The Contrarian

I strive to compose themed posts, and not just schizophrenic spatterings. But sometimes there’s no choice. So please forgive my indulgence in the arbitrary. I’m only human.

Cleveland has been popping up on my radar a lot lately. First there’s the school shooting, which, while not as casualty-heavy as other recent massacres, is yet another indicator of our sad society. Also, I got a semi-random inquiry as to whether or not I’d consider taking a Music Editor position at that city’s alt-newsweekly. I know next to nothing about Cleveland, other than it "rocks" and it’s in Ohio. But if the folks CNN has interviewed on camera are any indication, I think I know about as much as I want to. OK, that’s not really fair. I’m sure there’s lots to recommend it. Like maybe the R & R Hall of Fame?

This morning I was e-mailed two, count ‘em, two separate articles on the jackboot business practices of Victory Records. Both were published in the Cleveland Scene, and both are by the same author. I’ve done some independent research into Tony Brummel’s paranoid and self-serving leadership style, so I merely skimmed them. But if you don’t already know the story, it’s worth checking out, if only to marvel at the dude’s utter cretinousness: "Victory at All Costs," "Hollow Victory." 

Did anyone catch Lynne Cheney on "The Daily Show" last night? I thought she fared pretty well, actually. I loved it it when she gifted Jon Stewart with an "old family heirloom" — an oversized Darth Vader figurine. "Does it have a microphone in it?" Stewart quipped.

Cheney was remarkably forthcoming about her opposition to a constitutional amendment on gay marriage. She claims both she and her husband have been vocal about their opinions all along, which, despite their daughter’s open lesbianism, strains credulity. Nevertheless, "The Daily Show" is a loud megaphone — perhaps her appearance will embolden homosexual Republicans (or as Boy George calls ‘em, vegetarian butchers) to come out of the bathroom stall.

Excuse the fact that Lynne Cheney is married to one of the most despicable men on the planet, and she seems like a decent enough woman. Everybody’s got their blind spot, right? Stewart, for his part, was exceptionally polite throughout the interview. Especially in comparison with the douching he gave Chris Matthews. But who is more complicit in our country’s moral and intellectual decline? I’d say Cheney, even if by proxy. C’mon Jon, grow a pair.

Have a look, while the embed lasts.

Part One:

Part Two:

This is old, but still somewhat amusing: French Vogue’s Satanic Fashion Spread.

Ronnie James Dio has a reputation as a sweet guy; kinda like your heavy metal grandpa. But mention ex-Dio axeman Vivian Campbell (currently of Def Leppard), and the horns come out. And we’re not talking about his patented gang sign, either. Check it:

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