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US shuts down Somalia internet
Somalia's only internet company and a key telecoms business have been forced to close because the United States suspects them of terrorist links. Along with denying all internet access to Somalis, the closures have severely restricted international telephone lines and shut down vitally needed money transfer facilities.
Correspondents say the closure of the companies will have a devastating effect on the country, which desperately needs the services they provide. thanks to BuzzFlash This should make some more friends.
Merry Christmas Thanksgiving has come and gone. Now to get ready for Christmas and a great way to do that is to listen to Christmas music! I was making bread Thanksgiving morning for our family Thanksgiving dinner. Making bread involves a lot of watching bread dough rise so I used that time to start getting ready for Christmas. Off to EMusic.com. There were two Christmas albums that I had seen in previous searches. These were Christmas albums that I had on vinyl and were worth having so I started there and then searched for "Christmas". The following were the ones that I felt were worth downloading. I have DSL so those with modems might be a bit more discriminating. The total download was 780MB. Best have a large hard drive too. These albums are also available as CDs through Amazon and other fine music emporiums, with some exceptions noted.
Christmas music that I currently have on vinyl
A New Possibility - John Fahey's Christmas Album Volumes 1 And 2 by John Fahey.
The Charlie Byrd Christmas Album by Charlie Byrd
 Rock
Christmas by Jorma Kaukonen
 Jazz
The Christmas Collection by Various Artists - Fantasy / Prestige
Playboy's Latin Jazz Christmas: A Not So Silent Night by Various Artists - Playboy Jazz / Concord
A Charlie Brown Christmas by Vince Guaraldi
 Misc
A Sheffield Christmas Collection by Various Artists - Sheffield Lab
 Olde A collection of chants, traditional, and Elizabethan Christmas songs. Christmas Now is Drawing Near by Sneak's Noyse (on original instruments)
Elizabethan Christmas Anthems: Music of Gibbons, Byrd, Tomkins, Peerson, Amner, Holborne, Bull and more by The Rose Consort of Viols
Christmas Chant: Sacred Chant for Christ's Nativity by Monks & Nuns of Prinknash & Stanbrook Abbeys
Old Christmas Return'd (Christmas Music and Song From Past Ages) by The York Waits
 World
It's A Cuban Christmas by Various Artists - Max Latin
Nomad Christmas: A World Music Celebration by Various Artists - Music Of The World
 At the edge
Christmas Greetings From New Orleans by Various Artists - Louisiana Red Hot
 Over the edge
An Industrial Christmas Carol by Martin Atkins and the Chicago Industrial League
Valley Of Christmas by Andrei Codrescu
 That's all folks!
Have a happy Thanksgiving. Be sure and eat to much.
America's hyperreal war on terrorism The best way to understand "America's new war" is as a convenient legitimizing rubric to extend American economic and military power abroad, and to complete the repressive domestic agenda already set in motion during the post-cold war years in the guise of the "war on drugs." In both instances, corporate globalization's increasingly intolerant attitude toward dissent of any kind is implicated. This is not so much a war against "terrorism," but a pre-emptive strike against domestic and international opposition to the hegemony of transnational capital in the early years of the twenty-first century.
In this most hyperreal of wars, nothing is as it seems. The most unprecedented repression of dissent and diversity of opinion at home is and will be accompanied by hollow echoes of borrowed liberal endorsement of multiculturalism and identity politics. thanks to wood s lot It's discouraging when we find intelligent pieces like this in a Pakistani paper and not a U.S. paper. This page also had two other very good pieces. When Bush finally signed the ridiculously named PATRIOT ("Provide Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism") Act, 2001, he surrendered the most vital component of the "American way of life" the whole world looked up to.
