Thanks to all who mentioned the documentary Gigantic (A Tale of Two Johns). I wouldn’t have watched this remarkable video if I hadn’t seen the movie. The whole thing was building a time machine and going back. Here’s an open thread.
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Violet
Speaking of documentaries, I saw The Interrupters last night, about ex-gang members in Chicago who work as “violence interrupters” through an organization called CeaseFire, trying to end the violence and high murder rate in the gang areas. Highly recommended. So much respect for the people doing this work. Here’s the trailer.
Shinobi
Did you see this great cover TMBG did of Chumbawumba? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fg1yRwx-PK0
Professor
This is Lenin’s take on the Freedom of the Press in 1917:
All over the world, wherever there are Capitalists, Freedom of the Press means freedom to buy up newspapers, to buy writers, to bribe and fake Public Opinion for the benefit of the bourgeoisie.
Has anything changed about your perception of ‘freedom of the press’ in the 21st century?
mistermix
@Shinobi: That was fun. Thanks.
gogol's wife
@Professor:
I would not look to Lenin as an authority on freedom of the press.
Lee
Anyone else use Google Calendar?
Anyone else having the problem that SMS notifications are no longer working?
Here< is a thread on Google Help.
Hopefully we can get some upper level exposure to this since that is pretty much the only way Google solves problems.
giltay
I saw Gigantic in a crumbling old theatre a few years ago. It was a delight (except for seeing John Linnell’s teeth in closeup on the big screen).
Bruuuuce
The wildfires in Texas have now destroyed over 1,500 homes. I wonder if Ron Paul thinks FEMA shouldn’t help the homeowners. Probably; he’s that big a dick, and puts his principles ahead of people.
singfoom
Awesome! And I’ll be going to a TMBG show within 2 weeks. My favorite band of all time. There’s nothing like a TMBG show, such a happy nerdy vibe. Thanks for the old clip!
Suffern ACE
@Bruuuuce: Well, If I recall correctly, there was a push by a few of the regular bloviators praising the towns in MO that tornados hit shouldn’t take government FEMA funds…but they ended up taking FEMA funds. For an odd reason, I don’t think the Texas homeowners need to worry about Paul, but more about their own governor trying to score points with said bloviators.
Larry
I really dig watching the Tonight Show Orchestra and their top-notch horn section. I don’t get what’s so great about this particular act, though, besides a tune that sounds snappy until it quickly becomes monotonous and their silly lyrics. Sorry! When I saw the accordion I thought they might be a Forro band, which I could listen to all day. I guess we all have our soft spots.
Bruuuuce
@Suffern ACE: True, we can expect posturing by Bush III. With any luck, it won’t keep the homeowners from getting assistance that they need. With even more luck, they’ll be loud about how he tried to get in the way.
Professor
@gogol’s wife: That is why he did not believe in allowing the Capitalists to own the Press. He set up the state ownership of the Press known as ‘Pravda’.
FlipYrWhig
I have a friend who was in an up-and-coming “college rock” band at the same time TMBG were. They’d play the same venues. He said they were enormous asswipes. It was quite disillusioning.
Elizabelle
@Bruuuce:
who is Bush III?
Paul W.
Is anyone watching Obama’s presser? He’s doing great hitting away at the new Jobs bill. He has papers in hand for the Bill and keeps waving it around, and calling out the GOP for playing political games with the election 14 months from now.
FlipYrWhig
@Elizabelle: From context, Rick Perry.
Bruuuuce
@Elizabelle: Rick Perry. Governor of Texas, acts like Dubya, talks like Dubya, sets policy like Dubya, and generally seems like he wants to be another GWB. The reference was to Suffern ACE at #10.
The Ancient Randonneur
Wow! I just saw them last night at an open air show in Norwich, Vermont. TMBG is one of my favorite live shows.
Cassidy
Saw them back in the 90’s with Soul Coughing. Great show.
Stuart
Is the drummer chewing gum or mouthing the lyrics? If he’s chewing gum, he’s not chewing in time with his playing.
Origuy
@Professor: Leading to the famous quip that there is no truth in Pravda and no news in Izvestia.
Professor
@Origuy:At least it’s the state misinforming the people NOT the Capitalists screwing(disinforming) the people!
lethargytartare
@singfoom:
…at the Riv, perchance?
wenchacha
I watched the 60 Minutes interview with Ali Soufan last night, and found it interesting. His new book, “The Black Banners,” drops today. An FBI agent at the time, he interrogated Abu Zubaydah before the CIA took over and began
harshly interrogatingtorturing him.I suppose we oughtn’t take the word of some Mooslim about the treatment of another Muslim. Dick cheney is far more believable.
catclub
@FlipYrWhig: They put on a great show, but personally they have problems. I am glad I have never heard that about pro athletes, or movie stars, or others who require a ‘diva treatment’. I wonder where the term diva came from? maybe coal mining.
cckids
@Bruuuuce:
Dude, putting principles ahead of people is what libertarianism is all about. If you think of people at all, you see that your ideology is crap.
Winston Smith
I was at that show at (the long-gone) Club A. It was really good.
FlipYrWhig
@catclub: I know, it’s just that TMBG have a “friendly dork” vibe, so there’s a different kind of disappointment involved. If anyone wants to tell me tales of Matthew Sweet being a dickbag, I’m going to do the whole “La la la can’t hear you!” thing.
catclub
@FlipYrWhig: The “friendly dork” vibe is apparently their particular spin on the same intense effort to be a) good at something b) famous, that generates most or all of the bad personality bits as a side effect.
The key part to me is the intense effort – it is unsurprisingly twisting of the personality. Which is great for the world overall, but a pita for those around them.
Another example would be Serena Williams response to anger and frustration. Most tennis players would get worse on the court becuase of that. She was able to get much better while amping up the anger and the tension.
It shows a completely different focus from what I would refer to as more normal people.
lethargytartare
@FlipYrWhig:
based on personal experience, there is also a good chance the Johns aren’t the same guys today they were in 1985.
I think anyone outside my closest friends probably would have described me as something close to an enormous asswipe when I was in my twenties.
also, Billy Corgan was a dick to me this one time.
singfoom
@lethargytartare: Exactly. I can only hope they play Kiss Me, Son of God this time.
Last time I saw them at the Riv, I came in to that song playing, but it was the opening band doing a cover :(
At least it’s not at the Vic.
FlipYrWhig
@lethargytartare:
“Billy Corgan, Smashing Pumpkins.”
“Homer Simpson, smiling politely.”
apocalipstick
This clip is one of my favorite things in the whole world. I’ll put it on and watch it when I’m down, or when I’m giddy, or just because. I’ve used it at my church to illustrate how people who seem so different can be brought together by one thing. To watch those old studio-pro Tonight Show guys just knock it out, to watch Doc Severinsen (who was capable of coasting) dig in and really blow, to hear Flansbergh completely muff his first bgv, then take a deep breath and nail the next one… it makes me tear up.