News & Views for Anarchists & Activists: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/smygo
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MTV News Rollins Angry About Terror Accusation, Stoked About Talk Show 02.21.2006 2:49 PM EST
Passenger on flight to Australia reported singer for reading book on militant Islam.
Henry Rollins has been getting a lot of attention these days from the Australian media -- after all, it's not every day that some American punk icon calls Australia's prime minister a "sissy."
While it hasn't been the kind of attention most celebrities would welcome, Rollins -- who tread the boards with seminal hardcore tsunami Black Flag before launching his own hard-rock conglomeration, Rollins Band -- is relishing it. "Well, it isn't the worst thing I could have said," he explained. "I have called the president of the United States a whole lot worse."
Prime Minister John Howard caught Hank's wrath during the rocker's most recent trip to Australia. On the flight from New Zealand, Rollins said he was reading a copy of Wall Street Journal correspondent Ahmed Rashid's book "Jihad: The Rise of Militant Islam in Central Asia." The man sitting next to him took objection to the book and reported Rollins to the Australian government.
"The guy phoned me in to their, like, anti-terrorist board, and they found me -- they looked me up," he said. "They looked up the flight and found out who was sitting in seat 10A and they got to me. And they said, 'OK, you're now a person of interest. The man next to you does not agree with your politics and he didn't like the book you were reading.' This kind of provocation, I don't respond very well to. I was furious. And so I wrote back, 'You can tell everyone at your office, including your boss, to go f--- themselves. This book has been read by a ton of people -- I am not a threat to your state or any state or any republic.'"
In the actual text of his online response, Rollins added: "Baghdad's safer than my hometown, and your PM is a sissy."
Rollins said he isn't sure he'll ever be able to return to Australia. That doesn't upset him all that much. What does irk him, though, is that he can't take out his frustrations on the man who reported him as a potential national security risk.
"He didn't even leave his name and address [when he called], and that, to me, is pretty cowardly," Rollins said. "The next time I get out to Australia -- that is, if they let me in -- I am going to talk about that guy in every interview I do. And it will get to him. It's a small country, in that there aren't a lot of people there and most of the country's just sand and flies. So it will get to him."
Rollins will be doing plenty of interviews Stateside, but on the other side of the mic, when his weekly talk show "The Henry Rollins Show" debuts April 1 on the Independent Film Channel. (Rollins also has a radio program, "Harmony in My Head," which airs Tuesday nights on Los Angeles' Indie 103.1.) The program, an offshoot of Rollins' old IFC gig, "Henry's Film Corner," will feature musical guests and performances as well as interviews with actors, writers, politicians, thinkers and "people I think have something to say," he explained.
Rollins said the idea for the program was inspired by the tons of mail the channel received concerning his monthly rants during "Henry's Film Corner."
"I had moments where I could just go off on topics, and that was the stuff that got the most mail," he said. "People loved our interviews, and then the mail we would get was 'We like when Henry goes off and tears the president a new one.' So this time around, the show went from monthly to weekly and the show's name was changed. And they just said, 'Do what you want. We trust you, we like you -- go.'"
Musical guests lined up include Frank Black, Death Cab for Cutie, Dashboard Confessional, Sleater-Kinney and Ben Folds. Rollins said he's in control of the bulk of the show's content, which is the only way he'd have it.
"If they didn't let me do what I want, they'd find some handsome guy with frosted hair who goes, 'Great -- give me the copy,'" he said. "I don't want to be that guy."
-- Chris Harris, with reporting by Sasha Hamrogue
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02/22/06 10:37:15, Categories: Music News Australian Government Monitors Henry Rollins Due To Questionable Reading Material
Rocker Henry Rollins is under investigation by the Australian government after he was spotted reading Ahmed Rashid's bestselling book "Jihad: The Rise of Militant Islam in Central Asia" on a recent flight to Brisbane, Australia. The former Black Flag frontman, 45, was horrified when he received an e-mail from an Australian government associate after an ignorant passenger reported the singer/actor's reading material.
Rollins tells PageSix.com, "Days later I received an e-mail from a woman who I guess figured out who I was and found me. I had been named a 'person of interest.' Basically, they get calls like this every five minutes, and I'm probably on the 'who cares' list, in that they'll probably let me into the country again. But the fact that this guy could be that ignorant and call me in on this for a book. I was angry. Because of the fact that the guy wouldn't confront me. I like confrontation. If I've offended you, let me know. Don't call it in and not leave your name. I just think it's pretty weak."
Rollins was especially baffled by his status amongst Australian immigration officials because of his past track record working with U.S. soldiers. He explains, "I do a lot of work for the USO because soldiers are my heroes. I've done six USO tours outside of America and a few hospital visits, and the soldiers are the best. I've been to Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Dubai, South Korea, Honduras, Japan, Egypt and Turkey."
