MON MAY 10
"Agents of the United States are openly trying to assassinate Muslim cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, a US citizen, while he is hiding in Yemen. Despite what the apologists for assassination argue this is illegal, immoral and unwise." Bill Quigley from the Center for Constitutional Rights writing on Common Dreams

TUES MAY 11
"Oil is toxic to marine life. Dispersant is toxic to marine life. Together, their toxicity exceeds the sum of their parts"
You Can Hide, But You Can't Run: Toxic Dispersants In The Gulf, Mark Floegel for Greenpeace via Common Dreams

"The International Committe of the Red Cross has confirmed to the BBC that the US is running a secret prison at the US airbase at Bagram in Afghanistan", Democracy Now Headlines

WED MAY 12
New York Minorities More Likely To Be Frisked, The New York Times
575,304 New Yorkers were stopped and frisked in 2009 with 465,413 of those folks being law abiding citizens. 50 percent were black, 29 percent were latinos and 9 percent were white. "The NYPD's stop-and-frisk practices raise serious concerns over racial profiling, illegal stops and privacy rights", says the NYCLU. 

THUR MAY 13
"The Obama administration did not have to support the Bush administration officials in opposing Maher's quest for justice in the courts. But instead of apologizing to Maher and righting the wrongs of its predecessors, the Obama administration has chosen to hold onto the unbridled power it has been granted and obstruct accountability for torture. That is certainly not 'change'", CCR Senior Attorney Maria LaHood.
Obama Administration Sides With Bush DOJ, Asks Supreme Court To Keep Canadian Rendition Victim Maher Arar From His Day In Court, Center for Constitutional Rights

Afghan War Costs Now Outpace Iraq's, USA Today, ($6.7 billion in Afghanistan compared to $5.5 billion for Iraq for the month of Feb 2009 alone.)

FRI MAY 14
BP leak "could be spewing about 70,000 barrels of oil a day - the equivalent of the Exxon Valdez disaster every four days", marine scientist tells NPR based on a new analysis. (BP officials had told a closed door briefing to Congress last week that they believe the leak could grow to 60,000 barrels.)

In the same headline stories, Dem Now reported that the Center for Biological Diversity plans to sue Interior Secretary Ken Salazar for approving drilling operations without permits required by the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act.
via Democracy Now Headlines

How Bad Could The BP Spill Get?, Mother Jones

Posted by US&THEM

Posted by US&THEM

The President with a zinger involving a boy band, his daughters and predator drones - which depending what reports you believe have killed 300 to 700 civilians since their use in the targeted killing of enemy fighters and depending on what legal perspective you check, the drone attacks in Pakistan may well be war crimes. 

Here is CODEPINK's Medea Benjamin and Nancy Mancias on Common Dreams regarding Mr. Obama's cold humor about his use of drone attacks:

"At the 2004 Radio and Television Correspondents' Dinner, President Bush joked about searching for WMDs under Oval Office furniture. The joke backfired when parents who had lost their children fighting in Iraq said they found the joke offensive and tasteless. Senator John Kerry said Bush displayed a "stunningly cavalier" attitude toward the war and those serving in Iraq.

So it’s odd that President Obama would make a crude joke about deaths that he is responsible for. But that’s just what he did at the May 1 White House Correspondents Dinner. "Jonas Brothers are here, they're out there somewhere,” President Obama quipped as he looked out at the packed room. Then he furrowed his brow, pretending to send a stern message to the pop band. “Sasha and Malia are huge fans, but boys, don't get any ideas. Two words for you: predator drones. You’ll never see it coming."

For people in Pakistan, where most of the drones are being used, the joke lost something in translation. According to Pakistani journalist Khawar Rizvi, few Pakistanis have ever heard of the Jonas Brothers or understood the reference to the President’s daughters. “But one thing we do know: There’s nothing funny about predator drones,” said Rizvi. “They’ve killed hundreds of civilians and caused so much suffering in Pakistan. And that’s no laughing matter.”

