milkriverblog

2011-12-01T08:47:00.001-06:00

The Sound of Songwriter José Cónde: Just Jose Conde

http://www.worldmusicwire.com

José Cónde lives his lyrics. He gets grooves from the names of trees. He leaves melody lines on his own answering machine. He can turn a playful refrain to his dog into a dance anthem. His songs are odes to hot dresses, Brazilian muses, discombobulated elephants, and life-giving springs.

Cónde brings a new focus and maturity to this whimsical world on Jose Conde. He turns highly personal songs into new global grooves and reflective, dynamic ballads.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSRnWAFMUjA

“When I was in my 20s, I didn’t dance at all. I had to come out of my shell,” Cónde exclaims with a laugh. “I’m a late bloomer, though I’ve always been explorer. Now I’ll go anywhere and do anything, I’ll try anything, experimenting with flavors and playing around with different elements and sounds.”

As a songwriter and bandleader, Cónde developed a striking instinct for merging his Miami upbringing, Cuban roots, and the sizzle of New York’s Latin underground. But the new self-titled album is distinguished by a universality; catchy melodies and danceable rhythms likely to draw listeners of all stripes. Cónde has traded in his Cuban tres for a vintage Gresch guitar (and Hammond B3 and a dozen other instruments). Pan-American and trans-Atlantic influences flow effortlessly on Jose Conde. “The whole idea of fusing elements of American funk, Cuban son, and Brazilian music has been kicking around in my head for years. But it was still in the context of a ‘Latin’ band. Now I’m free to move in any and all directions.”

Cónde rocks a smoking tango (“El Vestido”) or sways through a sensuous, gentle samba (“Mabel”). Lyrically, he points to the absurdness of the habitat displacement that led to an elephant wandering into a Zambian hotel lobby (taken straight from the pages of National Geographic; on “Elephante en Hotel”). Or to the crazy, rockabilly-tinged capers of his dog (“Gordito Cabezon”).

Rumba meets infectious Brooklyn break beats on “Amor y Felicidad.” The hard-grooving “Matapalo Matamusa” sparkles with electro blips while raising the roof off the sucker, thanks to funky guitar riffs and an irresistible bass line. Cónde’s musical exuberance bursts out at the least provocation. Witness the cool cha-cha-cha-suggesting phrase in the South African language of Tsonga (“Munghana Wamina”).Yet the irrepressible spontaneity is balanced by an emotional and introspective side that turns grooves into poetry.

Cónde’s strong sense of himself as an artist, evolved over a long incubation period, demanding just the right sound. After years of working with different collaborators, for the latest record, Cónde played, recorded, and mixed the majority of the album himself, which culminated in sequestering himself for days in his bedroom with a NEVE analog mixer and a menagerie of instruments.

When no bassist could give him just the right swing on tracks like "Matapalo," he bought and polished his long dormant bass chops until his hands were shot. “I had trouble communicating the exact vibe to bass players,” says Cónde. “There’s an unusual relationship between vocal and bass phrasing that the song demanded, an interplay that lets the vocals breathe and lets the bass line get funky. It had to sound exactly as I heard it in my head.”

Yet Cónde also knew when to dip into the bubbling Brooklyn melting pot to find the right groove players. Drummer Gintas Janusonis (Anjelique Kidjo), Brazilian percussionist Ze Mauricio (Chorro Ensemble), Cuban conga player Roman Diaz, and Chilean Yayo Cerca on cajon. Cónde also recruited diverse and funky keyboard players, guitarists, and bassists from the scene, such as Jorge Bringas (La Excelencia), funky Caracas-born guitarist Rafael Gomez (Lila Downs), and Chilean keyboardist Pablo Vergara (Groove Collective).

“This isn’t just another project or a concept,” he said. “This record is about me as a songwriter. It’s about one guy in Brooklyn, his songs, and his voice. Everything else is secondary.”

about José Cónde

Brooklyn singer songwriter José Cónde reimagined the Latin conjunto. He blazed through salsa and son. He unleashed long trippy jams and massive brass sections. He dug deep into his Cuban heritage and Miami upbringing. He’s done the world music and Latin alternative thing, won the awards, and played to jubilant, rain-soaked crowds.

A fixture on the alt Latin scene, Cónde has indeed experimented with a multitude of formats, approaches, and projects, as a markedly independent musician. His music has been featured on the BBC and Californication. He won Best Latin Album at the Independent Music Awards (2008) and has gotten crowds hopping from the Montreal Jazz Festival to DC’s Kennedy Center, including a recent Central Park SummerStage show that got thousands of damp but dancing listeners in a downpour.

Cónde seriously spiced up kid’s music as the musical director and singer for Baby Loves Salsa (Rope a Dope Records/Sony; 2008). Cónde’s video, “Respondele a Obama,” which has garnered hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube, became an anthem of the U.S. 2008 presidential campaign.

As a songwriter and bandleader for his big band Ola Fresca, Cónde developed a striking instinct for merging his Miami upbringing, Cuban roots, and New York’s Latin underground. In two critically acclaimed albums, Ay! Que Rico (PiPiKi/Universal; 2004) and the award winning (R)Evolución (Mr. Bongo Records UK; 2007), Cónde drew on Puerto Rican bomba and Haitian compas, Cuban son and New Orleans swamp-funk. Five songs from these albums have been featured on Putumayo and Rough Guide Records compilations.

