Category Archives: Interesting Things as of Late

isn’t it all?

Cookie Puss

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Well last night was basically like other nights, but still I write. I took bhikku’s advice and watched American Hardcore and it was better than I expected. There were so many bands from that scene that I had forgotten about. I also forgot that one of the main causes of the hardcore scene was the administration of the Reagan presidency.

It was bad then, but it’s worse now. Where’s the underground response? Where would hardcore be without Ronnie? He was the poster child for most hardcore fliers and adverts. It was a very good documentary, interviews with Keith Morris from Circle Jerks, HR from Bad Brains, Henry Rollins. I forgot about Die Krauzen, I believe they played McSwells at some point. It was a national thing with our Canadian cousins represented by DOA.

As vital as the hardcore scene was, it did eventually succumb to the LCD mentality. One of the talking head was a former roadie for a Boston band called Slapshot. He’s now a Unitarian minister, Reverend Hank Peirce, nee straight edge Hank. He was totally straight edge, and still is apparently. I was straight edge for a few minutes, in the sense of not drinking or doing drugs. Then I started drinking and doing drugs.

Ian MacKaye from Minor Threat was on also, the leader of the straight edge movement, totally earnest with the DIY attitude. I doubt if there are many bands so dedicated to their craft as he was and still is. Don’t know if Fugazi is still operating, but they had the policy of never charging more than $5.00 to their shows. I also found Phil Anselmo has quite a sexy voice. Man he sounded hot. Too bad he was a junkie in Pantera, which isn’t or wasn’t hardcore.

Not much on the Dead Kennedys or Husker Du. They got a mention but no one from those bands were talking, neither were the Beastie Boys who as many people have forgotten, started out as a hardcore band. Henry Rollins, good guy, had some very good things to say, telling his story about leaving a $3.50 an hour job in DC to move to LA and join Black Flag.

Bill came home towards the end and was tired and perplexed by the sounds coming out of the TV. Bunch of white kids jumping off the stage onto each other in the audience, ‘what the fuck’ he must have thought. Luckily, the songs played barely lasted more than a minute and you couldn’t really understand, hence my having the subtitles on. Almost forgot, Brandon Cruz was on. He was in a hardcore band, in fact he replaced Jello Biafra in the Dead Kennedys.

The group I hung out with back in my wild and wooly days gravitated to hardcore, I moved in a different direction. They were listening to the Germs, I was listening to Talking Heads and Run DMC. Eventually we parted ways.

Oh and Moby sang with Flipper for a show or two at some point though the guys in Flipper don’t remember. Oh that Moby. Grrr! And Mike Watt, great guy, he should run for President. No, wait, he’s too cool for that. He’s great and it was good to see him in the video. Everybody loves Mike Watt. I know I do. I heart Mike Watt. Where is today’s hardcore, railing against the system? What? Do I have to do it?

Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong about any of the above, like you needed me to tell you that.

Got A Lot On My Head

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It’s one of those days again. Nothing too bad, everything ok. The news is on and what they’re saying is that gas could go up to $5.00 a gallon by summer’s end. It all seems like this is headed towards the beginning of the Road Warrior. One of my favorite movies. In the prologue, the narrator tells of wars that are fought for oil, the precious fuel leading to the breakdown of society and the rise of gangs and tribes. I hope life isn’t imitating art but as far as gasoline prices it seems to be headed that way. Drama!

Ted Kennedy has a brain tumor and according to the newspapers today he has months to live. I respect Ted Kennedy and I know he is more than a flawed human being. I think the good he has done out weighs the bad. Of course the wing nuts will bring up Mary Jo Kopechne and her tragic death will always be over Ted’s head. I don’t know how her family feels, if her parents are still alive. But that matter is between the Kopechne family and the Kennedy family and no one else, despite the wing nut’s claims otherwise. I wish him well.

Growing up in an Irish Catholic household, the Kennedy family were like royalty. There was a memorial plate hanging in our dining room of John Kennedy which always gave me the creeps. I knew something bad happened to him and thought it morbid to be constantly reminded of it. In the back of my mind I felt a little guilty that he died, like it was my fault. I was nowhere near Dallas that day in November 1963 and in any event I was just a little over a year old.

Work was ok. Two more days of having Lydia around. I’m definitely going to miss her, she’s a sweetie. Tomorrow night is the going out for drinks as a fare the well to her. She’ll be playing tennis out in Southampton this summer at the country club as a tennis pro. I think this might be her last year doing that since she really doesn’t like tennis, she’s only been doing it most of her life.

She plans to move back to Estonia. I have to admit, before I met Lydia I had no idea where Estonia was. She’s a beauty though and could more than likely make it as a model or actress if she wanted. Oh to be 24 and beautiful again. That’s right, I said again. Of course there would be caveats attached, like knowing what I do now as well as a nice amount of lottery numbers to play.

And what about the politics today? Clinton insisting that Florida and Michigan primary votes be counted despite agreeing not to count those votes along with Obama and the DNC since those two states moved their primaries up earlier than they should have. That was one of the things that turned me off of Clinton. It wasn’t that difficult with her husband lurking about being an idiot.

I bought Bat Out of Hell by Meat Loaf in the supermarket tonight. It was $4.99 and it was part of my DNA anyhow. Yes it’s corny but some of the songs are true classics. I’m stunned by how many lyrics I remember and though it’s been played millions of times, Paradise by the Dashboard Light is a brilliant pop song, as is Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad. Great word play, doncha think?

I know it’s no West, Bruce and Laing….


from JoeMyGod