links for 2008-02-07

• CIA admits waterboarding inmates
  The CIA has for the first time publicly admitted using the controversial method of “waterboarding” on terror suspects.
  (tags: US CIA Torture Waterboarding)
• US admits waterboarding terror suspects
  Senate Democrats demanded a criminal investigation into waterboarding by government interrogators after the Bush administration admitted for the first time that the tactic was used on three terror suspects.
  (tags: US CIA Torture Waterboarding)
• US service sector activity falls for first time in five years
  The figures suggest that the Federal Reserve may have to continue to cut interest rates aggressively to stop the US falling into the worst recession since 2001.
  (tags: US Economy Recession)

The Day The Music Died

Day of Shame

On February 5, 2003, Secretary of State Colin Powell addressed the United Nations to rally support for an invasion of Iraq.

His presentation contained little substance and numerous obvious flaws, and the international community was unimpressed.

America’s mainstream media, however, declared it “compelling.”

I haven’t checked my feed reader in a while (actually it’s only been a day or two, and I’m amazed at how many unread posts I’ve accumulated), so I’m doing a lot of catching up at the moment. I’m posting this a little after the fact, but it’s worth checking out (The day the music died).

J.K.

UR003

I found aidano’s recent post on infinitestatemachine very provocative;

It seems ironic that electro/techno/house music, which can seem so artificial to many because it is produced using electronic machinery (therefore, lacking human input - tosh!), can deliver musical pieces which seem to engender a melancholic edge - music that is simply achingly beautiful, but sad with tones of melancholy permeating through every machine-produced chord.

I was always fascinated by UR; their imagery, their cultural references, their politics, the dystopian vision of the future, the awareness of the past. The music seemed to be both tragic / melancholic, and euphoric; it spoke of injustice, of oppression, of retribution and freedom. UR were true revolutionaries.

While reading the article I thought of UR003. It may seem like an obvious choice, but I won’t apologize because I love this track so much. But as I continued to read I thought of many other tracks I hold in equal regard (some of which aidano listed in his post). Tracks of such aching beauty they would give pause to even the most vile neocon warmonger. So I think over the next while I’m going to track down my favourite tunes from Detroit and Chicago and post them here, just for the heck of it.

Music is love.

J.K.

History Will Judge

This is so uncomfortable to watch. At one point the Bush-bot says;

“it would be better if you let me finish my answers…”

Dear lord woman, let him finish! Don’t you know what he’s capable of?

J.K.