But forget all that: “Now I just don’t give a damn where I fit in. I’m just José Cónde.”

Iâ€™m Christian, unless youâ€™re gay

2011-12-01T08:45:00.001-06:00

What a beautiful piece of work . . .

By Dan Pearce On November 14, 201

Today I want to write about something that has bothered me for the better part of a decade. I’ve carved out no fewer than a dozen drafts of this post, all strangely unalike, all ultimately failing to accomplish the job I’ve set out to do. Truth is, I’ve been trying to write it off and on for more than a year now, and the right words have been seemingly impossible to come by.

In the end, and in order to post it, I guess I had to care more about the message than I do about potential backlash. I’m not being facetious when I say that I hope I can get this message across without offending… well… everybody.

What I really hope is that this post will spark and encourage poignant and worthwhile discussion that will lead to some poignant and worthwhile changes in the lives of at least a few people who are hurting.

That being said, I believe some strong words need to be said today.

“God hates fags.” We’ve all seen the signs being waved high in the air by members of the Westboro Baptist church. On TV. In real life. It’s hard not to take notice.

Over the years, I’ve watched seemingly never-ending disgustingness and hatred spill across the media airwaves from those who belong to the organization. For those who don’t know much about that “church,” they have made a seedy name for themselves by doing drastic things like picketing beneath atrocious signs and hosting flagrant anti-gay protests at military funerals.

Almost every person of nearly every religion has no problem loathing and condemning the Westboro Baptist Church and its members, and perhaps with reason. They take freedom of speech far beyond what our founding fathers intended when they fought to give us that right, and they laugh at the rest of the world while they do.

But today I don’t want to talk about those idiots. I want to talk about you. And me.

And my friend who I’ll call Jacob.

Read the rest here: http://www.danoah.com/2011/11/im-christian-unless-youre-gay.html?mid=5417015

and some followup is here: http://www.danoah.com/2011/11/powerful-responses-to-im-christian-unless-youre-gay-blog.html

2011-11-21T15:40:00.001-06:00

Distant Migrations, Close Voices: Vlada Tomova Sings at the Urbane Edge of Tradition on Tour this Fall and on Balkan Tales

http://www.worldmusicwire.com

All roads lead to the Balkans, and Bulgarian-born, Brooklyn-based singer Vlada Tomova hears it.

The region welcomed mysterious wanderers from Inner Asia; Greeks and Romans trading in the East; bands of weary migrants on a road that stretched from Rajastan to Andalusia. The lines of ancient movement across the peninsula are audible and tightly bound to one another, like the lives in a village.

Embracing sounds far outside the confines of tradition, Tomova has distilled years of learning songs from traditional singers and modern songwriters to tell Balkan Tales. Her arrangements fearlessly embrace flamenco flourishes and Indian resonances, Brazilian flair and Romany rhythms. Yet her mutable, flexible voice evokes the stark, rich spirit of Balkan mountainsides and byways, the old paths and deep roots of thousands of years of cultural conversation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRxJ8IuI0hs

Joined by globetrotting kaval (traditional Bulgarian flute) master Theodosii Spassov and an avant-worldly band including alter-sitarist Chris Rael, Tomova brings this elegant balance to New York, Boston, and Chicago in late October 2011.

“The Balkans have something very unique that mixes well with other musics because of its complex and long history,” explains Tomova. “And it’s very emotional for me; it’s about connecting to the places, the ancient villages I’ve loved since childhood. It’s about home.”

***

Tomova recalls sitting at a modest kitchen table on a recent song-finding trip to Bulgaria. She had brought the members of her choir, Yasna Voices, to a remote pomak village, people whose ancestors had converted to Islam. There, Tomova and the American vocalists had met up with a pair of singers who were the real deal.

Across from her sat two older women who had been life-long singing partners. Traditionally, two girls start finding the close, vibrating intervals of old songs together and will continue blending their voices until death do them part. They could feel each other’s timing without a glance, sense what to say as the other improvised lyrics.

This commitment and intimacy moved Tomova deeply. “Those two women were so close, and they relied so much on each other, in an unspoken, down-to-earth, unquestioning way, which you could hear in their singing, the two voices flowing together as one,” Tomova reflects. “I wish we could find much more of that kind of interdependence, trust, and connectedness in the different layers of our everyday life today, especially in large cities, and in the Western world.”

The layers of Tomova’s own life reveal a similar spirit of interconnection. Though raised around traditional music in her native Bulgaria, she and her generation rebelled against the state-sponsored folk heard on the airwaves. It wasn’t until Tomova came to Berklee to study jazz that she discovered a completely different approach to Bulgarian and Balkan traditions, an approach that began with a spontaneous song at a Boston party and ended with concerts at Carnegie Hall and musical trips to the Bulgarian countryside.

Not content to simply sing the roots—though she is now an accomplished and respected performer and singer of Bulgarian traditional music—Tomova often collaborates with other globally-minded musicians (like Balkan Beat Box) and lends her mutable, expressive voice to installations, from a recent King Tut exhibit to the Turin Winter Olympics.

The delicious tension between tradition and bold experimentation echoes in Tomova’s songs like the close intervals loved by Bulgarian singers. It vibrates in the flamenco guitar and hand percussion that reframes the traditional Bulgarian tune, “Momche,” and in the Greek-gone-Brazilian ballad to a beloved daughter, “Augoustos.”

