Friday, July 30, 2004
Borrowed Catblogging
I've barely the strentgh to type this link to
Dwight Calwhite's amazing cat archive.
Via B3ta
Also
Submit your badly drawn cat to Tim's badly drawn cat website.
Dwight Calwhite's amazing cat archive.
Via B3ta
Also
Submit your badly drawn cat to Tim's badly drawn cat website.
Thursday, July 29, 2004
Muse of Malaise
Weak, wambly, woozy. And not because I'm drunk on lustrous red-lipped optimism. No dancing foods yet, but I have had some difficulty standing and racy-brain incidents; I had the old-movie channel on while I dozed, and Jemmes Mehhson's (James Mason's) voice seemed to chase me around Istanbul. It seemed exceedingly funny at the time, I guess because my husband used to do a ringer impression of Mason and the real thing has a comical surreality to me now.
Dean Esmay's impenetrable fortress won't let me take his pledge
(vua ubstaoundit) lets try that again, shall we? (via instapundit) but you can see from the post below I've given the principle some thought.
The biggest problem for me is not being unable to support a President who isn't Republican, or to accept his head as (try again) him as head of the executive branch.
My core values, as it were, are conservative, in a self-government/founding-fathers/principles of the enlightenment/English common law/Western Civ /Tennessee gentry/Virginia-mother-of-presidents way. Yet I hardly believe statesman-like non-repubican installed as US president would be the end of civilization requiring me to give up America as lost.
In Virginia, you must understand, the Democrats have been frequently as or even more conservative than many Republicans in state government and congress, and voting by party is not as common where I live as it might be elsewhere. I've been independent my entire voting career. It's really been the steady idiotarian shift to the left and appalling trumpery, fakery and unprincipled sophistry of the Democratic party machine and certain candidates it has produced that finally sent me into the big (R)eform school, perhaps for good.
If Kerry were ACTUALLY the Kerry he pretended to be in the not-too-distant past, I should not have lost much sleep over his election. (Though such feeling would be moot, as he would not have been nominated, nor have any chance in hell of winning, if he had not been willing to backstab the Nation for victory). Similarly I would not have cried myself to sleep the night of Lieberman's inauguration.
Quite frankly think John Kerry is unfit to lead. He's a liar, a poser, an opportunist lacking in nearly every moral and intellectual quality I value.So how am I to behave if the country has fallen so low as to deserve and man like that, and to be saddled with him to guide in this dangerous time?
Contemplating the election of such a man is painful to me, I want him exposed and defeated...prior to office.
However, should he be elected to office, I want him to succeed and succeed and succeed with regard to the war on terror. Certain efforts on certain issues, I would definitely be the loyal opposition, but I would never *pretend* opposition to his actions or push to inflate or *invent* scandal because his is a democrat, merely to undermine him and remove him from power.
The convention is creeping me out. More on that later. I need to go lie down.
Update: Powerline gives a minute by minute, America by America account (via tape delay) of John Edwards' speech. These are Americas, buddy.
value added - Round-up of impressions.
My impression - He's part of the surprisingly jittery America.
Dean Esmay's impenetrable fortress won't let me take his pledge
(vua ubstaoundit) lets try that again, shall we? (via instapundit) but you can see from the post below I've given the principle some thought.
The biggest problem for me is not being unable to support a President who isn't Republican, or to accept his head as (try again) him as head of the executive branch.
My core values, as it were, are conservative, in a self-government/founding-fathers/principles of the enlightenment/English common law/Western Civ /Tennessee gentry/Virginia-mother-of-presidents way. Yet I hardly believe statesman-like non-repubican installed as US president would be the end of civilization requiring me to give up America as lost.
In Virginia, you must understand, the Democrats have been frequently as or even more conservative than many Republicans in state government and congress, and voting by party is not as common where I live as it might be elsewhere. I've been independent my entire voting career. It's really been the steady idiotarian shift to the left and appalling trumpery, fakery and unprincipled sophistry of the Democratic party machine and certain candidates it has produced that finally sent me into the big (R)eform school, perhaps for good.
If Kerry were ACTUALLY the Kerry he pretended to be in the not-too-distant past, I should not have lost much sleep over his election. (Though such feeling would be moot, as he would not have been nominated, nor have any chance in hell of winning, if he had not been willing to backstab the Nation for victory). Similarly I would not have cried myself to sleep the night of Lieberman's inauguration.
Quite frankly think John Kerry is unfit to lead. He's a liar, a poser, an opportunist lacking in nearly every moral and intellectual quality I value.So how am I to behave if the country has fallen so low as to deserve and man like that, and to be saddled with him to guide in this dangerous time?
Contemplating the election of such a man is painful to me, I want him exposed and defeated...prior to office.
However, should he be elected to office, I want him to succeed and succeed and succeed with regard to the war on terror. Certain efforts on certain issues, I would definitely be the loyal opposition, but I would never *pretend* opposition to his actions or push to inflate or *invent* scandal because his is a democrat, merely to undermine him and remove him from power.
The convention is creeping me out. More on that later. I need to go lie down.
Update: Powerline gives a minute by minute, America by America account (via tape delay) of John Edwards' speech. These are Americas, buddy.
value added - Round-up of impressions.
My impression - He's part of the surprisingly jittery America.
Tuesday, July 27, 2004
Lament of John Marshall
"To me it seems that there are men who will hold power by any means rather than not hold it, and who would prefer a dissolution of the union to the continuance of an administration not of their own party. They will risk all the ills which may result from the most dangerous experiments, rather than permit that happiness to be enjoyed which is dispensed by other hands than their own."
Letter to George Washington Jan 8, 1799 JMP(John Marshall papers) 4p4
From “What Kind of Nation” by James F. Simon, Simon & Shuster, 2002
My husband brought up this quote in a discussion last night... he was drawing some interesting comparisons for me between the present political climate and that at the cusp of the nineteenth century (I hope he will write on the subject.)
It does seem to me that Democrats have sunk to this level, and quite willing to throw off every good priniciple in order to regain power.
