CultureLess

I'm back Biatch!!!

2006-04-17T18:16:00.000-04:00

Wow it's been a while, about 3 weeks, since I have even looked at my blog let alone think about updating it. Even though I should have updated it a bit, I've had a better time living life and spending money. But enough of all that let me fill you in on what's been important for me (and therefore for you).

1. London was great!! You can check out most cool pics on My Moblog. The city is really amazing. What is more amazing is how a city that is twice as expensive as NYC has hardly any homeless and compared to NYC hardly any crime (that I saw). In other way though, London is very much like NYC but besides the above, the major differences were: people aren't as hung up on alcohol, drug use and sex as they are here. People tend to speak about race and issues concerning race alot more openly than here. Bulidings are alot older and for some reasons the Toliets (bathrooms in general) are really spartan. The women aren't as easy as a certain group of my friends played them out to be. That's it, everything else is exactly the same ( either that or I just got bored writing about it)

2. Looks like all them immagants stood up and showed some force for a change. Coming from a immigrant family I can easily see how diffcult it could be in theory to be active politically and be illegal at the same time. That's something alot of these white college kids don't think about. What these people did shows how powerful we can be if we got together more often. The next thing we should fight for is to get the siesta going here in the good ol' USA!! Forget about Mr Ben Laden and Mr Al Qaeda, the siesta would be the greatest single threat to American values since, ummm, them terrorists in them holes.

3. I am reading this dope book Enemy Combatant. It's written about an English guy who was kidnapped then held in concentration camps. One camp was thousands of miles away from his family. He was beaten, tortured mentally and physically. He was held with hundreds of other people and the only thing they all they had in common was where they were kidnapped and their religion. They were accused of being subhuman and evil. Who could of done this???

4. My prediction of FC Barcelona V Arsenal FC in the Champions League final is turning out to have been pretty accurate. I wonder what kind of odds i would of got from the beginning of the tourney??

5. Amparanoia and Ojos De Brujo (2 of my faves) have released new albums. The two are pretty damn good but Amparanoia's album is going down as a classic. Still waiting for the new ODB to have that effect. I'll give y'all a taste of both. Also thanks to TWP I gots some dope tracks from a collection called Import-Export and I am still grooving on some dope Brasillian tracks some guy gave me.

Enjoy the playlist people. I'm sorry for letting all my millions of fans down but I'm back. Gimmie love!!!

Ciao

London Calling 3:19 The Clash
Riviera Uproar 3:21 Outernational
Nesta 4:47 Stereo Maracanã
Not Guilty 3:36 Anthony B
Maracatu Atômico [Ragga Mix] 3:30 Chico Science & Nação Zumbi
Street Signs 3:46 Ozomatli
Atrevete 3:58 Calle 13
Aliança Rebelde 4:15 Stereo Maracanã
Todo Tiende 4:28 Ojos De Brujo
Sou negão 5:08 Rappin´ Hood
Ponta de Lança Africano (Umbabarauma) 3:50 Jorge Ben
Carnaval Na Obra 2:33 Mundo Livre S.A.
Sultanas De Merkaíllo 3:53 Ojos De Brujo
No Somos Máquinas 3:35 Ojos De Brujo
Je Suis Naif 4:37 Sahraoui
El Confort No Reconforta 3:46 Ojos De Brujo
carimbó 5:52 Nação Zumbi
Ven 4:47 Amparanoïa
You Know What I Mean 4:15 Amparanoïa
Poisson d'Avril 4:48 Magic System
La Vida Te Da 4:42 Amparanoïa
Edipo, O Hmem Que Virou Veiculo 3:28 Mundo Livre S.A.
Panico 4:30 Panico
Nada 4:12 Amparanoïa
Sou Local 4:24 Stereo Maracanã
Jungle 3 "La Realidad" 6:32 Amparanoïa
Onde É Que Tu Tá 4:08 Stereo Maracanã
amnesia express 3:40 NAÇÃO ZUMBI
London 4:33 International Observer
First Night Back In London 3:00 The Clash

Using that Passport

2006-03-28T07:25:00.000-05:00

When I travel I likes to use my passport!!!

Just got into London and counting the seconds to the big Arsenal V Juventus Match. I doubt I'll get in but just to be in a football mad atmosphere will be out of this world. As soon as I can get my hands on a proper USB for the camera I will be sending out some pics. Till then ...Peace

DJ Scratchy 3/20

2006-03-13T19:01:00.000-05:00

Yes that's right

The old school master DJ Scratchy will be blessing us with some tunes at Rocky Sullivans on Mon March 20th 10p no cover. Yeah it's a monday but it is a great chance to see and listen to the original Clash DJ live and direct.

See you all there!!

Mon March 20th 10PM

NO COVER!!

Rocky Sullivan's

129 Lexington Ave 28th and 29th sts

NYC

Here's some stuff I have been listening to lately. Thanks to Paulo for the tunes

Ponta de Lança Africano (Umbabarauma) 3:50 Jorge Ben
Camisa 10 da Gavea 4:01 Jorge Ben
Mas Que Nada 3:01 Jorge Ben
Edipo, O Hmem Que Virou Veiculo 3:28 Mundo Livre S.A.
Amor De Muito 2:55 Chico Science & Nação Zumbi
O Cidadão Do Mundo 3:20 Chico Science & Nação Zumbi
Época De Épicos 4:16 Parteum
Maracatu Atômico [Atomic Version] 4:33 Chico Science & Nação Zumbi
Bem Pior 3:42 Xis
Caso de polícia 4:58 Rappin´ Hood
É Sempre Rhara A Rhima 5:14 Parteum
Nesta 4:47 Stereo Maracanã
Maracatu Atômico [Ragga Mix] 3:30 Chico Science & Nação Zumbi
Gol 4:45 Rappin´ Hood
Manguetown 3:14 Chico Science & Nação Zumbi
Boi Luzeiro (ou A Pega de Violento, Vaidoso e Avoador) 5:22 Cordel Do Fogo Encantado
Aliança Rebelde 4:15 Stereo Maracanã
Alice Williams 4:42 Mundo Livre S.A.
carimbó 5:52 Nação Zumbi
Alto do Cruzeiro (ou O Auto do Cruzeiro) 1:32 Cordel Do Fogo Encantado

Evermore....

2006-03-02T17:54:00.000-05:00

The ugly rumors are true , the Raven is gone. I never knew how important this place was to so many in the neighborhood until last night. Everywhere I went that night the locals were talking about the fire. Along with that look people get, you know the look of being gutted and surprised at once. Thank God no one was seriously hurt and most if not all of the music was saved.

The Raven sure didn't look like much inside, it wasn't a bar that catered to tourists and the Bridge and Tunnel crowd (that didn't stop them from coming down and having a good time). There were other things that made the Raven special. The comraderie the staff had with its regulars, it's poltically active owner, it's wild mix of DJs (from 80's music to reggae to garage to metal, and while I was spinning there I covered all other genres) It was a bit of the pre-guliani NYC, a more seedier but more inclusive city.

In the all too short time of DJ'ing at the Raven I really grew to love the place and the atmosphere the people there gave it. Cheers to all you guys, hopefully with some luck and some time the Raven can come back but until then let us all spill some for the homies.

I guess I'll put together some songs that remind me of the Raven, or songs of loss or some crap. Anyways enjoy, and I'l keep you guys tuned into when/where i'll be spinning again.

Peace from (a sad) djshoghi

BTW

To Beth

I don't remember if I ever gave you my card but if you are reading this e-mail me. Although the last thing you are probably thinking about is your going away party I am sure it's gonna happen. Let me know I would still love to DJ it!!

El Barrio 3:52 Los Hombres Calientes
Rude Rude Rudee 3:01 Prince Buster
Babalu 4:28 Ska Cubano
El Cuarto de Tula 4:06 Eliades Ochoa
Pa' Mantener Tradicion 4:03 Jimmy Bosch
Ay Candela 3:24 Ibrahim Ferrer
La Rebelion 5:21 Raulin
Suavemente 4:26 Elvis Crespo
La Vida es un Carnaval 4:36 Celia Cruz
Che Che Colo (Makossa Mix) 3:19 Antibalas
Usti, Usti Baba (Altiplano Mix) 4:28 Señor Coconut Vs Koçani Orkestar
Rudy, A Message To You 2:36 Dandy Livingstone
Marihuana 3:30 Dusminguet
Blood & Fire 3:09 Niney
Ready, Aim, Fire (Live @ Arlene's Grocery) 3:27 Outernational
Firehouse Rock 4:12 The Wailing Souls
Fire In A Kingston 3:11 Vivian Jackson & The Prophets
Fire Dub 2:33 King Tubby
Don't Wanna Go 4:03 The Slackers
Long Long Winter 3:04 Bob Marley & The Wailers
Teddy Boy Calypso (Bring Back The Cat-o-Nine) 2:40 Lord Invader & His Calypso Rhythm Boys
Reggae Merengue 2:14 Tommy McCook & The Supersonics
Long Time 4:00 Sergent Garcia
I'll Take You There 3:38 The Deltones
Dub Stylee 4:04 The Slackers
The Harder They Come 3:52 Joe Strummer & The Long Beach Dub All Stars
Let's Go Crazy 4:24 The Clash
Burnin' Streets 4:32 Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros
Fireman 4:06 Jawbreaker
Bad Day 4:01 Samiam
Avenue B 3:07 Gogol Bordello
Truth Don Die 6:15 Femi Kuti
Phoenix City 2:58 The Skatalites
Information Error 6:11 The Slackers
What You Say 3:34 Outernational
Justice Tonight/Kick It Over 8:54 The Clash

Mas que un deporte

2006-02-26T22:09:00.000-05:00

There are many reasons why people love Futbol. Some love it because they can get all worked up and passionate about something that, an hour and a half later doesn't mean much at all. Which makes sense because as spectators our one and only interaction with the game is by nature passive. Now having said all this let me tell you that I am not one of those people.

I love the game because of how real life seems to sneak into it. Some people say (and try) to keep poltical controversy and emotion out of the game, but that is impossible. Passion is sown into the fabric of so many of our cultures that to keep it out would kill the game as the living breathing thing that it has been for so long.

Real life sunk itself into the game in a town in Spain called Zaragoza (which friends in Valencia love to say repeatedly while grabbing their crotch- the name of the town sounds like you are saying "Sarah Enjoys"). On Saturday the home team, Real Zaragoza (Royal Sarah Enjoys) were facing league leaders and giants FC Barcelona. Me and about a couple of hundred other passive spectators were loyaly watching our team trying to get a result in a very boring match. Our counterparts in Zaragoza weren't as passive. A significant part of the bored crowd started hurling racist bile at one of Barcelona's best and very black Samuel Eto'o. Now mind you, most black players and South American players get shit in every game they play-be it on the road, on their home pitch anywhere-since they were allowed to play with whites. I guess the difference now is players like Samuel Eto'o and Ronaldinho are millionaires and are not afraid to speak their mind on certain subjects.

The saga between the Zaragoza fans and Eto'o goes back to at least last year and probably since he showed up in Spain. Now that Eto'o is the African player of the year he felt that he had to take a stand and almost walked off. I'm glad he did it, for one it injected real life into a lifeless match (Barcelona scored right after the restart) and two it puts the subject back into the limelight.

The Spanish love their black and non euro footballers, that no one can dispute. So are these monkey chants racist or bored fans wanting to be part of the game and maybe to get their team on the news? I think it's a bit of column A and B. There is no black and white (pardon the pun) in life. The same Barcelona players who are complaining about Eto'os abuse have never said anything about Real Madrid's brazillian Roberto Carlos getting abused in the Nou Cam p which he always does, I know I have witnessed it in person. The only thing we should agree on is that we fans who are against footballers playing in a racist hateful atomsphere should let the racists know that they are not welcome in our bars or stadiums. How we do that is up to the fan or the club.

I have cooked up a playlist full of African, Middle Eastern and music from Spain all blended together. I hope Sarah and you all will enjoy it (as you all grab your crotches of course!!)

Ciao!!

Candombe Apertura 2:02 Dusminguet
Rumba De Barcelona 3:31 Manu Chao
Petite Noya 3:39 Gipsy Kings
Pa Mayte 3:07 Carlos Vives
Tourment d'Amour 6:16 Africanism
Gnangran 4:29 Issa Bagayogo
En Retard 4:56 Rachid Taha
Rumba Argelina 3:36 Radio Tarifa
Tu Es Ma Vie 5:37 Biyouna
Ya Rayah 6:14 Rachid Taha Tékitoi
Sahra Saidi 2:40 Gamal Gommaa
Charla Town 4:58 Gnawa Diffusion
Immigrant Punk 3:45 Gogol Bordello
Babalu 4:28 Ska Cubano
El Indio (Macaco Remix) 3:32 Los De Abajo
Indios De Barcelona 2:21 Mano Negra
Truth Don Die 6:15 Femi Kuti
Right Here In Front Of You 4:46 Unsung Heroes & TY Featuring Breis
Msimu Kwa Msimu 4:19 X Plastaz
Jugadoras, Jugadores 5:43 Mala Rodríguez
Hip Hop Não Para 3:55 Ginger Ale vs Z'Africa Brasil
Hacer dinero -mas- 4:29 Amparanoia
Yay Boy 4:01 Africando
Herencia Africana 3:27 Sergent Garcia

Whole lot of nothing

2006-02-18T12:34:00.000-05:00

I haven't found much time to post lately. Unfortunately I can't attribute this lack of time to me actually doing productive things.

I've wanted to post some ideas of mine on the Mohammed toons and other things. But alas not today. Today we will have a short post, a shout out if you will to Paul one of my good buddies whose b-day it was on Valentines day and whose party is tonight. Sorry I couldn't be there but I will raise a glass tonight while I DJ and hope you enjoy the tunes. Tonight will be the first time I will be DJ'ing at 2 different parties, at once!! Paul has 2 carefully selected CDs he will blast at his party and I will be in person at the Raven at the same time, I rule!!!

This playlist is for the Birthday boy and all those people who got some on Valentines day!!

Ciao!

MC's Act Like They Don't Know KRS-ONE 4:44
I Got It Made 3:42 Special Ed
Big Ole Butt 4:36 LL Cool J
Steve Biko (Stir It Up) 3:11 A Tribe Called Quest
Ghetto (Remix) 3:54 Akon, Miles Solay, Koba, Bob Avakian
Give Up The Goods (Just Step) 3:32 Mobb Deep
Another One Bites The Dust 3:48 Clint Eastwood & General Saint
Matey Exterminator 6:23 The Slackers Featuring Ari Up
Revolucion 3:50 Sergent Garcia
Skylarking 3:07 Horace Andy
Jah Victory Dub 3:37 King Tubby
Riverton City 3:10 Big Youth
Pressure Drop '72 2:29 Toots & The Maytals
Shankbön 3:54 The Slackers
Suavemente 4:26 Elvis Crespo
Che Che Colo (Makossa Mix) 3:19 Antibalas
On Verra Ça 5:00 Orchestra Baobab
Oh My God (Remix) 4:01 A Tribe Called Quest
Dancing Mood 2:50 Delroy Wilson

Ay Mi Estomago!!

2006-01-30T16:58:00.000-05:00

I promised myself and all of you that I would not pollute my Blog with self-indulgent crap like my misadventures with various women. I guess I lied. I feel stupid because this world is going to shit and our generation is doing hardly anything about it and I am here complaining that I'm 30 and still single. But you know what, I'm just a regular shmoe just like the 10, 000, 000 other bloggers out there, so fuck it. At least I will spare you the details.

On a much more important note please join people who give a fuck at Times Square tomorrow. Don't stay at home listening to lies. Go out and take our streets and make our voices heard. No torture and occupation in our name. Fuck Bush and all he stands for. Make your voice heard!!!!

