Comic Books and Politics

Check out my story about Presidential Material and the corresponding party at Golden Apple on Melrose.

S. 3325 Needs to Be Stopped

I was incensed when I read this post on Boing Boing about S. 3325, The Enforcement of Intellectual Property Act of 2008.  How could the Senate even think about using taxpayer money to encourage the RIAA's legal pursuits?  Really, it's not about copyright anymore and it probably never was about giving the artists their fair share.  (If that were the case, then Madonna, Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails wouldn't have felt the need to pursue other options while the labels' attorneys were busy suing kids.)  No, it's all about bullying whoever they can in an attempt to stop progress.  And if the record industry can't get its act together enough to develop marketing and distribution strategies to work in the Internet Age (something many unsigned artists have accomplished), why should anyone listen to them?  I guess that's the Whineocracy for you, anyone who can throw the biggest tantrum wins.

Well, I'm against it, so I wrote to my Senators.

In the midst of all the hoopla over the elections, and perhaps because our President is the self-proclaimed "Decider," I think we've forgotten one of the greatest aspects of being American.  Our government works for us.  We vote them into office and we can vote them out of office.  That said, if we all email our Senators, they will have to listen.

That said, please read as much information as you fan find on S. 3325.  If you too think it's a load of crap, write your Senators and have your friends do the same.  It's not just about elections, it's about raising our voices all year long.

Political Arguments

I'm not one of those people who particularly enjoys discussing politics.  Regardless of whether your talking to conservatives or liberals, the conversation will generally turn hot-blooded and irrational in a matter of seconds.  This isn't just casting judgment, I know I'm quite capable of doing the same thing as well.  Typically, unless the person is a really close friend, I will just smile and nod.  You could tell me that you think that Attila the Hun should rise from the grave and cease control of these United States and I would probably still smile and nod.  I let you think that I agree with you, even if I think you're off your rocker, just because I don't feel like getting into it. Sometimes, I actually do agree with you, but I still just smile and nod because inevitably a debate of semantics will occur.

Last night I was doing the smile and nod thing.  

"I go into the bathroom for a minute and all of a sudden you're arguing politics," Carlos laughed.  

I looked at a friend who was sitting on a barstool a few feet away from me and then back at Carlos.

"I swear, it wasn't my fault."

My friend shrugged and laughed.  Then Carlos did the same.

The whole thing revolved around Barack Obama.  Guy at the bar was hyping him up.  To be honest, I don't really care how a person votes or if he/she chooses to vote.  That's your business and if you feel the need to tell me this information, then, whatever.  But the guy kept on going on about Obama (and, to tell you the truth, the whole "cult of personality" surrounding both candidates and their running mates really bothers me, let's talk about issues and not your biographies).  I was still smiling and nodding.  Then he said that Obama never voted for the war in Iraq.  I should have let this go, but I've heard people say it too many times and it's a misleading statement.  I couldn't leave it alone.

"Of course not," I answered.  "He wasn't in the Senate then."

Then he started arguing with me and I got all pissed off because I knew for a fact that I was right and I wished that I had my laptop with me so that I could prove it.

Finally, he answers me with, "Well, if that's what you want to believe."

"Of course, it's what I want to believe.  It's a fact."

Fact: Barack Obama took his Senate seat in 2005.  I found this information on his official bio.  This was well after Congress had approved the invasion.

Since Obama was not in the US Senate at the time of this vote, he could not have voted for it.  And since he did not vote on this issue, the point is moot.

We left it at that.

Actually, we didn't leave it at that.  I made some comment about how I'm not really thrilled with anyone and I might exercise my right to not vote this year (of course, I make that threat all the time and never seem to follow through with it).  I think that was my way of saying, let's just stop this right now.

I'm still waiting for the day that this election ends.

Absolutely Nothing, Say It Again

We were on the phone talking about war. I don't know how we got on the subject, but it pops up a lot. And we were talking about five years of non-stop battles and the public having forgotten why we're there in the first place, because why would you remember when celebrity scandals and celebrity deaths are more newsworthy than militaristic policy and soldiers' deaths?

He said that there will be a generation who can't remember not being at war in the Middle East. And I mentioned my cousin, who is 11, which made him five when 9/11 happened, which means that he will never remember a time without this cloud over us.

"But think about it," he added. "Can you remember when we weren't at war?"

And I told him the truth, that the first thing I remember seeing on the news had to do with the hostages in Iran. I must have been three. Maybe I had just turned four. Regardless, I can't remember life without at least the threat of war looming overhead. Well, maybe. How long was that respite between the end of the Cold War and the beginning of Desert Storm?

And then I can't help but think of this song:

Edwin Starr "War"

Payne of Gold

Freda Payne "Bring the Boys Home" posted by thunderbird1958

The video isn't much to watch, it's just a spinning record, but the song is something else.

Freda Payne is perhaps best remembered for classic soul cut "Band of Gold," which was covered recently in half-naked-dudes-dancing-somewhere-around-Santa Monica-and-Robertson mode by Kimberly Locke (it's also quite the hit at my gym). Per her bio, Payne began her career by winning a contest at a local radio station in her native Detroit. (Is everyone talented in Detroit?) She was 13. The bio on her website cuts off abruptly at age 17 (must be Mozilla), so I have supplemented with info retrieved from Disco Museum (I have incorporated my own commentary). Earlier on in her career, Payne worked in jazz and toured with the likes of Sammy Davis Jr., Bill Cosby and Quincy Jones. By the end of the 1960s, she hooked up with Holland, Dozier, Holland (the ultimate hitmakers). "Band of Gold," her signature tune (which she re-recorded with Belinda Carlisle in 1986), rose to #3 in the U.S. and #1 in the U.K., probably on account of the fact that British often (not always, see Girls Aloud) have better taste. Payne's follow-up album, Contact, was banned from U.S. military radio thanks to the brilliant song posted at the top of this post. According to Wikipedia, "Bring the Boys Home" reached #12 on the top 40 and #3 on the R& B charts. Payne jumped around labels throughout the '70s and continued to release albums with varying receptions. By the end of the decade, she had a bit of a career revival with a slew of disco singles. Since then, she has continued to release albums and perform on stage, film and television. Recently, she has been performing A Tribute to Ella Fitzgerald. The title should be self-explanatory.

I'm drawn to this song because it's so simple, yet effective in conveying the message and it is as relevant now, in 2008, as it was in 1971. For the past few years, I have felt ill at ease on account of the lack of good anti-war songs. Sure, there were a few songs here and there that tried to make a statement, but I humbly submit that those songs (Green Day, I'm looking at you) were too annoying make a huge difference (which, I must add, is different than selling a crapload of albums, something at which Green Day excels). I hope that, at some point, "Bring the Boys Home" sees a re-release. The song deserves it.