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(Social Justice South Africa; c.f. BBC World News 10/11/08)
Article by Marc Aupiais
Sparking an international incident- involving the Italian government, Catholic Papal Nuncio in the region, the Kenyan government, and Somali elders- Somali gunmen have kidnapped two Italian by citizenship Catholic Nuns. The two reports of the incidence differ, with an aid worker claiming they were taken in a gun battle by a church, while another source, the Red Cross- says they were kidnapped at their place of residence.
Kidnapping, and terrorism are considered evil in themselves by the Roman Catholic Church structures, and theology. The area of Kenya where this happened, the BBC says largely has many Somali descendants living in it. Somalia is in a state of humanitarian crisis, has no effective governance, and is in the midst of a civil war. Kenya likewise has seen the murder of many for political reasons, and accusations of electoral fraud. The Kenyan authorities claim to be in contact with Somali elders, to try to attempt some kind of securing of reclaiming the nuns for freedom. Catholic targets are beginning to appear as especially favorite targets for militants in the region, due to repeated attacks on Catholic targets, along with aid workers which are kidnapped and killed by Somali groupings.
Social Justice Family and Life News Service of the ~SACNS
Justice- and truth.
We must realize the importance of our fellows- and that human rights mean that it is not charity we give, by helping our fellow men- but rather justice.
We will keep you informed on some of the many issues pertaining Social Justice- in some attempt to use the truth to permiate the fog of suffering and politics!
We are Catholic in our perspective. We believe in human dignity!
Monday, November 10, 2008
Africa- Human Rights News- Italian Nuns kidnapped in Kenya, by Somalians
Posted by Marc Evan Aupiais at 8:21 AM
Labels: "Separation of Church and State", Human Rights Abuses, Intrinsic Evil, Italy, Kenya, Kidnapping, Social Justice South Africa, Somalia, Terrorism
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Two goals from top scorer Chris Wood and a magnificent rearguard action saw the Clarets create a piece of Premier League history and move further away from the bottom three.
Despite a six-match unbeaten run, Burnley went into the game in the drop zone following Cardiff City's after win at Southampton.
But Sean Dyche's men responded superbly to that potential set-back to leapfrog both the Saints and Newcastle in a congested scrap in the bottom half of the table thanks to a clinical raid on the south coast.
And Wood's deadly double, combined with a second penalty in two games from Ashley Barnes, made it a record run without defeat in the Premier League as Burnley made it a magnificent seven.
Former Burnley loanee Shane Duffy pulled a goal back late on as Brighton tried in vain to stop the rot.
But that was the only time they found a way past an inspired Tom Heaton as the Clarets produced the kind of disciplined, determined performance that has been their hallmark in establishing a top tier place they are doing everything not to relinquish.
Cardiff last-gasp victory earlier in the day had raised the stakes for both sides and Brighton, with just one win in 10 league games, knew they would be sucked even further into the dogfight if they failed to collect three points for the first time this year.
And only the brilliance of Heaton denied the Seagulls an early goal as the Burnley - again unchanged but missing wingers Johann Berg Gudmundsson and Robbie Brady with minor knocks - were slow to get going.
The Clarets' skipper first touched over a header from Solly March before making a flying save to keep out a volley from Pascal Gross.
But neither were a patch on the stunning stop he made to keep out another March effort which was seemingly past him before he stuck up a right hand to palm the ball away.
And 60 seconds later the Clarets were in front with 25 minutes gone.
Dyche's men had become a growing force and Barnes should have headed them in front 15 minutes in with an effort he headed onto the bar after Duffy had deflected a cross from Dwight McNeil against the frame of the goal.
But the striker made amends with a vital contribution to a classy opening goal.
Barnes had been a big Brighton favourite during his time at the south coast, but he punished his former club with a superb touch and first-time ball in behind the Albion defence to find another ex-Seagull in Wood.
The pair had been an effective partnership for Brighton as they won promotion from League One in 2011 and their impact for Burnley continues to grow, with Wood running through to benefit from Barnes' vision and bury his eighth goal of the season and sixth in total against his former employers.
Phil Bardsley and Barnes then worked Brighton keeper Mat Ryan but in a pulsating end to the first half it took a monumental effort from the Clarets to preserve their lead.
Heaton finger-tipped the ball off the head of top scorer Glenn Murray and those in front of him also dug deep, Bardsley blocking another Gross effort and Jeff Hendrick clearing off the line from Duffy's powerful header as Brighton were kept at bay.
The start of the second half continued in similar vein as Brighton cranked up the pressure and Burnley struggled to keep the ball long enough to stem the tide.
But they continued to defend magnificently and with just over an hour gone grabbed a second goal through the predatory Wood to double their lead.
James Tarkowski, a tower of strength alongside Ben Mee in the middle of the Clarets' back four, played a key role with an excellent clearing header to Ashley Westwood.
Westwood helped the ball on to McNeil and a typical driving run from the teenager ended with a pass into the path of Wood, who swept a low shot first time past Ryan into the bottom corner.
And 13 minutes later it was 3-0 as the Clarets seemingly wrapped up an epic victory as they, for once, had the luck go their way in the penalty lottery.
Hendrick appeared fortunate to avoid being penalised for handball at one end before Burnley broke to get a penalty of their own when Barnes was tripped by Ryan.
For the second week running – having ended a 67-game wait for a Premier League penalty with a last-gasp leveler against Southampton a week ago – Barnes held his nerve to slot home the spot-kick.
Any thoughts the Clarets would cruise over the line were dismissed just two minutes later when Duffy finally found a way past Heaton to head home from a free-kick.
But there was no way Dyche's men would be beaten again as they stood firm to become the first side outside the top five to win at the Amex Stadium this season and move level on points with Brighton and Crystal Palace in 13th place as their survival bid gathered further pace.
Burnley: Heaton; Bardsley, Tarkowski, Mee, Taylor; Hendrick, Westwood, Cork, McNeil; Wood, Barnes. Substitutes: Hart, Lowton, Gibson, Crouch, Ward, Vydra, Long.
Booked: Westwood
Brighton: Ryan, Montoya, Duffy, Dunk, Bong; Stephens; March (Knockaert 48), Gross (Bissouma 66), Propper, Locadia (Jahanbakhsh 66); Murray. Substitutes: Button, Kayal, Bernardo, Burn.
Booked: Ryan
Referee: Stuart Attwell
Attendance: 29,323

subset: commoncrawl


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Living Dreams: Beautiful and Foggy
I woke up, today, cursing the fact that I had to go to an early morning class on a foggy winter day. But as I stepped out of my room, the view was beautiful enough to charge me up and … Continue reading
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By Luis Manuel Aguana
The expression "original chavismo" became fashionable to denote all those who embraced the initial ideas of Hugo Chávez and who accompanied the Galáctico when it began the work of destruction of Venezuela that we knew until 1998. However, let's see, the 3,673,685 people who voted for that coup in 1998 (I don't count myself among them) could also be called "original chavistas". That is to say, of the 6,988,291 Venezuelan voters (1) in the Electoral Registry of that time, 56.20% of them voted for the option of the coup plotter of Sabaneta de Barinas, in a participation of 63.45%, 3.3% more than in the previous presidential election (see Venezuelan presidential election, 1998, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venezuelan_presidential_election,_1998). De acuerdo a esta definición, muchísima gente era chavista originaria en 1998.
But now it turns out that a group of old companions of Chávez and initiators of this tragedy have emerged, and that they have been excluded from the current chavismo-madurismo, that calling themselves with that remoquet, try to appropriate that which did not have a name, giving themselves a differentiating and "democratic" character to distance themselves from this abomination that now governs us.
The thing has reached the point where they dare to address the Secretary General of the OAS and ask him for an audience to be considered in a possible transition in the country (see in Spanish http://elestimulo.com/blog/chavismo-originario-pide-a-la-oea-apoyar-una-transicion-para-estabilizar-el-pais/).
In other words, not content with being a historical part responsible for the beginning of this present tragedy, they somehow seek a place in what may come in the future. One could not expect anything less from the one who shouted "murderer" to Commissioner Lázaro Forero, precisely they were the protagonists and those responsible for that tragic 11th of April. Impossible greater cynicism.
But since they know that the memory of Venezuelans is short, they go to the OAS and get Almagro's attention and good will, taking advantage of the need for reconciliation among Venezuelans (see in Spanish https://twitter.com/Almagro_OEA2015/status/1053685260037357571?s=03).
And certainly politics is good for everything, even that, although some of us now find it disgusting. However, in the approach of this "original chavista" there is a conceptual error that escapes the naked eye. Neither Juan Barreto nor his companions are "original chavistas". These were and continue to be the exploiters of the real original Chavistas, who in 1998, as the figures show, expected a positive change for the country. Those who believed that the Adecos and Copeyanos "were thieves", without even imagining the magnitude that this denomination could reach after 20 years of uninterrupted looting. What existed before 1998 were apprentices of thieves compared to what they turned out to be.
Original Chavistas were those more than 3.6 million people who obstinate of the behavior of the traditional parties and their main leaders, first voted for Caldera in 1993, as first chance anti-party, and then threw the rest with the coup plotter Hugo Chavez in 1998, in an unsuccessful search for public decency and honest development for Venezuela.
But that "original chavista" when he saw the results of his error in voting for Chávez in 1998, was gradually leaving the flags of that pseudo-revolution, and now he is orphaned because he doesn't believe in anyone. Neither in the dead that they say he lives, nor in the alive that he stole from the country and is leaving it to die of hunger and disease. And much less in these unburied corpses of that initial Chavismo that pretends to call itself "Original Chavismo.
Who did Chávez embody before those 1998 elections? Venezuela was forgotten by all politicians and in a sort of revengeful crusade it promised the country the head of the thieves fried in boiling oil. The result of that was predictable. Those who bought that avenging speech were the original Chavistas. The common people, the one who always waited and didn't deliver, and who is now manipulated by the stomach with a CLAP box.
That Venezuelan has no political denomination. He is the one who danced in the adecas and copeyanas pilgrimages looking for accommodation and that after winning Chávez filled the PSUV meetings. He continues to be that Venezuelan who was exploited with clientelist populism and when the government's money runs out, now he is looking for a new hope. But that hope cannot lie in returning to the past, much less exploring the bleak communist future offered by the regime. But there don't seem to be many options.
The offer is either to go to an election with an arbiter controlled by the regime, including a probable referendum approving a communist constitution, with the approval of a collaborationist opposition, or to wait for foreign aid that does not arrive. There are not many options available to this Venezuelan.
However, in this magnitude of the crisis, the channels of communication are being opened in some way with that leadership that calls itself "original chavista" that even the Secretary General of the OAS gives them belligerence. I regret that entry that Secretary General Almagro has given them. They do not represent the Venezuelan people in any way, nor do those who now have responsibilities in the regime of Nicolás Maduro. No transition can be negotiated with criminals. With criminals you negotiate their way out, not co-government. There can be no mistake about that, especially from the leadership that is said to be in radical opposition in Venezuela.
Everyone lost legitimacy, including the official opposition. It is necessary the emergence of a new opposition leadership -not necessarily generational- that is based on the actions of each one in the face of the realities imposed on us by the serious political situation. And that only comes from each of the regions of the country to an appeal to the original constituent.
Faced with a call for "council elections" and "constitutional referendum", the National Constituent Alliance (Alianza Nacional Constituyente-ANCO) proposes the convocation of a constituent consultation WITHOUT CNE, organized by civil society with the help of the international community, so that the sovereign can decide (see in Spanish ANCO ante la crisis humanitaria continental, en http://ancoficial.blogspot.com/2018/10/comunicado-anco-ante-la-crisis.html).
If the thing is as the American Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, says in the Voice of America, then let the people decide for real: "I hope that the Venezuelan people will restore democracy in their country. If they elect Maduro, well, you know, that would be the choice of Venezuelans. As you said, describing the horrors Maduro has inflicted on his people, that seems unlikely to me" (see interview of the Secretary of State of the United States, Mike Pompeo to the Voice of America, in https://www.voanoticias.com/a/pompeo-entrevista-mexico-inmigracion-venezuela-/4621578.html?platform=hootsuite).
It follows from the above that they expect the transition to come out of a "normal" electoral process with these criminals, which will not happen if the dissuasive methods Pompeo himself refers to are not applied: "I trust we will find other ways in which we can exert pressure in a way that convinces Maduro that this is not going to work, that he will not be able to retain power forever, and that oppressing his people in the way you have just described is inhumane and inappropriate". And to force these methods to occur will require a radical change in the electoral system, as the legitimate TSJ ruled on June 13, 2018. Only in this way will it be possible to count on the decision of the true "Original Chavismo" without any mediatization, and it will be possible to say without any lack of truth that the genuine chavistas demonstrated and we are in the presence of a true process of reconciliation among Venezuelans…
Caracas, October 22, 2018
Blog: http://ticsddhh.blogspot.com/
Email: email@example.com
(1) Errata: Corrected from the initially published version that indicated the word "inscribed" in the wrong way. Grateful to readers who noticed the error.


