Eye of Evil, Ear of Remorse (vol. 1, part 1): Break thy Icy Grip

It's small, mushy and yellow. No more than a few centimeters across. Most people consider it to be no more than a summertime nuisance - one of those few foods that contains the ever-present potential to jam itself between your pearly white teeth.

Sounds funny. Sounds cute.

But it's time to unmask the ugly truth about corn. Amerindian maize. The dull yellow stuff.

Laugh not, because this fiber-filled little plant seed has destroyed your world. And it threatens to rock the foundations of the future.

During the coming weeks we will take you on an incredible journey. You will travel to Mexico (metaphorically of course) to visit Coca-Cola factories; you will travel to Brazil to learn about ethanol refineries; you will travel to Washington D.C. to learn about the nefarious and far-reaching American Corn Farmer's Lobby; you will travel back in time to a pre-corn syrup era and into a dark and polluted future filled with billowing smokestacks and gesticulating "Middle American" politicians.

Brace yourself corn farmers. June 14 to July 14, 2007 are officially BODDASSCUBR's Anti-Corn-Based-Ethanol Month.

Sunday Zen

If anything, it's a mirror

On Friday, Honeydew Jackson played a blues show that filled Chicago's heart with an unusual joy. Generational Blues at the Hideout is a special occasion indeed. The lingering fact that "Honeyboy" Edwards learned to play with Robert Johson back in the Mississippi Delta was the proverbial icing on the cake - if you will grant us this crude aphorism.

Something was troubling on Waubansia Avenue though. In the bathroom of the Hideout there is a poster explaining "interesting facts" along with the tidbit that you forget 80% of what you learn each day.

Among many, here was one of the facts that stood out:
"The average life of a major league baseball is 5-7 pitches."

We're not financiers, or mathematicians, but please feel free to spot the lapse in judgement.

The Discount Window Is Open

Key phrases I read silently while watching CNN Headline News with closed captioning during the "Paris Hilton escorted back to court" news hour:

"Paris Hilton may try to say 'I--I am Paris Hilton.' But the Judge will likely say 'I am a judge, and I have the law.'"

"There's no such thing as 'too sick' for prison. In most prisons, they have devices that--when you are sick--they will make you well."

We Chase Ghosts, Not Talent

If there is one promise we make, it is that we will always analyze NBA basketball through a political or literary lens - and we will always analyze politicians based purely on their basketball and athletic skills.

In that spirit, we give a nod to the recent New York Times piece about Senator Barack Obama's basketball forays.

If Obama's ethos were a basketball player, then Obama surely would be 1989-90 Michael Jordan. Raw. Young. A popular scoring machine who lacks the ultimate championship, but holds the potential to take on the world.

Yet this brief essay is an analysis of Obama the basketball player. Not Obama the metaphor.

The story opens with the wiry Obama nailing a crunch-time game winning shot "with a head fake, a bit of contact and a jumper that seemed out of his range." We ascribe not to the belief in a liberal media bias, but this logic tears at the fabric of our souls. Through the New York Times, we see Obama as LeBron, Obama as T-Mac in 35 seconds, Obama as Reggie Miller in Madison Square Garden - an on-court hero hitting the last-second shot to win the game.

It is only midway through the article that our east-coast journalistic brethren reveal this little factoid:

"Mr. Obama cannot match their technical prowess, say those who played regularly with him. But he is fiercely competitive, and makes up for his deficits with collaboration and strategy. 'He’s very good at finding a way to win when he’s playing with people who are supposedly stronger,' Mr. Nesbitt said."

An undersized player, lacking the athleticism to dominate, but possessing the will to win. It is reminiscent of "scrappers" like John Stockton and Chicago's favorite worm - Dennis Rodman. But Stockton was too wise and Rodman was too rough. Obama is neither a basketball technician nor a tattooed strongman. Frankly, he sounds like a pickup role player to us.

If we had to compare Obama to a modern day basketball player, he would be former Dukie Mike Dunleavy. A mid-sized baller with a coach for a father, Dunleavy is all will and no way. He can take the court and has hit one or two game winning shots, but he can't hang with the tougher, more athletic players for a full game. That's what the scouting report tells us about Obama.

We're guessing most of our readers are not familiar with Dunleavy's wily-yet-underwhelming basketball style. So we'll throw out a second name that comes to mind: Manu Ginobili.

