It's hard to believe that 2004 is finally coming to a close. The Bush election was painful, but it was a tough year all around. Old Dirty Bastard died. So did Rick James. And Dimebag Darrell's death last week was the final, morbid icing on the cake. Rest in peace guys. We're ready for a sunnier 2005.

Musically speaking, it was a disappointing year as well. Everyone we talked to when conducting this poll agreed: there weren't enough standout releases in 2004. TV on the Radio, who earned our number two spot last year with their debut EP "Young Liars," failed to impress us with their spotty full length Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes. Interpol gave us too much of the same with Antics. (Like many New York bands, TV on the Radio and Interpol both suffer from stellar-EP/anticlimatic-LP syndrome). And Jeff Tweedy continued to ruin his band by including self-indulgent, pill-induced bursts of noise on his records.

In 2004, critics and fans curiously fixated on the word "angular" when describing bands that sound like Gang of Four (see Bloc Party, Futureheads, Moving Units). Art school folkies continued playing whose-the-most-avant-garde table tennis (yes you Bright Eyes and Animal Collective). And New York failed to decide upon a new "it" band to get Rapturous about. The most exciting thing about 2004 in fact, was the Pixies reunion tour. We'd wager that half the people reading this article caught at least one Pixies show, not to mention shelled out 30 bucks to buy the respective live release.

Here at FREEwilliamsburg, we often found ourselves pulling out our old Kinks, Television, Steely Dan, Captain Beefheart, and Ralph Stanley records, frustrated by our inability to find anything truly great in the new release section of Other Music. The critics at FREEwilliamsburg all had different opinions about what should make our Best of list, but we all agreed on two things: 1.) Toad the Wet Sprocket still holds the title for worst band name ever and 2.) 2004 was a mediocre year for music.

But, of course there were highlights ....
 
FREEwilliamsburg's Best in Music 2004
 

25. Weird War
If You Can't Beat 'Em, Bite 'Em
(Drag City)

When we heard that The Make-Up was breaking up several years ago we were devastated. Thankfully, Ian Svenonius and Michelle Mae continue to pump out the hits under different monikers. This year, they called themselves Weird War. Last year they were The Scene Creamers. We don't care what they call themselves as long as they keep kicking ass. Their high energy blend of Motown, funk, gospel and punk transports us to some inverted parallel universe where it's always 1967 and the Punk movement just conquered the US.

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24. Luomo
The Present Lover
(Kinetic)

The first disk by Vladislav Delay under the Luomo moniker (Vocal City) is the one of the best House disks ever made. It was a glitchy, dub-inflected masterpiece. Vocal City was also a fluke since it was intended as a slight side project for the Helsinki-based techno artist. The long-awaited follow-up, The Present Lover is more accessible but not quite as essential. It features more straightforward pop hooks and vocals than its predecessor. Fans of minimal, spacious House music may feel a bit short-changed by this disk when comparing it to Vocal City, but it is nevertheless a danceable delight. Funky, sexy, and a little less patient that Vocal City, The Present Lover would be considered a great record if released by any other artist.

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23. Sonic Youth
Sonic Nurse
(Geffen)

Everyone needs to cut Sonic Youth some slack. In their heyday, Sonic Youth pushed the envelope with each new record. Now, they're getting older and notably less experimental.

Sure, Sonic Nurse isn't the most groundbreaking record they've ever made, but it is one of their most accomplished. Their songwriting has rarely been stronger and Jim O'Rourke's Seventies-pop influence is more notable than usual. Sometimes it's just nice to sit back and watch Sonic Youth do what they do best -- create good, old-fashioned dissonant pop.

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22. A.C. Newman
The Slow Wonder
(Matador)

All of the other New Pornographers have recorded solo releases so it was time for frontman Carl Newman to follow suit. The Slow Wonder begins with the too catchy, "Miracle Drug," and never lets up. The record is a melodic treasure that manages to do the unexpected; its better than the last New Pornographers release. Now if Alt-Country bandmate and indie sex goddess Neko Case would hurry up and release another record we'd be complete.

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21. Califone
King Heron Blues
(Thrill Jockey)

The most underrated band in indie, Califone bring us yet another weird and innovative jam session with King Heron Blues. Blending Blues, Country, and backwoods Americana with subtle electronic textures, Califone is one of a kind. We can only hope that they'll get the attention they deserve on their next release. Keep it up, we're listening.

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20. The Futureheads
The Futureheads
(679)

The Futureheads scared us at first. I mean come on... what's up with the cheesy name and the horrible cover art? As our friend George pointed out, nobody's using the name "Slut Patrol" yet. Couldn't they choose a less hokey band name? Nevertheless, the record kicks ass. It's catchy, strangely danceable, and has that, um, "angular" guitar dynamic that The Rapture reintroduced to the current indie palate. OK, we promise not to say "angular" again in 2005.

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19. Jóhann Jóhannsson:
Virðulegu Forsetar
(Touch)

Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson had an intimate, heart-to-heart talk with his country's cold, bleak landscape. He convinced said landscape to come into the studio. He then recorded their conversation and wrote a minimal, yet powerful symphony. This is a beautiful and calming record. The best "background noise record" of the year.

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18. Bonnie "Prince" Billy
Greatest Palace Music
(Drag City)

Some people love the lonesome, raw vocal style of early Will Oldham from his Palace days. Others prefer his newer, slicker releases recorded under the Bonnie "Prince" alias. Greatest Palace Music received mixed reviews for this very reason. A reworking of his best songs from the Palace days, Greatest Palace Music sees Oldham adding sugary sweetness and a studio-enhanced crispness to his classic material. The new interpretations are consistently less compelling than the originals, but that's beside the point. The record is enjoyable from start to finish and stands on its own as a separate work. The studio players on this recording are all Nashville legends, helping to secure this record as one of the year's best releases. (Read our interview with Oldham)

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17. Rogue Wave
Out of the Shadow
(Sub Pop)

There wasn't a new Shins record this year. Thankfully, we had Out of the Shadow to fill the void. Thanks, Sub Pop, for giving us this treat to hold us over. After listening to Shutes Too Narrow too many times, Out of the Shadow, is a worthy if lesser substitution. We love the chorus of "Be Kind & Rewind:"
"You can all get in line/lick my behind"

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16. Deerhoof
Milk Man
(Kill Rock Stars)

Inspired by the art of Ken Kagami whose work graces the cover, Milk Man finally brought Deerhoof some recognition in 2004. A weird concept album that mixes noise and pop, Milk Man is Deerhoof's strongest release to date. This band just keeps getting better. (Read our interview with the band)

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15. PJ Harvey
Uh Huh Her
(Island)

This was a year when people were so obsessed with finding the next "it" band, they ignored tried-and-true greatness. Most even ignored PJ. We love you PJ. And we love your record. (Don't quit touring!)

