2.2.2002
2.1.2002
Can you say “convergence”, multiple phenomena, layers of irony and pop culture that make a Napoleon look like Flatland? It’s Nirvana meets Destiny’s Child. Apologies if this is old news to some of the hipper readers, but I just can’t get over it. I’d like to hear the parts flipped, too. (Requires QuickTime, link from A Frog in the Valley)
"One of the most important releases this year, Jewlia Eisenberg's radical setting of texts by Walter Benjamin, Asja Lacis and Gershom Sholem point to a whole new style of acappela vocal music. Drawing upon traditions from doo-wop to Meredith Monk. Eskimo throat singing, to Hebrew cantilation and more, Trilectic is as charming as it is challenging. A brilliant vocalist and bandleader (Charming Hostess) Jewlia has studied a wide variety of vocal techniques, including the secular vocal music of women in the Jewish Falasha tribe in Ethiopia. An astonishing solo debut by this intensely creative musical thinker."
Mike - let me know if these are innapropriate. I don't plan to do them often, and thought they might be of interest.
In response to the report that Elton John was attending the WEF, Emily wrote:
The NYT was reporting this morning that a musician known as "Peter B. Gabriel" was in attendance. Is there some secondary agenda that we don't know about? And where on earth is Bono?
To which Chris replied:
Notice that in the Times article, "Mr. Gabriel" is referred to in a rather non-committal fashion. His liberal politics aside, he's probably checked into the Waldorf as an attendee, not lined up alongside the protesters outside. (I'm less suprised by Elton's attendance; whatever his politics -- and given all the AIDS and pro-gay work, it's probably unimpeachable -- he generally doesn't give a shit anymore; cf. playing with gay-basher Eminem at last year's Grammys.)
Anyway, to answer the rhetorical question, that's probably why Bono's not attending this thing, on either side. Or very many older, respectable left-leaning celebrity types, for that matter (Springsteen, Sting, David Crosby, etc.). Unless they've based their identities around anti-corporate protest, like Rage Against the Machine (those Sony-recording hypocrites), there's little upside for them in protesting, and not much upside in attending. Gabriel, who hasn't released an album in 10 years and is therefore in a publicity vacuum, will probably receive some unwanted attention by attending the WEF as a guest, even if his intention is to whisper in some leaders' ears about hunger relief or some-such.
The fact is, most musicians/celebrities, even formerly very lefty ones, are getting pretty pragmatic about their causes nowadays. Bono hobnobbed with none other than Jesse Helms in 2000 when stumping for his global debt-relief project, and not only didn't it hurt his cause, it actually seemed to get him some positive press from a normally cynical media. But anyway, that whole debt-rleif thing is another can of worms -- don't get my consulting manager's office-mate (who I think is fairly progressive, politically) started on how badly Bono fucked up the economies of the debt-forgiven countries by making it unlikely anyone will ever lend them money again.
-- CMM
A Life in Pieces, by Blake Eskin (Norton; $25.95). This is ostensibly a retelling of the story of Binjamin Wilkomirski, the Swiss musician who deceived the world with a wholly invented "memoir" of a childhood destroyed by the Holocaust. But, while Eskin offers a fascinating portrait of Wilkomirski in all his piteous self-delusion, the real importance of his book lies in its critical look at the broader so- cial and historical forces that allowed his hoax to flourish, including the recovered-memory movement, the community of Jewish child survivors, the intricacies of Switzerland's relationship with Nazi Germany, and the seemingly irresistible trend toward the sentimentalization of the Holocaust. After meeting Wilkomirski (before his unmasking), Eskin embarked on a quest to discover what had happened to his mother's relatives during the Second World War. In acknowledging his own hunger for some connection to historical catastrophe, he offers a convincing explanation of why people were so eager to be deluded.
1.31.2002
Some stories I've heard recently that just ain't true:
Coincidence Design's rent-a-stalker service? False. (Actually was vaporware -- they've received enough interest in the service, they just might start it up anyway.)
Groom smothered by stripper's breasts? False. (We're going to see more of this sort of thing, now that Yahoo! has the Weekly World News as a news source.)
Cat with its head stuck in garbage disposal? True! (Don't worry, the cat's just fine.)
Did y'all catch the state of the onion? Kudos to W for pushing volunteerism (and good news for my dad and my aunt, both employed by the Nat'l Corp for Community Service) -- lets hope this goes farther than his dad's 1000 points. Beyond the whole axis-of-evil thing (er, how exactly are we going to go to war against Iran, Iraq, and N Korea? Wm. Safire's got a plan, but sadly it does not involve destabilizing their regimes with our superior use of grammar), beyond the tax-cut-while-raising-spending-on-just-about-everything- but-God-help-the-Congress -if-they-think-of-spending-on-anything-not-in-his-budget -- where was New York? Not even a nod to Rudy. What about the promises to help us rebuild? Where's our fucking money? We have a 16-acre mass graveyard that's now a tourist attraction ("Get the camera, Irv! They found a body!"). Let's see -- the feds will start deficit spending (the only option is to put it on plastic). New York is facing its own budget problems -- after you finish paying off 1199, there's not much left, and we're looking at cutbacks here at Project Renewal -- so the net effect will be to screw us over. New York is always a net exporter of taxes -- we give more to the feds than we take in. Unless we receive the promised aid, we'll probably still export taxes (any economists out there want to back me up?). Meaning we foot the bill. Have a nice day.