Listen to this passage about Obama: "Mr. Obama is left-handed, and his signature move is to fake right and veer left, surprising players used to guarding right-handed competitors."

And watch as the Argentinian superstar fakes right and goes left:

Ginobili's dual citizenship in Argentina and Italy may correspond well with Obama's American and Kenyan roots. Both are citizens of the international community. Both are mid-sized guard/forward combo players who have a predilection for the left-handed basket.

We will wait for another day to analyze the race-relations implications of Obama's two nearest NBA twins both being caucasian. Suffice to say, Manhattan liberals everywhere are sipping their tea faster as the nervous realization takes hold.

Waking Margaret Thatcher

"Know thyself," intone the rock walls of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. Your average UofC student might mistakenly attribute this Greek aphorism to Socrates. No matter that it was more likely Thales of Miletus who coined the phrase - the message holds stronger than those sedentary stones near Mount Parnassus.

A modern politician's translation of Thales' words might read: "Dance with the one that brung ya." Shout out to Chris Matthews and Tip O'Neill circa 1994. Don't forget your parents, your constituents, or the giants whose shoulders support your shifty feet.

In that spirit, we take pause from the momentus events of the world at large to look at one intersection on the border of our fine city. For this afternoon only, forget the outrages of China's Import-Export Bank and its policies in Sub-Saharran Africa. Clear your mind of Pakistani Supreme Court affairs. And turn an eye to 71st and Harlem. It's time we think about Chicago.

One more month until Cuauhtemoc Blanco joins the Fire. Take a look at his final game with Mexico's Club America earlier this week:



And now rumors are afloat that former Lazio and Juventus striker Marcelo Salas is Chicago-bound. These highlights of El Matador may come from 1987, but let this glimmer of hope send a shiver down your spine.

Kevin loved Winnie; but Corey needed Topanga

No big surprises here - Yesterday morning Tony Snow said an annoucement was on the way. Sure enough, our President couldn't even wait until the afternoon was over: Zoellick is the official U.S. nominee for the World Bank presidency.

What do we know about the man who now holds the gavel of economic justice?

Things he loves: pandas, German food, free markets, (selective) bayonet democracy

Things he once detested: Japan's public postal system, skeptics of Enron, economic protectionists

Hometown news organizations who still don't know that he grew up there: The Naperville Sun.

Guilt Like Helium

First Jerry Falwell departed - leaving us sinners behind on this green earth.

Then a virgin hammerhead shark in a Nebraska zoo gave birth, leaving scientists scratching their heads.


On Monday, the $27 million Creation Museum opens in Petersburg, Kentucky. Exhibits include animatronic dinosaurs in the Garden of Eden, and artifacts dating back to the very beginning of the planet - some 6,000 years ago.

Falwell gone, sharks having virgin births, and a new museum that will finally allow the religious right to have some influence in this country.

All we can say is enjoy the holiday weekend. Make sure to drink heavily. The Rapture is clearly upon us.

Let it Languish

Heads up; some serious World Bank knowledge is about to drop. Wolfy is out, but the neo-cons want to stick with the all-American tradition of red, white and blue running the show.

That automatically eliminates highly qualified candidates like Afghanistan's former Finance Minister, Ashraf Ghani. Like they say, you've got to weed out the people who actually, you know, have experience at assembling comprehensive economic stabilization plans for impoverished nations. "Keep it American," says they.

Nobel laureate and former chief economist of the World Bank, Joseph Stiglitz, told Congress on Tuesday that the selection process should be more open. Candidates should be selected based on qualifications, not "American-ness," according to Stiglitz.

Take caution with Stiglitz dear elected representatives - the IMF and its harsh fiscal policies have already felt the hard end of his book-writing pen. You don't want to be next on his list.

Meanwhile, U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson continues his search for the best Americans around. According to a recent AP report, that list includes U.S. Sen. Bill Frist. Way to go the extra mile Paulson. Reuters and the AP have suggested that Paulson may ultimately scrap the committee process and just recommend himself as the next World Bank president. Hey Stiglitz; how's that for transparency?


According to updated odds, the linesmakers' favorite is former U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick. Enterprising young venture capitalists can find Zoellick serving as chair for an international wing of Goldman Sachs.

