Corrosive Material

Corrosive Material

Mostly music, most of the time.

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Invisible Universe: Black Speculative Fiction

December 31, 2007 — 1 Comment


Also:

A new documentary is coming out by NYC filmmaker M. Asli Dukan. The documentary explores the relationship between speculative fiction and black identity.

I have never been a real sci-fi fan, but am finding myself continually intrigued by the genre, especially for its social implications. Science fiction has long been an imaginary space of projections into a near and sometimes plausible future. The same model of reconstructing the present in order to project to the future is fascinating in light of the current relationship between technology and thought/idea production.

Writers of black speculative fiction such as Octavia E. Butler, Samuel Delaney, George Schuyler have long been writing about the transportations of blacks into alternative environments resulting in personal and cultural transformations. As Walter Mosley write, “…the genre speaks most clearly to those who are dissatisfied with the way things are: adolescents, post-adolescents, escapists, dreamers, and those who have been made to feel powerless.” Speculative fiction allows for a space of freedom to imagine. What movements such as Afro Futurism are interested in is harnessing that space into a viable vehicle for actual social and cultural construction that is in effect “engineering feedback between its preferred future and its becoming present.”

Links:

Invisible Universe Doc site

Walter Mosley article

Afro Futurism

RIAA = Desperate lunatics.

December 31, 2007

I just read a Washington Post article about the ridiculous lawsuits the RIAA has been levying on people.  The new wrinkle is that now the RIAA says that it is also illegal to create copies of a CD you purchased for your computer.
Think about that last sentence.  You can’t even make copies of songs from CDs you actually bought.  The article is wild.
My thing is – what does this mean for putting music you bought on your iPod?  And even further than that – does this mean that the iTunes store is in theory illegal, considering why the iPod and iTunes are coupled together in the first place?  Shouldn’t the RIAA be suing Apple, Rhapsody, and other music selling services as well…….at least for “accessories to the crimes“?

Sacco and Vanzetti

December 30, 2007

Painting of Socco and Vanzetti

Wikipedia entry
I’d heard OF the case, but it was only recently that I knew about the case.

This is definitely one of the biggest and most important cases ever brought to trial.  It showed our nation’s (more than) occasional lapses in the suspension of various legal and civil rights.  Like all of them.  There are lots of people who would argue that things have changed from the 1920′s up until our current time.  I would argue that there is plenty of evidence that says things haven’t changed much at all, and if anything, this type of prejudice and discrimination is just more transparent, and actually even more broad because of it.
This is a case about two ordinary guys that managed to radicalize or, at the very least, change the way people thought about our legal system, the concept of proper fairness, and/or their own politics – specifically the attempt of political suppression by the state.  They have not and will not be forgotten, and their lost lives were not in vain.
I would advise you to check out the Wikipedia entry, as well as the links on the pages.  As a primer, there is a great documentary by Peter Miller on the case.   Check it out.
It’s a celebration struggle, bitches.

RNC Welcoming Committee is open…

December 30, 2007

http://www.rncwelcomingcommittee.org/

Every four years, in two very lucky cities, big money gets thrown around while look-alikes from opposite ends of a closed circle step up to their podiums and spout nonsense. RNC. DNC. Whatever. The point is that once the conventions are over, once November is come and gone, once the inauguration is only an unpleasant memory, people across this stolen land find themselves in pretty much the same place as before: a bad one.

And we’d like to offer up a movement- some real, tangible change. Unfortunately, the reality is that we’re rundown at best, hopeless at worst, and though we see liberation shining off in the distance, we don’t know how to get there.

But we want justice, and we want freedom, for life everywhere. And we’re tired of spinning our wheels in this rut.

From September 1st through 4th, 2008, the Republican National Convention will be held in St. Paul, MN. You can expect the usual: sign-holding, protest marches, rhythm-less chants, false raid scares at the convergence space.

But damned if the resistance stops there.

As residents of the Twin Cities, as anti-authoritarians and anarchists, we, the RNC Welcoming Committee invite folks from all over the country to show up and make something happen. Pull this movement out of its rut, or start something new. Let the up-tops know that we could give a shit about their suits, their speeches, their money. Bring your (A)-game, cause 2008 is ours.

