Download Islands MP3's (thanks Simple Mission) here

From Simple Mission

I know you've been wondering. Where is Nick Diamonds? Where is J'aime? Montreal? LA? NYC? Since winning the hearts of the masses as two/thirds of the French Canadian band the Unicorns, the pair have been busy traveling around this country and theirs working on various musical projects— including a brand new fantastique pop group called Islands.

Diamonds describes his group's new music as "F-14 tomcat blah, blah," which is really French-Canadian slang for fiery, shiny and shimmering madcap pop. Really though, it's wonderful stuff and I couldn't be happier to be the first kid on the block to bring it to you.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 10:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Tonight is opening night for what will be a new Williamsburg staple: AIREOKE. Every Wednesday at Trash Bar (formerly Luxx)

AIREOKE: The world's first and foremost melding of karaoke and air guitar has come to Williamsburg to bring the art of air guitar out of the bedroom and on to the stage for one and all. Hosted by the recently crowned NUMBER ONE AIR GUITARIST in New York, Björn Türoque, AIREOKE is a monthly event where anyone can be a rock star. Choose any song from the list and wail away, sing along, or both. There are no karaoke machines, no bouncing balls, no crappy videos,and absolutely NO guitars. AIREOKE unleashes the guitar legends that live inside us all, and gives air guitarists the chance to achieve AIRNESS!

Tonight at 10pm at Trash Bar (256 Grand St. at Roebling). Six bucks to get in. Open Bar from 9-10pm.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 10:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This is the coolest Science story we've read in a while. Zombie dogs!

SCIENTISTS have created eerie zombie dogs, reanimating the canines after several hours of clinical death in attempts to develop suspended animation for humans.

US scientists have succeeded in reviving the dogs after three hours of clinical death, paving the way for trials on humans within years.

Pittsburgh's Safar Centre for Resuscitation Research has developed a technique in which subject's veins are drained of blood and filled with an ice-cold salt solution.

The animals are considered scientifically dead, as they stop breathing and have no heartbeat or brain activity.

But three hours later, their blood is replaced and the zombie dogs are brought back to life with an electric shock....

"The results are stunning. I think in 10 years we will be able to prevent death in a certain segment of those using this technology," said one US battlefield doctor.

Read the whole article here

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 10:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

According to a new gallup poll, most Americans think Bush is a shitty president. We'd like to be delighted that people are finally coming around, but the fact that another 45% approve of his performance is mind-boggling. Read the whole story here.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 10:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Via Cakehead:

It's Restaurant Week again in New York City. That means it's time to make your reservations at that restaurant you've been wanting to try, but just couldn't afford. Click here for the full list of participating restaurants.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 01:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Santorum's statements on the clergy abuse scandal are nothing less than appalling [Via Atrios]:

It is startling that those in the media and academia appear most disturbed by this aberrant behavior, since they have zealously promoted moral relativism by sanctioning "private" moral matters such as alternative lifestyles. Priests, like all of us, are affected by culture. When the culture is sick, every element in it becomes infected. While it is no excuse for this scandal, it is no surprise that Boston, a seat of academic, political and cultural liberalism in America, lies at the center of the storm.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 01:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (1)

July 16th at Coney Island:
SPOON
BRENDAN BENSON
DUNGEN
Q AND NOT U
THE DEARS
AMBULANCE LTD
DETACHMENT KIT
MATES OF STATE
VHS OR BETA
SAUL WILLIAMS
DIAMOND NIGHTS
MORNINGWOOD
BE YOUR OWN PET
NINE BLACK ALPS

click for more info

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 12:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Warren B. Kanders with his wife. This douchebag's company can't produce enough armor-upgraded humvees to keep the troops safe but has lobbied aggressively for an exclusive contract.

