http://blogcritics.org/ A sinister cabal of superior bloggers on music, books, film, popular culture, politics, and technology - updated continuously. en Copyright 2005-2007 by the authors Wed, 30 Jun 2004 11:17:20 EDT http://backend.userland.com/rss Blogcritics.org custom software http://blogcritics.org/ Phillip WinnSunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. Two other factors are involved: full-content feeds have resulted in an unprecedented level of content theft, with BC content appearing on many websites, usually spam sites, without attribution or permission. This duplicate content causes a cascading set of problems, not the least of which is that search engines generally aren't favorable to duplicate content, and don't always guess correctly. Finally, our RSS advertising partner is strongly in favor of short-content feeds. We hope that you'll continue to subscribe to BC via RSS, and when an article grabs your eye, it's only a click away, still free on the BC website. Thank you for your understanding. Administration0@blogcritics.org Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/06/30/111720.php S-Train** My co-blogger on The S-Train Canvass, T-Steel, helped contribute to this entry. Thanks T! :)To me, religion is a personal thing. It's one of the reasons why I don't discuss religion much with people unless it infringes on people's rights and/or uses violent means to spread its doctrine. But I came upon a website called Rapture Ready that, while not violent or right-infringing, preaches ideas that concern me greatly about how we do thing here on Earth.They make broad assumptions and guarantee many things. But one thing they heavily concentrate on are these three principles:1. The rapture is going to strike without warning. 2. The rapture is going to happen suddenly. 3. The rapture is going to be one of the most astonishing events to ever occur.For anyone that doesn't know what the rapture is, it is the mass transporting of believers of Christ to heaven. Rapture Ready then tells us this:I realize this web page will be addressing two audiences: those of you who read this page before the rapture and those of you who read it after the rapture. My focus here will be on those who have found this page after the rapture of the Church. For anyone reading this material before the pre-trib rapture, I highly recommend that you ponder the negative consequences of being left behind and seriously consider committing your life to Jesus if you have not done so already.They then proceed to tell us who "weren't ready for the rapture" what will befall us and what we can do. Wow! As I mentioned before, I am a futurist. I am open to many different ideas and statements. One thing about religion is that it can be deeply felt by people. So when I see sites like Rapture Ready and the cataclysmic event they are describing, I just wonder:One year, planet Earth will look like the biggest 4th of July celebration with all these cataclysmic events upcoming...Ok, I'm having a little fun. But the point is that why is it so easy for us (in general) to preach the "great end-all" but have much difficulty with say, race relations, poverty, and job creation? Hey, I'm down for the great gettin' up morning but shouldn't we be busting are collective asses to make this place better than better? I mean, we have the rapture and other grand events upcoming from other faiths. Shouldn't we make this place, our planet Earth, like heaven? In heaven, according to the experts, there is no hunger, no race problems, we all get along, and we're happy. But what about here? Why not here? I think we should start practicing harder, you know?Let's make Earth like heaven and then we'll be ready for the greatest of the grandest of all time world event to happen.What say you? Culture16962@blogcritics.org Wed, 30 Jun 2004 11:17:20 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/04/26/115939.php S-TrainHere in the Detroit Metro area, the only mass transportation we have is the bus. And it's a BIG PROBLEM. When you talk other mass transit options in Detroit this is what you hear from various sources such as the mayor, city council, county commissioner, corporations, and small business owners:Impossible! Will cost $500 billion for a subway; I've checked the numbers. Rail lines are noisy. The Motor City is about cars! Make dedicated bus lanes. (huh?!?!) Build more highways. (where?!?!) We'll make cars more fuel-efficient.So on and so forth. For here in America, certain things like building subways in existing urban areas is IMPOSSIBLE. Well Thailand doesn't know impossible!Bangkok's long-awaited subway set to transform gridlocked cityBy Pornchai Kittiwongsakul, AFPBANGKOK (AFP) ¿ Thailand's teeming capital may be about to jettison its reputation as one of the most gridlocked cities on earth, as its long-awaited subway system begins trials this week. The inaugural subway line in Bangkok ¿ one of Asia's most congested cities ¿ goes on public trial for six days beginning April 13. Millions of frustrated commuters who endure nightmarish daily journeys through