Marc from Bad Catholic blog sent me this link. I (like millions of other human beings, I hope) have been struggling with how to digest the news of Bin Laden's execution. How exactly should I feel about this? Well OK, feelings really aren't good or bad. They're individually ours and they just "are." But as a Catholic Christian, how should I process this news? And, should I think any more differently than my Buddhist girlfriend does?
Sauteed ginger-tofu, cilantro lime redskins, and steamed green beans, a.k.a. food for thought
And here's what my girlfriend, Cheryl had to say....
"I don't know how people like MLK, Mother Theresa, Ghandi, HH the Dali Lama, Pope John Paul II, etc., do it. I'm not sure how to love *everyone* that unconditionally. I don't hate anyone, and I do forgive. I think we should forgive, we have to. But just because we forgive doesn't mean we forget. Dancing in the streets to celebrate OBL death makes us no better than those who danced in the street to celebrate the deaths of thousands of Americans on 9/11, and as an American I'd like to think that we ARE better than those who celebrated the deaths on 9/11.
Do I think the world will be a brighter place now that OBL is gone? Hardly. We did what we had to do. I believe that sometimes death is necessary. This had to happen. We could not let him live. The only thing you'll see me rejoicing in is the fact that it was Obama who got the job done!!! 4 more years, baby!"
"I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that."
-- Martin Luther King, Jr
Thursday, May 05, 2011
Some Fanzines...
Read some semi - crappy fanzines last night. "Mishap" issue #11....This 'zine is sometimes called "Mayhap" or "Mayham," done by a guy in Portland, OR. Don't know why he kept changing the name around. This is a 1/2 size deal laid out with a typewriter, x-acto knife, and sharpie pen. Lots of thoughts about anarchy, the "ten signs of being normal" (???), some hitchhiking stories, and something unique to this 'zine --ongoing science-fiction / fantasy / horror stories written by the author. All nicely done. Even the non-fiction pieces on anarchy are intelligently written. Some letters from readers, and the low-down on the annual Anarchist Conference in Portland, plus anti-cop rants (surprise surprise). All in all a pretty heady read full of well thought out arguments. I have about seven or eight issues, since this kid used to send me several issues at one time and he was pretty prolific back in 1998-2004 or so.
"Moshi Moshi" which I think she said means "thank you" in Japanese, but I'm too lazy to walk three feet to look through the 'zine and verify this. I'm also too lazy right now to open anew tab on my browser, where this and every other PIECE OF INFORMATION IN THE ENTIRE WORLD is at my fingertips. God bless the internerd. Haha, I'm listening to NOFX "Ribbed," right now! Forgot what a great album this is! Seriously haven't played this in at least eight or nine years. I still remember all the lyrics, especially to "New Boobs!" I remember when these guys ruled (in my mind.) I also remember them opening for BAD RELIGION in 1990 (?) when they both played in the gymnasium at Oakland Community College. No stage, all the bands played on the floor. Mostly I remember the Toledo straightedge skinheads were there and now I'm wondering if MAJORITY OF ONE (from Toledo) also played. That woulda' been around the time M.O.O. were big. Well, big in the sense that kids from Toledo would actually drive 90 minutes to see them open for a touring punk band. And this was also the time that there were actual straightedge skins in the scene. Hmmmm...OK..."Moshi Moshi"...a cute little 1/4 size 'zine done by a chick named Lauren who also did "Pussy Cat Vision" fanzine. This looks similar in layout to PCV. Lauren says that many of her views and morals have changed and thus it was time for a new fanzine to replace the old. She's sixteen, from Baltimore and loves hardcore. A funny-ass rant about how her mom who is 48 has a bff who is a 17 year old dude! Haha, everyone thinks this guy's sleeping with her mom, but mom insists that while she does love her bff, it's strictly platonic. Lots of cute background pics and line sketches. Everything smells of emo. Super sensitive writings et al. And almost as an aside she mentions that she just started making herself throw-up to lose weight. WTF!?! She devotes less than a page of this 'zine to this all kinds of fucked up disorder! She then says she has stopped doing this...kinda'. But, "food is calling my name." Sad. This little 'zine was done in 1994. Lauren is about 33 now. I wonder if she still loves hardcore and still