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14. The Streets
A Grand Don't Come for Free
(Vice/Atlantic)

The first sounds on A Grand Don't Come for Free are big horns and the lyrics “It was supposed to be so easy…” We have the second record by Mike Skinner. It’s a concept album. One day in the life of a geezer, literally. This is Mike Skinner’s Ulysses, his Tommy. It’s also a little darker and more "mature" than the first record. Not as "fun." Skinner frustrated our expectations, but in a good way. Original Pirate Material was better, but A Grand Don't Come for Free is damn good.

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13. Mirah
C'mon Miracle
(K)

C'mon Miracle is like a Cat Power record for the less depressed. It's her most mellow release to date and one of her most accomplished. It was also the best record to come out of Olympia, Washington this year.

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12. The Von Bondies
Pawn Shoppe Heart
(Sire)

It's so hard to write about The Von Bondies without mentioning Jason Stollsteimer's fist fight with Jack White. Remember? Jack and Jason used to be buddies. They even recorded together sometimes. Then Jack White punched him in a drunken stupor, ending their friendship for the foreseeable future. "The punch" was the best thing that ever happened to The Von Bondies. A press agent's wet dream. Pawn Shoppe Heart is their post-punch record and we're happy to see how good this band is becoming. Our advice: take another punch, Jason, Pawn Shoppe Heart didn't get the press it deserved.

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11. Devendra Banhart
Rejoicing in the Hands
(Young God)

Devendra Banhart is all arty-farty and shit and doesn't wear shoes on stage but what can we say.... his avante folk is growing on us. There wasn't a prettier song this year than "The Body Breaks." Is "exciting folk" an oxymoron? Not anymore.

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10. Comets on Fire
Blue Cathedral
(Sub Pop)

This record rules. A blissful hour of retro psychedelic noise that will leave you feeling like you're stoned, sixteen, and at some crazy laser show with Hendrix, Zeppelin, and Floyd pumping simultaneously through the speakers.

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9. Squarepusher
Ultravisitor
(Warp)

Squarepusher (AKA Tom Jenkinson) has been producing consistently strong IDM for so long now that most people forgot about him in 2004. We didn't. Ultravisitor is a great release, showing Jenkison at his tightest, if not most innovative. This is Bitches Brew for laptop geeks. Jenkinson incorporates his own live drumming this time around and features a photo of himself on the cover, proving once and for all that he is definitely not a robot.

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8. Camera Obscura
Underachievers Please Try Harder
(Merge)

Camera Obscura sound like Belle and Sebastian. Thankfully, they're more successful than any other band at cribbing that signature B&S sound. The cover image (which combined with the title seems dated in a Nineties, geek-chic way) was in fact taken by B&S frontman Stuart Murdoch. Not surprisingly, they're also from Glasgow. We'd hold all of this against them, of course, if their record wasn't so wonderful. They're derivative, but give them a chance. They're also REALLY good.

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7. Danger Mouse
The Grey Album
(self-released)

It truly takes talent to make Jay-Z sound good. Danger Mouse accomplished this seemingly impossible feat. Sure, remixing The Black Album with The White Album is gimmicky, but the gimmick worked. The Grey Album made Danger Mouse a household name for the indie set in 2004, while waving the proverbial middle finger at the record industry's intellectual property mandates. Thanks for the free download, dude. Loved the record.

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6. Sufjan Stevens
Seven Swans
(Sounds Familyre)

Proves that indie's favorite Christian folk rocker, Sufjan Stevens, is here to stay. Greetings from Michigan: The Great Lakes State had more highlights, but Seven Swans is a more consistent record. We don't expect you to fulfill your promise to record an album for each of the fifty states, Sufjan. But we wouldn't mind if you did.

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5. Dungen
Ta Det Lugnt
(Subliminal Sounds)

Somewhere in the woods of Smaland, Sweden, Gustav Ejstes toiled away his days working his mother's farm and his nights brewing a mix of Swedish folk, jazz, hip-hop and classic 60's pop and rock. From the distillery of these influences came Dungen, Ejstes's band and its remarkable third album Ta Det Lugnt. You'll find yourself singing along to many of the tracks on Ta Det Lugnt ("Take it Easy" in English), even though the words are in Swedish. The melodies, bearing the touches of Lennon/McCartney, are just too damn catchy. But these are not just simplistic pop ditties; there's an intensity of energy and musical expression here that is absolutely captivating. Throughout Ta Det Lugnt, Dungen prove they are experts at crafting perfect pop songs built purely to be deconstructed into beautiful chaos.

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4. Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand
(Domino)

These guys sure are cute. The chicks were swooning. The guys all developed boy-crushes. People haven't been this sexed-up over a band since The Strokes. Luckily, their music was great too. Glasgow's Franz Ferdinand had the best guitar riffs, not to mention the best band name of the year. (Franz Ferdinand was an archduke whose murder helped incite WWI). The band's anthem "This Fire" could inspire a drunken mob to revolution. Come on, we're waiting.

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3. The Arcade Fire
Funeral
(Merge)

OK, OK..... we agree. Funeral is really good. Take a reality pill, though. You'd think the from reading the press that The Arcade Fire have diamonds in their shit. Pick Funeral up if you haven't heard it. It's a bit melodramtic, but in a good way. An exciting debut and we can't wait to hear more. Another record this good and they will sincerely deserve the accolades.

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2. Fiery Furnaces
Blueberry Boat
(Rough Trade)

Their shit may be made of diamonds (see Arcade Fire above). The brother and sister duo known as Fiery Furnaces are giving Meg and Jack a run for their money as the best brother/sister band. Blueberry Boat is as experimental as it is melodic. As accomplished as it is fun. Don't miss this record because it's great. What sophomore slump? This is proof that "difficult" music doesn't have to be a toil to listen to. (Read our interview with the band)

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1. David Cross
It's Not Funny
(Sub Pop)

Despite the stellar exceptions above, we were bombarded with an overflowing used bin of uninspired releases this year. Where was this year's timeless gem? Why does hip hop still suck? What record from 2004 will our kids be listening to?