We’re calling for:

1. Whatever skills you’ve got: medical, food-prep, legal, soapboxing, circus tricks. You name it, we wanna see it.

2. Intelligence gathering. Seriously.

3. Big numbers: your presence makes a difference, even if you aren’t doing anything but sending good vibes our way and bad vibes to the RNC.

4. Decentralized actions: both coordinated and independent; these cities are a playground, and you wouldn’t want to miss all the fun.

5. Surprises: Republicans, cops, starry-eyed youth- everyone likes a surprise.

These are the rules:

1. Know the area. Come early, come often. Or if you can’t do that, study up from home (Al Gore invented the Internet for a reason).

2. Respect local communities, develop your knowledge of local background, and remember that, good or bad, the effects of your actions endure long after you’ve left town.

3. Strategize: Be smart. Be creative. Get a sense of what other organizing is going on.

4. Take initiative.

5. Keep your privilege in check. Recognize socialized systems of domination, and work to undermine them.

6. Respect. Respect. Respect. Where it’s due. But no capitulation, and do what you have to do.

7. Keep the bullshit to a minimum. Elitism is not security culture. No vanguardism, no unnecessary infighting, no loose lips.

Questions? Want to participate? Want to sign on to this call? Contact the RNC Welcoming Committee: rnc08 (a) riseup.net

Chuck D for President??

December 29, 2007 — 1 Comment

 

Of Def Jam that is! Chuck D has thrown his hat in the ring for Jay-Z’s old position. While there were mixed feelings about how Jay ran the biggest hip hop label ever, I think its safe to say that with Chuck D in the mix, the bullshit pop festival that is now Def Jam will get a gut check. Wether its Jay-Z’s fault or not I think its reasonable to say Def Jam has lost its edge and is  just a slut for medicoracy and lame business. Chuck D  makes sense because of who he is and what he would do for a corporation like Def Jam. Whats that you ask?Chuck D outlined his plan for Def Jam, as seen below: 1) Being ahead of the technology curve; preparing for a thinned out industry; and managing budget efficient acts is very noteworthy of my resume which is simple. I told these cats the online revolution was coming and they needed big adjustments. They relied on lawyers, courts, and accountants only to now look upward at Apple, etc.

2) Their cost factors didn’t fit the times, I come from a world where the $50,000 investments resulted into 6 – 7 figures. Now it’s a business where 7 figures are invested to make 6.

3) I would run it like sports. These artists would be busting their tails on tour and on the stage to gain a fan. They would be coached on how to do their thing right. Braintrust will be high, and subcontracting to the right contributors will be comparable of the efficiency of these labels like Jazz and catalog departments. You cannot have people working, that haven’t the slightest clue of what they are in the middle of.

4) Any criminal mindedness in artistry, and management would have sit this one out, go their own way. It’s like bad apples the long run ain’t got nothing to do with entertainment. You can’t mix the stage and off stage parodies.

Chuck also said that he feels he could be more effective for his community through these means as opposed to running for office. He states “So instead of me running for politics, this is an easier run into the world of influential culture,” he continued. “I’m in Los Angeles, Atlanta and New York on the regular as well as I [thoroughly understand] the international picture,” Chuck said. “There would be some seismic changes, and I would be a little Huey Long-ish at it. If folks are clueless about this parallel that’s precisely the problem.” [ Huey P. Long was a Great Depression-era politician that was hugely popular and successful. He was killed shortly after announcing a bid for the presidency.]. The music business’chief concern these days is monetary return and Chuck D, who is renowned for his political and social consciousness, said he could generate revenue as well.

This is very interesting and relevant to Corrosive Material because of who Chuck D is and what he has done. Welcome to the Terrordome!

