Become a part of the TranceAddict community!Frequently Asked Questions - Please read this if you haven'tSearch the forums
TranceAddict Forums > Other > Political Discussion / Debate > Artistic, Intellectual and Philosophical Influences & Recommendations
Pages (2): [1] 2 »   Last Thread   Next Thread
Share
Author
Thread    Post A Reply
shaolin_Z
Hei Hu Quan



Registered: Nov 2004
Location: Austin, Texas, USA: TXTA #102
Artistic, Intellectual and Philosophical Influences & Recommendations

Since there's already a books thread (or sticky rather), and I thought we could use another one to expand discourse on PDD. Everything goes; authors, writers [not sure if I'd call graphic novel story writers authors or not], intellectuals [inside and outside of academia], artists [of any type, from comedy to music and acting], movies, documentaries (hopefully ones that are true to the objective nature of one), music... anything but [specific] books a sticky already exists for that. I'm not sure if this is sticky worthy, so we'll leave that decision up to our friendly neighborhood mod Lira. I guess it would be fair to include things such graphic novels as they don't exactly fall in the category of conventional reading material. Note, by music I mean Records [read as Music CD or albums] that are not EDM as the site already has more than one sub-forum dedicated to it. So feel free to post away.

Minimal Suggestions & Guidelines to Make Your Post More Informative & Accessible to Interested Readers


  • Authors, Writers, Intellectuals & Artists:

    1. Name [and possible Aliases]
    2. Field [or Profession / Occupation]
    3. Wiki [or other similar] link(s) citing a biography (or any similar in nature, including your own ramblings if choose to include that )
    4. Most relevant [or interesting] works
    5. Any other links or content (including embedded video and streaming audio)

  • Movies, Graphic Novels & Records

    1. Title & Release Date
    2. Category [or Genre]
    3. Review(s) include any link(s) [to citing source] (again, including your own ramblings if you like )
    4. Steaming Audio Sample(s) [or link(s)] (for audio content) & Embedded Video(s) [or link(s)] (for video content)
    5. Any other links or content (including embedded video and streaming audio)



[EDIT] Note: IDM postings counts as it's not EDM, or any other 'electronica' Records & Artists that are not EDM.


___________________
"The Greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge." -Stephen Hawking
"First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a socialist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out— because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me— and there was no one left to speak out for me." -Martin Niemöller

Last edited by shaolin_Z on Sep-27-2008 at 16:25

Old Post Sep-27-2008 13:32  United States
Click Here to See the Profile for shaolin_Z Click here to Send shaolin_Z a Private Message Add shaolin_Z to your buddy list Report this Post Reply w/Quote Edit/Delete Message
shaolin_Z
Hei Hu Quan



Registered: Nov 2004
Location: Austin, Texas, USA: TXTA #102

Here's a sample template similar to the one I used that you can quote for formatting convenience if you like:

code:
>> name << ( >> birth_date - death << ) [IMG] >> image_link << [/IMG] " >> quote << " - >> name <<


___________________
"The Greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge." -Stephen Hawking
"First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a socialist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out— because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me— and there was no one left to speak out for me." -Martin Niemöller

Old Post Sep-27-2008 16:25  United States
Click Here to See the Profile for shaolin_Z Click here to Send shaolin_Z a Private Message Add shaolin_Z to your buddy list Report this Post Reply w/Quote Edit/Delete Message
shaolin_Z
Hei Hu Quan



Registered: Nov 2004
Location: Austin, Texas, USA: TXTA #102

Bill Hicks
(December 16, 1961 – February 26, 1994)




“Today a young man on acid realized that all matter is merely energy condensed to a slow vibration, that we are all one consciousness experiencing itself subjectively, there is no such thing as death, life is only a dream, and we are the imagination of ourselves. Here’s Tom with the weather.” -Bill Hicks

  • Alias: William Melvin Hicks
  • Profession: Stand-up Comedian
  • Biography: Born December 16th, 1961 in Valdosta, Georgia, William Melvin Hicks was the youngest of three children. By the time he was seven, Bill had lived in four states before settling in Houston. As a child Bill yearned to be a comedian. He idolized Johnny Carson and the stand-up comedy of Woody Allen.