The New York Times had two very enlightening stories yesterday worth mentioning. The first discussed the Pentagon's refusal to supply the troops with safer humvees. Turns out there's an exclusive humvee production contract held by an inept company called O'Gara-Hess & Eisenhardt. Not surprisingly, Warren B. Kanders, the CEO of O'Gara's parent company, Armor Holdings, was a big contributor to the Bush campaign. The failure to produce the humvees needed to keep our troops safe is in part a result of O'Gara's lobbying to keep their exclusive contract with our military. From NYTimes:

The Defense Department continues to rely on just one small company in Ohio to armor Humvees. And the company, O'Gara-Hess & Eisenhardt, has waged an aggressive campaign to hold onto its exclusive deal even as soaring rush orders from Iraq have been plagued by delays. The Marine Corps, for example, is still awaiting the 498 armored Humvees it sought last fall, officials told The Times.

In January, when military officials tried to speed production by buying the legal rights to the armor design so they could enlist other venders to help, O'Gara demurred, calling the move a threat to its "current and future competitive position," according to e-mail records obtained from the Army....

Determined to hold onto its exclusive contract, O'Gara began lobbying Capitol Hill. Among those it drew to its side was Brian T. Hart, an outspoken father of a soldier who was killed in October 2003 while riding in a Humvee. Early last year, as a guest on a national radio show, Mr. Hart urged the Pentagon to involve more armor makers. Two weeks later a lobbyist for O'Gara approached him.

"He informed me that the company had more than enough capacity," Mr. Hart says. "There was no need to second-source."

Mr. Hart then redirected his efforts to help the company push Congress into forcing the Pentagon to buy more armored Humvees. With support from both parties, the company has received more than $1 billion in the past 18 months in military armoring contracts....

Meanwhile, the Army did not give up on trying to speed production by involving more armor makers. Brig. Gen. Patrick O'Reilly said several armor companies were eager to be part of a plan to produce armored Humvees entirely on AM General's assembly line.

In January, when it asked O'Gara to name its price for the design rights for the armor, the company balked and suggested instead that the rights be placed in escrow for the Army to grab should the company ever fail to perform.

"Let's try this again," an Army major replied to the company in an e-mail message. "The question concerned the cost, not a request for an opinion."

The Army has dropped the matter for now, General O'Reilly said, adding that he hoped to have other companies making armor by next April.

Asked why the Marine Corps is still waiting for the 498 Humvees it ordered last year, O'Gara acknowledged that it told the Marines it was backed up with Army orders, and has only begun filling the Marines' request this month.

The other story was by Frank Rich (of course) and detailed a potential conspiracy behind the scenes at Tomlinson's Corporation for Public Broadcasting:

Like the theoretical demise of Big Bird, this funding tug-of-war is a smoke screen that deflects attention from the real story. Look instead at the seemingly paltry $14,170 that, as Stephen Labaton of The New York Times reported on June 16, found its way to a mysterious recipient in Indiana named Fred Mann. Mr. Labaton learned that in 2004 Kenneth Tomlinson, the Karl Rove pal who is chairman of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, clandestinely paid this sum to Mr. Mann to monitor his PBS bête noire, Bill Moyers's "Now."

Now, why would Mr. Tomlinson pay for information that any half-sentient viewer could track with TiVo? Why would he hire someone in Indiana? Why would he keep this contract a secret from his own board? Why, when a reporter exposed his secret, would he try to cover it up by falsely maintaining in a letter to an inquiring member of the Senate, Byron Dorgan, that another CPB executive had "approved and signed" the Mann contract when he had signed it himself? If there's a news story that can be likened to the "third-rate burglary," the canary in the coal mine that invited greater scrutiny of the Nixon administration's darkest ambitions, this strange little sideshow could be it.

After Mr. Labaton's first report, Senator Dorgan, a North Dakota Democrat, called Mr. Tomlinson demanding to see the "product" Mr. Mann had provided for his $14,170 payday. Mr. Tomlinson sent the senator some 50 pages of "raw data." Sifting through those pages when we spoke by phone last week, Mr. Dorgan said it wasn't merely Mr. Moyers's show that was monitored but also the programs of Tavis Smiley and NPR's Diane Rehm.

