Art, Bill Hicks, Books, Culture Jamming, Drugs, Entertainment, Film, humor, Philosophy, pictures, Politics, rant, Video

Subversive Book Club Review: Agent of Evolution

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Full Title: Bill Hicks: Agent of Evolution
Author: Kevin Booth with Michael Bertin (Ghost Writer)
Year: 2005
Comments:

I pride myself on the many subversive books I read and let me say, I tend to find the best of these bunch to be those of the autobiography, biography, memoir, etc. variety. It’s really neat to see how someone became the subversive, influential character they are/were. This book in particular is special for two reasons: 1) The subject is my hero and main influence, stand up comedian/social critic, Bill Hicks. 2) This work is written by his best friend and collaborator, Kevin Booth (Sacred Cow Productions) and contains various passages by close friends and several other vital figures in Hicks’ life/career. So, with those credentials, this read is easily one of the most personal and intimate experiences one can find from a book. We see how Hicks was raised in a Southern Baptist Prison and how he escaped through his window, out into the Comedy World via the Comedy Workshop in Houston, Texas. As he hits the stage life, he transforms from excessive teetotaler to excessive drinker with cocaine and various other substances serving as side dishes. After years of constant partying, Bill realizes his life and career needs a 180 turn and he snaps into sobriety. Instantly (it seems), he takes his comedy to new levels, the humor itself is the same, but with a sober mind he can perform more and execute his revolutionary message stronger than ever. Sadly, he never hits it big in his homeland, though his career did grow and he became quite popular in the UK. Even more depressing, in 1993, Hicks was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and died shortly after. As readers we realize, yes it was a tragedy that he died soooo young, but what would have been more tragic was if he did nothing with his life and kept his thoughts to himself and went about his day. Instead, Hicks was outspoken and stopped at nothing to change as many minds as he could; forcing people to think for themselves, as stated in the Outlaw Comic documentary. Bill may not have waken everyone up, but for those who did hear his call, he changed everything. It wasn’t just “is what the govermnent doing bad?” It was, “the government is a bunch of lying, stealing, murderous cocksuckers- here’s why- now show me how I’m wrong.” To which a neanderthal redneck would respond, “You’re UNAMERICAN!” End of argument. Overall, I can’t say anything negative here, except maybe the fact that many of the guest writers, friends and such, drag on a little bit and repeat what others said, but other than that, this is a fantastic and informative read. We see an up close look at one of the greatest minds in all of art and entertainment through the eyes of his loved ones. What more can you ask for?

P.S. the tales of Acid/Mushrooms tripping are mind blowing and fascinating, to say the very least.

Grade: A, KLYAM RECOMMENDED

Art, Box Elders, Entertainment, Harlem, Hunx and His Punx, Mark Sultan, Music, pictures, Punk, Wavves

My Top 10 of 2010 So Far…

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1) Box Elders- Tiny Sioux
2) Hunx and His Punx- Cruising (officially released!)
3) Wavves- Post-Acid
4) Harlem- Friendly Ghost
5) Mark Sultan- Misery’s Upon Us
6) Hunx and the Punkettes- Lovers’ Lane
7) Happy Birthday- Girls FM
8) Strange Boys- A Walk On the Beach
9) Silhouette Rising- Flight
10) Scouflaws- Stupid and Catchy

CD Review, Entertainment, Music, Rap

CD Review: How I Got Over [2010]

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Band: The Roots
Release: 6/2010
Label: Def Jam

1. “A Peace of Light” – C-
2. “Walk Alone” – B+
3. “Dear God 2.0” – A
4. “Radio Daze” – A-
5. “Now Or Never” – B
6. “How I Got Over” – B
7. “DillaTUDE: The Flight of Titus” – C
8. “The Day” – B+
9. “Right On” – B+
10. “Doin’ It Again” – B
11. “The Fire” – B
12. “Tunnel Vision” – C-
13. “Web 20/20” – B-
14. “Hustla” – B+

Comments: I liked “Walk Alone” for the most part, but “Dear God” is where it’s at. The verses are top shelf hip-hop. My gripe with a lot of this album is the amount of half-ass tunes. What I mean is that The Roots seem to have a consistent focus on the way these songs are structured. That might appeal to a lot of folks who like a good amount of rap, but also don’t mind a soulful or R&B flavored chorus. I get bored with that. Also, does this record really need short interludes every five or six songs? OK so this isn’t that great in the whole scheme of hip hop records. It might be one of the best of its kind this year, though.

Grade: B- (83)

Auditing Massachusetts Law, Crime, Culture Jamming, Philosophy, Politics

Auditing Massachusetts Law: Crimes Against Gov’ts

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This is a new feature where I’m going to audit many of the General Laws of Massachusetts so as to show basic violations of freedom. Some of these crimes and punishments are utterly absurd. I didn’t include it in this segment, but my very utterance of that could somehow be considered treason under the vague language of Massachusetts Law.

