For my non-geek readers, here is a good article from Newsweek on how the big labels are killing internet radio.
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Article on Internet Radio
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Categories: Technology -
Too good to summarize
So just go and read the latest Mark Morford column.
Of course we’re at war. Just look at all those flags stuck in all those manicured lawns, the ominous United We Stand billboards, the all-new 2003 Ford Excursion now with room for 13 and a full 10mpg Highway/7mpg City, all the cheap plastic stars-and-stripes kitsch at the Hallmark store, Made in Malaysia.
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Of course we’re at war. Witness all the angry puffed-up deflections, every reproach of the president and every suspicious glance in the direction of his corporatized administration instantly retorted with a nice “how dare you don’t you know we’re at war” or maybe “the president has a great deal on his very compact little mind right now and he can’t be bothered with the details of, you know, rampant favoritism and hypocrisy.”
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And it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find anyone but the truest I-believe-everything-Ari-Fleischer-says jingoists who actually believes this “war” has become anything but a grand excuse, a marvelously leveragable plaything which the Bush cadre can point to as their very own personal holy shroud, some sort of sacrosanct shield to protect them from criticism and claims of blatant impropriety and selling the nation’s soul for pennies on the barrel.
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Categories: Politics -
Cheney appeared in Arthur Andersen Video
Vice President Cheney appeared in a promotional video for Arthur Andersen in 1996, when he was CEO of Halliburton. There are some prophetic quotes:
“I get good advice, if you will, from their people based upon how we’re doing business and how we’re operating over and above the just sort of normal by-the-book auditing arrangement,” Mr Cheney says in a short section of the video.
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Categories: Politics -
Geeky, but it amuses me
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Categories: General -
Editorial cartoon
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Categories: Politics -
U.S. Health Secretary protested
See the Photo.
BARCELONA, Spain (Reuters) – Angry protesters invaded the stage and drowned out U.S. Health Secretary Tommy Thompson at the world AIDS conference Tuesday in protest at what they see as Washington’s inadequate response to the pandemic.
The U.S. is proposing to donate only $200 million to a new international global fund to fight the disease.
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Categories: Queer -
Dancing of the Giglio
Now that’s Italian! We went to the Dancing of the Giglio (Italian for “lily”) today in Williamsburg. I’m not Catholic (or even Christian), but I knew it was a good excuse to go to a pagan-ish rite with lots of hunky Italians. A lot of them were a bit heavy to be representing the male beauty of Italians, but there were plenty that made up for those slackers. It has happened every July for over 100 years, celebrating St. Paulinus of Nola (near Naples), a Roman-era bishop.
The Official Web Site explains the festival this way:
The story, which is passed on through the generations on both sides of the Atlantic, is that around 410 AD, North African pirates overran the town of Nola. In the chaos, Bishop Paolino was able to flee into the countryside with some of the children. Upon his return, Paolino learned, from a sobbing widow that many of the young men, her son included, had been abducted into slavery. Moved to compassion, Paolino offered himself in exchange for the boy and was ferried off, a prisoner of the brigands. While in North Africa, word of the courage and self-sacrifice of Paolino spread and became known to a certain Turkish sultan. Taken with the tale of altruism, the sultan intervened, negotiating for the freedom of this holy man. Through the sultan ‘s efforts, Paolino and his paesani, were freed.
Overjoyed by his safe return, the entire town greeted him carrying lilies, symbolic of love and purity.
That explains the man dressed as a Turk that I saw as we first arrived. I think my favorite part was when an announcer said (in a classic Brooklyn accent), “we’re going to move it past the sausage stand over there now.” The band on the giglio played the theme from “Rocky” during this part. The singer they had was great. He did a very impressive national anthem, plus “New York, New York”.
It happens again next Sunday — info from Time Out.
Here is a gallery of the photos I took. I just couldn’t edit down any more!
Apparently there is also a documentary film about the festival, titled “Heaven Touches Brooklyn in July”.
Here is one more good web site on the festival.
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Categories: NYC -
I love Williamsburg
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Categories: NYC -
Kirk Wood Bromley’s “Washington: The American Revolution”
Yesterday we celebrated the holiday by going to Central Park for a performance of Inverse Theater’s Washington: The American Revolution. They are an interesting theater company, specializing in contemporary plays in verse (more like Shakespearean blank verse). I was very impressed by the writing, and the cast was charismatic and talented. I was particularly impressed by Joshua Spafford as Benedict Arnold. Both the play and his performance provided a very nuanced look at one of the most famous but least understood Americans. Robert Laine was hilarious in several roles, especially the hangman. A few photos may be found here.
It will be at the Fringe Festival too. I think it’s worth seeing.
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Categories: Culture -
That pretty light? It’s
pollutionforest fire smoke·
Categories: General