Amusing as the pains taken to whip up false-front optimism and unity at the DNC pageant have been so far, I presume to keep the provocation of disgust in swing-voters at a minimum (e.g. certain bloggers disinvited , greatful dead univited, al-JeZeera posters ripped down, speeches vetted for angry flailing) I'm still horrified by the perpetual dissembling by every character who speaks for John Kerry, including John Kerry.
John Marshall wrote to his brother later that year “The fate of my election is extremely uncertain. The means used to defeat it are despicable in the extreme and yet they succeed. Nothing I believe more debases or pollutes the human mind than faction"
I confess a certain pessimism. People are ignoring facts in favor of convenient lies, and they are sacrificing their country for it! Eagerly hoping for failure, creating failure out of victory. And for WHAT? Gay marriage? Condom tasting lessons for every fifteen year-old? For a dishonorable, high-paid gigolo who will say anything? Well, not that last one, they know he's scum. They just don't care he's scum. They'd rather pull the country down than have it succeed with a Republican at the helm.
Update: INDCjournal describes the willing embrace of the low and base to regain power.
Letter to George Washington Jan 8, 1799 JMP(John Marshall papers) 4p4
From “What Kind of Nation” by James F. Simon, Simon & Shuster, 2002
My husband brought up this quote in a discussion last night... he was drawing some interesting comparisons for me between the present political climate and that at the cusp of the nineteenth century (I hope he will write on the subject.)
It does seem to me that Democrats have sunk to this level, and quite willing to throw off every good priniciple in order to regain power.
Amusing as the pains taken to whip up false-front optimism and unity at the DNC pageant have been so far, I presume to keep the provocation of disgust in swing-voters at a minimum (e.g. certain bloggers disinvited , greatful dead univited, al-JeZeera posters ripped down, speeches vetted for angry flailing) I'm still horrified by the perpetual dissembling by every character who speaks for John Kerry, including John Kerry.
John Marshall wrote to his brother later that year “The fate of my election is extremely uncertain. The means used to defeat it are despicable in the extreme and yet they succeed. Nothing I believe more debases or pollutes the human mind than faction"
I confess a certain pessimism. People are ignoring facts in favor of convenient lies, and they are sacrificing their country for it! Eagerly hoping for failure, creating failure out of victory. And for WHAT? Gay marriage? Condom tasting lessons for every fifteen year-old? For a dishonorable, high-paid gigolo who will say anything? Well, not that last one, they know he's scum. They just don't care he's scum. They'd rather pull the country down than have it succeed with a Republican at the helm.
Update: INDCjournal describes the willing embrace of the low and base to regain power.
The convention is grating my nerves
into thin strips of lemony zest.
.
Stupid purple hand
I am not going to spend a half-hour making it as orange as his oompa-loompa face.
.
Stupid purple hand
I am not going to spend a half-hour making it as orange as his oompa-loompa face.
Monday, July 26, 2004
They approved it before they removed it
Democrats remove Aljazeera banner
In the parlance of bloggahland, Heh.
"We contacted the Democratic National Convention and the people who are organising the convention. And then they said it has been removed, maybe for lack of enough space or something like that, although they approved originally the sign and everything on it. And every time we get different answers."
In the parlance of bloggahland, Heh.
Sunday, July 25, 2004
Kid blogging
*Homeschooled* kid blogging.
click pic for quicktime
This is why digital cameras were invented.
I need to buy this boy a guitar. Quick.
click pic for quicktime
This is why digital cameras were invented.
I need to buy this boy a guitar. Quick.
Friday, July 23, 2004
Photoshop 9/11
Wizbang Links to evidence that Michael Moore is a fat lying sack of crap pathological liar.
Turns out Michael Moore doctored a picture so that the actual headline was replaced with a Letter-to-the-editor headline. The headline was NEVER a news-story, nor does it reflect the opinion of the Pantograph. It's Moore's outright attempt at deception.
Bill Flick of the Pantograph, the Illinois rag for whom Bill Flick is a columnist, sets the record staight.
Two can play at THAT game.
Michael Moore can put wishful thinking in his movie, I can put it in my blog.
So, literally ripped from yesterday's letters-to-the-editor headlines, in the spirit of Moore's search forBen and Jerry's truth and honest polemicism...
Maybe "An Enormous Headache" would have been closer to my wishes than
Dead as a Doornail"... this is the mean-silly version. The nice-silly version might follow someday.
Turns out Michael Moore doctored a picture so that the actual headline was replaced with a Letter-to-the-editor headline. The headline was NEVER a news-story, nor does it reflect the opinion of the Pantograph. It's Moore's outright attempt at deception.
Bill Flick of the Pantograph, the Illinois rag for whom Bill Flick is a columnist, sets the record staight.
...illogically, if not inexplicably, a page apparently was "pasted together" to look like an actual Pantagraph page for the movie shot.
And here also is why we could never find the news story.
It never was one.
Instead it was the headline atop a letter to the editor, significantly blown up to make it look like a news story.
Two can play at THAT game.
Michael Moore can put wishful thinking in his movie, I can put it in my blog.
So, literally ripped from yesterday's letters-to-the-editor headlines, in the spirit of Moore's search for
Maybe "An Enormous Headache" would have been closer to my wishes than
Dead as a Doornail"... this is the mean-silly version. The nice-silly version might follow someday.
There's a leaky pants joke in here somewhere
If inadvertent stealing of 4-5 unique drafts of one particular code-word secret document effected on one than more occasion by a man COINCIDENTALLY seen by archive workers to be secreting documents on his person on one of those occasions, who has a history of taking documents previously and who has admitted removing, against the law, unvetted notes of the content of that and other code-word secret documents,gets a Miss Marian Meese School of the Dance Eye-roll, then
The New York Times receives the eyeroll and a high-kick in the pants from me. And also my sister. (The pretty one).
Fisked to oblivion by Gregory Djerejian.
via Instapundit
The New York Times receives the eyeroll and a high-kick in the pants from me. And also my sister. (The pretty one).
Fisked to oblivion by Gregory Djerejian.
via Instapundit
Wednesday, July 21, 2004
It look-ah-like a (Noor )Mhana
More Noor Mhana sound clips/name spellings here and here, and here, and here
The last link has most of his album covers.
I can't seem to locate pictures of him with a band, however.
The screen shots from the video are not clear enough to identify anyone. But I will try to get a few up if blogger stops crashing.
