FREEDOM IS SLAVERY

I wonder how many of you recall an old Paul Newman film titled WUSA, in which Newman, a alcoholic DJ, who carries his martinis with him in a sharp aluminum Thermos, goes to work for a fascist radio network dedicated to an American dictatorship. Clear Channel seems determined to make the movie all reality. I keep coming back to the phrase corporate totalitarianism, and some may think I’m overstating, but I would suggest the that right now the communication conglomerate, with its Zero Tolerance Broadcasting Decency Campaign does seem to the be setting itself up as Bush administration’s own Ministry of Truth. Although I’m not sure going after Howard Stern, no matter what you might think of him, is a terribly smart idea. It’s a move that might just shift working stiffs back to the left where they ought to be, and properly make “blue-collar conservative” an oxymoron. They also seem to have forgotten that some of Howard’s biggest fans are rank and file law enforcement.

For chapter and verse on Clear Channel, (courtsey some girl) go to...
http://www.takebackthemedia.com/radiogaga.html (And do scroll down to the visual aide to the whole unholy relationship between Clear Channel and the White House.)

IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH

And over at the Office of Vice & Virtue, Mel Gibson, while making the crucifixions run on time and bloody, is not neglecting the merch. Henry Cabot Beck sends the following clip...

You can buy "witnessing tools," including lapel pins labeled in indecipherable Aramaic (yay Aramaic! What a comeback! Who knew?) and lapel pins with crucifixes, and packs of "witnessing cards" to swap with your Jesus-happy friends, just like the Disciples did when they sat around the holy campfire, swapping tales of sad lost goddesses and making s'mores with communion wafers and pink Easter marshmallow peeps. But nothing says "slightly masochistic Jesus fanatic" like adorning your fine self with a two-inch silver pewter crucifixion-nail pendant, hanging 'round your neck from a nice 24-inch leather cord. Oh my yes. It's an actual product, available right now for about ten bucks from Mel Gibson's official "Passion of the Christ" movie Web site, while supplies last, which they will forever and ever because they're doubtlessly made in bulk by Malaysian sweatshop workers wearing faded "Lethal Weapon IV" T-shirts who all believe in a very unhappy Allah. Irony, it knoweth no boundaries.

For full story...
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/gate/archive/2004/02/25/notes022504.DTL


LOVE IS HATE

But what could be more decent and wholesome than a televised execution? Isn’t Mel helping prove that? After the recent Doc40 post on the subject, kaymo seems to have the bit between his teeth...

We should do more on this. I have lots of qs. Like why Houston, Tex? What is it with the culture there that makes that town so fond of executions? And why the opposition to having them on TV? When, who, what etc... It seems so mewling, puking, sickly and weak of this stern visaged, balls of steel, minds of adamant, hearts of stone right wing rulership that they should want to hide the moment of death from those designated as the enemy to all things wise and wonderful (and usually white). if I can grab some time I will dig into this in coming days.
(Comment above or email byron4d@aol.com, especially from you guys from Texas.)

NADER IS RALPH

My considered, and I hope final thoughts on the Ralph Nader bit for the presidency came out this week in LA CityBeat – http://lacitybeat.com/article.php?id=693&IssueNum=38

CRYPTIQUE – Mind crossing your feet?