pukes. And sticking with the 1/4 size cute 'zines, I read issue #126 of "Chumpire" done by a dude named Greg. This is a spit issue with "Raw Pogo On Scafold" #14.5. Chumpire has been around for a long time and Greg's done many many issues, or at least he had by 1999, when this came out. I remember this issue came with an awesome CD of mostly Japanese psychedelic music. I loved that CD and listened to it all the time but it got stolen along with my other 899 CD's!!! I'd put that CD in my discman, and then follow it up with that one weird CD from BIDDY'S LOVE MONKEY, a local band who I knew very little about except there was some weird psych instrumental mixed into an album of chugga-chugga mosh core. I'm serious! Anyhow I'm gonna' email Greg Chumpire right now to see if I can get some newer copies of the 'zine as well as that old CD comp. I think he also included a compilation record especially made for a different issue of Chumpire, if I remember correctly. This issue he includes a cool ABC of PA, name dropping bands, zines, record stores, etc from his home state. Cool. The Raw Pogo...half is mostly reviews of Japanese music that I've never heard of. Boring.
I read a couple more things that I'll talk about tomorrow....."Liza & Louise" is a great song, even if NOFX suck these days.
See you in the pit!
"Moshi Moshi" which I think she said means "thank you" in Japanese, but I'm too lazy to walk three feet to look through the 'zine and verify this. I'm also too lazy right now to open anew tab on my browser, where this and every other PIECE OF INFORMATION IN THE ENTIRE WORLD is at my fingertips. God bless the internerd. Haha, I'm listening to NOFX "Ribbed," right now! Forgot what a great album this is! Seriously haven't played this in at least eight or nine years. I still remember all the lyrics, especially to "New Boobs!" I remember when these guys ruled (in my mind.) I also remember them opening for BAD RELIGION in 1990 (?) when they both played in the gymnasium at Oakland Community College. No stage, all the bands played on the floor. Mostly I remember the Toledo straightedge skinheads were there and now I'm wondering if MAJORITY OF ONE (from Toledo) also played. That woulda' been around the time M.O.O. were big. Well, big in the sense that kids from Toledo would actually drive 90 minutes to see them open for a touring punk band. And this was also the time that there were actual straightedge skins in the scene. Hmmmm...OK..."Moshi Moshi"...a cute little 1/4 size 'zine done by a chick named Lauren who also did "Pussy Cat Vision" fanzine. This looks similar in layout to PCV. Lauren says that many of her views and morals have changed and thus it was time for a new fanzine to replace the old. She's sixteen, from Baltimore and loves hardcore. A funny-ass rant about how her mom who is 48 has a bff who is a 17 year old dude! Haha, everyone thinks this guy's sleeping with her mom, but mom insists that while she does love her bff, it's strictly platonic. Lots of cute background pics and line sketches. Everything smells of emo. Super sensitive writings et al. And almost as an aside she mentions that she just started making herself throw-up to lose weight. WTF!?! She devotes less than a page of this 'zine to this all kinds of fucked up disorder! She then says she has stopped doing this...kinda'. But, "food is calling my name." Sad. This little 'zine was done in 1994. Lauren is about 33 now. I wonder if she still loves hardcore and still pukes. And sticking with the 1/4 size cute 'zines, I read issue #126 of "Chumpire" done by a dude named Greg. This is a spit issue with "Raw Pogo On Scafold" #14.5. Chumpire has been around for a long time and Greg's done many many issues, or at least he had by 1999, when this came out. I remember this issue came with an awesome CD of mostly Japanese psychedelic music. I loved that CD and listened to it all the time but it got stolen along with my other 899 CD's!!! I'd put that CD in my discman, and then follow it up with that one weird CD from BIDDY'S LOVE MONKEY, a local band who I knew very little about except there was some weird psych instrumental mixed into an album of chugga-chugga mosh core. I'm serious! Anyhow I'm gonna' email Greg Chumpire right now to see if I can get some newer copies of the 'zine as well as that old CD comp. I think he also included a compilation record especially made for a different issue of Chumpire, if I remember correctly. This issue he includes a cool ABC of PA, name dropping bands, zines, record stores, etc from his home state. Cool. The Raw Pogo...half is mostly reviews of Japanese music that I've never heard of. Boring.
