Napalm Death Coming To Town

While we are talking about great bands, I just found out that the mighty Napalm Death are coming to our fair town.
Monday Night April 13th at Mad Hatter:
Napalm Death
Kataklysm
Toxic Holocaust
Abigail Williams
Trap Them
Suicide Pact
Holy Shit! What a line up!

Upcoming SS-20 Shows...

I was just checking out some upcoming SS-20 shows and here's a quick list:
March 7th Blue Rock Tavern
March 9th Opening for Agent Orange at Southgate House
March 17th Gypsy Hut (see flyer below)
April 23rd Blue Rock Tavern
April 28th Opening for MDC at MadHatter
So you can get your fill of Cincinnati's Original Punk Band....
www.myspace.com/ss20capitalclass

Breaking The Spell..

I just started reading "Breaking The Spell" by Daniel C. Dennett. I'm only on page 20 or so and I have been underlining and circling passages for future reference. I was watching a 2 Hour documentary called "The Four Horsemen". It features Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Christopher Hitchens and Sam Harris in a round table discussion about religion. I guess you could call these guys the most visible atheist of the day. All four gentlemen have had Best Sellers concerning atheism and religion. So to have them sitting around a table drinking cocktails and comparing notes is something special. Daniel Dennett is a philosopher and professor at Tufts University. His idea is to put organized religion through a series of scientific scrutiny. It seems any opposition to religion is automatically dismissed because of Blind Faith. There is no scientic evidence to prove the existence of "god". I have to believe that is the reason a lot of religionists look down on the scientific method. Hence the idea of an intelligent designer and creationism. If the idea that god created the universe is true, then my question is, who created god? You can ask that until infinity. The idea of spirituality is ok with me, we all need something to keep us going. But to base and put faith in a supreme being seems a little far fetched. So hopefully Daniel C. Dennett is on to something when he trys to "Break The Spell"....

Just finished reading...

I'm just finishing up this book of the final writings of Anton Szandor LaVey. Some of the essays are funny, some are the musings of an old eccentric and some are dead on observations of the inhuman condition we call life. There is a forward by Marilyn Manson, which is ok, didn't blow me away, but you could tell Manson respected LaVey and what he was trying to accomplish. Another fine publication by Feral House. I always find it interesting that people don't realize that LaVey was an atheist. How could the head of The Church of Satan be an atheist. Well, you have to read the tenets of the C.O.S. and be open to the message to dig it. I would have loved to spend time with LaVey to check out his library and hear his tales. I think we would have hit it off quite well. I would have enjoyed hearing him play the wurlitzer and his unique sense of humor is in line with mine.

"Stories For Shorty" in the Public Library

Just wanted to let everyone know that the Cincinnati Public Library Main Branch has purchased seven copies of "Stories For Shorty".
We will be dropping them off this weekend 02/22/09. Here is a list of The Aurore Press Inventory here in the AP Office:

34 copies of "Stories For Shorty" $15 ppd
1 X-Large Shorty T-Shirt $15 ppd
8 XX-Large Shorty T-Shirts $15 ppd
9 copies of "Country at War" $6 ppd
20 copies of "Pardon's Prism" $6 ppd

COMING SOON: Jockey Club Reunion 08 Live CD

All information is availiable at : www.aurorepress.com

SS-20 opening for MDC

Cincinnati's original hardcore punk band SS-20 is opening for Punk Legend's MDC Millions of Dead Cops. Anyone who owns that first MDC record or those early 45's knows the importance of this classic band. The show is April 28th at The MadHatter.

Some good news from my e-mail...

I just got an e-mail from the Secular Coalition of America. The stimulus package that Barack signed the other day did NOT contain any funding for the Compassion Capital Fund that I referred to in an earlier post. This saves $100,000,000. So after my last post I must say things are looking up. It goes to show that calling your senators and congressman and e-mailing your president does work sometimes. I'm off to listen to some SLAYER...

DAD ?

