Thursday, 3 February 2011
wikileaks WikiLeaks
Huge WikiLeaks rally in Melbourne Fri, 6pm, Fed Square. Be there! http://is.gd/HkX5s2
Pro-Mubarak text messages from Egypt; who sent them?
ioerror Jacob Appelbaum
Dear America - Heavy machine gun fire in Egypt! Call White House Press Office now and demand change from Obama! 202-456-1414
DavidCornDC David Corn
#25jan #egypt
Well, until just now, I'd never seen on live TV a human hit with a molotov cocktail and set on fire.
REUTERSFLASH ReutersBreakingNews
Pesident Hsni Mubarak supporters open fire at demonstrators in Cairo's Tahrir square, seven wounded - witness
End of the White Stripes
It's the news we thought was coming but had hoped not to hear. On his official band website today Jack White announced that the White Stripes have "officially ended and will make no further new recordings or perform live". Given how prolific White has been with other artists, it seems of late that he has preferred to record as one quarter of The Dead Weather, working with Wanda Jackson or team up with Danger Mouse rather than record with Meg.
White was keen to point out that the reasons are not "artistic differences or lack of wanting to continue, nor any health issues". They want instead not to dilute the product but "preserve what is beautiful and special about the band and have it stay that way". Third Man Records will continue to put out live recordings from their online subscription service The Vault.It remains to be seen what happens next. One suspects Meg won't speak out about her time in the band - perhaps she may revisit her role as a Marc Jacobs model. As for White, we still can't wait to hear what he's working on next - maybe the Jay-Z recordings will finally see the light of day? Because there is a man who knows all about coming back from retirement...
@'GQ'
Richard Thompson - Tiny Desk Concert 2/1/11
Set List
"The Money Shuffle"
"Stumble On"
"Demons In Her Dancing Shoes"
Richard Thompson is the creative force at the heart of some of my all-time favorite records. I loved his electric-guitar playing on Fairport Convention's 1969 classic Unhalfbricking — it's a treasure of an album. But it was his solo record Henry the Human Fly and later his partnership with Linda Thompson when he shined brightest. His powerfully sad and expressive songwriting and fierce guitar playing are what hooked me. His music had the drone of Scottish music and the electricity of Neil Young.
Thompson recently released his 20th solo album, Dream Attic, which he recorded before an audience — a bold thing to do. You can hear me mention that to a packed office in this Tiny Desk Concert. When I mentioned how brave it was to do such a thing, Thompson quipped back, "And this isn't brave?" Thompson's music is infused with that sort of shrewd, hard-biting wit. You can hear it in "The Money Shuffle," here dedicated "to our good friends on Wall Street:"
"I love kittens and little babies," he sings. "Can't you see that's the guy I am / And your money is so safe with me / You never met such an honest man."
Whether he's dispensing an honest take on politics or on love, Thompson's heartfelt voice and that guitar have made him a vital artist with a songwriting future to go with his treasure trove of music from his past.
(Bob Boilen - npr)
AUDIO DOWNLOAD
Floating Points - Future Soul from Sun Ra to Madlib
Sam Shepherd aka Floating Points has been shaking the electronic music world for two years now, through a string of releases on his own label Eglo as well as Planet Mu and R2, and remixes for the likes of Shawn Lee, Sébastien Tellier, Bonobo, Basement Jaxx or Four Tet... His smooth, dusty, soulful House sound, his techno-disco-boogie bubblism are rather Detroit-flavoured, while his samples are craftily cut into heavy bumping crunch-beats, paying respect to the lineage from Sun Ra to Madlib and onwards. He's still a twentysomething, but has already stepped out of the DJ action, recording and mixing his full Floating Points Ensemble 16-piece group at the legendary Abbey Road Studios for the Ninja Tune XX twentieth anniversary celebration. This is future soul at the edge of modern British music!
