Top of the Pops

Clem and Amy's number one You Tube pick:

Yes That's Right, Punk is Dead

Punk, the 30+ year old failed social revolution, died the slow death of an aged and syphilitic whore sometime in the mid eighties. Despite that fact, some are still trying to wring a last $5 trick out of her (I am talking to you Surf and Skate marketers, but not only you).



It seems that I am doomed to have my culture re-packaged and sold back to me (and now my kids) in an endless, decaying loop of ever more exploitative and cynical greed.

Any music, art, writing, or marketing campaign that attempts to align itself with the 'Punk Ethos' clearly believes that we are so lazy, stupid, and vain that we will believe we are not the generation that killed the middle class, but instead are cool, anti-authoritarian hipsters. Just like marketers got my Mom to believe in the 90's that she was co-responsible for stopping the war in Viet Nam.

And in case there is any doubt as to whether she is truly dead, there is this:

From this article in the NY Times:

Ms. Kim presented a gift to Ms. Rabinowitz: a chunky, emerald-green necklace by the punk designer Tom Binns, who was given his start by Ms. Westwood and — who else? — Mr. McLaren. Mr. McLaren fastened the necklace around Ms. Rabinowitz’s neck, and the three of them spoke simultaneously.

Mr. McLaren: “It’s not real, you know!”

Ms. Kim: “Michelle Obama wears Tom Binns’s jewelry!”

Ms. Rabinowitz: “Now I’m going to have to begin to act like a grown-up!”

Capitalism, It Fails Us Now (Part Deux) Kiki and Bubu

IMHO, the second best thing about Austria is Monochrom and the best thing about Monochrom is Kiki and Bubu. You may have seen them on Boing Boing (who, sadly, have decided to deal in the worst kind of pornography but refuse to take ownership for/of their decision).

WoW

Hello, my name is Jeff and I am a World of Warcraft addict. It started innocently enough; watching my son play it seemed safe, almost normal. But now that my Night Elf Priest (AinSoph or אין סוף) is at level 20 and is an expert Alchemist, I relaize that I am no longer in control of my life. Yesterday during the morning commute I found myself preparing to harvest peacebloom from the shrubbery on the highway median. Seriously.

So if I'm not in the line up tomorrow it's because I was on Lothar all last night running back and forth from Auberdine to Darnassus.