Other Music from a... Different Kitchen

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY GONE BAD: Another indicator of whether we are winning the broader War on Terror is how well the U.S. is doing at changing hearts and minds in the Middle East - and the indicators are not good. FACT: An August AEI-Zogby poll found only 35% of Iraqis thought the U.S. would help Iraq over the next 5 years, compared to the 61% who said Saudi Arabia would help (despite their refusal to donate to Iraq reconstruction) . FACT: The 2003 Pew Global Attitudes Projects found that fewer than one-quarter of respondents in Indonesia, Turkey, Pakistan, and Jordan said they support the war on terrorism. FACT: The Administration’s own Advisory Panel found an “absurd and dangerous underfunding of public diplomacy” - which Rumsfeld himself virtually acknowledged. He said in today's Washington Times that the U.S. needs a “new agency” to help fight a “war of ideas” against international terrorism.

Today's Paul Krugman piece examines the sorry state of employment under the current administration. Even if Treasury Secretary John Snow's recent pipedream prediction of the economy adding two million jobs before the next election--a forecast unsupported by the current growth rate or independent analysts--were to come true, "that won't vindicate the administration's economic policy." The current job market is "down 2.6 million compared with what it was when George W. Bush took office," meaning that, even if we add two million jobs, "his boss will be the first occupant of the White House since Herbert Hoover to end a term with fewer jobs available than when he started." (Question - where is the highly touted Commerce Department appointee that was supposed to fix the jobs situation?)

WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN DONE WITH THE TAX CUT MONEY: Krugman notes "in the current fiscal year, the Bush tax cuts will account for almost $300 billion of a deficit expected to top $500 billion. If that $300 billion had been used to employ workers directly...it would have created six million jobs ." Instead, a new Wisconsin study shows that, for at least that state, the tax cuts actually cost jobs. According to the study, the president's Council of Economic Advisors predicted that the Bush tax cuts would create 344,000 new jobs per month nationally. "Wisconsin's share of those jobs was to have been 12,104 by September. Instead, the state has lost 25,000 more jobs since that time."

Fantasy: "Victory" in Iraq

vs.

Reality: "U.S. sees spike in attacks in Iraq"

WHERE IS THE MONEY REALLY GOING? New reports have surfaced that Halliburton, the big energy company with close ties to Vice President Dick Cheney, has been using its contract to overcharge the U.S. government and the U.N. humanitarian fund. A "letter from Iraq's national oil company" released yesterday confirms "it pays far less to import gasoline than Halliburton" is charging the government and the U.N. Reports from both the Congressional Research Service and Iraq's national oil company show that Halliburton has jacked up the cost of oil for Iraq: While the "Iraq State Oil Marketing Organization said it pays between 90 and 98 cents per gallon to buy oil from neighboring countries," Halliburton charges the government $1.59 a barrel, then "receives a markup that could boost the price to $1.62 to $1.70." Much of the money for the oil has come from an American-controlled U.N. fund meant to "provide humanitarian aid to Iraq." According to a letter sent yesterday by two House Democrats, Reps. John Dingell and Henry Waxman, "Although it initially appeared that Halliburton was gouging only American taxpayers, it now seems that the company is overcharging the humanitarian Oil for Food program and the Iraqi people as well." President Bush has called for $900 million of the $87 billion supplement bill for fuel imports, although the Congressional Research Service has said the request "is asking for substantially more money than is called for by current fuel prices in the Persian Gulf trading area."

THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME: With $20 billion proposed to bring domestic programs to Iraq, there is confusion among many over "why Bush favors big-spending New Dealism in Iraq - building schools, roads, transmission lines and creating jobs - even as he resists comparable expenditures at home." Calling the push to bring focus on issues in the U.S. "Operation Home Front," lawmakers this week are "mounting a four-week offensive to bring attention" to the government's "failure to address domestic concerns." Tom Daschle and Nancy Pelosi "will lead the charge and attempt to highlight perceived GOP weaknesses on health care, the economy and jobs, veterans' benefits, education and the environment" until Congress goes out of session.

- The Strokes Room on Fire (RCA)
- Basement Jaxx Kish Kash (Astralwerks)
- Loon (Bad Boy)

"Due to customer concerns, Urban Outfitters no longer sells the board game 'Ghettopoly'."

This album sat on my shelf for 3 years before I finally cracked the wrapping to check it out and decide whether to keep it or sell it but guess what? This CD is a slept-on classic. If you like The Chronic, Doggystyle, Straight Outta Compton, Chronic 2001 or Amerikkka's Most Wanted etc. you need to cop this immediately. Kurupt is spitting fire blending backpack-ready, literate ryhme flows with straight gangsta talk just like back in the hey day of the Death Row era when he, Snoop, Daz and The Lady of Rage were coming up killing freestyles on tracks like Dre's "Puffin' Blunts and Drankin' Tanqueray" and Rage's "Afro Puffs (Extended mix)."

The beats are classic West Coast from club banging and car riding G-Funk to some old epic-sounding NWA-era sh!t. Dre handles some of the production as well as being on "H-'s a Housewife" (which strangely reappears on his 2001 album 3 years later, WTF?). On top of that you get Snoop, Nate Dogg, Daz and KRS-One on the mic, other beats by Organized Noize, Daz and Soopa Fly and the bonus beef cut "Callin Out Names" where Kurupt went at DMX and Ja Rule way before the 50 era jumped off and Ja Rule was gettin' ruled out by everybody. Seriously, do not sleep, you need this album in your life.