Their guests were rated either L for liberal or C for conservative, and "anti-administration" was affixed to any segment raising questions about the Bush presidency. Thus was the conservative Republican Senator Chuck Hagel given the same L as Bill Clinton simply because he expressed doubts about Iraq in a discussion mainly devoted to praising Ronald Reagan. Three of The Washington Post's star beat reporters (none of whom covers the White House or politics or writes opinion pieces) were similarly singled out simply for doing their job as journalists by asking questions about administration policies.

"It's pretty scary stuff to judge media, particularly public media, by whether it's pro or anti the president," Senator Dorgan said. "It's unbelievable."

You can read the whole article here.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 03:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Christian Breakdancers at Flushing Meadows

We checked out opening night of the Billy Graham crusade last night with Cakehead. We may be sinners, but who can resist the evangelical freakshow of a self-proclaimed religious crusade. Highlights include us heckling a few teens holding "God Hates Fags" signs and seeing the Christian breakdancers pictured above. But Cakehead captures the crusade's strangest moment best:

My favorite part of the evening was when they had the alter call. Billy said something along the lines of, "if you are open to making Jesus your personal Savior come forward towards me." Then he said, "if you are in one of the satellite sections (where people could only watch Billy on the big screen monitors) walk towards the television screen." The idea of these hungry christians walking towards a tv screen for salvation really cracked me up. Is this not perfect material for a zombie movie?

Read Cakehead's full account here

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 12:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Saturday, June 25th

Billy Effin Graham at Queens Meadows. He's 86 and this will be his last crusade. This promises to be a freak show too bizarre to pass up. We hope to get filled with the Spirit. Provided the spirit is George Dickel, of course. We're bringing a flask. Billy G is guaranteed to end early, so we'll be checking out Comets of Fire at Mighty Robot afterwards.

Miighty Flashlight

Saturday, June 25th

If you've never been to The Mermaid Parade, check it out saturday at Coney Island. Otherwise, here are our picks:

East River Music Project presents
— Brasilia
— Grizzly Bear
— Soft Circle
— Miighty Flashlight (download mp3: 1 | 2)
— Pajo (download mp3)
(East River Park Amphitheatre NYC just south of the Williamsburg Bridge on the Manhattan side) This show goes from 2-6pm. It's free

Then at 7:30, as part of Prospect Park's Celebrate Brooklyn:

New Pornographers / Stars / The Sadies
click here for directions and info.

Sunday, June 26th

Gay Pride, of course. Click here for information.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 09:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

by Monte Holman

Dear Teenage Fanclub:

Please forgive the sterility of the medium. Were we in the UK , we would do this in person. It's been a while since your last solo effort. 2000 brought us Howdy!, and you released the collaboration with Jad Fair, Words of Wisdom, in 2003, which was great—don't get us wrong. But it's been a quiet half-decade for new Teenage Fanclub material. Since you're one of our very favorites and have been for quite some time, we were worried.

So you can imagine our excitement after hearing your latest, Man-Made. And on top of that, you collaborated with John McEntire on this one. Twin powers unite—form of wonderful addition to already stunning discography!

Anyway, thanks for answering our questions. So nice to hear from you again.

(Teenage Fanclub is Norman Blake, Raymond McGinley, Gerard Love, and Francis Macdonald. Norman Blake wrote us back.)

****************************

Norman Blake

This is the first album in five years – why the wait?

We released a compilation in 2003 to fulfil a contractual obligation that we had with Sony, after they inherited the remainder of our Creation contract. That precluded us from releasing a new album.

Why'd you choose John McEntire as a producer, and how did he affect the songs on this album?

Gerry had worked with John on an album that the Pastels had recorded for the soundtrack of a Scottish independent movie called the last great wilderness. When it came time to think about who we would like to work with, Gerry suggested John. We all liked the work that John had done with Stereolab, so he seemed like a good choice. John saw his role as primarily an engineering one (which he did very well). Leaving the song arrangements to us, however; he did some pretty creative stuff when we were mixing.

