, so it would be disingenuous to criticize the behavior. "Yes, they used the correct approach, and you gotta hand it to them, they sure know how to bust up a conference. Too bad they're on the wrong side." But you'd have to be pissed about something, and since it can't be the behavior I suppose that just leaves the fact that all these people disagree with you. Smashing and burning and rock throwing, then, are only cool if the people who do it are *right*. Problem with that is, I'm an idiot with a kid and a house, and because I'm made up of failings and prejudices and doubts, I'm not always right. I'm frightened of violence, even the kind where nobody is supposed to get hurt. And since I'm just as likely to be on the "wrong" side of a bunch of people who are willing to tear up shit to make a point, as I am to be on the "right" side, I'm a bit uneasy with the notion that it's okay for the "right" people to tear up shit. Fear aside, I'm fucking tired of living in a world whose destiny is controlled by those most willing and/or equipped to apply force, and I reject the idea that the violence of governments and corporations is most effectively answered in kind. Does anyone think direct action of the variety seen in Quebec City is going to make government any *less* anxious to arm itself against the people? +brian ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 23 Apr 2001 22:41:14 -0700 From: Glen Uber Subject: Robyn played bass; Mama sang tenor on 4/23/01 7:58 PM, Ben wrote: > http://www.underwatermoonlight.com/large_images/africa.html > It looks to be a Danelectro Longhorn bass. It has only 4-strings and is tuned as a standard bass (E-A-D-G). The photo was probably taken while Robyn was playing the "rhythm" bass part on "Insanely Jealous". Note Matthew playing his Fender Jazz Bass in the background. I think that David St. Hubbins, Nigel Tufnel and Derek Smalls may have been trying to out-do the Soft Boys when they featured *3* basses (including Derek's 8/4 double-neck) on "Big Bottom". Cheers! - -g- "Jazz is a series of mistakes without the 'oops'." --Nigel Tufnel ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 23 Apr 2001 23:18:41 -0700 From: Traveling Riverside Blues Subject: Worst joke of the week Worst joke of the week: "Joey Ramone Passes Away A-Hey A-Hey" - -Headline from The Onion news weekly ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 24 Apr 2001 00:52:41 -0600 From: HAL Subject: Re: Worst joke of the week Traveling Riverside Blues wrote: > > Worst joke of the week: > > "Joey Ramone Passes Away A-Hey A-Hey" No - that's the Worst Joke of *last* week (along with the Gabba-Gabba-Hey-Spin-Cover-Plug "shrine" erected in front of CBGB). The Worst Punk Rock Joke of *this* week was Monday nights appearance of Billy Idol (looking like a wax figure and doing that ol' standard "Rebel Yell") on Letterman. And you thought hippie nostalgia was bad..! /hal ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 23 Apr 2001 23:59:10 -0700 (PDT) From: "J. Brown" Subject: Re: Worst joke of the week On Tue, 24 Apr 2001, HAL wrote: > Traveling Riverside Blues wrote: > > > > Worst joke of the week: > > > > "Joey Ramone Passes Away A-Hey A-Hey" > > No - that's the Worst Joke of *last* week (along with the > Gabba-Gabba-Hey-Spin-Cover-Plug "shrine" erected in front of CBGB). The > Worst Punk Rock Joke of *this* week was Monday nights appearance of > Billy Idol (looking like a wax figure and doing that ol' standard "Rebel > Yell") on Letterman. And you thought hippie nostalgia was bad..! Billy Idol is not Punk nostalgia. He's 80's nostalgia. Punk Nostalgia is the Pistols tour in 97. Jason Wilson Brown - University of Washington - Seattle, WA "Put your faith in death because it's free" -Robyn Hitchcock ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 24 Apr 2001 01:59:58 -0500 From: JH3 Subject: What I do when I should be asleep >>Whereas one of the most important >>reasons the Columbine killers did what they did was just that - >>to become famous. And in that respect, they succeeded. >EXACTLY. Uh-oh, I think somebody's finally figured out my technique for trying to win arguments on the Internet... >They ARE famous now - as is Mark David Chapman - REGARDLESS >of whether we superstitiously refuse to mention their names. You >know what? I can't *remember* the names of the Columbine kids - >yet somehow or other, I still remember what they did! Weird, huh?? DAMN! Two juxtaposed statements that seemingly contradict each other! Shit, she HAS figured it out! (Btw, what's "superstitious" about it? Is there something mystical or supernatural about simple cause and effect? Besides, there's a lot more to it than just refusing to mention their names. That's the easy part.) >I will argue vigorously that this whole "ooh, don't mention their names" >practice stems from the fact that John Lennon is considered by some to >be a heavenly saint (rather than a talented fellow from Liverpool), and >that the name of the dastard who dared to violate his holy body must >be eradicated from the earth. Yeah, and WHO was it that got on my case about my belief that the Beatles weren't as good as XTC? Besides, just because someone is smug and self-righteous or has a penchant for excessively glorifying cultural figures doesn't mean he or she can't have a good idea once in a while. And jeez, next you'll be telling us the Beatles were better than *Robyn Hitchcock*! AS IF! >I don't think acts of evil should be ignored. I understand concerns about >copycat killers and so forth, but it seems to me that ignoring killers - big >or small - is ultimately just putting your head in the sand and hoping it >won't happen again, without actually having to *do* anything that might >prevent any recurrences. Ignoring the killers (and note that I'm not suggesting we *ignore* them, merely refrain from psychoanalyzing them endlessly in the media) doesn't mean you have to ignore the actual acts of evil, does it? Or their effects? Try looking at it from the opposite perspective. Why would you even *want* to know intimate details about the perpetrators of a mass murder? Just so you can "understand" their "motives"? Ultimately that's just a way of alleviating your (quite justifiable) fear that your next-door neighbor's teenage son is going to walk into your house one day and blow you away, isn't it? Why bother? It won't work. What's more, all the attention makes it impossible for them (and their victims, natch) to get a fair trial. And what exactly are people supposed to "do" to prevent recurrences? Spy on their neighbors like it's some sort of George Orwell novel? Offer to teach parents how to "raise their children correctly"? Throw people in prison for "making threats" when 99.99% of them are just blowing off steam? Boycott "violent" movies and video games? Not have kids, on the off chance that their pathological neuroses as parents might have a negative effect on their offspring's personality traits? I'm always open to suggestions! John "you think this is bad, wait'll you hear me go on about the electoral college" Hedges ------------------------------ End of fegmaniax-digest V10 #144 ********************************