1 July 2021
Tonight on Insurgence #833, show #51 of year #16 of Insurgence, I will be playing music from Snapped Ankles, Dancing on Tables, Swim School, The Ninth Wave, Mark Sharp and the Bicycle Thieves, Pleasure Heads, The Roly Mo, Retro Video Club, Dead Pony, Chris Greig & The Merchants, Spyres, IDLES, Tom Morello and Serj Tankian, Hotel, Gary Numan, Gail Ann Dorsey, Herbert Gronemeyer, LoneLady, The Dandy Warhols, Gang of Four, and Fontaines D.C. As always, Thursdays, 10 pm to midnight US Central Time, on WHYS Community Radio, 96.3 FM Eau Claire and also via the web at: www.whysradio.org
The playlist for that show:
July 1, 2021
1.
Snapped Ankles–“The Evidence”
Snapped Ankles–“Shifting Basslines of the Cornucopians”
Snapped Ankles–“Rhythm is Our Business”
2.
Dancing on Tables–“Tell Me”
Swim School–“Take You There”
The Ninth Wave–“I’m Only Going to Hurt You”
Mark Sharp and the Bicycle Thieves–“Tippy Toes”
Pleasure Heads–“War & Orange Juice”
The Roly Mo–“I’ll Be Happy When You Die”
Retro Video Club–“Addicted”
Dead Pony–“23, Never Me”
Chris Greig & The Merchants–“Glue”
Spyres–“Fake ID”
3.
IDLES–“Damaged Goods”
Tom Morello–“Natural’s Not In It (Featuring Serj Tankian)”
Hotel–“To Hell With Poverty”
Gary Numan–“Love Like Anthrax”
Gail Ann Dorsey–“We Live As We Dream, Alone”
Herbert Gronemeyer–“I Love a Man in Uniform (Featuring Alex Silva)”
LoneLady–“Not Great Men”
The Dandy Warhols–“What We All Want”
Gang of Four–“Forever Starts Now (Killing Joke Dub)”
4.
Fontaines D.C.–“A Lucid Dream (Apple Music at Home With Session)”
Fontaines D.C.–“You Said (A Night at Montrose–Live)”
Fontaines D.C.–“I Was Not Born (A Night at Montrose–Live)”
Fontaines D.C.–“Too Real”
Fontaines D.C.–“Televised Mind”
Fontaines D.C.–“Chequeless Reckless”
Fontaines D.C.–“A Hero’s Death”
Fontaines D.C.–“Boys in the Better Land”
*
Since last week, my primary work focus has been drafting chapter three of _Ian Curtis, Joy Division, and Critical Theory_. I've written the introductory section of the chapter, and sections identifying and summarily explaining key ideas from Marx's _Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts of 1844_, Durkheim's _Suicide: a Study in Sociology_, and Freud's _Civilization and Its Discontents. I'm also about half-way through writing a series of concrete illustrations of these key ideas, making use of a number of hypothetical individuals (a technique I make use of periodically in teaching) as well as personal connections. I still need to finish this last piece of writing, write a section that brings all three books of critical theory together and identifies major lines of connection among them, and then write six further sections, involving encounters and dialogues between these three books and Ian Curtis and Joy Division as represented, in turn, by the songs “Shadowplay,” “I Remember Nothing,” “Isolation,” “A Means to an End,” “Heart and Soul,” and “Love Will Tear Us Apart.”
The illustrations take considerable work, and care, as they are meant just to suggest, somewhat more concretely, what these ideas might appear like, in helping make sense of people's life experiences, and I have to remind myself I am not writing short stories about each of these ‘imaginary characters', just offering illustrative sketches. Also, this past Sunday afternoon I decided to re-read through the entirety of chapters one and two of this same book, for continuity purposes, but had to stop because I found myself, oddly enough, feeling somewhat intimidated by the Bob Nowlan who wrote chapter two
I am amazed at all of what I did in that chapter, so much of it unlike anything I've ever written before. But I don't want to put too much pressure on myself in writing chapter three, as it is a different chapter and doing different work than chapter two, and than chapter one. It's too easy for me to start doubting myself, and I don't want ‘me' to be the one who causes that to happen.
