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Moore is less

Two articles that popped up today present a very instructive contrast. First, rabble rouser Michael Moore says, “Capitalism is evil.”

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE5850PQ20090906

Second, investment banks are contemplating turning life insurance policies into marketable bonds, the way they did mortgages, so I can see why Moore feels the way he does.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/06/business/06insurance.html

But I disagree completely, entirely and totally with Michael Moore. For one thing, no “system” is evil. The correct statement would be, “Capitalists are evil.” The question is, can evil people take better advantage of Capitalism than other systems of economics? No, absolutely not. Not only that, the other systems don’t provide the opportunities for regular people that Capitalism does. Capitalism is by far the best way to lift people up. Michael Moore, the son of an auto worker, is one example of that.

Socialism is a utopian concept that can never exist in reality as envisioned, as is the wacked-out fantasy world of Ayn Rand. Corruption and inequality exist in every economy, and Moore’s wrong about regulation — it CAN work. Much of what went wrong in the past few years can be blamed squarely on the repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act. If it were reinstated, investment banks wouldn’t be salivating over life insurance policies.

I agreed with Moore when he knocked GM twenty years ago, and I actually admired him for slamming the Bush administration on Iraq. His gun movie was less compelling, and I haven’t seen “Sicko,” but to denounce Capitalism outright is wrong, and considering the money he’s made, it’s a hypocritical position for Moore to take.

Sunday School with Davey and Goliath

If you’re of a certain (older) age, and American, you remember “Davey and Goliath.” It must have been one of the primary inspirations for “Calvin and Hobbes,” but I don’t know if Bill Watterson has ever acknowledged that.

“Davey and Goliath” really stuck with me as a kid. Later, I was thinking about the Protestant denomination that produced the series when, as a teenager, I walked into a Lutheran Church by myself one Sunday morning.

There are, of course, parodies of “Davey and Goliath,” but I’m uncomfortable with them, because I feel that although the cartoons are now dated, in their day they were sincere, positive and worthwhile. The “Davey and Goliath” Mountain Dew commercial is clever, and it does nothing to undermine the lessons or spirit of the series. Something that’s emphasized repeatedly, and still resonates with me, is that everybody has choices in life, and people have to take responsibility for themselves.

Here is one of my favorite episodes. Animator Art Clokey did some really psychedelic stuff in “Gumby and Pokey,” and “Davey and Goliath” is toned down by comparison, but there’s a brief, slightly surreal dream sequence in “The Winner.” The importance of a lowly cotter pin is something I’ve always remembered. “For want of a nail…”

[flv:http://www.dograt.com/Video/2009/SEP/DaveyGoliath.flv 480 360]

Songs for birds and lobsters

Happy 3rd anniversary to my blog!

Here it is, forty years gone by since “Abbey Road” was released. I listened to that record start-to-end so many times I have no idea how many times it was, although it’s been quite a few years since I’ve done that. In ’79, when I bought a high quality Parlophone pressing of “Abbey Road,” it struck me how different it sounded from every previous Beatles recording. It was so smooth it was almost antiseptic. According to Brian Kehew and Kevin Ryan, the difference was the introduction of a solid state console, replacing the old tubed REDD board.

Ten years after “Abbey Road” the music scene had changed a lot, thanks to the anti-Disco movement that was equal parts of angry anarchy and silly fun. Here are some examples of what I was listening to, going into and out of 1979.

From the quirky….

….to the quirkiest…

Lene Lovich Bird song (clip 1979)
Uploaded by libelule64 – Explore more music videos.
…and from the hard….

…to the hardest.
[flv:http://www.dograt.com/Video/2009/SEP/LondonCalling.flv 480 360]

On the Colbert of the Rolling Stone

Since the January inauguration, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert have shown they aren’t just about knocking Bush. Did they have a choice?

For the midterm elections a few years ago, Colbert shared the cover of Rolling Stone with Stewart. But now Colbert, who is in the second of three weeks away, has the cover all to himself. But what happens when there are no more print editions of magazines? There won’t be any covers of anything anymore. BTW, this blog turns three years old on Saturday, and this is post #1700.