This is why we decided to pick a comedy album as our favorite of the year. After all, we can't award mediocrity. This is a plea for better, more compelling, more mind-blowing music in 2005! Start working on this, ok?
At least David Cross inspired us this year. It's Not Funny is unbridled comic genius. If you haven't heard it yourself, run to the store and purchase it. Now.

Thanks David, for making us laugh this year. You complete us.

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Best Compilations



Various Artists
DFA Compilation #2
(DFA)

If you're not familiar with DFA, you haven't ever been to this site before. We love this label. This 3 CD collection featuring LCD Soundsystem, The Rapture, Black Dice, and new DFA artist Liquid Liquid is essential. A fantastic compilation.


Various Artists
Where Will You Be Christmas Day?
(Dust To Digital)

From the label that brought us the stellar gospel box set Goodbye Babylon, comes the best holiday record in years. If you want to scream every time you hear "Rudulph" and "Sleigh Ride," pick up this compilation of obscure folk, blues, gospel, and early jazz non-classics from the Thirties and Forties. After one listen, even the most jaded will once again love Christmas. Where Will You be Christmas Day is an essential record for anyone who has ever worked in a mall, a coffee shop, or any other place where they play crappy, generic, maddening Christmas mixes all day. Find out more here.

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Honorable Mention

Panda Bear
Young Prayer
(Paw Tracks)

A lovely, avant folk homage to the artist's father. We wanted to include Panda Bear in our year end tally. Unfortunately, 26 is a weird number for a Best of list.

We also wanted to include Venice by Fennesz, but 27 is an even stranger number for a Best of list.

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Dishonorable Mention

Brian Wilson
SMilE
(Nonesuch)

Come on... it just wasn't very good.

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The Not-Innovative-Enough-for-Pretentious-Critics Award

Tortoise
It's All Around You
(Thrill Jockey)

This record is solid and features the Chicago super group in peak form. Tortoise does sound like they're stuck in a time warp, but who cares if the music is this good? Ignore all critics (except us) and buy this record.

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The George Bush Divide-the-Nation Award:

Joanna Newsom
The Milk-Eyed Mender
(Drag City)

People either love Joanna Newsom or hate her. Her childlike vocals both infuriate and inspire. At least we can all agree on one thing: she's cute. Love her or hate her, Newsom's record was an indie sensation this year. (Read our interview with Joanna)

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The Ruined by Inane Skits Award:

Kanye West
The College Dropout
(Roc-A-Fella)

Shut-up with the effin skits already, Kanye. This record could have been pretty good.

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Most Overrated

Loretta Lynn
Van Lear Rose
(Interscope)

Are we the only people who think Loretta Lynn singing along to Jimmy Page riffs is a little embarrassing? Stop now, Loretta, while your legend remains intact.

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Best Live Record


Neko Case
The Tigers Have Spoken
(Anti)

Neko has the best voice in indie rock. Period. She needs no studio enhancements. She's the real deal. This collection of live recordings proves what we've known all along, Neko is this generation's Loretta Lynn. Plus, she's hot.

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The Worst Indie Record of the Year

Liars
They Were Wrong, So We Drowned
(Mute)

Listening to They Were Wrong, So We Drowned is a grueling experience. The drunk, chaotic, post-punk sounds of earlier Liars recordings have been replaced by a droning, pulsing, electronica-filled mess of a record. People who like to listen to music because it's "challenging" may like this record. We just don't believe those people really exist.

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PS: Wilco would have made our best of list this year if they'd been less pretentious.

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Shameless self promotion:
Check out the follow-up to The Hipster Handbook:

"Another funny and strangely insightful contribution to our culture from Robert Lanham, the Margaret Mead of the North American Weirdo."
--Neal Pollack

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FREEwilliamsburg thanks all of the critics involved in this year's tally. Especially John Rickman, Alexander Laurence, Mandy Novak, and Jason Bell.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 08:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (40)

On vacation as usual, George W. Bush has yet to make a public statement expressing his grief over the tsunami disaster. Where are you George? Playing Yatzee? Watching the Gilmore Girls marathon? We suppose only the death of white wealthy men matters in Crawford.

5 days and counting......

UPDATE
Nearly 130 hours after the earthquake/tsunami shakes Asia, Bush finally gives a press conference. You must have been really swamped on the ranch the last 5 days Dubya, especially since you got that Sony Playstation for Christmas.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 12:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)

Didn't get tickets to the Wilco, Flaming Lips, and Sleater-Kinney show at Madison Square Garden? Check out Supreme Trading instead. (speaking of Flaming Lips -- a free stream is available of them covering the White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army")

12hr Party People featuring Beans
New Years Eve Celebration Bash
Supreme Trading
213 North 8th (near Driggs), Williamsburg, Brooklyn
$25 advance, $30 day of party

In the vain of the movie 24hr Party People Supreme Trading is throwing a 12hr Party. 4 rooms of entertainment all night long.

2 Hour Open Bar from 9:00pm-11:00pm

Room 1: Live Performances by:

BEANS(Warp Records) "Beans is the NYC's own creative genius." His style of street-hop transcends all musical boundaries by mixing elements of old school hiphop, break beat, indie, electronic, and sampling. His beats are thumping, while his lyrics jump out at you with solid rhymes that concentrate on his NYC surroundings.

Mommy and Daddy (KanineRecords) is the leading New York power couple. With sexy, hard-hitting drum machine beats, dirty, fuzzed-out bass lines and smoldering boy/girl vocals, Mommy and Daddy sounds like a tag team steel cage match between Le Tigre, B-52s, and The Misfits.

Djs Richard Fearless(DeathinVegas), Language(NegroClash), and Scott Mou (OtherMusic) spinning a mix of old school hip hop, italia disco, acid house, electro, soul, and late night party jams.

Room 2: Djs: Gordy(BlocParty), Blake (MovingUnits), Oil(KanineRecords), Aorta(Crashinin.com), and Gerald (OtherMusic) spinning a mix of Brit/Indie/PostPunk/Nu-wave/Remix dance music all night.

Room 3: Live wall projections, paintings and sclupture.

Room 4: Outdoor drink, smoke, chat, chill patio where you can go to escape without having to leave.

Free Gift Bags with cds, t-shirts, stickers, music dvds, magazines, buttons, and hats.

Thanks to Jason JPEG Bell for the Flaming Lips tip.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 10:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

From WorldNetDaily
The Pentagon is dismissing a comment by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld regarding Flight 93 having been "shot down" over Pennsylvania, saying it was nothing more than a speaking error.