Allah is funny
UPDATE:
It has been confirmed that 13 of 14 Nour Mehanan's back-up band had expired p-3 visas. Heather Wilhelm explores Nour Mehanna's views of martyrydom
Via Michelle Malkin.
Syrian Band Oud-ed at last.
Via Spoons, the venue, concert date, and the singer who hired the band have been identified.
He links to an article in National Review Online, by Clinton W. Taylor, who writes
Singer Nour Mehana*, whom Taylor likens to an arabic "Wayne Newton" (admittedly there is a striking resemblence) performed at Sycuan Casino & Resort, near San Diego on 7/01/04. Taylor was able to confirm with the James CVullen of Anthem Artists, the booking agent for Sycuan, that Mehana's back-up musicians travelled in on flight #327 on June 29,2004.
Taylor was told by Cullen some of them came in from Detroit, and some from Lebanon, and that no fuss or trouble was reported to Cullen.
Taylor thinks that it must have been Nour Mehana, the big artist, and employer of the band, who was the freaky character in the suit and dark glasses who looked like the big boss.
Taylor says "Nour Mehana's band might have acted like jerks on the plane, but it appears safe to say they were not casing Northwest Airlines for a suicidal assault"
Perhaps others will be completely relieved. I'm not.
I always assumed that they were really musicians and had legitimate business in California, since Jacobsen was told as much.
I do not think casing an Airline and being a musician are mutually exclusive, for one.
But always I was most bothered that the only "checking out" of these men happened AFTER the plane landed, and not before takeoff.
Taylor tells me something I did not know:
And I'm not at all happy and secure knowing that, in that context, these men could not be thoroughly vetted before takeoff.
As Spoons says, read the whole thing.
*I googled up his name a couple of days ago, ona page of Arabic music videos, while searching Syrian musicians. I think I passed on linking to him because he did not have a named band attached to his recordings, and I only played part of the clip because it was painful to listen to.. But if you play his video clip a while longer, there he is with a BIG, OL' backup band.
I took a screen shot of some of the (blurry) faces - I'll try to get them up in a minute or two.
Blogger is acting up , so it could possible be later.
He links to an article in National Review Online, by Clinton W. Taylor, who writes
"...I am nominally the "news director" for Stanford University's student radio station, KZSU, and I figured I'd help the Times out. There aren't that many casinos in southern California, so I had my research assistant, Mr. Google, take a look at some. "
Singer Nour Mehana*, whom Taylor likens to an arabic "Wayne Newton" (admittedly there is a striking resemblence) performed at Sycuan Casino & Resort, near San Diego on 7/01/04. Taylor was able to confirm with the James CVullen of Anthem Artists, the booking agent for Sycuan, that Mehana's back-up musicians travelled in on flight #327 on June 29,2004.
Taylor was told by Cullen some of them came in from Detroit, and some from Lebanon, and that no fuss or trouble was reported to Cullen.
Taylor thinks that it must have been Nour Mehana, the big artist, and employer of the band, who was the freaky character in the suit and dark glasses who looked like the big boss.
Taylor says "Nour Mehana's band might have acted like jerks on the plane, but it appears safe to say they were not casing Northwest Airlines for a suicidal assault"
Perhaps others will be completely relieved. I'm not.
I always assumed that they were really musicians and had legitimate business in California, since Jacobsen was told as much.
I do not think casing an Airline and being a musician are mutually exclusive, for one.
But always I was most bothered that the only "checking out" of these men happened AFTER the plane landed, and not before takeoff.
Taylor tells me something I did not know:
"June 29 was no ordinary day in the skies. That day, Department of Homeland Security officials issued an "unusually specific internal warning," urging customs officials to watch out for Pakistanis with physical signs of rough training in the al Qaeda training camps. The warning specifically mentioned Detroit and Los Angeles's LAX airports, the origin and terminus of NWA flight 327"
And I'm not at all happy and secure knowing that, in that context, these men could not be thoroughly vetted before takeoff.
As Spoons says, read the whole thing.
*I googled up his name a couple of days ago, ona page of Arabic music videos, while searching Syrian musicians. I think I passed on linking to him because he did not have a named band attached to his recordings, and I only played part of the clip because it was painful to listen to.. But if you play his video clip a while longer, there he is with a BIG, OL' backup band.
I took a screen shot of some of the (blurry) faces - I'll try to get them up in a minute or two.
Blogger is acting up , so it could possible be later.
Round up of Syrian Musicians, part II
Michele Malkin disposes of rumors that the 14 Syrians on Flight #327 were the band Kulna Sawa.
Michelle discusses a Joe Sharkey piece about the incident which appears in the New York Times today. A former PBS executive, Dave Powelson. who has tried in the last couple of years to develop a world music series for public television, and is familiar with some "band travel: issues, wrote Sharkey (and cc'd Michelle) with some interesting commentary.
Since I was trying to learn a bit about Syrian Musicians and their presence here, this part of his letter interested me:
He also manages to make the point about somthing I noticed. Sharkey's "real" reporting didn't get the name of the band, any more than Annie Jacobsen did, something she has been inexplicably and repeatedly been criticized for not including in her original story. No one's telling the name, and I wish I knew why.
Michelle discusses a Joe Sharkey piece about the incident which appears in the New York Times today. A former PBS executive, Dave Powelson. who has tried in the last couple of years to develop a world music series for public television, and is familiar with some "band travel: issues, wrote Sharkey (and cc'd Michelle) with some interesting commentary.
Since I was trying to learn a bit about Syrian Musicians and their presence here, this part of his letter interested me:
"I can tell you that it is always the case that when a 'world music' group travels, they're doing a concert tour with as many stops as possible. (No self-respecting Middle Eastern group with any reputation would pass through NY without playing in Brooklyn, for example).
I don't think you'll ever hear of a case of a 'mid level' or lower group flying to one city for a one or two day stint...at an LA area Indian casino??? It would have made sense if the group had played in Detroit with that city's very large Arab American community...but searching the Detroit News on Lexis-Nexis (and the Detroit News has a very very extensive arts/entertainment calendar), I see no mention at all of any Syrian or "Damascus" based group performing over the past 60 days.
