Plastic Alto with Mark Weiss

During the time that Elon Musk either worked  or lived in Palo Alto, I have lived and worked here, too. Though my father and grandfather both worked in the auto industry, I’ve spent 26 years in the music business, after 3 years as a reporter and six years as a copywriter. I’d estimate i have stopped and listened to buskers, here on University Avenue, or on Emerson near Whole Foods, 500 times. I’ve probably put a buck in their tip jars 200 times, maybe $1,000 total, plus I’ve paid people 20 times or more to busk, a union service wage $100 or so, sometimes more, especially at Lytton Plaza. I doubt Elon Musk on his way to his multi-billions ever heard their music or spread the love. Steve Jobs, only slightly better. Tim Westergren, probably worse: he stole his music. 
What the fuck are you talking about?
Mark Weiss 
In Palo Alto
PS if Roger McNamee says we were “Zooked”, why does he does he post his livestreams on Facebook?
The only tech guy who wasn’t a poseur apropos of music is the one who was Steve Albini’s intern and married a poet. 

edot to ad: this is actually text of a note to Bruce Lefsetz, the music ex blogger. it turns outthat Elon Musk has a vanity project: On March 30, 2019, Musk released a rap track, “RIP Harambe”, on SoundCloud under the name “Emo G Records”.^[246] The track was performed by Yung Jake, written by Yung Jake and Caroline Polachek, and produced by BloodPop.^[247][248] On January 30, 2020, Musk released an EDM track, “Don’t Doubt Ur Vibe”, featuring his own lyrics and vocals.^[249] While Guardian critic Alexi Petridis described it as “indistinguishable… from umpteen competent but unthrilling bits of bedroom electronica posted elsewhere on Soundcloud”,^[250] TechCrunch said it was “not a bad representation of the genre”.^[249]

backed with

Line drawings by Tara Donovan for Pace Gallery

outro: “Serene” by Eric Dolphy, arranged for reeds and electronica/loopy, by huge baseball fan and scholar Erik Lawrence, who also has, as a bonus, a brand new version of “Take Me Out to The Ball Game” public domain, with Akira Tana, for Lions With Wings. (Hey, wait a minute, I count eight people playing, not sure how many are humans and how many replicants, but it still sort of fits, I’m sticking to my story, here in Plasty.)

Palo Alto’s best young bands

Begun three years ago by the moms of teens in local high school rock bands, an annual rock concert-benefit for the Ecumenical Hunger Program continues this year on Saturday, Dec. 16. Appearing on stage for this “Palopalooza” of talent are: the Dan Horne Trio, the Electrocutes (formerly Ragady Anne), Brain Monkey, the Gremmies, Pino Pino and Inspected by No. 7. The local bands will play from 8 p.m.-midnight at the Mitchell Park Community Center. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. Bring a quality toy or food item for the Ecumenical Hunger Program and you get in free. Come empty-handed and you’ll shell out $5. All high school band members are donating their time and talents. For more information, call 329-2390. 12/15/1995 ie 25 years ago…I think I had this flyer for about 22 years until I got married, moved in with the wife and donated or sold 25 boxes of books, 100 hand written spiral notebooks, two boxes of demo tapes sic sent by bands wanting to play my concert series — but certain things stuck in my brain, so I noticed a little write up in a recent Mojo Magazine about Dan Horne — who I had actually reached out to about a year ago. He’s the bass player in a leading Dead cover band and numerous other projects. Rock on! (Note: the number printed may have been the number for Lisa Robertson, Allison Robertson of the Donnas aka Ragady Anne. 

Then:

• The Electrocutes
• featuring: Chachi, Boba Fett & The Wookiee – The Electrocutes – Dan Horne Trio – Inspected by no.7 – Wikkit – The Jolly Postmen

Mark,

Yesterday, a pro-Trump, white supremacist mob stormed our nation’s Capitol as legislators met to certify the results of the presidential election. This mob, many of whom were armed, were able to bypass Capitol Police to violently disrupt democracy at work in the People’s House. They spent hours smashing windows, ransacking offices, breaching the House and Senate chambers, and waving symbols of hate.

This was a dark and frightening day for our country, and instead of offering real leadership, Trump once again fanned the flames of division. Trump incited violence, resisted to call in the national guard, and tweeted a video where he told the mob: “We love you, you’re very special.”

I am angry and appalled at this violent assault on our democracy by those claiming the mantle of protecting our democracy and the failure of leadership we saw from the White House and several members of Congress. But I am not surprised. We’ve never grappled with our original sin of white supremacy, and we still face the consequences today.

As I look back on the events of yesterday, I can’t help but notice the way law enforcement responded to this mob. When we marched peacefully in the streets to protest the murders of Black people at the hands of law enforcement, we were met with tear gas, rubber bullets, flash grenades, and hundreds of arrests.

When armed protestors lay siege to our nation’s Capitol, they were met by officers who moved aside barriers and took selfies with them. What we saw was Capitol Police, who have sworn an oath to protect these United States, aiding and abetting those who would violently attack our democracy.

Our democracy is supposed to protect and serve every last one of us, but it has failed. It failed over the summer, when a group of multiracial Americans came together across the country to demand recognition that Black Lives Matter, and we saw a failure of protection from the state yesterday.

What we have to do now is what the late Representative John Lewis always told us to do: act. Democracy is an act and truth-telling is a critical part of that democracy. So I will continue to speak that truth because the only way we will protect our democracy is if we address the original sins of this country and recognize we are still sinning.

Thank you,

Maya

Maya Wiley is among 1000 of us who matriculated at Dartmouth in 1982 and graduated in 1986 she is my classmate.

to my recollection she was in my Spanish class freshman fall. I don’t remember any other particular interaction with her those four years or in the ensuing 25. But she left an impression such that when I saw her on CNN and then saw her name in the New York Times I supported her for mayor. And then to my delight a few weeks ago she called me to thank me for a contribution and I gave her some other ideas on people who I know who might support her quest, her efforts to help.

She is a Black woman from DC helping her community and wishing the best for our country. She leans in. She can bring it. And she writes well.