How do you feel about how Man-Made has been received? Lots of reviews note the album's pop-ness—is that a compliment?

Good reviews are helpful of course in terms of sales, but we tend to take anything that's written about us, with a pinch of salt.

In your sixteen year history, which tour was your favorite?

Difficult to say really. I bumped in to Ken Stringfellow in Glasgow the other week, after an REM show, and we were reminiscing about a European tour that we did together in the 90's. We've had lots of good touring experiences and been lucky enough to play with some great bands.

As I'm typing this, "Teenage Wasteland" is playing on the jukebox in this bar I'm in. Just wanted to point that out.

Pete Townsend has written some great tunes!

You focused on recording and sending demos to labels before playing live shows back in '89. And there was Geffen. And now you've released your latest record on Merge over here and your own PeMa over there. Has there been a philosophical change in the way you view commercial success/accessibility/labels over the last decade and a half? (sidenote: the first Teenage Fanclub song I ever heard was "Balloon" from a compilation CD I got for free for buying a t-shirt at a retail chain, American Eagle. I immediately back-logged and was lucky enough to have a friend who really digs you, but I'm appreciative of your commercially available stuff because it would've been longer before I heard your songs had I not bought that over-priced t-shirt.)

We've travelled a long and circuitous path since our first record was released. I have to say that we're pretty happy where we are now. We're in control of every aspect of what we do as a band. We can do what we want, when we want. Our band life is much simpler now. Philosophically, I would have to say that we think pretty much in the same way now as we did then. We have never had a master plan.

You seem to have a complicated history and a somewhat rotating, semi-full-circle cast of band members. Plus you have more than one singer-songwriter type. How have these things affected your sound?

That's very difficult for me to answer. I suppose that we've settled down to having three songwriters, contributing four songs each, as our modus operandi for the last few albums.

What was the first concert you ever went to?

I like this question,and I'm going to make some people envious here, although I can't remember much about it myself. I saw the Kinks in 1966! I was born in October 65, and was on my first family holiday. We were in Blackpool. My parents took me to the show.

You're about to come over here for a US tour. What comes after that? Do you see yourselves ever tiring of all this?

We're very much looking forward to the US tour. The last time we were over was August 2001. I love making music. It's the best job I can think of.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 09:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

And the irony is, Dems were looking for a way to end terrorism, Neocons like Bush were looking for an excuse to go to Iraq....

From NYTimes
Rove Criticizes Liberals on 9/11
By PATRICK D. HEALY

Karl Rove came to the heart of Manhattan last night to rhapsodize about the decline of liberalism in politics, saying Democrats responded weakly to Sept. 11 and had placed American troops in greater danger by criticizing their actions.

"Conservatives saw the savagery of 9/11 in the attacks and prepared for war; liberals saw the savagery of the 9/11 attacks and wanted to prepare indictments and offer therapy and understanding for our attackers," Mr. Rove, the senior political adviser to President Bush, said at a fund-raiser in Midtown for the Conservative Party of New York State.

Citing calls by progressive groups to respond carefully to the attacks, Mr. Rove said to the applause of several hundred audience members, "I don't know about you, but moderation and restraint is not what I felt when I watched the twin towers crumble to the ground, a side of the Pentagon destroyed, and almost 3,000 of our fellow citizens perish in flames and rubble."

Told of Mr. Rove's remarks, Senator Charles E. Schumer, Democrat of New York, replied: "In New York, where everyone unified after 9/11, the last thing we need is somebody who seeks to divide us for political purposes."

Mr. Rove also said American armed forces overseas were in more jeopardy as a result of remarks last week by Senator Richard J. Durbin, Democrat of Illinois, who compared American mistreatment of detainees to the acts of "Nazis, Soviets in their gulags, or some mad regime - Pol Pot or others."