So here's a mixed up playlist by a mixed up guy

ciao

Candombe Apertura 2:02 Dusminguet
Oyster 2:38 Jawbreaker
Don't Take Me for Granted 3:47 Social Distortion
Can't Stand It 3:57 The Pietasters
Lazy Woman 3:28 The Slackers
Corazón Aerodinámico 3:45 Estopa
Pura Sangre 4:07 Jarabe De Palo
Bittersweet Me 4:05 R.E.M.
Better Decide Which Side You're On 2:52 Tom Robinson Band
Resistance Is Futile 3:00 Jets To Brazil
Love & Hope 4:24 Ozomatli Street Signs
lean back (remix) 4:13 immortal technique ft sizzla
What You Say 3:34 Outernational
Revolution Rock 5:33 The Clash
Armagideon Time 5:08 Willie Williams
War 3:21 Edwin Starr
La Vida ( La Vida Me Da Palo ) 2:41 Mano Negra

Rooting for Religion?

2006-01-26T20:05:00.000-05:00

I wouldn't go that far, but I was rooting for Fatah to lose today (or was it yesterday already?). Fatah was the atypical rotten to the core third world puppet organization. Nepotism, bribery and repression have been doled out to Palestinians for generations, as if being treated as a prisoner in your own land by the 2nd most powerful military in the world was not enough.

Sure, you could say Hamas has a defined current of evil flowing thru its organization; but this is not the whole story. There has been many articles on the charities it funds and how they are seen as "pure" whereas Fatah was being exposed for the gangsters that they are.

The point that many people are missing here is no matter who is in power in the Palestinian territories the real power lies in Tel Aviv. Hamas (if the Palestinian vote is to be allowed to enshrine it self in law) will not have power over Water. They will have very limited authority over border crossings (from West Bank into Gaza) and would essentially be closed in by a religous superstate. So what this has all boiled down to is, as of right now, Palestinians have voted for a new set of prison guards. The warden has stayed the same.

Also all this talk about the USA refusing to speak to Hamas because it is a terrorist org is making me sick. How many govenments has the US coddled in Central and South America that have had genocidal policies toward its indigenous and/or suspected left wing sections of its population.

If this blog entry piques your interest you must see Paradise Now. I wrote a small review for it online no biggie but it captures what I was feeling right after I came out of the theatre.

BTW

How's this for my two bits on the Palestinan/Israeli conflict?:

The Middle East needs less states that are based on religion, be they Islamic or Jewish. These states need to be reformed. Israel (and Saudi Arabia) could be a start.

Incorporate the West Bank and Gaza into Israel, an Israel whose goal is not a Jewish State but a real democracy. Give full citizenship rights to all, be they of Palestinian origin or Eastern European origin. Give all the citizens in this New Israel equal rights under the law. Have both Muslims and Jews in the Army, Police, and yes even the Mossad. Make marital law, restriction of movement and discrimination in housing illegal. Give the Palestinians a future and a stake in the new state. This will rob the fundamentalists (be the Islamist or Zionist) of their base. Who will strap bombs to themselves if they have hope?? Perhaps down the road the voters in this new state will choose to rename the state to what is was called for centuries, Palestine. Or not. Whatever the name of the state, life would be better. Not perfect though. There will still be clashes, bombings, but a majority would being to feel human again. Maybe, who knows.

To keep political theme going I have selected a playlist full of Rebel Roots and Culture.
(Don't I always)

ciao

Candombe Apertura 2:02 Dusminguet
Queremos Paz 5:16 Gotan Project
Charla Town 4:58 Gnawa Diffusion
The Equaliser 5:46 The Clash
Blood on the Streets 4:30 Outernational
Ghetto 3:57 Akon
lean back (remix) 4:13 immortal technique ft sizzla
Crazy Baldheads (Alternate Album Mix) 3:08 Bob Marley & The Wailers
No More Trouble 4:00 Bob Marley & The Wailers
Welcome to Jamrock 3:22 Damien Marley
Sufferer's Time 3:55 The Heptones
Love & Hope 4:24 Ozomatli
GIRATUTTO(Urban) 4:09 Macaco
Ghetto Defendant 4:44 The Clash
Clandestino 2:26 Manu Chao
Orange Sky 6:19 Alexi Murdoch (From "Paradise Now")

Africa Unite

2006-01-24T17:08:00.000-05:00

The Earth (in it's cradle) is celebrating it's most beautiful sport. In my humble opinion it's a big deal. So here's a playlist dedicated to Africa and it's continental competition, the African Cup of Nations. Sure it sucks that it's happening the same year as the World Cup (hopefully this never happens again, it shows FIFA's lack of respect for Africa and it's players) but it's happening.

Here is my humble dedication to the Motherland. You will hear some of my favorite artists like Rachid Taha and Gnawa Diffusion (Algeria via France). Also some classic and contemporary Afrobeat.

Also featured are songs from the album Musica de Futebol which is a companion to the book Futebol, soccer the Brasillian way by Alex Bellos. Thanks Chris for the book!!

PS

One of my favorite Bush moments involves Africa and Brazil so I might as well include it, no? "Do you have Blacks also?"

Peace

Africa Unite!!

Candombe Apertura 2:02 Dusminguet
The Willing 4:12 Ty Feat, Tony Allen
Hey Anta 4:30 Rachid Taha
En Retard 4:56 Rachid Taha
Tabla Motown 5:46 Rachid Taha
Non Non Non Multinat. Version 4:10 Rachid Taha
The Time Is Now 7:00 Maw Feat, Wunmi
Jungle Fiction 4:03 Rachid Taha
Touradas Em Madri 2:37 Carmen Miranda
O Rei Pelé 2:04 Jackson Do Pandeiro
Samba Rubro-Negro 3:00 Joao Nogueira
Pelé (Remixed By Ballistic Brothers) 7:22 Aracatuba
Caravane 5:02 Amparanoïa
Gudfella 4:39 Gigi
Che Che Cole 4:51 Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra Feat. Mayra Vega
Yay Boy 4:01 Africando
Malemicita 4:25 JJC & 419 Squad
Gin-Go-Lo-Ba 3:24 Olatunji
Heat 3:41 Common
Politic Amagni (La Politique, C'est Pas Bon) 4:56 Amadou & Mariam
Afrikaan Beat 2:56 Lester Sterling
Ya Laymi 5:49 Gnawa Diffusion
Algeria 6:53 Gnawa Diffusion

(In a french accent) You still alive mate?

2006-01-16T17:50:00.000-05:00

Wow celebrating your birthday for a whole month can really fuck you up. I'm all in pain. In good happy pain.

This wknd should be the best though. I'll be doing my regular thing at the Raven after 10p. You know it peoples cheap drink, cheap girls, good tunes. I know, being fed free alcohol for 6 hrs and also being paid to play music for that time period might seem like a breeze, enviable even, but alas it is hard work. That's bullshit, it's what i look foward to every month. So show your ass up and buy me some shots. I would like to carried out to a cab that night.

Of interest:

1. I almost recieved the best birthday present a boy could get. From God no less. Sharon almost kicked the bucket on Jan 5th. Last I heard he will probably be a vegetable. Oh a bit harsh? How many tears did you shed when Arafat died? None here.

2. I discovered this really lame Venezuelan Music TV channel called Puma. Most of the music on this channel is indie and most of it sucks. For some odd reason I have it on my favorites list, I'm a strange man sometimes. Anyways, lo and behold Chavez is looking back at me giving a speech to his parliment or whatever it's called down there. It's was a rather interesting mix of rhetoric and truth and plain hot fire. Boy does this guy get mad. If you think about it there is alot to be mad about. Like 3 hr long speeches. I watched almost 2 whole football matches and he was still going. A bit too much for me.

3. Finally got to see Paradise Now and it is simply one of the best movies I have ever seen. I never watched a movie that left me shaking and short of breath, and no it was not crack induced-thats what I keep telling myself anyways.

4. Looks like blogspot is going down soon so im outtie. Check out some songs that I have been listening to for the past year. Peace and see you guys sat 10p

Candombe Apertura 2:02 Dusminguet Go
Métropole 5:42 Gnawa Diffusion Souk System
Ave. B 2:57 Gogol Bordello East Infection
Penas Con Rumba 3:12 Estopa ¿La Calle Es Tuya?
Cada vez (original album version) 4:51 Negrocan
Emitiendo 3:42 Macaco
Babalu 4:28 Ska Cubano
Tékitoi? (Who Are You?) 3:07
Vamos Farrear 2:53 Pinduca
La Grip 4:33 Xerramequ Tiquis Miquis
I Wasn't Born to Follow 2:55 Social Distortion
60 Revolutions 2:58 Gogol Bordello
Ready for War 3:58 Clash 2
Global A Go-Go 5:55 Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros
Sénégal Fast Food 4:19 Amadou & Mariam
President (Reggae Version) 3:38 Wyclef Jean
The Only Redeemer 6:18 Noiseshaper
Camaleon 3:54 Amparanoia
Castaneda 5:06 Skampida
Bassar (Spanish Car Service Special) 3:31 Gogol Bordello vs. Tamir Muskat J.U.F.
Pushing on Through 4:09 Outernational
Helno est mort 3:36 Manu Chao
Ban Ban 3:11 Joe Arroyo Echao Pa' Lante
Que Lío, Compáy Andres 3:49 Eliades Ochoa
El Preso 4:53 Fruko & Sus Tesos
Compositor Confundido 4:31 Ibrahim Ferrer
Beleza 4:26 Trio Mocoto
George Bush Doesn't Care About Black People Legendary KO3:47
Ghetto (Remix) 3:54 Akon, Miles Solay, Koba, Bob Avakian
Cocaine in my brain 2:46 Dillinger
What You Say 3:34 Outernational

...To All Wavebands on Earth!!!.....

2005-12-23T17:02:00.000-05:00

Joe Strummer left us 3 years ago yesterday. To all those who have not been lucky enough to endure me talking about Joe and The Clash and The Mescaleros and what my connection is/was to them please take a look thru TWP's wonderful website Strummernews and go to the photos sections. Me and Tami and a select lucky few were there to document Joe's last shows in the USA

Enough with words mate lets get a little bit a rockin' shall we?

Joe - On The Beginnings Of The Clash 0:44
White Riot 1:56 The Clash
Koka Kola 1:47 The Clash
Trash City 4:15 Joe Strummer
Kingston Advice 2:37 The Clash
Guns On The Roof 3:15 The Clash
Get Down Moses 5:05 Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros
The Harder They Come 3:52 Joe Strummer & The Long Beach Dub All Stars
Forbidden City 4:46 Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros
Ghetto Defendant 4:44 The Clash Combat Rock
Arms Aloft 3:47 Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros
Global A Go-Go 5:55 Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros
Armagideon Time 3:51 The Clash
Junco Partner 4:52 The Clash
Wrong 'Em Boyo 3:10 The Clash
Tony Adams 6:33 Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros
Bankrobber 4:34 The Clash
Yalla, Yalla 6:56 Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros
Let's Go Crazy 4:24 The Clash
At The Border, Guy 7:08 Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros
London Calling 3:19 The Clash
Techno D-Day 4:07 Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros
Ready for War 3:58 Clash 2
Mondo Bongo 6:14 Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros
The Sound of the Sinners 4:01 The Clash
X-Ray Style 4:34 Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros
All The Young Punks (New Boots And Contracts) 4:55 The Clash
I'm So Bored With the U.S.A. 2:24 The Clash
London's Burning 2:12 The Clash
All In a Day 4:55 Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros
Safe European Home 3:50 The Clash
Ramshackle Day Parade 4:02 Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros
One More Time 3:32 The Clash
Garageland 3:12 The Clash
Julie's In The Drug Squad 3:03 The Clash
48 Hours 1:36 The Clash
Silver and Gold 2:38 Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros
No Reason 1:36 Joe Strummer

"A system built by the sweat of the many, creates assasins to kill off the few"
- Joe Strummer (Guns on the Roof)

Time for new music

2005-12-05T20:15:00.000-05:00

Got a new playlist and this one is centered around FC Barcelona's crushing of evil (once again) and their hosting of the peace match. Not sure how much it all means as things are sadly going back to "normal" in Palestine but Barcelona organized a match in their stadium (the Nou Camp) between themselves and a team made up of Palestinians and their Jewish counterparts. I watched the match on TV and those desert guys aren't half bad.

Also, finally got around to getting the new Gogol Bordello album and I am featuring a couple of songs off it. You know what? Let's put some Outernational up there. Got some live tracks from their best show ever, halloween eve at Southpaw.

Enjoy!!

60 Revolutions 2:58 Gogol Bordello
Rumba De Barcelona 3:31 Manu Chao
La Grip 4:33 Xerramequ Tiquis Miquis
Propozuda R n'Roll 2:38 De Falla
Roda Rodete Rodiano (Zambo Mix) 3:42 Chico Science & Bid
The Big Match 2:24 Lone Ranger
Poor Man 3:09 Ranking Dread
Que Pena 3:29 Ziroq
Shalom Israel 2:36 Eric Fernandez
Ya Rayah 3:13 Rachid Taha
Deni Kele 7:36 Taffetas
Blood on the Streets 4:30 Outernational
A Life, A Knife 3:18 Outernational
Illumination 3:52 Gogol Bordello
Global A Go-Go 5:55 Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros

Barcelona and Tapas (and plenty of drink!)

2005-12-01T16:25:00.000-05:00

Fly on the Wall

2005-12-01T15:09:00.000-05:00

Bush: Maybe we should get rid of that godammed A-rab channel, what do ya say Tony? Is there a way to sell that?

Blair: Are you off your tits mate? There is no way we can take out the Arab CNN and just get away with it. Are you blathered?

Bush: Off your tits, ha I love those limey sayings, you guys are great. What does bollocks mean? I could never figure that out.

Blair: Well...

Bush: You ever thought of that?? I speak english, you speak english but sometimes you say things I don't understand. That's so funny. It's like when I talk with high school graduates.

Blair: For fuck's sake....

What kind of fly and on whose wall? I would like to be a fly big enough to carry some recording equipment, and after what I just read I would love to be a housefly at 10 downing st.

To me the inner circles of governments are run by more sadistic criminals than you can fit in front of a firing squad. Their business essentially is moving our lives around some damm chessboard. If the chess piece that represents you, your life or your liberty becomes surplus to requirements, so be it.

This has been clearly illustrated by the disregard to human life shown by some of the most powerful criminals in the world today. Do people realize what kind of world we are living in when one secret closed door meeting between Bush and Blair can decide (directly) the lives of hundreds of employees of a news organization and (indirectly) the fate of independent media as we know it?

Now the British govt has made it a crime for a reporter to publish this memo if given the chance (that has guilt smeared all over it) and I haven't seen too many american new outlets concerned about this story. I guess they don't feel that when a president calls out a hit on an organization that (he feels) disagrees with his polices, that it should warrant anyone's attention. Maybe it shouldn't, it might happen alot more than we think.

Read a blog run by Al Jazeera employees. Find out what collateral damage sounds like.

émeute bitches!!!

2005-11-10T17:57:00.000-05:00

FYI

DJ shoghi (me) @
The Raven Sat Nov 19th 10p
194 Ave A
It's the 3rd Sat of every month people!! Get with it!

To all the millions that follow my blog that have been thinking-due to inactivity- that I am dead, sorry to burst your bubble but I have just been a bit busy with work (wow I haven't said that in a while) and a suffering from a bout of non creativity as well (lack of drugs im guessing). Anyways here goes stuff that's been on my mind that is relevant to this blog:

1. Getting back in the music groove and went to an Outernational show. They played with The Coup and Tom Morello (Ex Rage). Easily their best show ever ( I think the beating to death of George W Bush was the clincher-even though it was in effigy) , too bad I had to cut out early, I would of loved to stick around and help roadie for The Coup, for free!! pbbb...

