The Musings of a Punk Rock Lawyer

On Episode 131, Greg and Grendel sit down with filmmaker Adam Assad, whose film 'The Sea Was Never Blue' has resonated with audiences of all political affiliations nationwide. Listen now!

On Episode 130 of Punk Roch Pariah, Grendel and Greg sit down and discuss curating social media, the rules that govern our lives, the inability to achieve the "American Dream," and so much more. Listen now!

  On Episode 129 of Punk Rock Pariah, Greg & Grendel have an hour-long conversation with “Mira” from the street punk band Bezlad from Kharkiv, Ukraine, about their journey to escape the bombing of their city by Russian forces.  Mira offers insights into the day-to-day experiences of people amidst the ongoing war. A call to aid from Greg:

My dear Ukrainian friends in the band Bezlad from Kharkiv have written five songs during the war while fleeing the bombings in Ukraine. These songs have been written about the war and what it has been like for them.

Having gotten to relative safety, they are looking to record these songs near Lviv, Ukraine. I asked if it was safe to record there, and their reply was, “Yes, the bombs only fall here every week or two.”

I feel that their songs, written in the midst of war, are some of the most essential songs hardcore/punk could possibly produce right now. The rest of us can write ABOUT war, but Bezlad has been living it. As fellow artists, I want them to be supported as they create these new recordings.

I offered to pay for the first ten hours of their recording session ($20 per hour) and am looking for donations to cover the rest. Recording, mixing, and mastering the entire record will cost $1200 total, so we are seeking $1000 in total donations.

  Since the band can’t receive PayPal payments, and as a single bank wire would be easiest for them, we agreed that I will accept donations via Paypal and Venmo (donation info is in the comments below). Then I will send receipts for every donation to the band along with a bank wire for the total amount.

  Any donations above and beyond that $1000 will go to our friends from the Kharkiv music community who are fighting on the front lines to buy them the defensive gear they need.

  PAYPAL: 

https://paypal.me/bezlad?country.x=US&locale.x=en_US

VENMO:

@gregbennick 


(PLEASE be sure to put "Ukraine" in the notes!)

On Episode 128 of Punk Rock Pariah, Grendel sits down with award-winning science fiction and fantasy author Sam J. Miller to talk about his new short stories collection Boys, Beasts, & Men. The two explore the themes of monsters, masculinity, and growing up a gay punk in rural NY  in Sam's books, as well as activism, film, and so much more. This is an extraordinary interview. Sam is appearing at the University Bookstore on the Ave on Wednesday, June 22, at 6 pm. There will be a reading and a Q&A with author Ted Chiang. Learn more or register HERE.  Sam J. Miller In Conversation With Ted Chiang Wednesday, June 22nd @ 6 pm University Bookstore 4326 University Way NE 98105 Learn more about Sam at samjmiller.com.

On Episode 127 of Punk Rock Pariah, Grendel and Greg talk about the country being over taking COVID precautions, despite a huge spike; zoomer slang; live concerts on pirate ships; and so much more. Give it a listen!

On Episode 126 of PRP, Greg and Grendel give a news roundup that includes the Amazon Labor Union and Russian Atrocities in Ukraine, as well as talk lists, cake, juggling balls, and so much more. 

On Episode 125 of PRP, Grendel and Greg have their regular pop culture discussions, talk Chelsea FC being taken over by the UK Government, and they have an extensive conversation on Mutual Aid, what it does, and why it is necessary. The boys are on fire in this one!!

On Episode 124 of PRP, Grendel and Greg talk about Grendel's newfound love of Formula 1, Chalino Sánchez and Narcocorrido, Ukraine, Greg's hours long high speed chase for revenge, and so much more. Get into it!!

  On Episode 123 of PRP, Greg and Grendel talk about the Voices of Ukraine, vegan soccer clubs, what it is like living with color blindness, and pose the question, "what would you do if you were faced with war breaking out in yoru hometown?" Listen now!

On Episode 122 of PRP, Greg and Grendel talk about the threat of COVID, read statements from those affected by Russia starting a war in Ukraine, discuss Patriotism, and so much more. This is a must listen!

On the first episode of Punk Rock Pariah in 15 months, Grendel and Greg start getting used to being around each other again and talk about getting what it is like to covid in foreign nations, what they've been up to for the last couple years, SNAKES, and so much more!

On Episode 120 of Punk Rock Pariah, Grendel sits down with PRP Political Contributor Paul West to talk about the upcoming Presidential vote, widespread voter suppression, stolen elections, the potential for violence, and so much more.

