The Kennedy brothers have left an enduring legacy in the annals of American politics and history
Veteran US Senator Edward Kennedy, the brother of former President John F Kennedy, has died at 77, after a long battle with a brain tumour.
He became a Democratic Massachusetts senator in 1962, replacing his brother when he resigned to become president, and was re-elected seven times.
Senator Kennedy was a dominant force in US politics for almost 50 years.
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
ON THE PASSING OF SENATOR EDWARD M. KENNEDY
Blue Heron Farm
Chilmark, Massachusetts
I wanted to say a few words this morning about the passing of an extraordinary leader, Senator Edward Kennedy.
Over the past several years, I've had the honor to call Teddy a colleague, a counselor, and a friend. And even though we have known this day was coming for some time now, we awaited it with no small amount of dread.
Since Teddy's diagnosis last year, we've seen the courage with which he battled his illness. And while these months have no doubt been difficult for him, they've also let him hear from people in every corner of our nation and from around the world just how much he meant to all of us. His fight has given us the opportunity we were denied when his brothers John and Robert were taken from us: the blessing of time to say thank you -- and goodbye.
The outpouring of love, gratitude, and fond memories to which we've all borne witness is a testament to the way this singular figure in American history touched so many lives. His ideas and ideals are stamped on scores of laws and reflected in millions of lives -- in seniors who know new dignity, in families that know new opportunity, in children who know education's promise, and in all who can pursue their dream in an America that is more equal and more just -- including myself.
The Kennedy name is synonymous with the Democratic Party. And at times, Ted was the target of partisan campaign attacks. But in the United States Senate, I can think of no one who engendered greater respect or affection from members of both sides of the aisle. His seriousness of purpose was perpetually matched by humility, warmth, and good cheer. He could passionately battle others and do so peerlessly on the Senate floor for the causes that he held dear, and yet still maintain warm friendships across party lines.
And that's one reason he became not only one of the greatest senators of our time, but one of the most accomplished Americans ever to serve our democracy.
His extraordinary life on this earth has come to an end. And the extraordinary good that he did lives on. For his family, he was a guardian. For America, he was the defender of a dream.
I spoke earlier this morning to Senator Kennedy's beloved wife, Vicki, who was to the end such a wonderful source of encouragement and strength. Our thoughts and prayers are with her, his children Kara, Edward, and Patrick; his stepchildren Curran and Caroline; the entire Kennedy family; decades' worth of his staff; the people of Massachusetts; and all Americans who, like us, loved Ted Kennedy
To own a full set of Boy's Own fanzines you'd have to hang out on eBay for months and shell out at least a grand, and that's assuming you could find enough middle-aged ravers prepared to give up such an important chunk of their glory years. Even the Boy's Own boys themselves are "a few mags short of a binder". Weatherall gave all his away in a happy potlatch moment; Terry and Steve managed to muster almost a full set between them but even then we found a definite gap between issue three and issue five which we had to dip into Harry Patch's collection to fill. Once we had the full 12 we hired a team of Polish monks to engrave exact copies of every issue, and hand-bind them using antique vellum. The result is our heftiest book to date, 440 Balearious pages of acid house mirth, mayhem, insight and insult. Just £24.95 with dirt cheap postage. Buy it @ DJ History. Download FREE 44 page sample here. (PDF) (Bugger! I used to have a Blue Peter badge somewhat ironically for a drawing that I did of a duck-billed platypus that was shown on the programme when I was about 7 and I cannot for the love of me remember when/where I lost that...1978/79?/ Who knows!)
UK Shadow home secretary Chris Grayling has likened some cities in the Britain to inner-city Baltimore as portrayed in cult TV series The Wire.
@ 'Channel4' @ 'BBC' Full marks to the Channel 4 presenter when she says to Grayling that in episodes of 'The Wire' when they decided to legalise drugs in 'Hamsterdam', the policy seemed to be of benefit to the community.
