Friday, June 03, 2005
Zappa emergent
Frank Zappa in the news again with his sons going on tour to take his music to a new generation. Wonder if they will be going to Lithuania, since the first ever Frank Zappa statue went up there soon after his 1993 death. There was a real political motive or at least a countercultural theme behind this, exemplified by the later Uzupis Republic movement. But around the statue itself things seem to be getting less wierd according to Rolling Stone.
On Lenin statues a tale I cant resist (it might have appealed to Zappa as well). The biggest statue of Lenin stood in (of course) Lenin Square which is now not called that! Anyway after the re-establishment of independence the statue was of course removed. One complaint - from the manager of a bar on the square. The statue was good for business he said. Lenin was pointing directly at the door of the bar. Customers would come out, see Lenin pointing at them, clutch their heads and go back in muttering 'I need another drink!'.
Zappa said one couldn't be considered a proper country "unless you have a beer and an airline - it helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a beer". And I guarantee Lithuania has beers! (and a Vodka more lethal than anything in Poland or Russia).
On Lenin statues a tale I cant resist (it might have appealed to Zappa as well). The biggest statue of Lenin stood in (of course) Lenin Square which is now not called that! Anyway after the re-establishment of independence the statue was of course removed. One complaint - from the manager of a bar on the square. The statue was good for business he said. Lenin was pointing directly at the door of the bar. Customers would come out, see Lenin pointing at them, clutch their heads and go back in muttering 'I need another drink!'.
Zappa said one couldn't be considered a proper country "unless you have a beer and an airline - it helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a beer". And I guarantee Lithuania has beers! (and a Vodka more lethal than anything in Poland or Russia).
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