Our readers may remember Zoellick during the time he served on the advisory board for Enron. Or perhaps they would remember him as one of the co-signers on a 1998 letter to President Clinton, calling for "the removal of Saddam (Hussein)'s regime from power."

By the way, for those of you who were surprised by the lead-up to war in 2003, we turn your attention to the neo-con think tank PNAC's archives. Check out the famous alums of Project for a New American Century. It reads like a "who's who" list of the first-term Bush administration: Cheney, Rummy, Wolfowitz, I. Lewis Libby, John Bolton, Kristol, Quayle, (Jeb) Bush and Zoellick. They were talking invasion back in 1997. Mearsheimer and Walt knew this before embarking on their doomed campaign to stop the war, but they pretended like academic debate was still a possibility.

The most surprising part of this whole endeavour? Robert Zoellick was born July 25, 1953 in Naperville, Illinois. Before heading off to Harvard, he cut his teeth on the mean streets of 1960s N-Town. We're talking cornfield south side.

And yet, the Naperville Sun newspaper has never once mentioned Robert Zoellick. TOO BUSY COVERING MISS ILLINOIS' LONG WAIT THE AIRPORT? ZOELLICK IS YOUR BOY.

The Barack Obama / Desmond Dekker All Star Street Crew (Union) and Blues Revue:

Broad-Minded

Sunday Zen

One Day Cider Drinkers Will Rule the World!

May the Fear of Justice Shake Thee, O Alonso

Only now that the tempest has passed may we look fondly on the warm shores of our fair island, recalling with great wonder the works that this modern Prospero divined. The basketball armageddon that is Stephen Jackson is gone for now. Regardless of whether we remain in the eye of the torrent, or if the wake of his storm has passed entirely, it is of the utmost urgency we take this brief reprieve to speak of what was witnessed.

It is time to name Stephen Jackson the BODDASSCUBR MVP of basketball.

If you are looking for a more plebeian MVP of the NBA, the answer is most certainly Tim Duncan. And it has been for the past 5 years. Duncan is the greatest low-post player of his generation, and perhaps of all time. (Apologetic nods to Hakeem, McHale and of course Luc.) If your end is a trophy, then Duncan is clearly the means.

While Duncan and the Spurs quest for another title goes on, the chance to see any inspirational basketball ended with the Suns, the Warriors and Tracy McGrady's emotional losses. Which makes it all the more important that we lay out the case for this year's MVP:


The Basketball Reasons

1) The Title-belt Theory: Jackson flat out stole the MVP title from its current holder, Dirk Nowitzki. Much like the UFC's new welterweight champion Matt Serra, Jackson threw personal history aside and beat the best when the best stepped into the ring. Nowitzki went into the series averaging 25 points per game. Statistics say Jackson's dogged defense dropped the big German to 19 points per game, but we can't remember more than 3 shots Nowitzki made during the entire series.

When he cares to focus at all, Jackson can lay waste to the best in sport.

2) Three-Pointers to Turnovers ratio: In the Dallas series, Jackson shot an insane 48% from behind the arc, while also averaging a ridiculously high 3.8 turnovers per game. Each fearless contribution to his team's point total was negated by a reckless, but aesthetically breathtaking turnover.

This is a true benchmark of a man riding the line between dangerously loose and purely out-of-control. Like an author who arduously pens a great work of literature, only to burn the manuscript after a night of consuming bottom rail spirits. A sure sign that Jackson is a kindred BODDASSCUBR spirit.

3) The Spurs: A Retrospective: During his 2003 stint with the NBA champion Spurs, Jackson was notorious for bringing the ball up court by his lonesome, taking a few dribbles and tossing up an ill-advised 3-pointer. Bear in mind his teammates were (a) Duncan - the best player alive (b) Parker - a top-10 point guard in the league already (c) Ginobili - a shooting guard having one of the best post-seasons of the new millennium. To blatantly ignore the absolute prowess of each of these men was akin to:

- Today's investor saying: "Screw sub-prime mortgages and the real estate bubble. Put all of my capital in domestic real estate. Now."

- or -

- Starting to talk trash to a man in a bar, then saying to yourself "You know, I think I'm going to wait until all of my friends leave and 10 more of that guy's friends show up. Then I'm going to walk over there and punch him in the face."

But you know the catch? Jackson kept making those 3-pointers. The Spurs wouldn't have won a title without him. He's the guy who somehow wins that 10-on-1 barfight. He's the guy that makes 50% APY on domestic real estate in the current market.