As WorldNetDaily exclusively reported yesterday, Rumsfeld, during his surprise Christmas Eve trip to Iraq, referred to the flight being shot down - long a suspicion because of the danger the Sept. 11 flight posed to Washington landmarks and population centers.

His complete quote was: "I think all of us have a sense if we imagine the kind of world we would face if the people who bombed the mess hall in Mosul, or the people who did the bombing in Spain, or the people who attacked the United States in New York, shot down the plane over Pennsylvania and attacked the Pentagon, the people who cut off peoples' heads on television to intimidate, to frighten - indeed the word 'terrorized' is just that. Its purpose is to terrorize, to alter behavior, to make people be something other than that which they want to be."

CNN contacted the Pentagon for reaction to the WND story, and the cable network was told Rumsfeld simply misspoke.

" Pentagon spokesman insists Rumsfeld has not changed his opinion that the plane crashed as the result of an onboard struggle between passengers and terrorists," CNN reports.

Several eyewitnesses to the crash claim they saw a "military-type" plane flying around United Airlines Flight 93 when the hijacked passenger jet crashed – prompting the once-unthinkable question of whether the U.S. military shot down the plane.

The official explanation has been that passengers on the United Airlines flight rushed the hijackers in an effort to prevent them from crashing the plane into a strategic target – possibly the U.S. Capitol.

Although the onboard struggle – immortalized by the courageous "Let's roll" call to action by Todd Beamer – became one of the enduring memories of that disastrous day, the actual cause of Flight 93's crash, of the four hijacked airliners, remains the most unclear.

Several residents in and around Shanksville, Pa., describing the crash as they saw it, claim to have seen a second plane – an unmarked military-style jet.

Well-founded uncertainty as to just what happened to Flight 93 is nothing new. Just three days after the worst terrorist attack in American history, on Sept. 14, 2001, The (Bergen County, N.J.) Record newspaper reported that five eyewitnesses reported seeing a second plane at the Flight 93 crash site.

That same day, reported the Record, FBI Special Agent William Crowley said investigators could not rule out that a second plane was nearby during the crash. He later said he had misspoken, dismissing rumors that a U.S. military jet had intercepted the plane before it could strike a target in Washington, D.C.

Although government officials insist there was never any pursuit of Flight 93, they were informed the flight was suspected of having been hijacked at 9:16 am, fully 50 minutes before the plane came down.

On the Sept. 16, 2001, edition of NBC's "Meet the Press," Vice President Dick Cheney, while not addressing Flight 93 specifically, spoke clearly to the administration's policy regarding shooting down hijacked jets.

Vice President Cheney: "Well, the -I suppose the toughest decision was this question of whether or not we would intercept incoming commercial aircraft."

NBC's Tim Russert: "And you decided?"

Cheney: "We decided to do it. We'd, in effect, put a flying combat air patrol up over the city; F-16s with an AWACS, which is an airborne radar system, and tanker support so they could stay up a long time ...

"It doesn't do any good to put up a combat air patrol if you don't give them instructions to act, if, in fact, they feel it's appropriate."

Russert: "So if the United States government became aware that a hijacked commercial airline[r] was destined for the White House or the Capitol, we would take the plane down?"

Cheney: "Yes. The president made the decision ... that if the plane would not divert ... as a last resort, our pilots were authorized to take them out. Now, people say, you know, that's a horrendous decision to make. Well, it is. You've got an airplane full of American citizens, civilians, captured by ... terrorists, headed and are you going to, in fact, shoot it down, obviously, and kill all those Americans on board?

".. It's a presidential-evel decision, and the president made, I think, exactly the right call in this case, to say, I wished we'd had combat air patrol up over New York.'"

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 09:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

FROM LA TIMES
WASHINGTON - For the first time, a major U.S. contractor has dropped out of the multibillion-dollar effort to rebuild Iraq, raising new worries about the country's growing violence and its effect on reconstruction.

Contrack International Inc., the leader of a partnership that won one of 12 major reconstruction contracts awarded this year, cited skyrocketing security costs in reaching a decision with the U.S. government last month to terminate work in Iraq.

"We reached a point where our costs were getting to be prohibitive," said Karim Camel-Toueg, president of Arlington, Va.-based Contrack, which had won a $325-million award to rebuild Iraq's shattered transportation system. "We felt we were not serving the government, and that the dollars were not being spent smartly."

Although a few companies and nonprofit groups have pulled out of contracts in Iraq because of security concerns, Contrack's is the largest to be canceled to date, U.S. officials said. The move has led to fears that Iraq's mounting violence could prompt other firms to consider pulling out, or discourage them from seeking work in Iraq, further crippling reconstruction.

U.S. reconstruction officials said the termination of Contrack's contract, which was not previously disclosed, would not hamper rebuilding. They said they were planning to put the contract up for rebidding, a process that could take months, and were hopeful that Iraqi firms would participate. So far, most major contracts have been won by U.S.-based multinational firms.

Contrack's partnership was supposed to construct new roads, bridges and transportation terminals in Iraq. It wound up only refurbishing a handful of train depots, company officials said.

Nonetheless, the firm was paid about $30 million during the eight months it was under contract, mostly for site assessments and design work, company and U.S. officials said.

"It's not a terrible loss," said Amy Burns, spokeswoman for the Pentagon's Iraq Project and Contracting Office, which oversees the bulk of the reconstruction work in the country. "It actually may be good that we're both moving on."

But reconstruction experts say Contrack's withdrawal might foretell trouble with other contractors.

""It's a very bad sign," said Michael O'Hanlon, a scholar at the Brookings Institution think tank in Washington who has closely followed the reconstruction process. "If this is how other private companies are thinking, it's a very bad potential warning."

Coming as U.S. reconstruction officials have been touting signs of progress, Contrack's withdrawal underscores the challenges in the $18.4-billion effort to rebuild Iraq.

The effort to revamp the country is considered vital to providing Iraqis with jobs and services and to weakening the insurgency. So far, however, it has been beset with delays, violence, allegations of graft and waste, and frustration among ordinary Iraqis and top U.S. military commanders at the lack of progress.

Contrack's joint venture, which included Egyptian and Swiss firms, also involved such well-known U.S. companies as Pasadena-based Parsons Corp., Fluor Corp. in Aliso Viejo and Houston-based Halliburton Co., once run by Vice President Dick Cheney.

