Death Note DVD Review

Sins of the Son

Remember the presidential election of 1992 when George H.W. Bush lost to that young governor from Arkansas despite complaints by the incumbent that the media were unfair? The Republicans even promoted the slogan “Annoy the Media, Vote for Bush.” That didn’t work and it’s been conventional wisdom ever since that campaigning against the media is a bad idea. Without getting too much into psycho-history, it’s pretty obvious that his father’s loss had a major impact on our current president. George W. Bush is a movement-style Republican who fancies himself modeled more on Ronald Reagan than Bush 41. According to Bob Woodward, Bush 43 said he consulted a higher father when asked if he ever consulted his father about whether to invade Iraq. Much has been written about how George W. Bush repudiated the advice of James Baker, Brent Scowcroft and other graybeards from his father’s inner circle when he decided to go after Saddam. A PBS documentary on Bush Senior’s term in office shows Baker and Colin Powell practically gloating at how smart 41’s decision not to send troops into Bagdad now appears. Now we have the near collapse of the financial markets on the watch of Dubya. The march to deregulation does predate his administration but the last eight years have seen it go into hyperdrive. Bush-Cheney turned over the keys to the kingdom to Big Business. Energy executives were allowed to draft the regulations that would govern them and market forces were given free rein to, according to the political philosophy of Gordon Gekko, unleash a greed that would lift all boats. So how’s that working for everyone? Bush Senior engineered a true international coalition to kick Saddam Hussein out of Kuwait. When that mission was accomplished he ended the war and brought our troops home (most of them anyway). When the nation’s budget deficit began spiraling out of control he negotiated a bipartisan compromise that included a tax increase. Since that conflicted with his campaign pledge of “No New Taxes” he was pilloried by his own party including one of the leading GOP members of the house who had participated in the negotiations. That GOP leader, of course, was Newt Gingrich. Okay, enough with the old news. But it seems fairly obvious that this proposal for a $700 billion bailout of Wall Street should not fly through unaltered. Just imagine. $700,000,000,000! I’m not an economist but my concerns begin with the unprecedented and unchecked powers that the bill would bestow on Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson. Like most school kids studying history, I remember wondering how guys like Hitler managed to take over their formerly democratic countries. Well this is how. Remember when Hugo Chavez compared George W. Bush to the devil? The Bush administration vilified Chavez for nationalizing Venezuela’s oil industry. Now look who’s pushing a government bailout far larger than the entire economy of Venezuela? It’s simply incredible. The People’s Republic of Wall Street? * * * By the way, Maureen Dowd of the New York […]

In which I Attend the Forward Music Fest, Day 2, Part 1

fig.1: The two Nicks from The Box Social yowl some words or something I spent the night at my pal Norah’s place a hop, skip, and barely a jump from the Capitol square area, which was just too damn perfect. She had met me at the Corral Room Friday night and we stood outside and chatted while the boys in Brainerd closed things out (yeah, um, sorry i missed you guys, John!). This was a good thing, as i had not seen Norah since March, when we played that very same Corral Room. The next morning she treated me to a Red Baron 4-cheese pizza breakfast (i sort of saw this weekend as an opportunity to get my digestive system in shape for our tour, which starts Friday) and a private screening of Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, which, for frak’s sake, where have i been? Joss Whedon rules at nerd musicals, as the sixth season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer obviously demonstrated. I should have downloaded this weeks ago. Anywho, you don’t care about nerd shit; you care about rocker shit (which is essentially nerd shit, but louder. Face it). As the final credits rolled i made my way from Norah’s pad to the Stage Door, the side theater of the Orpheum on State Street. I got there just in time to check out my pals in the Brewtown pop-punk power party The Chinese Telephones throwing down a fairly solid set, despite some sound issues that were beyond ridiculous. Seriously, if there were a Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares for sound dudes, these yahoos would have qualified for a season finale. The Telephones got off easy compared to Things Fall Apart, who i suppose had it coming, what with naming their band that after all. During portions of their set, the PA threw out filling-rattling bass at inopportune times and cut out entirely at others. Completely ridiculous. Things seemed to get back to some level of competence for Canadia’s Brutal Knights, who played some killer Zeke-tempo speed punk. They were followed by a band called Star Fucking Hipsters. Now, ok. When you name your band something like “Star Fucking Hipsters,” your band is going to either destroy so much that it’s the best band name ever, or your band is going to suck so badly that your name reads like a desperate way to get people to pay attention (i mean, if i see a band called “Adolf Hitler Raped My Grandfather” on a flyer, i’m going to the damn show, ya dig?). In this case, the name turned out to be a case of “oh, you’re on Fat Wreck Chords and playing the exact same music they’ve been putting out for the last 500 years, but because you dress like New York gutter punks and have neck tattoos, you need just the MOST BADASS NAME POSSIBLE, don’t you? Awwwww, so cute.” Which basically meant it was time to head to The Frequency for some rippin’ Indie Rock. After a more […]