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August 11, 2020, 12:06:07 pm
'ERROR!' is an unused option string that can be forced on an options box for the party Pokémon screen. Its purpose if anything is undocumented.
It follows on from 'MAIL' (hex:14); the last valid option. Field moves have index numbers between hex:01-0E, so "ERROR!" probably wasn't supposed to be one.
Enter the GameShark code 0115D6D0 to replace the third party menu option with "ERROR!". All ERROR! does with this code is function like cancel.


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Authorities in New Mexico are investigating an Albuquerque father who allegedly showed up at a polling place to vote on behalf of his 18-year-old son, news station KOB reported on Tuesday night.According to Bernalillo County Clerk Maggie Toulouse Oliver, elections workers got suspicious when the silver-haired father showed up to vote and told them he was born in 1994. He was still allowed to cast a ballot, but the workers took down his license plate number when he left. Later, he showed up at a different location and voted under his own name, according to KOB.
When reporter Gadi Schwartz tracked Thomas Pino down at his home, the father denied voting twice. His son, however, happened to pull up in a car a short time later. Seeming to know nothing about the allegations against his father, the son told the station he hadn't yet voted but still intended to.
The elder Pino later called Schwartz to tell him he had made a mistake by voting on behalf of his son, but said his son had given him permission. Both were registered as Republicans at the same Albuquerque address, according to KOB.
Liz Hamm of the Bernalillo County Clerk's office confirmed to TPM that the case had been referred to the Bernalillo County Sheriff. The sheriff's office didn't respond to a request for comment.
New Mexico does not have a photo voter ID law, which may prevent cases of in-person voter fraud. An investigation earlier this year found that such fraud was very rare, with just ten known cases since 2000. Five of those cases involved suspects voting on behalf of a family member.
Watch KOB's report:
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› Forums › General Questions and Comments › Windows/BT
- This topic has 9 replies, 2 voices, and was last updated 1 year, 6 months ago by Martyn.
Is it possible to use the Windows app but wirelessly via BT instead of direct wired connection to the Arduino?
I've installed the windows app but it seems it wants a serial port to connect to so I'm guessing it wants a wired connection to the arduino.
I've looked at the device manager list for ports and there are 4 BT ports (com 3-6) listed there but I must confess I'm not up on BT on a PC – only on mobile
Yes this is possible. SSP BT / BT Classic creates a COM port and this acts just like a serial cable. You need to pair the PC with the BT module used in the droipController to create the COM port. Once you have this select the port in the dropController Windows app.
See http://www.dropcontroller.com/connecting-dropcontrollerpc-via-bluetooth/. This is for a BlueSoleil Bluetooth dongle but the process is similar for other dongles.
Just realised I changed the handshake for wired serial and this may no longer work.markGuest
Oh OK – so I'm not sure which is the answer then.
I'm not using a dongle – my laptop has built in bluetooth. I've paired succesfully with the dropcontroller and when I look in my device manager I have 4 com ports set to 9600 8,N,1. When I open the windows app I'm given 4 com port choices 3,4,5,and 6 but I can't connect through any of them
It's not a big deal if I have to use a cable but if it's possible wirelessly it's one less wire in the mix.
Actually I'll add something to that. When I try to connect I get a 'connecting' message and that's the end of it. I have to use task manager to kill the dropcontroller app – it never comes back and won't close on its own.markGuest
I see the problem. It's in the form1.vb file.
If (count <= 12) Then
receivedData = ReceiveSerialData()
debug("received data = " & receivedData)
If (receivedData = "H") Then
connected = True
debug("HELLO reply received")
Timer_checkConnect.Enabled = True
timerConnectFlag.Text = "ON"
End If
The initial handshake is waiting for an H
The response from the arduino sketch, though, is
<V,220.127.116.11,Nov 1 2018><HELLO>
Any chance of getting a Windows build that will accept the appropriate handshake?
I've gone ahead and fixed it so that it works with the current handshake – it will only work with the current version of the Android BT app.
If anyone needs it the .exe file can be found here. Just download the original from here and then overwrite the exe file with this one.
Sorry – there was a second <FTS> handshake that I hadn't noticed. The build has been updated and now seems to work finemartynGuest
As you have discovered the windows app and the android app expect different commands for the handshake. I know I had a reason for changing them but can't remember why. Probably lazy programming.
I am busy for the next week or two but when I get back I will try to update so that both usb and Bluetooth use the same commands again.


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Move. Breathe. Eat. Restore. Energise.
All in ONE DAY…
Ever said you'd like to go on a yoga retreat but can't fit it into your schedule? Here's your chance…
Whether you are taking your first steps to a healthier lifestyle or a keen yogi interested in a deeper experience. Make a positive change in a ONE DAY retreat.
Surrender to an inspiring blend of dedicated yoga, deep relaxation, whole-foods, workshops, talks all in tranquil beautiful surroundings.
Discover wellbeing from the inside out and wind up feeling blissfully rested, inspired and energised, all in ONE DAY!
Taking time out has always been a vital part of improving the quality of life, but it's not always possible to take 5 days off and travel to a yoga retreat. A one-day retreat is an ideal way to step off the conveyor belt of life and spend time in a peaceful and spiritual atmosphere, reflecting upon and exploring the important factors governing our everyday experience and re-charging the batteries.
Our main aim is to create a truly calming and spiritually uplifting retreat, a space for relaxation and self-reflection. I want to give you permission to be quiet and take your practice to a deeper level, fully mindful of your body, mind and spirit and ultimately leave us refreshed and smiling.
All retreats feature a long yoga master class, mindful meditation and breathing practise taught by the host. Groups are small (9), with lots of space and personal attention.
Each retreat we invite a different wellbeing practitioner to give a talk about their specialist topic or lead a workshop, sharing hands-on advice and take-home tips. From Indian head massage, reflexology, to Detox, iridology, fermentation, Chocolate making, Japanese Tea ceremony, weight Loss, menopause and how to run injury free to name but a few. Whatever we come across that is worth sharing and shouting about!
If you know of a wellbeing specialist that is inspiring and willing to share please talk to us. We are always open to new ideas.
A delicious vegetarian lunch will be prepared by local talented people who love to create & cook. All produce is fresh, seasonal and 100% organic where possible. Always GF and DF. Help yourself to herbal teas, Linseed tea and healthy snacks. You can choose to eat in or out door weather permitting.
SILENT LUNCH only on some of the day retreats
Sometimes the best cure is to find an answer from within. Turn down the volume, quieten the voice and really taste the joy of the food that has been lovingly prepared for you. I want to give you permission to be quiet whilst chewing your food. This allows the taste buds to fully engage and the food to fully digest. It will feel strange to start with but I promise you, you will come to really appreciate the silence.
A beautiful family home in Islip, Oxfordshire surrounded by glorious countryside and a stunning dedicated yoga studio, make the perfect setting to retreat.
Have you ever fantasised about having your very own bespoke retreat? An exclusive day with a select group of friends, family or colleagues? Here's your chance! Pick a date, theme and menu, and invite your favourite people to our private venue just outside Oxford. A usual day includes yoga, mindfulness, delicious lunch and you can choose from a guest speaker, workshop or treatments.
Own ideas welcome!
Lunch is prepared and herbal teas and healthy snacks are available. Whether it's a special birthday, alternative hen party, team building exercise, family celebration or just some quality time out we'll make sure you'll leave feeling recharged and inspired!
We will send you home feeling regenerated and depending on the retreat with a super healthy goody bag in.VIEW DAY RETREATS


