moving

trying to figure out wordpress right now.
http://theoldmaestro.wordpress.com/
idea is to start posting a lot more....but don't hang your hat on it

Why doesnt the President say 'WAR ON TERROR'?

i've often wondered why the right is so persistent in its quest to get this president to use the phrase "war on terror". i'm glad that, at least in certain respects, the president is not willing to pander to the most basic sensibilities of what happened on 9/11 and the events following.

decide for yourself:

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2010/09/on-ground-zero-mosque-what-are-we-saying-to-american-muslims/62794/

"The folks who are most interested in a war between the United States or the West and Islam are al Qaeda. That's what they've been banking on, and for the overwhelming majority of Muslims around the world are peace loving, are interested in the same things that you and I are interested in: how can I make sure that I can get a good [job], how can I make sure that my kids get an education, how can I make sure that I'm safe, how can I improve my lot in life?

And so they have rejected this violent ideology for the most part overwhelmingly. So from a national security interest, we want to be clear about who the enemy is here. It's a tiny minority of people who ware engaged in horrific acts and have killed Muslims more than anybody else."

i should probably site Sean Hannity as the source of my title.

a wee bit troubled

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/greenslade/2010/aug/20/news-corporation-fox-news

While this is hardly news, it is pretty disenchanting (but what about fox news isnt?). I find it particularly troubling that an entire media organization, one that considers itself the most 'fair and balanced' in America, is publicly donating to the Republican Governors Association. Journalistic standards...who needs 'em? Credibility...who needs it? The Guardian article also mentions a hilarious hypothetical (i.e. if the New York Times gave the Democrats a million dollars how would Fox News react).

http://mediamatters.org/blog/201008180021

While a lot of people have sort of been laughing/mocking/acting unsurprised about this particular bit of news (because really who didn't know? oh yeah the entire viewership of fox news, DUH!), it's a sad state of affairs when an entire media outfit is completely hi-jacked by a party line. Even worse is the simple fact that our voices won't even be heard anymore (see Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission).

it cant be easy

http://www.tampabay.com/news/palin-claims-grossly-distort-the-democratic-tax-proposals/1113257

spitting defect hawk out one end and no revenue generation out the other can't be an easy task. probably easier than resigning because you didn't want all your loyal supporters to know you created a fund by exploiting your position as an elected official (which is kind of against that thing called the law).

Chief

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLPlfODCBlI&feature=av2e

cop that shit august 17th.

budos band

The Budos Band combine a variety of influences to create what some call may call soul, funk, or afro-beat.Those influences help craft a unique musical blend that is constantly rewarding. After catching them open for Caribou, this New York based ensemble provided a much needed spark in my musical world. Check out either of their two records, as well as others on their fabulous label Daptone Records. 

some people just live in a fantasy world

"In the America John Boehner grew up in, the top marginal tax rate on wealthy earners was 90%. It had gone up there during the war, and five, 10, 15 years after armistice, no sizable group, Democrat or Republican, felt any strong urge to lower it. "

"In the America John Boehner grew up in, the country had a president - a Republican president - who believed the following:

Should any political party attempt to abolish social security, unemployment insurance, and eliminate labor laws and farm programs, you would not hear of that party again in our political history. There is a tiny splinter group, of course, that believes that you can do these things. Among them are a few Texas oil millionaires, and an occasional politician or businessman from other areas. Their number is negligible and they are stupid."

article here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/michaeltomasky/2010/jul/01/usa-republicans-john-boehners-childhood

man how my blood boils

Ireland now finds itself in quite the conundrum (thank you china and the stimulus package because you're responsible for a lot more jobs (sustaining of course) than anyone will ever give you credit for) after pursuing the types of austerity measures that, despite the dissent of a certain world leader, the g20 has agreed to pursue. so tip your hats to Ireland all you self made supply side economists but just look what common sense has done for Ireland (where they'll be lucky to lure international investment for the next 20 years). I'm sure those are the people who will come crying for the middle and lower class if the U.S. or Europe find themselves in similar situations. see for yourself:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/29/business/global/29austerity.html?pagewanted=1&ref=global-home