Periodicals That Matter…

December 29, 2007 — 1 Comment

Liberator Magazine: Online and Hardcopy

The MISSION:
The Liberator’s mission is to help preserve humanity by creating and supporting excellent spaces of dialogue that provide fresh and forceful analysis and critique of art, culture, education, and politics.The VISION:
The Liberator is a journal that has emerged from the urban enclaves of America. It is not just a magazine; it is a state of mind. One that is conscious of its own potential to contribute to and help maintain life itself.It will provide an inlet to underexposed culture – exposing artists around the world – while providing creative and functional analysis of mainstream culture in order to help build and maintain strong, culturally rich communities.It will lend a voice to the voiceless, providing social and political analysis rooted in those same urban enclaves from which it has come. It will release content that helps free minds from negativity, stress, and uncertainty.It will assist those engaged in artistic, cultural, educational, and political struggles for humanity.The Liberator is a collective, one of conscious human beings — street observers, historians, journalists, poets, scientists, comedians, writers, philosophers, soapboxers, artists and griots — who are dedicated to ensuring that everyone’s story, be it artistic, cultural or political, is told, heard, digested, analyzed and, most importantly, respected.The JOURNEY (thus far):
The Liberator has featured interviews with artists such as Chuck Dee, Saul Williams and Talib Kweli and has featured articles on issues ranging from immigration to homelessness. More than that, however, the Liberator has definitely become a global publication, making its presence known worldwide: from Minneapolis, Washington D.C., New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles and Philly, to London, Nairobi and Dakar.

GOOD Magazine: Online and Hardcopy

We see a growing number of people tied together not by age, career, background, or circumstance, but by a shared interest. This revolves around a passion for potential mixed with fierce pragmatism and creative engagement. We sum all this up as the sensibility of giving a damn. But to shorten it, let’s call it GOOD. We’re here to push this movement and cover its realization. While so much of today’s media is taking up our space, dumbing us down, and impeding our productivity, GOOD exists to add value. Through a print magazine, feature and documentary films, original multimedia content and local events, GOOD is providing a platform for the ideas, people, and businesses that are driving change in the world.

Yes! Magazine: Online and Hardcopy

What is YES! magazine all about?
We focus on a different topic each quarter, each one on opportunities for social change toward a more just, sustainable, and compassionate world. Recent issues have focused on redefining the “good life,” great urban places, preserving and reclaiming water resources, rethinking elderhood, finding alternatives to oil dependence.

Ecuador vs. Goliath.

December 28, 2007


Also:

Greg Palast Reports on the Battle Between Indigenous Ecuadorians and the U.S. Oil Giant Chevron

Investigative Journalist Greg Palast files this report from the rainforests of Ecuador, where an indigenous tribe is suing Chevron for $12 billion for contaminating the Amazon. We also play part of Palast’s interview with Ecuador’s President Rafael Correa

-republished from Democracy Now! reported by Amy Goodman-

    GREG PALAST: We’re flying past the snowcapped volcanoes of the Andes into the Amazon Rainforest for the rumble of the jungle, the biggest environmental slugfest in world history.

    This is the battleground, the rainforest of Ecuador, as large as England, where the Amazon’s waters begin their 4,000-mile journey to the ocean.

    To find Chevron’s opponents, we need to take a little boat ride. Deep in the rainforest are the Cofan Indians. No one knows how many thousands of years they have been here, living off what they could hunt, fish and craft from the river and jungle.

    Is that a hat?

    COFAN MAN: [translated] We use this to carry yucca, banana, corn and little animals we hunt. In the old days, we hunted with blowpipes. Now I have a shotgun.

    GREG PALAST: Their main meal used to be monkey. But today’s menu is chicken.

    In 1972, a helicopter landed, and everything changed. Chief Emergildo Criollo says the oil company obtained permission to drill from the Cofan speaking in Spanish, which the Indians didn’t understand.

    CHIEF EMERGILDO CRIOLLO: [translated] They gave us candy, sugar, diesel fuel and cheese. The cheese smelled funny; we threw it into the jungle. They say we could rub oil on our skin to cure our aches and pains.

    GREG PALAST: So they told you that if you put oil on your skin, it would make you better?

    CHIEF EMERGILDO CRIOLLO: Si.

    GREG PALAST: Speaking in Cofan, Cecilia Quenama said she lost a daughter to the pollution. I asked her why she blamed the oil companies.