At one point, Contrack and its joint venture had hired nearly 2,000 people in Iraq and had offices in an upper-income neighborhood in Baghdad, said Wahid Hakki, Contrack's vice president for U.S. operations.

But as the insurgency intensified, company workers found themselves increasingly under assault. Small-arms and mortar fire became common at construction sites. Gunmen attacked the joint venture's headquarters about 2 1/2 months ago.

Earlier this year, an Egyptian driver working for the firm was kidnapped. His body was found 12 days later, dumped outside one of the company's construction sites with five bullet holes in the head. A note found on his body said "collaborator."

Unlike such projects as power plants, which can be secured, Contrack's work sites were roads and bridges out in the open. In some cases, Camel-Toueg said, the security expenses for simple tasks such as fixing potholes soared to 60% of the cost of the project. U.S. contracting regulations that required compliance with complex accounting rules further increased overhead.

"It would have been a crime to spend that kind of money to do that type of work," Camel-Toueg said.

The company also found that it was having difficulty with such basic matters as buying construction material. At one site, for instance, the sole supplier of gravel shut his quarry after receiving threats from insurgents about cooperating with Americans, Hakki said. The company's work ground to a halt.

Hakki contrasted the security situation in Iraq with that in Afghanistan, where the company has faced difficulties in its reconstruction work but has made progress.

"In Iraq, the general environment was very, very tough," Hakki said. "We were just not able to do what we were hoping to do. It's definitely a disappointment."

Reconstruction officials declared at a news conference last week that they had reached a milestone: more than 1,000 construction starts out of an estimated 2,500 to 3,000 planned projects.

"Even though the situation is difficult, even though the security environment is not what we'd like it to be, progress is being made," Charles Hess, director of the reconstruction office, said at the conference. He made no mention of Contrack's withdrawal.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 07:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

To Do:

It's A Wonderful Next Life: A Drag City Christmas party
Featuring Joanna Newsom (pictured), smog, and Weird War
Bowery Ballroom, Saturday Dec. 18, $15
Rising folkie Joanna Newsom's child-like vocals will either drive you nuts or inspire you, but seeing Weird War's Ian Svenonius (formerly of the Make-Up and Nation of Ulysses) strut his stuff is always worth the trip.

dress code: A sweater with a knit cap or scarf please

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To Avoid (God, this sounds annoying):

2004 Unsilent Night (the Christmas Piece)

From the event's site:
"Every year since 1992 I've presented Unsilent Night, an outdoor ambient music piece for an INFINITE number of boom box tape players. It's like a Christmas carolling party except that we don't sing, but rather carry boom boxes, each playing a separate tape which is part of the piece. In effect, we become a city block long stereo system!

In 2004 the piece will happen on Saturday December 18th. We will meet at the Arch in Washington Square at 6:45 pm, begin at 7 pm and proceed eastward to Tompkins Square Park, where the piece will end around 8 o'clock.

It would be really cool if you could join us and bring a boom box. The more tapes we run, the bigger and more amazing the sound will be. This past Christmas we had 100 boomboxes and over 500 people total, it was really spectacular... If you'd like to do it, please email me at boombox@mindspring.com so I will know how many tapes to make. If you'd like to do it but don't have a boombox, I have several dozen and you can grab one...and if you want to come and just listen, that's cool, too. Help us make a BIG (and joyful) noise."

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 11:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

More evidence that Bush is the devil:

FROM LA TIMES:
Since President Bush took office, the Pentagon has won exemptions from the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act and seeks exemption from the Clean Air Act and two toxic waste laws.

... the latest proposal deletes language from the 1996 policy that said the Pentagon would be responsible for:

— "Protecting, preserving and, when required, restoring and enhancing the quality of the environment."

— "Reducing risk to human health and the environment by identifying, evaluating and, where necessary, remediating contamination resulting from past DOD activities."

— "Preventing pollution and minimizing adverse environmental consequences."

— "Complying with applicable U.S. statutes, regulations, executive orders, binding international agreements, other legal requirements, and U.S. environmental, safety, occupational health, explosives safety, fire and emergency services and pest management policies."

— "Conserving and restoring, where necessary, the natural and cultural heritage represented on DOD installations within the United States."

full article

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 09:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

1. Get that abortion you've always wanted.
2. Drink a nice clean glass of water.
3. Cash your social security check.
4. See a doctor of your own choosing.
5. Spend quality time with your draft age child/grandchild.
6. Visit Syria, or any foreign country for that matter.
7. Get that gas mask you've been putting off buying.
8. Hoard gasoline.
9. Jam in all the Alzheimer's stem cell research you can.
10. Stay out late before the curfews start.
11. Go see a Bruce Springsteen concert before he has his "accident."
12. Go see Mount Rushmore before the Reagan addition.
13. Use the phrase "You can't do that -- this is America."
14. If you're white, marry a black person; if you're black, marry a white person.
15. Take a walk in Yosemite without being hit by a snowmobile or a base-jumper.
16. Enroll your kid in an accelerated art or music class.
17. Start your school day without a prayer.
18. Pass on the secrets of evolution to future generations.
19. Learn French.
20. Visit Massachusetts while it is still a State.
(Circulating on the Web)

Add your own in comments....

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 12:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Every time you hear a band like The Rapture, Bloc Party, or the Futureheads described as having a post-punk angular sound, remember who did it best; Gang of Four:

From ManchesterAcademy.Net
"For years promoters and fans have begged them. Now Gang of Four, the definitive punk-funk, post-punk agitators, have finally acquiesced to public demand. They have reformed in their original line-up, and will play a limited number of shows around the UK in the New Year.

The band, icons and inspiration for many of the world's biggest acts (REM, U2, Rage Against the Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers), and who perhaps more than any other, serve as direct stylistic antecedents of today’s guitar heroes (step forward Franz Ferdinand, Futureheads, The Rapture, Radio 4, Liars et al), have not been seen in this formation since 1981. Jon King (vocals), Andy Gill (guitar and vocals), Dave Allen (bass) and Hugo Burnham (drums) had by then been responsible for 1978’s epochal "Damaged Goods" debut EP, as well as the genre-defining "Entertainment" album (1979) and its follow-up "Solid Gold".

