Friday, September 19, 2003
More good music for you to check out. Stephanie Mckay professionally known by just her last name releases, arguably the best (or at least, most interesting) track from her self-titled album McKay. "Take Me Over" (Go Beat UK) is a beautiful slice of left-field soul sampling the old school reggae track "Double Barrel" by Dave & Alton Collins (I think). McKay is a Brooklyn-based singer but her album is notable for having been co-produced by Geoff Barrow of Portishead. This track still sounds great from when I first heard it as a demo over two years ago and is a breath of fresh air from the, now getting stale, neo-soul sound.
Unbelievably, Bush is seemingly getting yet another pass from the mass news media with its near invisible coverage of his belated admission that there is no evidence of a connection between the 9/11 attacks and Saddam Hussein. This should be one of the biggest stories this week IMO but it's being buried by most major news outlets. I just don't get it. Slightly more on the conspiracy theory tip is the September 18th "Stop the Preses" column "9/11/01: Where was George?" in The Nation by Eric Alterman. Exploring the inconsistencies in Bush comments about what he did the morning of the 9/11 attacks, the greater issue according to Alterman though is why no media outlet is chasing down the truth behind this story.
Two excellent articles in this week's Newsweek looking at the Iraq situation. Fareed Zakaria, one of the few conservatives who I can read and listen to without wanting to roll my eyes and punch them, discusses why pushing for an early power hand-off to the Iraqis as an exit strategy is a bad idea in "Don't Rush to Disaster." Remarkably, even before reading his well-laid out arguments on this issue, this is actually one area in which I have to side with Bush policy with respect to Iraq. Pulling out now would be a disaster and lead to more instability. France's arguments that power be handed over to the Iraqi Governing Council and a new constitution be drafted before the end of the year should sound way premature to any reasonable person. Of course I'm coming form the larger p.o.v. that this mess should never have been created in the first place.
On the other hand Rod Norland's "The Lebanon Scenario" paints a scary picture as to how this war may develop drawing parallels to Israel's involvement in Lebanon during the 1980's if the, until now, chaotic, poorly-planned post war rebuilding strategy is not overhauled and executed better.
In corporate malfeasance news, AOL Time Warner indirectly admits to the colossal mistake of their misguided merger by dropping the AOL part of their name and reverting back to being just Time Warner. Any moron with or without an MBA could have seen that this union was a huge mistake and I am sure (or I am hoping) that this name change is just the first step towards reversing it and finally getting rid of the millstone that is AOL. This is one company that I have never gotten. Yeah maybe 7-8 years ago when no-one really understood what the hell email and the internet were, their service served as training wheels for people taking their first steps onto the web. But in high speed, broadband 2003, who needs 'em? It's no wonder they've been losing subscribers in droves for the past few years. Trust me, it ain't gonna stop. For those of you who have seen or used AOL's service, you know what I'm talking about, it's terrible. For those who are still using it, why? Please email me and tell me why? Seriously, I want to know because, just in case you didn't know, AIM is free to anyone whether they're an AOL subscriber or not so feel free to drop their crappy service and trade up to a (far superior) high speed service. As for my decimated 401K plan, that's a whole 'nother story. Gerld Levin better not see me walking down the street one night (unless he has job offer for me--LOL).
Sad to see the WUSA go under after just three years. This editorial makes an eloquent argument for why the league was more important than being solely a bottom-line dollar and cents proposition but lose (supposedly) $100 million in three years and what do you expect will happen? It's especially sad to see the league fold just as the first world cup since the one that helped popularize women's soccer and provide the momentum for the launch of the WUSA in the first place was about to begin. Hopefully some sponsors and investors will come to the league's rescue but it sounds unlikely.
New Yorkers in town for the weekend looking for stuff to do here's a couple of options:
Paradigm's Night of Hip Hop
Saturday, Sept. 20 at the Bowery Poetry Project
308 Bowery, lower Manhattan
(F train to 2nd Ave. or 6 train to Bleecker)
Featuring performances from
- Exile & Lokey
- Rabbi Darkside
- Willpower
- Farbeon
Special DJ set from Kimani (Roosevelt Franklin/Third Earth)
Stand-up comedy from Sauce
Hosted by Hired Gun
Doors open at 10 p.m.
and also
Party Peoples, in the place to be...
"Where'd You Get Those? NYC's Sneaker Culture 1960-1987" Official Book Release Jam presented by Testify Books
Saturday, September 20-Martinez Gallery (37 Greenpoint Ave off West St., Greenpoint, BK. 718 706 0606)
Book Signing 6-8pm, Party 8pm-midnite. Free!
featuring DJ Cucumberslice, DJ Rich Medina and DJ Spinna for the first time spinning together ever, rocking music from 1960-1987 (just like the book, grandpa)!