    CECILIA QUENAMA: [translated] Many children have died of strange new diseases, only since the drilling began.

    CHIEF EMERGILDO CRIOLLO: [translated] I lost two sons. My three-year-old went swimming and began to vomit blood.

    GREG PALAST: The Cofan say the damage to their health was caused by ChevronTexaco. Chevron says that’s nonsense.

    Let’s go find out.

    This pit is the result of an accidental puncture to a wellhead. Now, Texaco said that when it was operating these wells, you didn’t have many of these accidents. But that’s maybe because of this. It says, “PERSONAL & CONFIDENTIAL.” It says, “Reports are to be removed from the field division offices and destroyed.”

    Like that. If you were here with me, you could smell it. Yum.

    The Cofan say this is standard operating procedure. They drink this stuff. They swim in it. And they breathe it.

    In Texas, they call this “sky dumping.” That’s not Chevron’s smoke; it’s Ecuador’s own state oil company Petroecuador. Chevron’s long gone.

    I can’t show you all the leaking pits. There are over 200 on the lands of the Indians and settlers, like this one. Most people would be thrilled to find oil on their property, but not Manuel Salinas. All he’s got out of it, he says, is an empty oil drum, pustules all over his arms and a stomach ailment slowly eating him alive.

    MANUEL SALINAS: [translated] I’m suffering these terrible, terrible rashes. It feels like my head is splitting apart.

    GREG PALAST: And it’s back over the Andes volcanoes to the other side of the mountain for the other side of the story.

    Now it’s Chevron’s turn. Satanic polluter or innocent victim? Let’s ask them.

    CHEVRON LAWYER 1: Scientifically has nobody proved that crude causes cancer, OK?

    GREG PALAST: I asked Chevron’s lawyers about the rising number of cancers among Indian children.

    CHEVRON LAWYER 2: Did they show you a medical certificate?

    GREG PALAST: No.

    CHEVRON LAWYER 1: And it’s the only case of cancer in the world? How many cases of children with cancer do you have in the States, in Europe, in Quito? If there is somebody with cancer there, first they have to prove that it’s caused by crude or by petroleum industry, and second, they have to prove that it is our crude, which is absolutely impossible.

    GREG PALAST: So the Indians are attempting to do the impossible. They’ve put on war paint and feathers, and, heavily armed with lawyers, they are filing a new lawsuit. They are demanding no less than $12 billion from ChevronTexaco to clean up their forest.

    A bunch of natives in feathers in the jungle demanding $12 billion from an international oil company would be just a sad joke, but across the Andes in Ecuador’s capital, something happened which changed everything. An uprising of indigenous tribes and urban poor when I was here two years ago forced the president to flee out the back door of the presidential palace. In new elections, the left whips George Bush’s allies with the campaign theme song, the 1980s Twisted Sister hit “We’re Not Gonna Take It Anymore.” The new government kicked out the last of the big US oil companies, Occidental Petroleum. And just this month, Ecuador’s new president, Rafael Correa, flew to Saudi Arabia to rejoin the OPEC cartel and told George Bush to shut down the US military base in Ecuador, unless Bush gave Ecuador a base in Florida.

    Behind little Ecuador is big Venezuela and its larger-than-life leader, Hugo Chavez. Chavez has given Ecuador a quarter-billion dollars and the political weapons to stand up to George Bush.

    But Chevron has a few friends in Washington. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice served on Chevron’s corporate board for ten years and is the only member of George Bush’s cabinet who can carry 30 million gallons of crude oil. Chevron named a supertanker after her.

    Now, Chavez stands with Ecuador’s leaders, and Ecuador’s leaders are standing with those suing Chevron.

    We caught up with the man who designed the new alliance with Hugo Chavez, the powerful incoming president of the Constitutional Assembly, Alberto Acosta. And he’s architect of the plan to return Ecuador to OPEC and take down the US oil companies like Chevron. Assembly President Alberto Acosta, I asked him about Chevron’s treatment of the Indians.

