This was my second time seeing DCFC. The last time was at the Trocadero in 2005 (I think). What a great show they put on last night! Much more energy than when I saw them a few years ago. Ben looks like he lost a lot of weight. He exudes confidence on stage. Great show! Killer set list.
I also had the best seat in the house. We were in the first row just behind the sound board. It was like sitting on everyone's shoulders and having a wide angle view screen.
1.06.2008
Empire without imperialism?
The meltdown that is apparently happening in Pakistan since the assassination of Benazir Bhutto and the affect it is having on the U.S. is extremely fascinating to watch.
On the one hand, reports are coming out of Washington articulating things that have been obvious for years - such as:
The debate [on enlarging the CIA presence in Pakistan] is a response to intelligence reports that Al Qaeda and the Taliban are intensifying efforts there to destabilize the Pakistani government, several senior administration officials said.
This has been the elephant in the room, er White House, since at least 2004. Though no one has articulated what exactly the U.S. is going to do about it.
Of more significant interest, to me at least, is the question of American empire insinuated in this statement:
Several of the participants in the meeting argued that the threat to the government of President Pervez Musharraf was now so grave that both Mr. Musharraf and Pakistan’s new military leadership were likely to give the United States more latitude, officials said. But no decisions were made, said the officials, who declined to speak for attribution because of the highly delicate nature of the discussions.
The real question is whether the U.S. will in fact take military, or even covert CIA, action if given said latitude. Or, will we continue to buckpass the problem to the same crowd of local ineffectual leaders as been our policy? This is a core problem of the U.S.'s schizophrenic empire identity complex. Instead of acting like the greatest economic and military power ever known on the planet, we consistently demonstrate extreme conservatism to commit the resources necessary to fulfill strategic objectives.
On the one hand, reports are coming out of Washington articulating things that have been obvious for years - such as:
The debate [on enlarging the CIA presence in Pakistan] is a response to intelligence reports that Al Qaeda and the Taliban are intensifying efforts there to destabilize the Pakistani government, several senior administration officials said.
This has been the elephant in the room, er White House, since at least 2004. Though no one has articulated what exactly the U.S. is going to do about it.
Of more significant interest, to me at least, is the question of American empire insinuated in this statement:
Several of the participants in the meeting argued that the threat to the government of President Pervez Musharraf was now so grave that both Mr. Musharraf and Pakistan’s new military leadership were likely to give the United States more latitude, officials said. But no decisions were made, said the officials, who declined to speak for attribution because of the highly delicate nature of the discussions.
The real question is whether the U.S. will in fact take military, or even covert CIA, action if given said latitude. Or, will we continue to buckpass the problem to the same crowd of local ineffectual leaders as been our policy? This is a core problem of the U.S.'s schizophrenic empire identity complex. Instead of acting like the greatest economic and military power ever known on the planet, we consistently demonstrate extreme conservatism to commit the resources necessary to fulfill strategic objectives.
1.01.2008
The best thing about New Years?
My favorite band,Radiohead, who Rolling Stone once so precisely quipped, "had to destroy rock n' roll to rebuild it" performed a live show from their studio via the website radiohead.tv last night.
Found these clips from YouTube.
"15 step"
"Weird Fishes/Arpeggi"
"body snatchers"
Found these clips from YouTube.
"15 step"
"Weird Fishes/Arpeggi"
"body snatchers"
12.26.2007
...and the Leviathan grows.
Just saw this article about New Jersey's new law that would make HIV testing of pregnant mothers apart of routine hospital procedure. A pregnant woman would have to actually choose to not have the test done for the state to exempt her. Which means that she would have to know beforehand that the state automatically performs HIV tests on pregnant women.
Zoos blues
Chris Rock eloquently quipped after Roy of Siegfried and Roy was mauled, "that tiger didn't go crazy, that tiger went tiger."
It seems there was another such attack by a wild animal, which has no business in San Francisco, over Christmas.
It seems there was another such attack by a wild animal, which has no business in San Francisco, over Christmas.
12.24.2007
Top albums of the year
I just took at look at both Pitchfork's top 50 albums of the year and Paste's 100 top albums. While yes, they are totally subjective and sorta of pretentious, I found many of my favs on both. I think that Pitchfork's list was more on the money, however. Especially since they placed LCD Soundsystem Sound of Silver second. Of Montreal's wacky-psycho pop-Bowie bleeding record came in five and Animal Collective's Strawberry Jam sixth. Spoon and Radiohead's In Rainbows also made the top ten on Pitchfork's list.
Sit tight...I might make my own list ;)
Sit tight...I might make my own list ;)
12.19.2007
Putin named Time magazine's Person of the Year
Vladamir Putin gets tapped for the prestigious award. They always had a penchant for tyrants. Oh yeah, and him too. And we can't forget about him.
12.18.2007
Bali UN Climate Conference
Ron Baily, science correspondent at Reason.com, is posting dispatches this week from the Bali UN Climate Conference. He's asking quite provocative questions, such as "Do the Rich Owe the Poor Climate Change Reparations?"
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