    In junior high school, Bill met Dwight Slade and they became fast friends. Together, the two spent hours creating comedy routines. Bill and Dwight’s ambitions of performing in front of an audience seemed hopeless. Even though there were no comedy clubs nearby, they made recordings and sent them to local agents. One package earned them an overnight slot on the Jerry Lewis telethon, but they were underage and couldn’t perform. Finally and opportunity arrived when the Comedy Workshop opened in Houston. Chauffeured to the club by friend Kevin Booth (the only one of the three with a driver’s license), they convinced the club manager to give them a shot. Bill & Dwight became the venue’s youngest regular comics. With only a handful of performances under their belts, Dwight’s family relocated, leaving Bill to focus on his solo act.

    Shortly after graduating high school, Bill moved to LA to start the first phase of his love/hate relationship with the city. Performing alongside then-unknowns Jay Leno, Jerry Seinfeld, and Gary Shandling, Bill found the going rough. After two years he had had enough and returned to Houston. Although his experience in the heart of the showbiz beast had been disappointing, Bill remained enthusiastically dedicated to stand-up comedy. He began touring, relentlessly, building a small but loyal base of fans.

    In 1984 with the support of Jay Leno, Bill appeared on David Letterman’s show for the first time (at the time of his death, Bill had performed on the show eleven times). He began playing more prestigious rooms and fellow comedians developed tremendous respect for his work. Hicks tried again to integrate into traditional showbiz by moving to New York which he found more agreeable than LA. There Bill stopped taking drugs, a habit he had picked up during hard years of touring. Although he attended AA meetings, Bill never renounced his drug use, explaining in performances that he had “some great times on drugs.” This blunt honesty flowed over into other areas of his performance and Bill addressed a variety of subjects with new, pure clarity.

    Bill’s comedy (despite his own claims to the contrary) was not about hate or pessimism. Bill was an unabashed optimist. He believed that most people were good at heart but evil forces were deliberately distracting us all from creating a better world using television, lies, tobacco and alcohol as opiates. Bill felt a revolution of thought was coming and that it was his duty, as an emissary of the truth, to bring whatever light he could to anyone who would listen. This blunt, straightforward expression of these ideas could cause clashes with less enlightened, unsuspecting audiences. The result was sometimes dangerous; Bill had his ankle broken and a gun was pointed at him on stage. Despite these experiences, he refused to compromise his material and soldiered on.

    His first standup comedy video, Sane Man, was recorded in 1988 before an enthusiastic crowd in Austin, Texas. Much of the material heard on his later albums is here in the embryonic stage. Bill toured the clubs even more incessantly in the early 90’s, playing 250-300 gigs a year. Although he loved performing, he hated traveling. But the effort was showing results; his legend was spreading by word of mouth. His first comedy album, Dangerous was released in 1990. That year Ninja Bachelor Party was released on VHS and HBO aired an all-Hicks episode of One Night Stand. At the Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal, Bill was a hit with audiences and critics.

    Soon after his Montreal gig, Bill debuted in the United Kingdom appearing in an American comedy revue. British audiences enthusiastically embraced Hicks (Bill joked that it was because of his pale skin), and he toured the country, extensively, winning the prestigious Critics Award at the Edinburgh Comedy Festival. Bill’s second album Relentless was a developmental step from Dangerous but still only hinted at what is to come. On a 1992 English tour he filmed the Revelations performance video. Although he was working harder then ever and his career was building momentum, Bill was still not reaching as large an audience as he had hoped. Meanwhile, other comedians were breaking into mass consciousness with a watered-down version of Hicks’ comedy. While it would have been lucrative for Bill to tone down his act and supersede these pretenders, he had no interest in doing so. Uncompromisingly Bill moved forward, expanding his world-view. Turning his back on the opportunity to cash in, he plowed ahead fearlessly. Bill’s material and performances evolved at a tremendous rate.

    In 1993 a breakthrough seemed closer than ever. Rolling Stone had declared Bill “Hot Stand-Up Comic” of the year. He began work on “Counts of the Netherworld” a high-concept talk show for British TV. He had been nominated for Stand-Up Of The Year by the American Comedy Awards for the third time. He wrote a column for the British humor magazine Scallywag and was asked to write for the political journal The Nation. Rock bands flocked to his banner; Radiohead, Rage Against the Machine and Tool professed their admiration. He had been invited by the New York Public Library for Performing Arts to speak at Lincoln Center in June of 1994. Performance films, screenplays, books and CD box sets were in various stages of discussion. Perhaps to take advantage of this synergy, Bill moved back to LA.