I read a couple more things that I'll talk about tomorrow....."Liza & Louise" is a great song, even if NOFX suck these days.
See you in the pit!
Monday, May 02, 2011
Debbie Harry 1977 & The Great Heist Of 2009
Debbie Harry - Blondie, Coney Island, NY, 1977 | Bob Gruen
This is a fantastic picture!!! I wish I was a bit older and a bit more active (to say the least) during this era of punk-rock (or just rock -n- roll, depending on who you ask). BLONDIE, THE RAMONES, TELEVISION, TALKING HEADS, RICHARD HELL, DEAD BOYS......in other words, that whole original CBGB's scene. Honestly, I'm not know nor have I ever been, a huge RAMONES fan. I don't even own any of their albums (though I did have that one with the song "Somebody Put Something In My Drink." My momma gave it to me for Christmas in like, 1985 or '86. Decent enough record and great song!), but I did download their discography last year --it accidentally got deleted from my computer.
Which reminds me.....this is something I constantly worry & fret about: having all of my music get deleted from my computer or my external hard drive. I know no one who is in contact with this stuff would purposely do it, but hell, accidents happen and 30 GB'd of stuff WAS accidentally erased a little while ago. And ever since my CD & DVD collection got ripped off it's been something that I have more and more anxiety over. Thank God that my hard drive wasn't in that apartment when I left and everything got picked through, stolen, sold, and thrown out. This here external h.d. is all I've got left. The few dozen pictures stored on it and the 175 GB's of music are what's left of my life. Nine hundred CDs, CD - R's, DVD's, boxes and boxes of photos (including the negatives), clothes (a dozen beautiful Fred Perry & Ben Sherman shirts included!), my NEARLY BRAND NEW Doc Martens, poster, flyers, expensive down blankets, books, magazines, and fanzines -----GONE!!! The feelings of hatred, anger, and betrayal are things I've had to deal with over the last two years. I've learned to let go of all the negative thoughts associated with that incident and more or less move on. Of course I filed a police report and of curse those bitches didn't do anything. I don't know what I was thinking when I marched in to see the 5-O and try to ally myself with those dirty crooks. I guess I was following advice from friends and I guess this is how normal people solve similar problems. It did me no good. Even when I gave them names & contact info of the person (s) who did it. Lesson learned --never trust the cops to solve your problems.
This is a fantastic picture!!! I wish I was a bit older and a bit more active (to say the least) during this era of punk-rock (or just rock -n- roll, depending on who you ask). BLONDIE, THE RAMONES, TELEVISION, TALKING HEADS, RICHARD HELL, DEAD BOYS......in other words, that whole original CBGB's scene. Honestly, I'm not know nor have I ever been, a huge RAMONES fan. I don't even own any of their albums (though I did have that one with the song "Somebody Put Something In My Drink." My momma gave it to me for Christmas in like, 1985 or '86. Decent enough record and great song!), but I did download their discography last year --it accidentally got deleted from my computer.