the traffic jams are eagerly awaiting the advent of Bangkok's 'Metro' which will free them from the city's fleet of elderly, fume-belching buses.The inaugural subway line, a $2.5 billion system with 18 stations stretching 12 miles from the northern suburbs to the edge of bustling Chinatown, goes on public trial for six days from Tuesday.Hundreds of thousands of joyriders will be able to get a taste of the gleaming new system, which is due to open for business in June after nearly a year of delays. When all the lines are completed ¿ expected to be by the end of the decade ¿ the combined subway and above ground system will stretch for 69 miles at a total cost of about $7.5 billion.The government funded 80% of the project, which was built by two separate multinational consortiums.Wow! Alot lower than $500 billion. If you want to see pictures, head to the Bangkok Subway website. It is simply amazing what the Thai have accomplished. They had problems and delays and they worked through then. But it's impossible here.I'm noticing a disturbing trend in our great nation. For the "greatest country in the world", we sure are quick to say what can't be done. And we don't give it second thought. This great nation with a vibrant history of pioneers, activists, revolutionaries, inventors, and leaders just says too expensive, not practical, and impossible now. Damn it! We can't even have the coolest cell phones? Leave that to Japan and Korea. C'mon!There shouldn't be NO major urban area in America that can't efficiently move its citizens. This should not be happening in the "greatest nation in the world". Within these borders should be the greatest of everything. But I guess that American spirit is only on display when we are attacked by terrorists and fighting it out in wars (much love to the soldiers in Iraq).And that's a damn shame... Politics15110@blogcritics.org Mon, 26 Apr 2004 11:59:39 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/04/06/000318.php S-TrainSince 9/11, I have never heard the word evil mentioned so much by regular folks and the media. While there is evil in the world, I am very concerned that we are using evil too much to describe people, groups, nations, organizations, etc. Instead of using the Webster's definition of evil, I prefer the definition written by horror author Brian Lumley. In his book Necroscope V: Deadspawn, he defines evil as:The perverse rejection of good...Not the just a rejection of good, the perverse rejection of good. Now we can argue who's good and bad and the varying degrees until the air runs out. My point is that if you don't like a college history professor because he/she is too liberal or too conservative, calling him/her evil doesn't fly (as I have heard some pundits, bloggers, and regular folks say). That professor isn't rejecting good, they are opinionated in a certain belief system. Bill Clinton wasn't evil just like George Bush isn't evil. But they may have had evil folks working with them or advising them. Time will tell. Unions aren't evil. Conservatives (most) aren't evil. Liberals (most) aren't evil. They may anger you but that hardly means they are evil.Evil has a skin. You can feel it. Clammy, cold, slimy, acidic... Being in a gang and roaming the streets, I have seen evil. Soldiers who have fought in wars have seen evil. In our prisons, evil is practiced and relished. If evil was as prevalent as some folks say, we would be living on Planet Chaos And Disorder. And that wouldn't be very nice.I think we need to take deep breaths sometimes and get a grip. Don't just dish out evil like it's Halloween candy. It diminishes what that word means. And too much use and too much emotion in using the word evil can dull you to real evil. Culture14442@blogcritics.org Tue, 6 Apr 2004 00:03:18 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/02/03/145500.php S-TrainA classic GMC brand is about to be put out to pasture. The Oldsmobile 2004 line will be last one.Oldsmobile Dealers Ready to Bury BrandBy JOHN PORRETTO, AP Auto WriterLAS VEGAS - No one's wearing a sandwich board with an ominous message, but for hundreds of Oldsmobile dealers attending their industry's annual convention, there's no denying reality: The end is near."It's time to get on with the burial," said Gary Wight, who has sold Oldsmobiles, the oldest automotive brand name in U.S. history, for 30 years. "It's sad and it's done and it's not going to change. Oldsmobile is a wonderful memory, but there's nothing in the windshield. It's all in the rearview mirror." General Motors Corp. announced in December 2000 it would end production of the struggling Oldsmobile line with the 2004 model year. The company already has stopped making the Intrigue, Aurora and, in the past week, the Bravada sport utility vehicle. That leaves only two models -- the Alero passenger car and Silhouette minivan.Some of my best memories as a child came from riding in my Uncle Redd's '72 Oldsmobile Toronado. He called it "Carla". That car was jet black with silver trim. Always shining. Uncle Redd would pick up my older sister Sandrine and I