Other Social Factors:

1) The Melee: Jackson was the second man into the crowd during the Artest-Detroit riot. Second in, but first in craziness. A lessor-known fact is that after the brawl had settled, Jackson broke free of security in the locker room and ran back toward the court to further egg on the crowd. Like a WWF wrestling villain. But real. And serious.

2) Guns and Friends: In the spring of 2007, Jackson and a few teammates got into a physical disagreement with a group of dissenting gentlemen in the parking lot of an Indiana strip club at 3:00 a.m. Jackson was arrested for firing shots into the air after one man punched him in the face and another man ran him over with a car. Say what you will, but we're more concerned about the guy who gets run over and says "That's cool. I'm not going to fire my 9mm in the air."

Ultimately, we know not when Jackson will return. He will be back physically next fall. But that is no guarantee that the fiercely dominant Jackson of today will return to declare a manifest destiny of havoc on the NBA's flotilla of Lilliputians.

Jackson may never take enough interest in basketball again to craft victory out of steely pain and brilliant skill. His mind wanders already. And perhaps that is what makes him the most BODDASSCUBR athlete of our generation.

The realm of infinite possiblities lies at his fingertips, but Jackson cares not. To have all the talent in the world and to let it slip away just as Prospero and his author once did - It is the true epitome of the message we speak.

About last night...

it pretty much felt like this.....


have a good weekend everyone. see you monday.

Vive le Sarko!

"There is a demand for change. Never have the risks of inertia been so great for France as they are now in this world in flux where everyone across the world is trying to change quicker than the others, where any delay can be fatal,"

Proud, strong words, from the new French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who can oft be seen in his running kit with new PM Francois Fillon which one can assume an apparent attempt to outrun poor social awareness for Muslim immigrants and high levels of unemployment. Lest we all forget Mr. Fillon’s laughable attempts at pension reform, which to some extent, cost him his job in Mr. Chirac’s administration.

“Tongue in Cheek” aside so far so good for the French President, who has sent both smiles and shivers across the bodies of EU legislators. With his takeover hopes of pushing through a Constitution, that has become quite a gorilla, now seems to be a bit of a reality. Despite campaign claims from rivals that Mr. Sarkozy was a “candidate for brutality” due to his overly hard-line views for France’s future. It is instead a touch of a breath of fresh air to see a relatively massive switch in a political circle viewed generally from the outside world as a conglomerate of historical relics.

Now famous for his proposed work initiatives, in which his emphasis to “rehabilitate the values of work, effort, merit and respect” whichcould be viewed as quite the culture shock to the laissez faire French employment culture. Mr. Sarkozy is, so far, bringing the proper attitude as it is well known that progress does not come sitting on one’s ass. A proposed hardliner in the field of illegal immigration in 2005, Mr. Sarkozy as Interior Minister changed his tune a touch in 2006 from one of broad crack down, to instead economic based reform allowing individuals who provide learned skills to be smiled upon favorably by the government allowing for well reasoned integration.


More of this ahead for the immigrants of France?

The continuation of such a program, while positive for the immigrant based economic growth of France, it may still be met with a continued gnashing of the teeth by France’s welfare lobby. The key arguement being of course the issue of “sans-papier” immigrants, which can no longer be ignored and reform must meet both sides.

None the less, as American’s, so far it is at least a positive move to have such an individual running one of our oldest allies. The President has done well to direct previous politicians to, in essence, “cram it” when being overly critical of US foreign policy. Of course I speak concerning Iraq, as be it completely misaligned and improper (as you writer can attest to, being a chess piece in said conflict)

Mr. Sarkozy’s impressive slap in the face issued to Mr. Chirac in September 2006 when he was quoted as saying, “It is bad manners to embarrass one's allies or sound like one is taking delight in their troubles.” So it is with the grandest of gestures I say put the cork back on the wine bottle “yellow ribbon car magnet” American’s. Enjoy that bottle of Beaujolais, this writer surely will. Oh, and fear not Ann Coulter, while he is your arch-nemesis (an American friendly Frenchman!) I’m sure at some point you will be able to call him a “faggot”.

In Case You Missed It...

"The Party" has lost it's way Mr. Paul...and apparantly also it's mind.

Hamas, Fatah, Fatah, Hamas...

