The Many Faces of Greydon Clark

From: Greydon Clark
Subject: Big Business
Date: Sun, 27 Mar 2005

Sunday night I attempted see the Big Business in SF, but blew it and showed up late. This fuck-up lowers my lifetime Big Business batting average to 1 for 4. In the past cops and naps have prevented me from rocking the fuck out to this amazing band, but Sunday it was accepting an ill timed long distance phone call from Scott Stimac. (Also, a flooded garage played a small part in my tardiness.) To atone for my sins I purchased the new BB CD, this further illustrated the error of my ways--the record is tough as nails. I encourage all of you to shower these guys with riches and buy their record today.

As a consolation prize I got to watch the These Arms Are Snakes set. TAAS are a solid band playing emotionally charged, if somewhat spastic, hardcore. I also hypothesize that they own records by The Jesus Lizard. You can’t fuck with the Lizard. Actually, the more I think about it, TAAS are pretty damn good, much like BB, they love the volume and if I wasn't an old fart I would have driven to Davis on Monday night to see both of these bands.

It should also be noted that in the process of making me miss Big Business, Scott called out the singer of These Arms are Snakes as a "Fashionista". Sorry dude, but this is somewhat hilarious as the fellow's style of dress and waistline is frighteningly similar to yours. However, Mr. TAAS does dance like an idiot.

Keep your feet on the ground while reaching for the stars...

Greydon

PS: In the name of fairness, I must publish this rebottle from Mr. Stimac:

From: scott m. stimac
Sent: Tuesday, March 29, 2005 2:49 PM
Subject: Fashionistas

while it is true that both myself and the singer from TAAS wear slim fit diesel jeans, it should be noted that:
1: He doesn't have a beer gut.
2: I don't have an eating disorder.
3: He doesn't get mistaken for a member of the Black Crows.
4: I don't play in band that goes on tour.

the big business disc is indeed fucking rad. and it should be known that These Arms Are Snakes are tight as fuck, i just don't like the dance moves.

keep it easy,

stimac.

Hello,

Have you seen the anti-PETA ads that sometime appear in Newsweek? They are produced by the Center for Consumer Freedom and, to put it mildly, these guys are a bunch of bell ends. However, their website, activistcash.com, really pisses me off. It is unbelievable that they call what they are doing “in-depth” when topical partisan hackery is an understatement.

Some highlights of an email:

The purpose of activistcash.com is providing detailed information about the funding source of radical anti-consumer organizations and activists. You state that because these organizations are tax-exempt the public has the right to know “what they're up to”. Sounds fair to me, if a cause is just no one should feel the need to hide their involvement. However, it is rather curious that Center for Consumer Freedom is purposefully oblique when it comes to the source of its own funding. I did not find a copy of your 990 or annual report on your website. I did find a vague description of your funders and their desire for anonymity (citing concerns of safety and privacy). It begs the question; wouldn’t the foundations and fellow 501(c)(3) organizations you profile have the same concerns?

At the suggestion of your website, I did some research and found your 2003 990 online. I find it rather interesting that Berman and Company is listed in part V of the 990 as one of the Center for Consumer Freedom’s Officers, Directors, Trustees, and Key Employees. I wouldn’t expect a public relations firm to be listed as a key employee of a tax-exempt organization. I really did not expect the firm to be working on the exact same issues as the (I assumed) independent nongovernmental organization. Wow! How many of Berman and Company client’s are benefiting from this gaming of the tax code? Talk about shifting the debate.

Really, what is the difference between leftwing activists trying to force us to live according to their vision of society and the Center for Consumer Freedom and the Berman and Company’s clients trying to force us to live according to their vision of society? The color of your stripes?

I look forward to your response.

Greydon Clark

PS: Your “biography” of David Brower is a real piece of crap. The intentional omission of the man’s accomplishments does not strengthen your argument against him. Who knows, maybe one or two of your one thousand supporters has enjoyed visiting one of the national parks David Brower helped establish. Also, in case you missed the news, David Brower is deceased. You might want to update the “Background” section of your “biography”.

For an excellent take on Brower read Encounters with the Archdruid by John McPhee.

Wow, my first time typing on the Internet... fuck... this is amazing.