In case you were wondering, it concerns the banning of 'legal highs' in the UK where I had this to say: "So they go back to taking drugs that you have deemed illegal and just tell me again, how many people die of alcohol related causes each year?"
Tests have revealed Caster Semenya's testosterone level to be three times higher than those normally expected in a female sample. @ 'BBC' There is excellent reporting on this saga here: The Science of Sport (and do check other posts at this blog as well as the comments. Invaluable.) As Ross Tucker(one of the blog's authors) commented a short time ago: "...This has become a political platform, and the pretense of "support" for Caster Semenya has long fallen by the wayside. It is quite clear that the support of athletes and of victory is conditional on that support providing a political voice to those who have agendas to push. It has become a fiasco, and Semenya is in the middle.
Regardless of your stance on sex testing, this has long moved from sensible debate into vicious attack and hate speech... Very sad."
After joining The Specials for 'You're Wondering Now' & 'Ghost Town' then as the 'NME' reports on her appearance with Pete Doherty:
"The initial stumble on stage induced cheers from the crowd, camera-phones flaring up to capture the appearance on wobble-vision. A few words in the Babyshambler's ear, a bit of a smooch, then off. And that was that – a bit of a bonus. Until 'Time For Heroes', near the end of the show, when she ambled back on in a bit of a state, plonking herself down on Adam Ficek's drum riser, seemingly oblivious to the surely eardrum-stretching thump-thump going on a foot to her right. Then up again, hugging Pete and pawing at him, urging him to play a guitar solo. "Guitar solo!" she exclaimed. He didn't play a guitar solo, eventually clasping his palm over her gob to muffle her then ship her off stage. She looked pretty pissed, but then again, the rest of us were too. I guess the difference is if we YouTube search our own names the morning after we don't get the privilege of reliving it over 90 different angles. Thank the lord for small mercies. A festival moment! At V!"
President Obama had not even taken office before supporters were etching his likeness onto Mount Rushmore as another Abraham Lincoln or the second coming of Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Yet what if they got the wrong predecessor? What if Mr. Obama is fated to be another Lyndon B. Johnson instead? To be sure, such historical analogies are overly simplistic and fatally flawed, if only because each presidency is distinct in its own way. But the L.B.J. model — a president who aspired to reshape America at home while fighting a losing war abroad — is one that haunts Mr. Obama’s White House as it seeks to salvage Afghanistan while enacting an expansive domestic program. @ 'NY Times'
We have said it before, the British couldn't win in Afghanistan. The Russians couldn't win in in Afghanistan and neither will the US.
In a reversal of Pentagon policy, the military for the first time is notifying the International Committee of the Red Cross of the identities of militants who were being held in secret at a camp in Iraq and another in Afghanistan run by United States Special Operations forces, according to three military officials. @ 'NY Times'
Mexico decriminalized small amounts of marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine, LSD and heroin on Friday — a move that prosecutors say makes sense even in the midst of the government's grueling battle against drug traffickers. @ 'Raw Story'
A sensible move, even if the amounts are ridiculously small. The only problem is now they will have to put up with even more idiotic young Americans heading down there at the holidays.
Any album that opens with sounds from'The Conet Project'is A OK with me. Why this band aren't bigger is beyond me. Oh, and do readAnna Funder's'Stasiland', the book that the album is 'loosely' based on.
"You're not allowed to smoke or tell a dirty joke And whistling is prohibited If chewing gum is used the chewer is pursued And in the hoosegow hidden Whatever form of pleasure are exhibited Report to me and they will be prohibited It's as I say, so shall it be This is the land of the free."