He also manages to make the point about somthing I noticed. Sharkey's "real" reporting didn't get the name of the band, any more than Annie Jacobsen did, something she has been inexplicably and repeatedly been criticized for not including in her original story. No one's telling the name, and I wish I knew why.
Oh, Come ON
He took multiple versions (as in every draft, with two now still missing) of the same document, one or two at a time, over a period of at least *five* visits?
Inadvertently?
Arousing suspicions of archive staffters to the point they set up a little "sting", marking documents to see what went missing after his visits?
That deserves a Miss Marian Mease School of the Dance eyeroll.
Yes, Lanny, it's all a LIE LIE LIE. "Let's see who it is who made the comment that Sandy Berger stuffed something into his socks." Because clearly he *carefully* lifted his trouser hem,
and with no little dexterity and finesse,
attached note cards to his leg suspenders, and tucked papers gently into the back of his shoes. And the tattletale who ratted him out probably needs plastic surgery in a Linda Tripp way.
Maybe really , really needs it (via Instapundit)
BTW, Lanny, your smarmy guile turned me into a Republican.
Mother warned my my face would freeze that way, but I didn't listen.
Update: So why is ANYONE even allowed to make phone calls out of the archives reading room? It's illegal to remove your own notes! They have to be left on premises, and are vetted for content even so! I would assume communication devices, included tape recorders, phones, and ipods, and cameras would also not be permitted in the room.
Yet Berger brazenly asked his assigned monitor to leave the room so he can make a "sensitive" call.
Who was Berger talking to, anyway, if he made any call at all. ?
Inadvertently?
Arousing suspicions of archive staffters to the point they set up a little "sting", marking documents to see what went missing after his visits?
That deserves a Miss Marian Mease School of the Dance eyeroll.
Yes, Lanny, it's all a LIE LIE LIE. "Let's see who it is who made the comment that Sandy Berger stuffed something into his socks." Because clearly he *carefully* lifted his trouser hem,
and with no little dexterity and finesse,
attached note cards to his leg suspenders, and tucked papers gently into the back of his shoes. And the tattletale who ratted him out probably needs plastic surgery in a Linda Tripp way.
Maybe really , really needs it (via Instapundit)
BTW, Lanny, your smarmy guile turned me into a Republican.
Mother warned my my face would freeze that way, but I didn't listen.
Update: So why is ANYONE even allowed to make phone calls out of the archives reading room? It's illegal to remove your own notes! They have to be left on premises, and are vetted for content even so! I would assume communication devices, included tape recorders, phones, and ipods, and cameras would also not be permitted in the room.
Yet Berger brazenly asked his assigned monitor to leave the room so he can make a "sensitive" call.
Who was Berger talking to, anyway, if he made any call at all. ?
Tuesday, July 20, 2004
In other pants news
I can't have anything nice.
I had nightmares, too, of things breaking ....there was this duck, see, and it was a real duck only like the secret word duck on "You bet your life". And it was carrying a large Fed-Ex parcel which it dropped to the ground, breaking all that was within and many things in its path.
Turns out my cat, Panthy-pants, the most emotionally disturbed and wicked of all my cats, was busy in the night. Goodbye, Mottehedah sugar bowl. Goodbye, vase.
Last time it was an antique spode cream pitcher.
I can't very well put mousetraps on the table. Maybe a motion detector connected to an air-horn?
I recommend the same for classified document reading rooms.
Sandy Berger is mincemeat. He's not getting out of this.
I had nightmares, too, of things breaking ....there was this duck, see, and it was a real duck only like the secret word duck on "You bet your life". And it was carrying a large Fed-Ex parcel which it dropped to the ground, breaking all that was within and many things in its path.
Turns out my cat, Panthy-pants, the most emotionally disturbed and wicked of all my cats, was busy in the night. Goodbye, Mottehedah sugar bowl. Goodbye, vase.
Last time it was an antique spode cream pitcher.
I can't very well put mousetraps on the table. Maybe a motion detector connected to an air-horn?
I recommend the same for classified document reading rooms.
Sandy Berger is mincemeat. He's not getting out of this.
Oh Joy!
An Av-Allah-anche!
I went to view Allah's (praise be upon him) latest creation.
Oh look, Allah mentions "Sarah Wells", that's like my name. I'll read that, I sure hope she's not shopping for pickled punks at Costco, in case there is confusion or... Huh? wha' It's ME. ME ME ME.
And then I fainted. What time is it?
If Allah says something nice about your photatomashing, that's like Lileks met me at the poodle range and said "nice shooting." Pinch me.
I went to view Allah's (praise be upon him) latest creation.
Oh look, Allah mentions "Sarah Wells", that's like my name. I'll read that, I sure hope she's not shopping for pickled punks at Costco, in case there is confusion or... Huh? wha' It's ME. ME ME ME.
And then I fainted. What time is it?
If Allah says something nice about your photatomashing, that's like Lileks met me at the poodle range and said "nice shooting." Pinch me.
Saturday, July 17, 2004
Round-up of Syrian Musicians
As penance for wondering why Swarthy musicians from Syria would be permitted to swarm airliner aisles, swarm the bathrooms, lean against exits and sit near cockpits without being inconvenienced by extra pre-flight scrutiny; and moreover my questioning of the need for imported musicians from Syria, I decided to educate myself a little about the talents and trade, and market for same.
All of these are more than I supposed.
The party-band market is huge. And there are many ME bands, with Syrian/Palestinian/macedonian,etc. members who travel frequently in and out of the US.
It would be ironic if the musicians that inspired Annie Jacobsen's fear were here as a public relations effort.
Here is a sampling of Syrian musicians who reside or visit the USA:
Kinan Abou-afach, f'ng genius
His bio
"In recent years, Kinan has been exploring various aspects of Middle Eastern music and is currently composing original music that music is based on maqam and improvisational ideas that reflect the Middle-Eastern philosophy and musical aesthetics." He is classically trained in Western music, his original composition are east/west Fusion.
Many personal use Mp3's of his available here.