Tracklisting :
01. Bei & Shawn Lee - Make Me Stronger (feat. Georgia Anne Muldrow) (Floating Points Remix)
(from 'Beauty & The Beats' 10 inch, 2009 / Ubiquity)
02. Floating Points Ensemble - Post Suite
(from 'Post Suite' 10 inch, 2011 / Ninja Tune)
03. Floating Points - For You
(from 'For You' 7 inch, 2009 / Eglo)
04. Floating Points - Love Me Like This (Nonsense Dub)
(from 'Love Me Like This' 12 inch, 2009 / R2)
05. Floating Points - People's Potential
(from 'People's Potential' single, 2010 / Eglo)
06. Floating Points - Esthian III
(from 'Mary Anne Hobbs presents Wild Angels' compilation, 2009 / Planet Mu)
07. Floating Points - Vacuum Boogie
(from 'Vacuum EP' single, 2009 / Eglo)
08. Four Tet - Sing (Floating Points Remix)
(from 'Sing' 12 inch, 2010 / Domino)
09. Floating Points - K & G Beat
(from 'J & W Beat' 12 inch, 2009 / Planet Mu)
DOWNLOAD
Oasis - There and Then (1995)
01 - Program Start 02 - Swamp Song 03 - Acquiesce 04 - Supersonic 05 - Hello 06 - Some Might Say 07 - Roll With It 08 - Morning Glory 09 - Round Are Way 10 - Cigarettes & Alcohol 11 - Champagne Supernova
12 - Cast No Shadow 13 - Wonderwall 14 - The Masterplan 15 - Don't Look Back In Anger 16 - Live Forever 17 - I Am The Walrus 18 - Cum On Feel The Noize
Oasis played its first London concert in November 1993 at a modest club, the Powerhaus. In late 1995, the group returned to the capital, performing two nights at Earls Court before 60,000 fans. Intercut with interviews and featuring 17 tracks -- primarily from Definitely Maybe and (What's the Story) Morning Glory? -- There and Then compiles footage from those 1995 shows, as well as performances taped in 1996 at one of Oasis' two huge concerts at Maine Road in Manchester. The latter were particularly significant, marking Oasis' triumphant homecoming after relentless touring (including five visits to America in just over a year). The Maine Road performances of "Acquiesce" and massive sing-alongs like "Some Might Say" give viewers a vivid sense of the historical moment when Oasis was at the height of its powers and had conquered the music world. The Earls Court material is no less compelling, from Noel Gallagher's solo acoustic rendering of "Morning Glory" to the full-band version of "Champagne Supernova." "If you want a circus, go to the circus. I can't jump about when I'm trying to sing songs," Liam Gallagher once said in response to criticism of Oasis' low-key stage presence. But a curious paradox foregrounded by this video is the band's ability to be electrifying while apparently doing very little. Still, the Earls Court section includes some brilliant showmanship. Despite the Gallaghers' claims to being bigger than the Beatles, they share the stage with that group -- in a manner of speaking at least -- as they're joined by legendary Fab Four imitators the Bootleg Beatles (in Sgt. Pepper regalia) for a rousing rendition of "I Am the Walrus." There and Then captures Oasis in all its swaggering, anthemic glory, living up to the hype and justifying every ounce of the band's storied arrogance. (Wilson Neate - allmusic)
bencnn benwedeman
occupiedcairo Occupied Cairo
Alex ortiz American journalist just beaten up by gov thugs trying to get into Tahrir sq. #jan25
SultanAlQassemi Sultan Al Qassemi
Notice that all pro Mubarak regime protesters are men in their 20's-40's, no women, no children. All are definitely paid by the regimeI could be wrong here but I suspect that they ARE really pissed off that the internet has been down and they cannot get to the pr*n and dating sites :)
SultanAlQassemi Sultan Al Qassemi
Breaking Al Jazeera: Egyptian Army statement warns pro-Mubarak supporters from attacking peaceful protesters or it will interfere decisively
NO ONE messes w/ Anderson Cooper!!!
abumuqawama Andrew Exum
AJE is reporting Anderson Cooper was roughed up! It's on now, Mubarak! NO ONE messes w/ Anderson Cooper and gets away with it! #neverforget
LaraABCNews Lara Setrakian
Madness in Tahrir Square, we're watching scores of Mubarak supporters push in. Clashes like Cairo has never seen #Jan25
Wednesday, 2 February 2011
Open Letter To The Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard Re Julian Assange.
Dear Prime Minister
The world notes again your comments on Julian Assange reported in the Sydney Morning Herald, February 2nd 2011.
It is pleasing that you would welcome him back to Australia but your statement that the government cannot do anything to assist him in that regard is not strictly correct and springs from a factual error in you saying “They are charges and they've got to be worked through proper process.” Prime Minister, in brief these are the relevant facts and applicable law:
1) Mr Assange has not ever been charged by Sweden or anybody else.
2) The Swedish authorities have initiated an extradition process which is contrary to the European Arrest Warrant (“EAW”) system in that they want him back in Sweden for the purposes of investigation, not explicitly to charge him.
3) The EAW is a fast track extradition process between EU member states brought into effect to allow decisions to be made between EU judicial systems, not between politicians.
The European arrest warrant is a judicial decision issued by a Member State with a view to the arrest and surrender by another Member State of a requested person, for the purposes of conducting a criminal prosecution or executing a custodial sentence or detention order.
Note Prime Minister, that UK explanatory document above extracted from EAW law says criminal prosecution, not criminal investigation, and you may recall that in Australian law, and in many other parts of the world, police can only hold a suspect for a limited time (eg NSW four hours plus time-outs) for the purposes of investigation only.
Extradition for the stated purpose of investigation only is not only an abuse of the EAW system, it is also an abuse of Mr Assange’s human rights and brings in an arguable political dimension to the prosecution itself, contrary to the EAW’s legal prohibitions.
You will also note the political dimensions of prosecutorial forum shopping in Mr Assange’s case: what one Swedish prosecutor dropped, another was pursuaded to reopen by a Swedish politician, Mr Claes Borgström.
Sweden’s prosecutor Ms Ny, according to Mr Assange’s counsel, has apparently indicated that her intention is to hold Mr Assange in Sweden for the purposes of investigation, incommunicado, which means no bail allowed and Mr Assange would be without access to visitors legal or otherwise: this apparently is a matter of her own stated policy in sexual allegation matters.
