CELEBRATE BROOKLYN starts things off right tonight with a free show from David Byrne in Prospect Park. Gates open at 630 and the show's at 8:00. More info here from BRIC online. Obligatory D. Byrne rarity in the stream.
Posted by Wills Glasspiegel
wills@greenowl.com
Posted by Wills Glasspiegel
wills@greenowl.com
Last night was a remarkable evening, complete with whiskey, friends and Africa. Our mates BLK JKS put on a dynamite performance, followed by Femi Kuti whose three hour set had me thinking of taking my savings and moving to the homeland forever.
For those who were too busy watching Hulu, here is a snippet of BLK JKS performing their single Lakeside at The Fillmore as part of the Afrobeat Festival.
Posted by Ashley Rambo
rambo@greenowl.com
In May, local police raided a militia house Rio das Pedras, Brazil and discovered letters planning the assassination of state parliamentarian Marcelo Freixo. A year ago, Freixo was appointed as president of parliamentary inquiry into the growth of militias in Rio de Janeiro. Militias are violent groups comprised of off-duty police officers, prison guards, and firemen who have taken out local drug rings and effectively manage to control and run a number of favelas in Rio. They violently extort money for security and sometimes other services including TV, gas, and transportation - the militias are essentially a mafia, claiming state authority, that is thoroughly and unfortunately intertwined with many aspects of community life. Freixo is likely targeted because of his specific interest in rooting out corrupt individuals empowered by the state. He's has been given some protection, but according to Amnesty International, more is immediately necessary.
Posted by Henry Harper
henry@greenowl.com
Feeding hungry people ranks among the most basic charitable ideas. The Earth currently hosts close to 7 billion people. By 2050, experts predict that the population will climb to around 9 billion. Feeding 9 billion people is no small task and, with the planet suffering from increasingly-problematic climate complications, scientists and farmers need to work fast in order to develop safe and efficient methods of growing food, and lots of it.
In the past, growth hormones, synthetic seeds, and fertilizers have been used by farmers in an effort to keep up with an increasing demand for food. These methods effectively generated produce; thick wheat fields and muscular vegetable patches became common. Hungry people had little to worry about until it was discovered that growing crops with such seeds and fertilizers also required harmful pesticides. In addition, these steroid-charged plants managed to both deplete and contaminate water tables and soil all over the world.
This synthetic method of growing crops, in fact, only works if there is abundance of water and fertilized. In other words, it is neither a resourceful nor a sustainable way of feeding people and, despite it's massive yield, produces tainted food that can strip nutrients from land and kill people.
A recent National Geographic article grapples with this and other ever-amounting problems associated with feeding humankind. Luckily, it also discusses solutions. A strategic rotation of growing peanuts, pigeon peas, and soy beans, between large corn crops, for example, can replenish soil and enrich local diets. Focus should be shifted away from using costly methods to quickly produce mountains of food. In the long run, farmers that nurture their soil and frequently feed it wholesome compost can produce twice as much corn or wheat as those who do not. While pesticide-ridden soil pollutes communities, a diverse plethora of organically grown food can provide towns and farmers with admirable land and a wholesome diet. Where the land is healthy, the people are healthy.
Hunger and starvation are important issues now an will only grow in prevalence as the lofty population count continues to shoot swiftly upward. The Earth, like a lush and massive nightclub, has an occupancy limit. Instead of being enforced by the fire marshal, this capacity is regulated by the planets ability to feed and harbor humankind. In pursuing organic and sustainable farming we can keep people healthy and get hunger under control before Earth gets shut down due to famine complaints.
Posted by Henry Harper
henry@greenowl.com
Chico Mann gettin bossy in blue at the Knitting Factory
Uproot Andy controlin the cumbia with Que Bajo at Santo's
Posted by Wills Glasspiegel
wills@greenowl.com
Just found this photo through my new friend, David Rager in LA.
“70 year-old Buddhist monk Hua Chi has been praying in the same spot at his temple in Tongren, China for over 20 years. His footprints, which are up to 1.2 inches deep in some areas, are the result of performing his prayers up to 3000 times a day. Now that he is 70, he says that he has greatly reduced his quantity of prayers to 1,000 times each day.” via monoscope
Posted by Wills Glasspiegel
wills@greenowl.com
In the hectic and overwhelming lifestyle that comes with New York City living, it’s all too easy to forget about your energy consumption. Solar One is an educational center dedicated to providing information and resources concerning green energy. Started in 2004, Solar One has managed to reach out to all 5 borroughs, 10,000 students and a variety of after school programs. In 2007 Solar One organized Citysol, a clean energy powered music festival that hosted over 40 acts and over 70 green product vendors.
In November 2009 Solar One started construction on their second educational center, Solar 2. This will be New York Cities first Platinum LEED educational facility, and will feature more environmentally friendly infrastructural systems than I can name.
