Ya don’t say! Former Republican Senator Alan Simpson (WY) has had a long career in GOP politics, serving as both Majority Whip during the Reagan years and Minority Whip for Bush I and part of the Clinton presidency. Whereas lemon-faced Simpson’s usual dour demeanor has always made him seem to be the quintessential grumpy old Republican, he’s not exactly a complete Neanderthal like many from his party. Still it was a more than a little surprising when Simpson took GOP social conservatives to task on MSNBC’s Hardball with Chris Matthews yesterday. From Raw Story:

“We have homophobes in our party,” Simpson, who served as a senator from 1979 to 1997, admitted. “That’s disgusting to me. We’re all human beings. We’re all God’s children.”

“Santorum has said some cruel things—cruel, cruel things—about homosexuals,” he added. “Ask him about it; see if he attributes the cruelness of his remarks years ago. Foul.”

Former Republican Senator Rick Santorum, a potential GOP 2012 presidential candidate, likened homosexuality to “incest” and “adultery” in April 2003. He told The Associated Press that acceptance of gay sex could “undermine the fabric of our society” and lead to “man on child, man on dog” relations.

“Now if that’s the kind of guys that are going to be on my ticket, you know, it makes you sort out hard what Reagan said, you know, ‘Stick with your folks,’” Simpson continued. “But, I’m not sticking with people who are homophobic, anti-women, moral values—while you’re diddling your secretary while you’re giving a speech on moral values? Come on, get off of it.”

Simpson has been a longtime supporter of gay and lesbian rights and access to abortion. During his appearance on MSNBC’s Hardball with Chris Matthews he also said that male legislators should not vote on abortion-related bills.

“Who the hell is for abortion? I don’t know anybody running around with a sign that says, ‘Have an abortion! They’re wonderful!’ They’re hideous, but they’re a deeply intimate and personal decision, and I don’t think men legislators should even vote on the issue.”

Hear, hear! (Not that what he said makes an ounce of difference, anyway, but still…)

Expect to see Alan Simpson in the news much more in the coming weeks and months, as Obama starts to make “bipartisan” noises about deficit reduction. It’s widely expected that his upcoming speech will consist of a quasi-endorsement of the so-called “Catfood Commission” (and while I’m on the topic, Fuck Obama!). Simspon might have said one or two things progressives can agree with in this instance, but as the class war heats up, he’ll revert to saying crazy shit like this.

Below, a look at social conservatives that is not pretty, from Russia Today’s English channel:
 

 
In 1983 Serge Gainsbourg paid homage to Screaming Jay Hawkins on French TV by singing his praises and joining Mr. Hawkins in a down and dirty rendition of “Constipation Blues.”

The first couple minutes of the clip are a portion of the performance in a rarely seen high quality version followed by the performance in full in less than stellar looking form. But it all sounds good.

There’s not alot of artists who could shut Serge up but Screaming Jay does a pretty good job of it. The mad man of Paris may have met his match.
 

 
Alan “The Yodelmeister” Arnopole of Peju Winery in Napa Valley has developed some skilz beyond his knowledge of wine. 

Can Eminem do this?
 

 
Via PCL.

 
Thirty years ago today, the famous Brixton riot of spring 1981 brought the long-simmering issues of class, race and police repression to the front pages and TV screens of England.

Brixton was definitely not the first sign of racial unrest in the Thatcher era. A police raid on the Black & White Café in Bristol’s economically hard-hit St. Pauls district the year before had led to a day-long riot among Caribbean youth. And police apathy in investigating a fire at a party on New Cross Road in early ’81 fuelled the notion in South London’s black community that their lives were perceived by the cops as worthless.

In the days before things jumped off in Brixton’s Lambeth area on April 10, cops had launched the charmingly named Operation Swamp 81 in an attempt to curb local robbery and burglary. Over a week, officers stopped almost 1,000 mostly black people—including three members of the Lambeth Community Relations Council—and arrested 118.

Combined with the extremely high unemployment rate among Brixton’s sons and daughters of the Windrush generation of Caribbean immigrants, and the rise of organized white racist activism, the community’s temperature was at peak. As one of the youths put it in one of the films below: “Jobs, money, then National Front…something was bound to happen.” Confusion and bad-faith rumors around police involvement around a stabbing incident was all it took to set off two days of fighting.

The implications of the multiracial Brixton riot unfolded throughout the subsequent summer of that year in Handsworth, Chapletown and Toxteth. Despite the improvements and gentrification that Brixton has seen since ’81, the place hasn’t been free of unrest.

In 2001, director Rachel Currie produced The Battle for Brixton, one of the authoritative video chronicles of the revolt, for the First Edition program.
 

 
Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6
 
After the jump: on-the-ground footage from community members, and Brixton’s impact on music.

 
My testicles are cowering behind the couch. I’m trying to coax them out with a cup of warm milk.

Ladies, this may be therapeutic for some of you.
 

 
A new episode of Electric Independence has gone online at VBS.tv, and it features an excellent interview with Chris Carter and Cosey Fanni Tutti (aka Carter-Tutti/Chris & Cosey) seminal electronic musicians and one half of Throbbing Gristle.  We find out how the couple met, how they were introduced to electronic music and their life in (and after) Throbbing Gristle. Gear heads are also in for a treat as the duo talk about the synths and equipment they use and have used, including some rare home made synths by Carter. It’s also heartening to see them keeping bang up to date with technology, including the use of Kaoss pads and BC8 synths, and recording their music with Ableton Live on a MacBook.
 

 
Previously on DM:
Happy Birthday Chris Carter: ‘The Spaces Between’ LP re-issue

Looks real to me. Can anyone confirm?

Below, Bowie performs “Drive in Saturday” on TV’s Russell Harty Plus program in 1973.

 
Via Gettin’ Ziggy With It

 
Butch Tuffington made this short video using “Happy Birthday” by electronic music pioneer Delia Derbyshire.

As usual, Mr.Tuffington delivers something both cosmic and comic. Zen montage with a lysergic twist.
 

 
Via Christian Nightmares/World of Ward Crap

 
Stick out your tongue. I have a gif for you.
 
Via Timothy Buckwalter