I have had a mostly excellent day, with some IMing to vaj and a walk out on the southside of Huntley Meadows...but there's something really bothering me that I have to mention.
Allegations have been kicked around that Phish's bass player, Mike Gordon, got up to some illicit behavior with a young girl. There isn't a lot written about it in the news; I only found out because Tom Green mentioned it in a monologue! But it sounds like there's nothing to the story to me, as shown by these clips from an E! Channel Online story I pulled from Yahoo News:
----Gordon, 38, was a backstage guest of the Dead's (n the Grateful Dead) along with some members of the Hell's Angels. The bassist was documenting the show with his camera when he met the daughter of one of the Angels and asked if he could take some "art photos" of her, according to police.
Only problem: The musician didn't bother to get her parents' permission.
When her mom and dad couldn't find her, they alerted security, who discovered Gordon and the child fully clothed in a boathouse behind the amphitheater, a dimly lit area accessed only by state employees.
Authorities said the child, whose identity is being withheld because of her age, was uninjured and was immediately reunited with her mother.
According to local station WNBC-TV, some biker buddies of the girl's father dispensed their own brand of justice, roughing up the musician before cops arrived. Gordon was not seriously injured, however.
The station also said Gordon initially told cops, "I may have shown bad judgment, but I am not a pedophile."
Major Richard K. O'Donnell of the New York State Park Police did not reveal any details of the police report, nor could he confirm the altercation. However, he did note that the bass player has never been convicted of any crime.
While the girl's parents opted not to press charges, police still slapped Gordon with one count of child endangerment, a charge that could land him up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine.
An insider with the band said nothing phishy was found in the pics taken by Gordon. A joint statement released by Phish's label, Elektra Records, and the girl's parents said the incident was much ado about nothing.
In a conference call, the band's manager says Gordon is trying to "make amends" with the girl's family, and the girl's father said, "Muckraking journalists should put the story to rest."
Nonetheless, "Cactus," as Gordon's known by fans and bandmates, is now stuck with a summons from the New York State Park Police and is scheduled to appear in court on September 29 to address the charges.----
Primarily, I point out that 1) never did the girl take off any clothes, 2) the film turned up no suspicious photos, and 3) the parents have joined with the band in their public statement (which is, unfotunately, not on the Phish website. I wish it was, I wish they said more about this case, although I understand why they don't love discussing it).
I'd like to add that I own Mike's film, Outside Out, have watched it a few times, and there is absolutely no nudity or sex or children or anything like that in it. It's about a 18 yr old kid trying to learn guitar; he has a crush on a girl, but she pretty much dismisses him, so there's no sex or making out. The film's hero, Rick, mostly hangs out practicing guitar with Colonel Bruce Hampton (as himself), a country musician (played by Gordon), his friend (who looks like a big-nosed Timothy McVeigh and is the worst actor I've ever seen), and his family.
The film is chock-full of weird visuals and effects. I have no doubt that Gordon figured this "abandoned boathouse" he went to with the girl had really cool shadows, like some dusty little grotto, and was a good place to do weird pictures,
...but not that weird.
I won't lie. I don't know Mike; I like him, but I don't have any evidence besides the above that he is or isn't guilty. Pedophelia accusations are tough, because 1) it's barely beaten by genocide and serial killing as the worst thing in humanity, 2) it's easy to accuse people of things. But the proof is in the evidence...if this goes to court, we'll most likely see that this is all bunk.
Umm, to end on a good note, as souljacker suggests last journal, Huntley Meadows is a natural oasis in suburban Alexandria. The southside entrance has a 150 yard canopy of 10-story trees, and there are many woods and (currently bushy) meadows to the marshside overlook. Not a lot of cranes, geese, or deer around today...kinda-loud kids biking around today...
...but it was nice to get out. I've been Doctor Tense this week.