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Dale Kaszycki asks- Have you heard that the original Windows © based access control platform- Janus is retiring after over 25 years of service?
It was adopted in its Siteguard and NTEC guises by the industry's largest installation companies and went on to protect some of the world's most prestigious organizations with over 10,000 sites protected globally. Following this announcement, partners and End Users can no longer obtain system support for legacy software and hardware without an Extended Support Agreement (ESA), which is the only means of gaining Grosvenor Technology support for legacy platforms.
The rationale lies in Microsoft's decision to cease 32-bit operating system support back in 2015. Combine this with 25-year-old hardware that is becoming harder to procure and the cost of maintaining a Janus system starts to creep up.
In less important news- you may have also heard that British motor racing legend Sir Stirling Moss has also retired from public life last week after a career that spans 66 years behind the steering wheel and pundit's microphone. I can draw a few comparisons between the two retirements, and whilst the word 'opportunity' is not one you normally associate with retirement, it seems quite pertinent here.
Opportunity, not Pipe and Slippers
When Sir Stirling first hung up his F1 helmet in 1961 he opened up a space on the grid for a younger, hungrier fledgling to take his seat. He also had a range of options in TV, film, and publishing to supplement his off-track income. Similarly, Janus' retirement is opening additional opportunities for the next generation and Sateon is waiting to jump into the still-warm seat. Sateon is the most cost-effective means of ensuring the continuity of an organization's legacy system and is the culmination of over two decades of Janus experience in a fully featured, contemporary solution.
But this is where the term 'opportunity' really gets interesting and is a great example of how anyone can benefit when an industry stalwart retires. As I mentioned before, there's potentially over 10,000 sites out there that are just waiting for a solution that extends the life of their access control system. Just as one door closes, another opens, and it's one you may want to step through. Our Janus Upgrade Path is cost-effective, non-disruptive and requires very little effort for installers to implement. Anyone who knows of a Janus, Siteguard or NTEC site that is looking to avoid the cost of an ESA or the disruption of a completely new access control system can simply download our Upgrade Metrics Tool.
It allows Grosvenor's Professional Services Team to understand the size and complexity of the site and offer an accurate quotation. From there, we can schedule a convenient time to upgrade, which can typically be carried out by our Professional Services Team in just one day and in most cases, requires no hardware installation.
Retirement often signifies the end, but in this scenario, it actually creates new opportunities for Grosvenor Technology Partners who can utilize the Janus Upgrade Path to support Legacy sites and generate additional revenue streams. But here's the caveat- The upgrade path will end in October 2018. There's no time to lose, so get yourself in the running for the thousands of opportunities that are out there and download the metrics tool today.


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Union Budget has given mixed bag of response for the recommendations of Textile Industry. Some of the provisions in the budget that could have a direct and indirect bearing on the Textile and Clothing Industry are as follows.
Budget Provisions:
The central plan outlay for the Textile Ministry was increased by 27 per cent to Rs 7000 crore for FY2012-13 against revised plan expenditure of Rs 5503.30 crore in FY2011-12. The Total Plan and Non-plan expenditure for the Textile Ministry increased 23 per cent to Rs 7836.41 crore for FY2012-13 against Rs 6445.57 crore in the revised estimates of FY2011-12.
The revised estimates for allocation of TUFS stood at Rs 3529.67 crore for FY2011-12 against budgeted estimates of Rs 2980 crore. Government has extended Technology Up gradation Fund Scheme (TUFS) for 12th five-year plan. In this context, it has allocated plan outlay of Rs 2775.80 crore under TUFS for FY 2012-13, down by 21 per cent on y-o-y basis. This scheme provides for reimbursement of 5 per cent out of interest actually charged by the lending agencies for facilitating investments in modernization of Textile Jute Industries.
Government has announced a financial package of Rs 3884 crore for waiver of loans of handloom weavers and their co-operative societies. Of this Rs 2205 crore has been allocated for revival reforms and restructuring package for Handloom sector. Under this scheme fund is being provided for repayment of 100 per cent of principal and 25 per cent of interest as on date of loan becoming NPA and which is overdue as on 31 March 2010 in respect of viable and potentially viable weavers with an overall ceiling of Rs 50,000 per individual beneficiary.
Further, to provide technical support for poor handloom weavers, it has proposed to set up Three Weavers Service Centers one each in Mizoram, Nagaland and Jharkhand. It has also proposed to set up two more mega handloom clusters one to cover Prakasam and Guntur districts in Andhra Pradesh and another for Godda and neighboring districts in Jharkhand.
One power loom mega cluster to be set up in Ichalkaranji in Maharashtra; with budget allocation of Rs 70 crore.
A pilot scheme for promotion and application of Geo Textiles in the Northeastern region is proposed for 12th five-year plan with an outlay of Rs 500 crore.
Proposal to provide weighted deduction at 150 per cent of expenditure incurred on skill development in manufacturing sector
Excise Duty:
Government in the Union budget FY2012/13 has increased Standard rate of excise duty from 10 per cent to 12 per cent. Thus the excise duty on the manmade fiber products would be increased from 10 per cent to 12 per cent. Consequently, merit rate of 5 per cent is being enhanced to 6 per cent while 1 per cent excise duty applicable on 130 items is also being enhanced to 2 per cent with a few exceptions.
The excise duty on readymade garments bearing a brand name or sold under a brand name is being enhanced to 12 per cent. The rate of abatement on such readymade garments is being increased from 55 per cent to 70 per cent. Hence, the tariff value for purposes of charging duty would be @ 30 per cent of the retail sale price.
Customs Duty:
Basic customs duty on Wool Waste (CTH 5103) is being reduced from 10 per cent to 5 per cent and that of Wool Tops (CTH 5105) is being reduced from 15 per cent to 5 per cent.
Basic Customs duty Aramid thread/ Yarn/ fabric (Speciality Threads) for manufacture of Bullet proof helmets for Defence and Police personnel is being reduced from 10 per cent to Nil with Nil CVD and Nil SAD.
Full exemption from basic customs duty exemption is being provided to shuttle less looms, parts/components of shuttle less looms by actual users for manufacture, specified silk machinery viz. Automatic reeling silk reeling and processing machinery and their accessories including cocoon assorting machines, cocoon peeling machines, vacuum permeation machine, cocoon cooking machine, reeled silk humidifier, bale press and raw silk testing equipments.
The concessional 5 per cent duty available to specified textile machinery under erstwhile Notification No. 21/2002-Customs dated 1.3.2002, superseded by Notification no.12/12-Customs dated 17th March, 2012 is being restricted only to the new textile machinery. Consequently second hand machinery would attract 7.5 per cent basic customs duty.
Budget Impact
Extension of TUFS for the 12th five-year plan is welcoming for the Textile Industry. However, the allocation has been reduced by 21 per cent in FY13. Cheer on allowing the concessional 5 per cent duty on only new machines is offset by the 7.5 per cent customs duty on the second hand machinery. Mostly, textile industry imports second hand machines for their capacity building at lower capex.
This may have a negative impact on weaving and processing industry in the midst of / or planning expansion. Further, the industry recommendation of bringing in neutral fiber policy is kept aside with increase in the excise duty on MMF. The Industry expectation on cut of excise duty on the branded apparel was half met. While the excise duty has increased, the government has increased abatement there by cutting the effective tax from 4.5 per cent earlier to 3.6 per cent.
Union Budget has been mixed bag for the textile industry. While the government has extended its helping hand for unorganized handloom industry by financial package and loan waiver scheme; the concerns of spinning, weaving and processing industry left unanswered. On the other hand, extension of TUFS scheme is a breather to the industry.
However, the effective marginal reduction in the excise duty on branded apparel was way short of industry expectations. Increase in excise duty on MMF products will further squeeze the already wafer thin margins of the MMF industry, which is hit by spike in crude oil based derivatives and sluggish demand.


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Ashford Leisure Trust is a great place to work. Imagine working in an environment where people come to have fun, relax or compete. It's like that every day.
As a charitable trust, ALT is concerned with the wider needs of the local community and hence is at the heart of the active communities of Ashford.
There's a real buzz to working in leisure. Days are very rarely the same and the programmes, events and facilities are constantly evolving to ensure it's a dynamic and exciting place to be.
Staff training is available both internally and through accredited external providers, providing opportunities for staff to progress through the organisation in a wide range of roles.
Leisure - The place to be!!


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By Andrew Liszewski
Those court-ordered breathalyzers that prevent a car from starting until you blow an acceptable blood alcohol level are effective, but they're not exactly quick. And they have to be installed as an after-market component. But a new system, being developed by the North American division of a research company called QinetiQ and funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety, could already be built-in to vehicles as they roll off the assembly line, invisible to the driver.
Instead of having to blow into a tube, the vehicle's steering wheel or door handles would be equipped with new touch-based sensor technology that can read a driver's blood alcohol level through their skin. And the results would be calculated almost instantaneously, taking less than a second. So far functioning prototypes have been demonstrated so the technology is definitely enroute, however the head of the NHTSA, David Strickland, says that it won't be employed until it's "seamless, unobtrusive and unfailingly accurate…" Yeah, probably a good idea.
[ The Economic Times – Future cars to decide if driver is drunk ] VIA [ Slashdot ]


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Meet Cristi Dyami, Journey-Level Lineworker
Cristi Dyami is an apprentice lineman with Bonneville Power Administration. She works on the big transmission lines and says, "I absolutely love getting up every day. I love my job. Everything can be different from one day to the next. I like working outdoors. I can't imagine being stuck inside of an office … we get to be up in the mountains."
The work of a lineman is dangerous and requires focus. "Linework isn't for everybody," Cristi says. "It takes special individuals all the way around. And I hate to say it, but I think it takes even more special women. You are working with very strong personalities. It's not for meek or mild people, period."
The pay for lineworkers is very good at the average rate of $33 per hour in Oregon*. Dyami adds, "But you do work hard for it." And the job comes with its own rewards. "It's a pretty neat feeling to know that you're keeping people's power on." Dyami says. "It may be Christmas Day, and we've got a call out because it started blowing over on the coast — and you've got to leave your family — but you're going to help other people. There is a certain feeling of pride that a lot of people share in this job."
*From the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, May 2008, Occupational Employment and Wages for Electrical Power Line-Installers and Repairers