The point of using attack drones, which are piloted from 6,000 miles away in the Nevada desert, is to guarantee no U.S. casualties. But the increased use of unmanned aerial vehicles has led to an increase in the killing and maiming of innocents, often while they are sleeping in their beds."

Read their entire article at Common Dreams, Did You Hear The Joke About The Predator Drone That Bombed, May 5 2010

NOT-SO-FUNNY DRONE RELATED LINKS
Days after the inauguration the new President orders use of drone attacks. President Orders Air Strikes On Villages In Tribal Area, The Guardian UK, January 24 2009

Wall Street Journal Loves Obama's Drone War Vs. Pakistan, Jeremy Scahill's Rebel Reports, July 13 2009

Brookings Report On Drones Confirms High Civilian Death Rate And Misses The Point, Return Good For Evil Essay, July 21 2009

Several days after his first use of drone strikes the Norwegian Nobel Committee nominates him on February 1 for the Peace Prize for "his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples," he will win the award in October and be praised for his outreach to the Muslim world. Obama Wins 2009 Nobel Peace Prize", Chicago Breaking News, October 9 2009

Rep. Dennis Kucinich warns that drone strikes are taking the US "into an area of unaccountability that leads to blowback". Kucinich: Policy Of Drone Strikes Helping Stokes "Fanaticism", "Radicalism", The Hill's Blog, April 24 2010

US Drone Attacks Causing Civilian Deaths Illegal, Asian Tribune, April 26 2010

House Subcomittee Hearing Questions Legality Of Drone Attacks, CNN, April 28 2010

30-year-old naturalized US citizen and Pakistani native Faisal Shahzad is accused of trying to set off a car bomb in Times Square on May 1st. His actions are reported to be based on his anger over drone attacks in Pakistan. Nat Hentoff: The Times Square Bomber And Obama's Drones, World Net Daily, May 12 2010

Posted by US&THEM  

Ches Smith Interview from John Vogel on Vimeo.

Here's another piece of my project collecting interviews, conducted later in the day after the Matmos session.

Posted by John Vogel
john.l.vogel@gmail.com

Downtown NYC legend Alan Vega performing "Ghostrider" which was flipped heavily by MIA for her summer-of-anarchy anthem "Born Free". via MRE

SUICIDE RELATED LINKS
Alan Vega/Suicide main site
Springsteen performing Suicide's "Dream Baby Dream", limited edition vinyl
LCD Soundsystem "Bye Bye Bayou" (Turbotito Remix)

Posted by US&THEM

Sean Penn on CNN on May 8th discussing the death of a 15 year-old boy from diptheria due to the inability to get medication and a basic antitoxin in time. Penn warns of an outbreak of diptheria and other diseases due to lack of concern for the immediate health care of Haitians while a heavy focus is on reconstruction and rebuilding the economy. He says, "People say we gotta wait, this is a 'rebuild Haiti' - there won't be a Haiti to rebuild without the people of Haiti." Penn has been in Haiti since January, working on the ground directly with his own J/P HRO aid organization and playing a major role in the management of a camp for displaced Haitians. 

LINKS
J/P HRO
CNN_Anderson Cooper Interviews Sean Penn
Avanse Haiti

Posted by US&THEM

Quiet! You don't have a choice because we are all in -our-planet-is-fucked-birds-and-fish-consume-plastic-like-humans-ecological-disruptions- deep. This is the real situation, there is so much plastic thrown into land fills, dumps, oceans and streets that we're probably eating some right now. Yes, checks the top video. Now, tell me how you feel. Wait, not sure if just talking about feelings will do much. Whats important is how you act! This is sickening and while I see it everyday on the block in Brooklyn, the video slapped me the face and resonated hey "hey, think plastic is always on your block? Well, try having some in your food, or perhaps in a pet you love so dearly." What does this say about recycling... Hmmm, maybe not enough people do it. Or, perhaps it isn't as effective as we think and people are not asking, why? What plastics are not recyclable? What can me or my friends, neighbors, Or landlord do to make this recycling situation better? YES! These are the questions we should be asking, even if it means taking on a creepy zombie-like Children of the Corn persona, wreaking havoc and wandering through the streets demanding justice be served. So protest your waste facilities if they're cashing in bonuses instead of bottles, organize a neighborhood clean up and make cool sticks with nails at the end to stab the filth that lays on your block, and most importantly, assume responsibility for these horrific truths. Together, we might have the power to clean this disaster up so we don't feed following generations... well, dirty plastic.

