SF Punk Record Label Celebrates 30 Year Anniversary

Jello Biafra Celebrates 30 Years of Alternative Tentacles With a Three Day Concert

By ROBET WELLINGTON

Updated 6:53 PM PST, Fri, Nov 6, 2009

In case you don't know it there's a party going on and it will last for three days. Well, for three nights at least, as Alternative Tentacles bring their roster of bands, old and new, to The Great America Music Hall in San Francisco. Each night The label's proprietor will cap off the evening with his new band, Jello Biafra and the Guantanamo School of Medicine.

I talked to the man...MORE HERE.

Book tells history of San Francisco punk music

Joel Selvin, Chronicle Senior Pop Music Correspondent

Friday, November 6, 2009

More...

Jack Boulware might be tired. He's in the middle of Litquake, the annual eight-day San Francisco literary festival he co-founded, which would be enough to stress out any rational person. But he also has his own book to promote, freshly printed, still smelly, and his collaborator Silke Tudor is in town for a brief return to her old stomping grounds, so perhaps he can be forgiven for asking if we needed anything else while he was in "full media-slut spew mode." MORE HERE.

Claude Lévi-Strauss, 100, Dies; Altered Western Views of the ‘Primitive’

By EDWARD ROTHSTEIN

Published: November 4, 2009

Claude Lévi-Strauss, the French anthropologist whose revolutionary studies of what was once called “primitive man” transformed Western understanding of the nature of culture, custom and civilization, has died at 100. MORE HERE.

Apic/Getty Images

Mr. Lévi-Strauss in Brazil in the 1930s. More Photos »

Chased by their church: When you try to leave Scientology, they try to bring you back

By Joe Childs and Thomas C. Tobin, Times Staff Writers
Posted: Oct 31, 2009 04:30 AM

For years, the Church of Scientology chased down and brought back staff members who tried to leave.

Ex-staffers describe being pursued by their church and detained, cut off from family and friends and subjected to months of interrogation, humiliation and manual labor. MORE HERE.

Somalia is in the grip of famine and chaos but officials there are inspecting bras

Wednesday, 28 October 2009

The excessive interest in covering up women's bodies is not confined to the extremists in Somalia

Read more »

Girly men of Japan just want to have fun

November 2, 2009

Richard Lloyd Parry in Tokyo

(Jeremy Surron-Hibbert)

Shinya Yamaguchi with one of his creations

At the age of 18, Mitsuhiro Matsushita already has a good idea of his ideal future. After he graduates from university a few years of work will be followed by marriage to an industrious wage earner. When children arrive it will be Mitsuhiro who stays at home looking after them, baking cakes and biscuits and living the traditional life of the Japanese housewife. MORE HERE.

And another one!

From The Times

November 5, 2009

The rise of Japan’s 'girlie man' generation

Forget the salarymen, Japan's new 'herbivore' generation of males believe that life is far more important than work. More Here.

Philip Delves Broughton

Young Muslims use punk to loosen their religion

Second-generation Americans have found a new way to show their faith, through noisy rock music that reflects their beliefs and considers their questions of identity. MORE HERE.

Crows Zero II

Karozu zero II (Japan)

By RUSSELL EDWARDS

Proving that he would rather fight than quit, prolific Japanese helmer Takashi Miike dishes up "Crows Zero II," the second installment in the manga-inspired schoolboy-gang-war franchise. Sequel adds some new wrinkles to the two-hour-plus slugfest but essentially sticks to the required formula of yakuza codes being played out in an apocalyptic schoolyard. In April, the pic powered its way to a socko $29 million, outclassing the first by $4 million. Miike's international cult following will ensure equally robust ancillary. MORE HERE.

“Bela Lugosi’s Dead”: 30 Years of Goth, Gloom, and Post-Post-Punk

August marked the 30th anniversary of the release of “Bela Lugosi’s Dead”, the first single by goth pioneers Bauhaus. I knew in the back of my head that the song would hit the three-decade mark this year, but the exact date of release slipped my mind, otherwise I would’ve written a glowing tribute to the song two months ago. My forgetfulness works out all right, given that there’s no better time to ruminate on “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” than in the light of Halloween. MORE HERE!