A set for Tomova’s Balkan Tales is just as likely to include a Russian gypsy ballad as an edgy sitar line, or to follow a full-throated village song with a complex, globally savvy extrapolation of a folk-inspired jazz number. Take “Women’s Dance,” a tune composed by Milcho Leviev, an eccentric and brilliant musician defector from socialist Bulgaria whom Tomova tracked down in Los Angeles.

Tomova’s unexpected arrangements evolved in close collaboration with her fellow musicians at Berklee and in New York’s vibrant scene, as well as from Tomova’s own feel for vocal color, ornamentation, and distinctive harmonies. This fall, the band will include Spassov, a wildly talented traditional flute player who can easily leap borders and genres; he’s worked with everyone from Indian tabla innovator Trilok Gurtu and flamenco piano star David Peña Dorantes to film music icon Ennio Morricone.

On one of his many world tours, Spassov showed up at one of Tomova’s shows and jumped in to jam with her band, and a musical friendship began. “I’ve wanted to play with Teodosii again for years,” Tomova smiles.

The diverse sounds and multifaceted musicians Tomova has brought together reflect not only the complex interchange between peoples across the Balkans; they also resonate with Tomova’s new roots in a global metropolis.

“I have dug deep into Balkan music, but I also have all these other parts in me now,” Tomova notes. “And wherever I go, even if I’m back singing in that small village somewhere in Bulgaria, I bring those other worlds with me. My band and our performances reflect that.”

2011-11-21T15:28:00.001-06:00

Epic Co-Creation: DÜNYA’s Tale of Constantinople and Istanbul Journeys Through a Millennium of Musical Innovation and Bittersweet Longing

http://www.worldmusicwire.com

In every dazzling palace and every shadowy alley hums a barely palpable but evocative drone. It’s the ache of glory days now gone, a stirring melancholy that ennobles and embroils the City, once at the heart of so much.

This is the sound and pulse of Constantinople/Istanbul, and Boston-based musicians’ collective DÜNYA, with Schola Cantorum and Ensemble Trinitas, brings it to the forefront on A Story of the City...Constantinople, Istanbul, their journey through a thousand years of the music that echoed along the Bosphorus. The double CD is currently submitted for a Grammy™ award.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQjvmf6N2Rk

There, Greek Orthodox melodies collided with rousing Crusader ballads and the unexpectedly complex folk tunes from Central Asia. A Polish Protestant convert transcribed elegant 17th-century Ottoman melodies. Armenian composers wrote music for Turkish-speaking Jewish and Greek lyricists (“Bu gece çamlarda kalsak ne olur/Apopse”), while Sufi chants uniquely transformed Jewish religious songs (“Yeheme levavi”). Migrants, traders, and conquerors invented new genres, from the court music of the sultans to art music and protest pop in the 20th century.

“I think that the rich diversity reflected in this album will be appreciated by Americans,” reflects Mehmet Ali Sanlikol, musical director and co-founder of DÜNYA. “Through that appreciation, I am sure the American view of the Near and Middle East will change. The Grammies are a great platform for our work to find a greater voice, and to highlight DÜNYA’s unique structure and many talents.”

***

DÜNYA sprang from frustrating success. Sanlikol, who came to the U.S. to study both at Berklee and the New England Conservatory, had won a name for himself on the jazz circuit, playing festivals across Eurasia and collaborating with legends like trombone icon Bob Brookmeyer. And yet he longed for something very different.

Then one night a decade ago, he played a game of Risk. A friend wanted to provide a fitting soundtrack for world domination and included a few tracks that struck Sanlikol like a bolt from the blue. It was music many believed to have been played by the Janissaries. Sanlikol couldn’t get it out of his head.

“It wasn’t about ideology or nationalist feelings of any kind. It wasn’t because I missed Turkey, though the distance helped make the discovery genuine,” Sanlikol recalls. “It was totally an accident and completely about the music. I listened like never before, and it rocked like Zeppelin. And though I had all this theoretical training and sophistication, I just couldn’t find the tonic.”

Seriously intrigued, Sanlikol began to study Turkish music with the same dedication he had pursued his Western classical and jazz training (he is now a leading scholar on Mehter or the so-called Janissary music, as well as a professor at Brown and the New England Conservatory) He found himself taken by the entire region and took lessons in, among other traditions, Greek Orthodox chanting (from Nektarios Antoniou, leader of Schola Cantorum and DÜNYA member). He soon discovered dozens of other kindred spirits around Boston, high-powered musicians who loved Middle Eastern, Sephardic, Greek, or other Eastern Mediterranean sounds.

Sanlikol, working together with close friends Robert Labaree and Antoniou, suddenly understood: An ensemble flexible enough to cross cultures and play across musical genres, yet broad enough to embrace all the local talent, would have to take a somewhat unconventional form.

DÜNYA was born, a true collective made up of interlocking ensembles—playing everything from New Music to Anatolian folk—and concentric rings of participants circling a highly committed core. It felt like the ideal response to the unsatisfying life of a touring musician, always performing the same repertoire night after night. “With this structure, we can find a fresh kind of continuity,” reflects Sanlikol. “We can come together as friends and keep playing together over and over at radically different concerts.”

