Setting up wind turbines is no easy job. The slow moving trucks that transport the giant pieces can back up traffic and, in several instances, these trucks have hit overpasses and/or crashed. A recent Times article focuses on these minor drawbacks and fails to admit the fact that a switch to wind power, in the long run, could greatly benefit our entire society. It's true that everyone - government, businesses, and the public - may be slightly, immediately inconvenienced by a move to alternative energy, but it's these kinds of small sacrifices that our society will have to accept and put up with if we want to clean up the mess we've made. Posted by Henry Harper henry@greenowl.com
The first time I saw Green Day was 1996 at Portland, Oregon's
LaLuna. Since then there has been some additions. Crazy explosives, fires, glitter,
gun shots, florescent lights, and a screen
behind Green Day that depicted weird images Billy pulled a lady on
stage to sing/play guitar and she was so wicked, they let her play
three songs!
All and all, Green Day rocked all me socks off! If they're 40 you'd never
know. Billy Joe was rolling on the ground, hopping around like James Brown (appropriately enough since they played James Brown). The
experience at Madison Square Garden was a good one -all thanks to the
very punk band that got me to be the little shit punk rocker I was and the
free thinker I am now. Cheers Green Day! I hope one day we can talk
aboutLongview my home town.
- Cover design hand-painted last month in the Ivory Coast by BP Konan - A side featuring Warm Heart of Africa with Ezra Koenig - B side featuring Yalira - Vinyl pressed at Hitbound in Brooklyn - Post-consumer paper printed by windpower in Brooklyn
Stay tuned to greenowl.com for how you can pick one up soon.
A treated photograph from Tracey's recordings with Pygmies in Congo
Hugh Tracey has a complex allure: he's a white colonial African that's responsible for documenting over 200 LPs worth of traditional African music -- many styles of which have since disapeared.
Tracey's story is a bit like the garden of Eden, like 100 Years of Solitude -- he's the devil with the mirror, the man with the ice. Tracey traveled into the backest back country of Africa to record traditional music -- places where people had never seen a record or a white person.
There's a lot more to say about Tracey and his recordings. But for now, let's start the conversation with a recording from the Belgian Congo. Tracey's own description below.
"The singer's face resembled a west African mask with extremely slanting eyes. He sang with his mbira pressed against the side of his face giving a strange impression of a spirit out of the forest. A song about his mother, his country and people. Swahili words are interspersed with the Budu as Swahili has rapidly become 'lingau franca' for this part of the Congo having been first intorduced by the Arabs and now official in schools, business and administration" Hugh Tracey, 1952
The most prominent minds in robotics, artificial intelligence, and computer science held a secret meeting early this year to discuss the imminent possibilities and problems surrounding the increasingly speedy advancements in robotic technology. Discussion topics ranged from robot-human relationships to robots' potential threat to jobs. A majority of the conference, however, examined the larger fear of an artificial 'intelligence explosion'. In this worst case scenario, a smart robot would be able to design a super-intelligent robot that, once completed could take over the world, Terminator style. On other side of the argumentative spectrum, advancements in robotics could drastically increase human life expectancy, or even lead to a technological utopia.
A report from the meeting will likely be released later this year.
The International Monetary Fund just approved a 2.6 Billion dollar loan to the Sri-Lankan government. The loan is 600 Million dollars more than what the Sri Lankan government requested which is shocking considering the United States, Britain and France all voted against the loans' approval. I guess it's not so shocking considering the winds of power seem to be blowing from the east these days: Asian countries helped push the loan through. The loan comes at a time when the global community has expressed outrage over the ongoing humanitarian crises (280,000 Tamils are being held indefinitely in "welfare" camps which are similar to the "concentration" camps of WWII) whilst the Sri Lankan government continues to deny any and all human rights abuses.
The Navajos have put up with a lot. They were subject the same manifest destiny nonsense that so many Native American tribes knew too well, and were then scourged by the horrors of the Trail of Tears which they refer to as "the Long Walk." Of course all of this happened before they were relocated to a reservation.
By modern standards, things in the Navajo Nation are less than spectacular - towns are underdeveloped and alcoholism and drug abuse have become serious problems. On top of this stockpile of issues, uranium contamination has forced a number of families to flee their homes. The government is reportedly working to clean up the land, which was originally tainted by uranium mining during the cold war.
The McKibbin Block
party went down this past Saturday with hippie
chicks, hipster
accessories, drinking on the streets, finger painting
titties, BBQ and music aplenty. Local artists scribbled on the sidewalks and merchants sold fly gear (Yours Truly).
The block party was an effort to raise money for the Potion
Cafe, a long standing community niche on McKibbin Street, now a hip
hood that embodies art and community organization . The area was once
an old industrial part of Brooklyn. Now it welcomes artists,
musicians, and other low income youth.
Checks for yourself! And be sure to stop by the next time McKibbin throws a block party! Stay up!
Saturday night in Brooklyn was all about Radioclit's infamous London Soucousse party. It was the first Soucousse to ever happen in Brooklyn and this was one for the ages. Radioclit put together a bill that brought together some of the strongest forces in new African music. At the forefront was bubu music progenitor, Ahmed Janka Nabay. Janka made his debut US performance at about 130 am in full rafia costume -- "culutre couture" that Janka made himself that afternoon (apparently he's got a serious rafia stash in Philly, all brought from Salone.)
Following Janka's show was another remarkable performance by The Very Best. Esau Mwamaya made a guest appearance for an hour's worth of music that turned Williamsburg on its head. The crowd, juiced by DJ performances from Brooklyn's Uproot Andy and London's Vamanos, danced till the wee hours.
Lessening your eco-footprint
may seem difficult to imagine. If we could learn to live with the earth
we probably wouldn't have this ridiculous green trend being over exploited. Yes, we've dug quite the pre-apocalyptic hole but take some lessons from these folks, living off what resources that earth gives them. In most cases, their living standards are done in a enchanting-fairytale-esque style -and who doesn't want to live in a fairytale? Checks it below people and pick out your living-quarter-swagg for when shit hits the fan. Stay up!
In a recent interview collaboration with Straw vs Gold, we asked bubu music founder, Ahmed Janka Nabay, a few questions about bubu music-- a style he pioneered in Sierra Leone during the Sierra Leonean civil war. When Janka's bubu music was appropriated by rebels as their rally cry, Janka flipped the script and used his lyrics to further the cause for peace and human rights in Sierra Leone. Janka's bubu beat played an important roll in the cessation of the Sierra Leonian Civil War after nearly eleven years of fighting.
New York resident Josh McChutchen lost his mind sometime between Jr
High and very recently. Armed with curiosity, craziness, and a camera, he descends on his adventures with a perma-fried, feverish burst.
Out and about, he has interviewed the likes of Moby, Harvey Pekar, Reggie Watts and the cast of Project Runway. Catch him at Comic-Con, Kaiju Big Battel and the Coney Island Mermaid Parade. In this documented adventure, he embarks on the colorful festivities at the NYC Gay Parade. Checks it and stay up.
My friend Andrew is part of the Obscura crew. They represent hard in San Fran and New York. Here they are showing off some of their supreme skills here at Carnegie Hall.