This is an intended breach of Mr Assanges’s human rights, should he be extradited, on top of another, the original breach of Swedish law, of their prosecutors releasing/confirming his name and the allegations to the Swedish media in 2010.
Prime Minister, when an Australian national’s human rights are being trampled upon abroad, citizens expect our government to say or do something about it. It is not simply a matter of letting another nation’s legal processes continue when clearly they are abusive.
It is likewise no longer a matter of pandering to the interests of the USA and allowing Australian citizens to be tortured as was Mamdouh Habib, by the recently promoted Vice President of Egypt no less, a matter that on legal suit by Mr Habib it is noted that the Australian government settled out of court recently with Commonwealth taxpayers money.
While Sweden is by no means North Korea, would the Australian government keep silent on abuse of human rights, of an Australian citizen, prepetrated by the latter?
Lastly, Prime Minister, you drew a distinction between the “moral force” of whistleblowing and indicated that Wikileaks was “not about making a moral case.”
Wikileaks supporters would invite you Prime Minister, for example, to view the video “Collateral Murder” and consider whether or not Wikileaks was making a moral case against prima facie war crimes and/or crimes against humanity.
We urge you Prime Minister to make the appropriate complaints to the Swedish government of their prosecutorial abusive treatment of Julian Assange, contrary to Swedish and European Human Rights law.
Yours Faithfully
Peter H Kemp
Solicitor of the Supreme Court of NSW.
@'WL Central'
The world notes again your comments on Julian Assange reported in the Sydney Morning Herald, February 2nd 2011.
It is pleasing that you would welcome him back to Australia but your statement that the government cannot do anything to assist him in that regard is not strictly correct and springs from a factual error in you saying “They are charges and they've got to be worked through proper process.” Prime Minister, in brief these are the relevant facts and applicable law:
1) Mr Assange has not ever been charged by Sweden or anybody else.
2) The Swedish authorities have initiated an extradition process which is contrary to the European Arrest Warrant (“EAW”) system in that they want him back in Sweden for the purposes of investigation, not explicitly to charge him.
3) The EAW is a fast track extradition process between EU member states brought into effect to allow decisions to be made between EU judicial systems, not between politicians.
The European arrest warrant is a judicial decision issued by a Member State with a view to the arrest and surrender by another Member State of a requested person, for the purposes of conducting a criminal prosecution or executing a custodial sentence or detention order.
Note Prime Minister, that UK explanatory document above extracted from EAW law says criminal prosecution, not criminal investigation, and you may recall that in Australian law, and in many other parts of the world, police can only hold a suspect for a limited time (eg NSW four hours plus time-outs) for the purposes of investigation only.
Extradition for the stated purpose of investigation only is not only an abuse of the EAW system, it is also an abuse of Mr Assange’s human rights and brings in an arguable political dimension to the prosecution itself, contrary to the EAW’s legal prohibitions.
You will also note the political dimensions of prosecutorial forum shopping in Mr Assange’s case: what one Swedish prosecutor dropped, another was pursuaded to reopen by a Swedish politician, Mr Claes Borgström.
Sweden’s prosecutor Ms Ny, according to Mr Assange’s counsel, has apparently indicated that her intention is to hold Mr Assange in Sweden for the purposes of investigation, incommunicado, which means no bail allowed and Mr Assange would be without access to visitors legal or otherwise: this apparently is a matter of her own stated policy in sexual allegation matters.
This is an intended breach of Mr Assanges’s human rights, should he be extradited, on top of another, the original breach of Swedish law, of their prosecutors releasing/confirming his name and the allegations to the Swedish media in 2010.
Prime Minister, when an Australian national’s human rights are being trampled upon abroad, citizens expect our government to say or do something about it. It is not simply a matter of letting another nation’s legal processes continue when clearly they are abusive.
It is likewise no longer a matter of pandering to the interests of the USA and allowing Australian citizens to be tortured as was Mamdouh Habib, by the recently promoted Vice President of Egypt no less, a matter that on legal suit by Mr Habib it is noted that the Australian government settled out of court recently with Commonwealth taxpayers money.
While Sweden is by no means North Korea, would the Australian government keep silent on abuse of human rights, of an Australian citizen, prepetrated by the latter?
Lastly, Prime Minister, you drew a distinction between the “moral force” of whistleblowing and indicated that Wikileaks was “not about making a moral case.”
Wikileaks supporters would invite you Prime Minister, for example, to view the video “Collateral Murder” and consider whether or not Wikileaks was making a moral case against prima facie war crimes and/or crimes against humanity.
We urge you Prime Minister to make the appropriate complaints to the Swedish government of their prosecutorial abusive treatment of Julian Assange, contrary to Swedish and European Human Rights law.
Yours Faithfully
Peter H Kemp
Solicitor of the Supreme Court of NSW.
@'WL Central'
blakehounshell Blake Hounshell
The violence in Tahrir Square is exactly what Mubarak wants. Muddy the waters, intimidate the protesters, "encourager les autres"
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