Several years ago, contemplating DÜNYA’s next concert, Sanlikol toyed with the idea of a program of songs about Istanbul, of putting together a nice, light evening of pop music. Then he got in way too deep, finding music that extended back in time, and into a plethora of cultures and faiths. “I realized, ‘Wow, I’m getting sucked into this thing. What do I do?’” Sanlikol remembers with a smile. “That’s when [Nobel laureate] Orhan Pamuk’s novel about Istanbul came out. He has this melancholic idea about the city, and it inspired me. I listened to all these musics, even military or upbeat ones, and I couldn’t help but hear that melancholic tone. It’s all over, whether it’s Greek Constantinople or Turkish Istanbul. The great heydays are long gone.”

Yet the unexpected figures who helped fashion the city’s music live on. There’s the love-struck medieval French nobleman and crusader, Gui de Coucy (“A vous amant, plus qu’a nul autre gent”). Or the intriguing Ali Ufki (Wojciech Bobowski), who converted to Islam from Protestantism and became a musician in the Ottoman court (he wrote down instrumental pieces like “Buselik Asiran pesrev”). Or Sephardic Jewish singer Haim Efendi (“La rosa enfloresse”), whose upbeat love song is pure Istanbul folk.

And the music is still glorious, though often elusive. As Sanlikol and DÜNYA began to map out their journey, starting from Greek antiquity and ending in modern Turkey, they faced a multitude of interpretational challenges. Sanlikol had little interest in historical recreation or ethnographic preservation, and opted instead for innovative twists that evoke the spirit of a time and place.

Sanlikol’s opening original composition, “Byzantium,” places the ghostly fragments of ancient Greece’s music in a bold, 20th-century atonal frame. DÜNYA fearlessly turned traditionally vocal pieces into instrumental tunes, mixed companion instruments from different traditions, and turned to thoughtfully arranged folk melodies to complement the sometimes scanty historical record. The music leaps with surprising grace from spare Sufi chants (“Salat-i ümmiye”) to full-on, wah-wah guitar-powered pop anthems (“Felekten beter vurdu”). Artfully recorded by Grammy™-nominated engineer, John Weston (Futura Productions), the result is an epic work of co-creation, mirroring the rise, fall, and continued vibrancy of one of the world’s crucial cultural capitals.

Though willing to play with tradition, Sanlikol and DÜNYA ‘s players have developed keen sensitivities to the complex emotions that surround place, time, and identity in Sanlikol’s native region. Sanlikol experienced how complex, ambiguous, and visceral the past’s impact could be: His exiled Turkish Cypriot parents recalled singing “God Save the Queen” in Turkish and knew what conflict meant. “This isn’t feel-good musical diplomacy. There’s an edge to it; there’s tension,” Sanlikol states. “When you speak of identity as a concept in mid east, in all the nation states that came out of Ottoman Empire, it’s problematic.”

“But music is first and foremost,” adds Sanlikol. “This is not the story of this or that people, but the story of the city. That’s what makes it work.”

2011-11-21T15:26:00.001-06:00

JUILLIARD DRAMA DIVISION TO DEVELOP 4TH YEAR “PROFESSIONAL STUDIO”

FOR BACHELOR AND MASTER DEGREE ACTORS AT

FRANK GEHRY-DESIGNED SIGNATURE CENTER IN FALL OF 2012

Signature Theatre Will Host the Residency of the

Juilliard Drama Division’s “Professional Studio” at its
State-of-the-Art Rehearsal Studio and 99-Seat Performance Venue, “The Studio”

New York, NY—November 17, 2011 – The Juilliard School President Joseph W. Polisi, and Signature Theatre Founding Artistic Director James Houghton announced today an annual residency for the Juilliard Drama Division's “Professional Studio” for the next five years. Beginning in the fall of 2012, fourth and final-year students in both Juilliard’s Bachelor degree, and new Master of Fine Arts degree programs in Drama will be hosted by Signature Theatre at the Company’s new Frank Gehry-designed home, Signature Center. Professional workshops, rehearsals, and performances by students from the prestigious, world-renown Juilliard program will take place at “The Studio,” a new, 99-seat, state-of-the-art rehearsal and performance space in Signature’s new home. In addition, the students will have the opportunity to observe and participate in activities in the Center and intersect with artists in residence at Signature Theatre.

President Polisi said, "This new initiative within the extraordinary confines of Signature Center provides a whole new array of educational and artistic activities for our actors. We look forward to having our actors interact with the many seasoned artists who will be working at the Center on a daily basis."

Juilliard is accepting applications until December 1 for its newly-announced Master of Fine Arts in Drama, with auditions to take place in January and February 2012. A highly selective program that will accept 8 to 10 graduate actors annually, the program will allow the most talented young actors to explore and master the multiple skills necessary for success in the theater of the 21st century. They join an equal number of entering bachelor-level actors in fall 2012. All students entering Juilliard are chosen through a rigorous audition process. Information about the M.F.A. and all Juilliard Drama programs may be found at www.juilliard.edu/drama.

The largest new theatre arts center built in New York City in the last 40 years, Signature Center spans an entire city block at 42nd Street between Dyer and 10th Avenue. Featuring three intimate theatres, a studio theatre, rehearsal studio, and a public café and bookstore, the Center will be both a theatre community hub and a neighborhood destination, and has been designed to foster interaction among playwrights, artistic collaborators, and the public.

