“In this land of competition, the compassion is gone,
yet we ignore the needy and we keep pushin’ on.”
–– Bad Religion

“‘You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’”
–– Luke 18:22

Thanksgiving just ended. Close on its heels was Black Friday, the only day of the year devoted to American consumerism that isn’t an actual holiday. Mass amounts of shoppers, hopeful in the aspiration of saving 40% on whatever crap they lay their hands on (and willing to pull the hair out of anyone who gets in their way), form never-ending lines outside of Walmart, GAP, Best Buy, etc., and shameless propaganda floods the airwaves, television stations, and newspapers, promoting “doorbuster” deals and “hot savings.”

And I was there on the front lines, working for a major sportswear powerhouse, encouraging thousands of crazed shoppers to buy things they didn’t really need. Why? Because I “need the money.”

And I’d be lying if I said I didn’t walk out of work feeling guilty, like I had profited off of the promotion of shallow American consumerism.

After taking the job, my friends and I joked that I had “sold out,” that I was working for the Man and had become another cog in the machine. I sometimes jokingly tell people that my job entails “profiting off of the blood, sweat, and tears of small Vietnamese children, all in the name of consumerism” –– a cynical response that insists that I realize what my job really entails, but (falsely) insinuates that I don’t really have a choice in the matter.

Maybe I have “sold out.” Not as a punk rocker, a lover of counter-culture, or a leftist, but as a follower of Jesus. Because I’ve been thinking a lot about the “un-Christian-ness” of Black Friday.

What about what John the Baptist said? “The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same.”

Shane Claiborne, in his book The Irresistible Revolution, remarks, “We can admire and worship Jesus without doing what he did. We can applaud what he preached and stood for without caring about the same things. We can adore his cross without taking up ours. I had come to see that the great tragedy of the church is not that rich Christians do not care about the poor but that rich Christians do not know the poor.”

But Christians seem to have no problem shelling out wads of cash in order to save money on a new TV that’s just going to break one day anyway.

Meanwhile, world hunger is still a problem.

But it’s okay . . . we’ll help the widows and orphans when GAP isn’t having hot deals on sweaters.

What if those of us who work in retail told our bosses that we couldn’t work Black Friday because it was against our religion? Why is it okay to vehemently demand that as Christians we get Sundays off, but accept the fact that we need to work Black Friday?

What if Jesus actually meant everything he said?

Nah. That would be crazy.

It’s that time of year again when people forgo their usual sarcasms and recognize the good things in life. I know there is a lot to be sarcastic about these days and, if you watch entertainment news or The Soup, you know what I’m talking about. But there are many things to be thankful for such as good music. So, here are ten things that I’m thankful for (all music related of course): 

10. Drum Off 09: I’m thankful that there are corporations such as Guitar Center that still the value quality music, hosting events like this featuring the best drummers like Danny Carey from Tool and Brian Dailor from Mastodon.

9. Webcasts: I’m thankful for webcasts that bring festivals like Coachella and KROQ’s Almost Acoustic Christmas to my computer every year when I can’t be there in person.

8. The Beastie Boys, Vandals, and The Aquabats: I’m thankful that there are really talented musicians who resist the urge to take themselves seriously.

7. Natasha Khan from Bat for Lashes: I’m thankful this rising star thinks the Karate Kid and Stevie Nicks are important cultural icons.

6. Insanely unique musicians: I’m thankful for musicians such as Maynard James Keenan, Tori Amos, Bjork and Mike Patton, who all take music to places no one ever imagined or expected.

5. NIN farewell tour: I’m thankful that I finally got to see NIN live before Trent Reznor retired it.

4. Deftones’ resilliance: I’m thankful that Chi Cheng is still holding on and maybe someday we’ll get to see him play again.

3. The Cure still rocks: I’m thankful this band is still touring and making great music. Without The Cure, Deftones and Muse would never sound the way they do.

2. Rage Against the Machine reunion: I’m thankful that I got to see this band reunite at Coachella in 2007 with 80,000 other RATM fans.

1. Bad Religion continues to comment on American society: I’m thankful Greg Graffin is saying all the things that need to be said and is also a UCLA professor, who is actually doing his part to help mold American youth into critically thinking members of society. 

And now a Band of the Week I am very thankful for…Placebo!

I’ve been listening to this band for a while now and I am surprised that they are not as big in the states as they are everywhere else. Since the first time that I heard their cover of Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill,” I was hooked. I enthusiastically suggest anything from their 2006 album Meds, but you must hear “Lazarus” and “Drag.” They recently released a new album Battle for the Sun and I am loving “The Never-Ending Why.” I saw them live at Coachella and I highly recommend catching them live. However, this band will be on a World tour until March. Hopefully, these Brits will visit the states soon.

