I just kinda thought this was funny, though perhaps a bit sad too.

HAVANA (AP) — Cuba has ordered jailed punk rocker Gorki Aguila, an outspoken critic of Fidel Castro and the communist government, to stand trail on Friday for “social dangerousness,” a charge that could carry up to four years in prison.

Authorities arrested the 39-year-old lead singer of the band Porno para Ricardo at his Havana home on Monday as he was working on a new album. Cuban law defines “social dangerousness” as behavior contrary to “communist morality,” and authorities use the charge to detain offenders before they have a chance to commit a crime.

I seem to have lost my bike pump. It’s a little one that I carry around in my man-purse. It is very likely that it went missing at casebeers during Japanther. I hope nobody stole it. That’s a pretty rotten thing to do.

Here, by the way, are some great pics of that show. If you look closely, you’ll see me rockin’ out.

I picked up the new 7 from This Runs on Blood. It’s a great little package: hand-screened artwork, free stickers (of course), white/blood red wax, and it seems to have been put together with a sewing machine. Ser gut! I also grabbed The Pharmacy’s LP on banana yellow wax with free album download!

Maybe rain? Maybe snow? One thing is for sure, there is plenty of ways to get your rock on.

And….simultaneously, Japanther, This Runs on Blood (7″ release!!), and The Pharmacy is playing casebeers. 8pm, bring cash for touring bands.

If you don’t know, now you know! Wish I could be at two places at once.

It’s crazy to see a show on you tube the day or two after I was there.

Michael Franti, acoustic, at the Kiva auditorium in Albuquerque. That’s Robert Mirabal on assorted flutes. 3/8/08

1. Today I woke with the sun. I stumbled into the kitchen, grabbed a glass from the cupboard and, in the dark, mixed up some emergen-C. Upon the first sip, I felt something crawling in my mouth. When I spit it into the sink, low and behold, a wolf spider!

2. Everybody in the United States should watch the film, Trade. Some films are just important.

3. I’ve been listening to the new Japanther album non-stop for a week. There are lots of familiar stuff from other albums and singles, but it’s soooo good.

Been listening to music. And I’m gonna tell you about it! Lots of new albums out lately and I’ve got a couple to plug. Instead of copying and pasting links from record company and band websites, I just took a picture of music spread out on my bed. And yes, music is sexier on my bed.

First up, the one with the greyhound sitting amongst the fruit; Shellac’s new album “Excellent Italian Greyhound” sounds like the Shellac you know and love. First album from them in 6 years or so. Deep grinding rhythm section that’s probably mic’d seven ways to Sunday. The first song, “The Death of Radio” has that sarcastic Albini charm we’ve come to know and love; a humorous eulogy to a poisoned medium. I’m not sure if the album is as good as 1000 Hurts, but if you’re a fan you’ll want it for sure. If anything, the packaging is impeccable. The LP, as usual, comes with the CD. Steve Albini records the albums with the intention that they will be played in analog and it’s great they push that idea by throwing in the CD for free. What can I say, we live in a portable music society. Memorable lyrics include “I was born wearing pants! (be prepared!).”

Which brings me to the next one, moving clockwise to This Runs on Blood. TROB is from Flagstaff and I actually just got this album at a show a few nights ago. I have to admit, when I first heard them in a basement months ago, I thought they were obnoxious. No bass player, lots of body odor, and pulsing sea gull sounds. What? Anyway, this band has grown on me like a bad rash, or an STD that just won’t let me get on with my life. The album is great. I think they only printed 300 of them (clear vinyl, CD included).

Moving on….Bad Brains have a new album….Rasta hardcore icons from the early 80’s DC scene. The first new one they’ve had in like 240 years. Well I don’t think it’s as good as everyone seems to think it is, but it’s really good. It almost makes up for the crappy albums they came out with in the late 80’s. I guess everyone should experiment (Into The Unknown?). Plus, if you hit up ebay right now (or feel free to open a record store in Flagstaff), you can get this handsome tri-color wax.

Last but certainly not least: The new Ghost Mice split with Andrew Jackson Jihad. I just got this CD today actually. I love Ghost Mice. I’ve seen them a few times. Anarcho-hippie-punks ala Plan-It-X fame: just Chris and his guitar and Hannah with her violin (and mandolin…and sometimes this French guy who plays the accordion). They’re not loud; they have no amps or P.A., but in my opinion, they’re punk as shit. I don’t know, they sing about real things from the heart, and there is something undeniably punk about being able to play on the spot, on a street corner, hitchhike or take trains to shows across Europe, or play in people’s basements, kitchens (which is where I believe I’ve seen them), and living rooms.