    Then, in June, Bill learned he had cancer. Choosing to keep his illness a secret, he told his family, a few close friends and went straight back to work. In August of 1993 Bill’s brother Steve flew to LA and together they packed Bill’s belongings into his jeep and drove to Little Rock, Arkansas where Bill moved into his parent’s home. He had already recorded both Arizona Bay and Rant In E Minor, with ambitious plans to mix music that he had recorded into the performance to compliment the comedy themes. He described the conceptual Arizona Bay as his Dark Side Of The Moon built around the theme of LA falling into the Pacific Ocean. Throughout the year, Bill underwent chemotherapy on a weekly basis. The tour dates didn’t let up and his writing pace accelerated.

    In October, Hicks taped a performance for David Letterman that became on of his most infamous moments. Returning to his hotel following the early evening taping, Bill was told that censors had cut his segment. In a 39-page letter to John Lahr of The New Yorker, Bill expressed his frustration. He had reason to be enraged; the set had been approved (twice!) by the powers that be. It would’ve been his last television appearance. His last gig was on January 6, 1994 at Caroline’s in New York City – he did not complete the series of shows.

    Despite his illness, Bill was at peace. He spent time with his parents, playing them the music he loved and showing them documentaries about his interests. He called friends to say goodbye and re-read J.R.R. Tolkein’s Fellowship Of The Rings.

    On Saturday, February 26th, 1994, Bill died. He was 32.
    [ Source ]

  • Additional Links:

    [ Official Site ]
    [ Wikipedia ]

    Wikipedia Excerpt:

    "Hicks tended to balance heady discussion of religion, politics and personal issues with more ribald material; he characterized his own performances as "Chomsky with dick jokes." [2]
    2. Shugart, Karen. "Bill Hicks: 'Chomsky with Dick Jokes". Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Retrieved on 2006-03-03."


  • Recommended works:

    1. Revelations (1993):


    2. Interview on Austin Public Access (October 24th, 1993):


    3. Bill Hicks Live - Satirist, Social Critic, Stand-Up Comedian (1994): Amazon Link
    4. Sane Man (1989): Amazon Link


___________________
"The Greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge." -Stephen Hawking
"First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a socialist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out— because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me— and there was no one left to speak out for me." -Martin Niemöller

Old Post Sep-27-2008 16:25  United States
Click Here to See the Profile for shaolin_Z Click here to Send shaolin_Z a Private Message Add shaolin_Z to your buddy list Report this Post Reply w/Quote Edit/Delete Message
shaolin_Z
Hei Hu Quan



Registered: Nov 2004
Location: Austin, Texas, USA: TXTA #102

George Carlin
(May 12, 1937 – June 22, 2008)



"I'm completely in favor of the separation of Church and State. My idea is that these two institutions screw us up enough on their own, so both of them together is certain death!" -George Carlin

  • Alias: George Denis Patrick Carlin
  • Profession: Stand-up Comedian
  • Biography: George Carlin, arguably, is the greatest and -- after Lenny Bruce -- most influential stand-up comedian of all time. An Irish Catholic born and raised in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of New York City, Carlin started out as a conventional comedian and had achieved a fair degree of success as a Bill Cosby style raconteur in nightclubs and on TV until the late 1960s, when he radically overhauled his persona. The new persona, which is more in line with who and what George Carlin is, has been "George Carlin" ever since and is what made him a great stand-up comedian. Carlin's forte is Lenny Bruce-style social and political commentary, spiced with nihilistic observations about people and religion peppered with black humor. He is also noted for his use of language. Carlin's notorious "Seven Dirty Words" comedy routine was part of a radio censorship case that made its way to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1978. [ Source ]

  • Additional Links:

    [ Official Site ]
    [ New York Times Article ]
    [ Wikipedia ]

    Wikipedia Excerpt:

    "George Denis Patrick Carlin (May 12, 1937 – June 22, 2008) was an American stand-up comedian, often considered one of the best of all time. He was also an actor and author, and won four Grammy Awards for his comedy albums.

    Carlin was noted for his black humor as well as insights on politics, the English language, psychology, religion and various taboo subjects. Carlin and his "Seven Dirty Words" comedy routine were central to the 1978 U.S. Supreme Court case F.C.C. v. Pacifica Foundation, in which a narrow 5–4 decision by the justices affirmed the government's power to regulate indecent material on the public airwaves.