A Few Brief Thoughts

"She said the theme of this party is the industrial age, and you came in dressed like a train wreck."  thank you Craig Finn for this gem.  i can no longer listen to a Hold Steady album without hearing multiple lines that make me say "God I wish I could write something like that."

for example, "Hey citrus, hey liquor, I love it when you touch each other."

shouldn't the Cubs be the winner of the BP Cup?  they are the ones who couldn't stop the run leak.  then today the send the Carlos Marmol robot out to plug the leak and he bumped into a pipe and it erupted again. they seem a much more fitting recipient.

also, here is a good image.  enjoy.

wicked

  Ed20-6-2010 by a952424

gotta love the chi sheezy

http://www3.timeoutny.com/chicago/blog/out-and-about/2010/06/the-autumn-defense-at-lincoln-hall-live-review-and-photo-gallery/

bluebirds fall

i found this article most interesting, not because of its author, but because it answers the annoying among us who use spanish, greek, and portugese debt as reasons to pursue potentially devastating fiscal policy. coincidentally those budget "wise" representatives of yours are probably using these same populist notions to pander to the ever increasing fiscal populists among us.

Krugman "That 30's Feeling"

also if you like baseball my guess is you will be watching the white sox tonight.

edit: the desire to hate the current president has now become tangible (although i'm sure plenty others have felt this way for awhile). joe bartons comments are at the very best indefensible, yet, to no surprise of my own, there are people defending him. absurd.

Micro Rants

to those of you who work in sandwich shops -- and you know who you are -- you must remember your purpose in this life is to make a sandwich that i will then eat.  if you put some things on it with your left hand and some with your right in order to save yourself a couple seconds which you can spend beating your head on a wall in the back, you have made two halves of one sandwich, neither half being what i ordered.  that is all.

also, if you were to ask me, "Brian, how do you take your coffee?"  my response is going to be, "in a cup."  i take my coffee in a cup.  i like or enjoy my coffee black.  that is all.

to all the critics

it takes a lot of gall to go after an oil company and then moments later try to restart a sales pitch for national energy reform. more importantly the significance of this administrations intent to set up an escrow fund to pay for the damages of the oil spill cannot be more understated. a brief look at, sadly the now second largest environmental disaster in U.S. history, yields the importance of setting aside BP's funds to pay for all legitimate claims.

"Exxon fought paying damages and appealed court decisions multiple times, and they have still not paid in full. Years of fighting and court appeals on Exxon’s part finally concluded with a U.S. Supreme Court decision in 2008 that found that Exxon only had to pay $507.5 million of the original 1994 court decree for $5 billion in punitive damages.And as of 2009, Exxon had paid only $383 million of this $507.5 million to those who sued, stalling on the rest and fighting the $500 million in interest owed to fishermen and other small businesses from more than 12 years of litigation."

a blanking supreme court decision. for all you math wizards thats 10 cents on the dollar. i'd go so far as to use the phrase "common sense would suggest that" the presidents actions in this case should be enough to win over the support of the entire affected region.

full article here>http://climateprogress.org/2010/06/15/the-exxon-valdez-spill-bp-escrow/>.

nigel goodrich owns you

two tone tommy has got to be one of the best bass players around

DJ/rupture

this guy spins gems.
check out his tremendous once a week radio slot on wfmu.
wfmu podcast everything making access to all their shows tremendously easy.
 the only thing better is that they are 100% independent. no outside interests.

check it

the band i love to hate

Heathrow

get some headphones, or a nice long car ride and this thing will be your friend.

as much as it pains me to admit, i think that alongside animal collective, the national are the one of the few bands defining my generation right now.


http://www.pabsttheater.org/show/thenational

Afghanistan: is it time to talk to the Taliban?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/may/04/afghanistan-taliban

which is a worse sign?

1) as i browse my netflix recommendations list, i am coming to the conclusion that any film i haven't yet heard of isn't worth watching.  (keep in mind that this is a sound conclusions, formed after viewing the synopsis of at least a hundred films i haven't heard of)

2) i've seen enough films that i know something about each one, which is worth watching, that i haven't yet seen.

3) there is a list of films. all of which you have most likely heard of, that i haven't seen yet.

-bk

holy shit.

holy shit 2.

holy shit 3.

enjoy your weekend.