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One would think a word as this would bring up images of people getting along or at the very least not hassling each other. Isn't that the point of such an idea? That we are all equal and can live together despite our differences?
I would love to say this is the way the world has been nurturing for decades now. America has always been struggling and pushing towards its true ideals. Liberty and justice for all. Though this is something that has been fought hard to even get where it has gotten. Sadly (as often happens) those that have fought the hardest have become part of the problem.
I could go in to the problems with political correctness but I wont. Just as the idea of social justice warriors could be brought up. What I wish to point out is far beyond any such ideals or labels.
The right to individualism.
Simple words that our world has completely forgotten about. I've seen it a few times myself over the last few weeks. We are all individuals. No matter how many similarities we share this will never change. I will never be like any one else just as no one will ever be like me. For some reason though our world has decided it is ok to dictate how we should act around one another.Here is an example.
I was having an argument with a friend a few weeks ago on the topic of porn. While at a swap meet a friend found a lesbian porn dvd and held it up giggling. I just like her and another friend laughed. But there is always some one who finds such things wrong and rude. I was glad to see she held off making to much of a scene. Needless to say we had a talk after everyone went their own ways.
Thus began a conversation about how she was insulted and felt it is rude for anyone to pick something like that up and flash it about. To her I kindly responded I understand how you feel but this is how we have always been. It is quite humorous to us to know a swap meet is selling porn. You dont expect to find it there at all. Her response was a simple we need to be more respectful about how she feels.We were going against how she believes and how she wishes to live.
This is the point I let out a heavy sigh. This statement is very poisonous to me. It can be ok, but it is taken to far. Basically it tells the listener when I am around you must change who you are to fit how I live. I am not ok with this idea. I have spent to long of my life listening and agreeing with other people in regards to even how I should be.
As cold as this answer is I could only think if you do not like who we are then maybe we aren't the best of company for you. We have every right to act and be who we are. Sure we are subject to being judged by others but that is how it works. If others do not like who we are then they look for people who are like them.
What makes her statement even more dangerous is the common issue when these types of things are brought up. It's always about the individual. Again she has every right to be offended and feel how she does, but that doesnt mean the world has to cater to anyone. I have been with friends who have discussed many things i found uncomfortable and worse. I sit quietly and wait for a new topic to begin, or I can help start the new topic.
Now the friend who was uncomfortable felt it would be best if she informed everyone involved how things should be when she is around. When she said this all I could think was then don't be around. Don't change us to fit your world. I would never tell some one to not do something in front of me or to change who they are around me. To do so goes against our basic rights as living beings. We are individuals.
This girl and I are still ok friends. I wouldn't break off the friendship over something like that. But just as she has her choices to make so do I. I will have to think a lot about having her along to do things in the future.
So all this brought me to the question why do we constantly try to tell everyone how to change for the better? It is none of our rights. I just don't understand this overwhelming need for some to make the world work their way only. It is not a way of life I believe in. In this world of fear and anger we should be trying to build bridges to not only equality but individualism. You really cant have one without the other.
What does everyone think? Is it truly possible to know when in public we will be exposed to things we do not wish to, or does it make more sense to try and censor?


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Well, the last garage sale was such a roaring success we've decided to hold another one, while the sun is still shining. (Yes, it will eventually rain).
Date: Sunday, August 16
Time: 10:00 – 3:00
Place: Corner of E. 11th Ave. and Quebec St. (1 block west of Main)
If you want to join us and sell off some of your excess craft supplies or the fabulous art you created, feel free. I'll be creating a Facebook Event page and, once that's done, I'll post the link on this blog. As well, there will be ads on Craigslist and Kijiji, flyers in all the coffee shops along Main St. and signs on the main arteries around the neighbourhood. If you have a blog or newsletter please forward the info.
Last sale I had lots of inquiries about renting tables, how to display items, etc. etc. Just know, this is truly a garage sale. It takes place along the sidewalk in front of my apartment building. There's no major organising on my part, other than all the advertising. You can bring a table or just put your goodies on a blanket. Price everything or not. Organise the items professionally or just have a rough-and-tumble display. It's all up to you.
We had an absolutely amazing turnout last time and sold tons of stuff, so seriously think of participating. Questions? Email me at the usual rubydogart address or contact me through this blog.
Vancouver Island Workshops has just posted their fall schedule. If you live on the island or want to go there for workshops, these look fantastic. They fill up fast, so register early. Click on the image above to go to their site.
Our favourite workshop instructor, Shary Bartlett, participated in a fundraising art challenge. She blogged about her art process here: Tell Me A Story
Ray Ophoff (oil paintings) and Joan Tayler (polymer clay) will be having an open studio this Saturday from noon to 5:00. Joan is giving a polymer clay demo at 1:00. Check it out.
884 E. Georgia St.
As well, the kind folks at Renzo's Café, 1301 Commercial Drive (at Charles) will be featuring some of Ray's work all month and the first fifty people to tell them "Ray sent me" will receive a delicious coffee beverage of their choice on his tab!
Okay, gotta head out to my lockers now and dig up goodies for the garage sale. You, however, may just want to spend some time looking at art on your computer. Have you ever checked out my 'Favourites' on Etsy? No? Well, this will occupy you for a while:


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$1,000 whiskey aged for 18 years "Yamazaki Mizunara Cask 2017 Edition" is sold from Suntory
The House Of Suntory Whisky Proudly Introduces The Yamazaki® Mizunara Cask 2017 Edition™
Date: Sep 12, 2017
Source: Beam Suntory
Japan's Oldest Whisky Distillery Releases Limited Edition Offering Aged For 18 Years Exclusively In Japanese Mizunara Oak
CHICAGO, Sept. 12, 2017 — For more than three generations, the master blenders at Suntory Whisky, the founding house of Japanese Whisky, have devoted themselves to pursuing the harmony of Japanese nature and craftsmanship. One of the most impressive examples of this pursuit is found in Mizunara, the Japanese oak. The wood from this rare and demanding tree inspired Suntory to take a momentous step forward in whisky making, both in perfecting new cask-making techniques and in creating flavors never before tasted in whisky. Suntory's blenders have brought the essence of the noble Mizunara into a peerless liquid – tantalizingly spicy, redolent of incense and uniquely Japanese.
The House of Suntory Whisky Proudly Introduces The Yamazaki® Mizunara Cask 2017 Edition™. Photo credit: Suntory Whisky
Revealing their mastery of the Art of Mizunara, The House of Suntory Whisky proudly introduces The Yamazaki® Mizunara 2017 Edition™ available as of October 2017.
From the House of Suntory Whisky
The Mizunara cask is a perfect expression of "Tsukuriwake" – the art of diversity in whisky making. Diverse grain types, as well as fermentation, distillation and maturation techniques, underpin Suntory's legendary Art of Blending. This diversity enables Suntory to produce more than 100 different malt and grain whiskies at the Yamazaki, Hakushu and Chita distilleries and allows Suntory complete self-sufficiency in the creation of its blends.
It is at Yamazaki, Japan's oldest malt whisky distillery and the House of Suntory's soulplace, where the art of "Tsukuriwake" is pushed the furthest. Built in 1923 by Shinjiro Torii, the founding father of Japanese Whisky, Yamazaki produces a wide variety of malt whiskies. Only Yamazaki whiskies—and only a few—have had the privilege of maturing in Mizunara casks, creating one of the most uniquely flavored and distinctly Japanese whiskies in the world.
For Suntory's fourth Chief Blender Shinji Fukuyo, every creation is a new journey to achieve the exquisite balance of subtlety, refinement and complexity that is the hallmark of all Suntory whiskies. In his pursuit of true "Mizunara-ness," he tasted a few hundred Mizunara whiskies and made selections with varying ages, from 18 years old and beyond. A very small portion exceed even 50 years of maturation, which give this limited edition an incomparable depth and a flavor that lingers long after the liquid has passed the lips.
Fukuyo knew from the start that the Yamazaki Mizunara 2017 Edition was not intended for a familiar, relaxing moment. He wanted this uniquely Japanese whisky to be dramatic and unforgettable:
"I wanted to reveal the whisky's soul that is the Art of Mizunara—a heightened sense and awakened palate engaged through aromas and flavors never known before. Encountering it should be a moment of epiphany."
Pioneering the Mizunara Cask
It is said that in the early 1940s, Suntory's blenders began small scale experiments with Mizunara. But it wasn't until the end of World War II, when it became difficult to import wood, that Suntory truly focused on mastering the homegrown Mizunara cask.
Although only found in a few regions within Japan, it wasn't Mizunara's rarity that presented the greatest challenge to cask makers. It was the hard, permeable nature of the wood. The name Mizunara comes from the tree's high moisture content – in Japanese "mizu" means water and "nara" means oak. Its permeable character is less than ideal for cask making since liquid can easily seep through the wood. And because Mizunara is a hardwood, it can be difficult to shape and join with the precision needed to prevent leaks.
Through great perseverance, Suntory's craftsmen mastered the art of Mizunara cask-making by learning how to identify the right trees to make perfectly true casks. Although rarer, Suntory's cask makers found that straight grain trees are less permeable. Trees suitable for cask making must have grown perfectly straight and have a diameter of at least 27.5 inches. They also tend to be far older than trees used in other casks.
In keeping with Suntory's deep respect for the environment, trees are only cut if their removal will not jeopardize the health of the forest.
Taste Blessed by The Passage of Time
Throughout their long history using Mizunara casks, Suntory's blenders have observed that age is the key to unlocking the signature taste of Mizunara whisky. A long maturation period reveals the distinctive spiciness and incense-like flavor of sandalwood and aloe wood that Suntory considers as the quintessential "Mizunara-ness."
With many other cask types, whisky usually reaches a maturation peak at some point. But even at 50 years and beyond, the top-note and after-taste aromas of Mizunara whiskies are generally still improving. This unique ability to support long-term aging affords endless opportunities to experience the evolution and refinement of Mizunara whiskies over time.
Tasting Notes
Color: Amber
Nose: Rich and elegant fragrance, aloe wood, cinnamon
Palate: Condensed sweetness, silky texture, dry fruits, coconut, orange marmalade
Finish: Distinctive spiciness lingers with Japanese incense, aloe wood, cinnamon and tartness
Yamazaki Mizunara Cask 2017 Edition is presented at 48% alcohol by volume (96 proof) with a suggested retail price of $1,000.00 (750ml). The bottle label is 100% handcrafted mulberry Echizen paper produced via a slow process of drying on wood boards (a traditional Japanese method). The wood box that encloses the bottle is made of cask material used in the aging of Suntory whisky.
Suntory was established in 1899 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Since 1923, as the pioneer of Japanese whisky, Suntory Whisky has been renowned for its House of Master Blenders and for their Art of Blending. The founding father of Japanese whisky, Shinjiro Torii, built Japan's first malt whisky distillery in Yamazaki, near Kyoto—a region known for the purity of its water, where the traditional Japanese tea ceremony was born. Torii dreamt of creating an authentically Japanese whisky by choosing a terrain and climate completely different to that of Scotland, thereby cultivating unique conditions for maturation.
In 1972, Torii's son Keizo Saji, Suntory's second master blender, built the Chita grain distillery near Nagoya to produce more of their own high-quality grain whiskies. In 1973, Saji founded the Hakushu distillery amidst the deep forests of Mt. Kaikomagatake in the Japanese Southern Alps. Its high altitude and lush environment is what differentiates Hakushu from other distilleries.
With three distilleries and a great diversity in whisky making (different still shapes, five types of cask, and three varieties of wood), Suntory produces over 100 malt and grain whiskies which amounts to the whole of Scotland's production.
With respect to heritage and a commitment to innovation, third generation master Blender Shingo Torii, and grandson of Shinjiro, now leads this most highly awarded House of Japanese Whisky. Today the House of Suntory Whisky has been named four-time Distiller of the Year at the International Spirits Challenge in London, UK (2010, 2012, 2013, 2014).
Suntory Whiskies are subtle, refined and complex. The portfolio includes two single malt whiskies: Yamazaki – Japan's N°1 Single Malt, multi-layered and profound, Hakushu – verdant, fresh, and delicately smoky; and two blends: the noble blend, Hibiki – Japan's most highly awarded blended whisky and Suntory Whisky Toki – ideal for Japanese highballs.
You can find a variety of Suntory liquors on online-shop below.
They deliver wide range of products from Japan to worldwide.
- Yamazaki Whisky list on Global.Rakuten.com
- Suntory Whisky list on Global.Rakuten.com


