Discrete Eureka!

A cartoon from Mr. Fish in Harper's Magazine.
Permalink: http://harpers.org/CartoonHammer.html

This time by Adam Crowley, well known for his inebriated profundity.


"This exceeds the level of genius I thought was possible."
-the artist

Ok, thanks to Al Jazeera (you read that right), I'm swamped with blogs from Iraq. Why? Well. . .all the journalists are in hotels. . .I guess if you want info from the street you have to talk to civilians. Which works out really well actually.

From Salam Pax:

Here's a conundrum for you to solve:
To achieve a level of security that would allow the coalition forces to go home without leaving a big mess behind them we need money, this money will only come from oil exports and to achieve that level of oil production we need big foreign investment in the maintenance of oil fields but that investment won't come unless the security situation improves.

Again:
Security needs money,
Money comes from oil,
Oil needs foreign investment,
And foreign investment wants security.

Salam Pax

Press the red button

Directions - Miles Davis - Cellar Door Sessions 1970 - Sony
Woody'N You - Miles Davis - Relaxin' With the Miles Davis Quintet - Prestige
Eclipse - Eric Dolphy - Out There - Prestige
17 West - Eric Dolphy - Out There - Prestige
That Undeniable Empty Feeling - Okkyung Lee - Nihm - Tzadik
Story of You and Me - Okkyung Lee - Nihm - Tzadik
Bas Relief - Drew Gress - 7 Black Butterflies - Koch/Premonition
Blue On One Side - Drew Gress - 7 Black Butterflies - Koch/Premonition
Fast Track - Radiohead - Pyramid Song Single - Capitol
Have a Cigar - Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here - Capitol
Meeting in the Aisle - Radiohead - Airbag/How Am I Driving? EP - Capitol
Freedom Suite: Part One - David S. Ware Quartets - Live in the World - Thirsty Ear
Surrendered - David S. Ware - Surrendered - Columbia
Is There Anybody Here That Love My Jesus - Medeski Martin & Wood - Shack-Man - Gramavision
Think - Medeski Martin & Wood - Shack-Man - Gramavision
Lonely Soul - U.N.K.L.E. - Psyence Fiction - Mowax
Celestial Annihilation - U.N.K.L.E. - Psyence Fiction - Mowax
Rabbit In Your Headlights - U.N.K.L.E. - Psyence Fiction - Mowax
Pro Radii - Autechre - Untitled - Warp
Augmatic Disport - Autechre - Untitled - Warp
Sugarcraft - Medeski Martin & Wood - Combustication - Blue Note
Whatever Happened to Gus - Medeski Martin & Wood - Combustication - Blue Note
Jade Welcoming - Michael Musillami - Beijing - Playscape
Beijing - Michael Musillami - Beijing - Playscape
Jynweythek - Aphex Twin - Drukgs - Sire/Warp
Vordhosbn - Aphex Twin - Drukgs - Sire/Warp
Ziggomatic V17 - Aphex Twin - Drukgs - Sire/Warp
Feeling Yourself Disintegrate - Flaming Lips - The Soft Bulletin - Warner Brothers
Sleeping On the Roof - Flaming Lips - The Soft Bulletin - Warner Brothers
Improvisation #1 - Miles Davis - Cellar Door Sessions 1970 - Sony
Returning Point - Okkyung Lee - Nihm - Tzadik
Tuesday Morning - Okkyung Lee - Nihm - Tzadik

I can't remember where I got this from, but this is a blog from a woman in Iraq. I started reading the archives and I'm struck by how little I know about the intimate political affairs in that country, though I consider myself an avid news reader. . . .

River Bend Blog

Myopia - Plaid - Not For Threes - Nothing
Fer - Plaid - Not For Threes - Nothing
Ralome - Plaid - Rest Proof Clockwork - Nothing
Pino Pomo - Plaid - Rest Proof Clockwork - Nothing
Track 7 - Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works Volume 2 - Sire
Bane - Spring Heel Jack - Disappeared - Thirsty Ear
Recuerdos de la Alhambra - Francisco Tarrega by John Williams - Spanish Guitar Favorites
Suite Espanola No. 1 - Isaac Albeniz by John Williams - Spanish Guitar Favorites
How Long - Odetta - Lookin For a Home (Thanks to Leadbelly) - M.C. Records
Statesboro Blues - Blind William McTell - Statesboro Blues - Bluebird
Fannin Street - Leadbelly - Bourgeois Blues - Smithsonian Folkways
Jim Crow Blues - Leadbelly - Bourgeois Blues - Smithsonian Folkways
I'm So Glad - Skip James - Blues From the Delta - Vanguard Records
Afro-Blue - John Coltrane - Live in Seattle - Grp Records
Summun, Bukmun, Umyun - Pharoah Sanders - Deaf Dumb Blind - Impulse!

Excerpt:

"It is a bright winter morning and I am sipping my first coffee of the day in Los Angeles. My eye moves like a radar beam over the front page of the Los Angeles Times for the word that dominates the minds of all Middle East correspondents: Iraq. In post-invasion, post-Judith Miller mode, the American press is supposed to be challenging the lies of this war. So the story beneath the headline "In a Battle of Wits, Iraq's Insurgency Mastermind Stays a Step Ahead of US" deserves to be read. Or does it?

