LOS ANGELES TIMES: As Greg Mitchell asks at the Nation, isn’t it about time we started calling such right-wing extremists what they are: terrorists? […] The violence from the far right has surged and ebbed for two generations now. The sovereign citizen movement began among the white-supremacist crowd in the 1970s and blossomed in the 1980s before fading somewhat (Timothy McVeigh being a notable exception). It seems to be surging again; the Anti-Defamation League, which tracks extremist groups, lists 43 violent showdowns between police and extremists from 2009 through 2013. “Of these 43 incidents, fully 39 of them involved […]
NPR 4 THE DEAF: We Hear It Even When You Can’t
ALL THINGS CONSIDERED: When you’ve played Austin Powers, Shrek, The Cat in the Hat and the title dweeb in Wayne’s World, what do you do for an encore? If you’re comedian Mike Myers, the next logical step, evidently, is to direct a documentary about your agent. And damned if it doesn’t turn out to be a decent career move — as smart, and sometimes even as funny, as anything Myers has done recently. Not that Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon is likely to do the kind of business most Myers movies do (might do as well as The […]
Rik Mayall, Goggle-Eyed Funnyman, Dead @ 56
Artwork by ELUSIVE-ANGEL BBC: British comedian and actor Rik Mayall has died aged 56. He played the obnoxious, poetry-writing anarchist Rick in The Young Ones alongside his friend Adrian Edmondson. The duo later went on to star in the sitcom Bottom. A pioneer of the 1980s alternative comedy scene, Mayall also appeared in Blackadder and The New Statesman. His manager Roger Davidson said: “It is a terrible shock. All we know at this stage is that Rik died at home. “We are all deeply saddened by this news, from the enormous number of fans Rik had to those who worked […]
RIP: Dr. Alexander Shulgin, Re-Inventor Of MDMA
NEW YORK TIMES: Alexander Shulgin, a chemist who specialized in the creation of and experimentation with mind-altering substances, and who introduced the controversial drug popularly known as Ecstasy for potential therapeutic use, died on Monday at his home in Lafayette, Calif., east of Oakland. He was 88. Dr. Shulgin, whose interest, as he put it once, was “in the machinery of the mental process,” was both a rogue and a wizard, a legitimate scientist and a counterculture hero. Over more than four decades, working generally within the law (if occasionally on the edge), trying out his concoctions on himself, […]
Phillip Seymour Hoffman On The Death Of Pleasure
Already miss the big lug. RELATED: Nine Overlooked Philip Seymour Hoffman Performances
WORTH REPEATING: “Contrary to what decades of political science research might lead you to believe, ordinary citizens have virtually no influence over what their government does in the United States.”
JEFF REIFMAN: The latest attack on net neutrality provides a perfect opportunity to reassess the operating integrity of our government and the effectiveness of our well-worn responses. Over the past week, I’ve seen requests to sign petitions, requests to call my representatives and requests to donate to relevant organizations to continue their work within the system. But, what if the system is fundamentally broken? What if it’s evolved to work against our interests? […] Lately, I’ve been telling people that the U.S. political system has essentially jumped the shark, a term used to describe that moment when a television series rapidly […]
Win Tix To See Psychedelic Soul Garage Stompers King Khan & The Shrines @ The TLA Tonight!
Never heard of King Khan & The Shrines? Loser. OK, OK, that was hurtful and unnecessary. But you are in serious danger of falling behind, so listen up. There’s only two things you need to know about King Khan. First, every song sounds like some awesome, party-down mash-up of James Brown & The Famous Flames’ “Get On Up” and Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels’ “Devil With A Blue Dress On.” Let’s toss it over to Wikipedia for the second thing you need to know: Antics and appearance King Khan is noted across garage rock revival circles […]
796 Babies Believed To Be Buried In The Septic Tank Of A Catholic Home For ‘Wayward Mothers’
Photo via The Black Ball NEW YORK TIMES: The government and the police are coming under increasing pressure to open an investigation into allegations that a Roman Catholic religious order secretly buried up to 796 babies and toddlers born to unmarried mothers in a septic tank over several decades. […] The burials are believed to have taken place on the site of a so-called mother-and-baby home in Tuam, County Galway, from 1925 to 1961. The institution, which was run by the Sisters of Bon Secours, was subsequently demolished, and a housing development now sits adjacent to the site. The Sisters […]
EAGULLS: Tough Luck
Eagulls play Johnny Brenda’s June 13th with Slow Animal. Could swear I saw these guys open for Siouxsie & The Banshees at the Brixton Academy in June of ’84.
NORTHERN ARMS: Below The Pines
PHAWKER: Slanted and enchanted. BULLET: Speaking of the saddest songs ever, this video for “Below the Pines” from Philadelphia’s Northern Arms is giving any of those tracks a run for their money in the tearjerking department. The video, directed by David Kain, sets the dirge-like number to scenes that straddle the line between broken down backwoods decrepitude, and an uplifting dance against the darkness. […] The track comes from Nothern Arms’ self-titled LP out June 17 on BITBY Recording Co. MORE NORTHERN ARMS @ JB’S JULY 11TH W/ SHILPA RAY & THE IMPROBABLES
TECH: If The Internet Survives These Next Few Months We Have Nobody But Jon Oliver To Thank
The end is nigh. Share this with everyone you know, before it’s too late! PREVIOUSLY: Internet users deserve far better, and we thought we were going to get it from a president who promised to “take a backseat to no one in my commitment to Net Neutrality.” Watch now as he and his FCC chairman try to spin tomorrow’s betrayal as another “mission accomplished.” Don’t believe it. This bogus victory has become all too familiar to those watching the Obama administration and its appointees squander opportunities for real change. The reality is that reform is just a rhetorical front for […]