Americn Music

The legacy of American starts from two distinct points. One is the aristocracy who did create a Democratic government, but one which was still dominated by the wealthy. The other is the fellow traveler, or the person who's not really a beneficiary of the new government. The story of America always includes elements of both sides with the moral being that a have-not can become a have. Today the musical elite use the image of the fellow traveler to capitalize on the industry. But that makes sense seeing that at root America would not be the same if it were not for the influence of the wanderer, the bum, the undesirable. The same is true for most countries, but this country is the mold from which all musical trends are cast. That may seem nationalistic, but who will argue that America is not behind the wheel of the global economy. Not as a country per say (which can be seen through the many public poles on policy that continually show the American people in opposition to their government) but as a symbolic force. American music has a powerful and succinct legacy.

The Anti-smoking movement is classist and racist

The anti-smoking movement in this country goes hand in hand with the phony environmentalism of middle class suburbia. In an attempt to 'improve' public health, these advocates ( who Im sure are a minority group of upper-middle class whites) have made the unfriendly streets even more unfriendly. And who are the people that smoke? Mostly working class people and minorities who may be undereducated and who definitly use smoking as a way of releiving stress. The sighns that say people need to be 25 feet away from the entrance of buildings if they want to smoke is just a way to keep 'undesirables' away from the proper middle class working people. I have not heard a single word from these people about what smokers are supposed to do or where they are supposed to go. To them smokers are unimportant people who should be kept out of sight. It is a law made by people who think they are superior to those of us who god forbid might have a flaw or two. It is a law against the poor and working classes.

While reading Mike Davis's City of Quartz I cannot help but to think of my upbringing in the suburbs of San Francisco. I too was suckered into supporting the local "slow growth movement" by way of their environmentalist rhetoric. I was saved by a group of friends who saw the hypocrisy our upper-middle class town's message, and who saw the town for what it was; and enclave for middle class and upper-middle class whites to be safe from the horrors of the city. (I now realize they were also avoiding the horrors of higher property taxes as well.) Yes my dear friends despite being of middle class backgrounds took on the values and mannerisms of the working class. There was always a radical and socialist tint to our language, and our views on environmentalism were far to the left of the "liberal" leadership of the city. It is a fortunate thing that in suburbs all over America this type of reaction against the conservative views takes place, and ultimately the newly produced "hipsters" will join with their inner city counterparts and also find each other. An endless celebration is then at hand for we have over come what so many suburban youth of today cannot; fear of the world around us.

Big Willie will be missed

Big Willie, a Funktown local was gunned down Thursday during the Meserlie verdict riots on 7th and Foothill. As far as anybody knows this incident was not related to the riots and was most likely a case of mistaken identity. The incident is tragic beyond belief. Big Willie was a hustler and I did buy drugs from him on occasion, but he was a gentleman and a gentle man. A gentle giant. His voice could be heard bellowing a block away yet I never saw him get angry. Even though I barely knew him he always remembered my name and waved to me when he passed by. He never pushed drugs on me and the kids around the neighborhood saw him as a powerful but kind representative of the block. His memorial is growing to be the size of Princess Diana's and I imagine it will remain in place for a long time. It is not the first memorial I have seen on that site, but it is by far the most brilliant one with full size photos of Willie the man and his family. Big Willie I hope the fact that a mere stranger like myself appreciated you so much can at the very least have some positive impact. I am sure you would want it that way. You will be missed.

By Cdub and everyone at Hoodpushin records

Many of the current political races are polarized between ideologies. One is a welfare state kind of situation and the other is a libertarian utopia. It happens on high and low levels. Americans are kind of libertarian by nature, but with that comes a socialist movement who can always depend on the victims of the free market to add to their numbers. The leftists are losing out even though right now regulation has become such a big deal. On a global scale neoliberal capitalism is the system. But a new breed of dirty hippy socialists, or anarchists as the OPD calls them, are gaining rank on a global level. What worries me about this is the level of militancy on both sides. It is building up to be a strange insurgency. In a way the term 'global south' has already been outdated since basically the whole world is an open shop. I continue to look for a viable third option, but so many of my hopes for humanity have been crushed lately. I fear that for the general public the world is deteriorating. Its hard to say, for no statistics can tell you weather we are living better or worse than we did in the past. But a dismal gloom hangs over many a mid level city ( as in Oakland where so many feel that justice has not been carried out in the Oscar Grant case.)

Oscar Grant

Bad verdict. Not much going on, but wait till dark. Funktown is being monitored from above for some reason, but people might just be getting ready.

july 5th

I imagine in any city of America the Fourth of July holiday is marked by random explosions throughout the night. Its interesting that we blow up stuff to celebrate our Independence. Our militaristic society was almost inevitable wit such symbolism. but i love it.