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- Book Your Free 20 Minute Consultation
- Vancouver Island Integrative Medicine#208 - 547 Michigan St.
Victoria, BC
(250) 217-7714
Mark Bodnar is a terrific practitioner. He is very concerned with how I am feeling and knows exactly what do to take away the pain. He's great!!
He's great!! was last modified: June 27th, 2020 by admin
Mark has provided excellent professional care. He listens to your issues, and gives you all the information you need. I highly recommend Mark.
I highly recommend Mark was last modified: June 27th, 2020 by admin
I have had several sessions with Mark and he was excellent . I recommend him to all my friends.
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All I can say is I am amazed at what Mark has done for me. I can't thank Mark enough for his dedication to helping me with my migraines. Thank you for making such a difference in the quality of my life.
Thank you for making... Read more »
I have suffered terribly with migraines since my early teens. At some points, I was averaging 2-4 migraines a week and using a variety of strong medications to help me cope with them. As I got older they increasingly got worse and nothing seemed to help me as it once... Read more »
Mark Bodnar is a very thorough and intuitive practitioner. I have been in his care for the past 8 months and his work has significantly reduced – even eliminated – my digestive issues as well as the gynecological difficulties I have suffered with for the past 15 years. I am... Read more »


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My first bike was on an old sting ray that didn't have a seat, so we put a pillow on the seat stem. I grew up out in the country with steep, bumpy roads that were not friendly to little kids on bikes. However, we did have a concrete strip by the house which showed some forgiveness to me, the beginner. At times healing can be a little like riding a bike. Riding on that concrete pad in front of our house, I learned how to balance, pedal, and steer. But I wasn't aware of all the mechanics and Continue Reading
Praying Without Any Destination
Do you ever pray without any destination in mind? I mean, often when I'm praying, I am praying with a destination in mind. I'm praying for something; not for an object, but to find healing. Maybe for myself, or maybe for someone else, or maybe for some particular community or world issue. This kind of specific prayer—acknowledging that the power, love and presence of God is all that is really right where the specific problem seems to be—brings healing. Continue Reading
Dawn–my favorite time of day
I have always loved the freshness, quietness, and stillness of dawn. I grew up on a farm, and in the summer I loved to be out moving irrigation pipe or raking hay while watching the darkness fade to light. For the past 20 years I've been the breakfast maker in our home, so my enjoyment of dawn has been mostly from inside. But now that our youngest has headed off to boarding school, I've gotten dawn back for myself and I find myself wanting to be outside as dawn approaches [the rainy season Continue Reading
Prayer for shooting in Norway
The recent shooting in Norway has caused a lot of anguish and retrospect for Norwegians and for many around the world. How can we support our Norwegian brothers and sisters? How is such a heinous crime even possible anyway? Who could possibly do such a thing? How can he ever be forgiven?The Bible says: "But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be Continue Reading


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Archive for the 'Pressure Cooker' Category
- Warm Rye Berry, Roasted Pumpkin & Kale Salad with Miso-Maple Dressing September 24, 2013
My name is Anjali and I'm a graduate student studying to be a registered dietitian and a contributing editor forThe Kitchn. The recipes I share here are what I like to cook at home: healthy, budget-friendly, mostly vegetarian meals that are easy to prepare at the end of a long day. more »


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Vora & Company-Case
Understand the Concept of Marketing Mix
In December 1963, M.C. Vora, proprietor of Vora and Company manufacturers of Blossom Quick-Cooking Oats located at Lucknow, sought counsel from the Small Industries Service Institute at Lucknow regarding steps that might be taken to increase the sales of his company. The company had been organized in 1959, had started to sell its product nationally in 1961, but by December 1963 had failed to attain a profitable volume of sales.
Mr. Vora's family had been in the group business for several generations. In 1959, some four years after the Government of India had stopped the importation of packaged cereals, Mr. Vora and his family decided to enter the business of processing and selling a product similar to Quaker brand of quick-cooking rolled oats, a product of the Quaker Oats Company of the United States. For some years previous to the Government's embargo, this product had been imported into India by the firm of Muller and Phipps, which acted as sole selling agents. The firm had advertised the product in many Indian cities and reportedly had attained at least a moderate volume of sales, particularly in South India, in the states of Kerala and Madras.
In 1956 shortly after the embargo on Quaker oats, the Ganesh Flour Mills of Delhi started to develop and market a quick cooking white oats under the trademark Champion. After some three years of experimental marketing in nearby areas, Ganesh Mills extended its distribution nationally, devoting a moderate amount to advertising in city markets throughout India
The management of Vora and Company developed the machinery and the method of processing its product on a trial and error basis. The first product offered was not deemed satisfactory by the management and was withdrawn from the market. Not until 1961 was the company satisfied with the product's quality and with its processing equipment, which, when perfected, could produce on a one shift basis 500 cases a month, each case consisting of 36 tins of 550 grams each. White oats of finest quality were imported from Australia under Government licence, since India grown oats of required characteristics were not available.
The perfected product was submitted to test among consumers and was rated by them as equal to or better than the competing product. The management had made application for permission to use the mark of the Indian Standards Institution and learned that the product and its processing measured up to required standards. Mr. Vora anticipated early arrival of the papers, which would permit the company to place the I.S.I certification mark on its packages and to refer to the mark in company advertising and selling. He looked upon the I.S.I certification mark as a valuable aid towards building a reputation among the trade and consumers as to the quality and purity of the product. The competitive product Champion bore the I.S.I certification mark on its packages. -----------------------
*This case was made possible by the cooperation of Small Industries Extension Training Institute, Hyderabad.
When entering the business Mr. Vora had no definite data regarding the volume of sales that had been obtained by Muller and Phipps for Quaker Oats before the embargo, nor did he know the sales figures for Champion Oats. He did know that oatmeal porridge was the leading hot breakfast cereal in the United States and some European countries. He had been informed that the cost of the imported product had restricted its sale in India, to families with high medium to high income. Moreover, he found that its use had gained wider acceptance in South India than in other parts of the country. From his discussion with agents Mr. Vora listed demand for quick cooked oats in order of quantitative importance by regions as follows :
6.Northern region comprised of Delhi, UP & Rajasthan.
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The Pharisee and the Tax Collector, or, There but by the Grace of God go I !
We have all heard it. We have all said it. But like, "God helps those who help themselves," is it Biblical?
I don't think so. As the Chicago Daily News' Mike Royko famously used to say, "I may be wrong, but I doubt it!"
The Pharisee is a best understood as a Doctor of the Law, the "Law" being Torah, the first five books of the Bible: Genesis-Deuteronomy. Today he might be a professor of Hebrew Scriptures/Old Testament, or a church Canon Lawyer, or a Divinity School Theologian of some kind. At the time of Jesus in this little parable, if you had questions regarding the living of Torah, or what the Hindus might call living your dharma, you would go to your local Pharisee for a consultation. Despite the negative and adversarial ways in which New Testament scripture tends to portray them, these were good, respected citizens dedicated to the study and practice of Israelite religion.
Tax Collectors, on the other hand, were considered, and indeed were, collaborators with the much hated functionaries of the ironically termed Pax Romana – a "pax" or peace enforced by repeated acts of brutality on behalf of the Roman military against the citizens of any and all regions Rome had conquered in the name of Caesar – whichever one that may be – aka "Caesar is God." Tax collectors in the Pax Romana were local citizens tasked with getting money out of their fellow local citizens by any means – a certain amount for Rome to feed its endless appetites for commodities and to sustain the shock troops that kept the local populace under control, and any amount the tax collector wanted to keep for oneself. The basic problem is that tax collectors were the man next door whose money collecting system fed the troops who meted out brutality daily against your other neighbors – crucifixion being the primary means of "teaching the locals as lesson." In modern day terms, he is the equivalent of a Nazi collaborator, a Pol Pot collaborator, or any other collaborator you might want to put in as a placeholder, keeping in mind this is not a "chosen profession," but one placed on his shoulders which, should he refuse to do it, probably meant instant crucifixion on the side of the road as a reminder to one and all that this is what happens to those who do not please Caesar.
So, you have the tax collector, painted by Jesus with heart-wrenching pathos, truly sorry that he has to be the means by which Rome makes his fellow citizens suffer on a day-to-day basis, begging God for mercy – mercy, which Kurt Vonnegut once said in a Palm Sunday Sermon, is the one good idea we have been given so far; and the Pharisee, who is proclaiming the first century ce equivalent of, "There but by the grace of God go I."
Which one best exemplifies what Biblical religion has in mind?
Never missing the teachable moment, Jesus shocks his first century listeners by holding up as an example to one and all the man whom everyone despised – the tax collector. He is the kind of person Torah sets out to make each and every one of us – a humble servant of the Lord who recognizes his own failures and asks to be forgiven. Note, he does not justify what he is doing, he does not defend it, he acknowledges and bewails (great word!) his shortcomings and begs for the one good idea we have been given so far, mercy.
The rest we can figure out. Except perhaps the heart of the lesson: to come away thinking ill of the Pharisee is to participate in just the kind of thinking he represents in the parable – there but by the grace of God go I. It's a trap. Neatly set, and we willingly and eagerly spring it on ourselves nearly every time. For you see, God wants us to be merciful just as God promises to be merciful. We are to be merciful to the tax collector AND the Pharisee. Hard work, to be sure, but it is necessary work if we are ever to experience personally and collectively the emerging Kingdom of God that Jesus is sent to promote. No one ever said loving our enemies would be easy.
I remember one day serving in a soup kitchen in Baltimore many years ago. About a hundred or so homeless and nearly homeless people passing through the serving line one at a time, each stopping to say thank you, each looking tired but glad to have one hot meal on that day. A colleague of mine, The Reverend William Rich, turned to me and said, "There by the grace of God am I." I hope and pray that I will never forget that moment.
So there you have it. God helps those who help others. There by the grace of God am I.
Be merciful. It's the one good idea we have been given so far!