Illegal downloaders 'spend the most on music', says poll

Crackdown on music piracy could further harm ailing industry

By Rachel Shields

Sunday, 1 November 2009

People who illegally download music from the internet also spend more money on music than anyone else, according to a new study. The survey, published today, found that those who admit illegally downloading music spent an average of £77 a year on music – £33 more than those who claim that they never download music dishonestly. MORE HERE.

Pat Robertson denounces hate-crimes bill, falsely claims it doesn't cover religious bias

By David Neiwert Thursday Oct 29, 2009 4:30pm

Yesterday, a genuinely historic moment passed with scarcely a blip of attention from the media: President Obama signed into law the nation's first genuine federal bias-crimes statute.

Everyone interested in advancing civil rights in America and defending the nation's minorities from the deprivation of their rights by terroristic thugs -- particularly their historic victims, from African Americans and Asian Americans to Latinos, to Jews and other religious minorities, to gays and lesbians and transgender folk -- have real cause to celebrate. Brian Levin has a nice collection of their thoughts at HuffPo.

Then, of course, there's the Religious Right, which is holding its collective breath and pouting over the event. Case in point: Pat Robertson at The 700 Club, ripping into the new law both yesterday and today on his show. MORE HERE.

Church of Scientology in France found guilty of fraud

October 27, 9:15 AMAtheism ExaminerTrina Hoaks

Unlike the United States, France has not been duped by the Church of Scientology. Although more and more members have come out exposing the church to be nothing more than a glorified cult, the U.S. continues to recognize it as a bona fide religion. After all, would American royalty (celebrities) be associated with something that weren't legit?

Well, France has veiwed Scientology as a sect for a long time now. And, according to an Associated Press report, European countries have been criticized by the U.S. State Department for considering Scientology to be a cult or sect. MORE HERE.

Also see:

Scientology's, Davis, discusses Haggis' allegations and charges of fraud in France

Faith No More

What I've learned from debating religious people around the world.

By Christopher HitchensPosted Monday, Oct. 26, 2009, at 11:21 AM ET

This week sees the opening on various cinema marquees of the film Collision: a buddy-and-road movie featuring last year's debates between Pastor Douglas Wilson, who is a senior fellow at New St. Andrew's College, and your humble servant. (If I may be forgiven, it's also available on DVD, and you can buy our little book of exchanges, Is Christianity Good for the World?) MORE HERE.

Real Places Behind Famously Frightening Stories

’Tis the spectral season, when darkness approaches sooner, and chilly temperatures bring folks around hearths--literally and figuratively--to tell ghost stories. Light your pumpkin and read about the real places behind some of the world’s classic spooky tales. PICTURES HERE.

By Robin T. Reid
Smithsonian.com, October 16, 2009

Vintage costume photos in celebration of Halloween

Vintage costume photographs MORE HERE.

Photo: Fr the collection of Bob Bragman

A Guide to the Chuseok Ancestral Memorial Service

The ancestral memorial service is the central event of Chuseok, Korea's most important holiday. It's a complex affair, and many Koreans are unsure about the principles for setting out the Chuseok ritual table or the procedure for the service and just follow what others do. Here, the Chosun Ilbo explains the correct procedure in easy-to-follow steps. MORE HERE.

Yoon Do-hyun Poised to Conquer U.S.

Celebrated rock band YB will make their U.S. debut early next year on the Universal label. A documentary of their recent U.S. tour will be aired on PBS as well. "I'm studying English like crazy," lead singer Yoon Do-hyun told the Chosun Ilbo on Wednesday. MORE HERE.

Congress extends hate crime protections to gays

By JIM ABRAMS, Associated Press Writer

Thursday, October 22, 2009

(10-22) 15:00 PDT WASHINGTON (AP) --

Physical attacks on people based on their sexual orientation will join the list of federal hate crimes in a major expansion of the civil rights-era law Congress approved Thursday and sent to President Barack Obama.