BLACK LIVES MATTER. PERIOD. This is an unparalleled time in modern history where the masses are standing up against the systemic racism and white supremacy upon which our country has been built. The question we must all ask ourselves is whether we are part of the solution or part of the problem. We must be consistently listening, learning, educating ourselves, and acting upon what we have learned. In her book Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?, Beverly Daniel Tatum says, "[A] genuine commitment to interrupting racism is a long-term commitment...We all need community to give us energy, to strengthen our voices, and to offer constructive criticism when we stray off course." So we call upon all of our members to be that energy.  The best way to work towards being that energy is to start by educating ourselves. Even the most learned among us must be constantly evolving, which is part of the "lifelong commitment" that Beverly Daniel Tatum mentions above. In light of this, we wanted to share some of our favorite resources we have come across: 1) Black Lives Matter Resources are available HERE;  2) The Black Lives Matter At Schools 2020 Teaching Curriculum Resource guide for teaching K-12 is available HERE; and 3) The Social Justice Film Festival has put together a list of films, books, and resources that you can access HERE. We also wish to share a few book recommendations of our own. Below this message are six of our favorites for learning about being anti-racist and/or a better understanding about the conditions against which the Black Lives Matters Movement is currently fighting. Please try to seek out a black-owned bookstore to purchase them. We recommend L.E.M.S., located right here in Seattle, or take a look at this list put together by the African American Literature Book Club. In the words of Ibram X. Kendi, from his book How to Be an Antiracist, "One either allows racial inequities to persevere, as a racist, or confronts racial inequities, as an antiracist. There is no in-between safe space of “not racist.” The claim of “not racist” neutrality is a mask for racism."

Freedom is a Constant Struggle by Angela Y. Davis

"In these newly collected essays, interviews, and speeches, world-renowned activist & scholar Angela Y. Davis illuminates the connections between struggles against state violence and oppression throughout history and around the world. Reflecting on the importance of black feminism, intersectionality, and prison abolitionism for today's struggles, Davis discusses the legacies of previous liberation struggles, from the Black Freedom Movement to the South African anti-Apartheid movement. She highlights connections and analyzes today's struggles against state terror, from Ferguson to Palestine."

How To Be an Antiracist

by Ibram X. Kendi

"In his memoir, Kendi weaves together an electrifying combination of ethics, history, law, and science--including the story of his own awakening to antiracism--bringing it all together in a cogent, accessible form. He begins by helping us rethink our most deeply held, if implicit, beliefs and our most intimate personal relationships (including beliefs about race and IQ and interracial social relations) and reexamines the policies and larger social arrangements we support. 

How to Be an Antiracist promises to become an essential book for anyone who wants to go beyond an awareness of racism to the next step of contributing to the formation of a truly just and equitable society."

So You Want to Talk About Race

by Ijeoma Oluo

"In So You Want to Talk About Race, Ijeoma Oluo guides readers of all races through subjects ranging from intersectionality and affirmative action to “model minorities” in an attempt to make the seemingly impossible possible: honest conversations about race and racism, and how they infect almost every aspect of American life."

From #BlackLivesMatter to Black Liberation by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor

"In this stirring and insightful analysis, activist and scholar Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor surveys the historical and contemporary ravages of racism and persistence of structural inequality such as mass incarceration and Black unemployment. In this context, she argues that this new struggle against police violence holds the potential to reignite a broader push for Black liberation."

White By Law 10th Anniversary Edition

by Ian Haney López

"In the first edition of White by Law, Haney López traced the reasoning employed by the courts in their efforts to justify the whiteness of some and the non-whiteness of others, and revealed the criteria that were used, often arbitrarily, to determine whiteness, and thus citizenship: skin color, facial features, national origin, language, culture, ancestry, scientific opinion, and, most importantly, popular opinion.

Ten years later, Haney López revisits the legal construction of race, and argues that current race law has spawned a troubling racial ideology that perpetuates inequality under a new guise: colorblind white dominance. In a new, original essay written specifically for the 10th anniversary edition, he explores this racial paradigm and explains how it contributes to a system of white racial privilege socially and legally defended by restrictive definitions of what counts as race and as racism, and what doesn't, in the eyes of the law. "

Pedagogy of the Oppressed: 50th Anniversary Edition by Paulo Freire

"First published in Portuguese in 1968, Pedagogy of the Oppressed was translated and published in English in 1970. The methodology of the late Paulo Freire has helped to empower countless impoverished and illiterate people throughout the world. Freire's work has taken on especial urgency in the United States and Western Europe, where the creation of a permanent underclass among the underprivileged and minorities in cities and urban centers is increasingly accepted as the norm."