Flag Burning/Flag Misuse
– Chapter 264: Section 5. Whoever publicly burns or otherwise mutilates, tramples upon, defaces or treats contemptuously the flag of the United States or of Massachusetts…shall be punished by a fine of not less than one hundred dollars or by imprisonment for not more than one year, or both.
– Chapter 264. Section 7. Whoever publicly mutilates, tramples upon, defaces or treats contemptuously the flag or emblem of a foreign country at peace with the United States…shall be punished by a fine of not less than five nor more than fifty dollars.
– Chapter 264. Section 8. Whoever displays the flag or emblem of a foreign country upon the outside of a state, county, city or town building or public schoolhouse shall be punished by a fine of not more than twenty dollars.

Screwing With The National Anthem
– Chapter 264. Section 9. Whoever plays, sings or renders the “Star Spangled Banner”, or any part thereof, as dance music, as an exit march or as a part of a medley of any kind, shall be punished by a fine of not more than one hundred dollars.

Anarchy
– Chapter 264. Section 11. Whoever by speech or by exhibition, distribution or promulgation of any written or printed document, paper or pictorial representation advocates, advises, counsels or incites assault upon any public official, or the killing of any person, or the unlawful destruction of real or personal property, or the overthrow by force or violence or other unlawful means of the government of the commonwealth or of the United States, shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than three years, or in jail for not more than two and one half years, or by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars; provided, that this section shall not be construed as reducing the penalty now imposed for the violation of any law.

Subversive Organizations/Membership
– Chapter 264. Section 16. The term “subversive organization” as used in sections seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty-one, twenty-two and twenty-three of this chapter shall mean any form of association of three or more persons, however named or characterized, and by whatever legal or non-legal entity or non-entity it be established, and whether incorporated or otherwise for the common purpose of advocating, advising, counseling or inciting the overthrow by force or violence, or by other unlawful means, of the government of the commonwealth or of the United States.
– Chapter 264. Section 22. Whoever being in charge of an auditorium, hall or other building shall knowingly permit it to be used by the Communist Party or by an organization which has been adjudicated a subversive organization under the provisions of section eighteen shall be punished by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars or by imprisonment for not more than one year, or both.
– Chapter 264. Section 19. Any person who becomes or remains a member of any organization knowing it to be a subversive organization shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than three years or in jail for not more than two and one half years or by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars.

Communist Party
– Chapter 264. Section 16A. The Communist Party is hereby declared to be a subversive organization.

Lists, Music

Favorite Songs of 2010 (So Far)

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Limit One Song Per Band

– “Brian Eno” by MGMT
– “Walk in the Park” by Beach House
– “Tiny Sioux” by Box Elders
– “Fresh” by Devo
– “Jail La La” by Dum Dum Girls
– “Gay Human Bones” by Harlem
– “Go Berserk” by Mark Sultan
– “1000 Years” by Portugal. The Man
– “Be Brave” by The Strange Boys
– “Take On the World” by Wavves
– “Cloud Shadow on the Mountain” by Wolf Parade

I’m leaving out a lot; these are just ones that I found on a quick run through of my media player.

Uncategorized

THE LAST FEW POSTS

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Yeah, it’s SATURDAY NIGHT what do you think I’ve been doing? Twiddling my thumbs and reading twitters? NO, far from it. I’ve been ranting. I’ve been in the mood. I should probably stay away from message boards because I’m going to make some posts that are going to make people wonder if I am truly a reatard. And yes, matter of fact, they would be right, but you know, matter of fact, I don’t care. I love when my fingers type without any regard to what I am actually thinking. IN FACT, I am thinking this. Screw those posers who say they lose control. THAT doesn’t happen! You have to be simply dumb. DUMB.

Random, rant

ITS QUARTER PAST SHUT THE FUCK UP!

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All these songs about needing people while drunk is just dumb as fuck. You don’t need anyone when you are fucked up, you little puss. Oh yeah you need the guy of your fucking dreams. Chances are the fuck just wants to fuck and you’ve gotten past the point where you actually give a shit. You give and shit happens. You regret the next day. The fuck absolutely doesn’t and tells all his friends.

Culture Jamming, economics, Entertainment, Random, rant

Socialism

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It’s just as bad as capitalism. The isms tend to suck. Capitalism sucks for the people who don’t have a great opportunity or don’t want to further advance themselves into the “owning class.” Yeah, that’s not an easy feat, but some people are content at doing the bare minimum to make things work. Socialism sucks for people who actually want to be able to do whatever they want. Should everyone be equal? Probably not. There has to be some level of commitment in people to do something. Setting people equal is just a form of manipulation, especially since I imagine not a lot of people want that. I know inequalities create conflict, but what can you do? The whole worker management system is a generally good idea, but wouldn’t work in every scenario. In some industries there has to be some level of hierarchy — provided that this hierarchy is agreed upon by basically every stakeholder. And finally, I have understood socialism and communism! Yes, I have! Well kind of. A whole lot of socialists and communists are atheists so they are like yo, yo, I want THIS life to be awesome because we are just going to rot afterward. The capitalists are like yo, yo, suffer and believe and you shall be granted a great afterlife. Both are pretty crooked outlooks, in my opinion. I’m a pretty religious guy, but I want the poor and the near-poor to get their share. They can just lounge around. I’m not making excuses in support of the owning class, but let’s get real here. If you come from no money, it’s going to suck, but at least make some kind of attempt to rebel or just work your ass off. K bye.

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