Los Ramo-nays and The Clash

Punks in Havana.  Gawker reports.

To all my homies in the academy:

If ever you are in the enviable position of teaching the concept of "reification" to undergrads, might I suggest you teach them about the comodification of punk rock?

It's old story that gets daily older and less self-consciously ironic. Suffice it to say, not a year goes by when I don't feel like someone somewhere in the world is deliberately trying to make it seem like punk was never anything more than Hot Topic to begin with.

And then this happened:

In January 2010 Converse will release several shoes dedicated to The Clash. Most notably is the Converse London Calling shoes which celebrates the 30th Anniversary of the album. There will also be a pair of Converse Shoes that look like a jacket with buttons and Chuck Taylors with The Clash logos.

I don't even see that this could be potentially lucrative. It's just weird -- as I say, like someone is doing all of this on purpose, for ideological reasons rather than the profit motive.

The Immigrants Want to Sing All Night Long

Because it's rainy in Durham, and it always seems like the right time to miss Joe Strummer: "Straight to Hell."

If you can play on the fiddle
How's about a British jig and reel?
Speaking King's English in quotation
As railhead towns feel the steel mills rust water froze
In the generation
Clear as winter ice
This is your paradise

There ain't no need for ya
There ain't no need for ya
Go straight to Hell boys
Go straight to Hell boys

I would've liked to find a good version of the Clash doing this, but it's a hard song to make work live, so the youtube videos don't do the song the justice that the Mescaleros do it. Here's a nice live Clash version, but without a video.

Know Your Rights

Don't you just love those non-binding UN votes?

From Al Jazeera:

UN adopts indigenous rights bill

The UN General Assembly has adopted a declaration of rights for indigenous peoples despite opposition from several developed states.

The US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand said it gave excessive property and legal powers to indigenous peoples.

This has been on Bush's radar-screen for awhile.



And just for good measure, a little Clash to brighten your day: