The Rag Blog | The Latest in News and Views from the Progressive Front

Ron Jacobs :
Moorcock’s ‘Pyat Quartet’ is story of a twentieth century knave

Posted on March 1, 2014 by Thorne Dreyer

This epic work unfolds in a litany of prejudice, arrogance, and wrongheadedness, all told in a manner that is delightful to read.

John Moorcock’s epic Pyat Quartet.

By Ron Jacobs | The Rag Blog | March 1, 2014

[Pyat Quartet by Michael Moorcock (2012-13: PM Press); Byzantium Endures: Paperback, 400 pp, $22; The Laughter of Carthage: Paperback, 552 pp, $23; Jerusalem Commands, Paperback, 496 pp, $23; The Vengeance of Rome, Paperback, 608 pp, $24. Quartet combo pack from PM Press: $50.]

Some books epitomize the historical moment they are written about. These books, through the power of their narrative, provide a contextual ambience so real the reader becomes a part of the tale being told.

Some such texts that come to mind are Herman Melville’s Moby Dick and Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. The engrossed readers of these two novels cannot separate themselves from the surf or the ship of Ishmael, Queegeeq and Captain Ahab. Nor can they view Kurtz’s jungle nightmare from a distance that might allow a dispassionate response. We are with Marlow in his discovery of the horror or we are one of Kurtz’s tortured victims.
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Posted in RagBlog | Tagged Books, Historical Fiction, John Moorcock, Literature, Novelists, Pyat Quartet, Rag Bloggers, Ron Jacobs | Leave a comment

Bob Feldman :
A People’s History of Egypt, Part 18, 1962-1976

Posted on March 1, 2014 by Thorne Dreyer

Nasser establishes a national party then moves to isolate Communists; his successor, Anwar Sadat, aligns Egypt with the West.

Egyptian leaders in Alexandria, 1968. From left: Gamal Abdel Nasser, Anwar Sadat, Ali Sabri, and Hussein el-Shafei. Photo from Bibliotheca Alexandrina and Gamal Abdel Nasser Foundation / Wikimedia Commons.

By Bob Feldman | The Rag Blog | March 1, 2014

[With all the dramatic activity in Egypt, Bob Feldman’s Rag Blog “people’s history” series, “The Movement to Democratize Egypt,” could not be more timely. Also see Feldman’s “Hidden History of Texas” series on The Rag Blog.]

In 1962, in an effort “to absorb all progressive political forces” in the country “into the state system” of Egypt, Nasser’s military regime established the “Arab Socialist Union” as the one official political party, according to Tareq Y. Ismael and Rifa‘at El-Sa’id’s The Communist Movement in Egypt: 1920-1988.
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Posted in RagBlog | Tagged Anwar Sadat, Arab Socialist Union, Bob Feldman, Egyptian Communists, Egyptian History, Egyptian Jews, Egyptian Left, Gamal Abdel Nasser, Islamic Fundamentalism, Muslim Brotherhood, People's History of Egypt, Rag Bloggers, World History | Leave a comment

Alan Waldman :
‘Lovejoy’ is clever, witty, British mystery series about antiques, frauds, and crimes

Posted on February 24, 2014 by Thorne Dreyer

Ian McShane is simply splendiferous as roguish, slightly shady antiques dealer Lovejoy in this fun series that teaches viewers a lot about old stuff.

The cast of Lovejoy. Ian McShane is on right.

By Alan Waldman | The Rag Blog | February 24, 2014

[In his weekly column, Alan Waldman reviews some of his favorite films and TV series that readers may have missed, including TV dramas, mysteries, and comedies from Canada, England, Ireland, and Scotland. Most are available on DVD and/or Netflix, and some episodes are on YouTube.]

Ian McShane won scads of awards for and was mesmerizing as a kinky saloon/brothel owner in David Milch’s brilliant American TV series Deadwood, but he was sweeter, more charming and way less dark in 73 episodes of the great 1986-1994 British antiques crime-mystery series Lovejoy. Six seasons and 68 episodes are on Netflix, and many appear for free on You Tube. Here’s one.
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Posted in RagBlog | Tagged Alan Waldman, British Television, Criticism, Ian McShane, Lovejoy, Rag Bloggers, Vintage Television | 1 Comment

Roger Baker :
Can Austin survive the current Texas drought? / 3

Posted on February 19, 2014 by Thorne Dreyer

We look at the climate science that warns that Austin faces serious water supply problems, and at the roles played by transportation planning and suburban sprawl in that crisis.