I had an interesting series of conversations with my dad recently. The last three in particular have been somewhat disturbing to me. Somehow a "reach out" phone call and a "stop by and say hi" visit have turned into something a little ugly. I can't take the emotional rollercoaster ride and give a word for word transcript of the interactions but I have been scratching my head to figure things out. It would seem that getting older and facing one's own mortality hasn't mellowed my dad out. He is still full of hatred for the african american (not the term he uses) community. Loathes liberals (I guess I fall into this category) and would wipe out atheist (me again) if given the opportunity. Don't even get him started on lesbians (another family member) and homosexuals. He has told me in the past that the only real news source in America is Rush Limbaugh. Years ago he told me that the only true american citizen is a Catholic Mason. Anyone who knows me even a little bit knows that all those statements are fighting words for me. Except I don't like to fight with people who share different views. I will discuss any topic, but I don't want to fight. We all lose. I have had many talks with my brother about what kind of legacy a dad leaves behind. This is a topic I find very interesting because it is also aimed at me as a dad myself. I look at all the examples I have been given by my own dad. Drinking, drugging, grifting, abusing, racial and political intolerance, adultery, dry drunkedness, screaming, yelling, strings attached love, selfishness etc. A few goods things if I may: love of music, decent sense of humor, fishing, thrift storing, fondness for pro wrestling. It's an interesting mix to be sure. I know one thing for sure is that I don't want to end up old, bitter, racist, and very judgemental, too bad my dad has fallen into this category, any good memories are fading away fast. I know one thing for sure and that is I don't want my kid around those things. I grew up without a grandfather, I made it. My kid only has my dad left for a grandfather. What do you do? Get togethers are easier if we can all coexist. I still love my dad, but I have to admit I am disappointed in the outcome. I have my own views about what a dad is and what he should be. I know that most of them are pipe dreams for me. But I know what kind of dad I want to be for my kid. Unconditional love and support, I'm sure I will go through the normal trials and tribulations of adulthood and parenthood, but I will still love my kid no matter what her political and religious beliefs might end up being. Hell, I'm looking forward to having a cold one together if she chooses. I want to be able to support any endeavor she follows. I also want to be a part of my grand kids if I live long enough. I want to be involved....
I don't expect my dad to change, neither one of us will live long enough. But my tolerance for bad behavior is growing thin. When you yell at me and raise hell with me, you are also doing it to my family. When you call my friends horrible names, you are calling me those names. I'm at peace with my relationship with my dad, I tried.... I haven't written him off though, but I know my place in his world, I guess? I don't like the darkness that surrounds him, but he chose his adult life. A path of destruction will take him to his grave. I'm sure his funeral will consist of disgruntled family members on one side of the church and many AA members singing his praise on the other. Not to mention some head scratching in the middle. How will I react that day? I don't know until it gets here. Until then we'll see what happens day to day. Life is weird, dysfunctional but never boring...................

Awesome Republican Website

I had to post this awesome banner I found on this right wing republican website I came acrossed. The organization is called Moving America Forward. I've always been intrigued by the age old notion of American Nationalism. It's almost a religion within itself. Bush could have said, "I'm The Exploiter". Nationalist Pride is the thing that drove Hitler forward. It's the thing that gets people to sign up for the military. Human nature is not to kill people. It's not to have an enemy because of skin color or political differences. These things have to be taught. Brainwashing has to be the basis. Can you imagine being Paul Tibbits, the pilot of The Enola Gay? What kind of training and mind control must they have used to convince him to drop the bomb on Hiroshima and feel good about it? The same can be said about GITMO. Torture is not a normal action as far as I am concerned. Illegal detention, no legal counseling etc. doesn't seem like something soldiers could be capable of without hypnosis. But we have been taught by our newspapers and other media to believe this. FOX should be called The American Nationalist Pride Channel. Because obviously it works. So please someone clap their hands together real loud so these victims of USA RULES will snap out it.

Cool........

A Few Things I Have Coming Up!!

February Free Inquiry Group Meeting
Sunday Night February 22nd 7:00pm
Vernon Manor Hotel
400 Oak
Cincinnati, Ohio 45219
"Evolution Since Darwin" I'll Be There!

Cincinnati Atheist Group March Meeting
Saturday Night March 7th 7:00pm
Panera Bread
8420 Winton Rd
Cincinnati, Ohio 45231 I'll Be There!


Anyone interested in going with me?
This will be my first meeting with both groups, I thought I would check it out as I'm always looking for interesting things to get involved in.

THE ZERO BOYS

One of the greatest punk bands ever, The Zero Boys from Indianapolis are alive and well. Secretly Canadian Records have re-issued one of punk rock's top ten albums of all time VICIOUS CIRCLE. They were my first show at The Jockey Club in 1982.

R.I.P. Lux Interior

Just found out that Lux Interior of the infamous CRAMPS died on February 4th in Glendale California of heart complications. Every punk, goth, rockabilly greaser and everyone inbetween loved The Cramps.

Awesome Picture!!

I can't say how much I love this photo. I think this is a bus in England, can you imagine the Xtian outrage at something like this here in Cincinnati. I saw a figure that put the number of non-believers in this country at about 63 million people. That's a nice number I must say. In the words of the great Harvey Milk: "I'm here to recruit you"...It's time to stand up and be heard, start a blog, write an essay, start a group... it's our time.

Economic Stimulus Plan #193

I just took a look at the economic stimulus plan which is called hr1. There is a provision #193 which states:
"Would increase funding for The Compassion Capital Fund from $100,000,000 to $600,000,000 to provide needed support for FAITH and community-based social service organizations. The Compassion Capital Fund(ccf) was started by George W. Bush as part of his faith based initiatives. It's free money for churches!!! They already don't pay taxes for Christ's Sake. This is complete bullshit, our tax money going to tax free organizations. It makes me sick!!!

New Chairman for the RNC....

In a landslide victory Michael Stephen Steele has been named the new chairman of the Republican National Committee. He didn't get the job because he is african american either. He was a lt. governor in Maryland at one time and lost a bid for u.s. senate. He has since joined some law firm...But he is now the pride and joy of the republican party. Even ass kisser and all around loser Ken Blackwell was in the running for awhile. You never know though, the south may rise again too!