Since then there has never been a time when ‘ Natural's Not In It' and ‘Love Like Anthrax’ haven’t sounded like some of the most vital and coldly passionate records ever made, but recently the band who always sounded 20 years ahead of their time have finally found the world catching up and catching on. Consequentially, it is most timely that Andy Gill has come out from behind the producer’s chair of such globe bestriding rock behemoths as The Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Killing Joke, Futureheads, Michael Hutchence, Bono, Jesus Lizard, to once again strap on his trusty Stratocaster."

If you are going to be in the UK:

January

23 Manchester Academy

24 Leeds University

25 Bristol Academy

27 Birmingham Academy

28 London Shepherd's Bush Empire

(Thanks Alexander - for the find)

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 10:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

If you weren't lucky enough to get tickets to one of the Pixies' shows this week at the Hammerstein Ballroom, check them out tonight on David Letterman. We frankly don't know where they found the time to stop by and say hello to Dave. The band is slotted to play eight sold-out shows this week already.

Letterman airs 11:30PM EST on CBS.

Here's Jason Bell's review of their show last night (with set list):

The Pixies, Hammerstein Ballroom, 12.13.04

With eight nights of shows, plenty will be said about the Pixies residency at the Hammerstein Ballroom, so I'll keep this brief. Last night was hands down the best show I've seen all year. Charles was in fine form, his voice an amazing instrument of humor and sheer madness. "Tame" was epic; the highlight of the set for me.

Two songs into their show, something strange happened. The entire band left the stage, supposedly to solve a monitor problem, but nobody bought that argument. We were beginning to think we were witnesses to the second end of the Pixies. Maybe five minutes went by with nothing happening on the stage, no announcements. Fortunately, our fears were misplaced as the band came back on stage, joked about playing "one more song" and then launched into a blistering version of "Bone Machine". It was on.

I was there early so I saw Mission of Burma's full set. They did their best to warm up the crowd, but a muddy mix and some Red State idiots in the audience seemed to put a damper on the set. I actually heard someone yell out "COMMUNISTS" after one of the band members made a crack about George Bush. Weird.

One last thing. David Byrne was in the house, sitting in the first level of the VIP box seats. He was wearing a bright red jump suit, which made him look like a hipster astronaut. Now, a Talking Heads reunion, that would be...special!

Here's the Pixies setlist, courtesy of the Pixies Music Forum:

Is She Weird? / Something Against You / [break] / Bone Machine / Cactus / I Bleed / Caribou / No. 13 / Broken Face / U-Mass / Mr. Grieves / Dead / Hey / Velouria / Ed is Dead / Gouge Away / Wave of Mutilation / Monkey Gone to Heaven / Crackity Jones / Isla de Incanta / Tame / In Heaven-Wave of Mutilation (UK Surf) / Here Comes Your Man / Holiday Song / Nimrod's Son / Vamos / Where Is My Mind?

Encore: Gigantic / Debaser

--JASON BELL

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 12:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From Pitchfork:
"After a relatively quiet 2004, the world-conquering duo Outkast will once again be ubiquitous in 2005, with both an HBO film and a pair of albums on the way. The duo's HBO film-- which co-stars Ving Rhames, Paula Jai Parker, and Terrence Howard-- is titled My Life in Idlewild, and is set in the Prohibition-era South, where speakeasy performer Big Boi and his piano-playing pal Andre 3000 are forced to protect their illegal club from gangsters. Co-written and directed by Bryan Barber-- who also crafted the "Hey Ya!" and "Roses" videos-- the film cost $15 million."

Click here to continue onto Pitchfork

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 11:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

FROM NY TIMES
Strain Is Seen in Giuliani Ties With President
By ELISABETH BUMILLER and ERIC LIPTON

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 - Former Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani had a Christmas dinner at the White House on Sunday night, and he attended with an important goal in mind: to apologize to his host for pushing Bernard B. Kerik as homeland security secretary and then watching as Mr. Kerik's nomination collapsed in legal problems and embarrassed the president of the United States.

That embarrassment has put a new strain on a mutually beneficial relationship that has always been more complicated than mere friendship.

"I feel very bad," Mr. Giuliani said in a telephone interview on Sunday afternoon, adding that he felt somewhat responsible for the nomination of Mr. Kerik, who withdrew his name on Friday because he had failed to pay taxes for a nanny who was in the country illegally.

"Even though there was never a conversation about it, I realize that one of the reasons they did it was because of my confidence in Bernie over the years," he said. "And I feel like maybe I should have involved myself more in it."

Mr. Giuliani added that he did not think the situation would hurt his relationship with President Bush or the White House. "It doesn't and shouldn't affect my feelings toward them, and I don't think it will affect their feelings toward me," he said. "We're friends."

The view at the White House is somewhat different. Although people close to the president say he likes and respects Mr. Giuliani, they say the president has long been leery of him as a man who could not be counted on for the loyalty demanded by Mr. Bush. And while the breakdown of Mr. Kerik's nomination is not lethal to Mr. Giuliani's relationship with the White House, the friends and officials say, it will hardly burnish his credentials with the president.

"It hurts him politically, so therefore by extension it's going to hurt him with the White House," said a Republican close to the administration who has worked for both Mr. Bush and Mr. Giuliani and who asked not to be identified because of the political sensitivity of the situation. "Nobody at the White House is saying to themselves, 'Damn that Rudy Giuliani.' It's more, 'Well, he got his licks.' "

In the interview, Mr. Giuliani indicated that he should have known about Mr. Kerik's legal problems because he had named him police commissioner and then had gone into business with him. The former mayor seemed to suggest as much in a phone call on Saturday morning to Andrew H. Card Jr., the White House chief of staff.

"I said, 'Well, I wish I had figured it out earlier,' " Mr. Giuliani said. "That's what I was apologizing for, that we hadn't figured this out earlier. And Andy said something like, 'Well, Bernie just focused on it you know, this is a very difficult process.' They were very nice about it."

Suzy DeFrancis, a White House spokeswoman, said on Sunday: "I'm sure Rudy Giuliani is held in high respect at the White House and among the American people as well. He's a great supporter of the president."

The invitation to the Christmas dinner, in fact, came well before Mr. Kerik's nomination.

Mr. Giuliani and his wife were also overnight guests during the campaign at the president's 1,600-acre ranch in Texas, an invitation the president reserves for prime ministers, heads of state and his closest friends. The sleepover, Republicans said, was both a thank-you for Mr. Giuliani's tireless campaigning and a reflection of the president's political need to publicly associate himself with the man who rallied New York after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

"If the war on terror is your campaign's number one issue, there's no better symbol of that than Rudy Giuliani," said a government official who knows Mr. Bush and Mr. Giuliani and who asked not to be identified because he did not want to be seen as denigrating the mayor's relationship with the president. "But you shouldn't confuse that with closeness."

