Chat with Old Man Dan

I have been a connoisseur of the graphic novel/comic book scene (for lack of a better term) for about as long as I can remember. It started very early with my dad's Fantastic Four comics from way back in the day and I mean waaaaaaaaaay back in the day. I eventually moved onto my own comics, starting with Spider-man (way before the movie craze started, so I'm an OG). Then came the discovery of my two favorite comic book characters, the incorrigible super spy, Nick Fury and the mercenary with a mouth, Deadpool (who breaks the 4th wall and actually acknowledges that he is indeed in a comic). These comics became a big part of my life. The medium of the comic was one of the most underused outlets for storytelling and was considered infinitely nerdy. I was very proud to wear the nerdom on my sleeve, and quickly discovered the graphic novel. There were the basics, Sin City, Bone, Maus, V for Vendetta. I had read 300 and was rather apathetic towards it and was rather turned off by the testosterone filled violence and lack of story. I was the nerd who read comics and was picked on. I didn't care, then I came across the holy grail of graphic novels, Alan Moore's Watchmen. This defined the graphic novel, some hold it in great reverence, others say it's overrated. I will always hold it as one of the greatest things I have ever read. I has an excellent sense of story progression, with a dash of noir. I had been blown away.

Fast forward to the last two years where comic book movies and graphic novel adaptations have become the sudden craze. What was originally nerdy has become all the rage, people who have never read a comic book are picking up the Watchmen all of because of the buzz around the movie adaptation.

I had just finished Shooting War at about 2 am. I must say this ranks as probably the second best graphic novel that I have read. I was absolutely floored by the direction of the story. I do think the first thing that turned me on to it was the massive pop culture references, starting with the Starbucks and American Apparel store, the mentioning of Bedford Avenue and Williamsburg in reference to bloggers. Absolutely brilliant. As I read through it, many of the events seemed very far fetched, but then I started to think about the current political, social, and economical climate. Is it really that far off of a reality that John McCain could be our President, that a nuke goes off in the Middle East, that Dan Rather is indeed a bad ass?! I think we already know the answer to last question. The frequency is courage. Thug life Dan, thug life.

P.S. I am still floored and in complete shock at how amazing this graphic novel is.

P.P.S. More on the above mentioned "scenarios" in next blog

Fact Checking

I am currently watching the first televised Presidential debate and quite frankly this over hyped event has went from sense of order to complete chaos. I know that's how most of these debates turn out, but jesus christ, it only took 20 minutes for it turn from organization to mud slinging to fact checking. I'd really like to know where these two men get their facts, and their quick, eloquent "answers" come from. So fat I've heard nothing new, its a copy paste of all their speeches. I mean c'mon, McCain "The Maverick" has used the same bullshit he has used in all his public addresses; he started in with the "support the troops" bullshit, how the war has been successful. Successful?! SUCCESSFUL?! Lets be serious, Bush declared victory and after this deceleration of victory, the violence has escalated. At least Obama used some new flashy words to say the same things. Lets stop with the pleasantries and take on the real issues, stop attacking the past, no more of this cookie cutter bullshit. And now McCain just claimed Ronald Reagan as one of his heroes. That's it I'm done, no one name drops Ronald "Lets spend money we don't have" Reagan and is serious. You know someone is lost in the their own party, even when they claim to be a team "mavericks." McCain keeps bringing up the need to relieve the country of pork barrel spending, even though the lovely Sarah "good ol community Alaskan, gun lovin'" Palin fully endorsed pork barrel spending.

This debate has only furthered my distaste for both of these candidates. It just seems like Obama is the lesser of the two evils. Hey at least Obama is in shape, right?

I really can't wait until October 2nd for Joe Biden to completely bewilder Sarah "one answer" Palin.

Lets take a look at the people who will vote for McCain. The Midwest middle class who will not benefit from any of McCain's economic plan, the ones who won't see any of his proposed tax cuts.

Ear Plugs Recommended

Last Tuesday night was an experience and a half for me. For a couple of years now, I've been shoving a band in people's facing, claiming that one of their albums is one of the greatest of all time. This band is none other than Irish shoe-gaze powerhouse My Bloody Valentine. They had broken up in the 90's due to a slowly decaying relationship between the two primary songwriters/vocalists/guitarists, Kevin Shields and Belinda Butcher. The name of the album I tend to shove down my ever so accepting friends is Loveless. The album is filled with the most unbelievable arrangements of sound, melody, and most importantly, distortion. The level of distortion on the guitars in at its peak, I had never hear anything like it.