Sponsors: Bounce . . . From The Playground Magazine, Fader Magazine, Red Stripe, Bobbito's Basics to Boogie basketball instructional DVD series, Project Playground Basketball
info: martinezgallery.com or blanca@martinezgallery.com
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Unbelievably, Bush is seemingly getting yet another pass from the mass news media with its near invisible coverage of his belated admission that there is no evidence of a connection between the 9/11 attacks and Saddam Hussein. This should be one of the biggest stories this week IMO but it's being buried by most major news outlets. I just don't get it. Slightly more on the conspiracy theory tip is the September 18th "Stop the Preses" column "9/11/01: Where was George?" in The Nation by Eric Alterman. Exploring the inconsistencies in Bush comments about what he did the morning of the 9/11 attacks, the greater issue according to Alterman though is why no media outlet is chasing down the truth behind this story.
Two excellent articles in this week's Newsweek looking at the Iraq situation. Fareed Zakaria, one of the few conservatives who I can read and listen to without wanting to roll my eyes and punch them, discusses why pushing for an early power hand-off to the Iraqis as an exit strategy is a bad idea in "Don't Rush to Disaster." Remarkably, even before reading his well-laid out arguments on this issue, this is actually one area in which I have to side with Bush policy with respect to Iraq. Pulling out now would be a disaster and lead to more instability. France's arguments that power be handed over to the Iraqi Governing Council and a new constitution be drafted before the end of the year should sound way premature to any reasonable person. Of course I'm coming form the larger p.o.v. that this mess should never have been created in the first place.
On the other hand Rod Norland's "The Lebanon Scenario" paints a scary picture as to how this war may develop drawing parallels to Israel's involvement in Lebanon during the 1980's if the, until now, chaotic, poorly-planned post war rebuilding strategy is not overhauled and executed better.
In corporate malfeasance news, AOL Time Warner indirectly admits to the colossal mistake of their misguided merger by dropping the AOL part of their name and reverting back to being just Time Warner. Any moron with or without an MBA could have seen that this union was a huge mistake and I am sure (or I am hoping) that this name change is just the first step towards reversing it and finally getting rid of the millstone that is AOL. This is one company that I have never gotten. Yeah maybe 7-8 years ago when no-one really understood what the hell email and the internet were, their service served as training wheels for people taking their first steps onto the web. But in high speed, broadband 2003, who needs 'em? It's no wonder they've been losing subscribers in droves for the past few years. Trust me, it ain't gonna stop. For those of you who have seen or used AOL's service, you know what I'm talking about, it's terrible. For those who are still using it, why? Please email me and tell me why? Seriously, I want to know because, just in case you didn't know, AIM is free to anyone whether they're an AOL subscriber or not so feel free to drop their crappy service and trade up to a (far superior) high speed service. As for my decimated 401K plan, that's a whole 'nother story. Gerld Levin better not see me walking down the street one night (unless he has job offer for me--LOL).
Sad to see the WUSA go under after just three years. This editorial makes an eloquent argument for why the league was more important than being solely a bottom-line dollar and cents proposition but lose (supposedly) $100 million in three years and what do you expect will happen? It's especially sad to see the league fold just as the first world cup since the one that helped popularize women's soccer and provide the momentum for the launch of the WUSA in the first place was about to begin. Hopefully some sponsors and investors will come to the league's rescue but it sounds unlikely.
New Yorkers in town for the weekend looking for stuff to do here's a couple of options:
Saturday, Sept. 20 at the Bowery Poetry Project
308 Bowery, lower Manhattan
(F train to 2nd Ave. or 6 train to Bleecker)
Featuring performances from
- Exile & Lokey
- Rabbi Darkside
- Willpower
- Farbeon
Special DJ set from Kimani (Roosevelt Franklin/Third Earth)
Stand-up comedy from Sauce
Hosted by Hired Gun
Doors open at 10 p.m.
and also
"Where'd You Get Those? NYC's Sneaker Culture 1960-1987" Official Book Release Jam presented by Testify Books
Saturday, September 20-Martinez Gallery (37 Greenpoint Ave off West St., Greenpoint, BK. 718 706 0606)
Book Signing 6-8pm, Party 8pm-midnite. Free!
featuring DJ Cucumberslice, DJ Rich Medina and DJ Spinna for the first time spinning together ever, rocking music from 1960-1987 (just like the book, grandpa)!
Sponsors: Bounce . . . From The Playground Magazine, Fader Magazine, Red Stripe, Bobbito's Basics to Boogie basketball instructional DVD series, Project Playground Basketball
info: martinezgallery.com or blanca@martinezgallery.com
