Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Happy to Work on Maggie's Farm

If, as Paul Simon asserts, every generation throws a hero up the pop charts, what does that say about our generation?

For the first time in several years I watched the Grammy Awards from beginning to end, and the next morning bitched to S.B. about the alarming lack of passionate, middle-finger-to-the-establishment protest music emanating from today's youthful musicians.

Apparently, Nick Gillespie of Reason Magazine pondered the exact same thing, concluding in this piece that for the first time in popular music history, our youth—and youthful musicians—are embracing the status quo, rather than rebelling against it.

I don't hear any outrage emanating from the airwaves, that's for sure. No "California Über Alles" for the 21st Century, no NWA, no Clash, no Guns 'n' Roses, no Rage Against the Machine. Hell, we don't even have a Bob Dylan. About ten years ago, Ministry put out a brilliantly raging, anti-George Bush diatribe masquerading as speed metal. But ever since Obama came into office, crickets have done nothing but chirp. Instead, all I hear are over-inflated Pot Tarts screeching different versions of the same old love-gone-wrong laments and belly button lint contemplating guitar slung crooners reveling in the kind of post-teen ennui that involves a lot of pot and mom and dad's basement. For rock music we have, what, Coldplay? Train?

Sure, there has always been pop music, the kind of no-brainer stuff that's simply meant to be catchy. I'm fine with that. I own a lot of ABBA and I think Kelly Clarkson is the bomb. But they are not rock and roll. Rock and roll, by its very nature, is supposed to flip off the establishment, not suck at its teat.

Am I wrong?

1. Yes, you are wrong. Obama has ushered in the Grand Age of Shiny Happy, and because everyone is going to be taken care of, there is no reason to be angry.

2. No, you're not. Obama has ushered in the Age of Dependence, and our youth, instead of seeing authority as something to rebel against, sees it as a means by which they get to pay the rent without getting off the sofa.

3. I have no idea. All I wanna do is dance.

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Fuzzy Math

Gary Johnson's statement regarding the Obamanator's State of the Union Address:

"What we didn’t hear tonight was a President telling the truth about the real state of the Union: that we are broke -- and that he and the Congress are succeeding only in digging us deeper into a financial hole that is, in reality, the single greatest threat to the nation’s well-being.

“Rather, we once again heard the tired argument that the challenges we face can somehow best be met by more government that costs more and taxes more. We’ve tried that. In fact, we’ve tried it so hard and so long that we have a debt totaling more than $90,000 for every worker in America.

“And while he spent an hour laying out a mind-boggling list of things the government should do, from ‘investing’ in infrastructure, technology and energy to helping parents pick the best college for their kids, he assured us his plans will not increase the deficit by ‘a single dime’.

“That is absurd on its face, and could only be based on the same arithmetic that has given us a $16 Trillion debt.

“Once again, we witnessed a great political performance wrapped around promises that shouldn’t be made in the first place, and that we certainly cannot afford to keep.”


'bout sums it up, I'd say. 

Monday, February 11, 2013

Haiku Monday: Business




Libertarian
Creed: Hands off. Ask first. No one’s
business but our own.

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The ever enterprising Czar is hosting this go-round. The theme is broad, the possibilities endless. So give it a thought and a go.

Monday, February 4, 2013

Haiku Monday: String


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-->
In out, out in, OUT!
Faster, higher, clap the beat.
Chinese jump rope rules.

The theme is endless in its possibilities.