(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)
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-- Dan Clore
Now available: _The Unspeakable and Others_ http://www.wildsidepress.com/index2.htm http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1587154838/thedanclorenecro Lord Weÿrdgliffe & Necronomicon Page: http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/9879/ News & Views for Anarchists & Activists: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/smygo
"Don't just question authority, Don't forget to question me." -- Jello Biafra
Joshua Aaron
2006-02-22 19:46:33 EST
Great post Dan!
Henry Rollins: America requires more patriots such as yourself. We love you Henry.
Fuck the bullshit. Up with right thing to do right now.
Curly Surmudgeon
2006-02-25 21:54:05 EST
On Wed, 22 Feb 2006 15:57:44 -0800, Dan Clore wrote: -----------snip-------------- > Rollins was especially baffled by his status amongst > Australian immigration officials because of his past track > record working with U.S. soldiers. He explains, "I do a lot > of work for the USO because soldiers are my heroes. I've > done six USO tours outside of America and a few hospital > visits, and the soldiers are the best. I've been to Iraq, > Afghanistan, Kuwait, Dubai, South Korea, Honduras, Japan, > Egypt and Turkey."
I hope many more people wind up caught in this meat grinder so a universal cry arises. I, too, am nailed each and every time I fly in the U.S. for reasons that escape me, unless it's my website.
Supporting the Constitution and Bill of Rights can land you in jail nowdays.
"Dan Clore" <clore@columbia-center.org> wrote in message news:43FCFA78.2090201@columbia-center.org... > News & Views for Anarchists & Activists: > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/smygo > > ***** > > MTV News > Rollins Angry About Terror Accusation, Stoked About Talk Show > 02.21.2006 2:49 PM EST > > Passenger on flight to Australia reported singer for reading > book on militant Islam. > > Henry Rollins has been getting a lot of attention these days > from the Australian media -- after all, it's not every day > that some American punk icon calls Australia's prime > minister a "sissy." > > While it hasn't been the kind of attention most celebrities > would welcome, Rollins -- who tread the boards with seminal > hardcore tsunami Black Flag before launching his own > hard-rock conglomeration, Rollins Band -- is relishing it. > "Well, it isn't the worst thing I could have said," he > explained. "I have called the president of the United States > a whole lot worse." > > Prime Minister John Howard caught Hank's wrath during the > rocker's most recent trip to Australia. On the flight from > New Zealand, Rollins said he was reading a copy of Wall > Street Journal correspondent Ahmed Rashid's book "Jihad: The > Rise of Militant Islam in Central Asia." The man sitting > next to him took objection to the book and reported Rollins > to the Australian government. > > "The guy phoned me in to their, like, anti-terrorist board, > and they found me -- they looked me up," he said. "They > looked up the flight and found out who was sitting in seat > 10A and they got to me. And they said, 'OK, you're now a > person of interest. The man next to you does not agree with > your politics and he didn't like the book you were reading.' > This kind of provocation, I don't respond very well to. I > was furious. And so I wrote back, 'You can tell everyone at > your office, including your boss, to go f--- themselves. > This book has been read by a ton of people -- I am not a > threat to your state or any state or any republic.'"
So one passenger is an over-reactive bozo and Rollins blames the entire Australian govt for it? Rollins sounds like he needs attention too badly, as if it might be a way to prop up his career or something.
Someone needs to remind this 40-something holdover that he has become another self-centered narcissist, that punk has become another commodity in the "alternative music" marketplace, and that Keith Morris was still a better singer. :O|
Michael Price
2006-02-26 15:39:56 EST
Stan de SD wrote: > "Dan Clore" <clore@columbia-center.org> wrote in message > news:43FCFA78.2090201@columbia-center.org... > > News & Views for Anarchists & Activists: > > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/smygo > > > > ***** > > > > MTV News > > Rollins Angry About Terror Accusation, Stoked About Talk Show > > 02.21.2006 2:49 PM EST > > > > Passenger on flight to Australia reported singer for reading > > book on militant Islam. > > > > Henry Rollins has been getting a lot of attention these days > > from the Australian media -- after all, it's not every day > > that some American punk icon calls Australia's prime > > minister a "sissy." > > > > While it hasn't been the kind of attention most celebrities > > would welcome, Rollins -- who tread the boards with seminal > > hardcore tsunami Black Flag before launching his own > > hard-rock conglomeration, Rollins Band -- is relishing it. > > "Well, it isn't the worst thing I could have said," he > > explained. "I have called the president of the United States > > a whole lot worse." > > > > Prime Minister John Howard caught Hank's wrath during the > > rocker's most recent trip to Australia. On the flight from > > New Zealand, Rollins said he was reading a copy of Wall > > Street Journal correspondent Ahmed Rashid's book "Jihad: The > > Rise of Militant Islam in Central Asia." The man sitting > > next to him took objection to the book and reported Rollins > > to the Australian government. > > > > "The guy phoned me in to their, like, anti-terrorist board, > > and they found me -- they looked me up," he said. "They > > looked up the flight and found out who was sitting in seat > > 10A and they got to me. And they said, 'OK, you're now a > > person of interest. The man next to you does not agree with > > your politics and he didn't like the book you were reading.' > > This kind of provocation, I don't respond very well to. I > > was furious. And so I wrote back, 'You can tell everyone at > > your office, including your boss, to go f--- themselves. > > This book has been read by a ton of people -- I am not a > > threat to your state or any state or any republic.'" > > So one passenger is an over-reactive bozo and Rollins blames the entire > Australian govt for it?