VICTORIA BECKHAM has ditched her hip-hop career before it even started in a bid to save her marriage, we can exclusively reveal.

Posh has told husband DAVID BECKHAM she has canned her £3 million collaboration with DAMON DASH and is going back to pop.

More importantly, it means that rather than spending half her life in New York, where she has been working with Dash, she will have more time with Becks in Madrid.

The News of the World revealed three weeks ago that the couple's marriage was in crisis because of the amount of time they spent apart.

A well-placed source in the Beckham camp told us: "This will mean Victoria doesn't have to keep flying to New York all the time.

"She's making a real go of their marriage and this will definitely help fill the cracks that were beginning to show."

David isn't the only one delighted with the decision.

Victoria's manager SIMON FULLER never backed her bid to make it in hip-hop. Our insider said: "Fuller is pleased that Damon is out of the picture.

"He never liked the idea of a hip-hop album. It was a huge risk.

" Posh was one of the world's biggest-selling artists with the Spice Girls and had a huge pop following. Fuller wants to capitalise on that.

"This is her last chance to make it as a solo artist so it has to be done right.

"She can do it again but Fuller holds the key for her comeback plan.

Bully

"He's in contact with the best songwriters in the world because of Pop Idol, which is his show. If she listens to him there is no reason why she can't make it again."

Pop svengali Fuller was furious that Dash threatened to sue Posh's label Telstar for money he says he is owed for recording her hip-hop tracks.

The source added: "Dash has shown what he can be like by falling out with everyone connected to Victoria. She's embarrassed by the whole thing.

"Damon has a bit of a reputation as a bully in the US and has tried doing that over here, which hasn't worked."

MC Posh RIP.
Source: News of the World online

"The `Hunt' Stops Here"

WHEN it comes to operatives for Al Qaeda, President Bush said last November, "We're going to hunt them down one at a time, and it doesn't matter where they hide as we work with our friends and bring them to justice."

When it comes to Saddam Hussein, the White House spokesman Scott McClellan said last month, "We are continuing the pursuit, and it's a matter of time before he is found and brought to justice."

But it is apparently a different story when it comes to the White House leaker who whispered the name of a C.I.A. officer to reporters. "I don't know if we're going to find out the senior administration official," Mr. Bush said last week. "I have no idea."
Source: New York Times "Political Points" by Michael Janofsky, October 12th

What: Alife Rivington Club
When: 10/18-10/26; Mon.-Sun. noon-7 p.m.
Where: 158 Rivington Street, between Suffolk and Clinton Streets (212-375-8128).
Why: Limited-edition sneakers from Nike, Asics, Adidas, Reebok, Puma, Ellesse, and others are 50 to 80 percent off retail. Yohji Yamamoto for Adidas, were $325, now $115; Nike Dunks, were $80, now $40; Eley Kishimoto shoes, were $160-$300, now $40-$125.
Courtesy Dailycandy.com

This is probably one of the most diverse, but comprehensible mixes you'll ever hear. This is more fun than blasting coke lines in Vegas, and it's musically sound. You'll hear the hottest baltimore jawns, the hottest new york club jawns, the hottest dancehall jawns, the hottest dirty south jawns all mixed up proper with pinches of the Stone Roses, the Clash, New Order, and Bjork just to satisfy the intellectuals. The sound is brought to you straight from North Philly's Hollertronix party which is held in a Ukrainian banquet hall, and stinks of cabbage, you know, the cheddar. Over an hour of continuously mixed music, including a make-out session portion for feelin on the booty. Guaranteed gully sound.

The Billboard Hot 100
Top 10 Positions /Issue Date:October 11, 2003

1. Baby Boy, Beyonce Featuring Sean Paul
2. Shake Ya Tailfeather, Nelly, P. Diddy & Murphy Lee
3. Get Low, Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz Featuring Ying Yang Twins
4. Right Thurr, Chingy
5. Frontin', Pharrell Featuring Jay-Z
6. Damn!, YoungBloodZ Featuring Lil Jon
7. P.I.M.P., 50 Cent
8. Into You, Fabolous Featuring Tamia Or Ashanti
9. Stand Up, Ludacris Featuring Shawnna
10. Where Is The Love?, Black Eyed Peas
Source: © 2003 Billboard/VNU Business Media Inc., and Nielsen SoundScan

Here's the breakout: $80 billion a year to finance health care for those who can't afford it, $30 billion to make teaching in poor schools an attractive career choice, $85 billion to establish a living wage of about $9 an hour; $2 billion for well-financed school vouchers and $3 billion annually to create the campaign finance system, including $500 million for administrative expenses. Mr. Miller then plunks down $10 billion to make preschool universal and $10 billion to repair deteriorated schools. That adds up to $220 billion, or 2 percent of the gross domestic product of roughly $11 trillion for 2004.

"For 2 cents on the national dollar, we have a country where everyone has basic health coverage; every full-time worker earns at least $9 an hour; poor children have great teachers in fixed-up schools where they show up ready to learn; and we've created a way for politicians to run for office (if they want to) without special-interest cash," the author says