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The Obama Win
It's been a long time comin'. I mean gosh, a black President. This is fantastic. President Lincoln must be smiling. And we fought a war over the issue of the black man.
From a young age, I was fascinated with learning about the black man's struggle for equality and justice. One of my favorite movies growing up was A Woman Called Moses. This is the film about Harriet Tubman and leading the slaves to freedom. It was inspirational to me.
Many people are enslaved today by greed, fear, or doubt. Probably this is why many of the problems in America occured. I say resist, greed, fear, and doubt. This is a great opportunity for America to redeem herself from the shameful past eight years.
Change Is Now
Change Is Now (Hillman/McGuinn)
Change is now, change is now
Things that seemed to be solid are not
All is now, all is now
The time that we have to live
Gather all that we can
Keep in harmony with love's sweet plan
Truth is real, truth is real
That which is not real does not exist
In and out roundabout
Dance to the day when fear it is gone
Gather all that we can
Keep in harmony with love's sweet plan
Change is now, change is now
Things that seemed to be solid are not
In and out roundabout
Dance to the day when fear it is gone
Fear it is gone
Fear it is gone
The Byrds "Notorious Byrd Brothers"
Columbia Records 1968
The Speedy Deletion of Jim Guittard
I just found that there is a website where all the Speedy Deletion pages from Wikipedia are uploaded there. It's a site called: http://deletionpedia.dbatley.com
My page was in this category. The specific reason for my removal from existence is because user Toddst1 opined that the article claimed nothing "important or significant." I would, of course, tend to disagree and I am sure that many others would, too. I am not claiming to contribute to society in a big huge way but at the very least worth mentioning. Sometimes I need to pat myself on the back for sticking to my guns. And believe me, this is an accurate summation of my creative pursuit. I'm putting in my dues.
I have done many things since April 2008 date of being banished from Wikipedia. I have released 3 albums for free on Jamendo.
- California Daze – 2002
- The Notorious G.I.D.D. – 2005
- Busted In Bulgaria – 2008
In addition, I released the debut album of the Ragas on Jamendo. (The duo I was in in Los Angeles with Henry McGuinn.)
In early October, I appeared on the Tangra Mega Rock Radio station for a live interview over my happenings here in Sofia, Bulgaria. I am still here digging my way around, trying to rise up from the underground. But I don't know why some people get deleted on Wikipedia and some don't.
Here is the explanation why Toddst1 deleted the article at Wikipedia:
Jim Guittard (deleted 05 Apr 2008 at 00:09)
Jim Guittard has been deleted from Wikipedia. An archived version is shown below. Other versions of this page may be available.
Toddst1 deleted Jim Guittard because A7 (group): Group/band/club/company/etc; doesn't indicate importance/significance.
This page was created 4 April 2008 and deleted 5 April 2008 (0 days).[show]
The page was edited most often during April 2008. (info).
This page was deleted in a speedy deletion. The reason given was It is an article about a band, singer, musician, or musical ensemble that does not indicate the importance or significance of the subject. (CSD A7).
The speedy deletion was contested.
Jim Guittard is an American singer-songwriter who has played in the Southern California duo the Ragas with the son of Roger McGuinn, the founder of the Byrds. The music of the Ragas is in the raga rock or psychedelic rock styles patterned after the Byrds.
In July 2005, Guittard told the Dallas Morning News that he hoped to head to Eastern Europe or Central Asia for the Peace Corps in the fall.
Jim followed his heart and he is currently a Peace Corps Volunteer in Bulgaria. In 2007, there was a country-wide Bulgarian Teacher Strike. He was written up in the Sofia Echo, the leading English language newspaper in Bulgaria for a song he composed on this issue.
He continues to write music while being overseas.
Teachers Tussle In Bulgaria. Petar Kostadinov. The Sofia Echo. September 24, 2007.
Introducing the Ragas. Jim Guittard. Alt.Music.Byrds. May 31, 2007.
As Generation X begins to hit 40, it's finding its place in the world. Katherine Yung. The Dallas Morning News. July 8, 2005.
External Links
Jim Guittard on Myspace
The Ragas on Myspace
Psychedelic Central Online Magazine
Music Archive
Check out the link below. This is my entry on the deletionpedia site. Make a search for your favorite bands. They've probably been deleted too. Post your results as a comment to me. I'm curious how many honest people have been deleted.
Even Roger McGuinn has had his run in with Wikipedia over pictures he has tried posting.
Wikipedia deleted the photo I put on my page as a blatant copyright violation. Hey I own it and their removal of it is vandalism!
Trying to put a photo on my Wikipedia page is extremely difficult! I put it up they delete it and say "You aren't Roger McGuinn himself?"
Look here:
Retrieved from http://deletionpedia.dbatley.com/w/index.php?title=Jim_Guittard_%28deleted_05_Apr_2008_at_00:09%29
Creative Passionate Types
The creative pursuit is one of the most important things one can do. Sometimes the creative types are a bit fiery and extreme in their thinking. But, isn't this good though? Creative types bring the passion into society and really are the catalyst to make things happen.
More and more people in America are waking up to what's going on. Right now, an underground scene is emerging. We are in the midst of the "3rd Wave of Psychedelic" music. The first wave was with the Beatles, the Byrds, the Jefferson Airplane, Love, Strawberry Alarm Clock, the 13th Floor Elevators, Pink Floyd and many others. The second wave had two offshoots: the 1980's "Paisley Underground" scene in Los Angeles with such bands as the Bangles, the Dream Syndicate, the Three O'clock, Green On Red, the Secret Syde, and Rain Parade. The British offshoot included the post "new wave" bands such as XTC, the Soft Boys, Echo and the Bunnymen, the Shamen, and Doctor and the Medics.1
The "3rd Wave" was born in 2000. The wave is spreading out, now. It consists of the Brian Jonestown Massacre, the Tyde, Beachwood Sparks, the Quarter After, the Warlocks, the Lovetones, the Telescopes, Spindrift, the High Dials, Floorian, the Black Angels, Silver Apples. (My music fits in this wave. I co-write a song with Dominic Campanella from the Quarter After back in 2001.)
I look up into the sky
See the clouds and colours all around.
I hear the waves go in and out
See the birds and stars tonight.
Going with the rising tide.
Shouldn't wait till morning time.
Moments pass as I decide.
Shouldn't wait till morning time.
I tell myself the reason why.
Waters flow and there's no turning back.
Reaching for the horizon line,
Where it ends has only just begun.
Going with the rising tide.
Shouldn't wait till morning time.
Moments pass as I decide.
Shouldn't wait till morning time.
Drifting through my open mind,
Ray of light about to shine.
Music by Jim Guittard 2001
Words by Jim Guittard and Dominic Campanella of the Quarter After
We shall see how things progress from here. The world needs freethinkers and people with passion to guide the way. No need to dumb things down anymore. As the New Hampshire motto says, "Live Free or Die." America really is at a crossroads. It is time for decisions.
up1Wikipedia contributors. Psychedelic music. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. May 21 2008, at 23:57. Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychedelic_music. Accessed May 22, 2004.
Time Between
From my journal on March 21, 2004 Dallas, Texas:
I am out on the balcony of my grandparents 2-story home smoking an Indian Bidis cigarette in the dark sneaking around like I am a child. I am 30 years old with nothing concrete to show.
As I sit and breathe in and out, I feel that familiar sinking, pushing down feeling on me. The fear and anxiety grips me along with the regret of much of my life. The feeling is that I should have spoken up for myself and not pretended that all was fine.
I've been in my current living situation for about seven months. I have never wanted to be like everybody else, to live an insignificant life of mediocrity. I just never knew my thing or felt confident enough to express it.
I think back on my college days in Colorado and the years I wasted going through the motions. I remember watching on late night cable "The Lost Weekend" where the actor locks himself up in his apartment to try to shake the booze cravings and to be a writer. Shame and fear or whatever else always kept him down. For me it was the fear of the unknown that got me caught up or the fear of breaking from tradition or the mold.
Fastforward to today 2008.
I guess, enough is enough, right?
Well, I have been in Bulgaria for the past two years with the Peace Corps teaching English at a high school. Not really teaching, mostly supervising. Ha, ha, ha….
I told you I wanted to do things different. I have been writing songs and posting about my experiences in a foreign culture. It is pretty foreign. I have even written some songs in the Bulgarian language.
Blog title comes from Chris Hillman's song on The Byrds 1967 Album "Younger Than Yesterday"
Influencing Society Through Music
Today's mainstream music is not very healthy for the average person's psyche. It leaves most people going in circles and never resolving anything, only hoping to win the lotto of material wealth and fame.
Music in the past had worthwhile messages and often empowered the listeners to strive for something good and meaningful. Nowadays, the listeners are often led on selfish head trips that do not empower at all but rather cripple.
Much of the music of the past was geared to correct society's problems. Now, music is rather limited in its focus. The main focus is on appearance, material gain and other rather selfish themes. Take a look at MTV for evidence.
In Plato's, The Republic, the role of music was discussed for the ideal state. In the ideal state, harmonies which expressed excessive sorrow and relaxation were to be banished completely. In musical terms, Plato only allowed for two modes in songs and melodies: Dorian and Phrygian1 Probably, Spinal Tap's sad piece, "Lick My Love Pump", would have been banned.
The modern Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche said in his Case of Wagner in 1888: "Only sick music makes money today." I believe this quotation has much relevance to most of today's mainstream music.
Here is the Top Ten hits from Top 40 Charts for May 2, 2008 for sales and airplays.
1. Lil Wayne – Lollipop
2. Leona Lewis – Bleeding Love