It appears now that on September 11, terrorists ended up doing a lot more damage to the United States than they could have imagined in their wildest dreams. In retrospect, the tragic deaths and loss of property seem the lesser casualties of that fateful day. The real damage has been caused to the American psyche. The US president's rhetoric calling the event an attack on the "American way of life" is coming true in a bizarre fashion. Only, the Americans have themselves set about destroying their own civil liberties, individual rights and basic freedoms they used to be proud of until now. With the bombs and missiles falling on Afghanistan in the high altitude US destruction of "Operation Enduring Freedom", the Palestine question may seem tangential to the altogether more urgent events in Central Asia. But it would be a mistake to think so, and not just because Osama bin Laden and his followers (no one knows how many there are in theory or in practice) have tried to capture Palestine as a rhetorical part of their unconscionable campaign of terror. But so too has Israel, for its own purposes. With the killing of cabinet minister Rahavam Ze'evi on October 17 as retaliation by the Popular Front for the assassination of its leader by Israel last August, General Sharon's sustained campaign against the Palestine Authority as Israel's bin Laden has risen to a new, semi-hysterical pitch. Israel has been assassinating Palestinian leaders and militants (over 60 of them to date) for the past several months, and couldn't have been surprised that its illegal methods would sooner or later prompt Palestinian retaliation in kind. But why one set of killings should be acceptable and others not is a question Israel and its supporters are unable to answer. And so the violence goes on, with Israel's occupation the more deadly, and the vastly more destructive, causing huge civilian suffering: in the period between October 18-21, six Palestinian towns re-occupied by Israeli forces; five more Palestinian activists assassinated plus 21 civilians killed and 160 injured; curfews imposed everywhere, and all this Israel has the gall to compare with the US war against Afghanistan and terrorism. Thus, the frustration and subsequent impasse in pressing the claims of a people dispossessed for fifty-three years and militarily occupied for thirty-four years have definitively gone beyond the main arena of struggle and are willy-nilly tied in all sorts of ways to the global war against terrorism. Israel and its supporters worry that the US will sell them out, all the while protesting contradictorily that Israel isn't the issue in the new war. Palestinians, Arabs and Muslims generally have either felt uneasiness or a creeping guilt by association that attaches to them in the public realm, despite efforts by political leaders to keep dissociating bin Laden from Islam and the Arabs: but they, too, keep referring to Palestine as the great symbolic nexus of their disaffection.
In official Washington, however, George Bush and Colin Powell have more than once revealed unambiguously that Palestinian self-determination is an important, perhaps even a central issue. The Belligerent Bunch: Rabid Journalists and Pundits Push Bush to Extremes
A rabidly pro-war cadre of journalists and pundits have become cheer-leaders for an aggressive and expansive war, and increasingly draconian domestic policies, following the terrorists attacks of Sept. 11. As the Bush administration rapidly expands law enforcement power and national security authority, a phalanx of white male commentators with magazines of opinion like the New Republic and the Weekly Standard have become a steady bellicose chorus, flirting with macabre doomsday scenarios. Their voices urge the administration to escalate the battle beyond Afghanistan and to use more force. thanks to wood s lot
Rushing around getting some work on a couple of web sites done before seeing family tomorrow. So much to blog and so little time. I'm a freelance web designer. As such, it's difficult to have a stable work schedule. It seems that clients conspire to not get information to me at the same time leaving me with a lot of time on my hands (good for blogging) and, when I get used to that, they get the information to me all at once leaving me to run around like a chicken with the head cut off. As soon as I get these two projects done I will be converting this blog over to Movable Type. It like the way it handles links to individual posts. Greymatter creates pages for each post while Movable Type, like Blogger, uses internal page links. This didn't use to be a problem but others are linking to my comments and Movable Type will make it easer for all. Many thanks to Noah Grey for Greymatter, which provided a way to blog that I have more control over. I don't like having to depend on other's servers. That was the problem I had with Blogger. For many valid personal reasons, Noah isn't updating Greymatter but I need better functionality. Noah's love isn't programming, it's photography. We should all be spending our energies doing what we love. Noah is. You can buy his prints too.
I am continually amazed at the gems that EMusic.com has. I spent this evening working on a client's web promotion campaign and downloading music. (Maybe I read a blog or two.) I started with Andres Segovia, The Early Studio Recordings (1927-1939) Disc 1; Alirio Diaz, guitar, The Guitar Artistry Of Alirio Diaz: Music Of Tarrega, Lauro, Sojo, Albeniz, Haydn, Sans, Scarlatti, J.S. Bach And Mozart; Baden Powell, The Guitar Artistry of Baden Powell; Louis Armstrong And King Oliver, Louis Armstrong And King Oliver; Ma Rainey, Ma Rainey; Cannon's Jug Stompers, The Best Of Cannon's Jug Stompers; with a final download of Charlie Patton, Founder of the Delta Blues. But wait, there's more! I'm afraid they will have to wait. MVP caps Ichiro's dream season Ichiro not only takes rookie MVP but also American Leage MVP. Liberty Is Dying, Liberal by Liberal thanks to wood s lot The Indiscreet Charm of the Bush Nazi Web Conspiranoids
thanks to wood s lot
Harbingers of death in the Gulf Last Wednesday, an Iraqi Airways Boeing 727 civilian airliner was climbing out from Basra, Iraq's southern port, when the ether crackled at 121.5 megahertz with an unmistakable American voice: "This is the United Nations [sic] no-fly zone enforcement patrol calling Iraqi airliner travelling at 21,000 feet proceeding at 400mph north-west from Basra. I warn you that you are subject to being fired upon - you continue to fly at your own risk." Thus in the middle of a war against terrorism, falsely claiming a UN mandate - the "no-fly zones" are in fact imposed unilaterally by Britain and the US - an allied pilot was threatening 180 civilian passengers with airborne death. That would have created quite a desert storm. I might not have believed this story if an Iraqi official had told me. But as chance would have it for the US pilot, I was on that flight, sitting in the cockpit with Captain Akram, who disdainfully ignored the warning. Also on the aircraft were Lord Naseer Ahmed, Britain's first Muslim peer, and the solidly Blairite MP Kerry Pollard.