I liked this brooding, ominous piece; it seems like a good bumper for a story on Syrian musicians scaring people
Taqseem (3:04)
His father, Nazih Abou-afach, is , by the sons account, "a nationally recognized painter and poet. His books are translated into six languages and he is a renowned artist in Europe and the Arabic world." By my account, he has beautiful but somewhat plaintively fatalistic and morbid verse
Naeif Rafeh plays the Ney
a gallery of pictures of Naif amongst the ruins
"Today, Naeif maintains a busy schedule, performing in Chicago's lively Arabic nightclub scene, and playing Arabic classical music in the al Sham Ensemble, in the City of Chicago's "Miles of Music", Issa Boulos' al Sharq Ensemble and Walid al Hajali's Middle Eastern Ensemble at the University of Chicago among many others"
Ney Ney Nanette (my title)
Naif's discography features a Syrian band, Janan Sawa
-Janan Sawa music is a crazy fusion, Traditional Syrian music meets Bollywood meets disco meets Hatten är din -
A few of their songs in realaudio format:
Eqballee
Le Sarwenakh "He's a complicated man/But no one understands him but (lowly) woman/ Jabar Shaief!"
Impressive ululation on thisone. (Zaynokah/Moronlee)
Naeif also links to some other very prominent Syrian musicians.
Omar al Musfi, Syrian percussionist
On this page, you can select and listen to some examples of his drumming.
Abdullah Chhadeh qanun(or quanoon) player.
Abdullah Chhadeh is based in London, touring all over the world. He's almost pretty enough to be a US vice-president.
A recording of him performing, and a quicktime video of an improvisation on "rast scale" - impressive.
Al Siadi
Website of Syrian musician Mohamed A Al Siadi. Biography, history of oud, maqam and oriental music. M. Abdulrahim Alsiadi
The ultimate Syrian Band - The Syrian National Symphony; link article about their US debut, 1998
Update:
Power line has another Syrian band round up, with a pic and link to Kulna Sawa.
Charles Johnson at LGF
has posted that a reader has identified Kulna Sawa as THE band on the flight.
He has no corroboration. I suppose it's possible that it's the band, but it's only one band among many here. All their shining faces are on their website, so if this is mere rumor it will soom be disposed of.
Update: Rumor disposed of. Via Michelle Malkin. band manager Mel Lehman writes the band is currently in Syria and "not invovled in any way in the incident".
He also mentions The Iraqi Elvis singer Kazem al Sahi - who will have a 15 piece back-up band on his tour of the US consisting of musicians from various ME locales, including Syria.
Some new additions to the list:
OUd player Abdelader Kassab a member of the Andelus Ensemble. The Andelus Ensemble is made up of six Syrian musicians who perform classical Arabic music in a takht style format. They don't seem to have a website, but l did find some album listings.
I love this track of him playing the oud (realmedia) : Taksim Oud "Salwa"
Oud player> Amer Ammouri plays for the orchestra a renowned Syrian singer, Sabbah Fakhri, and has traveled over the world with the him.
His playing of this piece, Sultani (Jarka) is just brilliant.
All of these are more than I supposed.
The party-band market is huge. And there are many ME bands, with Syrian/Palestinian/macedonian,etc. members who travel frequently in and out of the US.
It would be ironic if the musicians that inspired Annie Jacobsen's fear were here as a public relations effort.
Here is a sampling of Syrian musicians who reside or visit the USA:
Kinan Abou-afach, f'ng genius
His bio
"In recent years, Kinan has been exploring various aspects of Middle Eastern music and is currently composing original music that music is based on maqam and improvisational ideas that reflect the Middle-Eastern philosophy and musical aesthetics." He is classically trained in Western music, his original composition are east/west Fusion.
Many personal use Mp3's of his available here.
I liked this brooding, ominous piece; it seems like a good bumper for a story on Syrian musicians scaring people
Taqseem (3:04)
His father, Nazih Abou-afach, is , by the sons account, "a nationally recognized painter and poet. His books are translated into six languages and he is a renowned artist in Europe and the Arabic world." By my account, he has beautiful but somewhat plaintively fatalistic and morbid verse
Naeif Rafeh plays the Ney
a gallery of pictures of Naif amongst the ruins
"Today, Naeif maintains a busy schedule, performing in Chicago's lively Arabic nightclub scene, and playing Arabic classical music in the al Sham Ensemble, in the City of Chicago's "Miles of Music", Issa Boulos' al Sharq Ensemble and Walid al Hajali's Middle Eastern Ensemble at the University of Chicago among many others"
Ney Ney Nanette (my title)
Naif's discography features a Syrian band, Janan Sawa
-Janan Sawa music is a crazy fusion, Traditional Syrian music meets Bollywood meets disco meets Hatten är din -
A few of their songs in realaudio format:
Eqballee
Le Sarwenakh "He's a complicated man/But no one understands him but (lowly) woman/ Jabar Shaief!"
Impressive ululation on thisone. (Zaynokah/Moronlee)
Naeif also links to some other very prominent Syrian musicians.
Omar al Musfi, Syrian percussionist
On this page, you can select and listen to some examples of his drumming.
Abdullah Chhadeh qanun(or quanoon) player.
Abdullah Chhadeh is based in London, touring all over the world. He's almost pretty enough to be a US vice-president.
A recording of him performing, and a quicktime video of an improvisation on "rast scale" - impressive.
Al Siadi
Website of Syrian musician Mohamed A Al Siadi. Biography, history of oud, maqam and oriental music. M. Abdulrahim Alsiadi
The ultimate Syrian Band - The Syrian National Symphony; link article about their US debut, 1998
Update:
Power line has another Syrian band round up, with a pic and link to Kulna Sawa.
Charles Johnson at LGF
has posted that a reader has identified Kulna Sawa as THE band on the flight.
He has no corroboration. I suppose it's possible that it's the band, but it's only one band among many here. All their shining faces are on their website, so if this is mere rumor it will soom be disposed of.
Update: Rumor disposed of. Via Michelle Malkin. band manager Mel Lehman writes the band is currently in Syria and "not invovled in any way in the incident".
He also mentions The Iraqi Elvis singer Kazem al Sahi - who will have a 15 piece back-up band on his tour of the US consisting of musicians from various ME locales, including Syria.
Some new additions to the list:
OUd player Abdelader Kassab a member of the Andelus Ensemble. The Andelus Ensemble is made up of six Syrian musicians who perform classical Arabic music in a takht style format. They don't seem to have a website, but l did find some album listings.