3. Jordin Sparks & Chris Brown – No Air
4. Usher & Young Jeezy – Love in This Club
5. Mariah Carey – Touch My Body
6. Madonna & Justin Timberlake – 4 minutes
7. Sara Bareilles – Love Song
8. Ray J & Jung Berg – Sexy Can I
9. Chris Brown – With You
10. Lupe Fiasco – Superstar
Let us examine some of the lyrics.
Partial lyrics Chris Brown – With You
'Cause if I got you
I don't need money
I don't need cars
Girl you're my heart
Mr. Brown's implied message is good. He implies that material things are less important than people. I give him a thumbs up for good positive message.
Usher & Young Jeezy – Love In This Club
Might as well give me a kiss, if we keep touching like this
I know you're scared, baby, they don't know what we're doing.
Let's both get undressed right here, keep it up and, girl, I swear.
I'm gonna give it to you non-stop.
And I don't care, who's watching.
I believe this is bad message that promotes impulse and lack of commitment. Thumbs down.
Mariah Carey – Touch My Body
Touch my body
Put me on the floor
Wrestle me around
Play with me some more
Touch my body
Throw me on the bed
I just wanna make you feel
Like you never did.
Touch my body
Let me wrap my thighs
All around your waist
Just a little taste
Touch my body
Know you love my curves
Come on and give me what I deserve
And touch my body….
Trash lyrics. Maybe Mariah is tired of the Paparazzi filming her and claiming they had relationship with her. Thumbs down for negative message. (oh boy).
Leona Lewis – Bleeding Love
Closed off from love
I didn't need the pain
Once or twice was enough
And it was all in vain
Time starts to pass
Before you know it you're frozen um ooh ooh ooh yeah
But something happened
For the very first time with you
My heart melts into the ground
Found something true
And everyone's looking round
Thinking I'm going crazy
But I don't care what they say
I'm in love with you
They try to pull me away
But they don't know the truth
My heart's crippled by the vein
That I keep on closing
You cut me open and I
Keep bleeding
Keep, keep bleeding love
I keep bleeding
I keep, keep bleeding love
Keep bleeding
Keep, keep bleeding love
You cut me open
Trying hard not to hear
But they talk so loud
Their piercing sounds fill my ears
Try to fill me with doubt
Yet I know that the goal
Is to keep me from falling
But nothing's greater
Than the rush that comes with your embrace
And in this world of loneliness
I see your face
Yet everyone around me
Thinks that I'm going crazy, maybe, maybe….
I'll give credit to Ms. Lewis for staying committed and fighting the good fight through the problems. This song is obviously about love. Thumbs up for positive message.
The music of the 1960s brought about change in a turbulent decade. The time was about questioning authority. George Harrison's song "Think for Yourself" is a good example of the philosophy of the 1960s. Now people do not question authority much. We have become too satisfied with life. We have too much idle time and so we become obsessed with determining who has "The Sweetest Ass in the World". If you do not know this song, look up Alex C. on google or youtube. These are the type songs that are not only popular but sell money today. I think Nietzsche would be having a fit!
In the past, music had the power to literally break down walls. In Biblical times the town of Jericho was liberated by music and sound. The walls surrounding Jericho came down from the loud blasts of trumpets and the shouting of priests. 2 The music set the people free. The music of today often keeps us in bondage to depression or to bad situation we are going through.
Another Biblical musical reference is about the Shepherd David. David was requested to calm down the anxiety-ridden king of Israel. In the King's palace, David played his soothing harp. This is an example how music can be used to benefit mental health.3
Most of today's music is aggressive but it makes sense with the War on Terrorism and Iraq both raging. There are so many bad vibes floating around. The workplace is also very volatile and up and down with lay-offs, wage freezes, and rumors of recession. Maybe we are all fed up with what is going on or we should be. We are in a fearful and uncertain time. It is often hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
I believe that most people should be a little angry and fed up. If the person is not, then the person is probably numbed by anti-depressants or other pills. (Been there, done that). Living in the comfort zone of America, people have become too apathetic to break away from American Idol or the latest fad or trend.
In the 1960s, there were riots, protests, demonstrations, assassinations, the most turbulent of decades. Today is probably just as turbulent or more but where is the cry for change from the mainstream?
There are a few but it is limited. System of a Down has been one of the more outspoken bands about the war in Iraq.
Everybody's going to the party have a real good time.
Dancing in the desert blowing up the sunshine.
In 1969, at Woodstock, Country Joe sang his famous protest song of the Vietnam War. Here is the first part of the lyrics.
I Feel Like I'm Fixin' To Die
Yeah, come on all of you, big strong men,
Uncle Sam needs your help again.
He's got himself in a terrible jam
Way down yonder in Vietnam
So put down your books and pick up a gun,
We're gonna have a whole lotta fun.
And it's one, two, three,
What are we fighting for?
Don't ask me, I don't give a damn,
Next stop is Vietnam;
And it's five, six, seven,
Open up the pearly gates,
Well there ain't no time to wonder why,
Whoopee! we're all gonna die….
The band, Rage Against the Machine has been outspoken on such issues as censorship and artistic freedom.
This is a very big issue in the music industry these days. Stay tuned…
To end on a positive note, here is a list of artists that have thoughtful and forward thinking messages and have meant a lot to me. You cannot go wrong here!!
1. Animals, The
2. Arlo Guthrie
3. Association, The
4. Band, The
5. Beach Boys, The
6. Beachwood Sparks
7. Beatles, The
8. Beck
9. Black Angels, The
10. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
11. Bob Dylan
12. Bob Gibson
13. Brian Jonestown Massacre, The
14. Bruce Springsteen
15. Buffalo Springfield
16. Byrds, The
17. Canned Heat
18. Carl Perkins
19. Carter Family, The
20. Chi-lites, The
21. Chris Stills
22. Chuck Berry
23. Coasters, The
24. Counting Crows, The
25. Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young
26. Cure, The
27. Dandy Warhols, The
28. David Bowie
29. Deep Purple
30. Depeche Mode
31. Donovan
32. Doors, The
33. Edie Brickell
34. Elvis Presley
35. Fairpoint Convention
36. Flat People
37. Flying Burrito Brothers, The
38. Further
39. Gene Clark
40. George Harrison
41. Go-Kart Mozart
42. Gram Parsons
43. Grateful Dead, The
44. Hank Williams
46. Janis Joplin
47. Jay Farrar
48. Jefferson Airplane
49. Jesus and the Mary Chain
50. Jimi Hendrix
51. John Lennon
52. Johnny Cash
53. Kinks, The
54. Kula Shaker
55. Led Zeppellin
56. Left Banke
57. Lenny Kravitz
58. Little Richard
59. Lou Reed
60. Louvin Brothers, The
61. Love
62. Lovin' Spoonful, The
63. Merle Haggard
64. Monkees, The
65. My Bloody Valentine
66. Mystic Chords of Memory
67. Neil Young
69. Oasis
70. Paul McCartney
71. Pink Floyd
72. Poco
73. Police, The
74. Quarter After, the
75. Radiohead
76. Rage Against the Machine
77. Red Hot Chili Peppers
78. Richie Furay
79. Ride
80. Roger McGuinn
81. Rolling Stones, The
82. Ryan Adams
83. Sheryl Crow
84. Sly and the Family Stone
85. Simon and Garfunkle
86. Son Volt
87. Spacemen 3
88. Stephen Stills
89. Strawberry Alarm Clock
90. System of A Down
91. Thrills, The
92. Tom Petty
93. Troggs, The
94. Tyde, The
96. Uncle Tupelo
97. Van Halen
98. Van Morrison
99. Velvet Underground, The
100. Violent Femmes, The
101. Warlocks, the
102. Who, The
103. Willie Nelson
104. Wiskey Biscuit
105. Wilco
106. Wings
107. Zombies, The
108. ZZ Top
up1Plato. Republic. Trans. Benjamin Jowett.
The BJM Philosophy: Not Giving Up
I got into the BJM in late 1999. It was well before Dig but after the Viper Room and other events made "famous" in the movie. Put aside all the fistfights, verbal attacks or whatever, the music of the Brian Jonestown Massacre stands the test of time. Forget all the hype of Anton Newcombe being some crazy guy. Who cares? It's about music right?
Starting in late 1999, I was lucky enough to see the band in person while living in Los Angeles. Anton was a cool dude to me. I never saw any of the abuse the movie is so based upon. In fact, he's quite intelligent and courteous.
But the mark left with me from experiencing the BJM firsthand is tremendous. If I could sum up what I have gotten out of it. For me it left me with the feeling that I can have numerous chances to do "my thing."
It's about going for it no matter what, not giving up. Striving through all the hype. One does not have to be near famous to have hype about them. It seems that most families have hype. They have opinions on how one's career should be or when they should marry, etc.
With the BJM, it's about showing the press or mainstream or others that they are wrong with their close-minded routine thinking. It is a wake up call to society to think more positively and courageously with vision. A Beatles' song comes to mind: "Think For Yourself." Words are "Do what you want to do and go where you're going to. Think for yourself 'Cause I won't be there with you." It's about standing on you own feet. Making your own history.
It is funny how when I read news stories about this famous person or that. The articles always bring up the past. Writers say nothing new. They write about what they've been told and don't give people the chance to better themselves. Writers go along with the status quo, maybe for what is entertaining or controversial. I think the BJM evokes courage.
In America, we talk about free speech and everything but I think, in general, it is slanted toward the controversial, trashy, and rubbish category. Why do Americans like to read about controversy? I don't but maybe most people do. I'm 33. Not that old. I'm among the Generation X, which have been written about to be cynical or the children of divorce families. I am from a divorced family and some of my family's past is chaotic with fistfights and verbal attacks.
Here's an excerpt from a news article I was mentioned in concerning "Generation X" finding their place in the world.1
Jim Guittard of Dallas, who will be 32 in October, lives with his grandparents, shelves books part-time at a branch of the Dallas Public Library and hopes to head to Eastern Europe or Central Asia for the Peace Corps this fall.
Armed with a degree in American history from Colorado's Western State College, Guittard started out working as an automobile-insurance-claims adjuster but grew tired of the constant bickering over money.