"Has there ever been a more revealing moment this year?" Mr. Rove asked. "Let me just put this in fairly simple terms: Al Jazeera now broadcasts the words of Senator Durbin to the Mideast, certainly putting our troops in greater danger. No more needs to be said about the motives of liberals."

Gov. George E. Pataki of New York, speaking after Mr. Rove, also touched on the Sept. 11 attacks. He promised that the proposed Freedom Tower, the new building at ground zero, would retain patriotic touches in its architecture, like a height of 1,776 feet, despite the concerns of some observers who fear that it would become a target for terrorists.

"We're going to have a Freedom Tower that soars 1,776 feet high, symbolizing our independence," Mr. Pataki said. As for the memorial, he said: "No one is going to turn it into something that is a negative statement about America and our belief in freedom, so long as I am governor of this state."

Speaking to reporters afterward, Mr. Pataki disclosed that he did not plan to reveal in the coming days if he will seek a fourth term, contrary to previous statements that he would make an announcement after the State Legislature adjourned today.

"I'm going to evaluate the bills that the Legislature has passed at the end of the session and then make a decision at the appropriate time, but not in the next couple of weeks," Mr. Pataki said.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 08:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The AFI just released their 100 best film quotes. We can't believe they excluded Fight Club's "My God... I haven't been fucked like that since grade school." Here's the top 25. Add your favorites in comments.

1. "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn." Gone with the Wind, 1939
2. "I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse." The Godfather, 1972
3. "You don't understand! I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I could've been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am." On the Waterfront, 1954
4. "Toto, I've got a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore." The Wizard of Oz, 1939
5. "Here's looking at you, kid." Casablanca, 1942
6. "Go ahead, make my day." Sudden Impact, 1983
7. "All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up." Sunset Blvd., 1950
8. "May the Force be with you." Star Wars, 1977
9. "Fasten your seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy night." All About Eve, 1950
10. "You talking to me?" Taxi Driver, 1976
11. "What we've got here is failure to communicate." Cool Hand Luke, 1967
12. "I love the smell of napalm in the morning." Apocalypse Now, 1979
13. "Love means never having to say you're sorry." Love Story, 1970
14. "The stuff that dreams are made of." The Maltese Falcon, 1941
15. "E.T. phone home." E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, 1982
16. "They call me Mister Tibbs!" In the Heat of the Night, 1967
17. "Rosebud." Citizen Kane, 1941
18. "Made it, Ma! Top of the world!" White Heat, 1949
19. "I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore!" Network, 1976
20. "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." Casablanca, 1942
21. "A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti." The Silence of the Lambs, 1991
22. "Bond. James Bond." Dr. No, 1962
23. "There's no place like home." The Wizard of Oz, 1939
24. "I am big! It's the pictures that got small." Sunset Blvd., 1950
25. "Show me the money!" Jerry Maguire, 1996

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 09:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Clifford the Big Red Dog, with Representative Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts and others, headed to a Capitol Hill news conference to protest proposed financing cuts for public broadcasting.

We couldn't agree more with Representative Markey, but he definitely needs a more intimidating posse.

From NYTimes

WASHINGTON, June 21 - Sixteen Democratic senators called on President Bush to remove Kenneth Y. Tomlinson as head of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting because of their concerns that he is injecting partisan politics into public radio and television.

"We urge you to immediately replace Mr. Tomlinson with an executive who takes his or her responsibility to the public television system seriously, not one who so seriously undermines the credibility and mission of public television," wrote the senators.

They included Charles E. Schumer of New York, Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut, Jon Corzine and Frank R. Lautenberg of New Jersey, Bill Nelson of Florida, Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts and Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer of California.

Also on Tuesday, Democratic lawmakers joined other supporters of public broadcasting, including children and characters from PBS children's programs, to protest House Republicans' proposed cuts in financing for the corporation.