*
Otherwise, this week I can't say I've done anything particularly unusual or exceptional versus what I, and we (Andy and I together), have been doing for much of the past nearly a year and one-half now.
Andy and I took a 10+ miles walk Sunday and were happy in the course of so doing to encounter first John Stupak and second Bruce Taylor, both retired colleagues of ours. It's always a pleasure to meet someone we know on these walks, and sometimes I am sure because I've taught so many thousands upon thousands of different students, and these people can change in appearance quite dramatically from when they were students, and even in the years that they are students, that I might not recognize a good number of them at first. But I welcome students simply re-introducing themselves, and reminding me when we worked together, because I am always happy to meet up with former students as well. I've taught so many wonderful, outstanding, amazing people I sincerely wish it were easier to maintain ties with a great many more of them than I do.
I ran Saturday, Tuesday, and today, and my current rate is 4-5 miles per run, 3-4 times a week, with two times a week doing long walks instead. I continue to appreciate and enjoy running regularly once again, and I even appreciate and enjoy it when I can feel it has proven fairly exhausting by the end, as it readily can running in high heat and humidity outdoors, in the middle of the day, like I did today. Over the course of the time since I resumed running, in January of this year, I have gained weight for the first time in longer than I can remember, and now weigh between 145 and 150 pounds whereas previously, for many years and decades at that, I always weighed between 140 and 145 pounds. I am pretty confident this is just additional muscle weight, especially since by body fat measurements continue to oscillate between 10.5 and 12.5 per cent. I suspect I might have been slightly underweight.
I don't have anything to report as of yet concerning movies or TV shows we have been screening lately or books I have been reading, as we have been trying out a number of different TV series this past week to see what we like and will sustain our interest, and I've just begun reading seven recently acquired books. I did greatly enjoy the England-Germany Euro Cup match and didn't as much enjoy the earlier Denmark-Wales match. I will be watching additional matches in the days ahead, and I am excited about doing so.
Other than that I don't know if I have too much to report or worth sharing at the present moment. Andy and I are taking Casey into meet with our local vet tomorrow morning, which is supposedly for a dental cleaning but we are primarily interested in removing and biopsying a number of bumps Casey has recently developed on his body. They could be just skin tags, but then again Casey has had cancerous mast cell tumors previously and its possible he might be experiencing cancer once again. We hope not, but we will be prepared to do the best for and by him, whatever comes.
All best regards everyone!
Bob
***
3 July 2021
I really like this band and their music. They are clever, insightful, and fun. Their new album is as impressive as their first two.
Good morning friends. It’s a proud day in the forest as we finally get to reveal what we’ve been hard at work on for the last year, through leafy lockdowns and woodwose pandemic woes. Our third full album Forest Of Your Problems is out everywhere, and we’re really excited for you to hear it.
Our plans to see the world and tell them about the Stunning Luxury available to all were abruptly curtailed and like you all we’ve been hunkering down and trying to deal with tangible apocalyptic threats to the modern world. We spent some time in solitude in the forest with the woodwose community and we’re sad to report that there’s been some cracks forming and competing doctrines have emerged.
Some might say that Forest Of Your Problems explores the anxiety and guilt towards the relentless destruction of the planet’s ecosystems. Others might tell you that it’s just us asking which tribe you’re in. The Business Imp, The Nemophile, The Cornucopian and The Protester all want to save you, take you to the moon, smother you in wellness or just sell you a tree to hug. It’s all valid, we can’t tell you what’s right or wrong. Everyone needs a tribe. It’s a dark, fearful world out there. Take care on the path through the forest of your problems.
https://snappedankles.ffm.to/forestofyourproblems.ofp
*
We are concerned again but even much more than ever about our beloved dog and dear friend and vital family member, member of our pack, Casey. He has cancer once again, at least one mast cell tumor and possibly multiple more. We pick him up today after he spent the full day prepping for surgery, in surgery, and recovering from surgery yesterday. We await results from oncology late next week on how widespread the cancer appears to be and what are viable and realistic treatments options if it is not localized.
But yesterday for the first time it hit me, and hard, that our days together yet ahead may be few and coming to an end, and much sooner than we would like we need to pursue getting a new dog.
