Journal Interrobang's Journal: Oberdee Ompus Blabby Dwarp? No!! 2
I finally did it. I finally got one, er, got Machine Gun in the Clown's Hand, Jello Biafra's new spoken word album. I'm a big fan -- I have every one so far but The Big Ka-Boom, Part I.
This one is particularly notable for the final track on Disc One, "The Terror of Tinytown," where Biafra goes to town (in typical "Band Names" fashion) on Dubya and his, er, speech peculiarities. Biafra says, "I haven't had this much fun with creative mangling of the English language since, oh, since I was a sophomore in high school. Even Japanese hardcore wasn't this much fun," and then goes on to describe a geometry teacher he had whose Spoonerisms, malapropisms, and just plain tangle-tonguedness make the ex-Governor of Texas look pretty smooth. (The title, in case you were wondering, was something that allegedly came out of this geometry teacher's mouth. Apparently the teacher's "creative mangling" was so amusing, Biafra and his friend started to keep notes, which [he says] filled an 1.5" binder when they were done.) I don't think I've laughed so hard in weeks. Another comedic high point comes when Biafra muses into the mic, "The War Against Terrorism, or TWAT, for short." Hmmm... (Maybe the TWAT Gang can get together with the CRAP* Gang for an evening of politicoscatological fun?) The third-best comedic moment for me was discovering that Biafra's initial reaction to the Sept. 11th events was about the same as mine: "Oh, wow..." Pause. "It's 9 o'clock in the morning. I'm going back to sleep." (In my case, add before the "Oh, wow," "Terrorists. Yeah, right. Wasn't that last year?" Then again, I'm always cranky when I wake up, and I had mononucleosis to boot, so forgive me.)
Less humourously, but with his usual blend of Abbie Hoffman street preaching, humour, and political vitriol, Biafra takes on the "same names" from the Reagan era, Contragate, and other aging political scandals that keep turning up (with disturbing regularity) in Bush II's team. (Rumour has that Ari Fleischer wouldn't tell a reporter how many convicted criminals are working in the Bush administration, which either means that Fleischer doesn't know, or the answer would cause a scandal -- or both. Personally, I'd like to know, if only out of political prurience.)
Biafra also points out, with his artist's sensitivities (honed to a fine point by the Frankenchrist trial, no doubt) all the censorship that's been going on in the US mainstream media about Life, The Universe and Everything in the Bush II era. I have to wonder how much of that would be going down had Sept. 11th's events not happened, but it seems like a damned good excuse to me. Case in point, on Sept. 11th itself, after discovering (like Biafra) that I couldn't get back to sleep (despite the mono), I quickly got tired of hearing Orrin Hatch rant about revenge on CNN, retreated back into my room, and put on the radio to CBC. Not only was the coverage more interesting and informative (remember that I hate CBC radio generally) but it was a lot less sensationalistic, which was exactly what I wanted.
Politics aside, Biafra's tribute to Joey Ramone (the final cut on the album) is quite touching and powerful, and sheds some light on that phenomenon I call "enlarging the realm of possibility," not to mention revealing yet another step on the way to how Biafra got to be the way he is today. I sang "I Wanna Be Sedated," coincidentally enough, until I fell asleep.
The Review Part: If you like Jello's spoken word albums anyway, run, don't walk, and buy this one. In many ways it's better than Become The Media, and its best parts rank up there with the best parts of If Evolution is Outlawed, Only Outlaws Will Evolve, and Beyond the Valley of the Gift Police. If you have never bought one of his spoken word albums before, some of the jokes (the ominous, reverberating "AMERICA IS NOW UNDER MARTIAL LAW" that begins the first track, f'rinstance), but if you follow your politics, you will probably enjoy it. I give it four Winston Smith collages out of five (and catch the WS collage in the liner notes).
* I'm never going to (let people) forget how the Canadian political party now known as the Canadian Alliance Party, and formerly known as the Reform Party, re-named itself the Canadian Reform Alliance Party. (Yes, you were and are still full of...Alliance, guys.)
