Wednesday, September 7th, 2005

Support NOLA Community Organizers And Musicians

If you, like me, are rapidly becoming skeptical of the way official “relief” agencies are handling the needs of people of the Gulf Coast, and have been wary of the hundreds of scam charities, check out these and consider moving your money in their direction.

The first is New Orleans Network, which has been put together by community-based organizers that, previous to the flood, were working daily on grassroots issues. In particular, there are activists who have been central to the League of Independent Voters and the National Hip-Hop Political Convention. In the coming weeks, we’ll be telling their stories in various spaces–stay tuned for that. In the meantime, their efforts need your assistance. Check out the site and consider giving your money to them.

The other is ReNew Orleans, which is raising funds by selling t-shirts. The effort will directly fund the Preservation Hall Hurricane Relief Fund.

I’m down to list others that any of you may suggest. These are the two that are getting priority from me right now.

posted by @ 10:00 am | 0 Comments

Friday, September 2nd, 2005

New Orleans, the Bushes, and the Politics of Abandonment

In New Orleans, the end of George W. Bush’s term begins. It exposes his morally empty politics of abandonment.

All week, his statements to the press have been terse and out-of-touch, a mix of sunny optimism and defensive posturing, spiked with promises he doesn’t even seem convinced he can deliver. Today he will give a press conference at New Orleans airport, miles away from the Superdome, now Ground Zero of the Flood of 2005.

It will undoubtedly be reminiscent of another Bush speech in the wake of a disaster–his father’s talk in 1992, three days after the start of the Los Angeles riots. At the Superdome, people have been chanting at TV cameras –“we are dying”–and this Bush also cannot escape a sense that he is there with much too little, far too late.

His father’s speech on May 1, 1992 focused on violence, a way of diverting the focus of what was to be the last real debate about urban poverty this nation has had. So instead of rebuilding the city and reversing poverty, the focus of the 1992 urban aid bill shifted to short-term disaster relief, a continuation of years of abandoning the poor to serve the rich.

By now, it’s clear that New Orleans was long abandoned before Hurricane Katrina and the levee breaks forced the city’s actual abandonment. For years, scientists have not only warned of potential levee breaks that could inundate this city, but provided potential solutions. It ranked as one of FEMA’s top 3 most likely catastrophic disasters to occur.

Yet a city that is 2/3rds black and a quarter impoverished never merited the little money that had been asked for to study and shore up sinking levees. Instead, the money went to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, wars that uprooted and then abandoned the poor to once again serve the rich.

As Paul Krugman writes:

I don’t think this is a simple task of incompetence. The reason the military wasn’t rushed in to help along the Gulf Coast is, I believe, the same reason nothing was done to stop looting after the fall of Baghdad. Flood control was neglected for the same reason our troops in Iraq didn’t get adequate armor.

At a fundamental level, I’d argue, our current leaders just aren’t serious about some of the essential functions of government. They like waging war, but they don’t like providing security, rescuing those in need or spending on protective measures. And they never ever ask for shared sacrifice…

So America, once famous for its can-do attitude, now has a can’t-do governemnt that makes excuses instead of doing its job. And while it makes those excuses, Americans are dying.

New Orleans, and other places in Mississippi and Alabama today, are not too different from Los Angeles in 1992, the Bronx in 1977, or Baghdad and Kabul in 2005.

They provide parallel images now–a complicated visual jigsaw of mass tragedy, starvation, disease, thug warfare, and at the same time, a spontaneous outpouring of collective empathy, sacrifice, and support.

This is death from above.

posted by @ 9:35 am | 13 Comments

Wednesday, August 31st, 2005

A Prayer For New Orleans

To all the poor people who couldn’t leave the city, to all those called looters for trying to take care of their family, to all those who lost more than they thought they could, our deepest prayers and hopes go out to you.