Until next time, protege moi. -K

How Movies Inspire Me for Rosh Hashana

Rabbi Marvin Popular

Every time I have to write a Drasha for Rosh Hashana, I sit back in my easy chair and begin to think of the things that inspire me religiously. Like popular movies.

Really when you think about it Rosh Hashana and Indiana Jones have a lot in common. Like Indiana Jones, we begin Rosh Hashana on a “quest” for “treasure”, spiritual treasure of course. We carry with us our whip of repentance, our jaunty fedora of humility and our leather jacket of godliness. And at the end of the quest, we realize that the real treasure is the one inside us all.

Also Rosh Hashana and Star Wars have a lot in common. Like Luke Skywalker, we begin Rosh Hashana on a quest to find our father on another world, equipped only with our lightsaber of humility and the “Force” within us that enables us to connect to a higher power which we never knew we had inside us all along.

And need I mention The Manchurian Candidate. Like Sgt Raymond Shaw, we have been brainwashed by the Communist Chinese of materialism. Turned into shopping machines at the flash of an ad. Only for Rosh Hashana to serve as the wake up call for us to return to spirituality.

Then there’s The Princess Bride. Like the stableboy, we’re trying to save a princess from Mandy Patinkin and Andre the Giant, only to realize that it isn’t the princess that matters, but the princess inside us all. The princess that can only be released through prayer and self-reflection. Rosh Hashana gives us the chance to get in touch with the princess inside each and every one of us.

Another movie I watch to bring me into a proper mood for Rosh Hashana is Night of the Living Dead. Throughout the rest of the year, we live like zombies, thinking of nothing but feeding on other people. But on Rosh Hashana we must fight the zombies that threaten to devour our sense of spiritual wholeness and awaken from the deathlike state to a new life in a new year.

Finally no list of inspirational movies is complete without Glitter starring Mariah Carey. Like Carey, we often lack faith in our own “voice”. On Rosh Hashana we find the faith to let our voice soar and sing on high, and hope that the Great Record Producer will sign us to a new “contract”.

Other movies that inspire me for Rosh Hashana include, Miracle on 34th Street (a movie about the power of faith), A Christmas Carol (a movie about the power of indigestion), The Passion of the Christ (a movie about the power of nailing people to stuff) and Catwoman (a movie about the power of latex).

Sure I could talk about the meaning of Rosh Hashana in religious terms that aren’t aimed at retarded five year olds. But I’m too lazy and you’re too stupid. So stay tuned next week for my essay on how Yom Kippur is just like Super Mario Bros. Because if you keep dumbing down Judaism enough it’ll become popular. Just like Christianity. Exactly like Christianity.

Boing!

Rabbi Marvin Popular explains difficult concepts in Judaism to stupid people who can’t tell a Menorah from Batman. He is a regular essay writer at Kiruv.tv.

René Magritte, pretending to choke his wife Georgette… (1929)

“I love subversive humour, freckles, knees, the long hair of women,

the dreams of young children at liberty, a young girl running in the street.”

-René Magritte

—

I hope I feel this way at seventy…

Self Portrait by Mary Oliver

I wish I was twenty and in love with life
and still full of beans.

Onward, old legs!
There are the long, pale dunes; on the other side
the roses are blooming and finding their labor
no adversity to the spirit.

Upward, old legs! There are the roses, and there is the sea
shining like a song, like a body
I want to touch

though I’m not twenty
and won’t be again but ah! seventy. And still
in love with life. And still
full of beans.

Title lyrics: Bad Religion

Music, Arts, & Cultural Festival
with Bad Religion, Suicidal Tendencies, Pepper, Madvillain, Flobots, Will.i.am, and more
LA Center Studios

Acoustic Bad Religion fixes everything.  The hint of a scratch in Greg Graffin’s voice, the pensive lyrics and the melodies laid bare are the perfect cure for frustration.  It always brings me down from snarling and climbing the walls.  Part of it is also that I like hearing my favorite songs re-imagined.  Bad Religion is my second favorite band in the world, which means I spend a lot of time listening to the the regular studio versions of their albums.  Switching to the acoustic ones is like discovering them all over again.  It gives me something else to love.

The Bad Religion love started a couple of years ago after crash landing into the world of punk.  I’d read about them somewhere and decided to buy Stranger than Fiction.  There wasn’t any particular logic to it; I just liked “21st Century Digital Boy”.  Several listens and some more research led me to New Maps of Hell and later The Empire Strikes First.  From there it basically snowballed.

