Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Yelle - "A Cause Des Garcons"
These guys are hilarious. I am currently searching for hipster guy friends to replace Patrick and Jeff in my life.
Summer reading: "A People's History of the United States"
"Slavery existed in the African states, and it was sometimes used by Europeans to justify their own slave trade. But, as [Basil] Davidson points out, the 'slaves' of Africa were more like the serfs of Europe - in other words, like most of the populations of Europe. It was a harsh servitude, but they had rights which slaves brought to America did not have, and they were 'altogether different from the human cattle of the slave ships and American plantations.' In the Ashanti Kingdom of West Africa one observer noted that a 'slave might marry; own property; himself own a slave; swear an oath; be a competent witness and ultimately become heir to his master... An Ashanti slave, nine cases out of ten, possibly became an adopted member of the family, and in time his descendants so merged and intermarried with the owner's kinsmen that only a few would know their origin.'" (27)
I'm reading Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States (free here) because one of my least favorite yet most interesting professors recommended it. This is the description:
"Known for its lively, clear prose as well as its scholarly research. A People's History of the United States is the only volume to tell America's story from the point of view of - and, in the words of - America's women, factory workers, African Americans, Native Americans, working poor, and immigrant laborers."
I am trying to unpack my college experience and understand what it all meant. One of the ways that this book is helpful in this process is that it is helping to define for me what perspective Mizzou was taking on history. Although part of me doubts some of the facts that Zinn uses to support his view of history, I feel my hard conservative heart melting towards the oppressed groups throughout history.
Why I wanted to talk about this quote in particular: I have kept a quite offensive idea in my mind for the last couple years and have been gathering evidence to support it. I mostly accept that it's a really dumb idea, but still, it's a pet idea of mine. I have wondered whether slavery (the more gentle and humane version as described above as more akin to serfdom - which also sucked, I know) might not be some kind of practical solution to poverty and unemployment. It's structured, it provides for the basic needs of the slave, and (in a just society) it would have a set date of termination. I don't know what kind of payment system would be worked out, but as I have been reading, some slaves received land and supplies at the end of their slave term. This would also pay off any debt, I would assume. Interesting idea.
I'm reading Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States (free here) because one of my least favorite yet most interesting professors recommended it. This is the description:
"Known for its lively, clear prose as well as its scholarly research. A People's History of the United States is the only volume to tell America's story from the point of view of - and, in the words of - America's women, factory workers, African Americans, Native Americans, working poor, and immigrant laborers."
I am trying to unpack my college experience and understand what it all meant. One of the ways that this book is helpful in this process is that it is helping to define for me what perspective Mizzou was taking on history. Although part of me doubts some of the facts that Zinn uses to support his view of history, I feel my hard conservative heart melting towards the oppressed groups throughout history.
Why I wanted to talk about this quote in particular: I have kept a quite offensive idea in my mind for the last couple years and have been gathering evidence to support it. I mostly accept that it's a really dumb idea, but still, it's a pet idea of mine. I have wondered whether slavery (the more gentle and humane version as described above as more akin to serfdom - which also sucked, I know) might not be some kind of practical solution to poverty and unemployment. It's structured, it provides for the basic needs of the slave, and (in a just society) it would have a set date of termination. I don't know what kind of payment system would be worked out, but as I have been reading, some slaves received land and supplies at the end of their slave term. This would also pay off any debt, I would assume. Interesting idea.
Never Have I Ever
sumo wrestling in nyc - I won.
Most great youth group games are modified drinking games, one of those being 'Never Have I Ever.' I always forget what I haven't done and end up falling back on "never broken a bone" (which is kind of a lie - I broke my pinkie toe, but who counts that?) and "never kissed a girl" (especially funny with middle schoolers, because it's really embarrassing for the boys). I am going to actually brainstorm now that I'm not under pressure to come up with a good, legit list:
1. never gone paintballing
2. never had a sister
3. never went to a public high school/middle school
4. never lost a toenail/fingernail
5. never been to disneyland/world
6. never owned a pool
7. never owned a trampoline
hmmm...more to come.
thought about the 'viva la vida' album
So, I've been listening to Coldplay's Viva la Vida album for about five weeks now, and I think I've finally come to a decision about it. I like the songs a lot, I'm always switching my favorites, but the songs are fun to listen to and some are quite pretty.
Last week I realized that the album is very postmodern. In a lot of interviews on the album, Chris Martin was unabashed about the fact that they borrowed a lot of ideas from the musicians and bands they were listening to. I can hear some U2, some Postal Service, and some other melodic themes that sound familiar but I can't place. Very cool pastiche. However, some critics have said that the album doesn't end up saying much at all. They mention war, peace, love, and religious symbols in their songs, but there is nothing clear in any of the songs. I'm not expecting "the Iraq war is wrong and should end" in a song, but the messages are conflicting or too vague to draw any conclusions from.
From what I've read and from the classes I've taken, these are both postmodern tendencies. Vagueness and idea borrowing are not wrong, but they can be a little frustrating. If all Coldplay set out to do was to make a pretty album, they succeeded. But don't tease me with allusions to war and religion if you're not going to give me something to think about.
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