Announced earlier this year, My Bloody Valentine announced their reunion and plans of a tour. The band has not toured in over 10 years due to Kevin Shields' unstable sanity and tendency to disappear and fall into obscurity. I had gotten my chance to see the effervescent band that had changed the way I listened to music. The band has gotten such critical acclaim that dissertations and essays have been written about Loveless. The album itself is an excellent representation of the relationship between Kevin Shields and Belinda Butcher, their fleeting love for one another as the album was recorded.

Seeing the band live is a whole other experience. I had been reading up on their legendary shows that consist of walls of amplifiers, drowning distortion and ear plugs. That's right, ear plugs. There shows have been known for being the loudest in the world, there were EMTs present at
the show, as well as earplugs being handed out at the door for the protection of every one's ears.

Through most of the show I had kept my earplugs in. Being in the front for this show seems like a poor decision, but having the monitors pointed at you with the about 7 guitar stacks was amazing. It creates this wall of sound and distortion that is unlike anything I have ever experienced. There is one song in particular that is absolutely amazing. There is a song called "The Holocaust" that consists of a 20 minute wall of distortion. The sound is deafening, and the actual distortion had all of Roseland shaking. I was able to equate this to war, the sensation of war. I felt this overwhelming sense of beauty and chaos. You're trying to access this lost sense of majesty between the reality of what you're experiencing and the sensationalism of what you expect it to be. The violent images in Shooting War have this sense of beauty and chaotic beauty.

Edit: This was an older post that I hadn't published.

Ears, Open. Eye Balls, Click.

Its December of 2007 at about 2:30 am. I have my television watching public access on channel 25. I really never really regarded public access television as, well, good; but tonight happened to be a particularly interesting night. They had just showed a documentary on Hip Hop in the later 1980s in Harlem and that had me hooked. After that had ended, there was an ad for the next documentary being shown. I concluded that it was documentary day on public access and thought "Fuck it, I got nothing else to do." Ears, Open. Eye Balls, Click is a documentary that follows the Platoon 1141, Company C, 1st Recruit Training Battalion from their initial deployment to boot camp and eventual graduation. They display of emotion is comparative to many of the elements in Jarhead. The initial treatment of the recruits is absolutely true to what is described in the book. I believe it is an excellent contrast to Vietnam era "Drill Sergeant," considering two different wars have been thought. The treatment of the recruits is a little less harsh as displayed in the Vietnam War era.
The first thing I noticed was direct correlation to the Ezra Pound quote. The men or teenagers that are on they're way to becoming Marines are in all honesty a bunch of half-wits. They come in admitting that they were fuck ups back in their former lives. The conditions of the barracks are upheld and if not they are not up to standards, they have to scrub down the barracks with just toothbrushes, they have to use the restroom in pairs and carry a 200 lb. weight. The training and daily exercises that are shown in the film are much more intense than whats described in Jarhead. Swofford didn't spend his time really getting into the grit of the exercises and training. The training is extremely intense and involve multiple double digit hikes mile hikes with all their equipment. The men who don't make it all the way through are discharged, same as the men who are unable to finish the obstacle course. Much of the conditioning and training is part of the reason the men act they way they do, some disrespectful to one another, while appreciating their position in the military. The mindset of the men in the documentary is ever changing with each task and exercise. They eventually reach a point where they have fully submitted to the will of their sergeants.

Now excuse me while I go having my hearing destroyed by My Bloody Valentine. Do not be alarmed if I am unable to hear a word anyone says in class.

Stop Me if You've Heard This One Before

I feel like I have my mind on repeat. I've seen this war before, its happening right now. I've seen countless movies about the first Gulf War, from dramatic representations to documentaries. It is very rare that you hear about heroism in modern wars; I am more used to hearing about the faults and mistakes. I remember vividly in 1999, my parents had heard a favorite of movie of theirs was going to be showed on what is the now defunct WB 11. I knew nothing of the film, only that Matt Damon and Denzel Washington were the two major stars. I was unimpressed by the amount of talking in the film and dialogue, but that was probably because I was 11 years old. I saw the movie again 2 years ago, it turns out it was the well crafted Courage Under Fire. How naive I was. This was a complete showcase of the mistakes that took place in a modern war. Denzel Washington plays a now former leader of a Tank platoon in the first Gulf War. He mistakenly hits another American tank, killing the crew and more importantly a friend of his. After the Gulf War had ended, the friendly fire was covered up or not reported. His portion of the movie involves him confronting his friend's parents to tell them the truth. The other portion involves flash-backs with Meg Ryan and her squad on a helicopter mission in Iraq. They're shot down and have to defend themselves against the Iraqi Army. Meg Ryan is eventually shot, but whats in question is was she shot by the Iraqis or by intentional friendly fire. This culminates into issues of sexism on the part of marine who shoots her (accidentally or not) and if a woman deserves he medal of honor, the most prestigious medal.