Which reminds me.....this is something I constantly worry & fret about: having all of my music get deleted from my computer or my external hard drive. I know no one who is in contact with this stuff would purposely do it, but hell, accidents happen and 30 GB'd of stuff WAS accidentally erased a little while ago. And ever since my CD & DVD collection got ripped off it's been something that I have more and more anxiety over. Thank God that my hard drive wasn't in that apartment when I left and everything got picked through, stolen, sold, and thrown out. This here external h.d. is all I've got left. The few dozen pictures stored on it and the 175 GB's of music are what's left of my life. Nine hundred CDs, CD - R's, DVD's, boxes and boxes of photos (including the negatives), clothes (a dozen beautiful Fred Perry & Ben Sherman shirts included!), my NEARLY BRAND NEW Doc Martens, poster, flyers, expensive down blankets, books, magazines, and fanzines -----GONE!!! The feelings of hatred, anger, and betrayal are things I've had to deal with over the last two years. I've learned to let go of all the negative thoughts associated with that incident and more or less move on. Of course I filed a police report and of curse those bitches didn't do anything. I don't know what I was thinking when I marched in to see the 5-O and try to ally myself with those dirty crooks. I guess I was following advice from friends and I guess this is how normal people solve similar problems. It did me no good. Even when I gave them names & contact info of the person (s) who did it. Lesson learned --never trust the cops to solve your problems.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
"As Far As My Feet Will Carry Me" & "Lovers Quarrel"
//Just got finished reading "As Far As My Feet..." by Josef M. Bauer. WOW! What a fantastic book this is! I was stuck to every page and didn't want to put it down --not even to get to sleep! that's really the test of a book's quality, can you fight off sleep in order to push forward with reading? Anyhow, this is the story of a German guy who gets sentenced to 25 years of hard labor in a Siberian prison work-camp. He spends a couple years there before finally escaping for good (he has a half-hearted escape attempt, but is quickly recaptured). The book chronicles his three year and two month journey walking back to Germany! Holy crap, walking? Yes, most of his travels are made walking. But this book has loads of train hopping tales, as well as hitch hiking, being a stowaway, sledding, etc. The escapee, Forell apparently told his story to the author, who turned it into this book. Pretty sweet how Forell learns how to hunt, cook, impersonate people, bullshit, and more! It's like a great adventure novel crossed with a punk-rock travel 'zine! For real! So find this book 'cuz I guarantee you'll be enthralled with it!
//I also read issue #2 of "Lover's Quarrel" written by a kid named Ravi from Princeton, NJ in 1994. This kid is in love with hardcore, veganism, and straightedge. Lots of cute emo-ness in the form of sketches and pictures, as well as some sappy writings. I guess this dude was involved in running that organization, Earthwell out of NJ in the 90's. They put on fundraiser shows, benefits for causes like "Food Not Bombs", sexual assault awareness literature, animal rights, fanzines, and I believe they put out a few records. A worthy cause in the hardcore scene of the time. This issues got at least three ads for 'zines done from folks in Princeton, NJ, Ravi's town. Which just goes to show how many people actually did fanzines as well as playing in bands, booking shows, etc.
//I also read issue #2 of "Lover's Quarrel" written by a kid named Ravi from Princeton, NJ in 1994. This kid is in love with hardcore, veganism, and straightedge. Lots of cute emo-ness in the form of sketches and pictures, as well as some sappy writings. I guess this dude was involved in running that organization, Earthwell out of NJ in the 90's. They put on fundraiser shows, benefits for causes like "Food Not Bombs", sexual assault awareness literature, animal rights, fanzines, and I believe they put out a few records. A worthy cause in the hardcore scene of the time. This issues got at least three ads for 'zines done from folks in Princeton, NJ, Ravi's town. Which just goes to show how many people actually did fanzines as well as playing in bands, booking shows, etc.
M.I.A.
//Listening to this M.I.A. album, "After The Fact," pretty damn good and something I've overlooked considering it came out in the mid 1980's!!! Posting this now to remind myself to write more about them later. Am I the only one who uses the internerd to write notes? Online stickys!
Thre's No "I" In Team But There Is a "me"
Also, there is no "u" in Colombia. Even when you change it to Colombian. I've seen it in magazines, on advertisements, on labels in grocery stores, everywhere you could use the word Colombia, I've seen it as Columbian. And no, I don't mean like Columbus or pre-Columbian. I mean like the kind of coffee, which is also a country i hear.