Casey has been so much a presence in our lives in so many ways, and all that much more during these pandemic and slow recovery times as well as working full-time entirely, and by myself, from home that it will definitely hurt a lot if and when he passes on, but with time I will be able fondly to recall beautiful memories of what a fun, funny, silly, playful, affectionate, loving, friendly, smart, and uniquely special dog Casey has been and how fantastic it has been to spend his life with him.
But I am not ready for that yet, and we hope we still have at least a little while together with Casey yet ahead.
We also decided since Casey has always been enthusiastically hyper-friendly to all living beings that he would want us to adopt another dog to help us move forward, never forgetting him but not being held back all too much and all too hard by grief over the emptiness his passing will leave in our lives.
***
5 July 2018
Republican bill brings National Anthem to youth sports fields across Wisconsin
I have long found it absurd and even insidious that the Star Spangled Banner is already played as routinely as it is before the start of so many sporting contests. There’s got to be a great many more concrete, substantial, and impactful ways for people to manifest love of and pride in their country. Commemorating specific examples of doing so and providing invitations and instructions for how those gathered in attendance as sports spectators could themselves do the same, as engaged citizens, instead of playing the Star Spangled Banner all the time would be a worthwhile change.
I think we would start to witness more of a retreat from these ridiculous legislative overreach proposals if every public meeting or event of every kind, in any way or degree dependent on public support, required the playing of the Star Spangled Banner before it started.
After all, why just sporting events? But then again too many people might actually want to do this.
Imagine, at my job, for instance, if every class, every department/program/committee/senate/administrative/student organization/etc. meeting began with the mandated playing of this song.
I would hope it would be experienced as an oppressively excessive and unnecessary imposition. But perhaps, disturbingly, it would become so familiar as to seem natural, normal, inevitable, and beyond question.
***
8 July 2021
Tonight, Thursday 8 July 2021, I will be hosting the 834th consecutive weekly run of Insurgence, show #52 of year #16 of Insurgence. Next week will mark the beginning of my 17th year producing and hosting Insurgence, with my 835th consecutive weekly show. Tonight I will play music from Snapped Ankles, Sault, Gang of Four & 3D, JJ Sterry, La Roux, Everything Everything, Dado Villa-Lobos, The Sounds, and Sekar Melati. As always, 10 pm to midnight US Central Time on WHYS, Eau Claire Community Radio; 96.3 FM and streaming at www.whysradio.org
https://theproblemofleisure.com
*
Andy and I picked up Casey this past Saturday morning from Oakwood Hills Animal Hospital after his surgery Friday. Casey was recovering reasonably well from the anesthesia, although coughing more than normal for the first few days as undoubtedly the tube caused some throat irritation for him as it did for me this past January, the last time I underwent generalized anesthesia.
Gradually he has returned to the state he was right before this most recent surgery, which unfortunately is still quite far from what he was like up until April of this year, when his Rapid Acquired Retinal Degeneration hit.
Casey used to love chewing on bully sticks of various kinds and carrying fleece pet blankets all about, while playing with them in numerous ways, and he also used to love to race around the house, playing diverse games with us and with the cats, running back and forth greeting us excitedly with his whole back end wagging, and he used to like to follow us everywhere about the house as well as to take long walks and do so quite briskly, usually pulling into the lead. Casey doesn’t do almost any of that anymore, and he hasn’t even barked once in several months now.
He does meander about the house, attempting to navigate the territory as best he can without seeing any of it, and he does greatly appreciate being touched, sharing popcorn with us, and sleeping at the foot of our bed. He does require considerable reassurance these days, entirely understandably, and we are happy to do our best to try to give this, although it makes for somewhat more restless nights, as he prefers to be touching one of us throughout the night just to make sure we are there, and periodically needs to be petted and stroked over the course of the night. Casey has long been a dog who unusually loves being held and even hugged, so we continue to do that as often as we can.
All in all, though, the proliferation of bumps near the surface of his fur strikes both of us as indicative the end may well be near for Casey. We are still awaiting word from oncology on the biopses they took last Friday, but we are ready to start discussing end of life decisions as need be, while wanting to get a better sense not only of what these bumps are, but also to what extent they are causing him pain, along with what kinds of treatment options are possible, with what side effects, and with what prognosis for significant improvement–especially if this is spreading skin cancer, and if the recommendation in response, for treatment, involves some combination of radiation and chemotherapy.