This is a direct comparison to Pat Tillman being killed by friendly fire. The US tried to cover up that he had been killed by friendly fire. Friendly fire has become a real problem in Iraq and Afghanistan, because of the general soldier mentality, which is clearly on display in Jarhead; the overly macho, trigger happy, meatheads.

Daydreams and Heroes

Sunday was probably one of the greatest days of my life. Flashback to age 15, I had just discovered hardcore, not the crap that most kids listen to today, the poor excuse for music that is labeled as "screamo", the needles pouring out of emotion through the most obvious of mediums. Minor Threat, Black Flag, Husker Du, The Meat Puppets, the names are endless. It intrigued me; the unrest, the straight forward brash expression, kids punching each other for no reason and smiling as they did it. Ian Mackaye is the symbol, the god father of the hardcore movement. His honesty, his unabashed need to inform and express his opinion, not giving a shit what you think. He spoke at St. Francis College was more than eloquent. He was everything I expected him to be, but I was able to experience within spitting distance of him, instead of on a DVD or the pages of a book.

Lets flash back to age 16. My aunt bought me a book containing events that occurred the year I was born. Among those events were albums released that same year. There was Daydream Nation by a New York band called Sonic Youth. I had no idea who they were, but I seemed to be drawn in by the cover; a lone candle below the title. I had to get it, the candle just draws you in. I had no idea what I was getting into. Sonic Youth that year became my favorite band, trumping The Clash.

Pre-panel, Kevin and I freaked out in our office, blasting random Sonic Youth songs along with Minor Threat songs, shaking, unable to feel our faces, cold sweat.

Sonic Youth are more relevant than ever. Thurston Moore is still a prolific song writer and guitarist and as I discovered probably one of the coolest people in the world. He is the human embodiment of cool. The fear of interviewing these musical/culture changing giants were apparent when Ian Mackaye approached me after the panel on Sunday and asked if I had any questions. I was afraid I'd have the immediate South Park response.

Their original topic at the panel was the link between independent music and independent publishing, but frankly it turned into Ian speaking seriously for most of it and Thurston pretty much making light of everything he said.

So now I'm stuck with the task of setting up a formal interview with one of my heroes, per his request.

This is relevant to our discussion on what is literature, does it still exist. The question of different formats of music was asked; digital music, mp3s, as compared to analog, i.e. vinyl and cassettes. As an avid music collector, especially vinyl collector, although I have unfortunately become a slave to the take over of the digital format as a portable medium of music distribution, I still love the smell and fell of feel of a record. Thurston Moore said that he loved vinyl for the sheer fact that it is a different experience every time he places the record on the turntable. The needle creates a new groove in the record creating a new experience. I made this association to different mediums for literature. For the last ten years or so, publications known as e-books began to populate the internet and portable devices. The argument that the aesthetic appeal of a book adds to the idea of it being literature. Of course one can argue that music in an digital format is no more music than music on a record.

So, Neil LaBute, yeah that guy, decent writer. But upon further research I discovered something a bit shocking. The man directed The Wicker Man. No, not the original cult film from 1973, but the one with Nicolas Cage, the amazingly horrific remake from 2006. The film pretty much consists of Nicolas Cage punching women on an island inhabited exclusively by women. Maybe this delves into the misogynistic theme that LaBute uses through The Mercy Seat, in all honesty there is absolutely no depth to the film at all. Interesting tidbit, the residents of the island have an odd obsession with bees (take what you want from that). It makes for quite the film. While the above premise makes the film out to be almost comical, it in reality is a very serious film; although the video below begs to differ.

"He was okay..."