A priority of the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., that had been on the congressional agenda for a decade, the measure expands current law to include crimes based on gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability. The measure is named for Matthew Shepard, the gay Wyoming college student murdered 11 years ago. MORE HERE!

Versailles get dolled up for visual-kei fest

By DANIEL ROBSON

Special to The Japan Times

With dozens of Japanese bands trying to crack the West over the last 20 years, whoever would have guessed visual-kei would be the first genre to truly succeed? MORE HERE.

All dressed up: The members of Versailles (clockwise from top left: Kamijo, Hizaki, Teru and Yuki) say their sense of fashion is just as important as their music.

The age of listless, wary, anxiety-ridden and insecure young men

Pity the young Japanese male. For him, it’s shock piled upon shock. No wonder he’s reeling.

The monthly magazine Nikkei Woman (November) lists what career-oriented men have had to contend with over the past 20 years. 1990 brought the bursting of the so-called bubble economy, the beginning of the end of opportunity as we knew it. 1993 saw in the “hiring ice age”—firms hit by the recession froze hiring, condemning all too many college grads to drudgery as part-time “freeters.” One glimmer of light over the next few years was the venture firm Livedoor, fronted by flamboyant celeb-entrepreneur Takafumi Horie, aka Horiemon, symbol of commercial imagination and path-breaking derring-do. His arrest on fraud charges in 2006 doused the flicker of hope he represented. Then in 2008 came the Lehman shock. Japan’s economy didn’t quite die, but doesn’t quite live either. MORE HERE.

Ultimate Sunday morning toaster grills your bacon as well as your bread

By Beth Hale
Last updated at 8:13 AM on 23rd October 2009

It's the perfect answer for anyone in need of a speedy breakfast - a toaster which can also grill a couple of rashers of bacon.

The device, called the Toast N Grill, has a normal toaster-style slot along the top for two slices of bread.

But it also has a mini-oven compartment underneath, in which the user can grill a slice of bacon and then keep it warm while preparing the toast. MORE HERE.

Enlarge

Tefal launches all-new Toast N Bacon device to create the perfect bacon butty in minutes

FFRF sues IRS, Geithner and California over 'Minister of Gospel' tax benefits

October 20, 10:08 AMAtheism ExaminerTrina Hoaks

The national Freedom From Religion Foundation, along with 21 of its California members, has filed a nationally-significant federal lawsuit in Sacramento, challenging tax benefits for "ministers of the gospel," commonly known as "the parsonage exemption." MORE HERE.

What Happened To All The Ferocious Female Punks?

By Rae Alexandra

Posted on 10/21/09 at 03:43:41 pm

In ‘Never Mind The Bollocks: Women Rewrite Rock’ - Amy Raphael’s 1995 examination of women in rock subcultures - Huggy Bear bassist, Niki Elliott, announced: "True punk rock feminism will never die."

"Of course it won’t!" we all thought, high on the empowerment and political discourses that riot grrrl had brought us dissatisfied, alternative girls. "Revolution Girl Style Now!", Bikini Kill’s Kathleen Hanna screamed at us over and over again. MORE HERE.

'Jesus's face' spotted on the toilet door in Ikea Glasgow

By Tom Chivers
Published: 11:16AM BST 19 Oct 2009

Jesus, or possibly Gandalf, as spotted on the door of the gents' toilets in a Glasgow branch of Ikea Photo: JOHN GUNION - THE SUN

A bearded face, with long flowing hair, is plainly visible on the wooden door of the men’s toilet in the Braehead outlet of the Swedish furniture and meatballs giant. MORE HERE.

Fry & Hitch v the Catholic Church

Tuesday, 20 October 2009

Last night, I went along to the Intelligence Squared debate on whether "the Catholic Church is a force for good in the world" at Methodist Central Hall in Westminster. It was a fairly grand affair, not least because of the impressive venue, and Intelligence Squared had assembled quite a panel to thrash out the issue. Speaking for the motion were Archbishop John Onaiyekan, the Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Nigeria and Anne Widdecombe, the Conservative MP and outspoken Catholic convert. Speaking against the motion were Christopher Hitchens, author of God is Not Great, and Stephen Fry, who is well known for his humanist views (in fact, Laurie Taylor interviewed him about this in New Humanist a few years ago). The debate was chaired by the journalist Zeinab Badawi. MORE HERE.