It was the government not the over-reactive bozo that labeled him a "person of interest".
> Rollins sounds like he needs attention too badly, as > if it might be a way to prop up his career or something. > His career is fine. I'm not so sure about the career of the bureaucrat who phoned him. I mean does it sound like he's on the fast-track?
> Someone needs to remind this 40-something holdover that he has become > another self-centered narcissist, that punk has become another commodity in > the "alternative music" marketplace, and that Keith Morris was still a > better singer. :O|
Mowhak
2006-02-26 15:54:44 EST
Stan de SD wrote:
> So one passenger is an over-reactive bozo and Rollins blames the entire > Australian govt for it? Rollins sounds like he needs attention too badly, as > if it might be a way to prop up his career or something. > > Someone needs to remind this 40-something holdover that he has become > another self-centered narcissist, that punk has become another commodity in > the "alternative music" marketplace,
-ack. But you sound like also having been a member of this group... Which is perfectly ok with me, as I am one, too =;-)
What I ask myself is if he maybe was just reading his book aloud (which the press does not make perfectly clear, and besides it would be quite funny if that was all he did). I could understand it might disturb s.o., then. It would be getting on my nerves, too.
> and that Keith Morris was still a > better singer. :O|
-Circle Jerks and Blag Flag are not to be compared, they are to be savoured.
möwhäk
HAIL CAESAR BUSH
2006-02-27 00:04:18 EST
mowhak wrote:
> Stan de SD wrote: > > > So one passenger is an over-reactive bozo and Rollins blames the entire > > Australian govt for it? Rollins sounds like he needs attention too badly, as > > if it might be a way to prop up his career or something. > > > > Someone needs to remind this 40-something holdover that he has become > > another self-centered narcissist, that punk has become another commodity in > > the "alternative music" marketplace, > > -ack. But you sound like also having been a member of this group... > Which is perfectly ok with me, as I am one, too =;-) > > What I ask myself is if he maybe was just reading his book aloud (which > the press does not make perfectly clear, and besides it would be quite > funny if that was all he did). > I could understand it might disturb s.o., then. It would be getting on > my nerves, too. > > > and that Keith Morris was still a > > better singer. :O| > > -Circle Jerks and Blag Flag are not to be compared, they are to be > savoured. > > möwhäk
Here's Henry Rollins website, but it is pretty much impossible that rock musicians ever turn into terrorists. http://21361.com/site/main.html
The rock musicians theme of "peace, love and equality" is far from the terrorist mentality of "bomb people and blow things up then go to heaven".
The average musician's sense of "heaven" is that heaven is within us now. People can make a good life right here and now, not at some far off point in the future.
This is actually what Jesus meant when he said "The kingdom of heaven is within you now".
Gene Graves
2006-02-28 19:04:31 EST
> and that Keith Morris was still a > better singer. :O|
-Circle Jerks and Blag Flag are not to be compared, they are to be savoured.
m\ufffdwh\ufffdk
Dude,
Henry Rollins was the singer of the Circle Jerks and Minor Threat. Jesus, any idiot knows that.
Gene
Mowhak
2006-03-01 05:10:01 EST
gene graves schrieb:
> > and that Keith Morris was still a > > better singer. :O| > > -Circle Jerks and Blag Flag are not to be compared, they are to be > savoured. > > möwhäk > > > Dude, > > Henry Rollins was the singer of the Circle Jerks and Minor Threat. > Jesus, any idiot knows that.
-but wasn't Minor Threat the singer of Ian McKaye? Confusing....
möwhäk
^'^BatAttaK^'^
2006-03-02 02:08:12 EST
On Wed, 01 Mar 2006 00:04:31 GMT, "gene graves" <*3@yahoo.com> wrote:
> >Dude, > >Henry Rollins was the singer of the Circle Jerks and Minor Threat. >Jesus, any idiot knows that. > >Gene