The Bat Segundo Show #17

Author: Mark Ames

Condition of Mr. Segundo: Relaxed and possibly malingering.

Subjects Discussed: Falling asleep during interviews, online terror threats, myspace.com, language as a source of enslavement, using linguistics to prove a thesis, the similarities between slavery and MBA management theory, the advantages of being both an expatriate and anthropologist, Hunter S. Thompson, conformity, rage murders, Columbine, the torture of high school, on being “strange” in American society, reaching out to the fringe, Stalin, September 11th, compassion, the American people vs. the American government, Katrina, nice people, Nat Turner, happiness and sickness in terrible situations, Kelly Bennnett and Al Deguzman, finks as heroes, Linda Tripp, Judith Miller, the framework of inner-city riots, the “let’s move on” mentality, zero tolerance, “bowling,” filing grievances, Ward Cleaver as metaphor, the film Office Space as propaganda, the opportunism of Morgan Spurlock and Eric Schlosser, preaching to the converted, Kuntsler’s The Long Emergency, on writing a polemic without a conclusion, Edward Limonov, the National Bolshevik Party, the Black Panther Party Platform, the advantages of Russian expat journalism, Rep. Henry Bonillo’s threats, the current state of American journalism, prudishness, whores, William T. Vollmann, the evil of Chuck Klosterman, Ames’ response to Klosterman’s claims at Zulkey, Klosterman’s revisionism, and co-opting the “loser” mentality.

Shining Through

Playbill: “Rocker John Mellencamp spent much of November working on The Ghost Brothers of Darkland County, a new ‘play with music’ the singer-songwriter is collaborating on with novelist Stephen King.” (via Galleycat)

Return of the Reluctant has obtained information on the first song from the play.

JACK TORRANCE & DIANE
Words and Music by John Cougar Mellencamp

Little ditty about Jack Torrance & Diane
Two American adults holing up in the Westland
Jacky’s gonna be a writing star
Diane’s a ghostly fuck in a room with a bar

Tryin’ to write a novel; all work and no play
Must kill the little boy by the end of the day
He’s got his axe and there’s Diane’s skull
There’s a ghostly bartender and he’s quite tall
Inside a giant maze
Dribble off those REDRUMS
Let me drink as I please
And Jacky say

Oh yeah death goes on
Long after the thrill of writin’ is gone
Oh yeah say death goes on
Long after the thrill of writin’ is gone, the ghosts walk on