The Democrats' letter follows a series of disclosures about Mr. Tomlinson that are now under investigation by the corporation's inspector general, including his decision to hire a researcher to monitor the political leanings of guests on the public policy program "Now," the use of a White House official to set up an ombudsman's office to scrutinize public radio and television programs for political balance, and payments approved by Mr. Tomlinson to two Republican lobbyists last year.

Mr. Tomlinson said he would not resign.

"There is no reason for me to step down from the chairmanship of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting," he said. "I am confident that the inspector general's report will conclude that all of my actions were taken in accordance with the relevant rules and regulations and the traditions of CPB."

The White House said Mr. Bush continued to support Mr. Tomlinson.

"Mr. Tomlinson was first nominated to the board by the past administration and was renominated in 2003," said Erin Healy, a White House spokeswoman. "He is the chair of an independent bipartisan board, and the president stands by the chairman."

A new problem emerged for Mr. Tomlinson on Tuesday, when evidence surfaced that he might have provided incorrect information about the hiring of a researcher last year to monitor political leanings of the guests of the "Now" program.

In a letter to Senator Byron L. Dorgan, Democrat of North Dakota, on May 24, Mr. Tomlinson said he saw no need to consult with the board about the contract with the researcher, Fred Mann, because it was "approved and signed by then CPB President, Kathleen Cox." But a copy of the contract provided by a person unhappy with Mr. Tomlinson's leadership shows that Mr. Tomlinson signed it on Feb. 3, 2004, five months before Ms. Cox became president. Ms. Cox stepped down in April after the board did not renew her contract.

Mr. Mann, who was paid $14,170 for his work by the taxpayer-financed corporation, rated the guests on the show by such labels as "anti-Bush" or "anti-DeLay," a reference to Representative Tom DeLay of Texas, the House majority leader. He classified Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska as a "liberal," even though Mr. Hagel is well-known as a mainstream conservative Republican.

Asked about the apparent discrepancy between the contract he signed and what he wrote to Mr. Dorgan, Mr. Tomlinson declined through a spokesman to comment.

Mr. Dorgan was sharply critical of Mr. Tomlinson.

"If he signed the contract, he was not telling the truth, which would be very troubling," Mr. Dorgan said on Tuesday. "He's trying to pawn some responsibility for this on others, which is very troubling. This guy has some real credibility problems."

At its first public meeting since the inquiry began, the corporation's board on Tuesday did not address who should be the organization's next president.

Mr. Tomlinson had made it clear in recent weeks that his top choice is Patricia Harrison, an assistant secretary of state and former co-chairwoman of the Republican National Committee. Public broadcasting executives say the choice is another instance of injecting politics into an organization that is supposed to be a political buffer. Mr. Tomlinson has told at least one lawmaker that Ms. Harrison would be a smart choice because of her credibility at the White House and on Capitol Hill.

Mr. Tomlinson began the meeting by calling for a bipartisan approach to public broadcasting: "When people with partisan positions come to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, they leave their partisan positions at the door."

The other Democratic senators who signed the letter were Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware; Maria Cantwell of Washington; Richard J. Durbin of Illinois; Tom Harkin of Iowa; Patrick J. Leahy of Vermont; Barbara A. Mikulski of Maryland; Debbie Stabenow of Michigan; and Ron Wyden of Oregon.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 10:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In addition to The New Pornographers show at the Prospect Park Bandshell on Saturday, our friends over at cakehead have listed some great picnic ideas for those of us feeling a little stir crazy inside our cramped apartments:

With that fluke of a heatwave far in New York City's past and with free the concert season kicked off, it's time to mark your calendar and prepare your picnic basket.

This week's free picnic-friendly events include:
Tonight, June 21, 2005, 7 PM: The Metropolitan Opera performs Samson et Dalila by Camille Saint-Saëns in Prospect Park's Long Meadow.

