The MC5

Submitted by Roanman on Thu, 03/21/2013 - 16:42

 

If you're a Detroiter of a certain age, the MC5 is a part of you that just ain't gonna wash out.

Arguably the first ever punk band, 10 years before punk was even identified as a thing, the MC5 invented riffs, moves and attitude which are nowadays de riguor for rock and roll bands the world over.

In light of recent events and building tensions in Detroit and Cyprus, not to mention still fresh memories in Egypt, Greece and Spain, here is Rob Tyner on vocals, Wayne Kramer and Fred "Sonic" Smith on guitars, Michael Davis on the bass guitar and Dennis Thompson on the drums in what was for them a very reserved performance in 1972 for the televison show Beat Club.

From Lincoln Park, Michigan this is the MC5 covering John Lee Hooker's account of the "67 Riot" in Detroit.

Motor City's Burning.

 

 

On the morning of July 19, 1970, with the memory of the Joe Cocker fiasco still fresh in my mind, I told my mother that I was going to The Beach to play some basketball and then meet up with some friends for a boat ride.

Instead, I picked up Donny W. and drove downtown to Tartar Field on the campus of Wayne State University to see The Früt, Savage Grace (soon to be better known as Rare Earth), Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen and the MC5 at the WABX free concert.

If you look real close that's me all the way over to the right, the scrawny little guy with the straight hair and goofy glasses ..... rockin' hard.

Just kidding, you can't see me ..... I know because I've been looking.

Anyway, this is Wayne Kramer, who on that day I thought to be the single coolest guy on earth, taking his star turn on Ramblin Rose.

 

 

And now ..... and now ..... and now it's time to .....

KICK OUT THE JAAAMMMS .......

You know the rest.

 

 

Fooled ya, we went for the John Sinclair produced, clean version.

Here's the way it went at Tartar field.

I post this despite the annoying advertising running through only because Wayne Kramer gets guitar face on the opening chords.

 

 

Rest in peace, Rob Tyner, Fred "Sonic" Smith, Michael Davis and John Sinclair .... we could use some guys like you around here just about now.

 

To quote Martin Niemöller

Submitted by Roanman on Wed, 03/20/2013 - 17:42

 

 

When the Nazis came for the communists, 
I did not speak out; 
As I was not a communist.

When they locked up the social democrats, 
I did not speak out; 
I was not a social democrat.

When they came for the trade unionists, 
I did not speak out;
 As I was not a trade unionist.

When they came for the Jews, 
I did not speak out;
 As I was not a Jew.

When they came for me,
 there was no one left to speak out.

 

It's starting to feel like it's about time to break this old chestnut back out.

 

Charts and stuff on a Saturday morning

Submitted by Roanman on Sat, 03/16/2013 - 07:37

 

Apologies again for being slow posting.

We've been deep thinking.

We've posted this one before in a different format and couldn't find it, so here it is again,

From Good Infographics, The Almighty Dollar Mapping Income Distribution By Religious Belief.

As always, you can click on the graphic below for a full screen image.

 

 

After top level bankers and CEOs of international corporations, the best faith to be practicing in America lately of course is government worship, as it's priests and accolytes are among the highest paid faithful in the nation.

 

   

 

From the Mercatus Center of George Mason University, America is #2 (not 32 as incorrectily posted previously ... thanks Carolyn) in K-12 spending per student as compared with the other nations making up the Orgaization of Economic Development and Cooperation.

 

While student performance continues to lag.

 

 

The argument in America from teachers unions is that lower class sizes will improve results.

Maybe not so much.

Click on the chart below for a thoughtful bit of work from Financial Sense.com.

 

 

As an aside, we think that issues having to do with K-12 education have far more to do with failing families than they do with failing schools.

Things gets worse as we consider the costs and performance of the fine colleges and universities of our fair land.

Again, from Financial Sense.com here's an inflation comparison of College Fees and Tuitions, Medical Care, Cost of a New Car, Food and Energy.

 

 

Students are paying for wildly inflated college costs by going into debt and are subsequently defaulting in huge numbers.

Student debt by the way is typically not discharged in bankruptcy.

 

 

Why are they defaulting, you might ask?

Increasingly, despite what the Powers That Be keep telling you, college ain't worth the money.

 

 

Speaking of college.

 

 

Everybody hates lobbyists, lying politicians excluded, and probably rightfully so.

Among the reasons that schools at all levels are killing us with costs while failing at their job is the $1.2 Billion dollars the education lobby has showered on public bodies since 1998.

Which of course pales in comparison to the $5.3 Billion Pharma/Healthcare etc. has shelled out on the same public bodies, which should serve as an explanation as to why our healthcare system and Obamacare have both turned out to be such ....... what is the word I am looking for here? ....... abortions.

 

 

Speaking of Lobbying, from Visual.ly money spent on public assemblies is the single greatest investment one can possibly make ..... probably of all time.

 

 

You may ask yourself, why is it that lobbying the government is such a great business?

That's where the money is.

 

 

That's all for today.

Happy TD?

 

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