2. Still haven't seen Paradise Now or The War Within but now that I have a regular flow of currency I do believe it will happen soon. Sadly for me I saw a History of Violene which was god awful. For some reason it continues to get good reviews.

3. Simpsons are on twice a day now on Fox. A Current Affair is finally gone, wow didn't see that coming.

4. Speaking of Fox they should have a show where you get to call and vote on America's next dumping ground for depleted uranium. Is it A) Syria B) Iran or C) Venezuela ????

5. The so-called "scum" are fighting back against being 2nd class citizens. About time.

It's getting to be my bedtime (hey I get up at 5 now fuckers you would be tired as well) so I'm ending transmission on this one

Métropole 5:42 Gnawa Diffusion
Helno est mort 3:36 Manu Chao
White Riot 1:56 The Clash
Mad Riot 2:52 The Tossers
Kill The Poor 3:03 Dead Kennedys
60 Revolutions 2:58 Gogol Bordello
El Muerto 4:05 Los Fabulosos Cadillacs
Ghetto (Remix) 3:54 Akon, Miles Solay, Koba, Bob Avakian
lean back (remix) 4:13 immortal technique ft sizzla
Who's To Blame 3:13 Ozomatli Feat. Chaly 2NA
Richocet 3:50 Outernational
Riot Inna Notting Hill 2:17 The Pioneers
Sensie Man 3:17 Mike Brooks
Cocaine in my brain 2:46 Dillinger
Voila Voila (Here It Is, Here It Is) (Spanish Version) 6:02 Rachid Taha
Santa Maradona ( Larchuma Football Club ) 3:27 Mano Negra
Hasta Siempre 5:24 King Mafrundi
Patria Querida 3:26 Los Guaracheros De Oriente

ciao

Beat Down Borders Live!! (New video added below)

2005-10-06T22:50:00.000-04:00

Saturday, October 15th 10p
The Raven
194 Avenue A 12th st

I am starting a monthly gig at the Raven. It's the 3rd sat of very month and it is free. Cheap booze as well, along with some good tunes. Come down and bring some flags from all over. See if you can bring a flag from a country I don't have music from and maybe you will get a prize.

Interesting stuff lately...

1. FBI agents shot and let a 72 yr old ex bank robber bleed to death in front of his home. Trouble is the ex bank robber wasn't just a criminal for crime's sake, he was the leader of the Macheteros a pro independence grouping in Puerto Rico. Not the most influencial party out there but Filiberto Ojeda Rios was seen as a PR Che. Also note the day that he was killed was also the date when the Grito de Lares is celebrated on the island. The Grito was a failed slave uprising that independence groups see as a national holiday. Very insulting. Hopefully someone will be held accountable for this.

2. Some funny stuff is happening to some old rich white people in Washington. See what happens when the red sux win the series and hell freezes over? But alas, just in time Osama comes to the rescue with some threats to NYC.

3. O'reilly has lost his shit. The guy says something retarded every night. His newest targets are blogs that report on his distortions like Media Matters, which I has info on the whole Bill Bennett abort black babies quote.

4. Also went to see Everything is Illuminated on Monday and overall I was a bit underwhelmed but still enjoyed Shireber's take on Foer's masterpiece. Alex's grandfather being Jewish threw me off though. Eugene did pretty well and the movie end credits dance by the screen to the beat of Start Wearing Purple by Gogol Bordello, a new version from the newest album I don't have yet (still broke). Dying to see (no pun intended) The War Within, Paradise Now and A History of Violence.

5. Someone should make a list of the addresses of these people and send it directly to Osama. That would make my day.

This Is Radio Clash 4:10 The Clash
Radio Clash (side b) The Clash
Puerto Rico 1:24 Frankie Cutlass
Café 6:24 Eddie Palmieri
Homenaje A Caridad 4:48 Modesta Cepeda
Yo Naci En Puerto Rico 4:21 Hector Lavoe
Yiri Yiri Bon 5:01 Eliades Ochoa
On Verra Ça 5:00 Orchestra Baobab
Occurrence On the Border (Hopping On a Pogo-Gypsy Stick) 3:26 Gogol Bordello
Indiferencia 3:24 Skampida
Walking 4:18 Sidestepper
Candela 7:02 John Beltran
Bloody Dub 3:46 Stiff Little Fingers
Tête à tête avec Baghdad 5:48 Gnawa Diffusion

A New Bogeyman or Hero?

2005-09-22T18:08:00.000-04:00

It is rare for me to read a politician's speech and then read about his actions in the news, and look on in admiration. Chavez's speech was big news because he dared to say what millions and millions of people all over the world have been saying : this global economic system is criminal and must be changed, our air and water are being poisioned. In short: WE ARE DYING!

Below I re-print, in full, President Hugo Chavez's speech to the UN

Your Excellencies, friends, good afternoon:

The original purpose of this meeting has been completely distorted. The imposed center of debate has been a so-called reform process that overshadows the most urgent issues, what the peoples of the world claim with urgency: the adoption of measures that deal with the real problems that block and sabotage the efforts made by our countries for real development and life.

Five years after the Millennium Summit, the harsh reality is that the great majority of estimated goals- which were very modest indeed- will not be met.

We pretended reducing by half the 842 million hungry people by the year 2015. At the current rate that goal will be achieved by the year 2215. Who in this audience will be there to celebrate it? That is only if the human race is able to survive the destruction that threats our natural environment.

We had claimed the aspiration of achieving universal primary education by the year 2015. At the current rate that goal will be reached after the year 2100. Let us prepare, then, to celebrate it.

Friends of the world, this takes us to a sad conclusion: The United Nations has exhausted its model, and it is not all about reform. The XXI century claims deep changes that will only be possible if a new organization is founded. This UN does not work. We have to say it. It is the truth. These transformations – the ones Venezuela is referring to- have, according to us, two phases: The immediate phase and the aspiration phase, a utopia. The first is framed by the agreements that were signed in the old system. We do not run away from them. We even bring concrete proposals in that model for the short term. But the dream of an ever-lasting world peace, the dream of a world not ashamed by hunger, disease, illiteracy, extreme necessity, needs-apart from roots- to spread its wings to fly. We need to spread our wings and fly. We are aware of a frightening neoliberal globalization, but there is also the reality of an interconnected world that we have to face not as a problem but as a challenge. We could, on the basis of national realities, exchange knowledge, integrate markets, interconnect, but at the same time we must understand that there are problems that do not have a national solution: radioactive clouds, world oil prices, diseases, warming of the planet or the hole in the ozone layer. These are not domestic problems. As we stride toward a new United Nations model that includes all of us when they talk about the people, we are bringing four indispensable and urgent reform proposals to this Assembly: the first; the expansion of the Security Council in its permanent categories as well as the non permanent categories, thus allowing new developed and developing countries as new permanent and non permanent categories. The second; we need to assure the necessary improvement of the work methodology in order to increase transparency, not to diminish it. The third; we need to immediately suppress- we have said this repeatedly in Venezuela for the past six years- the veto in the decisions taken by the Security Council, that elitist trace is incompatible with democracy, incompatible with the principles of equality and democracy.
And the fourth; we need to strengthen the role of the Secretary General; his/her political functions regarding preventive diplomacy, that role must be consolidated. The seriousness of all problems calls for deep transformations. Mere reforms are not enough to recover that “we” all the peoples of the world are waiting for. More than just reforms we in Venezuela call for the foundation of a new United Nations, or as the teacher of Simón Bolívar, Simón Rodríguez said: “Either we invent or we err.”

At the Porto Alegre World Social Forum last January different personalities asked for the United Nations to move outside the United States if the repeated violations to international rule of law continue. Today we know that there were never any weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. The people of the United States have always been very rigorous in demanding the truth to their leaders; the people of the world demand the same thing. There were never any weapons of mass destruction; however, Iraq was bombed, occupied and it is still occupied. All this happened over the United Nations. That is why we propose this Assembly that the United Nations should leave a country that does not respect the resolutions taken by this same Assembly. Some proposals have pointed out to Jerusalem as an international city as an alternative. The proposal is generous enough to propose an answer to the current conflict affecting Palestine. Nonetheless, it may have some characteristics that could make it very difficult to become a reality. That is why we are bringing a proposal made by Simón Bolívar, the great Liberator of the South, in 1815. Bolívar proposed then the creation of an international city that would host the idea of unity.

We believe it is time to think about the creation of an international city with its own sovereignty, with its own strength and morality to represent all nations of the world. Such international city has to balance five centuries of unbalance. The headquarters of the United Nations must be in the South.

Ladies and gentlemen, we are facing an unprecedented energy crisis in which an unstoppable increase of energy is perilously reaching record highs, as well as the incapacity of increase oil supply and the perspective of a decline in the proven reserves of fuel worldwide. Oil is starting to become exhausted.

For the year 2020 the daily demand for oil will be 120 million barrels. Such demand, even without counting future increments- would consume in 20 years what humanity has used up to now. This means that more carbon dioxide will inevitably be increased, thus warming our planet even more.

Hurricane Katrina has been a painful example of the cost of ignoring such realities. The warming of the oceans is the fundamental factor behind the demolishing increase in the strength of the hurricanes we have witnessed in the last years. Let this occasion be an outlet to send our deepest condolences to the people of the United States. Their people are brothers and sisters of all of us in the Americas and the rest of the world.

It is unpractical and unethical to sacrifice the human race by appealing in an insane manner the validity of a socioeconomic model that has a galloping destructive capacity. It would be suicidal to spread it and impose it as an infallible remedy for the evils which are caused precisely by them.

Not too long ago the President of the United States went to an Organization of American States’ meeting to propose Latin America and the Caribbean to increase market-oriented policies, open market policies-that is neoliberalism- when it is precisely the fundamental cause of the great evils and the great tragedies currently suffered by our people. : The neoliberal capitalism, the Washington Consensus. All this has generated is a high degree of misery, inequality and infinite tragedy for all the peoples on his continent.

What we need now more than ever Mr. President is a new international order. Let us recall the United Nations General assembly in its sixth extraordinary session period in 1974, 31 years ago, where a new International Economic Order action plan was adopted, as well as the States Economic Rights and Duties Charter by an overwhelming majority, 120 votes for the motion, 6 against and 10 abstentions. This was the period when voting was possible at the United Nations. Now it is impossible to vote. Now they approve documents such as this one which I denounce on behalf of Venezuela as null, void and illegitimate. This document was approved violating the current laws of the United Nations. This document is invalid! This document should be discussed; the Venezuelan government will make it public. We cannot accept an open and shameless dictatorship in the United Nations. These matters should be discussed and that is why I petition my colleagues, heads of states and heads of governments, to discuss it.

I just came from a meeting with President Néstor Kirchner and well, I was pulling this document out; this document was handed out five minutes before- and only in English- to our delegation. This document was approved by a dictatorial hammer which I am here denouncing as illegal, null, void and illegitimate.

Hear this, Mr. President: if we accept this, we are indeed lost. Let us turn off the lights, close all doors and windows! That would be unbelievable: us accepting a dictatorship here in this hall.

Now more than ever- we were saying- we need to retake ideas that were left on the road such as the proposal approved at this Assembly in 1974 regarding a New Economic International Order. Article 2 of that text confirms the right of states to nationalizing the property and natural resources that belonged to foreign investors. It also proposed to create cartels of raw material producers. In the Resolution 3021, May, 1974, the Assembly expressed its will to work with utmost urgency in the creation of a New Economic International Order based on- listen carefully, please- “the equity, sovereign equality, interdependence, common interest and cooperation among all states regardless of their economic and social systems, correcting the inequalities and repairing the injustices among developed and developing countries, thus assuring present and future generations, peace, justice and a social and economic development that grows at a sustainable rate.”

The main goal of the New Economic International Order was to modify the old economic order conceived at Breton Woods.

We the people now claim- this is the case of Venezuela- a new international economic order. But it is also urgent a new international political order. Let us not permit that a few countries try to reinterpret the principles of International Law in order to impose new doctrines such as “pre-emptive warfare.” Oh do they threaten us with that pre-emptive war! And what about the “Responsibility to Protect” doctrine? We need to ask ourselves. Who is going to protect us? How are they going to protect us?

I believe one of the countries that require protection is precisely the United States. That was shown painfully with the tragedy caused by Hurricane Katrina; they do not have a government that protects them from the announced nature disasters, if we are going to talk about protecting each other; these are very dangerous concepts that shape imperialism, interventionism as they try to legalize the violation of the national sovereignty. The full respect towards the principles of International Law and the United Nations Charter must be, Mr. President, the keystone for international relations in today’s world and the base for the new order we are currently proposing.

It is urgent to fight, in an efficient manner, international terrorism. Nonetheless, we must not use it as an excuse to launch unjustified military aggressions which violate international law. Such has been the doctrine following September 11. Only a true and close cooperation and the end of the double discourse that some countries of the North apply regarding terrorism, could end this terrible calamity.

In just seven years of Bolivarian Revolution, the people of Venezuela can claim important social and economic advances.

One million four hundred and six thousand Venezuelans learned to read and write. We are 25 million total. And the country will-in a few days- be declared illiteracy-free territory. And three million Venezuelans, who had always been excluded because of poverty, are now part of primary, secondary and higher studies.

Seventeen million Venezuelans-almost 70% of the population- are receiving, and for the first time, universal healthcare, including the medicine, and in a few years, all Venezuelans will have free access to an excellent healthcare service. More thatn a million seven hundred tons of food are channeled to over 12 million people at subsidized prices, almost half the population. One million gets them completely free, as they are in a transition period. More than 700 thousand new jobs have been created, thus reducing unemployment by 9 points. All of this amid internal and external aggressions, including a coup d’etat and an oil industry shutdown organized by Washington. Regardless of the conspiracies, the lies spread by powerful media outlets, and the permanent threat of the empire and its allies, they even call for the assassination of a president. The only country where a person is able to call for the assassination of a head of state is the United States. Such was the case of a Reverend called Pat Robertson, very close to the White House: He called for my assassination and he is a free person. That is international terrorism!

We will fight for Venezuela, for Latin American integration and the world. We reaffirm our infinite faith in humankind. We are thirsty for peace and justice in order to survive as species. Simón Bolívar, founding father of our country and guide of our revolution swore to never allow his hands to be idle or his soul to rest until he had broken the shackles which bound us to the empire. Now is the time to not allow our hands to be idle or our souls to rest until we save humanity.

Enjoy the playlist including a brand new track by a Hip Hop artist called The Legendary K.O. "George Bush doesn't like black people"

Enjoy!!

Candombe Apertura 2:03 Dusminguet
President (Reggae Version) 3:38 Wyclef Jean
Intro 0:41 Ojos De Brujo Barí
Tiempo de Soleá 3:06 Ojos De Brujo
Burnin' And Lootin' 4:13 Bob Marley
George Bush Doesn't Care About Black People 3:47 The Legendary K.O.
Mr President 4:13 The Heptones And Jah Lion
Funky President (People It's Bad) 4:10 James Brown
Politic Amagni (La Politique, C'est Pas Bon) 4:56 Amadou & Mariam
Mandela 1:53 Skampida
Linda Manigua 6:23 Sidestepper
El Ciclón 3:48 La Sonora Dinamita
El Hijo De Tuta 4:00 Lisandro Meza
Por El Suelo 2:21 Manu Chao
War 3:36 Bob Marley & The Wailers
V Centenario 3:54 Los Fabulosos Cadillacs
Hasta Siempre 5:24 King Manfrundi

Sometimes it sucks to be right

2005-09-09T16:47:00.000-04:00

It's hard at times to convince people why you feel the way you do about certain things. They just seem to think you are crazy or some kind of extremist or something. Take my opinion on this nation being a cultureless void, an empty expanse of prozac addled people who judge their self worth on how much they aquire. People with no feelings, passionless about anything unless told to be by an electronic box (or jumping box as monty burns likes to call it).