    In the 1990s and 2000s, Carlin's stand-up routines focused on the flaws in modern-day America. He often took on contemporary political issues in the United States and satirized the excesses of American culture.

    Carlin's themes have been known for causing considerable controversy in the American media. His most usual topic was (in his words) humanity's "bullshit", which might include murder, genocide, war, rape, corruption, religion and other aspects of human civilization. He was known for mixing observational humour with larger, social commentary. His delivery frequently treated these subjects in a misanthropic and nihilistic fashion..."


  • Recommended works:

    1. Jammin' in New York (1992):


    2. George Carlin Interview (June 24, 2008):


    3. Chris Rock Interviews George Carlin on the Chris Rock Show (Jun 28, 2008):


    4. Life is Worth Loosing (2006): [[ LINK REMOVED ]]

    5. Back in Town (1996): YouTube Links (1 of 6, 2 of 6, 3 of 6, 4 of 6, 5 of 6 & 6 of 6)


___________________
"The Greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge." -Stephen Hawking
"First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a socialist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out— because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me— and there was no one left to speak out for me." -Martin Niemöller

Old Post Sep-27-2008 17:54  United States
Click Here to See the Profile for shaolin_Z Click here to Send shaolin_Z a Private Message Add shaolin_Z to your buddy list Report this Post Reply w/Quote Edit/Delete Message
LazFX
Supreme tranceaddict



Registered: Aug 2004
Location: 9th Circle

Miles Davis
May 26, 1926 – September 28, 1991



" My future starts when I wake up every morning... Every day I find something creative to do with my life." -Miles Davis


  • Profession: an American jazz trumpeter, band leader, and composer.
  • Biography: Bio [ Source ]

    Miles Davis was one of the greatest visionaries and most important figures in jazz history. He was born in a well-to-do family in East St. Louis. He became a local phenom and toured locally with Billy Eckstine's band while he was in high school. He moved to New York under the guise of attending the Julliard School of Music. However, his real intentions were to hook up with Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. He quickly climbed up the ranks while learning from Bird and Diz and became the trumpet player for Charlie Parker's group for nearly 3 years. His first attempt at leading a group came in 1949 and was the first of many occurrences in which he would take jazz in a new direction. Along with arranger Gil Evans, he created a nonet (9 members) that used non-traditional instruments in a jazz setting, such as French horn and Tuba. He invented a more subtle, yet still challenging style that became known as "cool jazz." This style influenced a large group of musicians who played primarily on the west coast and further explored this style. The recordings of the nonet were packaged by Capitol records and released under the name The Birth of the Cool. The group featured Lee Konitz, Gerry Mulligan, and Max Roach, among others. This was one of the first instances in which Miles demonstrated a recurring move that angered some: he brought in musicians regardless of race. He once said he'd give a guy with green skin and "polka-dotted breath" a job, as long as they could play sax as well as Lee Konitz. After spending 4 years fighting a heroin addiction, he conquered it, inspired by the discipline of the boxer Sugar Ray Robinson.

    Around Midnight at the 1955 Newport Jazz Festival, Miles became a hot commodity. He put together a permanent quintet that featured John Coltrane, Red Garland, "Philly Joe" Jones, and Paul Chambers. Miles had a gift for hearing the music in his head, and putting together a band of incredible musicians whose contrasting styles could result in meeting the end result he was looking for. He later added a 6th member, Cannonball Adderly and replaced Jones and Garland with Jimmy Cobb and Bill Evans. In the late 50s, his groups popularized modal jazz and changed the direction of jazz again. He made 2 more classics with the Sextet during this time, Milestones and Kind of Blue. After this time, most of his group left to form their own groups. This was a constant during Miles' career--he brought in the best up-and-coming musicians and after playing in his band and getting established, they formed their own groups. Among the bandleaders to have come from Miles band include: John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderly, Red Garland, "Philly" Jo Jones, Bill Evans, Wayne Shorter, Joe Zawinul, (Shorter and Zawinul would go on to form the fusion group Weather Report) Keith Jarrett, Tony Williams, Herbie Hancock, John McGlaughlin, Chick Corea, John Scofield, Kenny Garrett, Mike Stern, and Bob Berg.

