Music & Sound
Kenny Muhammad The Human Orchestra
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- Friday 21st September 2007
I realize I’m somewhat late to the party with this video, but if you’re not acquainted with him:
My friend DJ Signify toured with Mr. Muhammad several years ago, in a broadway revue that paired dancers with a turntablist and a beatboxer. Whenever the subject of human beatboxes comes up, Signify just shakes his head slowly and moans “Kenny Muhammad.” He may be…
Politics
“Now They Tell Us”, a book by Michael Massing
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- Thursday 20th September 2007
I’ve been reading a lot of books lately (I have to do something with my time; I don’t watch TV), and one that’s made a huge impact is Now They Tell Us by Michael Massing .
The book’s subtitle is The American Press And Iraq. the preface of the book is by Orville Schell, Dean of the Journalism Grad School at UC Berkeley. Massing’s a contributing editor of one of my favorite magazines, the…
Politics
A documentary that will never air on US TV
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- Saturday 15th September 2007
Is America ready for a black president? Good question, right?
As my friend Eric points out regarding this pilot show for a prospective BBC series: “Too bad it will not air here in the USA because as you will see from his style and the whole tone of the piece, it is asking far more profound questions about our culture than our media does here on mainstream US television.”
Now, I don’t…
Politics
Can we finally restore Habeas Corpus?
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- Saturday 15th September 2007
Probably not, considering that the Democrats are actually Republican Lite, but it wouldn’t hurt to take a moment to sign a petition to restore what’s historically been viewed as the basic right of civilization. How grand to have our taxes going to Halliburton to “defend freedom” when United States citizens, alone amongst civilized countries, no longer have the right to challenge their…
Thoughts on Life
What you find on YouTube when you’re looking for something else entirely (UPDATED)
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- Sunday 9th September 2007
I was standing at the sink washing the dishes Saturday evening, and smiling quietly to myself.
Why are you smiling? asked the wife.
I’m remembering this old Alka Seltzer commercial from the 1970′s. You were probably too young to remember it.
Hey, I saw lots of commercials, asserts the wife. Which one are you laughing at?
An old one, I say. A :60, one that Roy Grace did after the…
Politics
Army of Dude
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- Friday 7th September 2007
One of the few remaining fighting-in-Iraq blogs left standing by Pentagon censors, Army Of Dude is worth more than every jerk in a suit soberly giving “commentary” on cable.
Well written, detailed, and sad in every way.
“A Sunni insurgent group we’ve been battling for months, responsible for the death of my friend and numerous attacks, agreed to fight Al Qaeda alongside us. Since…
Thoughts on Life
Kustom Kar Weekend (photos)
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- Tuesday 4th September 2007
In a change from my usual political shrieking and harangues about copyright, I have an assortment of funky photographs taken at this past weekend’s Lead East party, not far from our house.
Billed as “The World’s Largest 50′s Party,” it’s held at a Hilton with parking lots full of custom cars from all over; 1400 vehicles, so the promoters say.
Since these are the cars that first enthralled…
Copyright
How fair use actually works (real world example)
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- Friday 31st August 2007
The concept of fair use is an embattled idea in the age of digital information. Theoretically, one is allowed to use a piece of copyrighted material without permission in order to comment on it, editorial stylee.
How does it actually work? Chris Knight’s example is a practical illustration.
1) Chris runs for his local board of education in North Carolina. He home-produces 3 videos that run…
Music & Sound
An interview with the me that used to be
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- Wednesday 29th August 2007
Jon Nelson produces and hosts a nationally syndicated radio show called Some Assembly Required. He’s interested in “works of appropriation,” and he’s interviewed and worked with people like Negativeland, John Oswald, and Strictly Kev of DJ Food; in fact, Kev’s masterful audio history of sampling – Raiding The 20th Century – cotains a piece of Jon’s interview with me.
Jon interviewed me for his…
Politics
How do you spell Goebbels? A-I-L-E-S
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- Wednesday 22nd August 2007
Robert Greenwald and his crew have another analysis of FOX propaganda; this one regarding the parallels between coverage of the Iraq “threat” and now the Iran “threat.”
As a consequence of my not watching television for a long, long time, this all strikes me as very much like a sci-fi movie where the pod people have taken over the networks. The guy screaming at the top of his lungs about…