It took me about three reads through of the play to fully grasp the gist of it. I had originally read it through and had thought it to be a rather light and airy display of the human condition and faltering relationship built upon lies and deceit. Upon my second read through, I had noticed one thing at the beginning of the actual publication; there was a quote from the Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds song "The Mercy Seat." The song itself is a very dark and ominous song, it involves many of the elements of the play with the same name, more specifically the notion of self deprecation, forgiveness and mercy of sorts. The song itself is narrated by Nick Cave as a man being sentenced to death by electric chair. The mercy seat refers to a seat on the ark of the covenant where ones is judged. In the end the man claims that he has accepted his fate and is ready to die. Nick Cave is a prolific song writer, he is able to show a sense of innocence with the character he describes who eventually succumbs to the fact that he was wrong. I think LaBute really draws from the notion, in the sense that Ben is in denial that he has done something wrong, even though Abbey continually tells him that this is wrong, do what you think is right. Ben becomes conflicted and begins to think he is wrong in leaving his wife, and eventually succumbs to the his wrong doings and is ready to accept the consequences. This can be tied into the play. Ben is constantly sitting throughout the majority of the play and is constantly judged by both himself and Abby. It begins to drag for me and the dialogue becomes very predictable. I began to feel almost nothing for either characters for the sheer fact that they both seemed like horrible individuals. I was alright with Ben's character at the beginning of the play. He seemed like the intelligent, almost awkward slacker who is understandably distressed, but as events unfold, the reader discovers that he is indeed the father of two daughters. Leaving your wife under the suspicion of a tragedy is while indeed a horrible thing to do, the level of deplorability increases ten fold. The emotion seems rather lost in the attempts to show actually love between the two, it isn't believable. While Abby claims that she has something to lose, like a job or prestige, in reality the only person who has something to lose is Ben. He almost accepts his fate, but in reality leaving his wife would probably be one of the worst things he could do; hell, even financially.

Obvious

Sarah Palin's daughter is a slut. John Edwards is a slut. Elliot Spitzer is a slut. John McCain is an old man. Barack Obama is black. The Iraq war already happen, Dubbya is plagiarizing his father's work.

Also this:

9/11: The Cash Cow

9/11 was a tragedy in the eyes of the majority of the world. I am all too aware of it, but unfortunately I have become all too de-sensitized. It was horrific on a grand scale; the initial shock of the events still haunt many today. I am no longer haunted by the image of planes slamming into buildings nor majestic structures crumbling into plooms of smoke and debris, more so the image of vendors at Ground Zero. The men standing with their postcards, flags, and t-shirts that might as well say "My Parents Went to Ground Zero and All I Got Was This Lousy T-shirt." The world, especially the United States, are notorious for cashing in on disaster. There should at least be a grace period to wait to cash in. I mean 1970 saw the first real WWII film "Tora! Tora! Tora!" Flash foward 5 years after 9/11; we have two films, not documentaries, feature films, one starring none other than Nicolas Cage (Seriously?!). I'm all for expression through different media outlets, but when you have Nicolas Cage playing a NY hero, faking a thick, almost comical "New York accent" you can't help but sneer and feel that it is all in poor taste. Our former Mayor, the always lovely and "eloquent" Rudy Guiliani, cashed in on 9/11 big time, making it the basis of his whole Presidential campaign.

The post 9/11 world has left me with a lot questions about art, the state of art, and the state of the creative mind. Does art still exist in a post 9/11 world and if it does, what does one make of it. Can one draw the line between pure expression and backwards propaganda, especially in a world where right after the events of 9/11 everyone ran out and bought American flags and began sporting them on their cars. I'm a cynic and feel that this blind display of patriotism is deplorable. I would be embarrassed to display the flag. I'd be more concerned with what was wrong with our country that would drive people to destroy skyscrapers and kill other human beings.

Ted Leo wrote a song called "The High Party" in which he addresses the state of art in the a post 9/11 world, this is a small poignant selection from the lyrics that sums up the state of art:

"if you're gonna call it art,
then there's a cup in front of you and right away.
if you're gonna play your part, you must drink it down.
but mind eyes have seen the glory
of the fields of flowers and factory floors,
and my mind's content to lie at rest for hours
behind my loved ones' doors and if there's a war,
another shitty war to fight for Babylon,
then it's the perfect storm in a tea cup,
but you must drink it down.
and what do you make of the nights
when you thought you'd make much more
than being too drunk to turn the lights out
and too tired to drink more?
and what does it take to not hear the cynics at your door saying
'it's time the turn the lights out, and you'll want to keep it down!'
so I'm lifting up that poison cup to drink a draught of propaganda,
or I'm giving up that other stuff in hopes that it will make me madder.
but either way, if you're gonna call it art"