    During this time, Miles and Gil Evans collaborated again and made another unique record, Sketches of Spain, in which Miles plays Spanish Flamenco music backed by an orchestra. His tone is so beautiful and clear, it almost sounds like his trumpet is singing. After experimenting with different groups for 3 years, Miles, who was in his late 30s (old by jazz standards), fused his group with young players in order to bring in fresh ideas. In 1963, he put together his 2nd legendary quintet: Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and 16 year old drumming protege Tony Williams. For 5 years, this group pushed the limits of freedom and made some fiery jazz! In 1968, Miles brought in Joe Zawinul as a 2nd keyboardist and around this time, started experimenting with electric instruments. He made the classic In a Silent Way and a year later, he added British guitarist John McGloughlin and replaced Tony Williams (who left to form his own band) with Jack DeJohnette, and he took jazz in yet a whole new direction with the record Bitches Brew, in which he fused Rock Music with jazz and went heavily into electric music. This record fired the first shot in the fusion revolution which took jazz to a whole new level of popularity.

    In the early 1970s, Miles kept experimenting with the electric instruments and fusing more funk into his music. In 1976, a combination of bad health, cocaine use, and lack of inspiration caused Miles to go into a 5-year retirement. He conquered his cocaine habit, received new inspiration and returned in 1981 and made a series of records that I haven't heard. He did keep pushing music, as he was not one to rest on his laurels and play his old music. He started experimenting more with synthesizers and using studio techniques in his recordings. He won a series of Grammy Awards during this decade and continued turning out sidemen, such as Garrett, Stern, and Berg, listed above. Miles Davis died in 1991

    http://www.milesdavis.com/music.asp
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miles_Davis

    Wikipedia Excerpt: .......while taking a break outside the famous Birdland nightclub in New York City, Davis was beaten by the New York police and subsequently arrested. Believing the assault to have been racially motivated (it is said he was beaten by a single policeman who was angered by Davis being with a white woman), he attempted to pursue the case in the courts, before eventually dropping the proceedings.


  • Recommended works:

    1. So What(1964):


    2. Time after Time: Miles Davis 1985


    3. The Miles Davis and Gil Evans: Complete Columbia Studio Recordings Amazon Link

Last edited by LazFX on Sep-27-2008 at 21:09

Old Post Sep-27-2008 21:00  United States
Click Here to See the Profile for LazFX Click here to Send LazFX a Private Message Visit LazFX's homepage! Add LazFX to your buddy list Report this Post Reply w/Quote Edit/Delete Message
Capitalizt
Supreme tranceaddict



Registered: Feb 2005
Location: USA

Someone's gotta say it..

Too much effort to post all that junk.

Why not just ask for names, titles of influential works, and brief summary of why you chose them?

Old Post Oct-04-2008 19:38  United States
Click Here to See the Profile for Capitalizt Click here to Send Capitalizt a Private Message Add Capitalizt to your buddy list Report this Post Reply w/Quote Edit/Delete Message
Trancer-X
mutatis mutandis



Registered: Jul 2001
Location: Shambhala

quote:
Originally posted by Capitalizt
Someone's gotta say it..

Too much effort to post all that junk.

Why not just ask for names, titles of influential works, and brief summary of why you chose them?


I was going to say that I'm not motivated enough to do it but someone else should do one on Bruce Lee.

Old Post Oct-04-2008 19:53  United States
Click Here to See the Profile for Trancer-X Click here to Send Trancer-X a Private Message Visit Trancer-X's homepage! Add Trancer-X to your buddy list Report this Post Reply w/Quote Edit/Delete Message
shaolin_Z
Hei Hu Quan



Registered: Nov 2004
Location: Austin, Texas, USA: TXTA #102

quote:
Originally posted by Capitalizt
Someone's gotta say it..

Too much effort to post all that junk.

Why not just ask for names, titles of influential works, and brief summary of why you chose them?

Sure thing, it's your (generic you here) post, how much detail you wish to include is up to you guys .


___________________
"The Greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge." -Stephen Hawking
"First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a socialist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out— because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me— and there was no one left to speak out for me." -Martin Niemöller

Old Post Oct-05-2008 01:22  United States
Click Here to See the Profile for shaolin_Z Click here to Send shaolin_Z a Private Message Add shaolin_Z to your buddy list Report this Post Reply w/Quote Edit/Delete Message
LazFX
Supreme tranceaddict



Registered: Aug 2004
Location: 9th Circle

True but is it to much to ask to put a little effort into someone that is an influence??

lazy ass

Old Post Oct-06-2008 12:39  United States
Click Here to See the Profile for LazFX Click here to Send LazFX a Private Message Visit LazFX's homepage! Add LazFX to your buddy list Report this Post Reply w/Quote Edit/Delete Message
Trancer-X
mutatis mutandis



Registered: Jul 2001
Location: Shambhala

quote:
Originally posted by LazFX
lazy ass


I definitely like the idea but I doubt that it's that so much as it is that many people have too many other things that are already going on which take priority over this.