Catalog#: AD1-9216 Format: Vinyl, 12", Single Country:US Released:1984 Genre: Electronic, Hip Hop Style: Electro Mixed By - Robert Stevens Produced by Bill Laswell for Material OAO Recorded by Rob Stevens at Evergreen Studio Assistant: Han Rowe Mixed by Rob Stevens at RPM Studio Assistant: Mike Krowiak Mastered by Howie Weinberg at Masterdisk Bernard Fowler: backing vocals Bernie Worrell: synthesizers, clavinet Anton Fier: DMX Bill Laswell: DMX, radio Aïyb Dieng: cowbell Chant: Bernard Fowler, D. ST, Shevin Conway, Nicky Skopelitis (Discogs)
Ron Peno will perform with Black Cab at the launch of their third album Call Signs at the Esplanade Hotel in Melbourne on August 29. The legendary Died Pretty frontman, who lends his considerable pipes to album track ‘Ghost Anthems’, recently appeared with Black Cab (sans hat) at the Northcote Social Club in July.
Out now through Sydney label Laughing Outlaw, Call Signs is loosely inspired by the state-sponsored climate of fear that pervaded East Germany in the 1970s. “We’d read a book by Anna Funder called Stasiland that really captured the mentality of living at a time when around 50 percent of East Germans contributed intelligence information, often about their neighbours,” explained singer Andrew Coates in a recent interview with M+N. “There was so much distrust and paranoia and it really interested us.” The album was produced by Woody Annison who worked on Black Cab's debut Altamont Diary.
Supports from The Sand Pebbles and Sun Blindness.
BLACK CAB LAUNCH ‘CALL SIGNS’
Saturday, August 29 The Gershwin Room, Esplanade Hotel, Melbourne, VIC
As the FDA paves the way for clinical LSD trials, scientists are exploring its medical benefits. Is acid the new Xanax? Plus, from Angelina to The Beatles, a gallery of celebrity trippers. HERE
As you can see a friend of mine in Germany actually got Albert Hofman's autograph! Lucky bugger!
A very interesting and informative blog posthere. I feel very sorry for Caster Semenya and Athletics South Africa should have had this sorted out a long time ago, so this situation need never have arisen for an 18 year old girl.
Well, the first thing I want to say is…”Mandate my ass!”
Because it seems as though we’ve been convinced that 26% of the registered voters, not even 26% of the American people, but 26% of the registered voters form a mandate – or a landslide. 21% voted for Skippy and 3, 4% voted for somebody else who might have been running.
But, oh yeah, I remember. In this year that we have now declared the year from Shogun to Reagan, I remember what I said about Reagan…meant it. Acted like an actor…Hollyweird. Acted like a liberal. Acted like General Franco when he acted like governor of California, then he acted like a republican. Then he acted like somebody was going to vote for him for president. And now we act like 26% of the registered voters is actually a mandate. We’re all actors in this I suppose.
What has happened is that in the last 20 years, America has changed from a producer to a consumer. And all consumers know that when the producer names the tune…the consumer has got to dance. That’s the way it is. We used to be a producer – very inflexible at that, and now we are consumers and, finding it difficult to understand. Natural resources and minerals will change your world. The Arabs used to be in the 3rd World. They have bought the 2nd World and put a firm down payment on the 1st one. Controlling your resources we’ll control your world. This country has been surprised by the way the world looks now. They don’t know if they want to be Matt Dillon or Bob Dylan. They don’t know if they want to be diplomats or continue the same policy – of nuclear nightmare diplomacy. John Foster Dulles ain’t nothing but the name of an airport now.
The idea concerns the fact that this country wants nostalgia. They want to go back as far as they can – even if it’s only as far as last week. Not to face now or tomorrow, but to face backwards. And yesterday was the day of our cinema heroes riding to the rescue at the last possible moment. The day of the man in the white hat or the man on the white horse – or the man who always came to save America at the last moment – someone always came to save America at the last moment – especially in “B” movies. And when America found itself having a hard time facing the future, they looked for people like John Wayne. But since John Wayne was no longer available, they settled for Ronald Reagan – and it has placed us in a situation that we can only look at – like a “B” movie.