How did I form this position?? By working with and living amongst people who cared not about the quality of food they were intaking or quality of time spent with their family or quality of society they were living in. They cared not that the most powerful person in their country clearly lied to them and stuck them in a war that won't end anytime soon. A country where people don't seem to mind their waterways and skies being poisoned and how it is getting easier to do so.

Now we have something as tragic and as devastating as Katrina (or Corrina according to Ms Bush). Most people after witnessing the destruction in MS and the structual damage in NO for the 1st day thought about the answers to esoteric questions like: Why did God let this happen? How could he let it happen? When the levee system, as expected to, gave way and flooded the city all those silly questions about God where thrown to the wayside. When people started to hear about the conditions in the Superdome and convention center they started to think "If it's that bad in there, how could it be like in a flooded home?" I saw scenes that I thought I would never see: thousands of black people with hardly any water no food no a/c penned in a convention center. A convention center where no provisions were kept. Think about it, no one thought of keeping any food or at least water there. They knew these people where going to be there, yet no one thought of this. No one thought that it would be a good idea to get buses together and get everyone who wanted to leave out of the city (not dropped off at the Slaveship dome) and to have shelters ready for them somewhere in the north of the state (is it that the majority white regions of the states affected might of objected to the possibility of a majority black influx of displaced citizens in their towns and parishes??, Perhaps there is some record of some congressperson gutting the funding for these kinds of emergency provisions for this reason, read what Mrs Bush 1 thinks).

A disaster whose aftermath was pondered upon in different goverment circles for years was not planned for. Whole sections of an American city destroyed. People who needed to know knew this might happen, yet nothing or very little was done. Spineless commentators on spineless networks discovered their backbones and started to question the govt line that everything was going alright, that fema was doing a good job, that now is not the time for the blame game it is time for saving people. People know when someone is trying to cover their ass. People knew that the time to save people passed days ago and nothing was done.

Yet as the richest country in the world left their citizens to rot for 4 days in poisoned waters, regular people would not let it happen. There have been reports of students and doctors and all sorts of people driving down to the area and distributing food and water when the govt said it couldn't do it (and firefighters drinking beer in Atlanta waiting on orders from FEMA, some of these firefighters where then called in to take part in photo ops with Bush). Why couldn't they do it? Because of "THEM". Them who? The "looters". "You know that they killed and raped babies in the Superdome?". "They went into a police station and killed all the police officers?". These were the comments I heard when I brought this up with people I was talking to during the first few days. My thoughts were with the people trying to survive on their on with no help. They apparently felt better demonizing these people. It must make you feel better to think your govt abandoned criminals then to think that your govt did nothing for poor people whose only crime was not having the money to afford a motel room for god knows how long.

It did surprise me to see how bad the govt (local state and federal) reaction was. Since I don't know much about the local or state levels of govt in that part of the county then I will have to offer my thoughts on the federal reaction. All I can really say about it is that it sucks to be right, Bush is either an unthinking brute of a criminal, or at least a boob. To be on vacation right before one the worst things that could happen to your country is about to happen?? Would Bush be on vacation if the govt knew somehow that NYC was about to wiped off the map by a nuke?? Would Bush been on vacation for 2 days after a major earthquake in the bay area? Of course not, so why was he away when he knew 4 days ahead of time that NO might be destroyed?

Another question is whether NO will be rebuilt. I am sure all the pretty tourist areas will be even better, but can you see the lower 9th ward being rebuilt? Sure there are gonna be alot of people not wanting to go back but more people that want to reclaim their homes and or apartments and jobs. I doubt that these homes will ever be rebuilt. I see the Army corps of eng. fixing these levees up to the standards that they should of been up to years ago and the state and federal govt givng all kinds of tax breaks to companies to bulid high end apts and condos. Yes you heard it here first, brace yourselves NO for the coming of the trust fund kid with bad fashion sense. Yes the hated Hipster coming to a devasted city near you.

I can just see these flooded neighborhoods being inhabited by snotty ass white college kids once it has been ethnically cleansed. You think I am crazy huh? It happened here in NYC didn't it? It wasn't a storm but a deluge of drugs and crime that destroyed neighborhoods which are now taken over by said hipsters.

Gotta love this country!!

Water No Get Enemy 9:51 Fela Kuti
Burnin' And Lootin' 4:13 Bob Marley
Tenement Yard 3:44 Gregory Isaacs
Liberation Dub 5:00 Groove Corporation
The Willing 4:12 Ty Feat, Tony Allen
Zealots 4:20 The Fugees The Score
Sou Negrão 6:28 Possemente Zulu
Innocent Blood 5:43 Culture
Armagideon Time 5:08 Willie Williams
Is It Because I Am Black 3:14 Seniour Soul
Blackman Time 3:03 Lee "Scratch" Perry
Waking The Spirits (African Travels Re-awakening Mix) 5:55
La Rebelion 5:21 Raulin
Message From A Black Man 3:24 The Heptones

Enjoy the new playlist!!

Ciao

PLEASE NOTE VENUE CHANGE!!! Benefit/Party for the family of Jean Charles deMenezes

2005-08-26T15:09:00.000-04:00

Sept 4th 10pm-until
Nevada Smiths downstairs lounge
74 3rd ave between 11th and 12th streets
$10 dollars suggested donation
dj shoghi, DJ Dubta, DJ Super Sonoro

Consider this your invitation to shake your ass for a good cause.

(Please click the title above for the evite. Evite your friends!!!)

As many of you know Jean Charles de Menezes was shot 7 times in the head and shoulder for the crime of living in the same neighborhood as "suspected terrorists". There has been an independent investigation which has revealed that de Menezes was not wearing a heavy coat, nor was running away from police or even jumped the turnstiles. He simply ran for a train that was on the platform (as we all do) sat down and then was killed in plain view of everyone in the car. Now his family (who has rejected money from the organization that murdered its son) has been robbed of a breadwinner .

What me and a couple of other Djs or doing is very simple. We will play dope beats, you will dance your ass off. For the privilege of hearing our dope beats you will have to pay the $10 suggested donation. Every single penny will go to the de Menezes family in Brazil. So you can dance, get drunk, and feel good about yourself in the morning.

So here goes a little sample of what you will hear Sunday Sept 4th 10p-until (You should be off on Mon, it is labor day!!)

Galeao 70 1:32 Radio Continental
Beleza 4:26 Trio Mocoto
Easy Boom 5:41 Drumagick
Samba Do Gringo Paulista 3:57 Suba
Simba 4:28 Carla Alexandar
Beside Brazil 3:52 Petgroove
Forró Esferográfico 2:37 Cabruêra
Happy In Rio (Spiritual South Remix) 5:56 Max Sedgley
A Dança Da Moda 3:40 DJ Dolores&Orchestra Santa Massa
Hip Hop Não Para 3:55 Ginger Ale vs Z'Africa Brasil
Se Lembra? (Remix) 3:45 Veiga & Salazar
Beatboxsamba 1:03 Fernandinho Beat Box
Gorila Urbano 3:38 Mamelo Sound System
Samba Vocalizado (The Vocal Samba) 2:20 Luciano Perrone
A Procura Da Batida Perfeita 3:00 Marcelo D2
São Negrão 5:08 Rappin Hood
Batmacumba 2:33 Gilberto Gil
Vamos Farrear 2:53 Pinduca
Cosa Fea 3:02 Dusminguet Go
Cosa Nostra 3:57 Erlon Chaves
A Minha Menina 4:36 Os Mutantes
Princesa Negra De Angola 3:40 Bebeto
Bossa Per Due 5:51 Nicola Conte
Sem Contenção 3:07 Bebel Gilberto
Instalacon Do Samba (Acoustic Version) 3:23 S-Tone Inc Introduces Toco
A Tribute To Brazil 3:08 Aleem
The Girl from Ipanema 5:22 Astrud Gilberto, João Gilberto & Stan Getz

Happy belated Joe!!

2005-08-25T12:34:00.000-04:00

I know this is way late but what are you gonna do about it???

Joe Strummer was one of the biggest influences in my life. He was one of the few people I have ever been around who told people (and showed people) that he loved life and being alive. He would even say it during his concerts. Not many people do that, they would be thought of as weird or fruity or something. Joe wore his love of life like a badge, like a badge a 15 yr old kid would wear of his or her's favorite band.

Here are some of my favorite Strummer songs. Enjoy!!

Joe - On The Beginnings Of The Clash 0:44
White Riot 1:56 The Clash
Koka Kola 1:47 The Clash
Trash City 4:15 Joe Strummer
Kingston Advice 2:37 The Clash
Guns On The Roof 3:15 The Clash
Get Down Moses 5:05 Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros
The Harder They Come 3:52 Joe Strummer & The Long Beach Dub All Stars
Forbidden City 4:46 Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros
Ghetto Defendant 4:44 The Clash
Arms Aloft 3:47 Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros
Global A Go-Go 5:55 Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros
Armagideon Time 3:51 The Clash
Junco Partner 4:52 The Clash
Wrong 'Em Boyo 3:10 The Clash
Tony Adams 6:33 Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros
Bankrobber 4:34 The Clash
Yalla, Yalla 6:56 Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros
Let's Go Crazy 4:24 The Clash
At The Border, Guy 7:08 Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros
London Calling 3:19 The Clash
Techno D-Day 4:07 Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros
Ready for War 3:58 Clash 2
Mondo Bongo 6:14 Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros
The Sound of the Sinners 4:01 The Clash
X-Ray Style 4:34 Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros
All The Young Punks (New Boots And Contracts) 4:55 The Clash
I'm So Bored With the U.S.A. 2:24 The Clash
London's Burning 2:12 The Clash
All In a Day 4:55 Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros
Safe European Home 3:50 The Clash
Ramshackle Day Parade 4:02 Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros
One More Time 3:32 The Clash
Garageland 3:12 The Clash
Julie's In The Drug Squad 3:03 The Clash
48 Hours 1:36 The Clash
Silver and Gold 2:38 Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros
No Reason 1:36 Joe Strummer

2005-08-18T23:20:00.000-04:00

Outernational blowing up sobs

Catching up

2005-08-15T12:52:00.000-04:00

Just getting over a mean Flu which put me out for the majority of last week. I am here and rocking again. I did pick a bad week to have a flu as many things in the world which mean alot to me were going down and I didn't get a chance to reflect on them here in a timely fashion.

RIP Ibrahim Ferrer 1927-2005

What can I say what has not already been said about this man's voice? It came straight from the cuban earth, no one else did it like him. One of my favorite moments with my parents was when I sat down with them and saw the Buena Vista Social Club DVD last year. They were amazed and glued to the TV. My dad being a singer for his church really took to Ibrahim Ferrer, although Ferrer is just a bit older than my dad, I saw that he identified with him.

For me Ibrahim represents one the biggest pardoxes in life, that an American (a texan to top it off) Ry Cooder, helped save some of the most amazing artists in Cuban history from obscurity. It's a paradox for me because I personally believe that the revolution in Cuba (along with having many many problems) saved it's culture from destruction by the US (look at Puerto Rico, whose big cities have more of an North American feel than it's own. You have to search out in the countryside for any remmants of Puerto Rican Culture). Cuba has helped support many many artists thru the years (by keeping out North American music it helped it's own music to breathe, which I do realize is a contradiction in itself but that is a topic for another day) and in the process some have been left behind. So I guess here's a big up to Ry Cooder. Thanks.

Hiroshima & Nagasaki 60 years of dying....

August 6th 1945 for many people here is just another day to go the beach to a date or to do nothing. With all this hype and screaming about "terrorism" in the news all the time you would think that the date of the biggest act of terrorism in history would be something that everyone would have ingrained on their brain.

To me August 6th 1945, instead of being a date of finality as it was for thousands and thousands, was the birthday of the Fourth Reich. The USA has taken what Hitler wanted to do and refined it to perfection, well for it's citizens anyway. If anyone has any questions about this they are welcome to read the history of Central and South America (and what is happening today should be paid attention to as well), the use of Nazi generals (some of these associations are celebrated!!) to put down rebellions in Europe, and of course the genocidal war against the Iraqi people that has gone on for more than a decade.

BTW

Hey TWP, got the postcard, awesome!! Thanks!! Also awaiting the shirt, hopefully it will get here in time for the big match against Chel$ki.

Candombe Apertura 2:03 Dusminguet
Duppy Conqueror 3:47 Bob Marley & The Wailers
No Peace 3:43 Max Romeo
Blood on the Streets 4:01 Outernational
Freedom Fe Natty Featuring Tappa Zukie 2:55 Junior Ross & The Spear
Leaving Babylon 4:10 Bad Brains
Washington Bullets 3:51 The Clash
Sénégal Fast Food 4:19 Amadou & Mariam
Compositor Confundido 4:31 Ibrahim Ferrer
Dos Gardenias 3:04 Buena Vista Social Club
Hay Que Entrale A Palos Ese 4:03 Ibrahim Ferrer
De Camino a La Vereda 5:04 Buena Vista Social Club
Religious Wars 2:25 Subhumans
Kill The Poor 3:03 Dead Kennedys
Fuck America/War Story Choking Victim
I Want To Conquer The World 2:17 Bad Religion
Long Hot Summer 4:44 Tom Robinson Band
Break 2:12 Fugazi
1945 2:03 Social Distortion

French Manu Chao Album!!

2005-08-03T23:06:00.000-04:00

Ok, does anyone know why this hasn't been released here yet?? I found some tracks (they fell off a truck alright?) and I will get them on BDB as soon as I can. Or better yet I'll update the playlist!! I love writing while thinking out loud, if that makes sense.

BTW, this album is au francais all the way thru, I also found a track Manu did with a Malian blind duo (married might I add) called Amadou et Mariam. it's called Senegal Fast Food.

Candombe Apertura 2:03 Dusminguet
Todos 4:59 Macaco
El Cantante 4:08 Sonido Acido
537 C.U.B.A. 4:23 Orishas
Helno est mort 3:36 Manu Chao
Boomerang 4:19 Daara J
DJalgaty 4:34 PEE Froiss
Richocet 3:50 Outernational
Si loin de toi, je te joue 2:51 Manu Chao
Blaw 3:44 Positive Black Soul
Voix Du Mali 5:29 113 feat. Oumou Sangare
The Hop 3:27 A Tribe Called Quest
4 Rent 3:40 Bicasso
Reunited 5:22 Wu-Tang Clan
Who's To Blame 3:13 Ozomatli Feat. Chaly 2NA
Madame banquise 2:40 Manu Chao
L'automne est las 2:59 Manu Chao
Dans mon jardin 5:33 Manu Chao
Les 1000 paillettes 4:06 Manu Chao
Remix Dub Style 3:37 Ojos De Brujo
quemalasuerte 4:29 Los de abajo
Sou Negrão 6:28 Possemente Zulu
Senegal Fast Food (ft. Amadou et Mariam) 4:18 Manu Chao
Afro-Tribal House Mix by Ob&am 3:01 Manu Chao
Year 2000 4:12 Alphabet Soup

Ciao

Outernational Vs Long Island

2005-08-03T15:11:00.000-04:00

Is it a good thing to have a band comprised of paunchy 50 somethings doing bad covers of Alice in Chains and AC/DC play right before a political punk band?? And to top it off somewhere in the south of Long Island?? When we pulled up in front of Village Pub South and saw dozens and dozens of American Flags everywhere I knew this would be an interesting evening.