Once again the squabbles of Hamas and Fatah’s post unity government are making their way throughout the perpetual list of reasons to induce eye rolling in intellectual circles. It’s not so much that the curious concepts of Hamas firing at Fatah aligned security forces though that is an incredibly curious concept for an unfamiliar outsider; it is instead the sad continuation of the inability for members of the unity government to follow protocol and allow for stability.

When Hani Qawasmeh was named Interior Minister and devised localized co-ordination efforts it relied on a structure in which checks and balances would be heavily applied to his security chiefs to insure group infighting would be minimalized. But as alliances do not come from political efforts and instead regional associations, this plan was rarely followed, case in point being the events which lead to 40 dead in the Gaza strip this week.

Mr. Qawasmeh had little political power and even less social clout, and now in the wake of his resignation on the 14th, the way ahead seems even bleaker. When you find yourself with nothing, and then somehow come up with less, the answers do not come from a blank sheet of paper. If the former Ministers claims that he was nothing more than a “purely decorative” minister with little power and his initial appointment was one of incredible wrangling how large will this wake be?


RPG roughly translates to "Social Reform"

Today we find a conflict that per the “Palestinian Bell Curve” has morphed far from its original premise of security providers as Israel is being attacked by rockets from the Gaza strip in an effort to drag them into the conflict. Ariel Sharon has already been quoted publicly informing the world that a “policy of constraint” can no longer be followed, such a statement has been followed up with air strikes against a Hamas camp in southern Gaza and the Hamas Headquarters in Rafah in the last 24 hours.

EU leaders have renounced the violence and brought upon calls for leaders of all sides to “renounce the use of violence immediately, to restore the cease-fire and to resume their dialogue” of course the only problem being it is become glaringly obvious, through the continued breaking of cease-fires over the last few days that Mr.(s) Abbas and Haniyah may have little to no control over their respective factions in this current crisis.

The struggle for Palestine’s citizens, (sadly not in the forefront of the crisis) is growing daily, a civilian led protest to end the violence on Wednesday featuring numbers in the neighborhood of 200 people was only used by fighting factions to improve fighting positions and soon resulted in gunmen firing into the crowd of demonstrators wounding eight.

Finally, where would we be without American’s getting scapegoated into the conflict? On Hamas’ radio frequency the organization’s fighters could be heard referring to their Fatah rivals as “American Mercenaries” due to the support the west provides it. Mercenaries kill for money gentlemen; you kill due to ignorance and cowardice.

And the World Holds Its Collective Breath

Don't bread on me

The EU has once again levied it’s heavy fist atop the heads of the expansive UK pre-packaged bread lobby citing a need for “free weights and sizes for all pre-packaged products asides from wines and spirits”. Of course this ill conceived attempt at sweeping reform has done nothing but possibly put to bed the years of British national pride at it’s awe inspiring traditional bread loaf. While some EU legislators would have you believe that this will be a sweeping victory for those who wish to buy bread in a variety of other sizes that do not conform to the awkward 400g loaf (or multiples of). It, in theory, allows more flexibility to pre-packaged goods producers, but theory is for scientists and we are not scientists. What we have instead is a step backwards and nothing but the big man once again imposing abolition on proud tradition. So I call upon you, European commoner, ring your representatives and cry foul, it is your civic duty after all.

Thumbing the Nose Back; In Canada’s General Direction (Due North)

Editor's Note: This is the first column from International Affiars Correspondent WB'05 Brandon

If there’s one thing that has always got my blood up in my 23/24 years on this earth it is my continual dismay at the haughty attitude carried by your average citizen of Toronto.

It’s not so much Canada as a whole, it’s mostly just Ontario…"Toronto, if you’re nasty," it’s as if you have that pain in your lower back, but you don’t want to say “it’s my back” you would want to be more specific as to not have the problem misdiagnosed by your health care provider. You would point directly to the problem area, the investigatory provider would pose you a question along the lines of “right here?” typically applying unnecessary pressure to impose acute pain thus judging the level of grimace on your face. Well when surveying a map of Canada if we were to run our finger across it’s supposed terrain full of “beautiful, secular, majestic, socialized healthcare” I would grimace as soon as that finger crossed no more than 1km into the torrid wasteland that is Toronto.