Thanks to our friends at TED.

Posted by Ashley Rambo
rambo@greenowl.com

This is the way Ninja gets down! Here is a taste of what it would have been like for you if you were there.

Click here vote for The Very Best as one of the 25 best new bands in the world. 

The Green Owl Ranch Parties are over! We are on our way back on the bus right now been driving for 28 hours straight. More post to come on SXSW. For now NYtimes did a nice piece on the ranch today. Check it out here. Also, go to babelgum to see footage from the ranch. We will be uploading more shortly.

Posted by Stephen Glicken
stephen@greenowl.com

On Friday The Very Best and Ninjasonik played to a sold out show at the Museum of Natural history along with Theophilus London. This was the first show in a quick east coast tour with TVB & Ninjasonik before they head to SXSW where we will be throwing it down at the Green Owl Ranch....Stay tuned for info on the Ranch parties.

Posted by Stephen Glicken
stephen@greenowl.com

Read article here:

http://performermag.com/Bands/Article/2010/Grandchildren

Letter from a friend of mine in Concepcion, Chile.

To all my friends in the US

Thanks everybody for asking, my whole family is OK. We are living at my parents along with my girlfriend and her sister that have their house inhabitable. We just got electricity back, and hoping we get water soon, looking forward to a shower. The earthquke was incredibly strong and long..5 min., I USED to live on the 14th floor of a building we designed, I was sure it would collapse, no structural design could support this, I prayed and held on, but fortuntely it did and I'm here, I'm living a 2nd chance. It's so sad other buildings did not make it and people lost their lives, as well as the people tha lost their lives in the following tsunami.

After the quake came the worst though, the looting and robbing started, the current government did nothing to stop it, not approving that the military could take charge of the situation, this useless president did not want to end her term with the military in charge.  In the end she was forced to send the troops and thankfully order is slowly being restablished. But unfortuntely the 48hr delay left my city with most of it's grocery stores, commerce, and houses that people had left; looted, destroyed and some burned to the ground. It was imposible to sleep, people had to take up arms,sticks, whatever they could get their hands on to defend their families and homes. Shots were fired a block from my house in order to repell looters, and we are located in the nice suburbs. I will never forget the scene where me, my brother and my dad are in his bedroom checking the two firearms we have and thinking what to do in order to defend our home, while shots were fired outside and on the radio total chaos was being reported all over town. Imagine what it must have been like where the poor people live, neighborhoods totally left helpless because the police did not have the manpower to protect. Our maid, that lives near the port, lost her home, and was staying at a friends, but was forced to leave everything beihind because of the violence that reigned day and night. It took her along with her son 5hrs to get to our house (trip that usually takes 45 min.in a bus) and are now staying with us. Cannot describe how this lady cryied(.........aftershock again!!!) when she got to us, and the look of dispair she had in her face......this is totally surreal.

Adding to this, because of the chaos help could not be distributed, because the trucks were robbed, even some fire stations where looted. Indecision and putting political reasons over rationality left my city in ruins, poor people are left in dismay and helplessnes. Bad prevailed over the good. The mayor of one of the main bourroughs of the city called the only radio station working (not a goverment broadcast...non existant) crying and pleading Miss Bachelet for help while he was fleeing his cityhall that was being ramsacked. The government was absolutly non existant, the only people organizing the disaster was the firedepartmet and Radio Bio Bio (a private radio that was the only form of communication until today..5 days after the quake).

Adding to the destruction of an earthquake and tsunami we have to deal with the horrors left by a government that forgot my city and the good people that lived in it.

If people ask please tell them the real story of Concepcion, and not what this goverment we'll try telling.


Your friend,

----------

Posted by Stephen Glicken
stephen@greenowl.com