NYTimes statement in regard to Judith Miller’s incarceration:

“There are times when the greater good of our democracy demands an act of conscience. Judy has chosen such an act in honoring her promise of confidentiality to her sources. She believes, as do we, that the free flow of information is critical to an informed citizenry.
“It has been more than 25 years since Myron Farber, a Times reporter, was jailed and The Times was fined for refusing to provide the names of confidential sources. Subsequently, Mr. Farber and The Times were pardoned and the fines were returned. The case prompted many states to enact shield laws to protect journalists and to help ensure that the public receives information so important in a democracy. I sincerely hope that now Congress will move forward on federal shield legislation so that other journalists will not have to face imprisonment for doing their jobs.
“In the days, weeks and months ahead, The New York Times Company will do all that we can to ensure Judy’s safety and continue to fight for the principles that led her to make a most difficult and honorable choice.”

You probably heard that Sufjan Stevens’ new record Illinoise was pulled from shelves yesterday. Turns out, DC Comics wasn’t pleased about the inclusion of Superman on the cover. They issued a cease and desist.
While we patiently await a new release date, why not cool down with three Sufjan Xmas records. With this awful humidity, God knows we could use a little December right now. And in case you missed our prior post, here’s a MP3 from Illinoise.
[Thanks OneLouder for the tip.]

Caroline McCarthy’s, “Mirage” – Part of The Green Ray exhibit at Parker’s Box
We just popped the cork on Keane Pepper’s latest Williamsburg Art Crawl. Read the first entry of his new blog here.

Lawrence O’Donnell on the Huffington Post:

I revealed in yesterday’s taping of the McLaughlin Group that Time magazine’s emails will reveal that Karl Rove was Matt Cooper’s source. I have known this for months but didn’t want to say it at a time that would risk me getting dragged into the grand jury.
McLaughlin is seen in some markets on Friday night, so some websites have picked it up, including Drudge, but I don’t expect it to have much impact because McLaughlin is not considered a news show and it will be pre-empted in the big markets on Sunday because of tennis.
Since I revealed the big scoop, I have had it reconfirmed by yet another highly authoritative source. Too many people know this. It should break wide open this week. I know Newsweek is working on an ‘It’s Rove!’ story and will probably break it tomorrow.

Lawrence O’Donnell, senior MSNBC political analyst:

“And I know I’m going to get pulled into the grand jury for saying this but the source of… for Matt Cooper was Karl Rove, and that will be revealed in this document dump that Time magazine’s going to do with the grand jury.”

Read the article

Nothing makes us feel more patriotic than the Yankee Doodle Chicken Man. Thanks CAKEHEAD for bringing this to our attention. Lots to do this weekend, including burning a flag to protest our country’s Jesusy detour. You know, before it becomes a felony. Here are some other highlights:
Saturday 7-2 (3-9pm)
Warm Up at P.S.1
DJ Harvey w/ Groove Collective and Simon James
22-25 Jackson Ave, LIC
8 bucks includes museum admission
[From Flavorpill]

Not to sound too effusive, but the producers of P.S.1′s parties have stepped up their game (again), and your next nine Saturdays are basically a lock. The museum’s Greater New York 2005 exhibition ‚Äî one of the best surveys of local artists in years ‚Äî is even a compelling reason to occasionally tear yourself from the beer, burgers, and beats in the courtyard, which is tricked out this year with a breathtakingly futuristic, spandex-wrapped canopy/installation piece. The season’s lineup is relentless, kicking off with DJ Harvey’s leftfield disco, acid jazz big band Groove Collective, and Projections’ Simon James dropping all manner of beats and breaks. Wallflowers be warned, Warm Up crowds dance en masse.

July 4
Yo La Tengo, Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks, and Laura Cantrell
Live and free at Battery Park
[From Flavorpill]

Battery Park, Manhattan’s “emerald doorstep,” plays host today to classic indie rock and avant country. Twenty years of consistently great records show Yo La Tengo’s ever-changing brilliance ‚Äî from the blissed-out dronescapes of And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out to their genre-defying masterpiece, 1997′s I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One. Equally essential is Stephen Malkmus, who led ’90s groundbreakers Pavement into timeless territory with his rough-around-the-edges genius, and finally hit his solo stride with 2005′s pleasantly weird Face the Truth. As for Laura Cantrell, legendary BBC DJ John Peel famously championed the folk aesthete, calling her first album “my favorite record of the last 10 years, and possibly my life.

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‚Äî 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.

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.

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

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.