Houghton, who is also the Director of the Drama Division at The Juilliard School, added, "This is just the right opportunity for the B.F.A and M.F.A. students to bridge their studies with the profession. All of us at Signature are absolutely thrilled to have the full spectrum of artists participating in Signature Center -- from our most seasoned to these dynamic young artists from Juilliard. Each are bound to equally inspire the other."

About The Juilliard School’s Drama Division

The Drama Division at The Juilliard School is one of the most respected and renowned conservatory programs for theater artists in the world. The Division’s outstanding creative reputation, distinguished faculty, and extraordinary level of rigorous professional training have enabled 40 years of alumni to excel as artists, leaders and global citizens. Founded in 1968 by the renowned American director, producer and theater administrator John Houseman and the French director, teacher and actor Michel Saint-Denis, the program is a four-year curriculum that emphasizes intuition and spontaneity as well as discipline, technique and intellectual development. The Drama Division has continually expanded and revised its programs, responding to and anticipating the need of the contemporary theater artist. Some of the significant additions, among others, have included expanded faculty and curriculum, additional performance opportunities, and the addition of the Lila Acheson Wallace American Playwrights Program as well as Master of Fine Arts Program in Acting. Their acting and playwriting alumni have distinguished themselves in all areas of the arts including theater, film, and television. For more information on Juilliard visit www.juilliard.edu.

About Signature Center
Opening in February 2012, Signature Center is the new, permanent home of Signature Theatre Company. Designed by Frank Gehry, working hand-in-hand with Signature leadership, Signature Center spans an entire city block at 42nd Street between Dyer and 10th Avenue, and features three intimate theatres, a studio theatre, rehearsal studio, and a public café and bookstore. Founded in 1991 by Artistic Director James Houghton, Signature Theatre was the first theatre company to devote an entire season to the work of a single playwright, including re-examinations of past works as well as New York and world premieres. At Signature Center, the Company’s expanded programming will include: Residency One, the continuation of Signature’s core program which provides audiences with an immersive exploration of the work of a singular playwright; Residency Five, which provides five-year residencies for multiple playwrights to support the creation and staging of new work; and the Legacy Program, which honors the lifetime achievement of artists who have previously been in residence at Signature. Signature Center will serve as the artistic home for as many as 11 playwrights at any one time, fostering a dynamic creative community where playwrights will engage directly with audiences and one another. The inaugural season at Signature Center will feature three plays by South African playwright and recent Tony Award-winner for lifetime achievement Athol Fugard, as well as a new production of Edward Albee’s The Lady from Dubuque, world premieres by Katori Hall and Kenneth Lonergan, and a United States premiere by Will Eno. In addition, Annie Baker and Regina Taylor will also be in residence at Signature Center as Residency Five playwrights. More information on Signature Center and Signature Theatre Company’s expanded programming can be found at www.signaturecenter.org.

2011-11-02T09:21:00.001-05:00

Dancing Beyond Stereotypes: Aboriginal Music Week Bursts with Artists’ Bold New Energy, November 2011 in Winnipeg, Manitoba

http://www.worldmusicwire.com

The heyday for Aboriginal artists is now. With centuries-old fiddle tunes unreeling beside bumping club beats, with killer flow rocking the mic beside gritty guitar blues, there’s never been more creative space for young people of First Nation/Native American, Inuit, and Métis (mixed European and First Nation) heritage. They can sing their roots, weave newfound urban communities, and dance beyond stereotypes.

Aboriginal Music Week (November 1-6, 2011) in Winnipeg, Manitoba showcases this vibrant new energy, bringing together a broad sweep of North American artists and a growing, youthful urban audience. Concerts get Elders square dancing, kids chanting along with MCs, and dance floors packed with soaring pow wow drum breaks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpkUISUx3Lo

“We have found that Aboriginal people want to see Aboriginal artists perform all kinds of music,” explains Alan Greyeyes, festival curator. “We produce the festival for Aboriginal people but we really want to use the festival and the music to build bridges with other communities. And it’s working.”

This year’s headliners show the diversity and range of Aboriginal music: A Tribe Called Red’s hard-hitting, pow wow-powered electro (Electric Pow Wow on November 4); Leela Gilday’s reflective folk; Derek Miller’s rootsy rock (The Saturday Night 49er on November 5); John Arcand’s generations-old, masterful Métis fiddle (Take the Fort! on November 1); Winnipeg’s Most and their fresh, wildly popular hip hop (Hip Hop Night on November 2).

“It’s an exciting time to be Aboriginal in Canada right now,” enthuses Bear Witness of the DJ collective A Tribe Called Red. “The community across Canada is coming together more and more, especially around the arts and music. There’s so much going on, so many interesting things, so many strong artists.”

***

The burst of new creative energy comes after several generations of cultural loss and stigma. “Until quite recently, there were no positive references in media or on stage to Native people, especially in urban centers like Winnipeg,” reflects Greyeyes. “The only time we were in the spotlight was for crimes. But now, kids are seeing Native people are great artists who perform and get played on the radio. They get to see themselves reflected on stage.”

This reflection has many facets. There are raw MCs from rough neighborhoods. There are young musicians picking up the jigs and reels their ancestors used to lure fur traders centuries ago. There is mestizo dub step and good ol’ country and western.

Even within genres, Aboriginal artists tend to bend the rules. Hip hop shows become family events, with preschoolers bopping on stage with their rapping fathers. An edgy club scene inspires artists to return to their roots. Community and tradition breed innovation.

