Sunday, August 17, 2008

MC5: that saved a wretch like me



sam bloomfield, california resident and patriot.

Thanks to Jon for alerting me to the story. Some crazy people will go to elaborate ends to claim allegiance. It's like Marlon Brando's PR line from "The Wild One" turned on its head.

"What are you against rebelling against ?"

"What have you got ?"


Bloomfield's patriotic fervor runs so deep under the skin he "recently wrote President Bush, thanking him for his economic stimulus check, but also asking how the government might help keep people from losing their homes during these tough times." The article itself doesn't go so far as to disclose whether or not he received any word back from Big 'W' - either in person, or through his offices. An educated guess would suggest not. What good are lapel pins to a man to a man who painted his entire house red, white and blue from foundation to roof, and then graduated to having his face inked in with a little help from his spouse.

With full frontal tattoos like that, there's really only one album which immediately springs to mind. Mr. Bloomfield has evidently fallen for "The American Ruse". Here's one not-very Angry Samoan who should have settled in Detroit or customized an automobile instead.



since 1976: gray's general store, pumpkin center, indiana.


Hey, whatever gets you that Green Card. Right ?

Wrong
. Bloomfield already got his in 1976, with peanut farmer, Jimmy Carter slipping into the White House in the wake of the Watergate scandal and the USA at large waving on the 200th celebration of the Declaration of Independence, the United States Bicentennial.

Reborn in the USA. Undying gratitude makes people do strange things. Or maybe it was simply boredom.

MC5: LET ME TRY from "Back In The USA" LP (Atlantic) 1970 (US)

BUY BACK IN THE USA

10 comments:

Unknown said...

Yikes.
It's a shame that nobody told him about proper flag displaying...
When the flag is hung vertically, the field of blue is supposed to be in the upper left.
Oh well, what does U.S. flag code (much less lapel pins) matter, right?
Again, I say yikes.

said...

This is one time I really feel the urge to burn the flag.

NØPC

ib said...

Matt: Yeah, thanks for drawing attention to that. Weird thing too, is the '76 centennial sign pic I've just uploaded from a store in Indiana. The field of blue is on the wrong side too. ??

ib said...

Nathan: NØPC, indeed. But kind of funny nonetheless.

Your driver said...

Here's a movie about Punkin Center.

http://www.der.org/films/add-and-mabels-center.html

One of the things that I just loved about Indiana was the love of things that were old, broken down and rusted. Also, things that are not done right, like the flag, are considered kind of cool.

A typical hoosier, of a certain age, would point with pride to a broken down rusted out pick up truck with a busted leaf spring and body panels in several colors. "There she is. That's my old truck." I mean, anybody with money can own a shiny new truck, but a rusted out broken down old truck has become one of a kind. There's a certain logic to that which I find charming.

Your driver said...

You know what? I just realized. The flag is properly displayed on his face. Backwards on the punkin center store though. When the flag is hung vertically, it is correct to have the stars on the right. Who's a fuckin' real patriot at this thread? I mean an American. Butt out of this Ib. This isn't your fight. I'm an American and I'm damn proud. Damn proud. I more Americaner than anybody else posting here. The rest of you don't even qualify in the Americanness sweepstakes because I have swept all of the positions. How do I know? Because I can feel the pride and that's all I need to know.

Note to Ib: Yes there really are Americans who say shit that dumb. They don't necessarily dominate the conversation, but you sure do hear from them.

Unknown said...

Well, I guess it makes me a dumb-fuck, combative-in-conversation moron type, but...
"When displaying the flag against a wall, vertically or horizontally, the flag's union (stars) should be at the top, to the flag's own right, and to the observer's left."
http://www.usflag.org/flagetiquette.html

But, whatever floats your boat...

"C'mon people it's the 20th century... whatever you can do to have a good time - so long as it don't cause a murder - let's get on with it. Hey!" ~Zappa

Your driver said...

Perhaps I was wrong.

Unknown said...

"I am skin and bones, I am pointy nose;
But it motherfuckin' makes me try.
Makes me try, and that ain't no wrong.
I'll tell you why...
There ain't no right!"

ib said...

It's good to know that the Punkin Center (I see that's what the locals call it) is actually pretty famous. I just stumbled on the pic by good fortune. Just found a pic of Add & Mabel too. I take it it's noe regarded affectionately as something of a national treasure. I hope all that attention doesn't spoil it any.