In which I Attend the Forward Music Fest, Day 1

fig.1: Screamin’ Cyn Cyn and the Pons tear it up at the Majestic Theatre So here i am, blogging for VITAL Source for some reason. Because, hey, i sure don’t do enough blogging elsewhere. Nothing like spreading yourself too thin, right? Look, i won’t lie—I’m not here to be entertaining, and I’m not here to inform. I’m here because Matt Wild told me that blogging for VITAL nets you crazy mad tail.* For my first Cultural Zero assignment, i was sent by my benevolent overlords to Madison for the first ever Forward Music Fest. A crapload of venues hosting an assload of bands for what amounted to be a shitload of bargains ($25 general admission pass plus a $10 VIP guaranteed access pass to the High Noon Saloon on Saturday night for the mighty and reunited KILLDOZER? Sign me the hizell up). Note: by “was sent by my benevolent overlords,” i mean that i said, “well, benevolent overlords, i bought a pass for this thing like two weeks ago; i suppose i could write it up for you guys.” So off i was, driving toward South Central Wisconsin (yo) in my badass Kia Optima blasting the Albini re-recording of Cheap Trick’s In Color, which knocks the original on its ass, in case you were wondering. Upon my arrival i was immediately hit with a dilemma, as often happens at a music festival of this magnitude–do i head to the Frequency to see my pals the Skintones? It turns out the answer was “no,” because i was instructed by the internet to be sure i did not miss Israel’s road warriors Monotonix, who are gaining a reputation as one of the best live bands anywhere. So it was off to the Majestic Theatre with me. The less said about the first band i saw at the Majestic, High Places, the less entertaining this entry will be, so let me consult the notes i wrote myself in my phone (take a notepad to a show? When i can send myself text messages? I am the future of music journalism!). Let’s see, what did i send myself…ah yes: “High Places: two white douchebags from New York sing over their half-assed cover of the Akira soundtrack.” Seriously, it’s a rule these days: when two people set up some boxes of noisemakers, call themselves a “band,” and then say they’re from NYC, you’re pretty much guaranteed some sort of “arty” self-indulgent bullshit which automatically commands respect simply because it’s from New York City. Sorry, i don’t buy salsa made in New York City, and i don’t buy artsy duos not named “Suicide” from there either…especially when one of them is dancing around like goddamn Robin Goodfellow playing a few electric drum pads and a woodblock. Gah. Let’s consult my phone again: “The high point of the set was when Shane from Cyn Cyn patted my ass and said ‘good hustle.'” fig.2: Make sure that woodblock is properly miked, asshole “Cyn Cyn” would be Screamin’ Cyn […]

The Elephant in the Room

Barack Obama responds to the question of whether race will be an issue on Nov. 4th with remarkable cool. On 60 Minutes last night, he said it would probably be a wash, with some people voting against him because of the color of his skin while others will vote for him for the same reason. He has nothing to gain from calling attention to the issue of race. He would appear defensive and maybe even angry and end up reinforcing some of the very same stereotypes that divide our nation. But the fact that, even in 2008, America is still populated by a significant number of people who aren’t comfortable voting for a black man and that race is still something that divides us is deeply disappointing. I know there is little to be gained by raising this. People are unlikely to be reflective about race. The days of overt racism are, mostly, over and few people would ever admit to questioning Obama’s merits based on his skin color. But the issue of race remains a factor whether we admit it or not. For example, comments from people who acknowledge apprehension or distrust of Obama raise a red flag with me and then there are the unmitigated swoons by some over Sarah Palin who, they say, is “Just like us.” How reassuring is that. Let’s elect someone who reminds us of our own dysfunctional lives. I know that people often vote for psychological reasons as much as, or more than, political reasons. A New York Times/CBS News poll released in July suggests that racial divides are still powerful in America. So what else is new? What I find particularly repugnant is when examples cross over from the implicit to the explicit. Was it just me who felt that the McCain ad that called Obama “disrespectful” for questioning Palin (by calling her “good looking”) was over-the-top? I found it gruesomely reminiscent of America’s unfortunate history of discrimination and miscegenation laws (eg story of Emmitt Till). Or how about when a Georgia congressman calls Obama “uppity?” Even here in Wisconsin, I was surprised to hear Republican state chairman Reince Priebus refer to Obama as “unelectable. “ What is it, Reince, that makes Sen. Obama, who is leading Sen. McCain in nearly every poll, so “unelectable?” Of course, we know that every vote counts, especially in battleground states like Wisconsin and it really doesn’t matter what reason, conscious or unconscious, causes a person to support one candidate or another. But if we don’t take this opportunity to at least admit that the issue of race remains pernicious, then it will be a shame.