There were a good number of kids there that night mixed in with many older bikers and cock rockers, which all paid $10 dollars to go to a local bar on a friday night to watch mostly local acts play. These people, I thought, must be desperate for recreation.

There were some acts of the ubiquitous numetal genre and some others of everybody's other omnipresent category of music, emo!! I never understood the inate human need to love and internalize art to such a degree that we copy and ape it instead of creating something new. Maybe it's not the love of art at all that makes us do this but the need to be accepted and admired, I guess that's what hipsters are all about..god I hate those fucks....

So on top of of all that muzak we had to endure (don't get me wrong, there was one band which I guess was kind of emo but at least it was played at a nice pace and even enjoyable) we had to watch a bunch of Ewoks and Chewys play their cholesterol filled hearts out to their favorite covers. Not only did this make for good giggling, it cleared out all the kids and left the "club" filled with the aforementioned cock rockers (Whenever I use that term I feel like apologizing to own cock, it is such an insult. I mean my cock hasn't done anything that merits it's name being used for the worst genre of rock there is, right?)

Outernational was pretty fucking good considering they almost left. The incompetent management at the bar didn't let us know that they were running almost an hour behind, so instead of Outernational rocking a good sized crowd of bored kids and selling some cds and getting their msg out, the oversized Ewoks cleared the place out. I shot some video and got a couple of good shots. I should have more shots of this friday's show in the cultural mecca that is Warren , New Jersey.

Check my out my new Mo Blog for the pics, posting pics on blogger is a pain in the ass.

Candombe Apertura 2:03 Dusminguet
Todos 4:59 Macaco
El Cantante 4:08 Sonido Acido
537 C.U.B.A. 4:23 Orishas
Boomerang 4:19 Daara J
DJalgaty 4:34 PEE Froiss
Richocet 3:50 Outernational
Blaw 3:44 Positive Black Soul
Voix Du Mali 5:29 113 feat. Oumou Sangare
The Hop 3:27 A Tribe Called Quest
4 Rent 3:40 Bicasso
Reunited 5:22 Wu-Tang Clan
Who's To Blame 3:13 Ozomatli Feat. Chaly 2NA
Remix Dub Style 3:37 Ojos De Brujo
quemalasuerte 4:29 Los de abajo
Sou Negrão 6:28 Possemente Zulu
Year 2000 4:12 Alphabet Soup

Enjoy, Ciao!!

Lazy lazy days....

2005-07-26T12:56:00.000-04:00

It's a funny world we live in, I remember back when I was a wee one and brand spanking new to the workforce. Memories of hitting the pavement, climbing stairs, being way overdressed and trying to sell your ass. Luckliy for me I have been working pretty steadly since I can remember, I believe the most time I have had off was 6 months. Do I have anything to show for it? Hell no. (Was it worth it? Do I even need to answer that?) Now in the year of our lord 2005 you can do all this sitting in your underwear in the a/c. It is much nicer than walking around like a headless chicken in this heat, but eventually I need a job and I don't know what the success rate is for on line job searching. I was still looking thru newspapers (reading actual paper, not the on line editions) last time I was in need for a job.

Trust me I am not complaining. I have started to subscribe to the theory of everything happens for a reason when if something shitty happens to you, you should welcome the expierence to learn to make yourself better (except for brazillians running late for work in London, kids in Iraq, or black muslims in Darfur). God fearing folk believe that those situations are pre planned or whatever (I think they just happen) but that doesn't matter. Anywho, what I was saying was, my situation-for some-could be grim but for me is rather nice. I don't have to deal with the un believable stress of my former job anymore( I haven't had one panic attack since I got back from Ecuador) and I can take my time in finding a suitable job. No more 24 hr companies or security for me, xanax is way too addictive!!

But another thing I have been thinking about has been volunteering. What if I just left the US for a couple of months or a year and all I did was help people?? This is just an idea and it hinges on what kind of job offers I get and what happens with my un employment, but it has been something on my mind ever since I got fired. Sometimes I feel like moving out of the mansion that is the USA and going down to the humble neighboorhoods (most of the rest of the world) and not as a gringo on vacation but as someone re discovering his roots and wanting to help some of the hardest working people on earth, who despite how much they work end up with shite.

Also got to see Skampida the other night in Queens in a very weird venue/bar called La Terraza (the balcony). It was aptly named because the bands who perform there play on a friggin balcony held up by many many ropes and strings and such. Not much room to dance but I got some ok shots. Was supposed to see them last night but got a bit sidetracked....the weather outside was very frightful.....

R I P Jean Charles de Menezes

I threw in a little Brazillian just for you.

Candombe Apertura 2:03 Dusminguet
Castaneda 5:06 Skampida
La Rebelion 6:16 Joe Arroyo
El Preso 4:53 Fruko & Sus Tesos
Cumbia Del Caribe 3:14 Orquestra de Edmundo Arias
El Hijo De Tuta 4:00 Lisandro Meza Pa'gozar
El Alakran ( La Mar Está Podrida ) 3:50 Mano Negra
Sensemaya 4:58 Carlos De Nicaragua & Familia
Brain Washing (version) 2:41 Bob Marley & The Wailers
Where You Gonna Go (Soweto) 4:05 The Clash
Gunman 3:44 Michael Prophet
Vamos Farrear 2:53 Pinduca
A Minha Menina 4:36 Os Mutantes
GIRATUTTO(Sambita) 4:13 Macaco
Tanto Tempo (Peter Kruder Remix) 5:44 Bebel Gilberto
Resistance Is Futile 3:00 Jets To Brazil
Great Cop 1:52 Fugazi
God Damn Job 1:19 The Replacements

Ciao

Off the Bus!!!!

2005-07-18T14:01:00.000-04:00

The day has finally arrived. I am now an Ex Mcroberts employee. I guess my boss didn't care that I lost my passport and my bankcard and could not get back into the country. That place thinks that all it's employees have to have this bullshit military disipline. For what they pay people, ok right.

So I think this is the right occasion to launch a brand new playlist. #12!!! Wow, who woulda known that when it all started last winter that we would be listening to the 12th installment of Beat Down Borders radio. I mean, who woulda thought that I would still be wasting my time with this shit???

This goes out to the boss who liberated me from the Mcroberts hell I was in for 3 years. Soon they will be paying me for all that mental suffering I had to endure ( ie. unemployment bitch!!). Imagine if people had to do that??? There would be some broke muthafuckas out there right now....

"Soup Is Good Food"

We're sorry
But you're no longer needed
Or wanted
Or even cared about here
Machines can do a better job than you
This is what you get for asking questions

The unions agree
'Sacrifices must be made'
Computers never go on strike
To save the working man you've got to put him out to pasture

Looks like we'll have to let you go
Doesn't it feel fulfilling to know
That you-the human being-are now obsolete
And there's nothing in hell we'll let you do about it

[Chorus]
Soup is good food-(We don't need you any more)
You made a good meal-(We don't need you any more)
Now how do you feel-(We don't need you any more)
To be shit out our ass
And thrown in the cold like a piece of trash
We're sorry
You'll just have to leave
Unemployment runs out after just six weeks
How does it feel to be a budget cut?
You're snipped
You no longer exist

Your number's been purged from our central computer
So we can rig the facts
And sweep you under the rug
See our chart? Unemployment's going down
If that ruins your life that's your problem

Soup is Good Food, Etc.
We're sorry
We hate to interrupt
But it's against the law to jump off this bridge
You'll just have to kill yourself somewhere else
A tourist might see you
And we wouldn't want that

I'm just doing my job, you know
So say uncle
And we'll take you to the mental health zoo
Force feed you mind-melting chemicals
Til even the outside world looks great

In hi-tech science research labs
It costs too much to bury all the dead
The mutilated disease-injected
Surplus rats who can't be used anymore

So they're dumped (with no minister present)
In a spiraling corkscrew dispose-all unit
Ground into sludge and flushed away
Aw geez:.

Soup is good food
You made a good meal, etc:.
We know how much you'd like to die
We joke about it on our coffee breaks
But we're paid to force you to have a nice day
In the wonderful world we made just for you
"Poor Rats", we human rodents chuckle
At least we get a dignified cremation
At yet
At 6:00 tomorrow morning
It's time to get up and go to work

BTW

I will, hopefully, be dj'ing tonight at the Raven. After 9p it all begins so come down to Heavy Manners Mondays and check it.

No cover.

Ciao.

Candombe Apertura 2:03 Dusminguet

Soup Is Good Food 4:16 Dead Kennedys

Fuente De Energía 3:38 Estopa

Llora Mi Nena 4:27 Eliades Ochoa

La Grip 4:33 Xerramequ Tiquis Miquis

The Only Redeemer 6:18 Noiseshaper

Lloraras 3:50 Oscar De Leon

La Rumba Del Solterón 4:12 Dusminguet

Mala Vida 3:08 Gogol Bordello

Chola Cuencana 2:15 Ecuador

Tanto Tiempo 3:43 La Pandilla

National Anthem of Ecuador 3:18

2005-07-18T13:52:00.000-04:00

Back in the Motherland!!!

2005-07-17T14:08:00.000-04:00

Random pics from different continents...

Hey guys, more pics for your entertainment (what, am I here to amuse you?)

First pic is me in Parque Calderon in beautiful Cuenca. The 2nd pic on the right is my Cousin Esteban in the center and his son on the right and of course me all decked out.

Babies for sale, fresh babies.... Badi Sebastian Celleri

The lunacy that is futbol in South America....

My friend and fellow futbol die hard Kati from Machala. She actually went to the Ecuador V Brazil game when Ecuador won one nil!!!

Me with the lovely (and pain in the ass, lol!!) Liz, along with the beautiful and talented Joy.

Last but not least, her Highness the Web Princess. With her presents and all in one piece!!

Also check out Liz's moblog for more pics..

ciao

Not enough time...

2005-07-15T19:09:00.000-04:00

...to post all these great photos and get a new playlist going, so I will 'cast a classic playlist I put together years ago when I first started DJ'ing at viagra, I mean Niagra. Enjoy, and hopefully I will see some of you tonight (great, more photos to post) so we can welcome the one and only Web Princess back to the NYC. If you wanna hang gimmie a ring later tonight, her highness won't be in till late .

Ciao..

BTW

If you wanna be a "team member" whatever the fuck that means, leave your e-mail in the comments. Yes I already have your e-mails but it will be fun to see who actually wants to be a fully flegded team member.

Dub Stylee 4:04 The Slackers
Smoke 2 Joints 2:53 Sublime
Sensi 3:57 Long Beach Dub All Stars
Marijuana Boogie 2:55 Manu Chao
Punky Rebel Punky Party 3:29 Los Fabulosos Cadillacs
Because I Got High 4:10 Afroman
Don't Drink Too Much 4:15 Peter Tosh
The Harder They Come (Live) 6:23 Jimmy Cliff
Roots and Culture 6:05 Mikey Dread
I Wanna Get High 2:54 Cypress Hill
Wake and Bake 4:24 The Goats
Smoke Buddah 2:34 Redman
Method Man 4:43 Wu Tang Clan
Gin and Juice 3:31 Snoop
Mad ism 4:15 KRS-One
Kill All the White Man 2:48 NoFX

Burning Streets

2005-07-07T20:04:00.000-04:00

Thoughts and prayers for the fallen citizens of London...

As of now I dont know of anyone I know who might of been injured or even killed but I am still numb inside. Numb that this Human Race that I am a part can be so destructive, so depraved. Numb that one of the best persons I have even known or will know (and her husband) could of been hurt or killed.

So Brits, now the war has come home what will be the reaction?? The Yankee one of more war and rape or the Spanish one qutting the orgy of violence. The ball is now in your court, but for many it is too late.

Beat Down Borders down and out

2005-07-04T15:21:00.000-04:00

Seems like my baby girl iMac is pretty fucking pissed that I haven´t been home in a while, and has been acting up. I had to send my sister over to the house to set her ass straight, but she wouldn´t act right so my sis had to slap her around.

Anyways she has been shut down I guess until I get back. I will promise to have the best playlist yet though. Please try to go on with your lives until then.

Ciao

More pics for dat ass

2005-07-01T21:07:00.000-04:00

Guniea pig anyone?? Cuyes are a national dish here and in Peru. Never heard of it huh?? Well, it´s not something you would put on the brochure.

Girls make a mental note: If I have ever given you the look I have on in the third pic , you were probably in my sights. These girls certainly were....

In the fourth pic we have a dam, somewhere... in the east of Ecuador, yeah that´s right (hey I´m not a fuckin tour guide, alright). This is also an aqueduct that is used by the country for most of it´s water needs. See all that moss on the water? Some of that is in my belly right now. Yum yum!!!

In the fifth pic we have my beautiful niece Gabi (on five red bulls).

Have you guys not noticed that my family is comprised of great looking folk??

Last but not least we have me and the chick I was stuck with for a night. She turned out to be an evangelical christian. I asked her if I made her cum would that make me jesus. She didn´t find it funny....

Let´s see if this works

2005-06-29T16:29:00.000-04:00

It takes 5 mins to upload a pic this sucks!! Anyways, this is me and my nephew Ahmad atop of the mitad del mundo monument. I ordered a drink and the waitress didn´t know who it was for hence the pointing.

Ain´t no mountain high enough, bitch!!

This is a statue of the virgin herself standing atop of snakes in Quito. What the hell it´s supposed to signify beats the hell out of me. It´s called El Pancillo.

Hey baby, ehh ehh ehh ehh, every done it in two hempispheres at once??

I am all out of patience these computers suck. Tomorrow I will post some pics of some fine young jungle ladies with yours truly.

Ciao.

Pics!!

2005-06-28T16:09:00.000-04:00

My first drunken rampage thru the captial of Ecuador, Quito!!! Mothers hide your daughters!!

For some reason this stupid computer won´t upload any more images. I guess technology long reach isn´t long enough for this internet cafe in Cuenca.

BTW

No Gina I haven´t changed my ticket yet because I left my passport in Monica´s house in Quito and they won´t be back until the 13th or 14th so I will have to see what I can do to get it in the meantime or maybe will have to wait until then.

The family that I was speaking of before is Elsa and Ruben. I think one of their daughters owns or knows someone who owns a discoteca or something, that´s what I understood. Also I think that I am going to a concert sometime this week or next, some guy called Diego Torres. I think I have heard of him but didn´t think too much of him. Is he any good?? Who cares I am going with these two peladas and that should make it interesting!!

When I have more patience I will post more pics.

Ciao

Back in the sierra

2005-06-27T17:04:00.000-04:00

Finally got some serious dancing done over the weekend. Some friends took me and my cousin Fernando to some discoteca in a small town outside of Macas to a concert. I was super excited because the only concert I have been to was of the miltary band variety. When I asked who the artist was they said it was a Pablo Noboa a very famous singer. Question marks abounded in my brain so I asked who the guy was and they said that he was the singer of a very popular band in the 80´s who has gone solo now and sings alot of his old band´s most popular songs (sound familar?).

Unlike the Clash the music from the band La Pandilla is pure fromage. It´s all ¨The only person I hate more than you for loving you is me¨type of stuff. The tunes were awful catchy and I ended up singing some of them by the end of night. Thankfully they played some kick ass cumbia and salsa before and after.

These woman down here can dance!! One of them danced so well that I thought I sired a child with her. Got back to the hostel 630a or so and had to get back on the road by 11a, just to go back out and meet up with a friend I had met on the plane from Quito to Cuenca. All in all not a bad weekend.

I also met up with the part of the family which is investigating the the Italian part of my family tree. They are still trying to find out who exactly is the family member that was born Italia and also what part of the boot they are from. I have always been told we were of southern Italian descent,which is fine by me because I have heard that Northern Italians are a bunch of stupid ass jerks.

