In the 50s and 60s, my dad used to write songs for Jimmy Radcliffe (who also sang at my folks’ wedding). Anyhow, a few covers of his hits have made it up to youtube, posted by various peops. This is one by none other than Phil Stern. My dad is sooooo cool :) Enjoy!
UPDATE Well, read the below and watch the interview, but I will admit that, to quote AmericaBlog, Wright “crossed over into cuckoo-land yesterday, saying that our government created AIDS, among other things.” It’s weird the juxtaposition between the Moyers interview and his self aggrandizing press conference yesterday. I don’t understand….
UPDATE II: Joe Conason argues about how I feel re: the NAACP and press conferences held by Wright earlier this week. You should also google or youtube some of the clips from those, especially the former. It’s amazing how differently Wright can perform there and on PBS. And it’s sad that such a wonderful man would behave so badly for reasons unknown….
UPDATE III: I should make clear that I think this is in no way reflective of Obama, and I’m utterly sick of all the coverage Wright gets, while important issues (and Clinton and more importantly McCain scandals) are ignored by the MSM (mainstream media). Look at the polls! People care more about the economy, about Hillary’s political opportunism, and funnily enough the McCain ties to GEORGE W BUSH (who is actually less popular than the Reverend Wright!), than they do about Obama’s ties to Wright. Whatever the news agents tell you, and they all say Wright is more important, these are the real numbers. Americans know what’s important - can we please try to keep our eyes on the ball?
Original post:
Honestly, what an amazing man. Given Obama and what I know of him from reading both his books and watching his speeches (and my obsessive political followings more generally), I knew Wright was being mischaracterized by the media, but, wow, I had no idea of his lifelong commitment to making a better world. And what unflinching care, forgiveness and pacifism… It’s just striking. I am now a Wright fan, and plan to go see one of his sermons in the midwest when I’m there in the Fall.
Reverend Jeremiah Wright interview, part one
Reverend Jeremiah Wright interview, part two
And Bill Moyers, too - they don’t make them (journalists) like that any more….
My president:
And, I must also quote Andrew Sullivan’s first response in full:
Alas, I cannot give a more considered response right now as I have to get on the road. But I do want to say that this searing, nuanced, gut-wrenching, loyal, and deeply, deeply Christian speech is the most honest speech on race in America in my adult lifetime. It is a speech we have all been waiting for for a generation. Its ability to embrace both the legitimate fears and resentments of whites and the understandable anger and dashed hopes of many blacks was, in my view, unique in recent American history.
And it was a reflection of faith - deep, hopeful, transcending faith in the promises of the Gospels. And it was about America - its unique promise, its historic purpose, and our duty to take up the burden to perfect this union - today, in our time, in our way.
I have never felt more convinced that this man’s candidacy - not this man, his candidacy - and what he can bring us to achieve - is an historic opportunity. This was a testing; and he did not merely pass it by uttering safe bromides. He addressed the intimate, painful love he has for an imperfect and sometimes embittered man. And how that love enables him to see that man’s faults and pain as well as his promise. This is what my faith is about. It is what the Gospels are about. This is a candidate who does not merely speak as a Christian. He acts like a Christian.
Bill Clinton once said that everything bad in America can be rectified by what is good in America. He was right - and Obama takes that to a new level. And does it with the deepest darkest wound in this country’s history.
I love this country. I don’t remember loving it or hoping more from it than today.
I have been been mostly refraining from posting on politics (compared to how much time I have invested in it personally). But this, I could not resist. Mr.Dippy: Yes We Can. Just beautiful. Go OBAMA!!!!!!!!
update.
The gist:
The Black Eyed Peas’ frontman, songwriter and producer known as will.i.am, along with director and filmmaker Jesse Dylan, son of another socially active musician, Bob Dylan… celebrities and musicians banded together to create new music in the heat of a presidential campaign. … appearances from a range of celebrities including: Scarlett Johansson, John Legend, Herbie Hancock, Kate Walsh, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Adam Rodriquez, Kelly Hu … Amber Valetta and Nick Cannon.
update 2.
youtube seems to keep removing it. you can view it here if the above doesn’t work.
somehow missed this feature a few days ago:
Sentimental Construction (2007, 25.4MB, 6:31 min)Nathaniel Stern took a bit of a hammering in various quarters for this piece,
made on a residency in Croatia.
I think there’s an probably an element of you-had-to-be-there about this
although, that said, I think the video is rather magical &
does as good a job of summoning the kind of ephemeral spell this stuff can weave
as any I’ve seen.
Lastly it has to be said the reason Nathaniel is great is because
(1) he has a frightening amount of energy, more indeed, really, than his fair share -
he starts 5 ‘isms’ before breakfast
(2) he is bold, unafraid to risk looking ridiculous & therefore quite often as an artist
he goes to much more interesting places than most…
In general I’ll take a Nathaniel “failure” over quite a lot of folks’ “success”.
Thanks, Michael. Tom Moody came to this piece’s defense a day or two after Paddy’s pan (above), as well. This video has actually since been updated/edited (only had one day to do it in situ in Croatia), available here. Follow-up piece (passage) is here. Not sure what’s next, but it’s growing and changing as I ride it out, or fuck it and go in the opposite direction…
Was part of a festival / party promoting Irish tourism in Dublin SL this past weekend (weird to be dancing and partying while sick in bed, but there you are). Below is a brief video with some of my prints (and my dancing avi) featured, and below that, a scan of the Irish Times feature (preview) article on the event. In the coming weeks, I’ll be putting together a large solo exhibition of Compressionist works for a new gallery opening up in Second Life, courtesy of Haydn Shaughnessy…
Click for larger image of Irish Times article