    ALBERTO ACOSTA: [translated] Chevron is responsible for the environmental and social destruction in the Amazon, and that’s why they’re on trial.

    GREG PALAST: What if every small nation on the planet sued big oil companies, big US oil companies, for damage created years ago? Wouldn’t that bring the entire worldwide oil industry to a stop?

Click here for more of the interview. This article/interview piques my interest because of somewhat recent John Perkins book I read (Confessions of an Economic Hit Man), which includes rather large portions on Ecuador and the massive loans the IMF doles out to developing nations like Ecuador, knowing it cannot be paid back.  Corporations, like the IMF and the World Bank, are basically proven money sucks for first world corporations and governments.

Axis Of Justice

December 28, 2007 — 1 Comment

Axis of Justice is a non-profit organization formed by Tom Morello of Audioslave and Serj Tankian of System of a Down. Its purpose is to bring together musicians, fans of music, and grassroots political organizations to fight for social justice.

We aim to build a bridge between fans of
music around the world and local political organizations to effectively organize around issues of peace, human rights, and economic justice

Serj Tankian’s new video: Empty Walls from his solo release “Elect The Dead” (this video is hot!)

Tom Morello video: Road I Must Travel from his solo release “The Nightwatchman”

Profit Over People In New Orleans…The Media Doesn’t Get It

December 28, 2007

Republished from Counterpunch
by: Chuck Munson

It comes as no surprise when a major U.S. newspaper backs real estate developers over the rights and interests of the poor they have a long track record of doing so, while the poor are lectured in patronizing language to emulate the people the papers celebrate. This week the New Orleans Times-Picayune has an article on their website titled “Protests ignore realities.” This article is a response to the struggle local residents have been waging against the planned demolition of their homes–protests which made national headlines this week. The “realities” these people supposedly ignore is that the government and wealthy real estate developers know what’s best for them.

But the poor just don’t seem to be getting it. Over the past week, as residents of New Orleans public housing complexes and activist allies have been resisting the demolition of four public housing complexes, comprising of 4,500 units, the city council–now racially skewed to the white end of the spectrum–voted to bulldoze those complexes to make way for new “mixed income” developments that purportedly would provide homes to some of those being displaced. The reality of similar programs around the country is that they seldom provide even a fraction of the affordable units promised by officials when older housing complexes were demolished.

Housing activists are not against programs that create more and better affordable housing, but they correctly point out that people should have a say in what happens to their current homes. In the case of New Orleans, it is outrageous that the city should demolish so much public housing when there are tens of thousands of displaced residents still looking for a place to live.

