via Boing Boing
It’s been three months now since that warm night in June, when Eddie, the local gangbanger spokesman came over to have a word with us, the new neighbors; and 20 years roughly since I returned to my hometown. Always rough-and-tumble, with mobsters, criminals and grifters mixing uneasily with working class rednecks who came north a generation ago; and in-turn mixing with working class and inner-city blacks who came for the same factory jobs.
Those jobs are gone and the city, Rockford, Ill., not only has the honor of the state’s highest unemployment rate — but has now been labeled “The 9th Most Dangerous City in America” by a recent and highly publicized US Dept. of Justice report. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 152,222 people lived in Rockford in 2011.
I’ve wanted to write about the record The Strain by Teeth for some time now, but given the subject matter, I’ve never quite been sure how to approach it. For those who are familiar with the compelling story of John Grabski, creative force behind the short-lived duo, I certainly can do no better than what has already been written.
Through the benevolent powers of the internet, John found a community to share his story of his battle with cancer. Shortly before his death, he recorded a seven-song LP with his brother Ben and Steve Albini at Electrical Audio in Chicago. It’s an unvarnished document of his fight with cancer: the medicine and surgery, the hope and vulnerability, the struggle to make sense and learning how to deal with the limited time one has. The project adopted the motto Rock vs. Cancer; Rock Wins, which captures the spirit of the record.
From the “Things to Do” section of the New Orleans Convention and Visitors’ Bureau website: It is said that in New Orleans, culture bubbles up from the streets. Nowhere is this more evident than in the music scene. You’ll know it when you come across…
After the demise of ’84, one would assume that fans would wise up, get a grip, and begin to understand the Cubs’ place in the Great Order of Things. However, hope springs eternal and there is no vaccination for stupidity. I was soon back in…
“What is it with guys always peeling their sunburn? My high school boyfriend used to do that a lot. You two would probably get along well.”
With those words, I felt a challenge laid down before me.
And, then there was 1984. It gave me hope, but it was false hope and it would be years later when I would find my way. ’84 was a special season for Cub fans because it marked the end of a very long playoff drought….
However, I have come to see things differently. Losing has always been in the card because divine forces have been acting on the field and behind the scenes telling us to repent, accept defeat, before it was too late. The 2003 season was foretold to…
As a band — not a “Christian” band — Flatfoot 56 reminds listeners once again that it’s possible to find purpose and virtue in dark, cynical times, simply by living through them and sharing the pain. Sure, the band’s seamless blend of Celtic punk, folk…
At the risk of offending my employers and colleagues I cannot wrap my mind around online teaching. I realize that it’s a modern version of the old “degree by correspondence,” but I even found that to be problematic. So am I just a fuddy-duddy traditionalist…
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 When my name was called, sitting there at the VA hospital, I stood up, thanked the Jesus-loving Vietnam vet for his time and his service, and went with the attendant to examining room A, where I was…