Read the full list here

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 06:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This isn't until September, but worth mentioning:

9/24 - Coney Island, NY (at Keyspan Park)
White Stripes with The Shins and Brendan Benson

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 05:59 PM | Permalink

Now that the Jacko trial is over, CNN president Jonathan Klein is once again claiming that it's time to buckle down and start reporting real news. A recent Newsweek article on Klein even poses the question in regard to CNN: "Will a more highbrow plan work in a tabloid era?"

We've been hearing since November 2004, when Jonathan Klein took over the sinking ship known as CNN, that he was going to make CNN "more highbrow." You know, less Brangelina and Wacko Jacko in favor of real journalism. So when is this supposed transformation going to happen? Over the last 8 months we have seen countless hours devoted to Jacko, not to mention the runaway bride on CNN. Still major news outlets continue to buy Klein's promise of a more highbrow CNN:

From Newsweek:
Klein has moved aggressively to make CNN's prime-time producers shift their focus to longer, more-polished pieces, eventually creating a sort of "60 Minutes" every night.

Where's the evidence of this aggressive shift? When Klein waxes poetic about CNN going highbrow, it's simply spin. A bluff. The old advertising adage applies, if you say something enough times, people will begin to believe it. (At least the dense people who write for Newsweek). Given Klein's fluff-filled Jacko/Brangelina-friendly track record, does anybody believe Klein for a second? Here's a choice chunk from the Newsweek article:

[Klein] was concerned that their evening coverage of the not-guilty verdict was destined to be stale. "We have a less interesting story now," Klein told his deputies. "What is there original to say about Michael Jackson at this point?"

"Michael dressed like Captain Crunch, walking out of the limousine." He marveled at opportunities lost: "We could have done 60 stories during that time."

Yes, you sure could have Mr. Klein.

At this point, Klein reeks worse than a cheating husband who comes home smelling like cheap perfume swearing that it will never, ever happen again.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 04:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

click me

Don't know what this is about? Read the Downing Street Memo here.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 03:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

That's right, believe it or not they've turned Jonathan Safran Foer's book into a movie. It stars Elijah Wood no less....you know, the guy who will come to hate the nickname Frodo more that Rob Reiner loathes Meathead. Here's a taste of reader of depressing books' review: [Via Gawker]

after the screening, we were given 'grade' sheets

where it asked us if the ending should be changed, if anything should be changed, if there was anything we didn't like and how to change it so we would like it

i wanted to punch someone in the face

but i wasn't sure who exactly

you can read the whole review here.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 01:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Brand Nubian

The Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival is an all-day outdoor event celebrating Hip Hop music and culture in New York's most beautiful borough. Brought to you by Room Service, Seven Heads, and The Brooklyn Brewery.

When: Saturday, June 18th, 1-7pm
At the Brooklyn Brewery
Featuring Brand Nubian, Little Brother, Rhymefest, and Leela James
Get tickets and info here

Hailing from New Rochelle, NY Brand Nubian formed in 1989. Known for their storytelling style and politically motivated lyrics, the group signed to Elektra and released their breakthrough album, "One For All." Members Lord Jamal, Grand Puba and Sadat X have created many Hip Hop classics including "Slow Down," "Love Me or Leave Me Alone," "One For All," and street favorite "Punks Jump Up to Get Beat Down."

Little Brother's members MC's Phonte and Big Pooh, along with DJ/Producer 9th Wonder met in 1998 while attending North Carolina Central University. Members of the Durham Hip Hop's Justus League crew, the group released their first album The Listening on ABB Records. They are gearing up for their sophomore album release this summer.

Fresh off his 2005 Grammy win for co-writing the rap song of the year "Jesus Walks" with Kanye West, Chicago native, Rhymefest is set to release his highly- anticipated debut album Blue Collar, this summer on celebrity DJ Mark Ronson's Allido Records/J Records. The sharp-witted MC is expected to have fellow Chi-town representatives, Kanye, Twista, Common and Carl Thomas as well as Q-Tip and the late Dirt McGirt (aka ODB) featured on his album. This will be his first major performance in NYC and Brooklyn in particular.