Together with Sunday's incident in the Gulf, when a tanker carrying Iraqi oil sank after being boarded by US servicemen - with the loss of up to six people, including two Americans - the signs are that US policy towards Iraq is poised on a bayonet point. Bombing, argue the hawks roosting on the Potomac, has achieved two regime changes in a row, in Yugoslavia and Afghanistan, without the loss of a single American in action. Time to go for the hat-trick in Iraq, they say, closing the unfinished business thanks to Ethel the Blog
Powell to 'push and prod' Middle East THE Bush Administration made tough demands on the Israelis and Palestinians yesterday as it sought to bolster Arab support for its war on terrorism by pledging to engage fully in the Middle East peace effort. Colin Powell, the US Secretary of State, set out a vision of Israeli and Palestinian states peacefully coexisting, but told both sides in the bluntest terms that to achieve it they would have to accept some “fundamental truths”. He told the Israelis that they had to be ready to end their occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip in accordance with UN resolutions. He told them to stop building Jewish settlements in those territories, to stop killing Palestinian children and to end the humiliation of their parents.
He told the Palestinians that they had unambiguously to accept the legitimacy of the Jewish state, immediately end all violence and incitement, and recognise that the only way they could ever achieve their goals was through peaceful negotiation.
Any academic who wants to learn about American anti-intellectualism has two ways to go. On the one hand, you can take the pastoral route, and delve into the problem as an intellectual--reading, in the quiet of your armchair, Hofstadter's classic dissertation, say, and/or Dan T. Carter's fine biography of George Wallace, and/or any other such enlightening work. Or you can drop the books, put on your goggles and your rubber boots, and venture forth into the endless shitstorm that is now our civic culture, and in that deluge try to make a reasonable argument. You do that, and you will quickly learn a lot--more, in fact, than you might pick up just by reading, and, perhaps, a lot more than you bargained for. thanks to wood s lot
The assault on science and the American public by the corporate propaganda machine
There, in a "science site" for educators and students, was a collection of the most blatant corporate propaganda I have ever seen - and as an environmental journalist and science abstractor, I have seen plenty! Here are some sample statements: "Most scientists do no believe human activities threaten to disrupt the Earth's climate," "A modest amount of global warming, if it should occur, would be beneficial". There is a whole lurid section devoted to outlining the collapse of the world economy if Kyoto were ratified, while other headlines of scathing stories proclaim: "U.S. sends EU's "emergency mission" on Kyoto packing, still whining," and "ABC and Al Gore: A Global Warming Love Story?"
thanks to Unknown News
The musicians showed up for last night's TestingTesting. That's always a plus. Fred Dente on guitar, Susanne Ohrvik on accordian, and Kimmer Morris on violin. Great combination. I was up until almost two this morning getting the audio archive of the show up. Check it out. Pictures up in the next day or so. I need to catch up on work. But, until I get a break, here is something to amuse yourself with. thanks to follow me here... Grab those little red dots, move them around. Play with the controls. No social redeeming value whatsoever. I'll be back.
Most of the preparation for tonight's TestingTesting us done. The show page is up, the mixing board is all set up, and the bread is on it's final rise. (I ususally make bread for the musicians. For me too.) Now to finish cleaning up the living room for the show. Click on in to tonight's webcast. Guestbook comments, from the show page during the show, and I will read them to the musicians.
I thought moving my daughters Katie and Jenny would take one day. It took two. They, and all their boxes, are moved in. Saturday Robby, my son, helped. It was nice having my kids, and two grandkids, working together even if it was moving furniture and boxes. I sent out the notice to Monday night's TestingTesting. It will be the first time in a while the whole TT crew will be together so it should be fun. Between moving and getting ready for TestingTesting I haven't been keeping up with current affairs. The blogs in the left column will fill you in on that. However, I do have a few things to report. The English Have a Wonderful Sense of Humor Department
An election correction In the issues of December 16th 2000 to November 10th 2001, we may have given the impression that George Bush had been legally and duly elected president of the United States. We now understand that this may have been incorrect, and that the election result is still too close to call. The Economist apologises for any inconvenience. thanks to BookNotes There is a Lot Happening Outside of Afghanistan Department Welcome to Carl Koppeschaar's ASTRONET ASTRONET offers information on astronomical phenomena and closely follows the news on astronomy, space research, space flight, meteorology and earth sciences. thanks to Doc Searls Some Trouble That Patriotism Will Get You Into Department
NATION PULLS TOGETHER, FALLS OVER Answering the call from government and civic leaders, Americans all pulled together yesterday in an unprecedented show of patriotism and unity that left 44,000 people dead and 3.3 million injured. The injuries resulted from a lack of an equal number of people pulling from the other side, causing all 285 million Americans to immediately fall backwards on top of each other. "I was excited that we were finally pulling together as a nation, but I pretty much assumed there was going to be some kind of counterweight," said 34-year-old Angela Szweicki, whose left leg was broken when the man in front of her fell on it. "But there was nothing. We met no resistance at all."