This is a recent development of course and on the front cover of the book you see an American who is a bit cranky at;
o Confusing street layout
o Total lack of cash machine convenience
o Overpriced Strongbow Cider
o Well really overpriced alcohol in general (drink specials anyone?)
o Complete lack of dunkin’ donuts,
o The confused Pakistani who wouldn’t acknowledge my presence while trying to get a drink at 9am
o No breakfast biscuits at McDonalds
o Canadians in general not being able to satisfy my thirst for lumber products


Now if you look underneath the cover you’ll find more that gets at me. You see, they’re terrible neighbors. Ask Montreal and Vancouver. Toronto’s current GDP is outperforming it’s neighbors at roughly 3% a year. Why? Low labor costs, higher levels of education, (61% of Torontonians have post-secondary educations) they have a long standing relationship with American automakers, GM and Ford (they produced more GM autos in 2004 than the state of Michigan), and the city is incredibly polyglot allowing numerous countries to outsource and conduct business in their native tongue without paying premium fees for the same service domestically.

Torontonians have a right to be proud of their economic prowess, and rightly so they take advantage of it, but like that guy who has too many drinks Toronto starts to get “handsy.” They thumb their nose at other countries lack of “progress,” as they can apparently do no wrong. Well here comes that refreshing slap on the face to bring them back down to earth. The city holds an unemployment rate of 8.3% (per 2.6m citizens) 2.2% higher than the rest of the country, that’s a lot of social service checks Toronto.


Cheap economic shot aside, it’s important to note that politically, they’re a bunch of over the top liberals. Any time you are reffered to as “more liberal than San Francisco” we all know you’re just trying to show off. Ontario is the NDP hotbed, and Jack Layton is a Torontonian, but things in 2006 weren’t all that great were they? Continued NDP support contingent on banning privatized healthcare that seems a bit much eh? Oh yes, and the Gomery Report, political infighting leading to levels of bias needing court review? At least in America we just ignore important inquiries, in Canada Chretien turns them into a circus because those golf balls weren’t that big of a deal. In this instance I don’t find it necessary to get into the nasty details, however simply remind you politics are politics, and the next time you blindly ask me why I voted for George Bush (which I did not, and told you three times I did not) I will ask you where all that money went, and if you want to get really nasty the words “Airbus Affair” may cross my lips.

You must remember Torontonians, that no matter how nasty everyone else seems, you share Canada’s political skeleton’s too and as we as Americans know, economic and social prosperity is limited to a number of things, so it’s prudent to temper our bragging, and finger pointing lest we get ahead of ourselves. At the end of the day we can shake hands, possibly hug, but never forget the hurt feelings brigade will always write up something smarmy and put it on the internet.

p.s. India is going to ruin you.

- BNK

And the Rock Doth Split

You cannot stop the rumbling clamor of rolling thunder with naught but matchsticks and well-wishes. And so it was inevitable that the MDSC and Whiskey Bros. '05 respective progressive wings would unite under a single banner. Obama/Dekker provides a us a leaky soapbox from where we can call out to the world in our time-worn and gravel-filled voices.

In that spirit, we present to you our new featured columnist and international affairs correspondent - WB'05 Brandon.

Let's just say that Brandon recently returned to Chicago from a hot, sandy land (or lands) where he served the people of the great U.S. of A. WB'05 Brandon is the heart and soul of what it means to represent the Barack Obama/ Desmond Dekker All Star Street Crew Union and Blues Revue.

Fenian Raids pt. 2: Obama/Dekker Crew brings down Toronto

12 hours to Toronto by bus, 10 hours back. 1,000 miles in one weekend to put club before country.

Final score: Chicago Fire 1 - Toronto Football Club 3

But only the shortsighted would call this a defeat in the neo-classical sense.

Whiskey was consumed in mass quantities. ManFest '07 was declared by fiat. University of Toronto bars were stormed. Scorching palm jobs were handed down to even the most effete members of the Obama/Dekker crew.


Hey, the Fire may not have quote-unquote "won" the game, but that didn't stop 200 Chicagoans from showing Canada the Chicago Way.

You Got to Roll

From Blind Willie McTell to LeRoy Carr we have a fine appreciation of the Delta Blues. For this historical concert announcement, we're going to throw the ball to Section 8 Chicago chairman - a Chicago legend in his own right - Ben Burton:

David "Honeyboy" Edwards
Friday, June 8
The Hideout

"For those of you too lazy to click a link, this is a birthday show for David "Honeyboy" Edwards. Happy 92nd.