More Than We Remember #3

A dog with a bone- more footage from the RNC

Magazine nerd alerts

I already told you about the tour we’re giving with Next American City, which is a rite of magazine nerd passage in a class of its very own. But the fun doesn’t begin and end with NAC. Far from it! Tonight at the Milwaukee Art Museum, Jed Perl, art critic at The New Republic, will speak on his new book, Antoine’s Alphabet, about painter Antoine Watteau. I’ve never heard of Antoine Watteau, but I’m sure Jed Perl will make Antoine Watteau sound compelling, mysterious and glamorous, and will prompt legions of attendees to buy the book. Writers — and their press teams — are smart. Then, next weekend at Harry W. Schwartz, Eli Horowitz, editor of McSweeney’s, gives a reading with Deb Olin Unferth, who wrote this one great story: She’s promoting her new book Vacation, which is the only book I’ve ever seen with a trailer. In non-magazine nerdity, this weekend is also the Milwaukee River Challenge, which is nice because I like hanging out on bridges over rivers, especially when it’s chilly; it always feels very cosmopolitan to me. Even though this weekend is supposed to be sunny with highs in the high 70s. What? And art nerds might do well for themselves and attend Art in Flux, which features printmaking … with steamrollers. STEAMROLLERS. I’m looking forward to a flurry of geek-fabulous activity in October, too, what with Gallery Night, Milwaukee Film’s premiere event The Milwaukee Show, Run Up to the Runway, the Milwaukee Book Festival and David Byrne, so stay tuned for updates of this nature throughout the month. Along with, you know, bloggin’.

Wineke and Priebus are all winks and jabs

Mike Gousha moderated a good-natured smackdown yesterday at Marquette University between Wisconsin’s political party chairmen, Republican Reince Priebus and Democrat Joe Wineke. The two partisan opponents were all smiles and slaps on the back as they reached into their bags of bon mots to attack each other’s candidates. Gousha once again proved to be superb in this role. At first, it seemed odd that Gousha positioned himself at the end, rather than in the middle, of the two, but it proved effective. Wineke and Priebus seemed genuinely friendly but when either one scored a point or threw a low blow you could almost feel the other wince. Both resorted to the usual talking points while analyzing the polls and the challenges Barack Obama and John McCain face winning Wisconsin. Probably the most substantive discussion focused on Attorney General J. D. Van Hollen’s attempt to force the state Government Accountability Board to check all voter registrations going back to January, 2006. Priebus insisted that Van Hollen was simply fulfilling his duty by calling on the GAB to enforce the federal election law while Wineke charged that Van Hollen, who serves as McCain’s campaign chairman for Wisconsin, was just carrying water for his candidate. But the zingers really started to fly when Gousha brought up Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. Priebus called her a “rock star” that has energized the Republican base. Wineke pointed out that the “rock star” reference sounded like Priebus was calling Palin a celebrity, a term the McCain campaign has used to denigrate Obama. When Wineke poked fun at Palin’s assertion that her ability to see Russia from Alaska amounted to foreign policy experience, Priebus insisted that questions about Palin amounted to sexism. Perhaps the most controversial remarks of the forum came when someone in the audience questioned how Wineke could suggest that the Fox Valley was up for grabs when it is so predominately Catholic. Wineke insisted that the Catholic vote has never been “monolithic” and that Democrats felt very comfortable contesting the region. Priebus questioned how Catholics would feel about Obama’s support for “partial birth abortions” and Wineke responded that neither party was consistent with Catholic Church teachings on abortion and the death penalty. Very little was said about the economy which perhaps was for the best since neither Wineke or Priebus are qualified as economists. But it was telling that while Wineke challenged McCain’s assertion that he would strengthen regulations since his record is as a deregulator, Priebus insisted that the threat of world terrorism was the real crisis that would lead voters to support McCain. There are still six weeks to go but Republicans may be in trouble if they need to run away from the issue of the economy.