This part of the family is also the part that isn´t Bahaí, which means they drink and party a whole hell of alot more than the part of the family I am close to. They also own a discoteca or hotel or something and want me to DJ sometime before I leave. Fuck yeah!!!

On a final note, I have been hardly speaking let alone writing much English at all. Aside from Saturday night I haven´t spoken any English at all for almost two weeks. I will probably end up speaking like Manuel from Faulty Towers when I get back.
¨I speak English, I learned it from a book¨

I also have been reading in Spanish although that hasn´t been going very well. I think I will read Don Quijote in English first. I have already ending up re reading Everything is Illuminated which is wonderful btw. Even better the second time around.

Also all out there who know Tami, she will be in town the 16th so don´t nobody make no plans ok? Let´s all meet at chrissy mac´s and go somewhere to dance afterward, even though Tami has probably forgotten all the dancing I taught her, being in limey-landia so long. Take a Salsa class with Georgie for God´s sake lol!!

Ciao

Macas, Ecuador. The jungle!

2005-06-24T11:15:00.000-04:00

Hey! In the east of the country right now. Here they call it "el oriente". If you look up a map you will see that I am as close to the Amazon as I am going to get. I am here with my cousin Fernando. He has business out here (computer sales or something) and wanted me to come with to get to know the area.

El Oriente was always a forbidden part of the country, especially for me. My mother would always talk about it in terms of inhostipitable heat and unfriendly cannibals. In reality the heat is quite nice and no canniabls to be found, at least no out of the closet cannibals.

Fernando seems to have many friends out here and many of the female persuasion, and what is better is that he is married and I am not!! All mine, mine mine mine. Gimmie gimmie gimmie!! (do you like my daffy duck? I think it´s quite good).

Best compliment so far: ¨You are North American? That´s just a pick up line, you´re lying. You speak like a Cuencano¨

I also found out a couple of days ago that my generation is the 5th of Italian decent and therefore able to establish residency in Italia. I believe if you are there 5 years they give you a passport, which at this point would be an EU passport. Some members of the family Celleri are trying to recover old perhaps lost documents that state that some great great grandfather or mother was born in Italia and where and bada bing, I can be a guido. Rest assured I will not start listening to bad disco or get an IROC (do they make those anymore?). If anyone has a problem with that I´ll shove a bottle down your friggin throat capise??

Ciao

2005-06-20T16:27:00.000-04:00

I am in a bar right now and everyone in here is 13 yrs old ! Very strange ...

Mobile Email from a Cingular Wireless Customer http://www.cingular.com

Leaving Quito

2005-06-19T12:56:00.000-04:00

Well I have had an eventful week here at the Earth's bulge. The Sun here is so close you can touch it!! I'm all burned up and loving it. Got to make some friends and they took me to a fantastic open air concert where I saw a Military band play all sorts of Latin classics. Quito is the city I would live in if I were to move here. Plenty of bars and culture and music, and friendly women!!

Well it's time to bid adieu to the first city named a City of World Heritage (actually Cuenca is as well but Quito was the first). Hopefully I will have some time in the slower pace of Cuenca to get my photos online so you guys can see me in my new funny hat I bought for way too much money!!!

"In Ecuador you are always under siege. Once you realize that you will be ok"
- Peter Newton

Go Gina, Go Gina

2005-06-19T11:51:00.000-04:00

Thanks to dj gina making her debut, we have a new playlist. Hopefully she figured out the ins and outs and you all are enjoying it.

Mobile Email from a Cingular Wireless Customer http://www.cingular.com

musica musica y mas musica

2005-06-18T17:35:00.000-04:00

para los amores perdidos.. o echado de la ventana...

1. Juanes - mala gente
2. Eliades Ochoa - cuando ya no me quieras
3. La Mosca Tse Tse - patadas en el corazon
4. Dusminguet - manketu
5. Manu Chao - je ne t'aime plus
6. Amparnoia - rumba de perros
7. Andres Landero - flor marchita
8. Aldo del Rio - si me pudieras querer
9 . Don Omar - Pobre Diabla
10. Zeca Pagodinho - Amor, Nao Me Maltrate

2005-06-17T22:24:00.000-04:00

Im watching a military band playing salsa! They just played la vida es un carnival! Brilliant !

Mobile Email from a Cingular Wireless Customer http://www.cingular.com

Bacterial Flora meet Shoghi, Shoghi meet Bacterial Flora

2005-06-16T10:29:00.000-04:00

Ah, it was a match made in heaven. The moment we met we both knew it was meant to be. I often dreamed of meeting her and actually had a premonition of our first moment together. We are now as one and she will never leave me. Everyone says I should not be with you, that I could do much better, but no alas, I know we are meant to be forever and forever, for who makes me as happy as you??

Oh beautiful Bacterial Flora of Ecuador, how did I live my life without you?? Oh wait I remember, I remember once upon a time not going to the bathroom every five friggin minutes and feeling like my stomach is going to explode, yeah that was life before you my sweet. I remember being able to sit thru a meal without wanting to run outside to relieve the increasing pressure buliding up in my bowels.

Wait a moment... I kinda liked myself better without you, oh Bacterial Flora light of my life. I can do much better without you, my love. I will take the tourist friendly meds and slowly kill you and return back to normal.

Now is the time to part. It´s not you Bacterial Flora, it´s me.

On to Quito

2005-06-14T14:23:00.000-04:00

Good news, I will be travelling to the capital tomorrow morn to see some more of my family. My cousin Monica her husband Peter (who is American) and my neice and nephew Jesse (who I haven´t seen since she was an infant and is now a model) and Ahmad. Hopefully hanging out with some younger people will help me find a good time. Most of my family in Cuenca are older and and like to speak of digestion constantly. I do love them though, but this chap needs some r and r if you kow what I mean.

Quito is similar to a big city in the US or so I hear in respect to having choices on where to go and dance and drink and socialize with other young people. There isn´t much of that in Cuenca.

I will also be visiting "El Midtad del Mundo" which is about 10 miles north of Quito. The exact middle of the Earth, should be groovy.

Wish me luck and I´ll be sure to take some more pics for you guys.

Ciao

Hey Kids!!

2005-06-13T19:01:00.000-04:00

What´s the deal peoples??

I finally found an Internet cafe in the "Athens of Ecuador" Cuenca. I haven´t seen too many Greeks at all but I hear many poets and artists have been born and raised here.

Unluckliy for me and you my cell is not working (A big fuck you is in order for Cingular, 3.99 a month for international service my ass) , therefore I can´t get any pics to you guys until I get back, unless I can figure out the new Digital Camera my mom bought. When I do get back I will post some cute baby pics along with pics of mountains bathed in clouds and a pic of a 30 ft high gold altar in one of the oldest catherals in South America.

Well I am off to enjoy the 70 degree "Winter" they are having down here. Now if I can find a decent bar I will be ok!!

Ciao..

Simple Pleasures (a poem)

2005-06-10T03:09:00.000-04:00

Finding you in darkness. After a night of nothing. Sitting there, lonely, like I. You responded to me, as if that's what you where here for. A tap with the foot. You rebounded off the wall. You followed me without question, because I gave you life. Every revolution, you breathed, and I breathed harder. Even when I fell you were there waiting for me. You were right there ahead of me waiting for me to take you home. Waiting for me to make contact to make you move to take you to your final destination.

After this night of zero passion, of lifeless nothingness, I look to you for inspiration, even though you are not alive.

One hundred million billion worship you but you do not live. I will bring you alive, if it is the last thing I do. I can not exist without you breathing, rolling, flying through the air as I intended you to.

I kept you, even though you are not mine. I stole you from no one. You were alone, but never more. You are with me always.

Thanks and Praises due...

2005-06-05T14:34:00.000-04:00

Sometimes life can really kick you in the head, knock you out and leave you in the street to rot. Other times you can have a kick ass weekend and it couldn't of been possible without my friends and without music.

Thanks to the North Brooklyn chapter of the New York Green Party for inviting me to DJ their fundraiser at Galapagos and for all my friends who came out and entertained me that evening.

Thanks to Leo for letting me know that Skampida was playing at the Knit last night. Amazing show and an amazing group of guys. Quite a send off to South America for me!!!

Thanks to the website that let me print out fake Gift Certificates for free for a girl who is not blonde, repeat not blonde!!!!

I love all you guys and check the website often for pics of my beautiful family and city of Cuenca, Ecuador.

Paz Amor y Libertad

DJ shoghi

Cada vez--Negrocan
Libre Solterito Y Sin Nadie--Leo Dan
Es Preferible--Peret Y Tonino Carotone Y mistretta
Fruta Fresca-- Carlos Vives
Pa la Cama--Ivy Queen
Punnaney Tegereg--Little Lenny
Soldering--The Starlites
Ba Ba Boom--The Jamaicans
Kinky Reggae--Bob Marley & The Wailers
Sacred Darling--Gogol Bordello
Se Va, Se Va... Far Away From Campo--Dusminguet
Malegria--Manu Chao
Sour Grapes--Descendents
The Sound of the Sinners--The Clash
Reach Out I'll Be There--Four Tops

Now for something completely different...

2005-05-31T21:13:00.000-04:00

Basta do romance, deixou-nos dançar!!

Candombe Apertura--Dusminguet
Hi Hello--Anouk
Can't Stand It--The Pietasters
Big Bamboo --The Merryman
Do It Twice -- Bob Marley
Here I Come-- Barrington Levy
Only Man-- Buju Banton
La Paga(Remix)--Ricky Cash & Silex
Amor Latino--Carlos Vives
Mi Novia Se Cayo en un Pozo Ciego (Versión 93)--Los Fabulosos Cadillacs
Love And Hate--Mano Negra
Talk To Me, Dance With Me-- Hot Hot Heat
All In a Day-- Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros
Oyster --Jawbreaker
Better Day--Radiozero
Don't Take Me for Granted--Social Distortion
Aun no me toca--Jarabe De Palo
Que Lío, Compáy Andres--Eliades Ochoa
Rhythmic-- Gipsy Kings

Uno dei miei ultimi playlists prima della mia vacanza nell'Ecuador.

2005-05-28T16:29:00.000-04:00

Dedicato ad una bellezza italiana appassionata. Speranza vederli presto e spesso.

Ciao

La Camisa Negra --Juanes
Penas Con Rumba--Estopa
La Flaca--Jarabe de Palo
Chinita -- Manu Chao
Como Yo --Amparanoia
Angel Food --Ani DiFranco
Babalu --Ska Cubano
Usti, Usti Baba (Altiplano Mix)--Señor Coconut Vs Koçani Orkestar
Tékitoi? (Who Are You?) --Rachid Taha
Super Riddim Internacional --El Gran Silencio
1-2 Crush On You --The Clash
Trash City-- Joe Strummer
I Wasn't Born to Follow-- Social Distortion

Gogol!!!/New Playlist

2005-05-05T18:31:00.000-04:00

I gots me some xtra tickets for the show.

Who is down to go???

See you guys at bulgarian tonight.

PS

The new Playlist is dedicated to my friend Torres whose b-day we will be celebrating tonight.

This is for you, Colombian fuck!!!

Candombe Apertura--Dusminguet
Ven Pa' La Loma--Luis Varona
Ven, Devorame Otra Vez --Lalo Rodriguez
Mentira--Lefty Perez
Desnudate Mujer--Frankie Ruiz
Yamulemau--Joe Arroyo
Ban Ban--Joe Arroyo
Estaca De Guaycan --Marvin Santiago
Virgen De La Candelaria --Andres Landero
María Del Carmen--Andres Landero
La Guagua--Celia Cruz
R&B Latino--Alex Wilson
Cumbia Bruja--Dusminguet
Me Gustas Tu--Manu Chao
Quizás, Quizás, Quizás--Omara Portuondo & Teresa Garcia Caturla

Peace.

Spinning and Illin'

2005-04-30T20:00:00.000-04:00

I am back from hiatus (thank god) and I am ready to get the asses shaking!!

My job will be made rather easy by the likes of Outernational and Colombian rebel rockers Skampida, should be a night to remember.

Come out and support NYC's and Colombia's rebel culture

Get tickets fuckers!!

New Music from New fuckin York

2005-04-14T21:12:00.000-04:00

I just found out that the State of New York will be $499 richer thanks to yours truly, and to top it off the Navajo Wrap I had for lunch is killin my insides right now. Needless to say I am not feeling so hot so I will keep this short.

btw

*****-good
*- bad
Make your own descriptions for the ratings in between!!

Outernational From the Future (Single)

1. What you Say ****
2. From the Future *****
3. Ricochet *****

Produced by wildman Eugene Hutz

This single packs a bunch of fives with the standout being the groundbreaking, genre destroying RICOCHET. Hip Hop flavored track done in 3/4 time with a horn line straight from the Sub Continent.

I do find it strange that the title track for the single comes in second, but with What You Say ending on the some chord that From the Future starts in I guess it works. Maybe trying that in the setlist would be a nice touch boys, no?

Although some say that Outernational's knack of defying genre might hurt them in selling their wares to record labels, I think that fact will keep their sound fresh and hopefully around for the years to come.

Overall a very good debut from boys from Brooklyn.

Gogol Bordello--East Infection ep

1. East Infection ***
2. Ave B *****
3. Mala Vida ****
4. Crappycat (sorry, Copycat) *
5. Strange Uncles from Abroad ****
6. Madagascar-Roumania (Tu jesty fata) *****

Yes the title is kinda dumb and immature but the song East Infection itself is pretty deep. Well, not really, but it does address (sort of) the contrived culture that we live in.

Ave B is gotta be one of the best songs GB has ever recorded. Eastern European Cumbia?? Nice!! the last track Madagascar is super as well.

Note to Eugene: play these songs next thursday for me huh?

(I guess not. No DJ Hutz @ Bulgarian Bar for the next couple of thurs, but I'm counting the days for the 5th of May!!)

Mala Vida is well Mala Vida. One of my favorite songs by Mano Negra and it perhaps has the force to bring down a venue if Gogol plays it live.

Strange Uncles from Abroad touches home for me. Come to think of it don't we all have a fucked up uncle hidden away somewhere? Scary part is many of us will become that strange uncle.
Very Clash-like tune, therefore very fuckin good.

Copycat is a throwaway track which I will ignore the existence of, hence it's absence from the playlist.

Actual Playlist

Candombe Apertura - Dusminguet (FYI, I start all sets and playlist with this track)

1. What You Say- Outernational
2. From the Future- Outernational
3. Ricochet- Outernational
4. Ave B- Gogol Bordello
5. Mala Vida- Gogol Bordello
6. Strange Uncles from Abroad- Gogol Bordello
7. Madagascar/Roumania- Gogol Bordello
8. East Infection- Gogol Bordello

Enjoy!!

911 days removed

2005-03-11T10:43:00.000-05:00

Traveling overseas and spending time with people from foreign lands with unique customs can be an life changing experience. When I visited Spain for about 3 weeks last year in December, the similairities in custom and in architecture between it and where my mother's family resides, Cuenca, Ecuador, were hard not to notice. I always loved the familiar, laid back atmosphere of towns in South America, and to see where it all came from was amazing. At that moment I developed a unbreakable bond with Spain and it's culture.

Of course to say that is very simplistic. Spain is a mishmash of different romance cultures and languages (excluding the Basque language whose roots can't be traced at all), but as a friend of mine explained to me once: You can have a Castillian, a Basque, a Gallego, and a Catalan on a plane or in a bar, speaking to one another about football or wine or politics and they will all use similar gestures and use similar ways to show off their wit, which Spaniards love to do.

When March 11th happened I was in the same exact state I was in when 9 11 happened, I was fast asleep. Until very recently me and mid mornings hadn't seen each other in a long time. When I awoke and my father told me: "Algo paso en Madrid" my heart sank and the adrenaline raced just like if he would have said "Algo paso en Puerto Rico-or in-Cuenca".