This one is particularly notable for the final track on Disc One, "The Terror of Tinytown," where Biafra goes to town (in typical "Band Names" fashion) on Dubya and his, er, speech peculiarities. Biafra says, "I haven't had this much fun with creative mangling of the English language since, oh, since I was a sophomore in high school. Even Japanese hardcore wasn't this much fun," and then goes on to describe a geometry teacher he had whose Spoonerisms, malapropisms, and just plain tangle-tonguedness make the ex-Governor of Texas look pretty smooth. (The title, in case you were wondering, was something that allegedly came out of this geometry teacher's mouth. Apparently the teacher's "creative mangling" was so amusing, Biafra and his friend started to keep notes, which [he says] filled an 1.5" binder when they were done.) I don't think I've laughed so hard in weeks. Another comedic high point comes when Biafra muses into the mic, "The War Against Terrorism, or TWAT, for short." Hmmm... (Maybe the TWAT Gang can get together with the CRAP* Gang for an evening of politicoscatological fun?) The third-best comedic moment for me was discovering that Biafra's initial reaction to the Sept. 11th events was about the same as mine: "Oh, wow..." Pause. "It's 9 o'clock in the morning. I'm going back to sleep." (In my case, add before the "Oh, wow," "Terrorists. Yeah, right. Wasn't that last year?" Then again, I'm always cranky when I wake up, and I had mononucleosis to boot, so forgive me.)
Less humourously, but with his usual blend of Abbie Hoffman street preaching, humour, and political vitriol, Biafra takes on the "same names" from the Reagan era, Contragate, and other aging political scandals that keep turning up (with disturbing regularity) in Bush II's team. (Rumour has that Ari Fleischer wouldn't tell a reporter how many convicted criminals are working in the Bush administration, which either means that Fleischer doesn't know, or the answer would cause a scandal -- or both. Personally, I'd like to know, if only out of political prurience.)
Biafra also points out, with his artist's sensitivities (honed to a fine point by the Frankenchrist trial, no doubt) all the censorship that's been going on in the US mainstream media about Life, The Universe and Everything in the Bush II era. I have to wonder how much of that would be going down had Sept. 11th's events not happened, but it seems like a damned good excuse to me. Case in point, on Sept. 11th itself, after discovering (like Biafra) that I couldn't get back to sleep (despite the mono), I quickly got tired of hearing Orrin Hatch rant about revenge on CNN, retreated back into my room, and put on the radio to CBC. Not only was the coverage more interesting and informative (remember that I hate CBC radio generally) but it was a lot less sensationalistic, which was exactly what I wanted.
Politics aside, Biafra's tribute to Joey Ramone (the final cut on the album) is quite touching and powerful, and sheds some light on that phenomenon I call "enlarging the realm of possibility," not to mention revealing yet another step on the way to how Biafra got to be the way he is today. I sang "I Wanna Be Sedated," coincidentally enough, until I fell asleep.
The Review Part: If you like Jello's spoken word albums anyway, run, don't walk, and buy this one. In many ways it's better than Become The Media, and its best parts rank up there with the best parts of If Evolution is Outlawed, Only Outlaws Will Evolve, and Beyond the Valley of the Gift Police. If you have never bought one of his spoken word albums before, some of the jokes (the ominous, reverberating "AMERICA IS NOW UNDER MARTIAL LAW" that begins the first track, f'rinstance), but if you follow your politics, you will probably enjoy it. I give it four Winston Smith collages out of five (and catch the WS collage in the liner notes).
* I'm never going to (let people) forget how the Canadian political party now known as the Canadian Alliance Party, and formerly known as the Reform Party, re-named itself the Canadian Reform Alliance Party. (Yes, you were and are still full of...Alliance, guys.)
convicted criminals in white house (Score:2)
In the same briefing, Russell Mohbiker asks:
Q Ari, other than Elliott Abrams, how many convicted criminals are on the White House staff?
MR. FLEISCHER: (Laughter.) You tell me, Russell. You seem to keep count.
Q Can you give me a list of convicted criminals on the White House staff, other than Elliott Abrams?
MR. FLEISCHER: I'll go right to the convicted criminals division and ask them to turn -- (Laughter.)
Q No, seriously -- why isn't being convicted of a criminal a disqualifier for being on the White House staff?
MR. FLEISCHER: Russell, this is an issue that you like to repeat every briefing. I refer you to the --
Q But you don't answer --
MR. FLEISCHER: -- repeat I gave you the third time you asked it, which matched the second, which corresponded to the first.
Max
National Country Party of Australia ... (Score:1)
The Australian National Party was formerly known as the Country Party of Australia, then the National Country Party of Australia before becoming simply the National Party. The Nationals are closely aligned with the Liberal Party (generally the two form a coalition, wlthough at times they tend to split over minor differences). Both parties have very strong "youth" parties - the Young Liberals and the Young Nationals. When the National Country Party was deciding to rename/re-brand themselves, there was a string push to revert back to the Country Party of Australia, however luckily for them someone pointed out that the "Young Nats" (as the Young National Party was commonly referred to) would get a rather inappropriate (or appropriate - depending on your political beliefs) abbreviation if they were to become the Young Country Party...