Bob Weir on Psychedelic San Francisco and the Birth of the Grateful Dead

Image: Handbill from 1964
(Thanx SirMick!)

Jack Kerouac: King of the Beats

Bonus:
The Beats & The Counterculture

Fug You: An Informal History of the Peace Eye Bookstore, the Fuck You Press, the Fugs...

Ani DiFranco - ¿Which Side Are You On?

Singer/songwriter/guitarist Ani DiFranco has announced the upcoming release of her eagerly awaited new album. ¿Which Side Are You On? arrives via the Grammy-winning artist's own Righteous Babe Records on January 17, 2012. ¿Which Side Are You On? marks DiFranco's first studio album in more than three years. The collection features 11 new songs alongside a radically reworked rendition of the classic title song, famously popularized by the one and only Pete Seeger nearly five decades ago, but no less relevant today. Backing DiFranco is a remarkably diverse line-up of stellar musicians, including members of her own crack touring band as well as such guest players as Ivan and Cyril Neville (of New Orleans; first family of funk and R&B, The Neville Brothers), avant-saxophonist Skerik (Pearl Jam, R.E.M., Bonnie Raitt, The Meters), acclaimed singer/songwriter(and Righteous Babe recording artist) Anaïs Mitchell, guitarist Adam Levy (Norah Jones, Tracy Chapman, Amos Lee), and a host of New Orleans-based horn players known for their work in such outfits as Galactic, Bonerama, and The Rebirth Brass Band.
Have to say I have always had a bit of a soft spot for Ms DiFranco's work and I was lucky enough to be sent a promo copy of this new album today. On first listen it's a goodie...you can download the title track for yourself below...

Ani DiFranco by Patti Perret

¿Which Side Are You On?

♪♫ Can - Mother Sky/Deadlock (WDR Mittschnitt - Krautrocknacht 1970)

(Thanx Dangerous Minds!)

Bonus:

Vernal Equinox (Old Grey Whistle Test 1975)

Full Can documentary here...

Christopher Hitchens RIP

In Memoriam: Christopher Hitchens (1949 - 2011)
Obituary

The Police, the Press and Protests: Did Everyone Get the Memo?

Responding to new psychoactive substances (PDF)

This briefing paper (from the 'European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction') describes some of the practical and legal obstacles facing Member States when responding to such new substances. It underlines the importance of national early-warning systems in detecting and identifying new substances as the first step towards assessing the risks of, and ultimately controlling, potentially dangerous new drugs.

Definitions
Key issues at a glance
Early-warning systems
Proactive control
Assessing the risks
Faster processes — but supervised
Unintended consequences of control
Are other laws effective?
Conclusions and policy considerations
Key sources
Web information

Get it HERE

♪♫ Dr. Feelgood - Going Back Home (1976)

From 'Beau Fixe Sur Pithiviers' French TV, 14th August 1976

Iran hijacked US drone, says Iranian engineer

Chr1sR0berts Chris Roberts
Just got in from work - two 13 hour days in a row :-/ ... Why, may I ask, was #HenryKissinger on #Newsnight Why consult this man? #FFS