The last time I saw them, I wrote Chris a letter (a real letter) a few days after. I don’t remember exactly what I said, but I do remember that I was in a melancholy mood and that I was completely sincere. I remember that I thanked him for coming and playing and that, next time I’d be happy to cook him and Hannah a vegan meal. I just got a letter back and he included this CD for my enjoyment. I’ve listened to it three or four times by now. Ghost Mice, Andrew Jackson Jihad, the G-strings, and the F-holes are playing Flagstaff in early November. I can’t wait. (BTW, please don’t take any of this as a tip to write bands you like and expect free shit in the mail.)

Support music where music, ideas, and freedom win over beer and profits. Chances are you won’t find it on Itunes or Best Buy. Chances are there is great music in your own community, in your own neighborhood, on the corners of the most familar streets in your town. Pay attention and support it.

Unplug your radios and open your ears!

The anti-Columbus Day rally at City Hall went pretty well. It was a bit cold, but I saw a lot of people I know and met even more. About 99% of the feedback we got from passing motorists was positive. The only comment I could make out that was negative came from an F-150 whipping around the corning yelling “timber!” This was obviously in reference to our Save the Peaks banner. Oh well. It was probably really funny to him, though pretty douche-baggy to us. One woman slowed her car, read every single banner, then honked yelling “right on!”

Afterwards a lot of us went to Applesauce for open mic night. Holy crap, it was packed! It’s been a while since I’ve been to one of these; Aaron must really be working hard to get the word out. I’m going to start going more. Maybe I’ll come up with an act. The banner I helped to hold at the rally, “We Do Not Celebrate Genocide,” was hung up on the stage to promote the theme of the evening. As usual, the acts were pretty hit or miss, but worth attending nonetheless.

About 12 or so acts in, I sauntered over to 111 and saw a couple bands, picked up This Runs On Blood’s new record. Numbers, a band from San Fran, were all really nice, but I thought they were a little boring. It was pretty late by the time they started playing though.

It seems like all I’ve been doing lately is grading papers and stacking wood….so it was a nice break.

For more information, read any of Bobby’s myspace bulletins from the last month.

Kinda spendy, but note: NO ONE WILL BE TURNED AWAY FOR LACK OF FUNDS!

This is in support of Howard Shanker for Congress. It’s getting harder and harder to support politicians these days, but this guy is on top of his game.

The story goes like this.

When I was 18, I hated English class. All through high school, Mrs. O’Conner did her best to stomp out any previous love of writing I may have had. When I was a senior, I took a creative writing class with someone else and discovered that I actually loved writing, but still hated my English class. This didn’t make sense.

At the time I was listening to a lot of classic rock, reggae, some occasional punk (or punkesque) like Pennywise, Blink (I don’t care what anyone says, everything through Dude Ranch was great), Less Than Jake, NOFX, Bad Religion, Social Distortion, Sublime (so much Sublime, in fact, one summer…pre-junior year, I believe, was dubbed, the “Sublime Summer”). Unfortunately, I also went though a big and ill-advised metal phase, involving the likes of Pantera, Sepultura, early Metallica (though when I sold a lot of my CD’s in college, I did hang onto “Ride the Lightning” and “Unjustice for All”), and many more that I’ll never admit to now.

My first college English teacher was unlike any teacher I had before. It wasn’t just the tattoos and piercings, and it was more than his combat boots and Green Bay Packers shirt that never matched his shorts. Eric let us write about whatever the hell we wanted to. He also helped us say and argue what we wanted rather than the way he thought the argument should be structured. It was a breath of fresh air. The most important thing I took from that class (both classes actually….I took 102 with him as well), both as a student and (now) as a teacher was one simple, but crucial message: English class doesn’t have to suck.

Later, Eric and I got to be pretty good friends (after I turned 21…). We talked a lot about English, grad school, and, of course, punk rock. I credit him with my introduction to Youth Brigade, which subsequently got me into Minor Threat and other early eighties gems. The “Someone Got Their Head Kicked In” comp remains one of my favorite records ever.

During this time, I also started regularly reading the fantastic punk zine, Razorcake, which Eric was involved with to some degree. As the years went by, I changed residences like 37 times and didn’t renew my subscription. I also lost contact with Eric.

When I moved into my new office, on campus, I found some old Razorcake issues tucked away in the back of my new desk. I took them home and decided to get a subscription. For some reason, I asked the mailorder guy if Eric still wrote for them. He emailed me the next day.

We had been emailing back and forth about punk, teaching, and shit. I guess he talked me up to Razorcake about writing reviews and stuff. To make an uninteresting story a bit more tactful, I’ve been offered a chance to write a column for Razorcake’s webzine. Topics are wide open and there is a strong possibility I’ll move up to the print zine eventually, most likely slogging through crappy bands for reviews and the like. No money, but that’s not really the point.

I’m gonna come up with a snappy pen name. Any ideas?