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Category: Columns

1 Josh Mosh Column originally for PE 64

March 22, 2012
by stinkbot
· Columns · PE Web Zine

Racism is defined as hatred and intolerance of another race. Seems pretty simple to identify and understand when it’s the confederate flag waving, swastika tattoo wearing nut-job spewing hate. I think we would all agree that that person is a racist. Fill in the blank…”I hate all ______ people”.

What is classism? Is it as simple as a discriminatory attitude or hatred based on a social class? How many of us are guilty of that to some degree?… “Eat the Rich”, “Burn the Rich”. The evil, rich, white man keeping his boot on the throats of the rest of us, we hate him. I hate rich people.

What is bigotry? That word isn’t as popular but certainly has it’s applications…

“I hate Christians”. That gets tossed around a lot. Do you really? You hate your Grandma? Maybe you do, I dunno…My Grandma was way cool, but hopefully you starting to get my point.

Hate is a strong word, “to feel hostility toward”. When applied with broad strokes that can get the hater into quite a pickle. Hate is a very dualistic concept, it illustrates a right and a wrong, deals in generalities or stereotypes on one hand while defining a clear line on the other that eliminates anything on the other side of that line leaving no room for conversation or debate.

0 Bitty’s column

March 19, 2012
by stinkbot
· Columns · PE Web Zine

The “Dudes” of Helltown

(Part II of III)

“Dude” parties were a lot like an episode of “Cops” before the cops show up, and were always entertaining in this kind of scary way. I went to a Dude party on a summer night in 1989 at a punk house called Hate Manor II. (Hate Manor I had been shut down by a police raid a couple months earlier). By this time I was already straight edge, but actually found parties and what others did while wasted pretty entertaining. I arrived to the party very fashionably late, and about an hour later the police arrived. They knocked on the door and my friend Pete, who didn’t live there, answered. The police asked to come in, and Pete said:

“Fuck you pig! If you ain’t got a warrant, you ain’t coming in!” and then slammed the door in their faces and locked it.

Usually when cops show up at a party people will either try to settle down or they’ll run and hide. You knew you were at a Dude party when the opposite was actually occurring and the partiers were antagonizing the cops instead. The cops had surrounded the house and got taunted for about the next hour. I remember people putting pillows over their faces and flipping off the cops. There was also a lot of “Haha! Fuck you pig you can’t come in!” whenever the cops shined their lights in the windows. This, in itself, got the cops so mad that they were foaming at the mouth to bust up the party. They eventually gained contact with the landlord who gave them permission to go in. A girl finally yelled at everyone that the cops are going to come in anyway and that she’s going to let them in. Right as she was unlocking the door the cops had simultaneously knocked down the door, which sent her crashing to the floor with the door on top of her as the cops poured in. One by one they arrested and filled the cop van with Dudes and other partiers. The cops in Manitowoc had often confused me with another Dude that actually committed a lot of crimes, so they would have to let me go when they would realize I wasn’t him. So when the lieutenant saw me at this party he seemed excited to finally have a reason to arrest me. He assumed that if I hung out with the Dudes I must be a troublemaker like they were. (Back then I was a young skater punk, not a Dude, but I still would hang out at their parties) The Lt. officer kept looking at me, stating “I finally got you!”.

2 Holisticore Column

March 15, 2012
by stinkbot
· Columns · PE Web Zine

Tantra: My Sacred Journey Beyond the Mosh-Pit

In early 2009 I attended my first Sacred Union Meet Up. I had just finished listening to and studying the entire archive of the Tantra Podcast (http://personallifemedia.com/podcasts/225-sex-tantra-and-kama-sutra). I knew about the tantric concept of evoking divine masculine and feminine energy from audio books, podcasts, books, pdfs, and my own practice, but my understanding was very shallow. Now I know it and feel it in a much deeper way.

Anti Christy column

March 14, 2012
by stinkbot
· Columns · PE Web Zine

Part Two: Clear in my mind are the unforgiving odors of spilled beer, dirty basement floor and sweaty bodies…The humidity was so thick you had to push through it like a heavy bedspread hanging on a clothes line; this was our gig at The Haunted Kitchen. During our set I remember sweating so profusely that it was hard to keep that little orange pick (or “plectrum” as Saxon called them) between my fingertips. June 28, 2005 in Lawrence, KS. HAPPY BASTARDS were encroaching upon the big C.L.I.T. FEST gathering in Minneapolis.