CAR VS DRIVER // GUILT // LET THE DAY BEGIN
CAR vs. DRIVER...This band is fucking phenomenal!!! I always knew they existed but never really paid much attention to them! They fit in perfectly with so many of the other emotional hardcore bands of the early to mid 90's. On some songs the singer sounds EXACTLY like the dude from MONSULA! Anyhow last night I listened to "Under A Silent Sky" and was just completely mesmerized.
Lately my favorite state of being is just laying in bed reading (anything --old fanzines, catalogs, books, the new issue of MRR, and old issues of "Profane Existence"etc) and listening to old albums on my new mp3 player. Just blown (or re-blown. Is that a word?) away by a few things, like that CAR VS DRIVER album. I also listened to the GUILT "Synesthesia" record. Remember, the10" from 1993 or so? Put out on the late, great Initial Records from Louisville, just like the band. GUILT was a side project from Duncan, one of the guitar players from ENDPOINT. Before they were GUILT they were STEPDOWN. The only recorded STEPDOWN music I have is the song "Giving Tree" from the "Voice Of The Voiceless" animal rights compilation. Remember that record? I think Doghouse Records put it out with the help of one or two other labels. Awesome comp! Anyhow that STEPDOWN song is great. Doesn't really sound much like GUILT at all.
OK, so I kinda' found part two of the CAR vs DRIVER discography CD on a mediafire link, but I've yet to find part one. My hard drive is sooooooo full, I'm having a hard time NOT downloading everything I find lately. That's why I'm accepting donations for the new 2TB external hard drive on sale over at www.tigerdirect.com. Help!!!
"Let The Day Begin" by SAMHAIN is such a great song!!! From the awesome "November Coming Fire" album! It just popped up on my winamp player set to random. I qued up this bootleg SAMHAIN record that I downloaded a few weeks ago with that song, and I'm disappointed to find out that it's just the regular studio version. Oh well, I'll delete it since I don't have the hd space anyhow. Oh, that reminds me --I opened an account with an online storage service, www.adrive.com. Is this trustworthy? They give you 50GB's of free storage but I'm a little hesitant to start loading it up if my files could disappear at any time or be held hostage by them trying to get me to upgrade to a premium membership. I've put a few gig's of stuff on there so far. I could open a few more accounts, all you need is a different email addy to do that. I guess theoretically I could open several accounts and store all my stuff on there. Also, I would be able to access my files from anywhere. One major drawback, besides not knowing if they're trustworthy, is that it takes sooooooo long to upload stuff to my account!!! About 1/2 an hour for 1GB!!!! I don't have the patience to babysit files being uploaded no the trust to do it when I'm not actively using the computer.
So far tonight's been a good on musically: MONSULA (awesome rough pop-punk ala CRIMPSHRINE on Lookout Records), THE ALLIGATORS (Roger Miret with straightedge band INSTED), CALIBAN, (German vegan-edge-metal), THE CARRIER (sounds a LOT like MODERN LIFE IS WAR --and that's a GOOD thing!), COLEMAN (excellent emo), ELEMENTS OF NEED (great 90's emo), SAMIAM (man, these songs from the album "Astray" are rocking my world! This album, and "You Are Freaking Me Out" are two of the most unlistened to albums from SAMIAM in my collection. big mistake!), ROT IN HELL (sounds like RINGWORM but they're from the UK), THE ERGS! (so mad that I've slept on these guys for so long! Not anymore, I'm all up in these bitches!) and so much more! I'm outta here! See ya'll tomorrow! Yeah, tomorrow....a good day! See my girlfriend, hit up the book shelves at the Salvation Army thrift shop, maybe hit an AA mtg...just not in that order.