Roll call

Next American City, a national magazine dedicated to making cities better, docked in Milwaukee this week as part of a four-day spree through our fair city and what’s ticking these days. The centerpiece of their visit? A rad, adrenaline-fueled no-holds-barred 24-hour tour of the city. All of it! The docket of guides is incredible. Alex Runner of City Hall, Jeramey Jannene of Urban Milwaukee, Juli Kaufmann of green building co Pragmatic Construction, Next American City’s own Dave Steele and … here’s the clincher … me! Along with VITAL Editor-in-chief Jon Anne Willow and my favorite person alive, Matthew John Wild. We’re the party bus, for sure. I always wanted this in Detroit, and in fact have been known to offer to take anyone and everyone I meet with the slightest interest back home to the Motor City with me for a romp through the decayed colossus of a city I love: the stately abandoned structures, the bridge to Canada, the dirty bar rooms, the dance parties, late night bike rides by the riverfront, my dad’s corned beef plant. And now I have the opportunity to show you exactly what it is about Milwaukee that has stolen my heart and kept it close for two years. It’s a dream come true. Meet Jon Anne, Matt and me at Chimney Park in the Menomonee Valley at 6:00 pm (sharp!) for an outdoor performance by Wild Space Dance Company, preceded by a lecture from the one-and-only John Gurda. Afterward the sky’s the limit. I can’t tell you what’s on the docket because that’s up to whomever shows up (read: you) — we’re diplomatic like that — but I guarantee a good old-fashioned good time. Likely destinations: Art’s Concertina Bar, Koz’s Mini Bowl, Polish Falcons, Landmark Lanes, Barnacle Buds, At Random and the Press Club’s Newsroom Pub. Our shift ends at 2 am at Wolski’s, but the fun continues straight through until 10 am on Sunday morning with a third shift factory tour at P&H Mining, frisbee by the lakefront and late-night eats. How will I know how to find you, you ask? Dial the Next American City hotline at 414-305-5242 for the 411 on our approximate location. Or you could check in on our Twitter page where we’ll be posting up-to-the-minute updates about all of our antics. Still not sure what all of this means for you? Neither am I, but you can read up on previous 24:HRS excursions in New Orleans and Philadelphia for a better sense of what goes on when you send a bunch of magazine staffers to a strange and lonesome place. Jon Anne says she thinks it will be like SubVersions: On Assignment, only hip and new-urban, not desolate and desperate. Speaking of which, have you watched the Des Moines videos yet? They are wonderful, and feature both Lunchables and Sarah Palin’s disembodied head: More updates on the 24-hour tour as they develop. Until then, stay sane, and get your party shoes polished. You’ve got a long weekend […]

Crony Capitalism, Crony Government

While the news from Wall Street ain’t so hot, I’ll tell you what I wish I had stock in. I’m bullish on The Comedy Channel. The last week has been a windfall for Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert and their writers on the Daily Show and the Colbert Report. Just hilarious! But what’s not so funny is watching John McCain fine tune his populist message of outrage at Wall Street. His sudden determination to ride in on a white horse and challenge corporate excesses defies belief. His record of opposition to regulation and even his recent campaign rhetoric suggest that he has no interest in reining in greedy and irresponsible business practices. The mixed messages from McCain matched perfectly with the “No to bailout one day, Yes to bailout the next” Bush administration policy which is actually confusing Wall Street and leading financial experts to plead for consistency. Without rules to govern them, the capital markets are likely to go even crazier. The “case by case” strategy of the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve is like a massive game of Russian Roulette. The two things that seem to be protecting Wall Street from some of the horrible consequences of 1929 are the availablility of Prozac (and other SSRIs) and the inability of traders to open the windows in their high rise offices! But that’s not all. Sarah Palin’s record of putting friends in high places and funding pet projects in Alaska is so egregious that it’s hard to believe she will continue providing a boost to McCain much longer. Take a look at this report by Timothy Egan on The New York Times website. Haven’t we had enough of Halliburton, Michael Brown and this kind of cronyism in government?

The power of the google