I love this track of him playing the oud (realmedia) : Taksim Oud "Salwa"
Oud player> Amer Ammouri plays for the orchestra a renowned Syrian singer, Sabbah Fakhri, and has traveled over the world with the him.
His playing of this piece, Sultani (Jarka) is just brilliant.
What did it see, in the parallel dimension?
(click the cow) 
Apparently, Michele Catalano's pantry!
Ohrvorm Kaiser Jonti Pickering has a new brain penetrating flash anim.
His latest chiclete de ouvido will stick to your temporal lobe for all eternity.
via b3ta
Allah
sometimes steps back like a clockwork deity from His photoshopping; He remains aloof from the cosmos and its operations and lets it go its own way, for in His wisdom He knows it shall be too fucking funny. Look upon these images and marvel at the Mind which governs the whole mighty scheme.
Employing my own rational mind to make a joke, Allah's wisdom is revealed -
I am bemused by a paradoxical result:
Employing my own rational mind to make a joke, Allah's wisdom is revealed -
I am bemused by a paradoxical result:
Thursday, July 15, 2004
For Michele
Indeed.
Wednesday, July 14, 2004
????
The Honeymooners
Positively glowing
Dew-dappled strawberry lips via INDC Journal
Dew-dappled strawberry lips via INDC Journal
Sunday, July 11, 2004
Dulcet tones, but no content.
I'm digging this new feature, differently-abled jaw and all.
I've got this yen to get out the old nursery-rhymes and use to full measure my southern soprano.
My husband is the voice talent in this family, but hoo haw, it's free so I might as well see if I can get over the "speak at the tone" freeze up that ails me.
Fluffy links
Fluffier than this dog
in zero G.
No whinging today about sore bones, disjointed joints, and the unavailability of morphine fountains.
Mr. and Mrs. Wheatly's delightful singing butternut squash will chase away disturbing images of recent days, and replace them with new ones.
Carotidynia got you down? At least you are not in Snailhausen.
Discouraged by the un-civil discourse of polarized politics?
This land is your land, this land is my land. And this Flash anim by Jibjab, h/t Spoons, made me laugh. It also left me feeling surprisingly patriotic.
If you don't have broadband, go have a little snack while it loads.
in zero G.
No whinging today about sore bones, disjointed joints, and the unavailability of morphine fountains.
Mr. and Mrs. Wheatly's delightful singing butternut squash will chase away disturbing images of recent days, and replace them with new ones.
Carotidynia got you down? At least you are not in Snailhausen.
Discouraged by the un-civil discourse of polarized politics?
This land is your land, this land is my land. And this Flash anim by Jibjab, h/t Spoons, made me laugh. It also left me feeling surprisingly patriotic.
If you don't have broadband, go have a little snack while it loads.
Friday, July 09, 2004
Here's what: Never buy a trampoline
Unhinged
The power is finally back on. I suspect the surge at the time of line reconnection killed my stove. The stove control panel started a frantic, continuous beeping about a half-hour to an hour after power was restored - it's fried. 300 smackers for a new electronic control board, @%#& con-sarn it.
Before that, the family hid out at the movies (finally saw Spiderman II) and the bookstore and, after a fitful attempt to nap at home, we escaped to my husbands law offices, where AC, bright lights, cable TV and high-speed internet access beckoned.
I did have dial-up access and my husbands battery powered laptop at home, but that is almost worse than nothing in some circumstances...like being out of ones gourd.
I'm swearing off the pain killers and relaxers for now, unless the doctor I see MAKES me take them. Not worth it. They didn't really do anything but take the edge off, and I find the side-effects very disturbing.
Perhaps it was the combo of pain, and the stress of the power outage, the combined miseries - and not just the pain killers - that made me feel so emotionally labile and out-of-sorts, but when I found myself getting all teary at the plight of snake-o-pomorphized robot arms, I figured, cold packs and NSAIDS from now on!!!
The dirty rotten secret of pain killers your doctor will give you, is that they just don't work very well. They leave you sick to your stomach, groggy, woozy, loopy, and only take the edge off.
Fortunately for me, my jaw, though still very weird and popping and being slightly out of place, will actually close now. I live in mortal fear of it popping and locking again. The other side of my jaw is starting to act up too, the muscles are exhausted trying to hold my jaw in a new weird position.
I wonder if I'm going to have to have surgery - I see a doc this afternoon; who knows what she will say.
Before that, the family hid out at the movies (finally saw Spiderman II) and the bookstore and, after a fitful attempt to nap at home, we escaped to my husbands law offices, where AC, bright lights, cable TV and high-speed internet access beckoned.
I did have dial-up access and my husbands battery powered laptop at home, but that is almost worse than nothing in some circumstances...like being out of ones gourd.
I'm swearing off the pain killers and relaxers for now, unless the doctor I see MAKES me take them. Not worth it. They didn't really do anything but take the edge off, and I find the side-effects very disturbing.
Perhaps it was the combo of pain, and the stress of the power outage, the combined miseries - and not just the pain killers - that made me feel so emotionally labile and out-of-sorts, but when I found myself getting all teary at the plight of snake-o-pomorphized robot arms, I figured, cold packs and NSAIDS from now on!!!
The dirty rotten secret of pain killers your doctor will give you, is that they just don't work very well. They leave you sick to your stomach, groggy, woozy, loopy, and only take the edge off.
Fortunately for me, my jaw, though still very weird and popping and being slightly out of place, will actually close now. I live in mortal fear of it popping and locking again. The other side of my jaw is starting to act up too, the muscles are exhausted trying to hold my jaw in a new weird position.
I wonder if I'm going to have to have surgery - I see a doc this afternoon; who knows what she will say.
Wednesday, July 07, 2004
Dark Shadows (ooo-WEEEE-eeee_oooo)
Arrrrgh. I am in my husband's paralegal's workstation this evening; a mini-hurricane tore through the town and our home address is once again victim to a widespread power-outage.
I say once again because we go a few days without power every couple of weeks, the price of living near lots and lots of trees, and having power company deregulation. They don't maintain the easements anymore, and they use chewing gum for transformers, so every cold front means BZZZZT, IRAQ for at least 48 hours.