Travis Lakeway City Park, April 2013. Photo by Bruce Melton / The Rag Blog. Click for larger image.

By Roger Baker | The Rag Blog | February 19, 2014

Third of three.

In Part 1 of this series, we observed that Texas is in the grip of the same Southwestern U.S. mega-drought that is hitting California hard. We saw that Texas has an archaic system of water law that allows land development interests to legally secure rural water. In Part 2, we took a close look at how the federally-sanctioned group CAMPO has taken the lead from Austin in Central Texas growth policy, using population projections that ignore water limits and climate change.

In Part 3, below, we look at the recent Austin water data and the climate science that warns that Austin faces serious water supply problems stemming from climate change. We see that recent federal policy calls for transportation planning that considers these factors, but that the planning is not changing.
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Posted in RagBlog | Tagged Austin Water Supply, Bruce Melton, CAMPO, Central Texas Growth, Climate Change, Climate Denial, Climate Science, Colorado River Watershed, Environment, Global Warming, Highland Lakes Water Reservoirs, james Hensen, Land Development, Rag Bloggers, Roger Baker, Texas Drought, Texas Drought Series, Texas Politics, Urban Sprawl, Water Conservation, Water Politics, Western Drought | 13 Comments

Dave Zirin :
Sochi 2014: Where Pussy Riot gets whipped by Cossacks

Posted on February 19, 2014 by Thorne Dreyer

Members of the punk rock collective Pussy Riot were attacked by Cossacks and horsewhipped in the streets of Sochi.

Masked members of the Pussy Riot collective leave a police station in Sochi. Photo by Reuters. Image from the International Business Times.

By Dave Zirin | The Rag Blog | February 19, 2014

In Cairo’s Tahrir Square, way back in 2011, there was a moment that starkly showcased the aspiration for a better future alongside the past puking up its own barbarism. That was when the masses of people who had fearlessly gathered to raise demands for a democratic Egypt, were set upon by men on horses and camels, brandishing swords.

This was more than an attempt at intimidation. Egypt, as the second highest recipient of U.S. military aid, had better weapons at its disposal than horses and swords. It was meant to summon the most atavistic fears among protestors and conjure images of age-old horror stories only whispered by elders.
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Posted in RagBlog | Tagged 2014 Winter Olympics, Agit Prop, Dave Zirin, Direct Action, Gay Rights, LGBT, Musicians, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Police Brutality, Punk Rockers, Pussy Riot, Rag Bloggers, Russia, Russian Cossacks, Sochi Olympics, Sports, Tahir Square, Transgenders, Vladamir Luxuria, Vladimir Putin | 2 Comments

Chellis Glendinning :
A radical imagination: Dilemmas and desire while reading Pedro Susz

Posted on February 19, 2014 by Thorne Dreyer

Pedro Susz is like a diamond; he has many facets… ‘Para una filosofía de la insubordinación’ reveals the rare mind that integrates erudition with vision.

Pedro Susz with Para una filosofía de la insubordinación. Photo from laRazón.

By Chellis Glendinning | The Rag Blog | February 19, 2014

Pedro Susz is like a diamond; he has many facets. It´s not just that Para una filosofía de la insubordinación (La Paz, Bolivia: Plural Editores, 2012) reveals the rare mind that integrates erudition with vision, the intellectual with the passionate; he gives philosophical reflection on today´s pressing question: how can we traverse to the other side of the confusion and cynicism overwhelming us after all these centuries of too-often futile dissent against Power — particularly when the impulse to resist has disappeared not in Falcon sedans and military airplanes, but behind the electronic screen?
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Posted in RagBlog | Tagged Anarchism, Books, Buddhism, Chellis Glendinning, Communications, Cornelius Castoriadis, Digital Technology, Elmwood Institute, Internet, Para una filosofía de la insubordinación, Pedro Susz, Phenomenology, Philosophy, Philosophy of Rebellion, Postmodernism, Rag Bloggers, Spirituality, Technology, Television | 2 Comments

Shepherd Bliss :
Dancing with death at Death Cafés

Posted on February 18, 2014 by Thorne Dreyer

Death can be a teacher, if one moves beyond denial into acceptance… A death awareness movement seems to be growing and taking various forms.