It’s very sad and difficult, for sure, but Casey’s quality of life is crucial to us, and will play a key role in our decisions to come.
*
This past week I’ve mostly been working on the song “Shadowplay” and connections between that song and Marx’s _Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844_, Durkheim’s _Suicide: a Study in Sociolog_, and Freud’s _Civilization & Its Discontents_, for chapter three of _Ian Curtis, Joy Division, and Critical Theory_ but have also begun with each of the further five Joy Division songs I am dealing with in this chapter: “I Remember Nothing,” “Isolation,” “A Means to an End,” “Heart and Soul,” and “Love Will Tear Us Apart.” It’s a slow, careful process but I am pleased that it continues to feel exciting as even after all of these years of devotion to this music I listen to a song like “Shadowplay” and right away think “what a brilliant song” and want to applaud, even in my study, all by myself.
*
Among the many books I am currently reading, and have recently read, I completed the posthumously just released Richard Wright novel, _The Man Who Lived Underground_, which I found powerfully compelling, and, as Wright himself suggests, in a long essay reflecting on sources and influences for this novel, as well as his process in writing it, this is a strikingly surrealistic novel. I have long greatly appreciated Wright’s work, frequently years ago teaching _Native Son_, and am happy the full novel, only previously released in a severely truncated version as a short story is now finally available.
Richard Wright: The Man Who Lived Underground
*
I am also finding _The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together_ by Heather McGhee most compelling as well. McGhee challenges and critiques zero-sum assumptions linked with divide and conquer strategies and tactics, and while showing Black and Brown Americans tend across the board most often to suffer the worst deprivations, White Americans in large numbers do as well–on account of racism being effectively deployed for decades now to undermine support among White Americans for social welfare, public spending, the social safety net, and government involvement in and assistance dealing with education, health care, housing, rate of pay and provision of additional benefits directed associated with the job, working conditions, unionization, civic and community resources, and so much more.
White people, McGhee convincingly demonstrates, have been hurting themselves over and over again, in serious and significant ways, by way of suspicion and hostility directed toward investment of economic and social resources that can and do help Black and Brown poor and working class, and middle class, individuals and communities–but also can and do help White poor and working class, and middle class, individuals and communities. McGhee has done a considerable work reaching out and listening to White people, including those who contend Black and Brown people are being given and have been given unfair advantages over White people.
As Penguin Books indicates:
“Heather McGhee’s specialty is the American economy—and the mystery of why it so often fails the American public. From the financial crisis to rising student debt to collapsing public infrastructure, she found a common root problem: racism. But not just in the most obvious indignities for people of color. Racism has costs for white people, too. It is the common denominator of our most vexing public problems, the core dysfunction of our democracy and constitutive of the spiritual and moral crises that grip us all. But how did this happen? And is there a way out?
McGhee embarks on a deeply personal journey across the country from Maine to Mississippi to California, tallying what we lose when we buy into the zero-sum paradigm—the idea that progress for some of us must come at the expense of others. Along the way, she meets white people who confide in her about losing their homes, their dreams, and their shot at better jobs to the toxic mix of American racism and greed. This is the story of how public goods in this country—from parks and pools to functioning schools—have become private luxuries; of how unions collapsed, wages stagnated, and inequality increased; and of how this country, unique among the world’s advanced economies, has thwarted universal healthcare.
But in unlikely places of worship and work, McGhee finds proof of what she calls the Solidarity Dividend: gains that come when people come together across race, to accomplish what we simply can’t do on our own.
_The Sum of Us_ is a brilliant analysis of how we arrived here: divided and self-destructing, materially rich but spiritually starved and vastly unequal. McGhee marshals economic and sociological research to paint an irrefutable story of racism’s costs, but at the heart of the book are the humble stories of people yearning to be part of a better America, including white supremacy’s collateral victims: white people themselves. With startling empathy, this heartfelt message from a Black woman to a multiracial America leaves us with a new vision for a future in which we finally realize that life can be more than a zero-sum game.”