Lately my favorite state of being is just laying in bed reading (anything --old fanzines, catalogs, books, the new issue of MRR, and old issues of "Profane Existence"etc) and listening to old albums on my new mp3 player. Just blown (or re-blown. Is that a word?) away by a few things, like that CAR VS DRIVER album. I also listened to the GUILT "Synesthesia" record. Remember, the10" from 1993 or so? Put out on the late, great Initial Records from Louisville, just like the band. GUILT was a side project from Duncan, one of the guitar players from ENDPOINT. Before they were GUILT they were STEPDOWN. The only recorded STEPDOWN music I have is the song "Giving Tree" from the "Voice Of The Voiceless" animal rights compilation. Remember that record? I think Doghouse Records put it out with the help of one or two other labels. Awesome comp! Anyhow that STEPDOWN song is great. Doesn't really sound much like GUILT at all.
OK, so I kinda' found part two of the CAR vs DRIVER discography CD on a mediafire link, but I've yet to find part one. My hard drive is sooooooo full, I'm having a hard time NOT downloading everything I find lately. That's why I'm accepting donations for the new 2TB external hard drive on sale over at www.tigerdirect.com. Help!!!
"Let The Day Begin" by SAMHAIN is such a great song!!! From the awesome "November Coming Fire" album! It just popped up on my winamp player set to random. I qued up this bootleg SAMHAIN record that I downloaded a few weeks ago with that song, and I'm disappointed to find out that it's just the regular studio version. Oh well, I'll delete it since I don't have the hd space anyhow. Oh, that reminds me --I opened an account with an online storage service, www.adrive.com. Is this trustworthy? They give you 50GB's of free storage but I'm a little hesitant to start loading it up if my files could disappear at any time or be held hostage by them trying to get me to upgrade to a premium membership. I've put a few gig's of stuff on there so far. I could open a few more accounts, all you need is a different email addy to do that. I guess theoretically I could open several accounts and store all my stuff on there. Also, I would be able to access my files from anywhere. One major drawback, besides not knowing if they're trustworthy, is that it takes sooooooo long to upload stuff to my account!!! About 1/2 an hour for 1GB!!!! I don't have the patience to babysit files being uploaded no the trust to do it when I'm not actively using the computer.
So far tonight's been a good on musically: MONSULA (awesome rough pop-punk ala CRIMPSHRINE on Lookout Records), THE ALLIGATORS (Roger Miret with straightedge band INSTED), CALIBAN, (German vegan-edge-metal), THE CARRIER (sounds a LOT like MODERN LIFE IS WAR --and that's a GOOD thing!), COLEMAN (excellent emo), ELEMENTS OF NEED (great 90's emo), SAMIAM (man, these songs from the album "Astray" are rocking my world! This album, and "You Are Freaking Me Out" are two of the most unlistened to albums from SAMIAM in my collection. big mistake!), ROT IN HELL (sounds like RINGWORM but they're from the UK), THE ERGS! (so mad that I've slept on these guys for so long! Not anymore, I'm all up in these bitches!) and so much more! I'm outta here! See ya'll tomorrow! Yeah, tomorrow....a good day! See my girlfriend, hit up the book shelves at the Salvation Army thrift shop, maybe hit an AA mtg...just not in that order.
Recovering Zinesters, Hardcore Kids, Punks, Skins, Mods, Skaters, etc...
Cindy, who does the great "Doris" fanzine, just put out a 'zine, all about and constructed by, recovering alcoholics / addicts. I scanned the review in the new issue of MRR. I'm gonna head over to microcosm.com and check if they've got it. It looks interesting and I've always enjoyed Cindy's writing. I'm always down to hear what other hardcore kids & punk rockers have to say about addiction, AA / NA, God, higher power, recovery, rehab centers, detox's, etc. I'll mos def review it here when I get my hands on a copy.