'Who's he?' you might ask....

Chicago has a rich history of the Blues. Many blues artists moved up from the South to Chicago to make a living. You've probably heard of people like BB King, Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, Little Walter, Buddy Guy, these are all famous Chicago bluesmen. There have been dozens more just as famous. But, these were all second or third generation bluesmen.

David "Honeyboy" Edwards is, without a doubt, in a class of his own. A living legend, for real. David is, no shit, THE LAST LIVING BLUESMAN WHO RECORDED BEFORE WORLD WAR II. No one else in the world that recorded the blues prior to WWII is alive.

Blues prior to WWII is known as "Prewar Blues." This inclues the likes of Leadbelly, Charlie Patton, Son House, and the one everyone knows: Robert Johnson. David "Honeyboy" Edwards was friends with Robert Johnson. They were together the night Johnson drank the poisoned whiskey and died.

This show might be the last of its kind. Last November Chicago, and the world, lost Robert Lockwood Jr. Robert and David were the last two remaining Prewar Bluesmen. David is now the last of his kind; the end of an era.

I implore you all to buy tickets, now. Immediately. This is not something that you should think twice about. It's only $25. Imagine if someone told you that Robert Johnson were playing in a bar that holds less than 100 people. Beg, borrow or steal to get in to this show. Your soul deserves it."

The Achaeans' Curse

When even the most strident supporters of the Bush administration decide it is time to cut back on oil consumption, then change truly is in the wind.

In January, the most ardent Bush supporter of all—President Bush himself—announced a plan to cut U.S. petroleum consumption by one fifth in the coming decade. As the case may be, the U.S. is one of the last industrialized western nations to jump on the bandwagon of change.

The reason for this change, according to The Economist, is “the belated realisation the world over that fossil fuels overheat the planet, are controlled by dodgy regimes and cost too much.”

One of the main sources for petrol reduction will come through the use of hybrid vehicles and the increased use of ethanol. For the transition to the latter, the U.S. is particularly ill-equipped.

Whereas the warmer climates of the world are effectively producing ethanol derived from sugar cane, the U.S. stubbornly persists in its case to produce ethanol derived from corn.

As stated in The Economist: “The United States insists on producing most of its ethanol from home-grown maize, which is more expensive than Brazil’s (sugar) cane-based version and burns up about seven times more fossil fuel per unit of energy produced.”



Government subsidies and inefficient markets aside, it appears the worldwide future of ethanol lies in the hands of the sugar cane producers. Sugar cane ethanol is cheaper, cleaner, and more efficient. It is already taking hold in the world market, as Brazil exported approximately $8 billion in sugar cane ethanol in 2006—a mere 25% of the country’s current production capacity.

Factor in the expectation that ethanol production will multiply 25-fold within the next fifteen years, and the case is clear: sugar cane ethanol will soon be a major player in the world’s energy markets.

But one of the main reasons for the United States’ transition from fossil fuels to ethanol is to avoid dependence on those “dodgy” regimes that control the oil fields. So before we jump into bed with ethanol, we urge our readers to examine this list of the top sugar-cane-producing regions in the world today:

1) Brazil
2) European Union
3) India
4) China
5) United States

Rounding out the top 8 are Mexico, Colombia and Pakistan.

Clearly, as Uncle Gore taught us, clean fuels are the way of the future. But is the U.S. ready to move away from the Arabian Peninsula simply to become dependent on three of the largest challengers to the U.S. economy’s global preeminence? (i.e. China, India, the EU).



Brazil is far from stable, China is far from friendly, India is far from predictable, and Colombia is still reeling from its sordid past (and present). Not to mention, a recent article regarding the state of affairs in Pakistan which opened with the following: “In Pakistan, more alarmingly even than usual, the flag of jihad is fluttering and extremists are marching on the state.”

Waziristan is a border province in Pakistan and the current site of an armed conflict between Taliban forces and Uzbek-Islamic extremists. It also borders one of the top ten regions in the world for sugar cane production. And so it goes.

The transition to sugar cane ethanol may be environmentally noble, but will it be clean?


- MDSC Flynn

Taking the Sword to the Pen

There is a fine line between ethics and efics. To avoid any confusion, just follow these easy steps.