Oh, and did you catch the moments when he dropped character? That smirk. Like he's in a school play and mugging for mom, or a frat boy who's delivering the valedictorian speech -- "Look at me! I'm the Prez! I'm delivering the State of the Union! Whoo-hoo!"
While I'm ranting on W, did you miss this one? Here's what he had to say about Ken Lay: "He was a supporter of Ann Richards in my run in 1994. And she did name him the head of the Governor's Business Council, and I decided to leave him in place just for the sake of continuity. And that's when I first got to know Ken and worked with Ken, and he supported my candidacy."
This is such a lie that even the National Review and George Will called him on it (although both managed to make it seem like it's somehow Clinton's fault.) Sure, Ken Lay gave money to Ann Richards' campaign in '94: $12,500. But he gave $37,500 to Bush in the same campaign, while Enron kicked in $146,000. This is the same tactic the GOP has taken on Enron from the beginning of the stink -- trying to remind everyone that they gave to the Dems, too. Of course they gave to both sides. Every company gives to both sides. It's called hedging your bets. But for every dollar Lay and Enron gave to the Dems, they gave three to the GOP. Hell, before this whole thing blew up in their face, everyone knew that Lay and Bush were tight. To say that he first "got to know" Ken Lay in 1994 -- what a whopper. The equivalent of "I did not have sexual relations with that woman" -- it's only true if you change what the meaning of "is" is. Here are some more articles on this one, from Bushwatch, the Houston Chronicle and Progressive.org.
The latest in the Ashcroftian Moral Government? Well, there are the $8,000 togas we bought so he wouldn't have to be photographed in front of a nekkid lady statue. One of the Three Toms (Tomorrow, Toles, and Dancing Bug) hit that one on the head with this cartoon. Now we have to worry about calico cats, which are, of course, demonic:
Shortly after becoming Attorney General, John Ashcroft was headed abroad. An advance team showed up at the American embassy in the Hague to check out the digs, saw cats in residence, and got nervous. They were worried there might be a calico cat. No, they were told, no calicos. Visible relief. Their boss, they explained, believes calico cats are signs of the devil. (The advance team also spied a statue of a naked woman in the courtyard and discussed the possibility of its being covered for the visit, though that request was not ultimately made.)
This from Democratic Party treasurer Andrew Tobias, as recently reported by Maureen Dowd.
I'll bet the merry marketers are simply salivating that the Olympics are coming, because now they can use patriotism to sell products without seeming crass. Speaking of which, two "now more than ever" ads I could do without -- the "Subways: Now More Than Ever" posters the MTA has put up, and Randi Weingarten's "Teachers: Now More Than Ever" TV spot for the UFT. Probably no worse than Chevy's "Keep America Rolling" campaign. (Forget about the death of thousands with zero percent financing!)
By the way, why is Elton John going to the WEF? And has Trip seen him yet?
1.30.2002
Only in the Post, only in New York, etc. etc. This is the kind of story that would end up on that god-awful Ally McBeal, prompting me to yell at the TV that such cases never actually reach a judge. Except they apparently do.
CHENEY'S BRIEF APPEARANCE, RETURN TO SECURE LOCATION MAY MEAN SIX MORE WEEKS OF WINTER, EXPERTS SAY
White House Downplays Veep's Influence Over Seasons
Washington, D.C. -- Vice President Dick Cheney emerged from his secure, undisclosed location to make the rounds of the morning news programs this Sunday, but then immediately returned to his hiding place -- indicating that America may be in for six more weeks of winter, according to experts.
While appearing with Tim Russert on NBC's "Meet the Press," observers say, the Vice President seemed distracted, looking over his shoulder repeatedly as if trying to see his own shadow. A review of the broadcast indicates that Vice President Cheney, in fact, appeared to locate his shadow towards the end of the program. He then abruptly concluded the interview, cancelled an appearance with CNN's Wolf Blitzer and returned to his secure, undisclosed location, which is believed to be underground.
Experts were divided as to impact of Cheney's brief appearance and sudden disappearance upon the duration of the current winter season. "You can read anything you want into Cheney seeing his own shadow and going back underground," one Cheney-watcher said. "Yes, it may mean six more weeks of winter, but it may just mean that he's trying to stay as far away from this Enron mess as possible."
At the White House, press secretary Ari Fleischer attempted to downplay the increasingly widespread impression that Vice-President Cheney can influence the seasons. "Vice President Cheney is a respected voice within this Administration, but he does not control the weather," Fleischer told reporters. "Only the President can do that."
But one thing needs to be thrown up here, to wit, the news about the virtual WEF sit-in taking place beginning tomorrow. Check out the Electronic Civil Disobedience’s site for more on what and how.