Allegations have been kicked around that Phish's bass player, Mike Gordon, got up to some illicit behavior with a young girl. There isn't a lot written about it in the news; I only found out because Tom Green mentioned it in a monologue! But it sounds like there's nothing to the story to me, as shown by these clips from an E! Channel Online story I pulled from Yahoo News:
----Gordon, 38, was a backstage guest of the Dead's (n the Grateful Dead) along with some members of the Hell's Angels. The bassist was documenting the show with his camera when he met the daughter of one of the Angels and asked if he could take some "art photos" of her, according to police.
Only problem: The musician didn't bother to get her parents' permission.
When her mom and dad couldn't find her, they alerted security, who discovered Gordon and the child fully clothed in a boathouse behind the amphitheater, a dimly lit area accessed only by state employees.
Authorities said the child, whose identity is being withheld because of her age, was uninjured and was immediately reunited with her mother.
According to local station WNBC-TV, some biker buddies of the girl's father dispensed their own brand of justice, roughing up the musician before cops arrived. Gordon was not seriously injured, however.
The station also said Gordon initially told cops, "I may have shown bad judgment, but I am not a pedophile."
Major Richard K. O'Donnell of the New York State Park Police did not reveal any details of the police report, nor could he confirm the altercation. However, he did note that the bass player has never been convicted of any crime.
While the girl's parents opted not to press charges, police still slapped Gordon with one count of child endangerment, a charge that could land him up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine.
An insider with the band said nothing phishy was found in the pics taken by Gordon. A joint statement released by Phish's label, Elektra Records, and the girl's parents said the incident was much ado about nothing.
In a conference call, the band's manager says Gordon is trying to "make amends" with the girl's family, and the girl's father said, "Muckraking journalists should put the story to rest."
Nonetheless, "Cactus," as Gordon's known by fans and bandmates, is now stuck with a summons from the New York State Park Police and is scheduled to appear in court on September 29 to address the charges.----
Primarily, I point out that 1) never did the girl take off any clothes, 2) the film turned up no suspicious photos, and 3) the parents have joined with the band in their public statement (which is, unfotunately, not on the Phish website. I wish it was, I wish they said more about this case, although I understand why they don't love discussing it).
I'd like to add that I own Mike's film, Outside Out, have watched it a few times, and there is absolutely no nudity or sex or children or anything like that in it. It's about a 18 yr old kid trying to learn guitar; he has a crush on a girl, but she pretty much dismisses him, so there's no sex or making out. The film's hero, Rick, mostly hangs out practicing guitar with Colonel Bruce Hampton (as himself), a country musician (played by Gordon), his friend (who looks like a big-nosed Timothy McVeigh and is the worst actor I've ever seen), and his family.
The film is chock-full of weird visuals and effects. I have no doubt that Gordon figured this "abandoned boathouse" he went to with the girl had really cool shadows, like some dusty little grotto, and was a good place to do weird pictures,
...but not that weird.
I won't lie. I don't know Mike; I like him, but I don't have any evidence besides the above that he is or isn't guilty. Pedophelia accusations are tough, because 1) it's barely beaten by genocide and serial killing as the worst thing in humanity, 2) it's easy to accuse people of things. But the proof is in the evidence...if this goes to court, we'll most likely see that this is all bunk.
Umm, to end on a good note, as souljacker suggests last journal, Huntley Meadows is a natural oasis in suburban Alexandria. The southside entrance has a 150 yard canopy of 10-story trees, and there are many woods and (currently bushy) meadows to the marshside overlook. Not a lot of cranes, geese, or deer around today...kinda-loud kids biking around today...
...but it was nice to get out. I've been Doctor Tense this week.
ayin:
I think what really gets to me about this that of all the bands in the world you would expect to hear things like this about, Phish is probably the least likely, you know? I mean, I've never heard any right wing christian nuts or PC types talk about how Phish was destroying the morals of the nation's youth or something. People just like to hear good reputations get spoiled, I guess...