Seeing those first images of gaping holes in the sides of train cars and people running about with blood and tears streaming down, left me with a feeling of helplessness. I starting thinking "How many people, of those 190 that were killed and hundreds injured, did I know? How many did I share a drink with in passing while I was there?" Its an awful feeling.

Then the feeling of rage took over. Not toward the bombers though.

I hate what they did and these fanactics are criminals of the lowest order, but, I can't ignore the fact that there is a war going on either. A war that Jose Maria Aznar chose to be bogged down in against the will of the people of Spain. A war between Imperial powers trying to control the flow of the last drops of the 2nd most precious liquid on earth, who are in effect fundamentalist capitalists, and a grouping of those against it's policies. Headed, as luck would have it, by one of the most culturally backward groupings out there, fundamentalist religionists. Life is irony.

The rage within me was at Aznar when he ignored the evidence of bombing being the result of his policies and tried to blame the bombing on Spain's long time nemesis, ETA. He did this for no other reason but to save face before Spain's election 3 days later, in which Spain's population decided that it did not want to participate in another fruitless imperial adventure. That election made me hold out some hope that democracy can work, although it took a rather unique set of circumstances for it to have such a radical effect.

Although I don't agree with everything Zapatero has done, he is by far one the most exciting leaders in the world today. He stood up to the US in many ways. He has done the same with the Catholic Church, which in Spain has had a very negative and fascistic influence. Now Spain is innovating and liberating their culture and trying to throw off the shackles of old thinking and its own fundamentalism. Of course all this is not happening without a fight and the reaction from the old guard is coming fast and thick. We shall see what emerges.

Enjoy the new playlist with of course a Spanish kick. Most of these artists are from Spain and are leading the way in revolutionizing their country and culture.

ciao...

More Fire, More Fire

2005-03-07T00:22:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Outernational for once again rocking the Knitting Factory to its foundations on friday. Also big up to the Rudi Crew, good to see you guys as good as ever and looking foward to the new album, oh and btw Radicx, Tottenham are shite.

But the revelation of the night was Skampida, and the stupidest move of the night was me not buying their CD. Although I found some tracks on their website for you to rock to, I feel like an idiot for not getting that. Anybody out there got one for me to buy???

Enjoy the Playlist!!

Also, there are 3 tracks by the same band on the list on purpose. Gnawa Diffusion are probably, next to Ojos De Brujo my favorite overseas band right now. Check them out, highly recomended!!!

Diallo

2005-02-16T01:57:00.000-05:00

In honor and memory of a victim of the American Dream.

REST IN PEACE.

Beat Down Borders Radio Rocking You Rocking You!!!!

2005-02-15T12:23:00.000-05:00

Hey

I would like to give thanks and praise to Jah, Allah, Jesus, Buddah, Marx, Che, Marley, Strummer and any and all other Gods that looked out for me today. I just got a new job (!!!) and I am about to give my notice to my present (soon ex) job. On top of that my radio station is finally working!! I have a real internet connection now and I am in business. Enjoy the playlist, leave comments and ladies leave those #'s...ha!!!

life is pretty good..wait, let me grab a beer....

...no, life is now great!!!

ciao

Happy Birthday 'Nesta'

2005-02-06T22:16:00.000-05:00

Ethiopia is the place to be right now (Has anyone ever said that before, probably not).

Leaving a quick note in memory and celebration of our generation's greatest artist Bob Marley.

There isn't much I can say to add any more insight to the millions of words written about Marley, but fuck it, I'll try anyways.

Marley's influence in music and culture is still being felt today and is as relevant as ever, no need to go into detail. I'm sure Bob would be happy about certain things if he were alive today and "vexed" about others. The greatest thing about Marley and his cultural legacy is this: Even though he held dogmatic views as per his religion, he always had a place in his heart for those of other cultures and nationalities, while at the same time he kept the people he saw as "his" closest to him.

Just a thought:

What a paradox life is. Those of us who are against imperialism in all its forms, usual revel in it's by products.

If it weren't for British Imperialism, and slavery if you think about it, there would of never been an African presence on the island of Jamaica. Without the African presence in Jamaica there would of never been, among many other things, Mento, Calypso, Ska, Rocksteady, Reggae etc. There never would of been a Bob Marley, and music, good music, as we now know it would of been changed forever. The same of course goes for the rest of the world.

Paradoxes intrigue me to no end, as they shed light on the random order of the universe.

Anyways, while we must never forget about Bob, Jamaican music is much more than he. Jacob Miller was an artist that was as popular or more so at the time of his tragic car accident. Reggae music could of had more than one icon but c'est le guerre. You can also feel Reggae's presence felt in the music being made by up and coming acts everywhere.

Dogma VS Culture

2005-02-02T01:35:00.000-05:00

Dogmas have a profound effect on our daily lives. Everyone, at one time or another, falls into it's trap. It's our nature as human beings to do so. That being said, dogmatic thought- when used to answer a moral dilemma- can be dangerous to say the least.

The people who know me, know that I hate war more than anything else in this world. They and all others can deduce then that I am opposed to the war in Iraq. Many in the anti-war camp, now that Bush has been elected (I refused to use the term re-elected and I even use the term elected very loosely) along with the widely accepted view that the US troops are in Iraq to stay, have been focusing on the Iraqi elections as a opportunity to still register their dissent with Bush's and Blair's policies in Iraq.

I personally thought that the turnout would be very low because of all the violence and the fact that some Shi'ite parties were boycotting the election, not to mention all the Sunnis that would be as well. It appears now that the turnout was better than expected, and as expected Blair and Bush are using this to stroke their collective johnson.

This is how Dogma (on the left and on the right) fits in.

The righties (whoever you are out there) who upon seeing the initial reports of happy Arabs with purple fingers, this along with no reports of biblical , or Quranical (hey I just made up a word!!!) slaughtering of people trying to vote for the first time in their lives, must be thinking "See all those hippy fags were wrong. Sure all those coffins with American flags draped over them, and all that money spent just to find out there are no WMDs, and the torturing people thing was sucky in the beginning, but it was all worth it. We were right! Thank god, I almost begun to feel like questioning the media and government and I can't handle that shit right now."

....or something of that nature.....

The lefties, on the other hand, fell into the Schadenfreude trap. They wanted to see the bombs and deaths and tell everybody that would listen: "See, look this is Bush's freedom. This is what occupation is and this is why we should oppose it and get our troops home." That shameful joy never came to pass, well at least not yet.

The closest an article has come, that I have read, to highlight the Iraqi voters' bravery in going to the polls without using this as a retroactive approval for the occupation is this one. Imagine voting for the first time in 4 decades or at all or that matter, for a slate of candidates (who for the most part were anonymous until days before the election). That's amazing, even though you and your countrymen are at gunpoint from both sides in a senseless war, and given the fact that the date for this election and the decision not to postpone it was one made by Americans in DC and their buddies in Baghdad doesn't diminsh this accomplishment.

I happen to think electoral democracy a fetish and in the Iraq case the results wont affect much in the long run (and the similarities between this election and the election in Vietnam during it's war are scary) but I applaud the big fuck you the Iraqis gave to the criminal outsiders in their country wreaking havoc, be they Saudis, Syrians, Egyptians or Americans.

Hopefully some kind of civil structure will materialize out of this morass. A place where poets musicians and anyone can create, without the fear of death by beheading or a made in the USA evaporation by bombing. A place where women can wear a hijab or hardly anything at all. A place where young people can dance, drink, smoke and fuck and only have their overbearing parents to worry about instead of worrying about some religious police vigilante group or about breaking some arbitrary curfew and being caught by some overzealous American GI. At this point though, I don't see either side in the conflict offering a way out. Then again, I am not Iraqi and it's their call.

I don't know if I should be happy to have found this article or not. It's from a Pakistani newspaper called the Daily Times. I can't remember the last time I agreed with almost every point made in a editorial. The reason why I am so perturbed by this article and where it comes from is that I haven't found an equally profound article here in the US on the elections and it's possible ramifications for daily life for Iraqis. It shows me the sad state of the mainstream media here in a relatively free country vs. the press in very tightly controlled country like Pakistan. Enjoy.

As an aside:

Those of us who say were are against war need to ask ourselves, why?

I am against this and all other wars because there is never a justification for blowing up someone's mud hut in Afghanistan in the middle of the night just as there is no justification for plowing a plane load of people into a tower filled with more people during rush hour. The two acts are morally bankrupt.

The act of killing of millions of Jews, gypsies, Gays and whomever is equal in its brutality as the burning to death of 100,000 in Dresden and the 300,000 plus burned to a crisp in Nagasaki, Hiroshima and Tokyo. These acts reduce humans to, well I would say beasts but I can't seem to remember the last time any beast killed that many of its own.

Numbers are used to numb the mind.

Would you rather live next to a man who raped one woman or one that has raped 10? Well I'm sure your answer is neither. Why? Because the moral value of either choice is zero.

Once we start to rationalize one act of brutality against the other, we are falling into the trap of Dogma, of stale thought, of Schadenfreude, of shameful joy. Then culture dies a slow horrible death.

Hey

2005-02-01T03:56:00.000-05:00

I am still alive and kicking. Stay tuned, I should have another piece ready soon on Dogma and Culture as it relates to the elections in Iraq.

To all in NYC:

Thursdays are still on at Bulgarian, all are welcome to come down and get crazy, but be forewarned, the management is not responsible about your drunk ass taking someone home you shouldn't have (long story).

Also Outernational is rocking this Friday and Saturday

DJ Hutz is getting drunk and stupid at Knitting Factory on Saturdays.

I am begining to feel like I need days off from my days off, fuck....

Also

Stay tuned for interviews w/ Outernational and Eugene Hutz from Gogol Bordello in the coming weeks as they work on Outernational's first single.

Oh yes and Beat Down Borders radio is still not up. My internet connection blows ass, but it's free. Wow I figured out a way to have the word ass and but follow each other in a sentence.

Ok it's way too late.

Sleep now....

Down with the King

2005-01-20T03:05:00.000-05:00

Stupid fucking work and its stupid fucking 40 hr schedule. I totally forgot to plan to get to DC to protest the chimp. Geebus!!! Rest assured if there is something going on in NYC later today, I will be there and I will test out this new audioblogging thing and report back to you guys.

Also BEAT DOWN BORDERS RADIO is not quite ready as of yet. Still trying to figure out how to configure my ports and all that computer geek shit.

Too bad, cause I got a wicked playlist for the 'yard, booyaka!!!

PS

I refuse to post anything at the moment about Bush and culture. There is so much material out there on the 'net I could write a book on it.

The best book I have read on Bush and morals (which are central to a healthy culture) is The President of Good and Evil. It breaks down the myth that Bush's decisions are based on some kind of moral structure. In my humble opinion they are based on his and his friends ' interests and agendas which are, for residents in certain countries in the world, deadly.

To everybody going to DC tomorrow, SHUT DOWN THE CLAMPDOWN!!!!

To everybody in Iran shitting bricks about Bush drawing a big bullseye on a map, don't worry I'm sure he couldn't locate your country on it anyways.

Red fast food "Culture"

2005-01-17T13:14:00.000-05:00

Before I even begin to write this piece I will admit that when either drunk, low on funds, hungry and too lazy to cook something up, I will venture into a Mickey D's and get me a cheesburger. That being said, I have made a conscious effort not to eat there on a regular basis. When I do happen to feast under the golden arches, I make sure I punish myself, harshly (40 lashes and its all better, now interviewing for woman with whip).

I just got in tonight from another inspiring night of work and the first article I see is one on KFC expanding by leaps and bounds in "commie" China. Now the fact that I dont think China has been close to being Socialist or Communist for years (even if they were in the begining, is another question for another person) is beside the point. But since most people indentify China with Communism then I will give the people the benefit of the doubt (tongue in cheek).

KFC and the Chinese, umm let's see .... I dont seem to remember many stereotypes or jokes about the Chinese eating chicken. I seem to remember, from my school days, being told that they were great at math, not well endowed, and also, whats that other stereotype??? Oh yeah eating healthfully and being very methodical about their eating habits.

Now it's hard to actually believe that out of 1 billion people most would be mathematicians with penis envy (geebus, what an odd mix) but the healthy eating thing is documented and well known.

These are the quotes from the article that stand out for me:

"In many parts of China, the local municipal governments actually view the arrival of a KFC as a sign of the city coming of age," --Sam Su, president of Yum's (KFC) China division

Sam Su, president of Yum's China division, called China "the ultimate marketplace."

"We are really positioned as a part of the fabric of life in China," said David Novak, chairman and chief executive of Louisville-based Yum Brands Inc., parent company of KFC.

Taco Bell is testing a casual dining format in China, and Yum is even dabbling in Chinese fast-food with one test restaurant in Shanghai.

At a time when its sales in the United States are struggling, KFC is dominating even rival McDonald's in China and turning the goateed visage of Kentucky Fried Chicken founder Colonel Harland Sanders into a ubiquitous symbol of America.

Now allow me to deconstruct these quotes the same way my twisted brain did (they will put me away for sure now!!)

…and turning the goateed visage of Kentucky Fried Chicken founder Colonel Harland Sanders into a ubiquitous symbol of America.

Along with this one:

"In many parts of China, the local municipal governments actually view the arrival of a KFC as a sign of the city coming of age"

This tells me that Sam Su the head KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut guy in China is saying KFC franchises and its Colonel Sanders moniker are seen by the people of China as the future or at least as an improvement of what was there before. The writer also states, in his own personal view- which I don’t think anyone would disagree with-that KFC is a symbol, or a representation of the USA.

This means, to me anyways, that people in China think that their culture (well, as far as eating goes) needs an improvement, or is somehow stuck in some backward past looking for an enlightenment. And to top it all off they look to the USA and its fast food culture as some kind of example to emulate. I guess they don’t seem to mind the cancer rate that’s most likely due to our horrible collective diet and lack of exercise. To me this does not make sense, but if you read the article you might have been inclined to lean in that direction.

As an aside this article has a Dr. stating that our national fatness is threating our national security!! Brillant!!

On to the next quote:

Sam Su, president of Yum's China division, called China "the ultimate marketplace."

Well, lets see: You got a billion people who are living in what is going to be the world’s next superpower, well that’s if these people survive the repression and pollution and depression, that is. They also have or are going to have the world’s biggest thirst for oil which is always an indicator of a nation that is growing, and also choking. So I guess that sums up a business man's morality. One billion depressed, repressed, underpaid people= jackpot!!!

That is akin to some guys standing over a drunken chick, who is almost passed out, and saying “Dude, I think she likes me, this is gonna be the easiest lay ever!!” Times a Billion of course.

Also, note to Sam Su: I’m sure some people have also called China the ultimate prison, labor camp, hell hole etc. But hey they have most favored nation status so who I am to argue with the experts?

"We are really positioned as a part of the fabric of life in China," said David Novak, chairman and chief executive of Louisville-based Yum Brands Inc., parent company of KFC.

Did the Chinese CP get the memo on that one David?

TO ALL CITIZENS OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA:

WORKER SOLIDARITY IS NO LONGER THE FABRIC OF LIFE IN OUR SOCIALIST HOMELAND.

IT IS NOW FRIED CHICKEN.

YOUR COMRADE IN ARMS, AND THIGHS, AND BREASTS,

COL. SANDERS

Taco Bell is testing a casual dining format in China, and Yum is even dabbling in Chinese fast-food with one test restaurant in Shanghai

Chinese fast food. In China.
What??

I understand Chinese fast food, here. First of all we have no food culture here. Eating is an impediment to earning money. How many of us work thru lunch? I "understand" the pressure to have food right now so one can get back to work.