I sometimes wonder if the delay in repair is deliberate, because each month the power company offers a terrible deal on a generator system and an over-priced sump-pump battery backup.
The neighbors ACROSS THE FRICKING STREET have their power back on, they always do; they are on a priority trunk line. It's mighty aggravating to squat in the hot heat with six malodorous cats and a flashlight, while next door they loll in cool, well-lighted rooms eating buttery microwave popcorn watching the happy photons dance across their laughing televisions.
First route of escape - the bookstore for an icy drink and the new Fortean times.
There is a kiosk there with a set of outrageous titles proving true much of what Michele had to say today about the decline of political discourse. Bushwacked! Worse than WATERGATE! 100 ways to Kill Cats the CHENEY WAY! Big fat idiots! CARTER sucks Donkey Tails! How Gore Killed your Grandmother! etc. etc. etc.
If I go back over there I'll jot down the real titles and post the entire ugly list. I had to move away from it quick, as it was causing painful jaw seizures, or I might have taken time to do that before.
What's new to me is not the level of lowness the public discourse has reached, but what the middle seems to find acceptable to say in public and in mixed company.
I'll let on what my bias is; I am sure the mainstream left doesn't believe half of what it accuses George Bush and his cronies of being and doing, but they have now decided the injection of poison is necessary to hold their side together, and bring the party back to power.
The true moonbats would peel off with anything less. And only by creating a fictitious construct of pure mendacity and evil on the part of Bush can they hope to capture the vote of moderates who love their country.
I say once again because we go a few days without power every couple of weeks, the price of living near lots and lots of trees, and having power company deregulation. They don't maintain the easements anymore, and they use chewing gum for transformers, so every cold front means BZZZZT, IRAQ for at least 48 hours.
I sometimes wonder if the delay in repair is deliberate, because each month the power company offers a terrible deal on a generator system and an over-priced sump-pump battery backup.
The neighbors ACROSS THE FRICKING STREET have their power back on, they always do; they are on a priority trunk line. It's mighty aggravating to squat in the hot heat with six malodorous cats and a flashlight, while next door they loll in cool, well-lighted rooms eating buttery microwave popcorn watching the happy photons dance across their laughing televisions.
First route of escape - the bookstore for an icy drink and the new Fortean times.
There is a kiosk there with a set of outrageous titles proving true much of what Michele had to say today about the decline of political discourse. Bushwacked! Worse than WATERGATE! 100 ways to Kill Cats the CHENEY WAY! Big fat idiots! CARTER sucks Donkey Tails! How Gore Killed your Grandmother! etc. etc. etc.
If I go back over there I'll jot down the real titles and post the entire ugly list. I had to move away from it quick, as it was causing painful jaw seizures, or I might have taken time to do that before.
What's new to me is not the level of lowness the public discourse has reached, but what the middle seems to find acceptable to say in public and in mixed company.
I'll let on what my bias is; I am sure the mainstream left doesn't believe half of what it accuses George Bush and his cronies of being and doing, but they have now decided the injection of poison is necessary to hold their side together, and bring the party back to power.
The true moonbats would peel off with anything less. And only by creating a fictitious construct of pure mendacity and evil on the part of Bush can they hope to capture the vote of moderates who love their country.
Oh, gee, maybe if I HAD any comments
I might shut themoff.
I like a good band-wagon. 'til I get any though,
I'm out in the cold.
If I ever get me some, -- it will be wild, like the west, in here. I have no inclination or desire to moderate comments. The Marshall might have make an occasional appearance to ward off a lynch mob, or shoot down a hypertroll bandit, I suppose, but otherwise it will be commenters shooting each other just to watch other commenters die, or for snoring, or for beating them at cards, etc.
In theory.
I like a good band-wagon. 'til I get any though,
I'm out in the cold.
If I ever get me some, -- it will be wild, like the west, in here. I have no inclination or desire to moderate comments. The Marshall might have make an occasional appearance to ward off a lynch mob, or shoot down a hypertroll bandit, I suppose, but otherwise it will be commenters shooting each other just to watch other commenters die, or for snoring, or for beating them at cards, etc.
In theory.
Tuesday, July 06, 2004
Warf-o-lanche
Yes, run for your lives. My kitties have all been nibbling the green green grass of home.
All morning long, from various locations, comes the noisy wind-up: Guh-lurp, guh-lurp, guh-lurp; and follows the big splashy finale.
So I've been hauling my stuporous mass around the house (I am drugged, see below) with paper towels to prevent mass casualties to good furniture, nasty slip and falls, etc.
Aaarrgh! My freakish, out-of-the-blue jaw spasms are unrelenting despite a shotgun pharmacopeic approach...as soon as I am safe to drive I am going to have to seek medical care. Or, at least, a venti mocha frappachino to kill the throat pain.
Obviously, beginning any bloggish "heavy lifting" is out of the question. Nothing but fluffy posts from me for at least a while longer.
One thing to look forward to - Vegemite!! National Toast Spread of Australia, which, if I understand correctly, is spreadable beer-leavings; killed brewers yeast, chock full of B vitamins and niacin. Tim Blair is sending out free samples to all who wish to discover for themselves its appeal to a continent, conditioned on a review pf the toast-slather within 24 hours of receipt. (vegemite-the-cat will be sent to smother slacking vegemite grifters in their sleep.) My sample is on its way!
If it turns me into a 6'4" muscular vowel-masher with a hat that buttons up on one side, that's entertainment!
Monday, July 05, 2004
A relaxed celebration
I spent the fourth much as my cat, Mr. Man, did.
*Click for bigger*
He likes to wear lipstick to bed. Mr. Man is a tubcat; you can see he is about to pop the last button on his dinner jacket.
*Click for bigger*
He likes to wear lipstick to bed. Mr. Man is a tubcat; you can see he is about to pop the last button on his dinner jacket.
Sunday, July 04, 2004
Give Me Liberty!
That's my husband, Michael, tricked out as uber-patriot Patrick Henry. The costume used to freak out our kid - You not Joge Washington! Put on you Daddy suit! , but I can appreciate a man with nice legs in hose and britches.