The Sum of Us WHAT RACISM COSTS EVERYONE AND HOW WE CAN PROSPER TOGETHER By HEATHER MCGHEE
*
Among many TV shows and films Andy and I have recently screened, we recently completed season one of _Pagan Peak_ (_Der Pass_), inspired, like _The Tunnel_, by _The Bridge_, this time involving a collaboration between German and Austrian police confronting a diabolical killer who operates principally in a snowy mountainous region at and across the border between these two nations.
Like with its predecessors the two principal detectives in _Pagan Peak_ maintain many strikingly opposite characteristics but both learn and benefit from, and change in relation to, each other, as they closely collaborate; the killer is multi-tech super-savvy, cloaks his vicious and brutal killings in a grandiose mystical apocalyptic philosophical cum political attempt at explanation/justification, and takes advantage of a leading news reporter to help publicize his murderous campaign. And as with its predecessors the opening murdered body is found across the border and is staged in a mysteriously symbolic as well as gruesomely disturbing way.
Yet Pagan Peak makes ‘The Bridge formula’ very much its own, with many distinctive features and plenty of suspense and intrigue even if it is, like its predecessors, a quite brutal show.
*
Otherwise Andy and I took two excellent long walks this past weekend, and it was great to encounter Blake Westerlund and his son Sam at Olson’s Ice Cream Shop on Saturday. Blake always proves amazingly and exceptionally effective in every encounter I ever have with him of making me feel all the better about myself–an extraordinary and vitally necessary talent.
I’ve also gone for runs Monday and Wednesday, and although on Monday I needed to stop and walk somewhat short of my ultimate goal, because it was so incredibly hot and humid, yesterday in the much cooler and gently drizzling conditions I ran five miles with ease–the easiest run I’ve yet done. Running regularly in high heat and humidity as I have been doing so often this spring/summer is going to make running in cooler (although not cold) conditions all that much easier. I’m happy about that and pleased I ran five miles last Friday as well.
I met up with Peter Hart-Brinson yesterday and that was definitely great as well, talking about our prospective upcoming 2020-2021 Empowerment Through Solidarity Progressive Film Series and Festival and many other matters.
Tomorrow I have my latest PSA test to check on whether I might have prostate cancer; I am hopeful this will turn out well.
And I’ve been following England’s push to the Euro 2020 final with considerable relish and enthusiasm as well.
That’s about it, for what I can think of sharing, other than noting Andy continues to do many household repair jobs as well as create useful household devices with his 3D printer, to workout regularly at Planet Fitness, and do a significant amount of reading himself, both science fiction and for a campus reading/discussion group dealing with an important book encompassing perspectives on the history of mathematics outside of and beyond familiar Western sources.
I wish everyone out there all the best.
Bob
***
Many have commended this but I also do as well–English Manager Gareth Southgate's “Dear England” letter/essay published in _The Players' Tribune_ at the start of the Euro 2020 Cup competition earlier this June 2021:
Dear England by Gareth Southgate
“Our players are role models. And, beyond the confines of the pitch, we must recognise the impact they can have on society. We must give them the confidence to stand up for their teammates and the things that matter to them as people.
I have never believed that we should just stick to football.
I know my voice carries weight, not because of who I am but because of the position that I hold. At home, I’m below the kids and the dogs in the pecking order but publicly I am the England men’s football team manager. I have a responsibility to the wider community to use my voice, and so do the players.
It’s their duty to continue to interact with the public on matters such as equality, inclusivity and racial injustice, while using the power of their voices to help put debates on the table, raise awareness and educate.”
*
“Why would you tag someone in on a conversation that is abusive?
Why would you choose to insult somebody for something as ridiculous as the colour of their skin?
Why?
Unfortunately for those people that engage in that kind of behaviour, I have some bad news. You’re on the losing side. It’s clear to me that we are heading for a much more tolerant and understanding society, and I know our lads will be a big part of that.
It might not feel like it at times, but it’s true. The awareness around inequality and the discussions on race have gone to a different level in the last 12 months alone.
I am confident that young kids of today will grow up baffled by old attitudes and ways of thinking.”