Now they’re one of the few bands I’ve fallen very hard for.  I absolutely love the bleak determination of “Bored and Extremely Dangerous”.  I know every word to “You Don’t Belong Here”.  The best way to explain it is to say that music is my closest thing to religion.  I love it and I depend on it to keep me from going crazy.  I get lost in an especially gorgeous refrain or the most rabble-rousing riff this side of a riot.  It’s funny that I should be comparing a band called Bad Religion to religion itself.  That’s the beauty of it, though, proving that there are other ways to find a sense of calm in all the madness.

In the end music is about feeling good, whether by celebrating a happy moment or conquering a sad one.  It’s direct and simple without a hidden agenda.  There is the goal of record sales.  It doesn’t bother me most of the time because selling records is how bands communicate with people.  Complaining about having to buy music is a bit like complaining about having to buy a newspaper.  If you want to know, you have to put in some effort to find out.  Random people on the subway aren’t going to take the time to fill you in on the latest housing crisis.  Not that you would want them to, because they’d likely tell you it was all a conspiracy devised by the alien emperor Zodd.

Anyway.  The point is I think Bad Religion is one of the best bands out there.  That’s especially true on days like today, when all I want to do is pull my hair out.  They just make things better.  That’s all I could ever ask for.

Exhibit A:

Bad Religion - Against The Grain

Una de las obras cumbres de una banda pionera. El hardcore melódico que practicaban Bad Religion por esa época fue la quinta esencia del género, un bombardeo de temas ultra míticos, uno tras otro, un fluir de sensaciones, de velocidad y de ganas de comerse el mundo. Este “Against The Grain”, el séptimo disco de la banda, es considerado por muchos un “greatest hits” debido a la gran cantidad de temas que se han convertido en clásicos de Bad Religion. “Modern Man”, “Flat Earth Society”, “21st Century (Digital Boy)”, solo por citar algunos, forman parte de este LP, y también mi favorita: Anesthesia, un himno perenne lleno de fuerza y sentimiento, que le pone la guinda a uno de los álbums estandarte del skate punk.

Una de las bandas que mas me han marcado a lo largo de mi vida, si bien prefiero el “No Control”, este “Against The Grain” constituye un álbum imprescindible tanto para amantes del género como para nostálgicos de los 90, uno de ellos servidor, que añora esa época en que los grupos de hardcore melódico le ponían a uno los pelos de punta.

Artista – Bad Religion
Álbum – Against The Grain
Año – 1990
Género – Melodic Hardcore
Web – Official
Procedencia – Woodland Hills (California), USA

Tracklist
1. Modern Man
2. Turn on the Light
3. Get Off
4. Blenderhead
5. The Positive Aspect of Negative Thinking
6. Anesthesia
7. Flat Earth Society
8. Faith Alone
9. Entropy
10. Against the Grain
11. Operation Rescue
12. God Song
13. 21st Century (Digital Boy)
14. Misery and Famine
15. Unacceptable
16. Quality or Quantity
17. Walk Away

Download in comments

-Dako-

Some of my fondest memories of music growing up involve listening to stuff that challenged what I knew about the world as a whole, whether it be the urgency of Bad Religion and The Clash or the nihilistic lyrics of Crass. As a 17 year old, I fell in love with the politics of all three bands and much more. Perhaps, I just identified with the idea that someone out there had been through what I was going through and somehow, I could relate to them.

As I get older, I start to lean more towards Bad Religion and their style of writing lyrics. They didn’t swear much and I’m sure they still don’t swear much. Mind you, I grew up in a household where the only time I swore at my parents brought about the wrath of soap in my mouth. It never stopped me from listening to stuff that I would never say to my parents.

Lyric sheets, as awesome as they are, tend to be marred with profanities up the wazoo.  I question the point of such profanity in this day and age. Do we really need to resort to profanity in order to provoke the thoughts of others?

Personally, I see the currently society as one that’s always in motion, whether it be backward or forward.  In order for society to truly move forward, we must learn to use language for what it is and to get the best possible benefit out of it.

And of course, that brings me to my next point: Censorship and the FCC.  As much as I discourage profanity in modern music, I strongly believe that music with profanity should be recognized as free speech. The fact that we even have the FCC, shows just how far we as a nation, have fallen.

Rational, provocative thought, should never be banned from the public consciousness. Whether it involves constant f-bombs or ideas that are subversive to the mainstream, it should be available to all.