To pursue his passion for playing the guitar, he moved to Hollywood, Calif., where he found gigs playing in clubs. But the money wasn't enough to provide a steady living. To survive, he worked a series of low-paying jobs at a talent agency, a rental-car office and an apartment-locator firm.
The experiences left him disillusioned about working in corporate America, and he moved back to Dallas a little more than two years ago.
"I don't want to settle," he says of his decision to seek happiness rather than money. "Do what your heart says."
That's why I take comfort in the BJM. The BJM, I think, looks past the obvious. The obvious is, yes, you may have a disfunctional past but you can be somebody. It's about not labelling others. Labels can be bad.
So what else can I say? Well, if you've read this far then, thank you. The BJM is cool.
Back in 2001, I recorded an instrumental in tribute to the BJM.
up1Katherine Yung, "As Generation X begins to hit 40, it's finding its place in the world," The Dallas Morning News, 8 July 2005.
Guittard Destiny and Shadows
I've figured everything out! I think destinies are a bit demanding and take so much thought. But maybe if things were spelled out more. Here are the obvious choices for the rest of my life.
1. I could move to California and go sell chocolates for a little company called Guittard Chocolate Company. However, I despised sales when I worked for a car rental company. My last name may get me into this company. I'll show up at the front door and say, "I'm here for my job. Give it!"
Currently, my uncle is feverishly working on linking the Texas Guittards to the California ones by way of DNA testing. As soon as the results come in with a positive match, I'll fly to California and make my demands. This will work I know it. 🙂
2. I can be a song and dance man. My Guittard last name must have some meaning. Maybe it was back in France that my ancestors took up the guitar because they got sick of hauling around the Hurdy Gurdy or the French Horn.
3. I could go to Waco, Texas and hang out on Guittard Avenue on the campus of Baylor University. I could start yelling and hold up a sign about how my Great Grandfather was a History Professor at the University for fifty years.
4. Or I can do what I do and make my own destiny without reference to the shadows of the past.
I think that I will choose number four and I'll make my own shadow.
The Need For a Music Revolution
I stopped writing editorials 20 years ago, and don't intend to make a practice of it again. My views are my own, and I recognize that I am of no mind to formulate any grand theories of pop or anything else. Yet I can't help being struck lately by the similarities between 1975 and today.
Item: In both cases the record industry had turned its back on new talent and concentrated on a handful of boring superstars they could count on to sell a huge volume of records.
Item: In both times, local music either didn't exist at all, had no focus, or lacked any kind of scene to take root in.
Item: Then as now, audiences had been turned into passive consumers of prefab culture, with no interest in creating anything of their own
All this could be coincidence. Or it could be a clue that the conditions for a revolution are once again ripe.
There is a misconception about revolution, namely that they are supposed to accomplish somethng lasting. This is simply not true. What a revolution does is replace an existing order with a new one, which left to itself, will soon become as rigid as the one it replaced. Revolution is a process, and its main payoff is to add value to the lives of those who participate in it, and improve conditions in general for awhile. When it stops moving, it dies.
The point of a music revolution is not to replace today's pop stars with a new slate; it is to kick out the jams! Riot in the streets! Do it now! etc. It's all about direct engagement, and the result of all that activity should be a better time for all, a party that will keep everyone coming back to do it some more. And not only that–"parties" are not radical in themselves. The sense of being more fully alive, empowered, having an impact on your world and your culture, these are the chief rewards. This is what rock & roll at its best can provide–leading to the idea that perhaps rock & roll itself should be seen not as a genre, not as a mere noun or even a verb, but also as a process.
Punk rock was a fantastic thing for those who took part in it, but listening to the Sex Pistols today is not a "punk rock" experience: it is an "oldies" experience. Same for the revolutions of the '50s and '60s. The "My Generation" of The Who will be on Social Security soon! The only meaningful revolution is the one that is taking place right now, if at all. There is no other time but now that we can live in, existentially speaking, and we either seize or or we don't. We can use history to see what other revolutions have looked and sounded like, but we can't truly know what it is until it's happening all around us, and we have a personal role to play.
It may be folly to believe you can alter the course of the world, which is inevitably becoming more centralized, more controlled by large money interests, and less free–in terms of mass pop culture, at any rate. Out on the fringes, the Internet is enabling more and more variety, which is great, as long as you're satisfied with a very small cult following and no money. This you are free to have. But the dream of rock & roll, from Elvis to the Beatles to Nirvana, has been the dream of doing something cool and changing the lives of millions with it. This is a dream each new generation of musicians embraces, for better or worse. And no matter how great the odds seem to be against it, I firmly believe it can happen any time people decide they've had enough crap.
Now, there are a couple of things necessary for a revolution. One is that the people be unbearably oppressed. Oppressed we surely are, with only three major record companies now controlling all channels of distribution (even indie records are distributed by a branch of EMI) and desiring nothing more than for us to shut up and buy more Britney Spears and Eminem. But "unbearably"? There are so many other obsessions these days; a kid with a new Nokia cell phone doesn't have a clue he's missing the joys of being part of a rock & roll scene. The masses will not rise in the name of something they can't even imagine.
The other ingredient lacking is some charismatic band to carry the revolutionary banner. There's been no shortage of overnight sensations in music recently, of course. But whatever their success, acts like Oasis, Radiohead, Beck, or (you name it) have not inspired their generation to "seize the means of production" or whatever it is proletariats are supposed to do. Any such band, I suspect, will need to be a whole lot more subversive than anything we've seen before. And probably something incapable of being packaged and sold for a profit!
(In many ways, the Grateful Dead met most of these criteria: underground till the end, they did create a substantial alternative culture around them. Unfortunately it was not a particularly viable one, and not one that many of us would care to join. But it is a valid example of what I'm talking about, I must admit.) Then there are "paint-by numbers" bands, starting possibly with Bomp alumni the Flamin' Groovies, who think that by retracing the steps of past heroes, they can launch some new Heroic Age. Much as I have enjoyed some of these bands, their premise has clearly been proven wrong. (If we can't learn from our own history, we may be condemned to endlessly reissue it…)
And yeah, there's rap… but among other problems, rap comes out of a completely different cultural vein. I'm talking about a tradition called "rock and roll" that has been invented and re-invented continuously since the early '50s, going always back to its roots and coming up with something new and more powerful. In my opinion, rap is the belated black response to punk, parallel to it in some ways, and like punk, long past its most creative days. Public Enemy and their ilk were subversive, in their way, in their time. But that revolution died when its heroes grabbed the gold chains rather than holding out for real change. Sure, some cool stuff has gone on in the name of rap, not to mention reggae, techno, the rave scene, and so on, empowering individuals in the context of music culture. Movements have arisen, and changed lives in way I can't but admire. But all this is a far cry from what rock and roll has done in the past, and from what I expect it to do for me, being who I am. So I address myself to what I believe can be done in the name of Rock and Roll.
An artist who will command the world's imagination and set it on a new musical course is what's needed to set off a wide-scale revolution. In their wake, a whole wave of superior bands would be able to follow. But such an artist may or may not appear, like it or not.
Revolution, however, does not need to be as massive as all that. It is a process that begins at the grass-roots level, and needn't necessarily rise above it. Horizontal growth may actually be what's called for… (I've always maintained that if punk rock had happened on labels like Rough Trade instead of EMI and Warner Brothers, it would not have burned out so soon.) The point of revolution, in this sense, is to be a part of it. That's where the pleasure comes from–the involvement, the participation in creating something. And this is a revolution we can have–if we want it badly enough to make it happen.
The conditions for it are better now than they have been in quite awhile. Healthy local music scenes are emerging all over, with bands whose vision embraces folk and blues, '60s pop and '70s punk, all the elements of the tradition they yearn to be a part of, with intelligence and historical savvy. I won't mention any bands, but there are some great ones out there all of a sudden (Parenthetically: of course there are always plenty of cool local bands; most of them, however, have nothing to do with any of this, not to knock them. It may sound vague, but I know the kind of band I mean when I see it, and so will you.) I've talked with many in the past year or two and the same ideas keep comig up: there's something happening here, we're all a part of it, we don't know what it is, there's no marketing slogan, no ad campaign, but it's real and we can feel it. And that's the way it ought to be. Right now, there's no excuse for anyone who loves music not to get out and support the good bands, who are either in your town or coming through soon. Don't wait to read about it in Rolling Stone; put your ear to the ground.
! ! ! ! ! ! ! The revolution begins with you ! ! ! ! ! ! !