Mr. Giuliani said in the interview that he could not recall when he met Mr. Bush, but said he first spent significant time with him on a trip to Austin, Tex., in the fall of 1999. Mr. Giuliani, then mayor, was close to running for the Senate against Hillary Rodham Clinton, and Mr. Bush, then governor, would soon be running in the Republican primaries against Senator John McCain of Arizona.

"I went to visit him because I was trying to decide who to support - John McCain, who I knew really well, who was a good friend, or Governor Bush, who I didn't know as well, but I thought had a better chance of winning," Mr. Giuliani said.

The mayor ended up endorsing the better bet, Mr. Bush. But during the Republican primary in New York the following March, he barely appeared in public at the side of Mr. Bush, who was fresh from his embrace of religious conservatives in the South Carolina primary. Instead, Mr. Giuliani lavished praise on the independent-minded Mr. McCain. Mr. Giuliani's advisers worried at the time that if the mayor made too many appearances with Mr. Bush, he would alienate the Democrats and swing voters he needed to defeat Mrs. Clinton. Mr. Bush's advisers brushed off the mayor's brush-off as a necessity of New York politics.

But Republicans say that Mr. Bush felt little affection for Mr. Giuliani, and that he was particularly perplexed as the mayor allowed his personal life to unravel publicly in the spring of 2000.

"There aren't a lot of people close to the president who have those kind of experiences," said the Republican close to the administration, referring to Mr. Giuliani's admissions of infidelity with the woman who became his third wife and to his bitter split from his second wife, Donna Hanover.

"It's an issue of not understanding it. I've had discussions with him where he's asked, 'What's this guy all about?' "

But on the morning that two commercial airliners flew into the World Trade Center, a new relationship between the two men was forged. People close to Mr. Bush say he considers the mayor a true hero for his actions on that day and developed a bond with him in the aftermath. Mr. Giuliani readily agreed.

"He gave us immediately all the things that we needed," Mr. Giuliani recalled. "We got all the resources of the federal government put at our disposal, mine and the governor's."

Mr. Giuliani added: "He just told them, 'Give him everything he wants and make sure they have all the support that they need and put all your people right there and let's break down all the barriers."'

Since then, Mr. Giuliani has been repeatedly mentioned as a possibility for a cabinet position, although rarely, if ever, by anyone in the inner circle at the White House. Although the White House has noticed that Mr. Giuliani is far less combative than he was during his days at City Hall, a top administration official once noted that the former mayor would be good for any job that didn't require him to get along with people.

Advisers to Mr. Bush add that as Mr. Giuliani contemplates a run for president in 2008, there is virtually no chance he will be named to a position in the administration because he would have, they say, his own agenda.

As for Mr. Giuliani, he said he expected to soon have Mr. Kerik back in the Times Square offices of Giuliani Partners, where they have worked together since leaving city government at the end of 2001. The partnership, which is staffed by many of Mr. Giuliani's top former City Hall aides, will emerge from this debacle largely unscathed, Mr. Giuliani insisted.

Ultimately, Mr. Giuliani said, the most damaging part for him about the turn of events over the last two weeks is not the political implications.

"It is a personal embarrassment," he said. "I don't like making mistakes. This is something that could have been avoided."

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 10:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Bar & Restaurant
388 Grand Street @ Havemeyer
Brooklyn, New York
718.302.5514
WEBSITE

We checked out this newish Williamsburg bar recently and were pleasantly surprised at how much fun we had.

From City Rag:
"Tainted Lady Lounge is off to a howling start! the newest project from NY bar legend Deb Parker (NoTell Motel, Babyland, Beauty Bar, Barmacy) opened at Grand and Havemeyer ... Deb's artistry is in bringing together unusual, amazing collections; surrounding them with sexy and comfortable design, lighting and music; and topping it off by filling the bar with cool people (staff and patrons.) the result is a bar that's funky, dark, intimate, detailed and crazy fun, with a fantastic collection of naked lady paintings."

Click here for more

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 07:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dinner and art in a cool setting
Friday December 10 (8 & 10pm)
at Monkey Town (222 Leonard St, Williamsburg, 718.384.1369)

From Flavorpill:
"Monkey Town, an immersive environment in which guests are surrounded by four screens, is the perfect venue in which to get lost in Sagan's Unseen Forces. This audiovisual project begins with a mesmerizing portrayal (incorporating flashlights) of the big bang theory, set to an otherworldly score that combines synths and glitchy trip-hop, followed by a trio of black-and-white shorts that slyly put late, great cosmic thinkers in compromising fictional situations. With a name derived from astronomy wonder Carl Sagan, the multimedia collective -- comprised of Blevin Blectum, J Lesser, Jon Leidecker, and Ryan Junell -- does its namesake proud. Also playing tonight are a collection of music videos from the Dead Texan, a collaboration between Adam Wiltzie (Stars of the Lid) and video artist Christina Vantzos."

Tonight's Menu:

Shaved Fennel & Pomegranate Salad ($6)
w/ mint & habanero vinaigrette
Baccala Squash Chowder ($8)
Thyme Pesto Polenta ($10)
w/ smoked tofu & herbs
Braised Beef Short Ribs ($14)
w/ spiced oatmeal cake & Chinese long beans

Click here for more

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 11:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From President Bush to whoever is in charge of Iraq these days
To Whom It May Concern:

I bet this is you, Rummy, but I don't want to say it outright, for the sake of what is called "Plausible Deniability."

All right. We've got this election in Iraq coming on January 30. The problem, as I see it, is that most of the country is exploding. Exploding countries don't have the best elections. I remember when I was running against Senator Atheist Tax-a-Lot Flip-Flopper (I'm talking about John Kerry, here. You might recall how that election turned out. I won. With a mandate.), I recall thinking, Well, I hope the country doesn't explode, because that would be bad.

Bad and exploding is what we've got in Iraq these days. Also, there seem to be a lot of executions going on. The good news is that these terrorists are mostly executing Iraqis, and our constituency doesn't give a rat's ass for Iraqis. Unborn babies they're nuts about, but you put a hole in some full-grown Iraqi cop's head and they change the channels, which helps. The bad news is, it's hard to go door-to-door campaigning when the other party's shooting at you.