Perhaps some collaborative work is more in order here so that we can all fill in the informational gaps one piece at a time?

Old Post Oct-14-2008 21:30  United States
Click Here to See the Profile for Trancer-X Click here to Send Trancer-X a Private Message Visit Trancer-X's homepage! Add Trancer-X to your buddy list Report this Post Reply w/Quote Edit/Delete Message
Lebezniatnikov
Stupidity Annoys Me



Registered: Feb 2004
Location: DC

I'm simply going to post an article, because it's better written than any ode I could offer.

quote:
Remembering Paul Wellstone

Five years ago we lost a politician who fearlessly stood up for the best of progressive ideals. That his positions are now coming into widespread acceptance is a testament of the courage of a man who spoke out for what was true.


Ezra Klein | October 25, 2007 | web only


Remembering Paul Wellstone


Sen. Paul Wellstone, D-Minn., April 24, 1998. (AP Photo/Joel Page)


Five years ago today, at 10:22 in the morning, a Beechcraft King Air 100 plane crashed into the forest about two miles from Eveleth airport, where it was supposed to land. The pilots, trying to navigate through freezing rain and snow, had let the craft's speed slow, its engine calm. The drop in velocity sent the plane into a fatal plummet, taking the lives of all those on board, including one of our greatest political leaders.

But that great man was, first and foremost, an organizer, a believer in the power of ordinary individuals. He would be appalled to see his name listed before those of the others who died on that plane. So it won't be. On that day, Sheila Wellstone died, as did Marcia, one of the Wellstones' three children. Will McLaughlin, Tom Lapic and Mary McEvoy perished, all of them working for Wellstone's reelection campaign. The two pilots, Michael Guess and Richard Conry, were killed. As was Paul Wellstone.

To say that Wellstone cared about the "little guy" may seem like sentimentalism, a cliché, even a hokey affectation for the purpose of this remembrance. It is not. Before I was ever into politics, before I ever had a blog, or a writing fellowship, I was just another pimply teenager, awkward and insecure and chunky and tentative. My older brother lived in Los Angeles, practicing environmental law and living a life that represented, to me, the pinnacle of commitment to social justice. Every weekend was a farmworker's march or an interfaith dialogue or a community benefit. It was this involvement, I assume, that led him to dive into Bill Bradley's 2000 presidential campaign ("Keep studying," Bradley wrote when my brother asked him to autograph a note for me), where he served as Bradley's driver in Los Angeles. Which, one weekend, had him driving around Paul Wellstone.

I had no idea who Wellstone was. For that matter, I have no idea why Gideon wasn't more embarrassed of his dorky sibling, why he asked me along for a day with a senator. But he did. We drove all day, through LA traffic, to senior citizen centers and various speeches. Wellstone and his wife gulped down foil-wrapped burritos in the middle of it. And inching through the Southern California haze, we talked.

Wellstone had been a champion wrestler in Minnesota. I was a mediocre wrestler at University High School, in Irvine, California. And that's what he wanted to hear about. Not poll numbers or politics, presidents or power. Wrestling. His interest was humbling, and somehow, ennobling. In retrospect, it was, in no small part his kindness, evident generosity of spirit, and commitment to public life, that made me start thinking differently about politics. My protective teenage cynicism was no match for his effortless conviction. He robbed me of my excuse for apathy.

Wellstone's populism was not an affectation, or a political posture. It was laced into the fabric of his personality. It's what made him different than other politicians. His measuring stick was not the poll numbers, not the editorial pages, not the political prognosticators, not the Sunday shows -- it was the farmers, the students, the seniors, the people. His fealty to them explains his frequent lonesomeness in the Senate. When the people are your judges, you can stand against the Iraq War in an election year, you can lose votes 99-1. You can fail to pass legislation, because you know the compromise would fail your constituents. "Politics is not about power," he would say. "Politics is not about money. Politics is not about winning for the sake of winning. Politics is about the improvement of people's lives. It's about advancing the cause of peace and justice in our country and the world. Politics is about doing well for the people."

