Wednesday saw another get-together of several members of the band for a few jars, a bit of nosh, and some musical creativity. (I was planning to write about this yesterday but didn’t feel motivated after the events in Madrid.) After a tardy John, due to some more virus fighting exploits, and tales of Tom’s forthcoming root canal surgery/current pain, we managed to do quite a bit of brainstorming. (in pc-speak “thought showers”) In John’s tiny home studio we fit the three of us and a powerbook. The powerbook allows real time electronic editing of the lyrics.

We have found it useful to go through the songs and sing/play them one time to see if anything is forthcoming. Wednesday night saw several interesting changes to songs, plus the declaration, from Tom and John, that Soft Side has chart potential. It’s real lighter-in-the-air stuff, and Tom managed to learn the chorus after I sang it the first time. (I believe it’s what reviewers call “catchy as stink.”) John, Tom, and I did a bit more tweaking of our sub-AC/DC stomper, as well as a track dedicated to a certain blogger with dark music tastes, and a track called Wanna Be.

While we haven’t done any recording for several sessions, we are doing an excellent job tweaking the lyrics and music to the album-worth level of music. Tom and I are discovering that we can actually come up with music as well, much to the relief of our long-suffering musical polymath, John.

A few new suggestions for the name of the band. Keep them coming, not the least because many of you have wicked senses of humour.

Colby Cosh has all the poop.

To view this Inquiry & Analysis in HTML format, please visit:
http://www.memri.org/bin/latestnews.cgi?ID=IA16604

The Alleged Al-Qa’ida Statement of Responsibility for the Madrid Bombings: Translation and Commentary

By Yigal Carmon*

On March 12, 2004, the pro-Saddam pro-bin Laden London daily Al-Quds Al-Arabi(1) published the alleged statement by the Abu Hafs Al-Masri Brigades of Al-Qa’ida, in which the brigades claimed to be responsible for the March 11, 2004 bombings in Madrid.

It should be noted that the Abu Hafs Al-Masri Brigades claimed responsibility for the August 2003 blackout in the U.S. (which was a large-scale technical failure), calling it “Operation Quick Lightning in the Land of the Tyrant of This Generation.”(2)

The following is the translation of the statement, followed by commentary:

Text of the Statement

[The statement begins with the following three Qur’anic verses:]

“When you punish, punish them in the way they have punished you.” (Qur’an 16:126)

“Kill them wherever you find them, and drive them out from where they have driven you out; for internal strife [Fitna] is worse than killing.” (Qur’an 2:191)

“Whoever attacks you, attack him in the same way that he attacked you, and trust Allah and know that Allah is with those who put their trust [in Him].” (Qur’an 2:194).

“The Trains of Death Operation

“In their last statement, of March 2, 2004 [on the bombings in Karbala and Baghdad] the Abu Hafs Al-Masri Brigades promised that they were preparing for their upcoming operations, and behold, they are fulfilling their promise.

“The Death Brigades penetrated into the European Crusader heartland, and struck a painful blow at one of the foundations of the Crusader coalition. This is part of a settling of old accounts with Crusader Spain, the ally of the U.S., in its war against Islam…

“Where is America, Aznar? Who will protect you? Who will protect Britain? Who will protect Japan, Italy, and other agents? By striking at the Italian forces in Nasiriyya [Iraq], we sent you and America’s agents a warning, demanding that you quit the coalition against Islam, but you did not get the message…

“Now we say it clearly, hoping that you [Aznar] will understand it this time. We at the Abu Hafs Al-Masri Brigades are not sorry for the deaths of so-called civilians. Are they permitted to kill our children, our women, our elderly, and our youth in Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine, and Kashmir, and we are forbidden from killing them? Allah, may he be praised, said: ‘Whoever attacks you, attack him in the same way that he attacked you’ [Qur’an 2:194].

“Take your hands off us! Release our prisoners! Get out of our lands! Then we will leave you alone.

“The peoples of America’s allies must pressure their government to withdraw immediately from their alliance with America [in its fight] against terror (Islam)... And if you renounce [fighting us], we too will stop fighting you.

“We say to you that the Death-Smoke Squad will reach you soon, and then you will see [i.e. count] your dead by the thousands, Allah willing, and this is a warning.

Via: Paul

“Doblin’s group stands to create a new landscape for Ecstasy, which has been at the center of the nation’s war on drugs. The old one — with its hidden agendas, career-obsessed scientists, powerful patrons, and switched pills — has only recently been scorched. It all began in September, when the journal Science published a retraction from a group of Johns Hopkins scientists who’d discovered that a bottle they thought contained Ecstasy was in fact filled with methamphetamine, commonly known as speed. The mix-up corrupted the results of a study, published in Science in September 2002, which found that a single, recreational dose of Ecstasy was so damaging it could lead to Parkinson’s disease. Another study, published in the European Journal of Pharmacology, would also be recalled.” (03/11/04)

http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0410/spartos.php

Why do they hate us?

Basque leaders condemned yesterdays bomb attack in Spain, but pointed out that Basque people had no other choice.

ETAs chairman condemned the attack, blaming the violence on Spains heavy handed war on terror, claiming Spain is the real terrorist. He also accused Spanish controlled media of exaggerated the death toll, stating only 20 people died, promising to produce evidence of Spanish involvement in the bombing.

In Paris students at a Basque-solidarity meeting, condemned the brutal oppression of Basque culture by Spain. What else do they expect said a Human Rights campaigner Spain must and immediately re-open negotiations with ETA and give up its illegal occupation of the Basque homeland.

Universities across the United States will hold rallies today for the release of ETA militants in Spanish jails.

EU ministers reacted swiftly by confirming that ETAs reconstruction grants of $250 million would still be funded through ETAs Chairman, often criticised as corrupt and dictatorial, rejecting accusations by Spain that this money funds terrorism and does not help Basques.

Any reaction by the Spanish authorities will be a provocation said a German MEP Spain must negotiate with ETA activists and immediately cease its cruel occupation of Basque-stien.

Maybe it is time said a French minister for Spanish to look at themselves and ask why they are so hated by the Basques. Why are Basques forced to do this.

I came across this while looking for some new blogs:

“What’s Ambush Makeover?” the girl – excuse me, womyn – said.

“They grab people off the street and make them over on their lunch hour,” I said.

“Why would they call here?” she said, still puzzled.

“I have no idea,” the guy said.

I figured they saw the name “Wooden Shoe,” and assumed it was a shoe store. I said as much to Cos.

“What if they did political makeovers?” Cos said. “What if they emptied their brains and reeducated them, and by the end of the show, they had to fill out a voter registration form and promise to vote Democratic?”

Ah. A girl can dream, can’t she?

Of North Korean brainwashing techniques, it would seem. Whatever turns your crank, cupcake.