The Right Are Wrong!

A strange trend that has been going on with increasing frequency is that of right wing ideologues running for public office on the platform of reducing government. One would think that if someone thought a certain entity were too large, the best way to decrease its size would not be to join it. That’s like hating food and wanting to be a cook in a restaurant and wanting to get rid of the dishwasher and the waiters; or hating music and wanting to be a member of an orchestra to petition for the removal of the horn section and the percussion.

Obviously these ideologues think the best way to change an organization is from within. Once inside, they can sabotage it more effectively and reduce its ability to function, thereby ‘proving’ the incompetence of the government. It is a malicious ideology and one that should alert voters to the possessor’s nefarious intentions.

I speak of people like Rob Ford, Thatcher, Reagan, the Bush dynasty and virtually all candidates of the last thirty years put forth by the Conservative parties in Canada and the U.K. and the Republicans in the U.S.A.

They are under the impression that as population grows and inflation rises, the expense of keeping a society together should fall. Any child who passed third grade math should understand that that makes no sense. Until we outsource our roadwork, schools, armies and everything else that falls under the heading of ‘government’ to India or China (an impossibility), the cost of running a government and keeping people comfortable should only rise. This fact alone would prevent any sensible person for voting for ideologues who say that government needs to be reduced as its workload increases. Unfortunately, ideologues are more common than sensible people. The election of the aforementioned parties proves that.  

People have vast and tolerance for inconvenience when it is labeled as convenience. There are cities in the world where it is normal to sit in traffic for hours each day and people put up with it and say they have no choice. Little support exists for a change to rail systems that would necessitate a bit of walking and the loss of their ‘privacy’ but would ultimately save time and money. People would rather sit in their car with their music and move at two kilometers per hour and thirty cents a kilometer. The price varies, the average speed of traffic jams doesn’t.

Forgive my cynicism but it seems to take major catastrophes for most people to want to fix something whose broken nature is already apparent.  Bah…I am going for a bike ride! 

George Orwell

Having just read Down and Out in Paris and London, I can say that despite the harsh reality of modern working class life, it is so much better than George had it during his pre-famous-writer-days. Does anyone who works sixteen hours a day six days a week and still have to live in one room and share a bed with one person and thousands of bugs? Not as much as they used to. Life was an endless struggle against cold and hunger in his Paris days. Sixteen hour days at the hotel consumed his life for almost a year. The lure of home brought Orwell back to England and saw him living as a tramp. He finally stayed with his sister and wrote the now legendary book. From there he went on to work at the BBC, later becoming a world famous writer who inspired many generations.

In many ways, he was ahead of his time. Not only did he accurately predict the security hysteria that fascist governments around the world employ to undermine liberty, as well as their methods of propaganda, he foretold the actions of today's twenty and thirty-somethings by laughing in the face of property ownership. He moved back home as increasing numbers of recently graduated students are doing. He lived for the moment, remaining true to his convictions even though it made his life difficult and cost him health, wealth and longevity.

To French red wine, Spanish white wine, English beer and strong tea.

Devo at Dundas Square

Devo played on Saturday night at Dundas Square. Once again, the sound was great, the streets and square were full. At the moment I haven't got a bike lock or a bike that I feel comfortable locking up in public. So, I had to stand with my bike. After a few forays to the east side of Yonge, I picked a spot on the relatively uncrowded southwest corner of Yonge and Dundas, resigning myself to watching the show on the big screens. Certainly, it was not as deafening as the east side of Yonge but it was still loud. I almost put my ear plugs in but I abstained.

       Their performance was super tight. They must be able to play these songs in their sleep after more than 30 years of being a band. I can't imagine they get too excited to play the same songs they always play but their blasé faces and robot like facade lend an air of reassuring sincerity to the concert. They take it very seriously. They don't get excited. Banter with the crowd is pretty minimal.  The main thing is the songs are great and they perform them with great precision and I would say, a large measure of dispassion. Their vibe demands a lack of emotional connection and simple technical adherence to patterns and playing your part in the larger context of the band.

       They seem to have picked up the quick costume changes of Noh theatre. Did they start off wearing ten layers? I never saw them doffing or tossing garments but I was also spending a fair bit of time watching all the people stroll by. Almost every song had a different outfit. I especially liked the elastic, patella-encircling garters of the last songs. Yellow raincoat-like shirts, grey long sleeve luge shirts,  It looks like they are sponsored by Adidas now. Very athletic, light fabrics for the most part.    

The crowd was well behaved and very smokeless compared to the Thursday show. Way to go Devo. We probably won't cross paths again but you guys were great.

First Outdoor Concert of 2011

Fucked Up (8pm), Off! (9pm) and The Descendents (10pm) played at Dundas Square tonight. It was one of the nightly free shows put on by NXNE. Thank you NXNE and the aforementioned bands. What a difference the sound man makes. From the echo-y imprecise canyon of Fucked Up's sound to the crisp, CD-like sound of Off! was about as far a leap as sound can take.  All the bands gave excellent performances. Fucked Up's singer was touring the crowd for the whole set, taking it to the people. He knows how to work a crowd. Off! played short tight bursts of furious punk. It reminded me that I haven't seen a band that heavy in too long a time. I don't get out like I used to.

