The following is a little snippet from an article that's being developed about the cultural shifts of punk culture and the margins. This bit addresses the meaning of the term "punk" and what it's come to connote in modernity.
Punk culture is not occupying the margin anymore. The center has now 'discovered' the margin much like Columbus discovered the Americas. It's acquired all the real estate it can manage. It now resides there. Once a marker of the Other, punk is now a symbol of what it means to be cool. It's in and most show their interest in it by appropriating it. For punk has come to epitomize our Zeitgeist. Only this is not the punk of the Sex Pistols, The Clash, and The Ramones. This is a heteronormativity-nuanced punk; it's loved and supported by the majority.
If punk used to refer to marginal and marginalized groups and subcultures that stood for the opposite of normativity, it now stands as yet another synonym of what it means to be au currant, socially relevant, something you want to follow on Twitter and friend on Facebook.
Punk hasn't arrived anywhere. It's been co-opted. The center has co-opted it as only it knows how. Punk has been colonized by SUV-driving adults who will soon have to swap their big American-made and bankruptcy-swallowed GM for a Japanese-made Prius.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Paul Krugman on the State of the Economy
Most enlightened sentence I read today comes from Nobel laureate and a favorite NY Times columnist, Paul Krugman:
"Comments here are moderated; the Times doesn’t have anyone to moderate them on weekends, and I can only do so much myself."
Methinks he's not just talking 'comments' here.
Read more here.
Tip of the hat to MR for the pointer.
"Comments here are moderated; the Times doesn’t have anyone to moderate them on weekends, and I can only do so much myself."
Methinks he's not just talking 'comments' here.
Read more here.
Tip of the hat to MR for the pointer.
NPR Offers Exclusive First Listen: Lightning Dust
Very, very good album from Vancouver-based act Lightning Dust. The album is called Infinite Light and it's the band's sophomore project.
You can hear it here courtesy of NPR.
or here:
From Two Days Ago in Seattle: Got Gossip?
If you don't know who Gossip is, get with the plan. If you like indie rock generally and the music of Le Tigre specifically, then you're bound to like this trio too.
This footage of Gossip live was taken just a couple of days ago up in Seattle.
This footage of Gossip live was taken just a couple of days ago up in Seattle.
Steve Jobs on "Stop-Doing" Strategy
I was talking to one of my best friends last night and I noted that Steve Jobs had been a high-frequency item in a lot of the books I've been reading the past few months. Then I specifically referred to a quote from him as featured in Matthew E. May's very well-written new title In Pursuit of Elegance.
In this context, Jobs was referring to what is called a stop-doing strategy. He observes:
"People think focus means saying yes to the things you've got to focus on. But that's not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully. I'm actually as proud of the things we haven't done as the things we have done." (81)
In this context, Jobs was referring to what is called a stop-doing strategy. He observes:
"People think focus means saying yes to the things you've got to focus on. But that's not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully. I'm actually as proud of the things we haven't done as the things we have done." (81)
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