It all boils down to modern society and the values that it espouses. In this day and age, there is so much opportunity for informing the masses via the musical medium. Empowering people to speak out against wrongdoing is critical.

It’s a question of just how we present ourselves. Will the school of Greg Graffin win out or will the school of Penny Rimbauld win out, when it’s all said and done? Subversive ideas can be presented in so many different ways. However, those who hold the key to the airwaves, often find themselves holding the key to unlocking the power of subversive thought.

Das ist’s also. Hm. Ich beginne von nun an,  zu bloggen.
Vielleicht will’s ja jemand lesen. Vielleicht auch nicht. Worum es mir geht?
Ich erzähle gerne. Ich platze manchmal vor Wut. Ich erlebe manchmal Dinge, die ich loswerden muss. Nur weiß ich nie so genau, wo, oft, nicht immer.

Also. Ich sitz hier und höre Bad Religion. Die CD hab ich für 50ct auf einem  Trödelmarkt erworben, von einem Mann ohne Herz. Ich  mochte ihn immer, von ihm kaufe ich seit Jahren meine King Bücher. Doch als ich dann die 50ct Box mit den CDs fand, die bei ihm wohl nie so geschätzt wurden, wie sie sollten (er hat sie da tatsächlich reingeschmissen!), habe ich an seiner Menschlichkeit gezweifelt. Ich gebe zu, auch ich würde den angesammelten Bravo Hits der letzten Jahre nicht gleich eine Reha-Kur bezahlen, wenn sie runtergefallen oder eingedrückt wurden. Aber zwischen diesen Ressourcenverschwendungen lag nun mal auch ein Bad Religion Album. Und allein, dass es sich bereits hinter Bravo Hits und Kuschelrock versteckt, zeigt, dass es psychisch ziemlich am Ende sein musste. Kuschelrock und Co wissen wie man mit Kritik und Schmerzen umgeht. Ich hab gehört, ein paar CDs schämen sich sogar ihres Inhalts. Doch die Bad Religion CD ist stolz geboren worden! Wie konnte man sie so behandeln?
Ein Glück, dass wir uns fanden. Ein Glück, dass ich sie retten konnte.
Ein Glück, dass es Trödelmärkte gibt, die Dingen neues Leben einflößen können.

Letzte Woche zum Beispiel habe ich selber verkauft. Ich hoffte, dass ich mit ein paar Buch-Fehlkäufen aus dem letzten Jahr Geld machen könnte. Aber nichts da! Gekauft wurde, was alt war. Aber viel wichtiger: Was in meinen Augen uninteressant war. Ein “Zimmergärtner” aus den 70ern oder vergilbte Jugendbücher, aus dessen Alter ich leider rausgewachsen war, bevor ich sie in unserem Keller entdeckt habe, sind nun in den Händen völlig fremder. Fremder, die diesen Büchern plötzlich ein neues Leben schenken. Die ihnen einen Wert geben. Die wieder auferstehen lassen, was einst ein Mensch fühlte, während er sich die Hände wundschrieb.

Ich muss zugeben, was Bücher angeht, vermenschliche ich sie sehr. Ich habe immer das Gefühl, sie weinen, wenn ich sie aus meinem Bücherregal schmeiße (Anm.: Exemplare von Kerstin Gier nenne ich nicht Buch). Sie verfolgen mich dann immer ein wenig. Deswegen beruhigt es mich so sehr, dass sie woanders besser aufgehoben und geschätzt werden, wenn nicht bei mir.

Dingen zurückzugeben, was sie verloren haben, ist schön.
Ziemlich materialistisch, was?
Nun, vielleicht ist es ja auch nur die Einsicht, dass die meisten Menschen unterbewusst gar nicht zurückhaben wollen, was sie verloren haben und man ihnen bis zu dieser Erkenntnis auch somit nichts zurückgeben kann. Und leider sind es ziemlich viele Menschen, die sich nichts geben lassen. Die keine Hilfe wollen. Die selber stark genug sind. Die das alleine durchmachen wollen. Egal wie hart es ist. – Oder eher, eben wenn es hart ist? Wahrscheinlich.
Helfen ist schön.  Helfen ist schwer. Und wem soll man helfen, wenn nicht geholfen werden will?
Man muss kämpfen, Vertrauen aufbauen, arbeiten und arbeiten. Keinen Rückzug dulden, immer aufpassen und stets auf jede sensible Regung, die vielleicht ja doch ein Hilferuf sein könnte, reagieren.
Aber wer hat denn dafür noch Zeit und Möglichkeit?
Tja, dann haben die Kapitalisten ja wenigstens eine Illusion geschaffen, die auch ich für nötig halte, wenn ich mal vor Barmherzigkeit platze.

