Excerpts from Electric Degeneration, Degenerate Press' semi-weekly e-zine, free and ad-free. A full episode contains sections for music reviews, upcoming events, blasphemy, classifieds, and anything else we feel like saying. If you'd like to subscribe just contact us.
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5/12/2004
EAR PLUGS
We went on a rare expedition to the Highlands and Blind Willie’s for Wanda
Jackson last week and had a swell time. She’s still got the voice that made her
the Queen of Rockabilly some 50 years ago, and does some fine country tunes to
boot. I’ve got pictures of that, and the late night party at Art Farm afterward,
I hope to get to this week. But it’s been a film-filled spring and we’re off to
yet another tonight, the MC5 documentary at Echo Lounge.
Speaking of movies…
FILM FLAM
We caught Van Helsing this week at the drive in, yet another remake in this
seemingly decade-long summer of remakes. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein
has David Wenham in the Lou Costello role and Hugh Jackman as Bud Abbott with
neither as funny as their predecessors. Nor is Richard Roxburgh as creepy as
Bela Lugosi. The other monsters fare no better, thought the special effects in
this version are impressively over the top. It's like getting hit in the head
with a brick, but a brick made of solid gold. It hurts, but you have to admire
the expense to which the makers went to hurl it at you. The portions intended as
horror are funny, but the parts intended to be funny are horrific. The non-stop
action caused nothing but yawns, but the rare dramatic moments caused nothing
but laughter. Beautifully awful and awfully beautiful. I'd say this ranks (and I
do mean "rank") up there with the best of the worst drive in movies I've ever
seen.
BLASPHEMY
We got this from degenerate GG regarding last episode:
First of all, as I am sure you already know, online polls are next to useless
because the participants are self-selected.
Nevertheless, I would like to see a scientifically conducted poll on this
subject. If one were done, I suspect the percentage of people willing to say
torture could -possibly- be justified (under extreme conditions) might be even
higher than 47%.
Let's say the authorities know for a fact (based on surveillance, informants,
and 2 tons of circumstantial evidence to back up the surveillance and
informants) that religious fundamentalists (belonging to any religion you care
to believe might spark such fundamentalism) have planted a nuclear device in
somewhere in Paris and detonation may be imminent. Or let's say the same amount
of evidence exists indicating that every bridge and tunnel going into and out of
Manhattan are targeted for simultaneous car and truck bomb explosions during
rush hour. And let us further suppose that they have in custody the (suspected)
mastermind of the entire plan. While in custody, he acknowledges that they have
the right guy but refuses to divulge any specifics.
I am glad to know I will never have to make such a decision, but I think a
scientific poll might show that even more than 47% percent of the people
questioned might squeamishly agree that some torture might be acceptable in such
circumstances. After all, the poll question is a theoretical one: is torture
EVER justified? Still, there are real world precedents:
In 1995, Phillipine intelligence agents used torture to stop a devastating plan
to bomb 11 US airliners simultaneously, murder the Pope, and fly a plane into
the CIA headquarters.
LINK:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A10543-2001Sep22
A question for you: how would you respond if you had been the guy in charge of
Phillipines law enforcement?
A goofy stretch, I know, but play along!
Editor’s Response: I’ve been fuming over this for a while now so I may simmer
down enough to respond next episode. Stay tuned.
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