The Rock Blogger

This is a great short explaining and critiquing the cycles and consequences of our consumerist economy. Its historical origins, political interests and the dire threats it imposes on our planet our explored clearly and concisely. Entertaining and alarming at the same time. Check out the video and the accompanying website for more valuable information. http://www.storyofstuff.com/

Oooooh Canada…

From the Vancouver Sun :

OTTAWA - The federal government is secretly negotiating an agreement to revamp international copyright laws which could make the information on Canadian iPods, laptop computers or other personal electronic devices illegal and greatly increase the difficulty of travelling with such devices.

The deal could also impose strict regulations on Internet service providers, forcing those companies to hand over customer information without a court order.

Called the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), the new plan would see Canada join other countries, including the United States and members of the European Union, to form an international coalition against copyright infringement.

The agreement is being structured much like the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) except it will create rules and regulations regarding private copying and copyright laws.

Federal trade agreements do not require parliamentary approval.

The deal would create a international regulator that could turn border guards and other public security personnel into copyright police. The security officials would be charged with checking laptops, iPods and even cellular phones for content that "infringes" on copyright laws, such as ripped CDs and movies.

The guards would also be responsible for determining what is infringing content and what is not.

Outrageous. No wonder this has been shrouded in so much secrecy. For guards to have to conduct random searches, and hold up security lines at airports and borders over individual songs, is simply ludicrous and unconstitutional. Unless the Conservatives want to table this against an irate Supremes Court, and create a legal black hole for what is likely to be millions of Canadians, our country should take no part in this anti-democratic mess, no matter how many lobbyists and interests groups come pounding at their doors. Our fundamental rights are at stake and Canadians who truly value them can’t remain silent.

More on his as it develops.

While I was never the greatest fan of Marilyn Manson’s music, he really comes off as a well spoken and intelligent artist in this interview. I couldn’t think of a greater contrast to O’Reilly’s self-righteous, blustering manner. To be fair though, O’Reilly keeps his infamous temper in check and is courteous to his guest. I do find it funny that O’Reilly challenges Manson on his use of profanity in his lyrics, considering his own previous outbursts…

Amebix . Arise . 1984. 4 stars .

(Note to readers: this started out as a conventional review but soon became a rant about politics and punk music. Please bear with me).

What a difference 24 years make. Since the heyday of Amebix, the UK’s famed anarchistic, squat dwelling crust punks , punk music has been filtered and manufactured into easily digestible soma tablets for the kiddies to swallow, filling big chain record stores and malls with self-absorbed twats who don’t know what real music is.

What a bloody shame.
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The classic documentary from the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) that explores Noam Chomsky’s ideas about propaganda and the media. While the film is quite long, stretching over 160 minutes, it is one of the most comprehensive and provocative studies of corporate power and democratic deficit ever made.

The film also sheds light on some of the more heated controversies surrounding Chomsky and shows some intense opposition to his criticisms. Whatever your political views, this is essential viewing.

From the film “Distant Drummer: Flowers of Darkness” (1972) by Airlie Productions. Follows the history of opium and gauges the impact of heroin use on the modern world. A dated but otherwise fascinating documentary.

This video was taken from Matthew Good’s 2006 acoustic tour. Israel’s incursion into Lebanon to fight Hezbollah was going on at the time, which explains Matt’s political spiel at the beginning. An interesting song, it exists only in demo form and has yet to appear on any studio release. Here’s hoping. What do you guys think of this song? These are the lyrics in case you can’t make them out.

The Saudis are ever our friends and our allies
The President smokes cigars with their Princes on his lanai
And across the street a mother sleeps with her babys ghost
Wrapped in pink and spotlights

If I was a tidal wave well you know that Id
Rise up and crash your castle gate and leave you high and dry
Disappear you down this trail of busted years to ride the rails and goodbyes

Well my name is propaganda
And my mamas pain is propaganda
If I was a tidal wave
Id let the Union fall
Ya if I was a tidal wave
Id be first against the wall

Back in 1980 Mayor Young he sent the key
To the city of Detroit to praise the best of enemies
Who shook hands with devil, now he runs the DOD
And spends lives

If I was a tidal wave well you know that Id
Rise up and crash your castle gate and leave you high and dry
Disappear you down this trail of busted years to ride the rails and goodbyes

If I was a tidal wave
From coast to coast Id scream
If I was a tidal wave
Id wash this whole place clean

This is a beautiful video tribute to the late comedian/philosopher Bill Hicks and his take on “The War on Drugs”. I think the song on the soundtrack is a remixed Godspeed You Black Emperor track, but I could be wrong. Anyways, the animation and editing in this is hypnotic. Take a look.

“Today, a young man on acid realized that all matter is merely energy condensed to a slow vibration … that we are all one consciousness experiencing itself subjectively. There’s no such thing as death, life is only a dream, and we’re the imagination of ourselves. Here’s Tom with the weather.”

Bob Dylan The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan 1963. 5 Stars.

Everything has already been said about this man and his work. Like the greatest music legends of the 20th Century, Bob Dylan is just as much a myth as he is a musician, as the recent film I’m Not There will attest.

But there is no mythologizing about the lasting power of Dylan’s powerful song-writing, which in his more poignant efforts, provide stirring social commentary that has spanned decades and generations, making it depressingly obvious that the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Last year, after being caught off guard by “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall”, off the album above, I immediately learned the song’s chords and did my best to memorize its labyrinthine lyrics. Every time I sing this song, I have to take a moment on reflect on its form and contemplative energy, trying to get into get into Dylan’s crackling mindset. I always have this image of a whethered and world-weary figure, exhausted by the multitude of horrors surrounding him, trying to inform the world of the immense costs of our collective actions. Over 40 years later, this screed is still echoing from the mountain.

On the eve of 2008’s first American presidential primary in Iowa, the top-tier candidates are scrambling for a final push at the polls, as both parties see a dead heat race for their respective nominations. Last year saw the meteoric rise of Barack Obama, who has, not surprisingly, attracted many young people to the Democratic party. As reported by Pitchfork, Bright Eyes’ own Conor Oberst performed at an Obama rally on New Year’s Day, which was packed with political neophytes.

“Oberst played a few tunes and addressed those gathered by saying, “I met the next president of the United States earlier today.” The Observer also noted the enthusiasm of “the younger Iowans in attendance.” Let’s hope these youngsters are old enough to vote!”

Besides Oberst (and Oprah or course), Jeff Tweedy of Wilco, and The Cool Kids have also pledged their support for the first term Senator.

While it is certainly refreshing to see a candidate actually inspire young people to vote (miraculous really), the youthful enthusiasm will have to face the fact that most Iowan caucus goers are usually over the age of 50…

We’ll see how Obama’s slew of indie endorsements fare for him tomorrow night…

***Update: Obama kicked some serious caucus.