Clicking the picture will take you to a transcription of the famous "Liberty or Death" speech that Michael re-enacted today at St. John's Church in Richmond, Virginia, along with a cast of actors portraying others present on that historic day.
I find the addendum of particular interest... it icludes the reports of the reactions and observations of those who were there, and gives a clearer sense of the impact of Henry's appeal for action had on his audience.
I'm a little
trippy on Flexeril at present (see haiku of pain below)and a little too floppy to wax eloquent. I'll have to let one of America's greatest patriots speak for me this fourth.
Oh, but for my UK friends:
Haiku of pain
I can't close my jaws
Nor can I open them wide
Bite me, TMJ.
Nor can I open them wide
Bite me, TMJ.
Saturday, July 03, 2004
Back and to the Left
Kitten mining commences
One Christmas Santa promised my son a much-desired kitten. Said kitten did not materialize; perhaps Santa in his wisdom knew that the mater familias had gotten whiplash at a stoplight when driving to after Christmas sales, and that the addition to the family should be delayed.
Eventually it was time to get the cat. Through family, we heard of a litter of barn kittens that needed homes.
Although the kittens turned out to be older, really adolescents or young adults and far from the tiny fluffy thing my son had wished for, he picked out two young female cats with encouragement from his grandmother.
Then Santa paid off every arrear of tiny meep sweetness and fluff....for what do you know, both of the two new young cats came FULLY LOADED with kitten fun. Woo hoo, and wasn't it fun for mater to chase after them with a scraper and a bottle of enzymatic cleaner.
We found homes for six, and one of the mothers reacted by running away to a house down the street, where she is to this day a happy only cat.
It's a little like having too many children; I don't want six cats, and six cats are a lot of expense and trouble - They wreck stuff, they leave chipmunks in the radiator, and they take up a lot of room - but they are all so dear and so different you can't imagine parting with any specific cat.
Below are two from the kitten mine.... Waterbug A and Waterbug B. It's not that they don't rate different names (and they do have individual nicknames now), its just that we ran out names at one point. Also, in the beginning, if you did not look closely it was hard to tell them apart.
Introducing the waterbug twins:
Eventually it was time to get the cat. Through family, we heard of a litter of barn kittens that needed homes.
Although the kittens turned out to be older, really adolescents or young adults and far from the tiny fluffy thing my son had wished for, he picked out two young female cats with encouragement from his grandmother.
Then Santa paid off every arrear of tiny meep sweetness and fluff....for what do you know, both of the two new young cats came FULLY LOADED with kitten fun. Woo hoo, and wasn't it fun for mater to chase after them with a scraper and a bottle of enzymatic cleaner.
We found homes for six, and one of the mothers reacted by running away to a house down the street, where she is to this day a happy only cat.
It's a little like having too many children; I don't want six cats, and six cats are a lot of expense and trouble - They wreck stuff, they leave chipmunks in the radiator, and they take up a lot of room - but they are all so dear and so different you can't imagine parting with any specific cat.
Below are two from the kitten mine.... Waterbug A and Waterbug B. It's not that they don't rate different names (and they do have individual nicknames now), its just that we ran out names at one point. Also, in the beginning, if you did not look closely it was hard to tell them apart.
Introducing the waterbug twins:
Friday, July 02, 2004
LINK OF THE WEEK
Cats are stupid, and here is a lovely film which provides empirical evidence. It could not be the humans who are fools. Loop it for full effect.
Virgin Blogging! Or very nearly that.
Welcome to the premiere post of Bluemerle blog!
Bill at INDC Journal's quest for "noted bloggers" to host a Cam and Company radio show reminded me that if I am going to be unqualified to host a radio show, I might as well be unqualified by virtue of being a catblog with less than five readers.
And if I should get my six cats to look at my blog, I am way ahead of the game.
So I have overcome my taciturn and reticent nature (BWahahahahaha) to astound the blogoverse with CATS CATS CATS. Fat, behemoth, treacherous, ridiculous, wharfing puskins, who all slightly resemble border collies. Which is what I really want, without the border business. One of these:
Could that dog BE any fluffier?
"Yes it could," said my husband, "in zero G."
My clever husband is going to be on the radio, in DC, on the fourth - WMAL , 630 on your AM dial - sometime between 7 and 8pm on Sunday night. He'll be answering questions as Patrick Henry, and speak at least a few lines of the stirring "Liberty or Death" speech, which he has performed since 1992 at historic St. John's Church in Richmond, Virginia.
There is a quicktime movie of the speech he gave for the local, heavily attended Rally for America in Richmond last year. The stentorian tones of this performance are due to the large size of the audience; I like him best when he performs in the church. It went over well though, to say the least. It was mighty gratifying to see a crowd of thousands cheering, whistling, stamping their feet, and wildly applauding for those stirring words said by my own dear husband.
Look for CATS CATS CATS coming to this site soon.
Bill at INDC Journal's quest for "noted bloggers" to host a Cam and Company radio show reminded me that if I am going to be unqualified to host a radio show, I might as well be unqualified by virtue of being a catblog with less than five readers.
And if I should get my six cats to look at my blog, I am way ahead of the game.
So I have overcome my taciturn and reticent nature (BWahahahahaha) to astound the blogoverse with CATS CATS CATS. Fat, behemoth, treacherous, ridiculous, wharfing puskins, who all slightly resemble border collies. Which is what I really want, without the border business. One of these:
Could that dog BE any fluffier?
"Yes it could," said my husband, "in zero G."
My clever husband is going to be on the radio, in DC, on the fourth - WMAL , 630 on your AM dial - sometime between 7 and 8pm on Sunday night. He'll be answering questions as Patrick Henry, and speak at least a few lines of the stirring "Liberty or Death" speech, which he has performed since 1992 at historic St. John's Church in Richmond, Virginia.
There is a quicktime movie of the speech he gave for the local, heavily attended Rally for America in Richmond last year. The stentorian tones of this performance are due to the large size of the audience; I like him best when he performs in the church. It went over well though, to say the least. It was mighty gratifying to see a crowd of thousands cheering, whistling, stamping their feet, and wildly applauding for those stirring words said by my own dear husband.
Look for CATS CATS CATS coming to this site soon.