1) Never back down from a fight
2) Get your money
3) Mind your business
4) Stop snitchin'
5) Always look fresh

Always.

Stencil Revolution

Deconstruction
Instructions

There's no such thing as semi-platonic

Everyone who knows anything knows Kevin Costner's big-screen masterpiece Waterworld is first and foremost a warning about the dangers of mutant, water-breathing men entering the human genetic pool. It is also a two-hour fright-fest about the possiblity of global warming and worldwide flooding.

But after watching a re-run of the dry-land-less film yesterday, it became apparent Waterworld is something more. It is not a warning about the threat of global warming, so much as a it is polemic on the failure of free markets to prevent global warming. Humanity's watery future may be inevitable, the film says, but blame it on a flaw in the marketplace.


First, two points about the Supreme Court's resonant 5-4 decision last week.

1) The New York Times' breaking web coverage of the EPA verdict explained there was still some doubt about the connection between carbon emissions and global warming. The story was amended and updated within the hour. The second draft contained no mention of doubt.

The following day, the Times' print version of the story explained carbon emissions are "heat trapping...greenhouse gases that contribute to global climate change."

It is doubtful this clarification would have occurred five years ago.


2) The larger issue at hand is the question of why this EPA ruling is even necessary.

Yes, in a post-Inconvenient Truth world, there is heightened awareness of environmental idealism. But this film mostly resonated with those who already preached Pappa Gore's message.

More importantly, the vehicles with the least carbon emissions are the same vehicles that get excellent gas mileage. They are money-savers. And most Americans like the ol' money.

So why has there not been more of a spike in demand for gas-saving vehicles?

One answer is the government's role in regulating supply and demand. Oil subsidies have historically driven down the real cost of purchasing gasoline in the U.S., but that cannot be the entire story.

Costner's answer to the question lies in the economics of information. We forget that while oil is a valuable commodity, information is perhaps the most valuable commodity of all. (Unless we're discussing barrel-aged bourbon or gold. Those tend to hold their value as well.)

When the jet-ski-riding smokers capture Costner on his sailboat near the end of the film, they do not steal the boat. They burn it. The smokers use a very non-renewable source of energy. Yet they destroy the pinnacle of renewable energy in their watery world - Costner's speedy catamaran.

The smokers do not understand their fleeting position in the world. They do not realize the remaining oil in the hold of the floating Exxon-Valdez is finite. Perhaps it was suggested that the "go juice" would someday run dry. But who really wants to listen to proclamations of doom when the alternative is jumping jet-skis over 20-foot sea walls?

In theory, free markets work perfectly when there is a free flow of information. This seemingly self-destructive act on the part of the smokers demonstrates the failure of information's reach. If you do not understand the pillars propping up your existence, you cannot grasp the significance of their tumultuous fall.

Show Your Guns

And they call that shit the bomb smack

Good afternoon Sir or Madam! Welcome to the internet tubes home of The Barack Obama / Desmond Dekker All Star Street Crew Union & Blues Revue!

The Barack Obama / Desmond Dekker All Star Street Crew Union & Blues Revue is a loose amalgamation of progressive-minded individuals who possess great potential to do good in the world... but typically squander such potential on booze, babes, fireworks and general rabble-rousery.



We have no official charter or code, but the following is a list of general concepts that we support:

- Progressive-minded intellectualism mixed with random acts of aggression
- The Pogues and The Clash
- Improved government-sponsored health care for the lower classes
- Bourbon
- Comprehensive immigration reform
- Mixed Martial Arts
- Foucault
- The high seas
- "The Economist"
- Drinking tea
- Unruly behaviour
- (Discounting) the future
- Malcolm Gladwell's "New Yorker" articles
- Mearsheimer and Realism
- Charles Wheelan and free markets
- The Chicago Way
- An industrious spirit of volunteerism
- Muddy Waters as a close second to Elmore James
- and Sonny Boy Williamson II (not Sonny Boy Williamson I)
- The Chicago White Sox, the Chicago Fire and the Phoenix Suns' offensive system
- Arturo's Tacos
- Potential Energy

At this point in history we have had three official gatherings:

- D.C. Anti-War protest (1/27/07)
- Chicago Barack Obama presidential announcement and rally (2/11/07)
- The Pogues at the Congress Theater (3/5/07 and 3/6/07 ... i.e. both nights)