We've got Sunnis asking that we delay the elections (Sounds like they should change their name to "later-is." Get it?) until after we put out some of the fires in that famous "Triangle of Death" north of Baghdad. (Note to the Iraqi minister of tourism: maybe they should change that name) We've got Shiites (I've got a great joke about their name too, but save it for later) saying you can't delay democracy, and the CIA's saying we're going to have a civil war either way. Good thing no one listens to them anymore.

So here's what we're going to do: Remember when we put Allawi in power? All those liberal media were saying there would be a bloodbath, because a prime minister appointed by a foreign occupier would be somehow illegitimate? What did we do? We appointed him a day early. No one knew what to do. It was a triumph, even if we had to celebrate in an isolated hotel room, in the dark. So what we do is, we hold the Iraqi election early, on January 29.

Now, you're probably saying, Wait a minute, W, how are people going to vote if they don't know the election day? Well, how are they supposed to vote on the 30th? The country's at war. Still, someone's got to vote, or no one wins, right? That's what Karl tells me the usual deal is, anyway.

But we've overlooked something in Iraq. Everyone's talking about the Shiites and the Sunnis and the Kurds, whatever they are, but no one's talking about the largely untapped fundamentalist Christian vote in Iraq.

Now, I know something about this. If we were to send volunteers (Is Estonia still in the coalition of the willing? We could send some of them.) out to the suburbs and the exurbs where they live, and let those people know the election’s going to be early, we get out the vote and presto! A fundamental Christian Democratic Iraq is born! It's democratic, and religion will be part of the constitution, which the Iraqis want anyway, so everyone will be happy!

Get to it, o whoever's running Iraq these days. Now I've got to figure out how to save Social Security. I'm going to be using what John Snow refers to as a Pyramid System. Good luck to me!

--Dan Kilian

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 05:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

The one event worth going to Hoboken for:
Yo La Tengo's Annual Hanukkah Shows at Maxwell's
Pick up your tickets while they last. These shows are always among the best of the year.

Tues. 12/7
Yo La Tengo/Laura Cantrell
8:30 p.m. - $20

Wed. 12/8
Yo La Tengo/special guests
8:30 p.m. - $20

Thurs. 12/9
Yo La Tengo/The Shams
8:30 p.m. - $20

Fri. 12/10
Yo La Tengo/The A Bones
9 p.m. - Sold Out

Sat. 12/11
Yo La Tengo/Eleventh Dream Day
9:30 p.m. - Sold Out

Sun. 12/12
Yo La Tengo/The Coctails
8:30 p.m. - Sold Out

Mon. 12/13
Yo La Tengo/special guests
8:30 p.m. - $20

Tues. 12/14
Yo La Tengo/Calvin Johnson
8:30 p.m. - $20

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 11:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By ROBERT BURNS

CAMP BUEHRING, Kuwait (AP) - Disgrunted U.S. soldiers complained to Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld on Wednesday about the lack of armor for their vehicles and long deployments, drawing a blunt retort from the Pentagon chief.

"You go to war with the Army you have," he said in a rare public airing of rank-and-file concerns among the troops.

In his prepared remarks earlier, Rumsfeld had urged the troops - mostly National Guard and Reserve soldiers - to discount critics of the war in Iraq and to help "win the test of wills" with the insurgents.

Some of soldiers, however, had criticisms of their own - not of the war itself but of how it is being fought.

Army Spc. Thomas Wilson, for example, of the 278th Regimental Combat Team that is comprised mainly of citizen soldiers of the Tennessee Army National Guard, asked Rumsfeld in a question-and-answer session why vehicle armor is still in short supply, nearly two years after the start of the war that ousted Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

"Why do we soldiers have to dig through local landfills for pieces of scrap metal and compromised ballistic glass to uparmor our vehicles?" Wilson asked. A big cheer arose from the approximately 2,300 soldiers in the cavernous hangar who assembled to see and hear the secretary of defense.

Rumsfeld hesitated and asked Wilson to repeat his question.

"We do not have proper armored vehicles to carry with us north," Wilson said after asking again.

Rumsfeld replied that troops should make the best of the conditions they face and said the Army was pushing manufacturers of vehicle armor to produce it as fast as humanly possible.

And, the defense chief added, armor is not always a savior in the kind of combat U.S. troops face in Iraq, where the insurgents' weapon of choice is the roadside bomb, or improvised explosive device that has killed and maimed hundreds, if not thousands, of American troops since the summer of 2003.

"You can have all the armor in the world on a tank and it can (still) be blown up," Rumsfeld said.

Asked later about Wilson's complaint, the deputy commanding general of U.S. forces in Kuwait, Maj. Gen. Gary Speer, said in an interview that as far as he knows, every vehicle that is deploying to Iraq from Camp Buehring in Kuwait has at least "Level 3" armor. That means it at least has locally fabricated armor for its side panels, but not necessarily bulletproof windows or protection against explosions that penetrate the floorboard.

Speer said he was not aware that soldiers were searching landfills for scrap metal and used bulletproof glass.

During the question-and-answer session, another soldier complained that active-duty Army units sometimes get priority over the National Guard and Reserve units for the best equipment in Iraq.

"There's no way I can prove it, but I am told the Army is breaking its neck to see that there is not" discrimination against the National Guard and Reserve in terms of providing equipment, Rumsfeld said.

Yet another soldier asked, without putting it to Rumsfeld as a direct criticism, how much longer the Army will continue using its "stop loss" power to prevent soldiers from leaving the service who are otherwise eligible to retire or quit.

Rumsfeld said that this condition was simply a fact of life for soldiers at time of war.

"It's basically a sound principle, it's nothing new, it's been well understood" by soldiers, he said. "My guess is it will continue to be used as little as possible, but that it will continue to be used."

In his opening remarks, Rumsfeld stressed that soldiers who are heading to Iraq should not believe those who say the insurgents cannot be defeated or who otherwise doubt the will of the military to win.

"They say we can't prevail. I see that violence and say we must win," Rumsfeld said.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 11:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

The First Amendment Project: Fox vs. Franken
Directed by Chris Hegedus and Nick Doob
Premieres December 7th, 9:00pm on Sundance

Directed by Chris Hegedus and Nick Doob. FOX vs. Franken looks at the story behind Fox Television's legal efforts to halt publication of Al Franken's book Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right. Beginning with Franken's comic account of his inspiration in writing the book, the film mixes humor with its lucid account of the case's First Amendment underpinnings.
(Thanks to the peeps at Gawker for the reminder)

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 04:32 PM