I don't necessarily disagree with you. My opinions, while oft contrarian, are really just open ended processes without judgement or declaration. They are hardly even opinions, as I almost always simultaneously believe and hold dear multiple conflicting ideas about particular subjects. An enlightened doublethink as it were. Everything is a theory worth pondering. Thanks Socrates. Thanks for making me not know anything.

Now while tenure certainly holds clout, it can also blind us to the moments in time which were shorter but sweeter than any of the fine tuned complexities of empire. The Internet as we know it, with youtube and Facebook, for example, may be the fixture but I'll always think kindly upon those early 90s, when it was the awkward but mysterious world wide web.

So, cool, yay for fixtures, but I'm a founders man, not a member of the club after its maturity. The Thomas Paine -- Cool, the revolution is over, now fuck yo couch. Where's the next one?

Other examples where the fixture isn't necessarily the only method to decide value by: Van Halen's prolific career versus that first, highly exceptional, fast and heavy album. Or the short but sweet years Ronnie James Dio or Glenn Huges sang for Black Sabbath -- Ozzy is the fixture, but those short moments of time where something strange and magical was created with other diverse geniuses, prior to or after the bread winners, those are the moments of fascination.

I love Jon Stewart but this ain't no thang. My interest was already piqued and held years ago, before him. He's great though and far better than a single television show.

Thanks for checking again My15. I should also note that the WFMU blog post about the Contractual obligation album is also taken down. I did find the danish track, though! That Van.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nb41ONJeMc

Better copy of crash


and the next car behind the above one http://youtu.be/eJNAx4BsUtE

Picture of the van that was clipped by the plane
https://twitter.com/W7VOA/status/562831825647988738/photo/1

*van

After a while it starts to feel like a Van Gogh painting.

I'm pretty sure that's a good thing!

We have the luxury of sitting at our keyboards knowing the intentions and full context of this dancer’s actions. The cop in the driver’s seat and those in front of the van would not have the same luxury, it was happening in real time. I don’t exactly applaud the policemen’s response but given full context I can pretty much understand it. But I won’t get sucked into the usual Michael Moore level of debate -“cops BAD citizens GOOD”

If this dancer wants to play the passive/aggressive thumb-sucker and ignore current events and say “golly, I was just dancing” then he deserves to get the stupid shoved right out of him. Although I don’t think that’s possible. Go spread your joy with some small town police force, maybe they will shake their heads and chuckle while you flash your roll of Mentos.

I can't tell who's comment you're referencing with your first comment. I hope not me, cops are all individuals in my eyes, even if it may not seem like it sometimes because they are also a 'team'.

I see your comment as an issue of respect needing to be earned, and also being a two way street. When police over react, or act disrespectfully insulting to a perceived insult (even actual insult), it denies them the respect tomorrow that they are upset about not receiving today. I think most of us expect them to be the professional in any situation and understand they just have to deal with some assholes, not devolve to the level of those they are disgusted by. EDIT: People in many professions have to deal with dicks daily, but only one profession typically responds with indignant violence.
I did see the mans dancing as a dick move, just not one that deserved the reaction it received. A stern "HEY! Get the fuck out of here!" would have done nicely from the cop in the van, and may have earned some respect instead of losing some.

I agree with your last statement, but let's think, who got smacked?

I would point out to anyone thinking he 'snuck up behind the cops' that he could see the other cops in the van that had a perfect view from behind of what he was doing, and could see it was not anything but silly dancing. It seemed obvious to me that they thought he was poking fun at them, and it enraged them, not that they felt he was a threat in any way.
I was more upset at the violent grabbing him and holding him by the neck/collar and the search for no reason than the 'shove' to the ground, which I admit it looked like he milked (although it still was wrong to shove him at all).

While I do get your point, I think perhaps you miss the point that a real live singing/playing concert is different from a 'pop star concert' (although I do think they should be billed as 'pop star performances', not 'concerts').
If I go to the opera, I am expecting to hear people sing live while performing a play.
If I go to a 'concert', I expect to see a singer or band singing or playing live, but not doing much else (old Van Halen and GWAR being the exceptions).
If I go to a pop star performance, I usually expect to see flashing lights, smoke, sparks, special effects, stunts, and crazy dancing while you hear a track of the performer.
It's not possible to do the stage performance AND sing competently at the same time. If I expect to see dancing, I should not expect the dancer to also sing live, that's not realistic to me.

Intro (Sage Francis):
Right about now, the SFR court is in full effect!
Judge Sage presiding in the case of the People vs. The Police Department.
Prosecuting attorneys are: Toki Wright, Jasiri X and B motherfuckin’ Dolan.
Order! Order! Order! B. Dolan, take the motherfuckin’ stand.
Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
(Dolan: You goddamn right.)
Then why don’t you tell everyone what the fuck they have the right to do?