“Our use of pow wow music was about getting this amazing support from the community in Ottawa. The first party we threw was packed with young Aboriginal people we didn’t know. It was a comfortable place for these urban young people to go,” Bear recalls. “We didn’t intend that, but we wanted to give back to them and create music that expressed that connection to the community. Something they could claim as their own.” The result: glittering, striking tracks that seamlessly integrate traditional songs and drums and reclaim pop culture portrayals of “Indians” via wry samples.

“I have found Aboriginal artists to be some of the most boundary-breaking, original, and refreshing artists I have ever met,” notes Gilday, whose carefully crafted songs of Aboriginal life have won her widespread respect in the folk scene. “It is an honour to be a part of a community responsible for this level of creativity, musicianship, and dedication.”

This creativity makes it easy to build bridges to mainstream acclaim. Derek Miller recently recorded a duet with Willie Nelson. A Tribe Called Red caught the ear of golden-boy producer Diplo. Winnipeg’s Most are on heavy rotation at local radio stations and kids of all backgrounds chant their lyrics in the city’s schoolyards. Aboriginal artists tour extensively and win national awards.

Connecting Aboriginal artists—from different scenes, at different points in their career—is part of the broader mission of festival producer Aboriginal Music Manitoba (www.ammb.ca). “We want to create a stronger professional infrastructure for Aboriginal performers,” says Greyeyes. The festival, along with night after night of high-calibre concerts, provides opportunities for artists to network with local community music bookers, and to create moments of contact with new, mostly young audiences.

“For such a long time, our people have been silenced, and we have had to fight to keep our traditions,” says Estella Sanchez, the spitfire mestiza MC of World Hood (November 4). “The fact that Aboriginal Music Week can bring people with similar histories from around the globe together is amazing. We have so much to share as a people, and so much to learn from each other about keeping our cultural traditions intact.”

2011-10-26T10:11:00.001-05:00

The Opera Electric: Vagabond Opera Brings High Drama Cabaret-Close on Sing For Your Lives! and on Tour, September and October 2011

http://www.worldmusicwire.com

It’s a dark and stormy night. The cabaret swirls smoke, euphoria, danger. A burlesque beauty sings a swooping, eerie song and suddenly sprouts a full beard. An itinerant tenor and a melancholic balloonist croon to apocalyptic waltzers. The drums ba-da-boom, the cellos duel, the gitarrón’s been drinking.

It’s Vagabond Opera—you’d better Sing for Your Lives!

Like surrealist Marcel Duchamp packing an entire life’s work into a suitcase, the Portland, Oregon troupe tucks the high drama of opera into the tight squeeze of the sexy cabaret. By turns sinister and seedy, sweet and nostalgic, the brainy, sultry band mashes up Eastern European folk theater and classical grandeur, hot club act and avant-garde klezmer jams, perky musicals and edgy absurdism.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VvF7aZdpUo

“We love storytelling, creating a world on stage or on a recording,” says saxophonist and songwriter Robin Jackson. “We bring people into a dark cabaret where they forget themselves.” “We draw on Old World elements and genres,” adds Eric Stern, Vagabond Opera founder, composer, and singer, “but we utterly transform them.”

The band take the polychrome pleasures of their musical, theatrical storytelling on the road in September and October, including performances in Berkeley, Chicago, Seattle, St. Louis, and Vancouver.

***

What’s a tenor to do?

Stern adored opera—he used to blast his tape of “The Marriage of Figaro” for his fellow teens in pre-rock show parking lots. He loved opera so much, he had to break it out of its elitist ghetto. Opera was once an art form ordinary people enjoyed, he reasoned, and it was time to take it back to those roots.

“I remember looking around the audience at a Ziggy Marley concert and thinking, ‘Why does opera have to be in an opera house, someplace that seems inaccessible to so many?’” Stern remembers. “Why can’t these people listen to opera in this venue? I wanted to snatch this art and distribute it everywhere.”

Searching for a new approach, Stern found himself omnivorously devouring everything from Hendrix guitar licks and Janice Joplin’s gritty wails, to Romanian horas and Yiddish theater music. “While I love the Western European music traditions, I saw no reason why you can’t incorporate other traditions into opera as well,” Stern reflects. “I’m Jewish and wanted more Eastern European sounds in play, things I wasn’t hearing enough of in classical music.”

So Stern set aside the high-stakes auditions and the high-powered classical circles. He hitchhiked to the Rainbow Gathering to hang in a totally different world. He wandered up and down the West Coast, playing his beloved pawn shop accordion on street corners and belting arias. He fell in with kindred spirits like Jackson in Portland’s erudite, freak-friendly art scene.

Along with Jackson—a trained ethnomusicologist, brooding free spirit, and lifelong addict of musicals—the troupe embraced a former Cirque de Soleil vocalist and carny-loving cellist native to Poland (Ashia Grzesik); a classically trained cello virtuoso with a penchant for avant improv (Skip vonKuske); an Afro-Brazilian percussion ace and jazz drummer (Mark Burdon); a Balkanologist bassist who digs black metal and traditional Mexican gitarrón (Jason Flores); and the mysterious Dr. Xander Gerrymander, a mayhem-inducing jack-of-all-trades whose wild dancing at an outdoor show so impressed the group, he was dubbed “King of the Gypsies.”