Oh yeah, she also sings in ASTRID OTO:
Oh yeah, she also sings in ASTRID OTO:
Thursday, April 28, 2011
CURRENT (Detroit Hardcore Emo Band)
This band was so so so awesome. I didn't get into them until the tail end of their life-span. I'd always seen their flyers, since they opened so many damn hardcore shows in southeast Michigan. Headlined plenty of smaller shows also. I may have even accidentally bought a 7" of theirs. Wait, I think I had the "Coliseum" album they did, without listening to it for about two years. I probably bought it because they were local and I tried to aggressively support the local hardcore scene as much as possible. I think everyone did that, unlike nowadays when folks only come out to see a bigger touring band. Hey, I'm one of them too!!! Oh snap!!!
OK, the singer of CURRENT, Matt Weeks, also owned and ran Council Records --one of the best record labels of the '90's! A bit later he played in OTTAWA, NEMA, DEARBORN SS, and the highly underrated and slept on, CALVARY. Not too sure what he's up to currently but I'm sure I'll find out soon. Maybe e-stalk him for a minute, then flip the script and report back here. Keep your eyes open.... All jokes aside he's someone I would seriously love to interview for this blog and the 'zine I've been trying to poop out since time immemorial!
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Pope John Paul II & The Hare Krsna's...
....May 1st. I wish I had $2300 for the trip to Rome some peeps are going on. Sigh..... The beatification of Blessed Pope John Paul II. I can watch it on the internerd or the TV. It's just neat to have something like this happen in my lifetime. I vividly remember when he died and pretending to be so indifferent, with a twisted touch of stoicism!!! I had fallen away from Catholicism at that time, although I would proudly tell you I was "spiritual!" Whatever that means / meant!!! I love this st00pid AA line, "religion is for people who are afraid of going to hell and spirituality is for people who've already been there and DON'T want to go back. Dumb alcoholics think they've got the market cornered on spirituality. Yes, thank God for AA's spirituality, opening the door, and my mind, to a higher power, a higher being, a higher purpose, and a higher calling. But that's just a start. I needed to nurture and grow my spirituality. Which... is... just.....religion......gasp!!! Besides, AA was founded by two Christian men, contains and co-op's several Christian (Catholic) prayers such as "The Lord's Prayer," "The Serenity Prayer," and "Instrument of Peace" (the St. Francis prayer) on page 99 of the "Twelve Steps & Twelve Traditions," an AA approved (official) book. Most of the AA old-timers I know also belong to a church or claim some religious affiliation. My friend Matt (a Jew I'm told) got very involved in Islam shortly after getting sober in 1999 or so, changed his name to Idris, wore traditional (as traditional as an Ann Arbor Jewish punk rock kid can get) Islamic garb to meetings, and moved to Saudi Arabia to teach English. And secure a wife. My friend Tarun Krsna-das, whom I met at the Fischer Mansion (a.k.a. the Hare Krsna temple) in Gross Point one soul searching Sunday, got clean, joined Narcotics Anonymous and then joined the Hare Krsna's. He helped me a ton --came out to Ann Arbor to check out some AA meetings with me, kick the soccer ball around, chant Hare Krsna, and discuss Prabhupada's writings. Tarun helped me to be a little less materialistic, as well as showing me how to eat vegetarian food without any traces of garlic, onions, and mushrooms. Three foods in the mode of passion or ignorance, I can't remember which. I miss Tarun. After he went on a pilgrimage to Vrindavan I never saw him again. St00pid hotmail deleted a couple hundred messages of mine, including one with his email addy in it. And since Tarun Krsna-das is not the real name of a white trash, I.C.P. listening, workin' on car in the front lawn of your house, guy from Taylor, I've not been able to locate him since late 1999.
SEAN ÄABERG's photostream
I don't know too much about this guy (Sean Aaberg), but I Googled his name after unpacking one of the fanzines he did in the late 90's / early '00's. He is a kick ass artist and here are some pictures from his website. I'm writing this edit/update on Jan. 7, 2013, after making this post originally in early 2011. I believe this is all still online and still relevant. Enjoy!!! ♥♥♥
SEAN ÄABERG's photostream on Flickr.
Ahhhh, the dude who did "Binocular Rebellious" fanzine! Cool pics, cool artwork!
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