To have fast food in a country which takes its cuisine seriously is one thing but to Mcdonalize its own domestic food back at them is very simpsonesque.

Why would any self respecting Chinese person let their cuisine be bastardized by some yankee CEOS, in their backyard? Well I guess that shows that culture is the first casualty of "progress". I saw it in Spain firsthand with the siesta slowing dying away, although there are a growing number of people who are still hanging on to that cherished tradition.

If the Chinese fast food idea flies than I guess that cinches it. China will be become the next superpower, full of overfed, fat and ill informed “citizens” who look the other way when their govt commits horrendous crimes around the globe, to keep them overfed, fat and ill informed.

Well I guess it should be someone else’s turn by now, no?

I was born 29 years ago today

2005-01-05T02:09:00.000-05:00

It is 2am and I am preparing my body for excesses it hasn't known since, well since a couple of days ago.

Your birthday is the day that you can have all to yourself and not feel gulity. It's the day you shouldn't pay for a drink, not a single fucking drink (hint hint to all coming to party ;) ) .

Today (and for the next couple of days) I will be king and all of you will be my subjects. Don't worry I am a fair king and will let my humble subjects bask in my glorious glowing glow.

Now for the other days during the year I'm some schmuck working my ass off to make someone else money and have maybe 2 hrs to myself tops during my workdays. My work governs my life, on duty and off. It tells me what I am allowed to consume and when to consume it. It controls every facet of my life, in turn, it gives me an allotment of currency that I am allowed to spend "freely".

The times we are allowed to have for pleasure and recreation or procreation are now being mixed in with the time we used to have to take care of menial tasks such as laundry and washing dishes.

Being creative and happy are now "fringe benefits" to life's contract. We eat standing up and work sitting down We have phones in bathrooms at our jobs and cameras watching our every move.

"You're never so small they can't see you"
-Jets To Brazil

I started out wet, covered in blood and screaming, not unlike south east Asia tonight.

Now I am dry, not smothered in anything at this hour and very quiet. Much like this part of the world tonight.

Sorry, thats the most profound I can get at this hour.

---end transmission-----

Ay ya yay!!

2005-01-03T02:08:00.000-05:00

Thankfully I am finally recovering from 2 days of madness.

1st of all thanks to Ann for invitng me to her party on new years eve eve and the impromptu ipod dj session. And of course thanks again to Outernational and Gogol Bordello for a night that my body wants to forget but my mind and spirit will never allow it to.

All are invited to my b-day celebration which I will be having on thursday night at Bulgarian Bar 416 Broadway at Canal. My body should be fully recovered by that point.

More insightful posts to come, remember I have killed alot of brain cells in the past week so bear with me.

ciao

Rockin' it in Homeland

2004-12-31T18:11:00.000-05:00

Not much to say tonight but,

HAVE A HAPPY AND HEALTHY NEW YEAR!!!!!!

Going to see the two best bands in NYC right now, Outernational and Gogol Bordello at north six in W'burg Brooklyn

Everyone raise a glass tonight for those less lucky than us.

PEACE AND LOVE

The "normals"

2004-12-28T03:19:00.000-05:00

Most people that will be reading this blog, at the start anyways, will not consider themselves to be "normal" people. Most of my friends are intellectuals on the surface but bohemians at heart. They read Chomsky, Zinn maybe even Mao or Lenin. They drink far too often and (hopefully) have sex freely though (hopefully, again) safely. We feel almost like a loose knit group, a community even, that values not just life but the fullfillment of life's joys and tragedies at the same time.

With the wars and "natural" disasters we are told to accept as part of everyday life, now happening almost daily, we stop and reflect on the meaning of life. Also on ways these horrible things could of been prevented, at least I know I do.

How about the "normal" people? The millions and millions who spend a significant part of their lives watching (and believing) TV. The ones who take the "news" as sacroscant?? The people who don't realize that we live in a culture where truth is most closely represented on a cartoon show about a made up family who live in an unknown state in the US rather than on so called reality shows??

Do the events in South East Asia and the Middle East make them shudder to think about life and it's value??

It's funny how memory of events long ago help you understand the present. I remember my 6th grade teacher asking us what we thought about the union carbide gas leak disaster in India long ago. One of my fellow classmates remarked, and I will remember this for the rest of my life, "My Mom says that it's God punishing them for not believing in Jesus". My teacher thought this as plausible. He was a deacon at his church. He also sung to us hippie songs such as blowing in the wind every friday.

Weird.

I am now counting the mintues for some 700 Club reject to spout that garbage any day now. Remember, 9-11, to these fundamentalist culture killing freaks, was a type of payback (blowback?) from God. The crime? Allowing abortions and homos to run around freely. I haven't even heard Bin Laden ever say something as stupid as that. Although I am sure Bin Laden wouldn't be crazy about said homos strutting around any caves in Pakistan.

I am hoping aganist hope that the "normals" will not brush this umimaganiable disaster under their emotional rugs in this fashion. Are "they" thinking now "Damn, maybe if these countires weren't under so much debt and their infrastructure so shitty, more people would of been saved"?. Do the "normals" even think this way?? Do they know that the floods in Haiti that killed thousands were not "natural" disasters but man made because of de-forestation??

Is it pompous of me to ask..do the "normals" even think? Do the "normals" even care?

Nothing surprises me anymore. I mean the Red Sox won the world series for geebus' sake!!

Maybe the end is nigh.....

Can 15,000 corpses be entertainment?

2004-12-27T01:01:00.000-05:00

You bet your sweet ass they can be. When I read the yahoo headline "Earthquakes cause Tsunami, kills thousands all over Asia" I chuckled, but not in a amused way. I chuckled in the same way I did when I saw a building I used as a compass ever since I was allowed to walk the streets of nyc by myself, with a huge gaping hole in it. Then only to collapse a few minutes later, not even realizing it's twin had already perished.

You know, it's that "what the fuck?" chuckle. Then after the inital shock of seeing the bulidings fall, my brain kicked in and I realized there were people in there. Then I thought, wait a moment my (now ex) girlfriend works 5 blocks away, holy fuck!!

If I wasn't from NYC and I didn't know anyone who worked near or burned or jumped to death live on TV that day, the chuckle, that weird chuckle, would of been my lasting impression of the day. It's like when you hear about a earthquake in "west bumble fuck", Iran that kills 50,000 or so. It makes an impression, some kind of impression, but only like a murder scene in a movie, not like the impression you get when your loved ones forget about you or god forbid abuse you in some way.

Reading about 15,000 people dying made me chuckle and had me mesmerized. I almost wanted to thank them for entertaining me for the 2 and a half moments it took me to read the article.

Then I remembered about a drinking buddy of mine. A rich kid NYU student, who when he isn't blindingly drunk and screwing young women and calling me an old fart cause I can't come close to matching his acheivements, actually cares for people who aren't as lucky and white as he is.

He told me he was going to India. When he told me this I initally worried (ever since Indiana Jones when I think of India I think of little Hindu slave children and for some reason I dont think I am far of the mark there except for the fact that their middle class is half the size of the US total population) so I asked him, where in India are you going? He said "everywhere".

Everywhere his family's ambition, guile and skin color can afford to send him to. That might be in some morgue somewhere.

I am drinking tonight to either his memory or (hopefully) him reading this post when he gets back and wanting to kick my ass or (most likely) buying me another shot of Jameson.

Cheers and Peace to you Chris wherever you are, and please be alive you fucker.

To the other 14,999, thanks for the entertainment. To their families, don't despair, I'm sure Hollywood, or maybe even Bollywood, will make a movie about the poor pale face tourists who lost all their property (gasp!) and (oh yeah) died. Maybe they can use you as extras or maybe you can even play little hindu slave children all grown up .

With the rupees you make from that you might be able to buy the water you thought your Gods gave to you for free when all along (or just until "free trade" made this possible) it was owned by humans. Although some of those humans, whose job it is to collect your water tax, might of perished today under the crushing weight of 30 foot waves, I am sure there are now others taking their place to make sure your account is current.

Update on this post 01/12/05:

Not only are the now 150,000 corpses entertainment for us 'mericans (like we didn't need more entertainment), but the major papers (here in NYC anyways) are printing page after page of how our glorious leader and God's chosen country is leading the way to help save these poor unlucky people. I guess the on going coverage of wanton killing of Iraqis is making our collective red blooded 'merican cock to lose it's erection. We need these feel good stories to get hard again. I guess the money being spent (pledged more like it, big difference) for the asian disaster compared to the money we spent in Florida for their hurricane disasters (election year money) or the cost of liberating people from oil, culture and lives in Iraq has not entered the equation yet.

What hood you from yo?

2004-12-25T21:17:00.000-05:00

One of the things that make NYC so great is the diversity of its neighborhoods. Also how diverse neighborhoods are right next door to each other.

Growing up in Sunset Park, Brooklyn (Which was/is mostly Puerto Rican, Dominican) I could walk up 3 blocks or so and be in a Chinese neighborhood (which to the Puerto Rican and spanish speakers who lived there, was still called Sunset Park, so god knows what the Chinese called it).

If you walked another block over you would be in a Palestinian neighborhood, which was still called Sunset Park. But if you traveled another block over you would enter the biggest Orthodox Jewish neighborhood in America, Boro Park.

Believe me nobody would mistake Boro Park for Sunset Park, even though now there are more Mexicans and Polish moving in. I just finished living in Boro Park for the better part of 10 years and hopefully now they will have halfway decent restuarants and some hot ass Polish woman walking around (They should be happy I left).

There aren't too many places in the world you can do this and thinking about that always puts a smile on my face. But what brought this up in my brain today was nothing to smile about.

I read this article about Fallujah and was expecting the usual: some people being let back in, a couple of hundred at a time. Being retina scanned, and ID'ed (which now have to have afixed to their clothing at all times, I guess the Army ran out of star of davids)and the ex-residents complaining that their city was destroyed.

But as soon as I started reading the article, something struck me. The 'hood they were being let into was called Al-Andalus. To the regular american joe schmoe that means absolute dick. To me it struck a chord. Al-Andalus was what the moors/arabs called their kingdom when they ruled Spain for hundreds of years. Being partly of Spainish and Moorish descent that meant alot.

Think about the history of these people that long ago, what they accomplished and where they are at now. Cordova back in the 10th century in southern Spain was a cultural center for Iberian, Arab and African cultures. A melting pot if you will. There is alot written on this in Tariq Ali's book Clash Of Fundamentalisms.

Oh and by the way Al-Andalus is in shambles and "unfit for animals".

Where else to go but Mama Africa to find a Cultural Hero?

2004-12-25T17:17:00.000-05:00

"Get in the canoe," says Baaba Maal. "We're crossing to Mauritania." It is getting on for midnight in the little town of Bakel, way out on the eastern borders of Senegal, and one of the great singers of Africa is on his way to a concert. We've already been driving for some 10 hours across flat, arid scrublands, and now, in the darkness, we have arrived on the banks of the Senegal river. The boatman launches us in the direction of what sounded like a riot on the far side; it turns out to be several hundred of Maal's followers who have been waiting hours for his arrival.

We fight through the crowds to scramble into a Land Cruiser, which blasts out well-worn cassettes of his songs as it bounces away. There seems to be no road and the driver swerves between bushes and the edges of dusty fields. There has been no sign of a border post, and I have no visa.

Great article read here.

Note the difference of his performance for his African fans and those for his fans in Western Europe and the handful in America. It seems like he is part of the audience back home in the motherland but just another black entertainer in the west. Also note how he uses his performance in Mauritania to teach the youth about the culture of the tribes of West Africa (where he come from Senegal in paticular).

Reminds of when I saw the Wailers in NYC expecting the audience to be full of super cool (very hungry and giggliy) open minded people from everywhere. That romantic vision was destroyed when some jerk off yelled out while the sax player was doing a solo and the band was doing one of their instrumental numbers "Shut the hell up, play some marley goddammit I payed my money for that, not for some Nigger to play some crap I never heard before" obivously he kept the Nigger part of the tirade at a lower volume than the rest of the sentence but the point was well made.

We are the paying customers you are the entertainer you do what I say. Step and fetch it, boy....CultureLess...

This is a Public Service Announcement With My Mac

2004-12-25T04:18:00.000-05:00

Deciding to do your own blog is like deciding to marry your computer. You can mess around with her, go on the internet here and there, read about your favorite topics and so forth, but that is only 2nd base maybe even 3rd base. And for some of us there might even be some foreplay involved but that is a topic for another type of blog.

I am realizing now that by starting the CultureLess blog I am now making a major commitment to sitting on my ass, even more than before, and for those that know me my ass does not need to be any bigger.

The reason I am still going to go ahead and increase the size of my rear end is this, to make a blog that is not about pointless personal garbage. I will not tell you when I score with some chick (unless I see ya in a bar and you see me with the kool aid smile and a story to tell). Besides there wouldn't be many entries on that blog.

The main reason I want to embark on this adventure (I am such a yank. Only an american would consider sitting down fingering plastic buttons an adventure), is to free these insane thoughts from my head and share them with the world.

Most of these thoughts concern the slow death of culture in this country while we export this dying corpse of human relations we have developed here to others. "Wo"(-Kenau reeves, any number of movies), you must be thinking, "If I had all that crap filling up my head I would counter act that with some kind of numbing agent". Way ahead of you. Since giving up on religion a long time ago (the numbing thing wasn't a phsyical thing it was "spritiual"..pbbb..more on the meaning of pbbb later), my preferred agent of numbness is now alcohol.

Nembutol numbs it all but I prefer Alcohol-Joe Strummer

When I am not thinking about Hindus in India eating super size fries fried in animal fat , or the Muslim girls I constantly see wearing headscarves walking out of Mcdonalds (Is mickey d's really halal meat?), I am amazed to think about how, through all this madness, there are people out there carving out some kind of refuge of culture in our beautiful free and properous 4th reich. I want to dedicate this blog to those people.

The people who think for themselves, who want to create more than they consume. People who consider life a blessing and not their personal toliet.

A great way to tell alot about a person non sexually is to find out who their hero is. Unless your hero is a porno actor or actress.

Who is my hero? Those who keep Culture alive and fight to keep it living and breathing and are against everything that injures, poisions, or beheads it like Ignorance, War, and wrestling, yes wrestling. But not the wrestling from Mexico that shit is for real....

So if anyone out there has a hero or can point out some people helping to keep music, art and proper human interaction alive let me know. I rather you let me know along with a couple of pints at a pub so to make this blog less ironic but this is where we are in the "21st and a half century"-(duck dogers..cartoon fans anyone???)

My pick for keepers of the flame sort of speak are of course here in NYC (when I have more time to figure this blog thingy out I will start posting about people all over the world resisting in their own special way).

gogolbordello

This band is a NYC band in every way possible. They are imposing, argressive, multi-culti, perverse, obscene and fucking great. Gypsy drunk punk with some electro thrown in. They will be playing in my land of birth Brooklyn at northsix with the also outstanding Outernational. GB's new album J.U.F. (Jewish Urkranian Friendship) is an adrenaline pumping addictive musical collage of beats from all over our beautiful world. Get it!!

Outernational

Another amazing band from my beloved city. If Operation Ivy were from NYC instead of the land of strip mall hell of the west coast they would of wished to be as good as these guys are and will be. I know, I know hyperbole, blah blah, but trust me when you see them live you will think, hey these guys just got together? There are going places!!

I just saw them for the first time last saturday for a Joe Strummer book release party and, while I picked my jaw off from the floor and stopped dancing like a wildman, i asked myself, "Was it like this when the Clash got together in '76???"

New Years Eve show people, to all New New Yorkers...if you want to be entertained here in NYC on New Years Eve...it's gonna cost ya!!

Peace, love, lust and music be unto all of you

Oh and happy Pagan holiday to all

djshoghi