Remembering Howard Zinn

On the second anniversary of his passing, we present Howard Zinn's lecture at UConn from 2006.

Winter's Breath

Oh... Oooooh PIPA.

Pirated from http://derelictquestion.blogspot.com/

Summer 2011 kicked off with a royal bang. And by "royal bang", I naturally mean the Royal Bang of the Royal Wedding, which for was like the Kardashian wedding for the US but with horse drawn carriages and even wilder hats. I hadn't heard about it until I began listening to John Oliver and Andy Zaltzman's hilarious and informative podcast, The Bugle. And really, the only reason they even mentioned it was not because of  the royal family, the grandiosity, the event of a lifetime, yadda yadda, but because of John Oliver's obsession with the bride's sister, Pippa Middleton. "Oh... oooohhh Pippa" he would moan into the microphone at the mere mention of Ms. Middleton's name.

So, when over the past few weeks the Internet donned its Guy Fawkes masks (available for sale on Amazon.com) and began grabbing its pitchforks, torches, shotguns, chainsaws, whips, and longswords and clamored in to its fleet of badonkadonks, over 'PIPA', I naturally presumed that the flirtation between Mr. Oliver and Ms. Middleton had achieved a fever pitch. Alas, it turns out that what the internet was trying to do is to "Stop PIPA", the Protect Intellectual Property Act that is heading to the Senate in the next few weeks. The act 

would allow the US government to block public access to any website accused of copyright infringement - without a proper trial. PIPA threatens free speech and the Internet itself.

Now, you're asking, "but Helder, as an artist and video producer, don't you want your property and that of others' protected?" Yes, we all want our intellectual property protected. But this act if it becomes law will do much much more than that, including censoring the internet and sites you like to use, such as Youtube, Google, Facebook, Twitter, blogs, tumblrs. It would in effect, make the Internet in the US as censored as it is in countries such as China, Iran, and North Korea -- you know, the governments our leaders are always calling fascist dictatorships that oppress their people. 

So, take a few moments today to enlighten yourselves about PIPA (and even SOPA). Our own douchebag... I mean, Senator Lieberman, is in favor of this bill and won't listen to his constituents about it. And why shouldn't he be? Many of his supporters (like the Chamber of Commerce) and sponsoring lobbyists worked to make this act. But here's the rub: when 6 GOP members who co-sponsored the bill, listen to their constituents and ask Harry Reid to STOP the vote on it, why won't our Democratic and Independent leaders in CT? Even Congressman Larson was a co-sponsor of the equally demented SOPA act (not to be confused with delicious Portuguese 'soup'). 

Before tomorrow's internet blackout on Wikipedia, Reddit, Boing Boing and others, join us tonight at Red Rock Outpost on the Internet's free frontier as we discuss PIPA (and Pippa and John Oliver; I hear they're very happy together, traveling around the outback in their badonkadonk). There will be the drinks of the Internet -- Naughty Nurses and Hooker Reds -- along with the nutrient rich curly fries to fuel our discussions on these draconian measures. If you like your LOLcats, your twitters, your youtube videos, your memes, and sharing them on your facebooks and tumblrs and emails, you must speak out against PIPA and SOPA (again, not the lovely Pippa Middleton nor the delicious Portuguese soup that starts our meals). Just think: if this law had been in place, then Justin Beiber would not have been able to cover his favorite songs and post them on Youtube, making him such a star! Hmm... wait a minute... 

Join us at 9 pm at Red Rock on Capitol Avenue.

In Pippa we trust,

George Orwell

By "Chaos Life" 

The Whale Tail at The Spigot

Full Moon Held by Tree Branches

Not in Hartford

We apologize for not updating our Very Important Blog for a while because we hurt our wrists link-baiting and name-dropping all afternoon. But here. HERE, idiot readers! We have blessed you with content! It's the lazy writer's favorite crutch...no, not more pictures of mattresses or pay phones...but BEST OF LISTS! All you mouth-breahters love lists. That's why these things start coming out in October and don't stop until the Golden Academy ESPY Awards or whatever. In order to get a jump on the other not-as-important blogs, we are pleased to present our "Best of 2012" Lists.

Best Movies Released in 2012:
1. The Devil Inside

Best Albums of 2012:
2. Alces -- Les Voyages De L'Ame
1. The Maccabees -- Given to the Wild

Unfortunately, that's all that has been released in 2012 to this point, but at least we were first. We'll fill more content by announcing our Very Important Blog popularity contest: Cool in Connecticut 2012!!! And how does one become Cool in CT? We decide, of course, since we're the only ones with any perspective in this cesspool. And the candidates are going to be coincidentally just about every local politico and media personality we can think of who might invite us on their radio shows and promote our Very Important Blog. Maybe they'll even mention our Very Important Blog on their facespace and mytwits as well. Who knows...we might even nominate a woman or two. Whoaaa! What an honor for all the nominees! The rest of you can go back to misunderstanding our city, morons.

Come to our nomination party, tonight at Depressing Red Rock Tavern in Poor Little Frog Hollow starting at 9 pm. Too bad the nominees have already been decided. Unless you buy us bloggers some pitchers of beer or curly fries. What? They did?? Well then, Round 1 of Cool in Connecticut is on! Donny vs. Gemma. Vote now! It means absolutely nothing to you, but publicity for us. After all, why work to improve the city when you can build a little empire off a city-hatin' brand?

Oooo, look...a mattress.

--A Hocked-On Loogie

Council is back in the House!

Let's kick 2012 off right! Hartford has a whole new city council. And in this new alternate earth version, there aren't any Republicans! Nope. Just six do nothing Democrats and three Working Families Party members! And we do mean 'Do Nothing'. I mean, some of these fellas have never held public office; others have sat on council for a while or before and what have they done?! Nuthin'!

