Appriciation of the Rugged Individualism that was American Hardcore

When I was younger, being a skateboarder defined me. It defined the way I looked, the way I dressed, and mostly the type of music I listened to - hardcore/punkrock.

Looking back at that era in my life I find myself shocked at something that I never hear talked about when others reminisce on the movement of early to mid eighty's punk. That is the entrepreneurial spirit of what was basically kids who played the music, ran the labels, booked the shows, made the fanzines, created the art, and supported the bands in countless other ways.

Put aside the fact that you practically HAD to write an anti-Regan song to be considered "punk." Or the fact that many of the bands politics at the time are what one would expect of any young kid - Liberal. But what's really interesting to me is such clear examples of rugged individualism and the free market at it's very best.

I don't want to get into the history of punk music so I'll stick with the first bands I became aware of at the time. One of the first bands I ever heard was Black Flag and the first album that I heard was from them was "My War." To this day it's one of my favorite records.It was released on SST records. SST was a label formed by Greg Ginn, Black Flag's guitarist and founding member of the band, to release music from his band. His brother Raymond Pettibon did the amazing artwork for all of Black Flag's releases.

Black Flag toured relentlessly. They basically hit every nook and cranny of the US and elsewhere playing abandoned buildings, churches, basements, and party's, leaving their mark town after tiny town.

Wherever they played a dozen bands sprung up following in their footsteps creating quite a scene in unexpected towns across the US. Different bands with different sounds creating an amazingly diverse sound, putting out their own music on their own labels.

They inspired me and others like me to start fanzines, writing about these bands and attending their shows. More often than not these shows would be held at all ages venues. Allowing people who weren't old enough to get into the clubs to attend their shows and probably doubling the audience in the process.

This was able to happen because where there was no market for this music, innovative youth were there to create it.

The bands themselves may loath the idea of marketing their brand to a certain demographic to increase revenue and make a living playing music, but that's what they did. They created a brand, a sound, and a look and took it to the consumers who were happy to part with their cash to buy into being a "punk."

In fact one of the more self righteous guys to come out of this scene, Ian McKaye, ran Dischord records not unlike major retail chains try to do today - reduced prices equals more sales which brings more revenue.
Dischord put out records from D.C. area bands and kept the price of their albums as low as possible. Sure, one could argue that it's a principled thing. And I'm sure it was. But in a free exchange of commerce for goods, it's always in the long term best interest to offer bargains. Dischord had a flat price for all of their records. So when I would walk into a record store with $10 in my hand, I would be able to get two records from Dischord for the same price that would cost me to buy just one on another label. It worked. Needless to say I pretty much had Dischords entire roster.


It's easy to take for granted these days or to even forget if you were there, due to the sheer amount of choice that we have now. But quite frankly because of these little labels like SST, Frontier, Alternative Tentacles, Twin/Tone, Dischord, and Plan 9 we have some of the most interesting, experimental, diverse, and influential music that has ever been recorded.

Bands like: Black Flag, Husker Du, The Replacements, Meat Puppets, Minutemen, Butthole surfers, St. Vitus, Fugazi, Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr, Minor Threat, Soul Asylum, Bad Brains, etc... have inspired untold amounts of other artists.

Where at one time the idea was to form a band and wait around for a label to sign you and make you famous, These people decided to wait for no one and forge the path themselves and on their own terms.

That is the very definition of rugged individualism and the basic principles on which our country was founded.

I don't believe this could have happened in any other country.

Learn To Be Articulate, Like Alec Baldwin

I know, he spelled Bachmann wrong. That's why I didn't title it "Learn to Spell From Alec Baldwin."

Now most people understand that Hollywood is filled with very smart, articulate actors who's worldview is filled with intellectual diversity. This is how Baldwin is able to communicate so thoughtfully.

Check out the way he is able to "raise awareness" to the issue of childhood self esteem by using his 12 year old daughter:



Love him or hate him, the man has a way with words. The words "thoughtless little pig" obviously come from a man who's life experience certainly makes him qualified to have his political views taken seriously.

As Bachmann was goofin' around in college working towards a law degree, Baldwin was bringing a touch of class to Knots Landing as the character Joshua Rush.

In 1988 Bachmann may have received an LL.M degree in tax law, but Baldwin found time to star in four movies that year! One of them being the critical favorite "She's Having a Baby" starring Kevin Bacon.

Bachmann may have worked for the IRS, but surely at some point Baldwin must have played an IRS agent. If he didn't I bet his character in "Miami Blues" certainly knew how to outsmart one.

So although Bachmann was a tax attorney, served as a State Senator of Minnesota, and now as a sitting US congresswoman running for President, she may have closer ties to Hollywood than one may imagine.

At one point Bachmann began providing short-term care for girls with eating disorders who were patients in a program at the University of Minnesota.

I'm pretty sure the PSA that Baldwin made with his daughter was also trying to raise awareness to the very serious issue of a young girls self image regarding weight. Why else would he throw around the word "pig" so casually?

Politics involve very complicated ideas. Actors seem to be very selfless when it comes to understanding that we need them to translate policy for us. I, for one, am glad that the dude from "Married to the Mob" is around to publicly state their political views.

It must take a brave soul to be a liberal in Hollywood, you're a true individual standing out in a crowd.

Chris Wallace Still Under Jon Stewart's(thin) Skin.

So it's been about two weeks ago that Jon Stewart sat down with Fox News Sunday's Chris Wallace. It was an entertaining interview that got a bit heated when Stewart claimed that Fox news viewers were the most misinformed "consistently, every poll."

Poltifact clearly debunked this.

Stewart copped to his mistake, of course by pointing out what a bunch of lying jerk faces they are.

So tonight Stewart shows just how much that Wallace interview got to him. Still trying to defend himself, he had to show what a bunch of lying jerk faces they are again!

Wow, this is obviously personal for Stewart.

Seriously, this guy has 99% of media personalities kissing his ass and fawning all over him. Mostly because they’re afraid of the Daily Show mocking them.

I think it honestly bothers Stewart that there are some people who don’t necessarily think he’s the smartest guy in the room at all times. He’s been worshiped by a long, long time from these people.

This Fox thing is making Stewart look hilariously petty.

Bill Maher Offensive? No, Just Very, Very Predictable.

Maher has lost all of his edge.

He knows that once every week or so make(very easy) jokes about Palin or her daughters that are outrageous. He tries to make them offensive enough that people will talk about it online or on cable news. He gets the publicity for the conservative backlash, which makes the liberals defend him, which then adds to his unwarranted reputation as an edgy comic.

Maher's latest Palin knock-knock joke via Mediaite.



Note to Maher: Making fun of conservatives in front of an insufferably liberal west coast audience or in Hollywood is not edgy. It's the easiest thing one can do. He's not shocking people or challenging them, he's reaffirming his back patting audience's already deep held beliefs. It's as boring as it is predictable.

Unlike Carlin, who would perform shows on the West Coast and mercilessly mock liberals to their faces on environmentalism, or Rickles, who would take jabs at nearly everyone in attendance, or Pryor who seemed to take delight in mocking people in any position of authority, Maher goes for the easiest laugh possible.

Maher is the equivalent of a prop comic. I rarely watch him anymore. Not because he's offensive, but because he is so lame. When you're able to figure out every punchline and instinctively know EVERY position he'll take on EVERY issue, why bother?

The real joke here is that Maher is hilariously seen by some on the left as a rebel. Maher is about as rebellious as wearing a tye dyed shirt at a Phish concert. You can't tell him apart from the others.