A tip o’ the DogRat toupee to Denro for the tip.

Stones cold case

Mick Jagger and Paul McCartney
Mick Jagger sitting at the feet of Paul McCartney — where he belonged. 😉

The 40-year-old case of Brian Jones’ death is being pried open.

http://www.boston.com/ae/music/articles/2009/08/31/uk_police_to_review_rolling_stones_guitarist_death/

I’m somebody who thinks there’s nothing more to it than, “a coroner said Jones drowned while under the influence of alcohol and drugs,” but this gives me an excuse to say something about the Rolling Stones.

At some point in 1970, in my anguished early-mid adolescence, I realized I’d stopped caring, at a visceral level, about the Rolling Stones. It happened when I developed a deep, personal relationship with The Who. Later, I came to realize my waning interest in the Stones had also coincided with the disappearance of Brian Jones from the lineup.

Much of what I respond to in the Rolling Stones are the sounds and flourishes contributed by Brian Jones. Go back to my post at this link to hear an early example of what I’m talking about.

Some critics fault the Stones’ psychedelic period as being insincere and full of “us too” efforts, but these are some of my favorite recordings, thanks to Brian Jones. The delightful “Dandelion” wasn’t released until the Summer of Love in ’67, but it had been recorded in late ’66.

[audio:http://www.dograt.com/Audio/2009/SEP/Dandelion.mp3]

A favorite Stones psychedelic single is “She’s a Rainbow,” b/w “2000 Light Years From Home.” I’ve got to believe that Jones is all through both of these tracks.

2000 Light Years From Home

[audio:http://www.dograt.com/Audio/2009/SEP/Rainbow.mp3,http://www.dograt.com/Audio/2009/SEP/2000LightYears.mp3]

I’m not an expert on Rolling Stones studio recordings, but the last notable release that sounds like it bears the distinctive Brian Jones brand is “Child of the Moon.”

[audio:http://www.dograt.com/Audio/2009/SEP/ChildMoon.mp3]

Jones was undoubtedly played out and had nothing further to contribute, but once he was gone the Stones did only one more standout — “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” — and then, for me, it was downhill from there. What they were lacking without Brian was a feeling of creativity and musical expression. Oh, I thought “Sticky Fingers” was a great record — especially with the original zipper sleeve gimmick — but it didn’t take me over like “Who’s Next” would. And I enjoy “Exile on Mainstreet,” but I’ve never played it as more than background music.

STANd and deLEEver

A long time ago, my world would have been rocked by the news that Disney is buying Marvel. Today the news interests me greatly, but I can’t think of any way that the purchase will have an effect on me personally.

The picture above of Stan Lee is noteworthy, because he’s standing next to Steve Ditko’s unpublished cover for “Amazing Fantasy” #15, the 1962 comic book that introduced Spider-Man. A similar drawing by Jack Kirby was used instead. In my opinion, Jack’s style didn’t suit the character, and I assume Stan felt the same way, because after that first cover he rarely had Jack draw Spidey. Jack included Spider-Man in his 1969 Marvelmania self-portrait, and even at the time that seemed wrong to me.

One of the most reliable hit-getters for this site is the BBC documentary, “In Search of Steve Ditko.” At this link you will find Stan talking about Ditko’s insistence that he is the co-creator of Spider-Man.

Stan is always lavish in his praise of the artists who worked for him in the Marvel Bullpen, and that’s great. Stan absolutely deserves everything he has received in money and recognition, and he has received a lot of both:

Lee sued Marvel, claiming he was owed profits from the Marvel films that had started to take Hollywood by storm. The suit was eventually settled with Lee reportedly getting a settlement of more than $10 million.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32645353/ns/business-media_biz/

But if Stan deserves the money and credit he has received, Steve Ditko deserves some of the same. With the BILLIONS of dollars now on the table, Ditko should get a million bucks and co-creator status for Spider-Man. Without the latter, it seems he won’t accept the former.