“When we first started,” Jackson recalls with a smile, “the band was a strange sort of folk ensemble, with Tom Waits and belly dance thrown in. We did a lot more klezmer at the time”—roots they still honor with songs like “Tough Mazel.” “That naturally led to gypsy brass and Turkish music. It all works together, even though it comes from different roots.”

From these similar yet diverse sources spring striking originals: a fado-laced ballad of a cursed night in a shadowy foreign town (“Coimbra”); the bittersweet tale of a heartbroken balloon expedition (“Red Balloon”), told in a tango; and hip-swinging Eastern European exotica (“Hanumonsoon”).

Art imitates surreal life: the group steps effortlessly from odd meters and vamps worthy of a Transylvanian wedding, to odd-ball skits in wild costumes harkening back to Weimar and the Roaring Twenties. They can channel Kurt Weil and Django Reinhardt, as sensual fire-dancers gyrate or hairstyling waiters hilariously turn Grzesik into a bearded lady (“Beard and Moustache”). They make the pomp of opera shimmy, by turns grave and goofy.

Vagabond Opera bust open the walls of tradition by carrying it to street corners, cabarets, and clubs. “We’ve always asked, ‘Why not work in this beautiful medium, opera, but surround it with all these unexpected instruments and sights and stories?’” Stern says. “We take this big, ambitious art form and distill it. We make it portable.”

France - USA On November 11th

2011-10-25T09:41:00.003-05:00

The US Soccer Federation announced on Friday that the National Team will play France at the Stade de France at 3pm ET on November 11th. The game will be shown on ESPN2 and Univision.

"France is traditionally one of the best teams in the world," coach Jurgen Klinsmann said in a press statement. "When you look at their history, the players that have come through their team and what they have accomplished, you have to be impressed. This is an awesome opportunity for our players to play in a stadium that has hosted a World Cup Final, and a great experience for their careers."

Waiting On FIFA

2011-10-25T09:41:00.001-05:00

The Soccer Daily, a daily soccer column from US Soccer Players' J Hutcherson.

By J Hutcherson - WASHINGTON, DC (Oct 18, 2011) US Soccer Players -- World Soccer's governing body owes us an announcement later this month. FIFA will explain how they plan on reforming their organization after almost a year of discontent. Though there's a good case for dating it even earlier, the obvious trouble started with the World Cup hosting announcement and carried through a presidential election cycle.

At any point during those months, someone in power could've said 'hey, wait a minute…." Instead, FIFA waited until they'd named two World Cup hosts and allowed a presidential election to go ahead after their own ethics committee provisionally suspended the only other candidate. Add in the allegations of corruption directed at members of the executive committee and the calls for reform from those with FIFA titles along with major countries and clubs, and FIFA's problems only escalated.

Though it sounds like a cliché, the first step is always admitting you have a problem. For FIFA, that's resisting the urge to try the onward and upward scenario. What happens there is pushing whatever happened in the past - including what literally just happened - and marching forward bravely into a brighter future. FIFA tried that, almost immediately after reelecting its president. That the press conference ended up with that FIFA president lecturing the gathered media on civility and respect was enough of an indication even for FIFA that this problem would require a different solution.

Enter FIFA president Sepp Blatter's panel of learned men. Considering who made the short list as the primary influencers for change at FIFA, what that really accomplished was easy headlines and editorials for outlets that cover soccer. Again, it was almost immediately apparent that it simply wasn't enough.

From there we got a deadline for a major announcement. This Thursday, October 20th, when FIFA is expected to emerge from a lengthy period of self-examination with a clear and workable vision for the future. Unlike our old friend the NY/NJ Metrostars, FIFA is in no position to play the 60-to-90 day game. That was the Metrostars patented 'we'll have something for you' response that was always resetting the 60-to-90 day clock. For all we know, at some point a remnant of that team will actually make an announcement, like a time capsule set to be open years after the club rebranded and moved on. That won't work for FIFA. They've set their own deadline and timeframe and would cause even more problems by not meeting it.

As so many have already stressed, that's going to be an interesting public statement for an organization with several executive committee members having faced or still facing corruption charges and a public perception that the system itself has failed. There's no room to hedge here, and FIFA has to know that.

Keep in mind that this is FIFA we're talking about, an organization that spent the last World Cup cycle reassuring the world that things would run smoothly and is now doing the same thing on behalf of the next World Cup hosts. It's one where World Cup bids and presidential elections seem unable to happen without suspicions and allegations that votes are for sale. And it's also one that's been able to shake off major scandals and emerge still capable of generating massive amounts of money.

Last summer's events changed that. There was no next for FIFA, nothing on the calendar to wipe the slate and let them focus on anything else. With all respect to the Women's World Cup, that was no match for dropping a life ban on the other candidate, wiping out the leadership of CONCACAF, and dealing with multiple allegations of votes for bribes, outright bribery, and dredging up recent moments in FIFA history that the organization probably assumed were all but forgotten.

So what should we expect on Thursday?

What there's probably little hope of is the kind of reforms that would cause the worldwide media to pause, seriously consider what has been presented, and then judge whether or not it stands a chance of working. We can already safely assume that FIFA can't reasonably go far enough for some without revamping the executive committee, putting multiple FIFA bureaucrats out to pasture, and resetting the World Cup hosting decisions. We might as well add 'call for a new presidential election' to that fantasy list.