Because of this, Wellstone had an immunity to the political trends that few politicians exhibit. When liberal was an epithet, Paul Wellstone wrote a book called The Conscience of a Liberal. When unions were in deep decline, Wellstone stood with them, and now the AFL-CIO now gives an annual award in his honor. After the Clinton health plan was crushed and Democrats retreated from health reform, Wellstone pushed for single-payer. While Clinton was chasing dollars to outspend and overwhelm Bob Dole, Wellstone was calling for full public financing. When progressives were marginalized and cowed by the right's cynical use of 9/11, Wellstone stood on the floor of the Senate, deep within the chambers of power, at the epicenter of cowardice and "responsible" hawkery, and roared on behalf of our ideals. That they were politically inconvenient never deterred him. "If we don't fight hard enough for the things we stand for," he said, "at some point we have to recognize that we don't really stand for them."

The fight is not so lonely anymore. Democrats control both houses of Congress. The country now sees George W. Bush much as Wellstone described him. New York Times op-ed columnist Paul Krugman just wrote a book called Conscience of a Liberal, as clear a signal as any of the word's restoration. Economic inequality, wage stagnation, and the health care crisis dominate the Democrats' domestic agenda, just as Wellstone always said they should. It's easier to be a liberal today, to be a progressive, to be proud. But there was a time when it wasn't. When liberalism in defense of peace was mocked, and moderation in service of imperialism was praised. In those days, it was hard to be a liberal. It must have been hard to be Paul Wellstone. He never showed it, though. He liked to quote Marcia Timmel. "I'm so small and the darkness is so great," she said. "We must light a candle," Wellstone would reply. He was ours. Would that he was here to enjoy the dawn.


http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles..._paul_wellstone


___________________

Old Post Oct-21-2008 14:43  United Nations
Click Here to See the Profile for Lebezniatnikov Click here to Send Lebezniatnikov a Private Message Add Lebezniatnikov to your buddy list Report this Post Reply w/Quote Edit/Delete Message
atbell
Supreme tranceaddict



Registered: May 2007
Location: Toronto, Canada

Since we live in the world of google I'm only going to put down names (and more for the obscure ones). Maybe some descriptions...

PS. For me Read = read the words, studied = took a long time and wrote notes while reading.

Adam Smith - If you can get through it he's good. It's worth doing so you can see where all the people mis-quote him. I've heard his 'Theory of Moral Sentiment' is actually a better work then 'Wealth of Nations'. I've only partly read wealth.

John M. Keynes - Especially fitting due to the wave of market manipulation by governments in the past two months (year?). I've read his 'General Theory of Employment, Intrest, and Money' but I want to study it if I can get some time at work to do so. He makes reference to his other book a lot.

Kurt Vonogut Jr. - Selected works. I liked 'Slaughter house five', 'Player Piano', and 'Cat's Cradle' a lot. I still haven't read 'Breakfast of Champions'.

Jane Jacobs - Urban Economist - I'd suggest 'Dark Age Ahead' right now. Her monumental works were 'The Death and Life of Great American Cities' and 'The Economics of Cities', both written in the '60s. She was a great advocate of observational studying and refuted many state of the art researchers sucessfully dispite her lack of credentials.

Richard Florida - Economic Geographer - The first living reference I've got. His break through work is 'Rise of the Creative Class'. It describes his observations of the emerging economy and the primacy of knowledge, creativity, and innovation in makeing a region sucessful.

Robertson Davies - Author - A great writer of trilogies. A master of characters and settings.

Old Post Oct-23-2008 14:52  Canada
Click Here to See the Profile for atbell Click here to Send atbell a Private Message Add atbell to your buddy list Report this Post Reply w/Quote Edit/Delete Message

TranceAddict Forums > Other > Political Discussion / Debate > Artistic, Intellectual and Philosophical Influences & Recommendations
Post New Thread    Post A Reply

Pages (2): [1] 2 »  
Last Thread   Next Thread
Click here to listen to the sample!Pause playback"party" dance song [2006] [2]

Click here to listen to the sample!Pause playbackTilt - "The World Doesn't Know" [2004]

Show Printable Version | Subscribe to this Thread
Forum Jump:

All times are GMT. The time now is 21:20.

Forum Rules:
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is ON
vB code is ON
[IMG] code is ON
 
Search this Thread:

 
Contact Us - return to tranceaddict

Powered by: Trance Music & vBulletin Forums
Copyright ©2000-2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Privacy Statement / DMCA
Support TA!