Here’s Randy Newman on the Flood of 1927:


“What has happened down here is the wind have changed

Clouds roll in from the north and it started to rain

Rained real hard and rained for a real long time

Six feet of water in the streets of Evangeline

The river rose all day

The river rose all night

Some people got lost in the flood

Some people got away alright

The river have busted through clear down to Plaquemines

Six feet of water in the streets of Evangelne

Louisiana, Louisiana

They’re tryin’ to wash us away

They’re tryin’ to wash us away

Louisiana, Louisiana

They’re tryin’ to wash us away

They’re tryin’ to wash us away”

posted by @ 1:31 pm | 2 Comments

Monday, August 29th, 2005

DMC and LL Cool J on Fresh Air Tomorrow

Here’s the promo for tomorrow’s Fresh Air. In the meantime, you can get Herc, Flash, and Melle Mel on their website today:

On the next Fresh Air – Hip Hop week continues with DARRYL MCDANIELS… the
DMC of Run DMC. They were the first rap group to earn gold, platinum and
multi-platinum albums. We’ll also hear from L.L. COOL J. Join us for Hip
Hop Week on the next Fresh Air.

posted by @ 9:23 am | 1 Comment

Sunday, August 28th, 2005

Hawai’i Dominates Little League, Brah!


Gimme 1 large combo plate, gravy on da rice, side order poi!

West Oahu beat reigning champs Curacao to take the Little League World Series title. The Oahu All Stars took the Cal Ripken World Series last week. Both are events for 11- and 12-year olds, with the Ripken as the top prize for Babe Ruth Leagues and the Little League World Series as the top prize overall. Three other teams from Hawai’i played in World Series matches this year. Yeah buddy!

And yes, people. It’s the poi.

posted by @ 10:03 pm | 5 Comments

Sunday, August 28th, 2005

Hip-Hop Week on NPR’s Fresh Air

Here’s the promo copy for Monday’s show on Hip-Hop Week on Fresh Air. I’m told that they will be deciding day-to-day on the content, so I’ll post as I hear about it:

On the next Fresh Air, GRANDMASTER FLASH and DJ KOOL HERC bring on the funk and tell tales about the old school as we kick off our end of the summer Hip Hop Week –featuring some of the greatest names in rap, including Will Smith, Queen Latifah, the RZA and LL Cool J. Join Terry Gross for the next Fresh Air.

posted by @ 3:11 pm | 1 Comment

Thursday, August 25th, 2005

End of Summer Jammies

Late on this due to vacating, but thank you Dusted!

posted by @ 8:56 am | 0 Comments

Thursday, August 25th, 2005

LA’s War On Graffiti Continues

From the good folks at 149th comes this story:

Los Angeles is often called the mural capital of the world — and no place is this truer than on the streets of Boyle Heights, where hundreds of walls at pharmacies, general stores, guitar shops and even churches have been transformed into urban artwork.

The murals depict Mexican American history, advertise businesses and take the form of abstract art at the hands of graffiti taggers.

But now some residents complain that they cannot tell some of the murals from the illegal graffiti that have long plagued the area. So the city is cracking down.

Using a little-known ordinance that allows the city to regulate murals that abut public property — including sidewalks — officials have notified some property owners that they must either modify or remove their murals.

This renewed war on graf began with the arrival of Police Chief William Bratton, and now appears to be making headlines again as new Mayor Villaraigosa swings right after being elected by a liberal-progressive, brown-black coalition.

posted by @ 8:32 am | 2 Comments

Wednesday, August 24th, 2005

Terry Gross Fresh Air Hip-Hop Week

More radio madness! Just got word that not only will NPR be rebroadcasting DJ Kool Herc’s interview with Terry Gross on Fresh Air next Monday–but the whole week will be dedicated to re-airing Terry Gross’ hip-hop interviews.

Apparently they have a huge library of interviews that Terry has conducted going back to the late 80s, including Grandmaster Flash, Melle Mel, DMC, and Arthur Baker. Who knew?

Right now they are apparently still deciding which ones to bring back, but the classic RZA interview will almost certainly be on. No word on the interviews with Russell, ?uestlove, or De La Soul yet. When I get the full lineup, I’ll post it here.

posted by @ 11:50 am | 1 Comment

Wednesday, August 24th, 2005

Got Hurban? Si!


Lalo Strikes Again!

For more madness on the airwaves, tune in to the Pocho Hour of Power (which I guess makes Lalo and Zul 60 Minute Men!) on KPFK, also available now in Chicago on WRTE!

posted by @ 11:31 am | 0 Comments



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