Liebste Grüße,  mrs butter

Veckans MusikFoto handlar om Amerika, och trots att jag har två hela världsdelar att utgå från så tänker jag på USA.

Jag tror att USA i dag är i bättre händer än på länge, men där finns fortfarande en mentalitet av att vilja erövra världen. Och det handlar inte i första hand om erövringar med vapenmakt; nej, viljan att göra sin livsstil och religion till den rådande i världen är stark.

Dagens låt är I Want To Conquer The World med Bad Religion.

Kanske lite skramligt för många av Er som deltar i MusikFoto. Jag valde nästan Simon and Garfunkles fantastiska låt America, så jag länkar den som back up!

:
Länkar till andra bloggar om: musik, punk, Bad Religion, Musikfoto, foto, fotografi, fotografering, fotobloggar, fotoutmaning, fotoutmaningar, bilder, bild,

1947

Nace en Australia George Young bajista por un corto tiempo de AC/DC

1948

Nace Glenn Frey Guitarrista de The Eagles

1965

Nace Greg Graffin Vocalista de Bad Religion.

1975

los Sex Pistols tocan su primer concierto en la Escuela de Artes St. Martin, en Londres.

2001

Es lanzado el Clasic Albums de Metallica en VHS y DVD

Greg Graffin, American singer (Bad Religion)

Today is one of those days that just makes me feel like sitting back and contemplating how I’m going to conquer the world – naturally, I figured I would share the music in my library that makes those feelings come to life. Music is here to evoke emotion, challenge our status quo, provoke us, persuade us, and these epic songs do all the above. I also started making links out of the titles so you don’t even have to go far to check out these.

Apartment 26: 88 – The nineties had a lot of bad music to deal with. This band never really made if far but they had a lot of really good, driving songs. If you grew up during the era of modern rock and you missed this song, I recommend you fix that now. They had a lot of other pretty good songs worth checking out. Do you research on them and don’t skip this one in particular.

Bad Religion: It’s A Long Way To The Promised Land – As soon as the song starts you just have to grin. Not a happy, I’m having a good day grin. We’re talking that half-evil I’m going to conquer the world grin. It’s one of my favorite songs by them and if you haven’t head it change that before you even leave the room.

David Cook: Bar-Ba-Sol – Out of every season of American Idol, this is the only song I have ever loved. It’s such a great off-beat rhythm and believe it or not, crazy I know, an American Idol contestant put out something noteworthy. Check it out

Everlast: Die In Yer Arms - This song still has a little hip-hop to it, but isn’t that what we all want out of Everlast after all? The groove doesn’t let up, the chorus is kicking, the lyrics are violent, and it’s get your blood pumping – and today, that’s what I’m selling

Fatboy Slim: That Old Pair Of Jeans - Hands down the greatest song he’s ever had. That’s saying a lot too because I’m a huge fan, but the lyrics are so inspirational behind such a great melody. You’ll be more than ready for world conquest after this one. I promise – I almost get teary eyed every time I hear this song it’s that good.

Bad Religion is one of the more influential punk bands, and they are still around making great music. While a lot of the other punk bands of the time were screaming these guys were harmonizing. I don’t think this band has slowed down since it’s formation in 1980. I have fond memories of skating to their songs.

Bad Religion “You”

Like what you see feel free to email me at tad@creativesquall.com and don’t forget to become a fan on Facebook. Check out the Creative Squall website to see how sketches grow up to be complete ideas.

***THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED/POSTPONED UNTIL EARLY 2010. For more info click here***

“We, the people of the city of Los Angeles in order to form a more funky dancefloor, establish music, insure outdoor views of downtown, provide food and drink vendors, promote 30 artists, and secure the blessing of the beats to ourselves and our people, do ordain and establish this festival WE THE PEOPLE for the United States of Freakadelphia.”

…or something like that. The We The People Music, Arts & Cultural Festival boasts two outdoor stages in a new venue, Los Angeles Center Studios, with art installations, conscious speakers, booze and food and over 30 live artists. Buy tickets here.

LINEUP!

• GLITCH MOB
• BAD RELIGION
• Suicidal Tendencies
• Pepper
• Mad Villains
• Flobots!
• Will.i.am (DJ set)
• Anti-Pop Consortium
• LA Riots
• Daedelus
• Blu & Exile
• 6Blocc
• Jogger
• WHOLE LINEUP HERE