Datelined Washington - an odd city in which to learn about Iraq, you might think - its opening paragraph reads: "Despite the recent arrest of one of his would-be suicide bombers in Jordan and some top aides in Iraq, insurgency mastermind Abu Musab Zarqawi has eluded capture, US authorities say, because his network has a much better intelligence-gathering operation than they do."

Now quite apart from the fact that many Iraqis - along, I have to admit, with myself - have grave doubts about whether Zarqawi exists, and that al-Qai'da's Zarqawi, if he does exist, does not merit the title of "insurgency mastermind", the words that caught my eye were "US authorities say". And as I read through the report, I note how the Los Angeles Times sources this extraordinary tale. I thought American reporters no longer trusted the US administration, not after the mythical weapons of mass destruction and the equally mythical connections between Saddam and the international crimes against humanity of 11 September 2001. Of course, I was wrong.

Here are the sources - on pages one and 10 for the yarn spun by reporters Josh Meyer and Mark Mazzetti: "US officials said", "said one US Justice Department counter-terrorism official", "Officials ... said", "those officials said", "the officials confirmed", "American officials complained", "the US officials stressed", "US authorities believe", "said one senior US intelligence official", "US officials said", "Jordanian officials ... said" - here, at least is some light relief - "several US officials said", "the US officials said", "American officials said", "officials say", "say US officials", "US officials said", "one US counter-terrorism official said".

I do truly treasure this story. It proves my point that the Los Angeles Times - along with the big east coast dailies - should all be called US OFFICIALS SAY."

Entire article at: www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=21&ItemID=9936

The former CEO of ExxonMobil, retired at the end of 2005, Lee Raymond.
You might be able to pick him up like a puppy.
Climate change is a giant hoax and compensating the victims of the Exxon Valdez was out of the question.
Your antipathy towards all of good earth's living things has drained your soul much like the countless oil fields all over the world. As you pant wearily to climb into bed each night, we can only console ourselves that you will carry a bad taste in your mouth as you die miserably from heart failure or some other disease obese bastards like you always come down with.

Come On My Selector - Squarepusher - Big Loada - Nothing
Better Get Hit In Your Soul - Charles Mingus - Mingus Ah Um - Sony
A Call For All Demons - Revolutionary Snake Ensemble - Year of the Snake - innova
Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge On Seattle - Nirvana - In Utero - Geffen
Drewslate - Claudia Quintet - Semi-Formal - Cuneiform
I'm Happy - Kronos Quartet - Pieces of Africa - Nonesuch
Frankenstein - Grachan Moncur III Octet - Exploration - Capri
Shackbu - Plaid - Rest Proof Clockwork - Nothing
Airbag - Radiohead - OK Computer - Capitol
Big Eater - The Bad Plus - These Are the Vistas - Sony
Milky Drops From Heaven - Jonny Greenwood - Bodysong - Capitol
Born Under a Bad Sign - Jimi Hendrix - Blues - Mca
In My Time of Dyin' - Bob Dylan - Bob Dylan - Sony
See That My Grave is Kept Clean - Bob Dylan - Bob Dylan - Sony
Tell Me Why - Neil Young - After the Gold Rush - Reprise
Mixed Bizness - Beck - Midnite Vultures - Interscope
Celebration Day - Led Zeppelin - III - Atlantic
Baby, Let Me Follow You Down - Bob Dylan - Bob Dylan - Sony
Rat Race - Bob Marley & the Wailers - Rastaman Vibration - Island
Jah Live - Bob Marley & the Wailers - Rastaman Vibration - Island

The battle would rage a little something like this.
(Clicking enables zoom)

My friend Chris Wyatt took these photos. The first is a closeup of the second.

Basin Street Blues - Louis Armstrong - Armstrong and Earl Hines Vol. 4 - Columbia
Skit-Dat-De-Dat - Louis Armstrong - Hot Fives & Hot Sevens Vol. 2 - Columbia
Big Butter and Egg Man - Louis Armstrong - Hot Fives & Hot Sevens Vol. 2 - Columbia
Sunset Cafe Stomp - Louis Armstrong - Hot Fives & Hot Sevens Vol. 2 - Columbia
Georgia On My Mind - Preservation Hall Jazz Band - Best Of - CBS
St. Louis Blues - Preservation Hall Jazz Band - New Orleans Vol. 2 - CBS
Knives Out - Brad Mehldau - Day is Done - Nonesuch
Knives Out - Radiohead - Amnesiac - Capitol
Turtle Town - Brad Mehldau - Day is Done - Nonesuch
Just Say _ NO _ - John Belcher - The Sound According to John - innova
Pandora's Box - John Belcher - The Sound According to John - innova
Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 - Bob Dylan - Blonde on Blonde - Sony
One of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later) - Bob Dylan - Blonde on Blonde - Sony
Celestial Terrestrial Commuters - Mahavishnu Orchestra - Birds of Fire - Columbia
One Word - Mahavishnu Orchestra - Birds of Fire - Columbia
Fwakstension - Dweezil Zappa - Automatic - Favored Nations
Dick Cinnamon's Office - Dweezil Zappa - Automatic - Favored Nations
Monitor - Twine - :reference: - AdAstra
Untitled - Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works Volume II
As is to B as B is to C - Boards of Canada - Geogaddi - Warp
In Trutina - Carl Orff - Carmina Burana
Opening - Claudia Quintet - I, Claudia - Cuneiform
Star Spangled Banner - Jimi Hendrix - Live at Berkeley
Purple Haze - Jimi Hendrix - Live at Berkeley