Come with us back to those inglorious days when heroes weren’t zeros. Before fair was square. When the cavalry came straight away and all-American men were like Hemingway to the days of the wondrous “B” movie. The producer underwritten by all the millionaires necessary will be Casper “The Defensive” Weinberger – no more animated choice is available. The director will be Attila the Haig, running around frantically declaring himself in control and in charge. The ultimate realization of the inmates taking over at the asylum. The screenplay will be adapted from the book called “Voodoo Economics” by George “Papa Doc” Bush. Music by the “Village People” the very military “Macho Man.”
“Company!!!” “Macho, macho man!” “ Two-three-four.” “ He likes to be – well, you get the point.” “Huuut! Your left! Your left! Your left…right, left, right, left, right…!”
A theme song for saber-rallying and selling wars door-to-door. Remember, we’re looking for the closest thing we can find to John Wayne. Clichés abound like kangaroos – courtesy of some spaced out Marlin Perkins, a Reagan contemporary. Clichés like, “itchy trigger finger” and “tall in the saddle” and “riding off or on into the sunset.” Clichés like, “Get off of my planet by sundown!” More so than clichés like, “he died with his boots on.” Marine tough the man is. Bogart tough the man is. Cagney tough the man is. Hollywood tough the man is. Cheap stick tough. And Bonzo’s substantial. The ultimate in synthetic selling: A Madison Avenue masterpiece – a miracle – a cotton-candy politician…Presto! Macho!
Put your orders in America. And quick as Kodak your leaders duplicate with the accent being on the nukes – cause all of a sudden we have fallen prey to selective amnesia – remembering what we want to remember and forgetting what we choose to forget. All of a sudden, the man who called for a blood bath on our college campuses is supposed to be Dudley “God-damn” Do-Right?
“You go give them liberals hell Ronnie.” That was the mandate. To the new “Captain Bly” on the new ship of fools. It was doubtlessly based on his chameleon performance of the past – as a liberal democrat – as the head of the Studio Actor’s Guild. When other celluloid saviors were cringing in terror from McCarthy – Ron stood tall. It goes all the way back from Hollywood to hillbilly. From liberal to libelous, from “Bonzo” to Birch idol…born again. Civil rights, women’s rights, gay rights…it’s all wrong. Call in the cavalry to disrupt this perception of freedom gone wild. God damn it…first one wants freedom, then the whole damn world wants freedom.
Nostalgia, that’s what we want…the good ol’ days…when we gave’em hell. When the buck stopped somewhere and you could still buy something with it. To a time when movies were in black and white – and so was everything else. Even if we go back to the campaign trail, before six-gun Ron shot off his face and developed hoof-in-mouth. Before the free press went down before full-court press. And were reluctant to review the menu because they knew the only thing available was – Crow.
Lon Chaney, our man of a thousand faces – no match for Ron. Doug Henning does the make-up – special effects from Grecian Formula 16 and Crazy Glue. Transportation furnished by the David Rockefeller of Remote Control Company. Their slogan is, “Why wait for 1984? You can panic now…and avoid the rush.”
So much for the good news…
As Wall Street goes, so goes the nation. And here’s a look at the closing numbers – racism’s up, human rights are down, peace is shaky, war items are hot – the House claims all ties. Jobs are down, money is scarce – and common sense is at an all-time low on heavy trading. Movies were looking better than ever and now no one is looking because, we’re starring in a “B” movie. And we would rather had John Wayne…we would rather had John Wayne.
“You don’t need to be in no hurry. You ain’t never really got to worry. And you don’t need to check on how you feel. Just keep repeating that none of this is real. And if you’re sensing, that something’s wrong, Well just remember, that it won’t be too long Before the director cuts the scene…yea.”
“This ain’t really your life, Ain’t really your life, Ain’t really ain’t nothing but a movie.”
“This ain’t really your life, Ain’t really your life, Ain’t really ain’t nothing but a movie...”
The Kennedy brothers have left an enduring legacy in the annals of American politics and history