[NB: You should also check out the somewhat-more-cogently-written rtmark. Hey, they pointed to this cool tool, which generates the path of least surveillance between any two points in Manhattan. Don't you wish Vindigo could do the same?]
1.29.2002
From the Washington Post (by way of MetaFilter,) a thoughtful piece about the future of global capitalism:
The question is: Do we maintain the status quo and hope that the genuine magnificence of the American experience is persuasive to those for whom it is but a remote video image? Or do we recognize the challenges we face? Granted, the specter of communism no longer haunts us. Instead, there are only seeds growing in far-away fields, perverse seeds that thrive when neglected.We must begin by recognizing that the genius of capitalism is not, as Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill suggested recently, that it allows companies to die, but that it continually reinvents itself. Democracy shares this genius. We have made American capitalism work here and other brands of capitalism work elsewhere in the developed world. But we must recognize that we have notcome close to perfecting global capitalism. We must create stakeholders in globalization, in capitalism and in democracy by reforming local systems so that the disenfranchised have access to the capital, education, legal institutions, market efficiencies and other benefits that can only come when the grasp of the elites on limited national assets is loosened and the opportunity to own and build wealth is genuinely offered.
(via prolific.org.)
Update from Trip:
You didn't mention that it's Telnet ASCII art! That's the best part! [NB: OK, you're right. Now I've mentioned it.] That, and that there's no sound, so you can put on whatever you want as background. Though it doesn't sync up perfectly, I put on H�kser D�'s Land Speed Record, a nonstop ultracore live set from '79.
WEF or WTF?
A friend in a building several blocks from the Davos-Astoria got a memo from her company about the upcoming summit. In particular, it’s good to know that:
The New York City Police Department will be enforcing street closings and will be taking other initiatives designed to protect the city against potentially violent disruptions by opponents of the WEF. The NYPD is taking these precautions in order to prevent possible injury and property damage, which unfortunately have taken place at previous demonstrations in other cities.It sounds quite reasonable, but is it not disappointing that “preventing the exercise of democracy” is now synonymous with “taking other initiatives designed to protect the city”? That the assumption is that neither protestors nor police can be trusted to make a distinction between vehement protest, even disruptive protest, and aimless violence?
From public radio station KPCC in Pasadena:
President Bush has a heart arrhythmia called sinus bradycardia that makes him more prone to fainting when he gags or chokes. It's why he passed out January 13 in the highly publicized pretzel incident. . . .
Had the press known that President Bush has sinus bradycardia, and that fainting is a common symptom of bradycardia, the story might have been reported much differently. But the press didn't ask the right question, and the White House didn't volunteer the right answer. Instead, the Bush White House focused on the pretzel, and the press swallowed the story whole.
Those of you who had a good time with the pseudo-EC that was perpetrated for Matt and Jessie’s honeymoon postcard may get a thrill out of a planned 1000-panel comic strip Exquisite Corpse that waferbaby is running. The rest of you will probably just shake your heads slowly.
So for the last few weeks our neighbors Lynn, Colin, Chris, and Rozie have been making plans to see our latest DVD arrival, L'Avventura. Schedules were coordinated, dinner plans made, watches synchronized. Last Wednesday the party gathered, ready to chow down on my guacamole and Lynn's excellent picadillo. Now why eat Mexican food during an Antonioni film? Well it makes perfect sense -- if you think you're about to see Aventurera, the 1950 Mexican cabaretera/musical/melodrama, which they'd seen at Film Forum a number of years back. Somehow watching a "haunting study of contemporary alienation" didn't quite go with the mood, so we went and rented Blow Dry instead. Which turned out to be quite enjoyable, in the tradition of Strictly Ballroom and Best in Show -- big competition, strange subculture, quirky characters. Proving you can make this movie about anything, this time it's British hairdressers and their annual competition. Well written, funny, great cast (incl. Alan Rickman, Natasha Richardson, and Rachel Griffiths) -- a perfect popcorn movie. Goes well with guacamole too.
On a completely unrelated note, I've just finished reading I Thought My Father Was God, a collection of stories edited by Paul Auster. Auster went on NPR and asked people to send in stories -- they had to be true, and they had to be short. The book is a selection of the 4,000+ stories he received. They are, quite simply, amazing. Ranging from heartbreaking to heartwarming to eerie to funny to thoughtful, the stories stay with you. As if you just got off the bus, where the person next to you told you their story ("Here is my story, the story I tell you when I know you well enough.") The good folks at Rain Taxi have a review too. Check it out.
My office is at 50th and Lex, right across the street from the Davos-Astoria, site of the World Economic Forum, scheduled to start in two days. Giving new definition to the word retrograde, the NYPD (remember them? they’re heroes) is planning to enforce an 1845 law that prohibits gathering in groups of three or more and wearing hoods or masks. Can I post bail via Blogger? The Voice has your guide to some of the planned uproar. (Uproar, but not ruckus. They’re officially staying home.)
1.27.2002
"Ms. Gray, an acting coach, whose clients include Mariah Carey and Julianne Nicholson, said she usually has to work for months to develop that mix of confidence and vulnerability in actors. She hesitated, then gave Mr. Bagdade her phone number."