Jeff and Jamie hosted the punk show at their house, The Haunted Kitchen, that night and they were rad as hell. Jeff could shakedown show money from people like I’d never witnessed. He was a seasoned pro, for sure. Happy Bastards were just a small part in an amazing line-up of bands: SLIGHTLY LESS THAN NOTHING (on tour from Seattle), I OBJECTt! (on tour from New York state), ALERT ALERT! (from Kansas, I believe), and LATTERMAN (also from New York, I believe). As we were playing, I looked out into the hazy, dark basement. Sweat rolled between my eyes and dripped off the tip of my nose. Sean and Saxon started playing that unforgettable rhythm. Four counts in, Shade chimed in the those contagious bends, “Merrr-nerrrr, berrrr-nerrr, derrrr-derrr, naerrr-naerr…” The crowd knew instantly what we we’re playing. CCmuthaf*ckinR baby; it was on! Fortunate Son = basement berserker wildness. What an awesome night!!

0 Newt Cooter Column

March 12, 2012
by stinkbot
· Columns · PE Web Zine

I reckon I’m just getting old.

I spent the summer pretty bummed out about the death of my dog Woodrow. But after several months of healing, I was starting to think about accepting a new companion.

My girlfriend Nature and I read a few books on adopting puppies, what to expect, and how to plan. We even made a trip to the local shelter. The pound was overflowing with dogs, puppies, and cats. It was a bit overwhelming, the numbers of animals without homes, and the smell. Although the facilities seemed pretty nice, the place was definitely understaffed. We just wanted to observe and weren’t planning to adopt, although we did play with some puppies and do some paperwork. I wondered how many of these animals would actually find a home.

3 Toddrighteous Column (Originally Slated for PE #64)

February 23, 2012
by PE Admin
· Columns · PE Web Zine

I feel it coming on already. I’ve learned to recognize the subtle symptoms, after years of experience, where in the past I didn’t even notice I was in the throes of it until afterwards. Like being in the middle of the woods, you don’t see the forest for the trees until after you’re out. The lack of energy, difficulty concentrating, total lack of motivation to do anything except get drunk, becoming completely withdrawn from friends, family & loved ones, being emotionally unavailable to those who mean the most to me, turning into a solitary hermit, irascible moods with a short temper and even shorter patience, all signs that I’m beginning to experience seasonal affective disorder, or as it’s more commonly, and very appropriately, referred to, it’s acronym, SAD. I feel not only changes to my emotional state, but my physical body as well. I develop a near insatiable appetite, with relentless cravings for the worst possible foods, filled with fat, salt, and sugar, all preferably delivered with a hearty dose of carbohydrates, to a level that no amount of pizza or sweets could satiate, as my body tries to pack on winter weight, preparing for the hibernation that won’t come. My normal negative and pessimistic outlook toward life is escalated to a near ludicrous degree. The morose feelings of hopelessness and pointlessness are ever present, constantly weighing me down like a heavy wet blanket that cannot be cast off. All this, and the seasons have just begun to change. It’s barely the beginning of fall. But to me, the first day of fall might as well be the middle of winter. As soon as the temperature begins to drop, and the days begin to get shorter, something inside me is triggered, something uncontrollable, like the changing of the seasons themselves. This is a depressing thought to a total control freak like me, just one more thing in life that I feel powerless to change. It’s a strange thing to feel your self so greatly affected by the seasons, in the same way that the tides are dominated by the gravitational force of the moon’s orbit. I am not cut out for the short, chilly, grey days of the winter months. Things seemed much more tolerable in the summer, with the long, hot, brightly lit days, and the sun’s warmth to elevate my moods. But those times are fleeting, and I’m already feeling overwhelmed by the change of the seasons, even though the worst is yet to come.

1 Ben Axiom’s Column (originally slated for PE #64)

February 20, 2012
by PE Admin
· Columns

The Joy of Survival Sprouting

Seeds are technically biologically alive, slowly consuming their energy reserves waiting for the right conditions to sprout. Many seeds will still germinate for many years if stored properly. Recently, scientists successfully sprouted a record breaking 2000 year old date palm seed found in Israel.

Sprouting is the practice of germinating seeds (usually herbs, grains, legumes, oil seeds, and nuts) to be eaten raw or cooked. In the right conditions of air, temperature, and moisture, most seeds will grow a little tail that pushes out of the seed shell or hull and burns up the energy stored in the seed to break through whatever is in its way to reach sunlight. Once it reaches sunlight, it can begin to photosynthesize the energy it needs to grow into a mature plant.

As a dietary practice and survival strategy, I believe sprouting is the most important thing we could all be doing. It’s cheap and easy. It allows you to cultivate crops with a 3 day harvest time that increase vitamin and mineral content availability 300-500 times that of unsprouted cooked grains, seeds, and legumes. Also, relative to the parts of the mature plant, there’s often more nutrient density in a sprout as it’s filled with all of the material and vital energy needed to burst forth into life as a plant.