Kiss of Death Statue in the old graveyard of Poblenou, in Barcelona, Spain.

By Shepherd Bliss | The Rag Blog | February 19, 2014

“I have an appointment with death this evening,” I explained, smiling to friends upon leaving them. Their startled faces revealed feelings such as fear and a lack of understanding.

While living in Mexico, their Day of the Dead became my favorite holiday. I especially liked celebrating it in traditional villages, like Tepotzlan. The whole town seemed to go to the cemetery that night. Morbid? Not really, more like fun — feeding and dancing with one’s ancestors, remembering them in gratitude, teaching children to accept death and not be so afraid of it. But I was not on my way to a Day of the Dead celebration this time; I was going to a Death Café.
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Posted in RagBlog | Tagged Day of the Dead, Death and Dying, Death Awareness, Death Cafes, Grief, Philosophy, Rag Bloggers, Shepherd Bliss, Spirituality | 1 Comment

Alan Waldman :
All hail (Sid) Caesar!

Posted on February 18, 2014 by Thorne Dreyer

Remembering the late, great Sid Caesar, who didn’t laugh at my jokes…

Sid Caesar, 1922-2014. Photo by Wally Fong / AP. Image from The Hollywood Reporter.

By Alan Waldman | The Rag Blog | February 19, 2014

The wonderful Sid Caesar just died at age 92. What a tremendous talent!

From 1951 through 1958 he starred in the 90-minute classic sketch comedy Your Show of Shows and then Caesar’s Hour, where he and highly gifted sidekicks Imogene Coca, Carl Reiner, and Howard Morris delighted 60 million viewers a week. It was written by a Who’s Who of comic scribes, including Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Larry Gelbart and young Woody Allen.
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Posted in RagBlog | Tagged Actors, Alan Waldman, Caesar's Hour, Comedians, Deaths, Obituary, Rag Bloggers, Sid Caesar, Television Stars, Your Show of Shows | 1 Comment

Thorne Dreyer :
Singer-songwriter Charlie Faye & friends pay musical tribute to Carole King & James Taylor on Rag Radio

Posted on February 18, 2014 by Thorne Dreyer

Listen to the podcast of this highly entertaining hour that includes memorable performance by Charlie and musical crew.

Charlie Faye and Friends in the studios of KOOP in Austin, February 7, 2014. From left: Noëlle Hampton, Jake Owen, Charlie Faye, Lonnie Trevino, and Wendy Colonna. Photo by Roger Baker / The Rag Blog.

Interview by Thorne Dreyer | The Rag Blog | February 18, 2014

Singer-Songwriter Charlie Faye — and a lively group of musical friends — joined us on Rag Radio, Friday, February 7, 2014.

Rag Radio is a weekly syndicated radio program produced and hosted by long-time alternative journalist and Rag Blog editor Thorne Dreyer and recorded at the studios of KOOP 91.7-FM, a cooperatively-run all-volunteer community radio station in Austin, Texas.

Listen to or download the podcast of our February 7, 2014, Rag Radio show with Charlie Faye and friends, here:
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Posted in RagBlog | Tagged Austin Activists, Austin Musicians, Carole King, Charlie Faye, Interview, Jake Owen, James Taylor, Lonnie Trevino, Musical Performance, Musical Tribute, Noelle Hampton, Podcast, Rag Radio, Singer-Songwriters, Thorne Dreyer, Wendy Colonna | Leave a comment

Jonah Raskin :
My Valentine’s Day

Posted on February 18, 2014 by Thorne Dreyer

I had my best Valentine’s Day ever dancing in the streets of New York with about 60 beautiful women protesting violence against women.

Valentines Day flash mob hits New York streets, February 14, 2014. Photo by Kaavya Asoka / The Guardian.

By Jonah Raskin | The Rag Blog | February 18, 2014

NEW YORK CITY — I didn’t have a date Valentine’s Day. I didn’t have any place I really wanted to go or anything in particular I wanted to do. But I had the best Valentine’s Day I’ve ever had dancing in the streets of New York with about 60 beautiful women — many of them from John Jay College — I didn’t know beforehand.