In fact, this time around, Statler and Waldorf have decided to sit in on weekly council meetings to provide the commentary for those of you watching at home on community television. Of course, they come in the guise of CouncilorCotto and Heldermira:

@heldermira: What's all the commotion about?
@CouncilorCotto: The Republicans ran away!
@heldermira: You know what that makes them?
BOTH: Smarter than us!! DOH-HO-HO-HO-HO!!

@heldermira tweeting to Cotto: Wake up you old fool. You slept through the council meeting!
@CouncilorCotto: Who's a fool? You watched it!

@CouncilorCotto: Do you think there's intelligent life in outer space?
@heldermira: There's certainly none on the counsel!
@CouncilorCotto: Mickey Fickey!

@CouncilorCotto: Hey @heldermira, who's your favorite councilperson?
@heldermira: That's easy! Councilman Douche!
@CouncilorCotto: Uh, I think that's Councilman Deutsch #rimshot
@heldermira: nope, i meant councilman douche.
@CouncilorCotto: well, which one is that?
@heldermira: take your pick!  DOH-HO-HO-HO-HO!!

@heldermira: Owwww...
@CouncilorCotto: What's wrong?
@heldermira: I've got an upset stomach. It's either this council or indigestion, but I hope it's indigestion.
@CouncilorCotto: Why?
@heldermira: Indigestion can't last 4 years.

@CouncilorCotto: Hey @heldermira what did you think of the televised meeting of the City Council?
@heldermira: I've seen detergents that left a better film!

@CouncilorCotto: Just when you think the council meeting is terrible, something wonderful happens. 
@heldermira: What? 
@CouncilorCotto: It ends!
BOTH: DOH-HO-HO-HO-HO!!!!

The writers of this email would like to apologize to The Muppets and Henson Studios for degrading their writing.

So, after you enjoy the fabulous City Council Swearing In Ceremony Moppet Show, join us Red Rock Tavern to plot out the next 4 years of Hartford's City Council shenanigans. We'll be drinking Naughty Nurses and Hooker Red, eating Cajun Fries, and reciting old Fozzie routines. The after show party starts at 9 pmish. The bouncers are there to keep you in.

Stay frosty my friends,
Scooter

(Special thanks to my co-author @councilorcotto and to @rvr for giving us a great punchline)

Speak out against the Stop Online Piracy Act or lose your internet!

It's the least interesting time of the year

Well, here it is in the middle of Holidecember, and everything is
quiet. TOO QUIET. There's no quakey-blizzo-hurricornado bearing down
on us. The weather is seasonably sunny and at normal temperatures for
this time of year. The parking lots are typically full, other drivers
are typically rude, and the blue-shirts at the Big Buy Best Box stores
are typically over-helpful as you're just thinking that this is a
pretty good price for that 3DHDOMGTV to replace the big one you bought
in 2007. Maybe that one can go in your bathroom.

No big news bombshells either, now that we've swept away the soap
opera of Herman Cain's love-life and the those radical tent folk of
the Occupy movement, who were just...Hm. What were they doing again?
Um. Something about drum circle justice, I think. Then that Newt
Romney guy made a $10,000 bet about something, who cares, geez those
Poindexters are boring everybody.

Seriously, go look at your Google News right now. The most exciting
thing are how some egghead physicist-psychics in Switzerland have
found some magical particle-bean thing that won't let us teleport just
yet through our Bose stereo. Or maybe they haven't found it?? Who
knows. They have toys to look more, if they get more money from their
famous bank accounts. Just make chocolate already.

Even the War on Christmas is just going through the motions this year.
I mean the Rhode Island (and Providence Plantations) governor said
"holiday tree" and the Wisconsin governor didn't pay respect to the
pagan atheists, or something, and nobody's really into it this year.
Look, if you need lumber, you have a choice of boycotting either the
Home Depot because they like the gays, or boycotting Lowe's because
they hate the Muslims. There, done. We've got something for everybody
to hate equally.

Let's all just take this breather together, because next week, we've
got the CHannuakahahh and the Xmas and the Christmas, and the Kwanzaa,
and the Saturnalia, and the Solstice, and the Boxing Day all dumping
on our weary heads all at the SAME TIME. Soon there will be deserts
to eat, resolutions to make, passive-aggressive tension to avoid, and
public family shamings. Progressive Happy Hour will help you charge
your batteries before all that. 9 pm, tonight at Red Rock Tavern on
Candy Cane Lane. Festive beer and Reason-For-The-Seasoned-Fries for
all. Throw your hands in the air, and wassail like you just don't
care.

--Andy Williams

Blah Humbug, it's the Hostilidays

Well now, isn't this special? It's that time of year when everyone is all happy and merry and joyful with glee, hanging their socks on the mantle with care. Everyone is getting ready to cheer. The egg nog is a-brewing, the winter seasonal is on tap. Presents will be exchanged, fruitcake will be enjoyed. What more could you ask for?

I'LL TELL YOU WHAT I COULD ASK FOR!!!!! How about a cease-and-desist order to every establishment playing the same damned holiday cds and songs over and over and over and over like they were going out of style since the day before Halloween, when they first started playing them!!! If I hear "Jingle all the way", "White Christmas", "All I want for Christmas", or "Wonderful Christmas Time" (sohelpmegodSirPaulMcCartneyImmagonnakickyouinthenutsack!!!) one more time, it's going to be a bloody christmas time!!!

I therefore pose a new solution. A playlist if you will, to carry with you as an alternative to the shite that is currently our national theme music everyeffingplace we may go.