0 Andy Lefton’s Column (Originally Slated for PE #64)

February 17, 2012
by PE Admin
· Columns

The mechanics of Punk Rock and it’s familiar formula have been with us for so long. So, why do you listen to punk, and what does it do for you? I suppose that question is very open ended. Meaning, people have many different approaches and explanations. The actual, physical state of a punk record is enough for me to be influenced and inspired. Influenced and inspired by what, though? I suppose the global network of friends and family, the state of our world and how we can be more aware of our surroundings. Smarter ways to live and how to stay coherent amongst so many that are daft to their environment. Although some punk rock has been regurgitated so much, that it doesn’t even interest me anymore. This of course depends on the record. I think we all can agree on the amount of bullet belt layouts with ICBM’s protruding out of a skull has been a bit over done. I love that stuff to some degree, but the ‘assembly line’ approach to this is sometimes disheartening.

0 Diamond Doug’s Coulmn (Originally Slated for PE #64)

February 16, 2012
by PE Admin
· Columns

As even a cursory glance at my past two columns for PE would tell you, the past few years have been a time of immense transformation for me. At the end of the day, I still have enough of the youthful punk rock idealism pulsing through my veins, and I wouldn’t be writing this column or helping edit Profane Existence if it wasn’t. At the same time, I have learned more than I care to know about some things and to say that it’s affected my positive mental attitude would be a hell of an understatement. There are times, in fact, where I feel like living in a more liberal environment has made me come off like a gnarly old man; as if Charles Bukowski was resurrected somehow and asked to write for Profane Existence. It is true that I have learned to question the good intentions of all things liberal, with things from yoga to public radio to dinner parties to punk rock all becoming favorite targets of this jerk right here-a seasoned smartass of the highest order. To me, it’s all about different types of consumerism than anything else and the only real difference is which pile of shit you happen to choose.

But while I’m probably about the least spiritual person you will ever meet, I am extremely grateful for what I do have, and for the fact that I am able to live comfortably without making a ton of sacrifices. Moreover, there isn’t a day that goes by where I am not thankful of being able to walk, talk, see, and hear as well as managing to stay in good physical health. Even as the golden age of 39 is rearing its head, I feel like I have been extremely lucky in this way and feel like I have a lot of good years left in me.
So you can imagine I was more than a little dismayed when I noticed that the vision in my right eye was getting worse and worse. Beginning earlier this year, I had noticed that my vision in that eye was becoming increasingly blurry. I didn’t think anything of it and figured my contact prescription was changing, which happens every couple of years. As the weeks wore on, I would spot various flashes and amorphous floating objects that weren’t really there, as if my eye was short-fusing somehow. I then noticed that my vision in my right eye was doing what eye specialists refer to as “shadowing,” which is a precursor to blindness in a lot of cases. Not knowing what else to do, I made an appointment with an optometrist in the vain hope that a new set of contacts would set me straight. Unfortunately, I was to find out that the retina in my right eye was detaching and the only thing that would take care of it was a moderately invasive surgery known as the “scleral buckle procedure.” I was referred to a retinal specialist who confirmed this, and before I could say “Holy sheepshit, I’m going blind,” I was filling out paperwork and getting ready to go under the knife, as they say.

2 Bitty’s Column (originally slated for PE #64)

February 15, 2012
by PE Admin
· Columns

The “Dudes” of Helltown

(Part I of III)

The town I grew up in is Manitowoc, WI, a.k.a. Helltown. Manitowoc had an amazing punk scene from the early 80’s all the way to the late 90’s. In the mid-eighties, I got into punk through skateboarding. Back then those two things went hand in hand. However, in the late 80’s another scene was about to integrate into the punk scene. It was when the metal scene went punk and brought in some of the most out of control, criminally insane, and violent people I had ever met.

Page 9 of 10

The legendary crust classic is now available once again!

We are happy to announce our next new release

WILT – “Self Titled”

Here is a track from the upcoming LP

“Sermon for the Bootlickers”

Category: Columns

1 Josh Mosh Column originally for PE 64

0 Bitty’s column

2 Holisticore Column

Anti Christy column

0 Newt Cooter Column

3 Toddrighteous Column (Originally Slated for PE #64)

1 Ben Axiom’s Column (originally slated for PE #64)

The Joy of Survival Sprouting

0 Andy Lefton’s Column (Originally Slated for PE #64)

0 Diamond Doug’s Coulmn (Originally Slated for PE #64)

2 Bitty’s Column (originally slated for PE #64)