down in Southwest Detroit (he lived 30 miles away in Ann Arbor). He'd hit Fort Street, connect up to the I-75 South, hit the Jeffries Freeway up to I-94 West and we would just cruise the 30 miles to Ann Arbor. That big 455 V8 just hummin'. Every time we would pass a Ford Motor facilty, Uncle Redd would say in a sing-song voice:And my Toronado's just a tornado eatin' up all those Fords!Once we get in Ann Arbor, we'd hit the Old German restaurant with those big sausage sandwiches. Uncle Redd would tell those long, wonderful stories. And then we would be back in that beautiful Toronado. Just ridin'...Damn... I haven't thought about that car and Uncle Redd in a long, long time. Amazing how one word, in this case Oldsmobile, turns on the memory machine. *SIGH*I'll tip a 40 to your memory, Oldsmobile... I'll always love ya. Culture12327@blogcritics.org Tue, 3 Feb 2004 14:55:00 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/02/03/142648.php S-Train The United States is loaded with jazz vocalists and musicians who are experimenting and producing ground-breaking music. Unfortunately, they are immediately placed and stranded in The Music Desert because of the US music industry's American Idol fetish and Hip-Hop love fest. But in the United Kingdom, they not only encourage and appreciate the jazz visionaries, they have a whole culture of DJs that spin these records.Enter UK multi-instrumentalist and producer Kaidi Tatham aka Agent K.His first and U.S. release Feed The Cat, has been catergorized as broken beat, electronica, and electro-jazz among others. But the masterpiece of Feed The Cat is the near-flawless merging of Jazz (not that smooth jazz stuff), House, and Funk. Agent K brings you into the groove and once there, you get immersed again in melody.The title cut "Feed The Cat" is a simple yet groovy cut with Roy Ayers-esque vocal chants. "Ladies" and "Rideaway Getaway" are stellar productions where the weaving of jazzy keyboard work, sharp funky rhythms, and mystic vocals simply puts you in a state of dance and trance. "Hands" is arguably the best cut and that is hard to say since the entire release is so good. "Hands" is like a kaleidoscope of jazz and house. You can hear the influence of UK acid-jazz powerhouse Incognito and the legendary Roy Ayers but that's all it is, an influence. Agent K's skill is evident as he uses that influence to make original sounding material. The Hammond organ solo at the end of "Hands" is top-notch.Get in line and start feeding the cat. If Agent K's first solo release is an indicator of things to come, I'll be in the front of that line. Music12326@blogcritics.org Tue, 3 Feb 2004 14:26:48 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/12/11/075409.php S-TrainAllmusic.com defines sophisti-pop as:...a smooth, jazzy style of mainstream pop/rock that appeared during the mid-'80s. In addition to jazz, many sophisti-pop artists incorporated sweet pop-soul into their sound, but the synthesizers that usually polished the arrangements marked sophisti-pop as a product of the '80s. With its slick production and mellow, urbane feel, sophisti-pop fit both adult contemporary and quiet storm radio formats...Although considered dead (especially in the United States), sophisti-pop is still strong in the UK and Japan. And Swing Out Sister's latest release Somewhere Deep in the Night fits the bill and ups the ante. I've always liked Corinne Drewery straight-up and clear vocal style and keyboardist Andy Connell's playing style and arrangements. Somewhere Deep In The Night showcases both of their talents fully. The arrangements are grand, airy, and sweeping. The songs full of atmosphere. I remember hearing a Swing Out Sister interview on the now closed Internet radio site EJAVE and Corinne said that this album was "conceived while her and Andy were skiing by starlight in the Swiss Alps". She described the mood as "magical" and "potent". And the album does capture that feeling.Calling Swing Out Sister "retro" is an understatement. Bad retro they aren't. This album is pure 1960s pop/soul British style that would fit old James Bond movies. But Swing Out Sister's jazz chops and song-writing run throughout the album to lend it originality while being retro. Songs like "Now Listen To Me", "Alpine Crossing", "The Vital Thing", and "Fool Tag" are so full of ambiance that you just feel like closing your eyes and floating in the sounds. "Where the Hell Did I Go Wrong" and "Where Do I Go" and sad yet beautiful songs that feature rich arrangements and musicianship. Corinne Drewery simply excels in this genre of music and definately sounds that she is fully into this release.All in all, this is Swing Out Sister at their best and brightest. Not a bad song is on this album which makes for a joyous listening experience. If you haven't heard Swing Out Sister before, this is a great introduction to a group that just doesn't get the credit they deserve. Music10864@blogcritics.org Thu, 11 Dec 2003 07:54:09 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/09/06/142923.php S-TrainThe HBO America Undercover documentary "Latin Kings: A Street Gang Story" unnerved and saddened me in a way I thought not possible. Emmy award-winning director Jon Alpert followed the life of Antonio "King Tone" Fernandez, former leader (or "Inca") of the Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (or "Latin Kings").The Latin Kings were one of New York City's largest and most violent gangs until King Tone took over in 1996. During his three-year reign (that's six years in gang years), King Tone attempted to turn the group in a socially-conscious organization instead of a violent street gang. Unfortunately, King Tone became part of penny-anny drug deal and the three-strike law got him. King Tone was sentenced to 12.5 years in prison (10 years for good behavior).Now, I'm not about to extoll the virtues of street gangs. I heard of the Latin Kings in New York in the mid-80s and they were devastingly destructive. But I want to focus on the leader: Supreme Inca King Tone.King Tone is a natural-leader. Full of charisma and a genuine love of his Puerto Rican people, folks just gravitate to him. I talked to a uncle of mine who is a police officer in the Bushwick section of New York City. He admitted that during King Tone's reign, crimes by the Latin Kings diminished substantially. He even saw some of their rallies and was impressed by the behavior of all those in attendance. "King Tone had Martin Luther King-like oratory skills", says my uncle, "He had my fellow officers and I believing that things were turning around forever." But looking at the documentary, you see that King Tone was poor. He has to support his girlfriend Myrna and two children. So when I saw the film of him participating in a drug deal, I wasn't shocked. What shocked me was how fully he owned up to the crime, how he accepted his jail time, and he did it with class and dignity.Whoa! It is commonly believed that King Tone went to jail to cover for other crimes by Latin Kings. Regardless, this 30-year old Puerto Rican man believed in his cause but was weak in the end. When he went to jail, the Latin Kings degenerated into numerous violent gangs and you know that story. All the while I'm thinking: couldn't the cops and district attorney use a man like King Tone?King Tone at least kept almost 7000 young men and woman from violent crime. He had the ear of the Puerto Rican community. Even other gangs respect him. Why couldn't we be somewhat flexible with King Tone instead of sending him away and watching that community fracture. Couldn't he have been sat in a room, told that he's being put on 20 years probation, and given an office at a community center. And if he strayed, life imprisonment? I think King Tone would have gone along with that. And wouldn't the cops and DA benefit from that? I know the D.A. called him all kinds of names, but the evidence just doesn't fly. This King Tone was a community leader. One that could have grown into more. But we just see criminal and jail time. And we're so intelligent about crime?So right now, King Tone sits in prison, as he says, "reading a book every two days" and being a model prisoner, while New York fights the violent factions of the leaderless Latin Kings. Just seems like a wasted chance. Politics8157@blogcritics.org Sat, 6 Sep 2003 14:29:23 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/08/18/070531.php S-TrainTo say that Incognito's new release "Who Needs Love" is refreshing is quite an understatement. For over 20 years, the brainchild of Incognito, Jean-Paul "Bluey" Maunick, has driven this band sure and steady. In this 9th studio album, Incognito seems to encompass all their previous output into one album. Instead of sounding convoluted, it sounds new, vibrant, and exciting.Who Needs Love is a myriad musical journey across and through jazz, funk, disco, soul, Brazilian, etc. Vocalist Ed Motta gets things started right in the title track, which hits you hard and keeps you groovin' with jazz-pop inflections while Motta belts out the lyrics with much passion. Joy Malcolm returns with some of her best stuff in "Stone Cold Heart". And featured vocalist Kelli Sae turns in some of the most beautiful, breeziest vocals since the legendary Maysa Leak graced Incognito's halls. How Bluey assembles great vocalists album after album, and how they fit the grand Incognito plan, is a feat worth praise.But once again, Incognito wouldn't be Incognito without the stellar musicianship of Bluey and Company. The music is very consistant sounding yet daring as in "Byrd Plays" and the instrumental "Fly". R&B mixed with fusion jazz. Brazilian topped with funk. House and a smattering of soul. So on and so forth. This is how good these musicians are. Top-notch production studio rounds out a CD that is arguebly their best work (and that's saying a lot).For those of you unfamilar with Incognito, this CD serves as a great introduction. As for fans, you will not be disappointed in the slightest. It's hard to find a musical release without flaws, but if "Who Needs Love" has them, they're hidden and irrelevant. Music7604@blogcritics.org Mon, 18 Aug 2003 07:05:31 EDT