Posted by Sam Donahue
samueltdonahue@gmail.com
Toy Selectah tonight at Santo's
Chico Mann @ midnight at Knitting Factory
BLK JKS and Femi Kuti at Webster Hall
Toy Selectah and Uproot Andy @ Santo's Party House
OH SHIT!! How the hell am I going to pay for cab-fare???
BLK JKS AT WEBSTER HALL // CHICO MANN AT THE KNIT
Posted by Wills Glasspiegel
wills@greenowl.com
There has been a lot of love in the air here at Green Owl; weddings, babies, drunken punk-rock flings. With the former being the most recent, we will indulge in some culture-cross-over fun.
One day after exploring Angkor Wat, I heard a kaleidoscope of chimes, chants and melodies off in the distance. After rummaging through the bushes I came to the Khmer Traditional Musician Group of Disabled Community by Mine, playing as if it were for all the tea in China. These Khmer groups have been victims of landmines and they play their traditional tunes to support themselves and the organization.
The track below is off their Wedding Music 2 album. Feel lucky, folks! Not many people have the opportunity to hear traditional Khmer wedding music being played in the jungle.
So stare at the picture or close your eyes while you listen and just know that's the shit I am on. Stay up!
Posted Ashley Rambo
rambo@greenowl.com
The Peruvian Government, headed by President Alan Garcia, seized control of Panamericana Television on Monday. Living up to a repetitive stereotype, some South American governments battle with broadcasting stations, newspapers and media companies who scrutinize their administrations. The Times said yesterday that Garcia has come under fire from his opposition, who argue that he is attempting to regulate the news and, thus, reinforce his power. The opposition party, Peru Posible, claim that their President is specifically aiming to control the media in light of the upcoming 2011 presidential election. To this scrutiny, Garcia has refuted that the government only took charge of Panamericana Television because the station was late on taxes. He claims that the freedom of the press will be respected, and that, as he cannot run for a second consecutive term, his actions were not politically charged.
Posted by Henry Harper
henry@greenowl.com
Given the leniency afforded by the Obama Administration, Cuba Travel Service, Inc. will start launching non-stop flights, starting June 30th, from Los Angeles to Havana. These flights, however, are only accessible to Cuban Americans visiting family, government officials, journalists, and researchers. The choice to rescind many of the Bush Administrations strict travel policies regarding Cuba demonstrates a optimism towards Cuba-US relations. Due to the Castro family's ever prevalent issues with human rights, the US is not yet at the point where it can fully cooperate with Cuba. This means you may not be able to vacation there anytime this summer - that is, unless you fly to South America or the Bahamas and then book a separate flight on questionable airline...
But as a vacation destination, Cuba is actually a cool idea right now. Regardless of the shark infested beaches and kidnapping possibilities, it is a very unique country. In the past 50 years it has had little contact with the mainstream United States and remains uninhibited by the choking, commercial tourism that has wrecked other worldly, island destinations like Zanzibar and Koh Samui. Given the state of things, I would imagine that going to Cuba today is not much more dangerous than traveling to Tijuana, a destination hit up constantly by hungover San Diego college students in search of prescription drugs. If you're adventurous and can speak some Spanish, now would be the time to go to Cuba, BEFORE the sunburnt, sandal-wearing crowd is allowed to take the 15 minute flight from Daytona Beach to Havana.
Posted by Henry Harper
henry@greenowl.com
“QUEEN OF
THE BLUES” KOKO TAYLOR 1928 - 2009
After hearing about Google Wave last week, we found the video above which gives a small window into what's being developed. The story is similar to other technology stories whereby " the many becomes the one." From what I can understand, all the functionality of human conversations, emails and messengers will be combined into one new platform that allows for "live" communication. Wired has a story that'll help clarify some of the new Google Wave terminology.
Google Wave "instantly" gets me thinking about art and music. Dixieland especially grabs me because of the fact that multiple improvisations go live at the same moment. Especially in a modern A.D.D. world -- dixieland is a paradigm for the way that we live our lives. Interruptions, polyphony, improvisations, the exposing of ideas as they're forming. That stuff really isn't post-modern. It might even be the future.
Thanks to H.G. for the tip.
Posted by Wills Glasspiegel
wills@greenowl.com
Scientists have recently found that the Hemlock Water-Dropwort, a plant prolific on the Island of Sardinia, off of Italy, can make people smile. The smile is a result not of pleasant smell or taste, but rather the consequence of a toxin that, when ingested, induces a facial seizure.
Sardinia lends its name to "sardonic", a word coined 2,800 years ago by Homer, meaning "disdainfully humorous". Homer wrote of a "sardonic grin" on the faces of people ritually executed on Sardinia. Criminals and feeble elderly people were given a potion made from the flower and, once grinning in an ironically euphoric state, thrown off a cliff or beaten to death.
Today the sardonic grin finds a niche in popular culture a la the Joker from Batman. People are also thinking of using the plant's shady toxin for wrinkle-reducing cosmetic purposes...
Posted by Henry Harper
henry@greenowl.com