Read the rest of this article here

A Story from the head of the Asheville Chapter of Iraq Veterans Against The War…

December 27, 2007

Brownies Will Get You Five to Ten

A Boondocks Chapter Christmas at Fort Bragg
By Jason Hurd
On the morning of December 17, 2007, Steve Casey and I awoke bright and early at the Quaker House in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Steve and I had driven nearly three hundred miles from our home-base in Asheville, North Carolina to distribute holiday gift bags to the wonderful servicewomen and men stationed at our nation’s busiest military post–Fort Bragg. Our friends and supporters in Asheville stuffed nearly three hundred small lunch bags full of holiday cards, chocolates, cookies and home-made brownies. The gift bags had a humble feel to them: brown paper lunch sacks with the tops folded down, green and red ribbons, a copy of our newsletter Sit-Rep stapled to the outside and a small sticker that said, “To: A Warrior, From: IVAW.” Our mission was to ensure that these bags–each made with love and kindness–got into the hands of our deserving soldiers.
With gift bags in hand, Steve and I drove to Fort Bragg’s Mini Mall and set up a small collapsible table to distribute the bags from. We taped two large poster boards to the front of the table; one said, “Happy Holidays From Your Fellow Veterans,” and the other proclaimed, “We Love Our Service Women and Men.” Immediately, Steve and I began handing the packages to soldiers as they exited the Mini Mall. I greeted each soldier by saying, “Hello. My friend and I are veterans and we are giving holiday gift bags to our soldiers to show our appreciation for your service. Thank you and happy holidays.” Nearly every soldier I spoke with replied with a large smile, “Thank you very much. I’m glad there are people like you doing this. Happy holidays to you too!” Within an hour, Steve and I had given out nearly one hundred and fifty bags. In that time, only one soldier reacted negatively toward us; every one else seemed extremely pleased.
Around one o’clock in the afternoon, a female manager who worked for the Army and Air Force Exchange Services (AFFES) came out of the Mini Mall and said, “Hey guys I’m glad your giving out packages to soldiers, but you can’t do this on Fort Bragg without a permit.” I replied, “Great! Where do we get a permit?” The manager explained where we needed to go, and we began packing up shop to go get our permit. That’s when the Military Police showed up. Three MP’s–SSG Netwig, PFC Murray and PVT Garren–approached us and began questioning us about our gift bags. SSG Netwig glared at a copy of Sit-Rep and said, “I’m going to keep my personal opinion out of this, but you are disrupting the order and discipline of my post.” I explained that we were on our way to get a permit for our bags and we had no intentions of disrupting the order and discipline of Fort Bragg. SSG Netwig replied that we had offended a lot of people with our bags (which was news to Steve and I) and that he would not allow us to continue distributing them.
At that moment, a Special Forces Captain (apparently one of the people we had offended) approached SSG Netwig and spoke with him privately. Immediately, SSG Netwig said that we were going to the Provost Marshall’s office to answer questions.
“Are we being arrested?” I said.
“No. But you are being detained,” SSG Netwig replied.
At that moment, the MP’s shoved Steve and I against their patrol car, searched us, handcuffed us and placed us in the patrol car like criminals. They drove us away leaving a box of gift bags on the trunk of Steve’s car. In the back of the patrol car, I looked at Steve and said, “Don’t worry, this is a good thing–trust me.” “OK,” Steve said. SSG netwig drove us to the Provost Marshall’s office where, after being searched a second time, we spent the next four hours as detainees. One investigator told Steve that Fort Bragg is a conservative post and that anti-war views were in the minority. The officers separated Steve and I and began questioning us. I asked four times to make a phone call so that I could consult with an attorney; the officers denied my right each time. A criminal investigator entered my room.
“Are you affiliated with any other groups besides IVAW?” he asked.
“No, I am not, ” I replied.
“How did you and this Steve guy meet?”
“Look,” I said, “I’m not going to continue answering questions without consulting an attorney.”
“But you aren’t under arrest. You’re merely detained and we are trying to have a friendly conversation with you,” the investigator said.
“I feel like like it is in my best interests to consult with an attorney before continuing,” I replied.
Then the investigator and officers walked out leaving me alone in the room. Against my captor’s wishes, I began text messaging the Quaker House and IVAW members to let them know what was happening (the officers had mistakenly left my phone). Immediately, the investigators began receiving calls from every peace activist from North Carolina to Philadelphia urging them to release Steve and I. The MP’s knew they had a situation on their hands.
Before we knew it, an investigator apologized to Steve and I for the inconvenience and released us. The investigator informed us that we just needed to get a permit for future activities of this nature. Two young MP’s escorted Steve and I back to our car and we talked about Iraq on the way. One of the young MP’s said, “Yeah, fuck Iraq. I hate that place. I had friends die there. I don’t ever want to go back.” We pulled up to Steve’s car and rubbing the cuts on our wrists from the handcuffs, we saw the perfect ending to our day. The box of gift bags was still sitting atop Steve’s trunk and some passerby had written on it the following:
“Hi, I heard what happened. Listen up cops, politicians, and OVER EGOTISTIC DRAMA QUEEN SENIOR NCO’S AND OFFICERS! Many friends in my platoon DIED BRUTALLY for the First Amendment. We have the right to peaceful protest, damn you! Why did you arrest these guys? To all ya’ll who don’t believe in: freedom of speech, press, council, religion, assembly, and petition…GO TO HELL!! Sincerely, A concerned passerby and witness to the arrest of protesters.”
So much for being the minority.
Check these guys out at: http://www.ivaw.org/

 They are doing so much in the southeast to help vets and raise awareness…

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