New Conservative Bible will eliminate 'liberal' text

Version removes adultery story

By Bob Smietana • THE TENNESSEAN • October 18, 2009

If Andy Schlafly has his way, there will be no socialists or snake handlers in the Bible. No woman caught in adultery. And, definitely, no Stephen Colbert.

Schlafly, founder of Conservapedia.com, wants to save the Scriptures from liberals with his latest venture, the Conservative Bible Project. He says translations like the New International Version have added socialist ideals to the Good Book. But his rewrite of the Bible has drawn criticism from biblical scholars, liberals and conservatives. MORE HERE.

The Bone Collectors

It's time to bring relics back to the Catholic Church.

By David FarleyPosted Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009, at 12:08 PM ET

Catholic relics are gaining popularitySome believe that listening to heavy metal and soaking in its sometimes faux macabre culture can lead to the devil. It led me instead to a fascination with holy relics. I was perhaps the only teenager in my suburban Los Angeles town who yearned to see bones and other pieces of sanctified stiffs encased in glass. That was what drew me to ask an ancient woman at my Catholic church's administration office what relic was housed in the church's altar—a simple question, I thought. She admitted that not only had she never been asked that question, but she had no idea and called in Father Dennis. He was equally in the dark. MORE HERE.

Controversial Christian zoo skinned tiger Tira and stored her head in freezer

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 10:52 PM on 19th October 2009

A Christian zoo decapitated a dead tiger and cut off its paws before it dumped the carcass on farmland and stored the head in a freezer, an investigation has revealed.

The female Bengal tiger called Tira was skinned after she died of natural causes and then buried in a black bin bag at Noah's Ark Zoo Farm.

Investigators also discovered she was on loan from the owner of the Great British Circus - one of the last big top shows in Britain to use live tigers in performances. MORE HERE.

Natural causes: Tira the Bengal tiger, who was decapitated after her death

Hiroyuki Sanada to appear in final season of 'Lost'

t

• only article
• article and comments

Hiroyuki Sanada

Monday 19th October, 06:43 AM JST

TOKYO —

Actor Hiroyuki Sanada, 49, will be appearing in the 6th and final season of the popular American TV series “Lost.” He will play “Dogen,” an important character that holds the key to the story of the final season, producers said, adding that the part has been especially written for Sanada.

The 6th season will air in the U.S. from early 2010 and be shown on pay TV in Japan next summer.

Nigerian Children Deemed Witches Tortured

Thousands of Youngsters Denounced by Renegade Churches as Practicing Witchcraft Have Suffered, Died From Exorcisms

(AP) The nine-year-old boy lay on a bloodstained hospital sheet crawling with ants, staring blindly at the wall.

His family pastor had accused him of being a witch, and his father then tried to force acid down his throat as an exorcism. It spilled as he struggled, burning away his face and eyes. The emaciated boy barely had strength left to whisper the name of the church that had denounced him - Mount Zion Lighthouse.

A month later, he died. MORE HERE.

• Photo

  Accused child witches Jane (left) and Mary (right), standing with other children accused of witchcraft, at the Children's Rights and Rehabilitation Network in Eket, Nigeria on Aug. 18, 2009. Jane's mother tried to saw off the top of her skull after a pastor denounced her. Mary, 15, is just beginning to think about boys and how they will look at the scar tissue on her face caused when her mother doused her in caustic soda. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

• Stories
• Saudi Woman Faces Death For Witchcraft
• Modern-Day Witch Hunt In Remote India

Albino victim evicted from safe-house

By Erick David Nampesya
BBC Swahili service, Ngara, Tanzania

Mariam Staford Bandaba is too scared to return to her home village

One year ago, Mariam Staford Bandaba, an albino woman living in Tanzania, was viciously attacked by a machete-wielding gang who tried to kill her and sell her remains for witchcraft.

She escaped with her life, but only just. MORE HERE.