Long Roads
3 minutes ago
Wednesday, 26 May 2010
If you haven't heard Gonjasufi yet...
...then head over to BLEEP where you can download a couple of tracks from 'A Sufi and a Killer' for free.
'Slugs' by Scurvy Bastard (c) 2003
From 1965, for a few fine years
the sweetest place on God’s gray Earth
was a Jazz club called SLUG’S
242 East 3rd Street, between B & C,
in the black heart of Alphabet City
set into the brick of a torn tenement
just down the block from the Hell’s Angels clubhouse
SLUG’S was where the real ones came to play
Pharaoh Sanders fed my soul
while Leon Thomas yodeled to God
and the ghost of Coltrane sipped scotch in the shadows
watching his students pass the torch
Sun Ra descended
golden gowned, black marble Alien
there was no room left on the small stage
so his Arkestra sat at the front tables
often erupting in procession, between the tight spaces, blowing horns to our heads
strutting with loud wail through the sawdust beach
Elvin Jones once showed up with a broken finger
he used his splint as a drumstick
while we downed half-bottles of very cool Cold Duck
and shots of J&B
February 19, 1972
Lee Morgan
the bad and beautiful trumpet which escorted me through countless Nights In Tunisia
was shot dead by his wife at the bar
and two treasures were silenced forever
A perfect fusion of alchemy and irony
the damned place was named for the final blows that would close its doors 7 years later
Beat that
A speech that should be taught in high school to every child.
This conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience. The total influence - economic, political, even spiritual - is felt in every city, every statehouse, every office of the federal government. We recognize the imperative need for this development. Yet we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications. Our toil, resources and livelihood are all involved; so is the very structure of our society. In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals so that security and liberty may prosper together.MORE
Crack Babies: 20 years on
I've just noticed a smattering of articles that have tackled the idea of the 'crack baby' which became popular during the worrying emergence of crack cocaine during the late 80s. It turns out that babies exposed to crack in the womb weren't necessarily massively brain damaged tragedies as the stereotype had it, but the concept has remained with us.This is despite the fact that we have solid research to show that while those exposed to cocaine in utero do show some differences from other kids, the effects are undesirable but actually relatively small.
This is from The New York Times last year:
Cocaine slows fetal growth, and exposed infants tend to be born smaller than unexposed ones, with smaller heads. But as these children grow, brain and body size catch up.A piece from City Limits Monthly tracked how the myth arose. It's probably the best account I've read of the cultural currents that promoted the concept to front page news and keep it afloat even today.
At a scientific conference in November, Dr. Lester presented an analysis of a pool of studies of 14 groups of cocaine-exposed children — 4,419 in all, ranging in age from 4 to 13. The analysis failed to show a statistically significant effect on I.Q. or language development. In the largest of the studies, I.Q. scores of exposed children averaged about 4 points lower at age 7 than those of unexposed children.
In tests that measure specific brain functions, there is evidence that cocaine-exposed children are more likely than others to have difficulty with tasks that require visual attention and “executive function” — the brain’s ability to set priorities and pay selective attention, enabling the child to focus on the task at hand.
Cocaine exposure may also increase the frequency of defiant behavior and poor conduct, according to Dr. Lester’s analysis. There is also some evidence that boys may be more vulnerable than girls to behavior problems.
But experts say these findings are quite subtle and hard to generalize. “Just because it is statistically significant doesn’t mean that it is a huge public health impact,” said Dr. Harolyn M. Belcher, a neurodevelopmental pediatrician who is director of research at the Kennedy Krieger Institute’s Family Center in Baltimore.
And just last month The Washington Post talked to some families of kids labelled as 'crack babies' now that they have grown up into adults finding that, well, many have done alright.
Link to NYT on 'The Epidemic That Wasn’t'.
Link to Washington Post piece (via @sunshinyday)
Vaughn Bell @'Mind Hacks'
'Pink Hitler' advertisement upsets Sicilians
An advert for a clothing shop that features Adolf Hitler dressed in pink has provoked outraged reactions in Italy.
The posters were put up in the city of Palermo in Sicily, with the caption: "Change your style. Don't follow your leader".
The swastika on Hitler's armband has been replaced by a heart.
But the local association of wartime resistance fighters said the adverts were offensive to those who had fought fascism.
World War II resistance fighters wrote to the mayor demanding their immediate withdrawal.
A spokesman said that the posters violated democratic principles.
Duncan Kennedy @'BBC'
Malcolm Fraser quits Liberal Party
Former (Australian) prime minister Malcolm Fraser has quit the Liberal Party, reportedly because he believes it is becoming too conservative.
The Financial Review newspaper says Mr Fraser quit in December, shortly after Tony Abbott replaced Malcolm Turnbull as Liberal leader.
Mr Fraser has previously criticised the party for becoming one of "fear and reaction" and says it is now unrecognisable as the party he joined more than 50 years ago.
The newspaper says his final decision to quit was made after he became increasingly concerned with the conservative direction of the party.
The former prime minister has also been a vocal critic of the Coalition's border protection policies.
This morning Mr Abbott paid tribute to Mr Fraser.
"He obviously has a right to make his judgements about where he stands," the Opposition Leader told Macquarie Radio.
Liberal backbencher Petro Georgiou was a senior adviser under Mr Fraser when he was prime minister.
He has told ABC's AM program that Mr Fraser left because the party is different from the party he joined.
"I think Malcolm's had a classical Menzies-ian view of the party and has been troubled by where he's seen the party going over recent years," he said.
"I think [his resignation] should be viewed with a great deal of sadness. It should be viewed as the action of a man who takes his convictions very seriously."
When asked if anyone had tried to convince Mr Fraser to stay Mr Georgiou replied: "That's something you'd have to ask Malcolm."
Mr Georgiou said he was deeply saddened by Mr Fraser's resignation but said others would have to form their own view as to whether it is a blow to the Liberal Party and Tony Abbott.
The ABC has tried to contact Mr Fraser for comment.
Photo essay: Oil reaches Louisiana shores
A dragonfly tries to clean itself as it is stuck to marsh grass covered in oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, in Garden Island Bay on the Gulf Coast of Louisiana near Venice on Tuesday, May 18, 2010. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Rumor has it Republicans tell more lies
An interesting study has shown that rumor site snopes.com has had to disprove three times as many rumors regarding President Obama in 1 year as they did under President George W. Bush's 8 years. So, while Democrats generally try to achieve their goals through building consensus, Republicans couldn't care less what other people think and will knowingly spread rumors and lies in order to achieve their goals. In other words, they don't give a hoot about anybody but their own. Now, I ask, is that good government?
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