One listen to Leela James's music and it's evident that James is a pupil and conduit of classic soul. Alma Geddy-Romero, went on to say, "We're really excited to add Leela to the line up as an extension of the marketing campaign we are doing for her project. My DJs love her music, and I'm positive the festival attendees will as well."

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 10:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This confounding medical jargon confused us:

From CNN
Mount McKinley climbers threatened by 'virus-laden poo'

Mountaineers who ascend North America's loftiest peak are often brought down to earth by "virus-laden poo" left behind by previous climbers, a medical report says....

"They think they're going out on a pristine climb and there's virus-laden poo all around them," said Dr. Bradford Gessner, a mountaineer and one of the study's authors.

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Posted by freewilliamsburg at 12:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Matt Drudge is such a douchebag. These are two current link titles on his site:

Sen. Durbin [D-IL] took the Senate floor yesterday and likened American servicemen to Nazis... Refuses to apologize...

He fails to mention the most important part; Durbin is speaking very generically of Americans in Guantanamo Bay who are accused of torture and degredation. Here's the transcript:

When you read some of the graphic descriptions of what has occurred here [at Guantanamo Bay] — I almost hesitate to put them in the [Congressional] Record, and yet they have to be added to this debate. Let me read to you what one FBI agent saw. And I quote from his report:

"On a couple of occasions, I entered interview rooms to find a detainee chained hand and foot in a fetal position to the floor, with no chair, food or water. Most times they urinated or defecated on themselves, and had been left there for 18-24 hours or more. On one occasion, the air conditioning had been turned down so far and the temperature was so cold in the room, that the barefooted detainee was shaking with cold. . . . On another occasion, the [air conditioner] had been turned off, making the temperature in the unventilated room well over 100 degrees. The detainee was almost unconscious on the floor, with a pile of hair next to him. He had apparently been literally pulling his hair out throughout the night. On another occasion, not only was the temperature unbearably hot, but extremely loud rap music was being played in the room, and had been since the day before, with the detainee chained hand and foot in the fetal position on the tile floor."

If I read this to you and did not tell you that it was an FBI agent describing what Americans had done to prisoners in their control, you would most certainly believe this must have been done by Nazis, Soviets in their gulags, or some mad regime — Pol Pot or others — that had no concern for human beings. Sadly, that is not the case. This was the action of Americans in the treatment of their prisoners.

Providing the correct context helps, Matt. Durbin should know that throwing out the term Nazi is only going to get him in trouble, but he wasn't talking about our servicemen overseas on the streets of Fallujah. He was referring to American interrogators who have been exposed as torturers by the FBI.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 10:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Tomorrow, (Thursday, June 16, 2005) the House Appropriations Committee will decide whether to approve 25% cuts to NPR and PBS. The House is threatening to eliminate all public funding for NPR and PBS, starting with "Sesame Street," "Reading Rainbow" and other commercial-free children's shows. Sign the petition to Congress opposing these massive cuts to public broadcasting.

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 04:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

This looks like a great line-up. Will be worth the trip:
(Via Brooklyn Vegan)

The Newport Folk Fest in Newport, Rhode Island is happening August 6th & 7th, 2005.

Lineup:
Elvis Costello & The Imposters
Bright Eyes
M Ward
Del McCoury
Jim Lauderdale
Emmylou Harris
and JUST ADDED: The Pixies (accoustic)

click here for more

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 09:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Group Sounds begin their residency Tuesday June 14th at Sin-e. If you haven't heard them yet, be sure to check them out. They recently opened for The Kills and offer up fun, unpretentious pop that's a welcome break from the derivative post-punk that's monopolizing New York clubs these days.

MP3's
Business before pleasure | Things fall apart

Live Dates:
June 14th, 21st, 28th @ Sin-e
August 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th, 31st @ Pianos

Posted by freewilliamsburg at 09:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)