"On the count of three, boom, we all went down like a ton of dominoes," she added.
Leonid report 121 in 27 minutes! That's enough for me. A total of 174 meteors for tonight. Wow! I'm sure that is more than I've seen in my entire life. And that includes all the Steven Spielberg movies I've seen. Ain't nature grand? I spent the day moving Jenny and Katie and I need to go back for a couple more loads in the morning so I should get to bed.
23 in 10 minutes. Some come in a burst of 2 or 3 in a second's time. Then its a wait until another.
14 in 10 minutes.
I counted 16 Leonids since the last post. They are coming from the south east and radiating in all directions. Some are have faint trails but several had a very bright white trail and a prominent red fireball. When we have clear night skies in Puget Sound, this time of year, it means cold. My deck is slippery so it must be freezing. I am warming up and will go back out soon.
Waiting for the Leonids with Charlie Christian The Leonids haven't shown yet. It's still early but the viewing is nigh perfect. I live on Whidbey Island, which is north of Seattle enough to be free of its light pollution. We have dark skies and it is clear tonight. Perfect. And Charlie and Dizzy are wailing at Minton's. Craig featured Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Rollins and Sonny Stitt on Sonny Side Up. Check out his comments about this album and jazz. I checked out emusic and they didn't have this album but had several by both Sonny Rollins and Sonny Stitt. emusic also had a link to some Lester Young. I downloaded one of each and then I thought of Charlie Christian and checked to see if that had anything by him.
I didn't know that any of these sessions had been captured. I must be living under a rock because emusic has After Hours with Charlie Christian, Dizzy Gillespie, and Thelonious Monk recorded at Minton's and Monroe's. A review, at Amazon says it well: In 1941 a young man named, Jerry Newman brought a portable recorder to the legendary jazz club in Harlem called Minton's. What he recorded is little short of priceless. Cut in May of 1941 this music features, among others, electric guitar pioneer Charlie Christian, Dizzy Gillespie then a young trumpeter just beginning to emerge from Roy Eldridge's shadow, the cool toned tenor of Don Byas, a young drummer who was radically altering the approach of jazz drummers named Kenny Clarke, and a little known house pianst named Thelonious Monk. There are two reasons this music is so vital. First, the performances are outstanding. Christian is transcendant in his soloing. His lines are crisp, and swing hard as anyone, and for this listener THE reason to pick up this disc. He is afforded the opprotunity to really stretch out and dig into the music that the standard three minute record of the day simply could not allow, just listen to "Swing to Bop" and "Up on Teddy's Hill". Gillespie is in a transitional phase of his playing, only just beginning to come into his own, but one hears glimpses of his greatness on "Kerouac". Monk is identified as the pianist on "Swing to Bop" and "Stomping at the Savoy". One has to strain to listen even as he solos as the piano is very soft, most likely far from the mic, but one hears enough to tell his playing is still stride based and displays little of his trademark style. These performances of Monk and Gillespie at such a stage gives the fan a perspective of just how young they were, and how far they would come. The second reason to pick this cd up is for it's historical value. At the time this music was very much underground and ignored by nearly everyone outside of the musicians and a small base of dedicated fans. This recording gives us the briefest glimpse of the music that would become "be-bop" in it's infancy, and is an indespencable historical document. The sound quality is suprisingly high considering the source materials are the discs mr. Newman cut on his portable, and then listened to countless times. While not in the catagory of audiophile quality, there is very little audible analog hiss, and most of the musicians (save the rhythm section, which is muffled thorughout) come through loud and clear. This disc is a must for fans of bop, Christian, Gillespie, and fans looking to fill holes in the development of jazz styles, I recommend it highly. I've been listening to this over and over. Charlie Christian is incredible on these cuts. He rocks! This was recorded in May of 1941. Shortly after these recordings, he contacted TB and was dead March 2, 1942, at age 25.
SOLO FLIGHT The Ultimate Charlie Christian Page A Tribute to Charlie Christian
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I had heard recordings of Charlie Christian with Benny Goodman. But I hadn't heard any of the Minton's sessions. In 1941 Charlie Christian would go to Minton's after hours and jam with the likes of Dizzy Gillespie. The house piano player was Thelonious Monk. It was here they started to create a new music that was to be known as bebop.