            For some reason they couldn't co-ordinate the picture on the big screen with the sound. On the screen there were a lot of perfectly timed shots of interactions between the singers and the crowd. It couldn't have been timed better by a director. Some of FU's most ardent fans are a sight to behold on the jumbo screen. Larger than life and a warning to all about over indulgence in punk rock living. Not the beautiful people suffice to say.

          I didn't really know the Descendents catalogue until tonight.  For variety there was a section with the singer's kids reading the 'Commandments of All'!  The routine, complete with one large tablet á la Moses, was peppered by 6/8 dissonant melodies and punches that were flawless and made me think they were going to break into some schmaltzy jazz as a joke. Lucky kids, going on tour with their punk rock Dad.

          No jokes but lots of smokes. It was like the old club days, all the stinky cigarette smoke. Unlike a  club, you aren't "allowed" to drink at Dundas Square. Everyone was. Simply everyone. And all so well behaved. It gives me hope for mankind.  A security guard came to my friend and said  "I won't take your drink but you have to drink it fast." Never mind the chillum circle going right next to us. An awesome night, especially for the budget-conscious. Look for twice the people and four times the number of people wearing glasses at Devo on Saturday.

The singer from the Decendents said that he thought he was in Times Square or Japan as he surveyed Yonge and Dundas and the assembled at twilight. Does that meant that our efforts to Times Square-ify the intersection have not been in vain? The square may not be level but at least they can put a stage on it and have concerts like this in the summer.

Anti-war poem

Trillions for the war

Only millions for the poor

It sounds like a lot but they need much  more

That works out to a dollar thirty four

For every child who can barely eat.

We make a million bullets for the Middle East

We’d rather build a prison

Than teach kids how to listen

It happens again and again.

History is forgotten

It doesn’t ever change

Some people are just rotten

It used to be that Kings would send

their armies in search of booty

Now they send them out for oil

And call it their patriotic duty.

We’ve got to nip this in the bud

We must stain the land with blood

We’ll profit from their toil

We will not share the spoils

War has always been a form of theft

Take until there’s nothing left

Plunder and then go back home

Leaving wreckage and tombstones

The profiteers should be in jail

No heat, bad light, no goddam bail

They can’t be punished enough

Why do they do such awful stuff?

The riches go the crooks on top

A flag comes home to Mom and Pop.

Soldiers shafted for all their pain

Its not enough to just wash their brain

They were only eighteen, no money for school

Once we’re older we’re harder to fool.

 The worst heat you’ve ever felt.

And you are supposed to wage war.

It must scramble your brain being in that heat. 

I can’t take much over 34.

A Year of near death

Then they send you home

Or maybe you’re still needed

In the combat zone

Afraid to drive the roads

Cause everything explodes.

This isn’t the way I remember

Playing with G.I..Joes

Contact Photography Festival

There are a ton of gallery openings going on this weekend around the Junction. Saturday night to be precise. 6-9 pm is the timeframe for visiting 20 or so galleries on Dundas between Annette and a few blocks west of Keele. I saw a bunch of great shows on Queen Street last night. There were a lot of people-less photographs. The presence of people in photographs brings an energy to them which makes them preferable to me. Which raises the question: Why don't my photos have more people in them? Answer: Because I don't want to invade their privacy or take their photo without permission. Once they know they are being photographed, the spontaneity, and the quality of the photo, is lost. Nonetheless, all the photos last night were well worth the walk to see them.  I also saw some cool paintings by an artist named Joe Fleming. I could see those being put up in the big modern art museums of the world in the near future. I know few will read this and my one follower who is in England, bless you Molly, will assuredly not be attending. If you do get this message, I urge you to trek west beyond the glamour of Queen or Bloor Street and check out Toronto's biggest photographic night.

May 2 - Vote NDP or Green...please!!!!!

         Election day is tomorrow. Despite all the positive news about the Tories falling in popularity and the NDP surge there is not really much chance that the people of Canada will be much better off. The TTC will not be receiving Federal money commensurate with its importance in the function of Canada's biggest city. Now that the auto plants around the GTA have been laying off thousands of people for years, isn't it time to stop obeying their wishes to eliminate public transit? It will continue to be under funded and over crowded. Hundreds of thousands of votes for the Green party will result in, at most, one seat in Parliament. Tens of thousands of rural votes will fill dozens of seats with more water-treaders. Victims of the G20 debacle (that is to say all Canadians) will receive no compensation, embezzling developers will not go to jail for skimming money off of federally funded construction projects. Oil extraction from the Tar Sands will continue to pollute Alberta for the benefit of a money-worshipping minority who deny the existence or significance of pollution.
      On the positive side: I think I am going to record some really great music that just might launch a new genre and make me rich. It's a shame the future isn't looking as bright for the rest of the world. I jest. All our futures are linked.
     Now get out and VOTE! Just don't expect too much.