An action alert from Dr. John Breeding about the fifth annual Roky Erickson Psychedelic Ice Cream Social Celebrating Electroshock Survivors.
As someone who has been out of the closet in love with Robyn Hitchcock for half my life, it blew my mind to see his stand-up appearance midway through the video; now all his songs and my devotion make so much more sense. Michelle Shocked appears, as does REM’s Peter Buck, JT Van Zandt, and Roky his own self closes out with the 13th Floor Elevators classic You’re Gonna Miss Me. Visitor Robyn once called Austin the city of groovers, one look at this crowd will tell you why we live here.
You can vote everyday, by following these simple steps, or be non-linear and play around the site til you figure it out, but if you can take a minute to vote, throw us some love.
Background, in excerpts, by the honorable and rocking Dr. John Breeding:
In the last two years, our Coalition for the Abolition of Electroshock in Texas was very active, carrying on an initiative in Austin to challenge the use of electroshock at our area’s most prolific shock hospital, Seton Shoal Creek. As described on our website, we carried on with them quite a bit, including direct interaction with the hospital board and medical director, a series of protest rallies at the hospital, a resolution from the Texas legislature, and a hearing on electroshock with the Austin City Council.
In March 2007, we had a magnificent, unprecedented event–a concert featuring a number of terrific musicians and artists, a number of whom were also shock survivors now joining forces to call for a stop to this horrific procedure.
Now our own fantastic videographer, Mary Luker, known professionally as Mary Marvel, has created a short (20 minutes) documentary of our event. It is terrific, and we intend to use it to promote our effort to abolish electroshock, and to create safe haven for artists, who all too often suffer this horrific assault.
In support of our cause, Mary Marvel has submitted her documentary to an internet contest called Famecast. In order to have the greatest impact, we want to win this contest. In order to win, we need you to get on board and enjoy a ride, bringing music and a big message –END OF SHOCK– to the world.
1. Register on FAMECAST as a Voter or Fanatic. Click where it says ” The Audience Votes”
2. Click here to view our documentary
3. Click the “Video” tab to the right of the movie
4. Click the “Vote for me in the Open Round” link
5. Click the “Vote” button at the top right hand corner of the videoSteps 2 will take you to see our video. Steps 1, 3, 4, and 5 are necessary to vote.
P/S: Here is my favorite album by Robyn Hitchcock, this my favorite Soft Boys release, and this could be the most moving ode ever to hero worship.
Ever heard “Slip Inside This House” off the 13th Floor Elevators album “Easter Everywhere”? You really should–some scary/beautiful psychedelia, that is.
Are you aware that the “honorable and rocking” John Breeding is a dedicated member of a Scientology front organization, the CCHR? And that the “Church” of Scientology is not just a kooky California cult but a decades-old criminal enterprise whose entire raison d’etre is to victimize and exploit the unwary? ( http://preview.tinyurl.com/6gc63l )
Are you aware of the enormous BENEFIT that electroshock has posed for people suffering life-threatening depression? (See, for example, http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/189 ) Is your opposition to electroshock based on definitive knowledge, or instead on negative impressions you’ve absorbed from derogatory representations in the media?
Are you prepared to deny an important therapeutic tool to people who are suffering? Are you so absolutely SURE that you know what’s right, and whose opinions you can trust?
Have you investigated the other side of this controversy AT ALL?
Are YOU prepared to DENY Robyn Hitchcock is hot? I rest my case.
Of course he’s hot! I love all his movies.
Name one! Seriously though Seth Farber is another dissident psychologist with major chops who has accepted awards from scientologists, and like Dr. Breeding allows CCHR to use his name in their publications, which they do to gain credibility. Then trolls like you use that same association to discredit Dr. Breeding, who sees the joke for what it is.
How is it a “joke” to collaborate with and lend credibility to an organization which has been brainwashing, oppressing, and robbing people for half a century? Whether Breeding has “chops” is hardly the issue.
Well, Kenneth, it’s like this: Credibility is a joke, and you and CCHR are mirror images of each other. CCHR exploits “his good name” and you drag it through the mud. That’s entertainment.
In your eyes evil CCHR misrepresents the truth, but your misrepresentation of John Breeding in the above keyboard-pounding frenzy goes right passed you. Also good for a laugh.
Taking your own premises and conclusions regarding how the world works as the default is known as privilege. Maintaining it in spite of evidence to the contrary is how we find the humor in absurdity.
HOW is credibility a joke? When a doctor is prescribing a treatment for a deadly illness, is his credibility not a matter which is as serious as can be?
How have I misrepresented Breeding in any way whatsoever? I’ve barely even mentioned him.
And I, for one, have never seen privilege defined as “relying on assumptions about reality.” That would make everyone privileged, wouldn’t it? In which case, what relevance does this statement have?
I welcome a discussion on these matters, but please try to keep it coherent.
But your way lies tedium Kenneth, and here that’s a bannable offense. Do hit the glossary on your way out the door.