Thursday, October 23, 2008

Interview with Roisin Murphy



It's pronunced "Ro-Sheen."

She's fucking fabulous.

She's playing NYC tomorrow night and I am dying inside that I won't be there.

I talked to her for Slant. You can go read the whole interview - this is my favorite bit, though:

Slant: Any sense of what's playing on your tour bus, as it were?

RM: No, because I've been listening to lectures on my iPod.

Slant: Oh? Lectures by whom?

RM: I download economics lectures, and philosophy lectures, and sociology lectures and such. There's an American site called the Teaching Company, they have the best professors in the world making lectures for them. Y'know, downloadable audio lectures. I haven't been listening to much music honestly.

Slant: Since you're listening to a lot of philosophy, then, I'm curious what place you think pop music has in a world like ours that's so full of bad news.

RM: Well, "pop music"? I don't really separate music out into those kind of…I mean, obviously people say what I've made is pop, but I would kind of disagree. I would say that I'm more fascinated with-on this record, more with disco, house, with emotional dance music, really, than just "pop." I don't think I've ever aspired to make pop music. That doesn't interest me in any way. If it becomes popular by default that's fine. So what can pop music do? I think, very little. I think that music is a great escape for people. And my music is obsessed with night culture, which is in turn a great escape for people. I love the notion of being in a nightclub dancing beside a plumber and an electrician who knows every word of some old soul record. And they're the best person they could possibly be in that moment. They have that belief in a nightclub, you know? I find that very romantic.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

A letter to family and friends in California



Hi Friends and Family in California,

I'm sorry that in some cases I haven't been in touch with you in some time - I hope all is well in your lives.

I'm writing to you today to urge you to vote No on Proposition 8 on November 4th. Though most of you know that I am very opinionated about politics, I rarely make personal entreaties to friends about the causes I support. This time is different because Proposition 8 is extremely personal to me. I hope you'll hear me out, and encourage you to let me know if I can answer any questions on this subject for you.

I have lived a very lucky life. One of the most profound ways in which I am lucky is that I have two wonderful, supportive parents who are in a loving and strong marriage. And while I have not always been the most traditional person, it is certainly true that I hope one day to follow in their footsteps - to be married to the person I love.

Moreover, I hope that the young gay people of California (and elsewhere, but for our purposes, California) will soon live in a place where their love is admired and supported - where their lives and loves are equal in the eyes of the government. I believe that kids who grow up and come out in such a legal environment will be better-adjusted and more productive members of their society. And I believe that those kids will be more likely to grow up and create the sorts of stable, loving families that are the building blocks of a healthy state.

Proponents of Proposition 8 are running ads talking about how gay marriage will be taught to school children, and flaunting the fact that San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom is kind of a jerk. I hope that you and your friends will not be distracted by these tactics - and they are distractions - and will remember the fact that the question before Californians on November 4th is a matter of civil rights, and of equality under the law. Defeating Proposition 8 will not result in churches being required to conduct gay marriage. It will not change what is taught in California's schools. It will result in your neighbors and coworkers and friends, like me, being treated as equals - for the very first time - under California law.

Another way in which I am lucky is that I have been blessed to be surrounded by intelligent and passionate people - like you. I hope that on November 4th you will think of me and vote No on Proposition 8.

Thanks and love,
Dave

PS - Also, please consider donating to Equality for All's No on 8 campaign. Or consider volunteering with the same organization. Time and money are of the essence - the campaign against Proposition 8 is critically underfunded and outmanned. Your support will make a difference.

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Lions and Tigers and Corporate Liberals, OH MY



When Michael Barone, in his charmingly titled "The Coming Obama Thugocracy," writes:

Corporate liberals have done their share in shutting down anti-liberal speech, too. Saturday Night Live ran a spoof of the financial crisis that skewered Democrats like House Financial Services Chairman Barney Frank and liberal contributors Herbert and Marion Sandler, who sold toxic-waste-filled Golden West to Wachovia Bank for $24 billion. Kind of surprising, but not for long. The tape of the broadcast disappeared from NBC’s Website and was replaced with another that omitted the references to Frank and the Sandlers. Evidently NBC and its parent, General Electric, don't want people to hear speech that attacks liberals.


He calls the rest of his argument into question, because as New York reports:
pparently, as we initially suspected, NBC's lawyers took issue with an onscreen caption that ran under the names of real-life billionaires Herbert and Marion Sandler (portrayed on SNL by Darrell Hammond and Casey Wilson): "People who should be shot." As it turns out, you're allowed to sue any late-night comedy show that advocates your murder on live television. Lesson learned!
.

Oh, National Review. You little scamps.