They were young and they were old, Asian, African-American, and as white as could be. They were the happiest group of women I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting and they were protesting violence against women all around the world and in the U.S.A., too, in events organized by One Billion Rising for Justice.
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Posted in RagBlog | Tagged Flash Dance, Flash Mob, Jonah Raskin, New York Ci, New York City, One Billion Rising for Justice, Rag Bloggers, Sexual Assault, Social Action, Street Theater, Valentine's Day, Violence Against Women, Women's Movement | 1 Comment

Lamar W. Hankins :
Assassination by technology: The context of America’s drone killings

Posted on February 18, 2014 by Thorne Dreyer

Brandon Bryant, who spent six years as a drone sensor operator, has stepped forward out of guilt and concern about the killing of American citizens.

Former drone sensor operator Brandon Bryant. Image from Poem Alley.

By Lamar W. Hankins | The Rag Blog | February 18, 2014

This past week, thanks to Edward Snowden and other whistleblowers, whose disclosures have been reported by Jeremy Scahill and Glenn Greenwald, we have learned some of the truth about America’s use of drones to kill our perceived enemies, even when they are U.S. citizens.

Deploying drones is not necessarily (and apparently seldom) based on human intelligence, but is grounded in technological confirmations that the person we target for assassination may be where we think he (or maybe she) is. A common source of confirmation is often a cell phone signal that our government associates with the target, or the trackable SIM card of the cell phone.
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Posted in RagBlog | Tagged American Excepti, Arundhati Roy, Brandon Bryant, Civilian Fatalities, Counterterrorism, Drone Casualities, Drone Technology, Edward Snowden, Glenn Greenwald, Jeremy Scahill, National Security Agency, Political Assassinations, Rag Bloggers, State Terrorism, Terrorism, The Intercept, Whistleblowers | Leave a comment

Ted McLaughlin :
Convicted felons and the right to vote

Posted on February 17, 2014 by Thorne Dreyer

Eleven states don’t restore voting rights to ex-felons, but a substantial majority of Americans believe that they should.

Image from Politic365.

By Ted McLaughlin | The Rag Blog | February 18, 2014

Attorney General Eric Holder brought up an interesting topic the other day while speaking at a criminal justice symposium at Georgetown University — the right to vote, or the denial of the right to vote for those who have committed a felony in the United States. This is important because it affects millions of potential voters in the United States.

While many voting rights are protected by the federal government and guaranteed by federal courts, there is one class of people in this country that have their right to vote determined on the state level. That is those who have been convicted of a felony crime. And the states do not agree on this issue.
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Posted in RagBlog | Tagged Criminal Justice, Disenfranchising Felons, Eric Holder, Public Opinion, Rag Bloggers, Right to Vote, Ted McLaughlin | 5 Comments

This epic work unfolds in a litany of prejudice, arrogance, and wrongheadedness, all told in a manner that is delightful to read.

Nasser establishes a national party then moves to isolate Communists; his successor, Anwar Sadat, aligns Egypt with the West.

Ian McShane is simply splendiferous as roguish, slightly shady antiques dealer Lovejoy in this fun series that teaches viewers a lot about old stuff.

We look at the climate science that warns that Austin faces serious water supply problems, and at the roles played by transportation planning and suburban sprawl in that crisis.

Members of the punk rock collective Pussy Riot were attacked by Cossacks and horsewhipped in the streets of Sochi.

Pedro Susz is like a diamond; he has many facets… ‘Para una filosofía de la insubordinación’ reveals the rare mind that integrates erudition with vision.

Death can be a teacher, if one moves beyond denial into acceptance… A death awareness movement seems to be growing and taking various forms.

Remembering the late, great Sid Caesar, who didn’t laugh at my jokes…

Listen to the podcast of this highly entertaining hour that includes memorable performance by Charlie and musical crew.

I had my best Valentine’s Day ever dancing in the streets of New York with about 60 beautiful women protesting violence against women.

Brandon Bryant, who spent six years as a drone sensor operator, has stepped forward out of guilt and concern about the killing of American citizens.

Eleven states don’t restore voting rights to ex-felons, but a substantial majority of Americans believe that they should.

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