Verse 1 
(B. Dolan):
Film the Police. Run a tape for the underclass!
Get the face, name and number on the badge.
They flash, we flash back when they act disorderly.
React accordingly and capture all that we see…
Nightstick, Zip-ties, and Tasers.
Think they’re licensed for type vicious behavior.
Make a tight fist with a video trained toward the Pigs,
Like this. They trip & you make ‘em famous.
Explain to a Judge the bounds you oversteppin’.
2011 time to the change our method.
We aim lenses at the State’s weapon,
‘Til they remember whose goddamn streets they’re protecting.
They’d rather see me in a cell
Than me and my cell with a different story to tell.
Camcorder by the dash. Next time you get stopped,
Reach for the celly if you wanna shoot a cop.
On a public sidewalk, you can tape what you see,
Or film from your window with a view of the street!
Neighborhood Crime Watch, we police the Police.
They can’t arrest the whole community.
Because the streets clock. These cops occupying blocks,
Harassing the homeless with batons, pulling glocks.
They stop lawful protests and let off shots…
Abuse prostitutes and misuse power they got.
In memory of the victims who are never forgot,
We’ve gotta’ exercise our right to shed light in the dark.
There is an army on the march that doesn’t want you to watch.
You’ve got a weapon in your pocket whether you know it or not.
We, the people, are the only real media we got.
Let’s protect one another from the fucking goon squad.
Fascism’s coming to the U.S.A.
Eyo, Sage, I got something to say!
Verse 2 (Toki Wright):
Film the police! It’s time to make it our priority.
You see these fools are in abuse of their authority.
Crack a fist or you crack a whip.
But that ain’t power you coward, you beat a man with two shackled wrists.
So put their names up on a list next to an asterisk.
Next time you see ‘em blast a clip, then you flash a flick.
Attach a video and pic to your master list.
Be on the news at 6. YouTube views legit.
The cops watch us, so we gotta have the Cop Watchers.
Been in fear of law so long, so now it’s not awkward.
But what is law when it’s wrong. When you slam us on the floor.
Naw, this ain’t World Wrestling Entertainment Raw.
This is Edutainment, y’all. Got a call from B. Dolan.
You try to squabble with Johnny Law and get your meat swollen.
Why you think Bobby and Huey P. were heat holding?
You better load the footage up and get to key stroking.
And while you at it, send one off to the administration,
It’s indicating, all the physical intimidation.
It’s been too long they said to “bear with us.”
That’s when I run up on your caravan and rip off all your D.A.R.E. stickers.
This here is near Hitler’s; weirder than some mere tickets…
You feel privileged ’til your wife get her brassiere lifted.
You disappear quick as Hoffa if you piss a copper,
Off ya’ til you get a Channel 7 News helicopter.
Violence hides in a code of silence, tyrants hide in an alliance,
Quiet or be left somewhere, or get swept inside it.
It’s Goliath vs. a bigger giant.
Got us pulling over so far we ran a curb and hit a hydrant.
It’s systematic how the system has its symptoms,
Of the democratic law that’s been flawed since the pilgrims landed.
So now tell me what you wanna do? Next time you see the boys in blue,
You cock your camera back and point and shoot.

Verse 3 (Jasiri X):
Film the police! I got the Cannon 7D.
Highest definition for when they try to arrest and lynch ‘em,
Then lie and protest the whippin’, not serve and protect the victims.
Their murders, threats and hitmen…observe ‘em and let the witness be
The iphone. Never let bygones be bygones.
Get your flip cam before they get in the whip and ride on.
It’s vital ’cause our survival could depend on a video going viral,
With more viewers than American Idol.
Instead of having to bury a child who…
The cops shot ’cause they thought they carried a rifle.
Then the same cops will go to court and swear on a bible,
And smile to show the teeth that they’re preparing to lie through.
Whether Crips or Piru ,Vice Lords or Gangsta Disciples,
Make sure your camera lens gets an eyeful.
And they liable to try and confiscate it.
Better hold on to that shit like you’re constipated.
‘Cause they’ll pretend them injuries are not related,
Like, “When we arrived we saw him dive head first off the pavement.”
So keep the mini cam stashed in the dash of your mini van.
They’ll crash and smash on any man.
Pull out your Blackberry ’cause cops will take a shot at your black berry,
‘Til we see another black buried.
Don’t act scary, ’cause they’ll empty the gat on ya’,
Stand over your body just to sprinkle the crack on ya’.
Police attacking ya’. Don’t want to see they reflections like Dracula.
But camera’s capture ya’.
Too busy using your flashlight to batter us,
To notice John Singleton was my passenger.
So point, click and shoot they asses,
It’s the only way to get the real truth to the masses.
Jasiri X, I’m making movies like Spike Lee.
I won’t be a law and order special victim like Ice T.

No problem.
You could fit a snow plough to the race car and push the camper van off the road

Thanks for the *quality

In fairness to the race organisers, there was a slow car that he had to pass, and I think there might be safety concerns about having rally cars approaching camper vans with a 170km/h delta v...

That is nuts! I love the Cardonra valley; know that road really well; my wife and I had our wedding reception just past where the video ends.

The climb is tough, but the descent is terrifying! That section normally takes about 30-40 minutes to drive.

*quality driving!
Although for realisms sake, they should have added in some asshole in a camper van doing 30kph and refusing to let anyone by...

Technically "five person" airbag as the original video title states.

The van can hold 15 people, but only the first person on each of the five rows gets the benefit. The other 10 people squash into those first five people.

A caring attempt to make someone's day better never starts with a command to smile. This has been written about much more eloquently than I'm about to by lots of people (including Abigail Van Buren or 'Dear Abby') but here I go.

When a passing stranger is told to smile what is being communicated is 'I want to see you looking more attractive and I don't give a shit about what you're actually feeling'. They are strangers, there is know way to know what the unsmiling person's day has been like or what has just happened to them (although if it's a woman alone on a NYC street - probably harassment)

So yes, the guy who told the woman in the video to smile was heaping it on like the rest of them.