On the other end of the spectrum, another lecture on how FIFA is the organization holding the line between the beneficial state of the sport enjoyed fiscally by so many members and the 'black hole' Blatter mentioned while campaigning for reelection would be a tremendous mistake. FIFA ceded that role when they started having to investigate multiple members. If Blatter turns a needed reform movement into a mechanism for further limiting the power of the executive committee, FIFA would be missing the point. They'd also be doing exactly what that now banned rival accused the current administration of during his campaign.

Closer to reality, what FIFA has to be very careful with is playing with expectations. They have very little maneuvering room if the plan is to tweak the current model while once again promising better days ahead. Nothing we've seen so far should suggest a radical reinventing of FIFA as an organization, and this could quickly turn into another stumble as FIFA tries to get itself back on course.

Again, we're talking about FIFA here so that course is probably not going to be what most of the reformists really want. The calls for following the International Olympic Committee's lead would result in a leaner organization with fewer key committee positions, but what would that mean in practice for FIFA? Who takes those roles, and ultimately who sets the new standard for FIFA elected and appointed officials to adhere too?

USA - Slovenia Scheduled For Nov 16th

2011-10-25T09:40:00.001-05:00

The United States will play Slovenia in Ljubljana on November 16th, the second game on their European trip. The National Team opens against France on November 11th.

"Slovenia is a small nation that has achieved big results," USA coach Jurgen Klinsmann said in a press statement. "For them to have qualified for two World Cups in such a short time is an incredible achievement. I have seen them play in qualifying and the last World Cup, and I was very impressed. This game is another good opportunity for our players to build on what we have been working on for the last few months."

The Italian Edge: Hit Week Brings the Cool and Quirky Sounds of Italy to NYC, LA, and Miami for Three Nights of Wild and Worldly Music

2011-10-25T09:39:00.001-05:00

http://www.worldmusicwire.com

Francesco Del Maro was ticked off: Friends in the U.S. seemed to think Italian music was all “Volare” and Verdi, mandolin melancholy and maudlin mafia soundtracks. Yet the 15 year music industry vertran did more than just get mad; he threw a party and got dozens of hip Italian musicians to L.A. for a multi-night, multi-venue blow out.

That was two years ago. Now, Hit Week (October 10-16, 2011; full ticket details at www.hitweek.it) has blossomed into a three-city festival thanks in part to support from Italian institutions, highlighting the catchiest and edgiest music Italy has to offer. On major stages and in intimate clubs in New York City, L.A., and (for the first time this year) Miami, wild-eyed Zappa devotees and electro-powered rock, sleek globally inspired jazz and dubbed-out trip hop collide for a whirlwind romp through the Italian music scene.

~~~

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-gASxQlcl8&feature=fvst

~~~

For Hit Week, it’s about power and savvy, not origins. “Hit Week doesn’t focus on the music that’s recognizably from Italy,” explains Del Maro. “The language isn’t important. We’re looking for music of global caliber; that’s so good, it doesn’t matter where it’s from.” This formula has worked: In its short history, Hit Week’s audiences have doubled and the festival has established a foothold in some of the toughest U.S. markets.

“There’s nothing better than seeing young Americans in their 20s shouting into their cell phones at a show about a group they’ve just seen,” remarks Del Maro, festival curator and instigator. “When you hear them rave about a band, that they can’t believe this is Italian music, it’s just amazing.”Though broadly appealing, Hit Week’s artists have a distinctly Italian spirit. Several hail from the country’s unsung musical hotspots—like the increasingly popular travel destination of Puglia—scenes few Americans are aware of.

Subsonica: Electro-laced rock with catchy hooks, big sounds, and intense appeal

Caparezza: A wacky Adriatic alt-rocker makes devilishly clever pop

Nicola Conte: Super-cool grooves and worldly sounds put polished spin on jazz

Casino Royale: The slick secret agents of Italian trip hop

Après La Classe: Wry humor and uptempo world beats from Puglia, back by popular demand

Erica Mou: Alanis Morisette’s grit meets acoustic flair and thoughtful intensity

Hit Week artists vary wildly, but they share a certain spirit. They flirt with local sounds, satirize local conditions, climb local charts, and pack local stadiums with hundreds of thousands of dedicated fans. Subsonica have scored numerous number one hits in Italy, making them the current darling of the rock scene. Caparezza sells out major arenas on a regular basis, thanks to his high-energy, always changing, innately quirky shows.

Italian artists are also quietly attracting the attention of international heavyweights, be they edgy producers or major labels. Nicola Conte just signed a deal with international jazz mainstays, Impulse. Casino Royale have teamed up with Scottish DJ Howie B (who’s worked with everyone from Tricky to U2) to trade dub breaks and licks. Rising star Erica Mou is working with Bjork’s producer, Valgeir Sigurðsson, whose shimmering electronic touches unveil new facets of Mou’s raw, personal songs.

Along side these major acts and hot newcomers, Hit Week will showcase the best of Italy’s burgeoning crop of emerging music, selected via Facebook contest, thanks to the involvement of the Italian Minister of Young Generation. Young bands get to travel to the U.S. and play for new listeners and industry heavyweights alike. “It’s been great for artists just starting out,” explains Del Maro. “Some participants from previous years went on to play various major U.S. festivals.”

Hit Week aims not only to bring creative young Italians to the U.S.; it’s reaching out to young Americans, getting them exposed to the coolest moments of the Italian scene. As part of its ongoing partnership with local universities, the festival is arranging several meet-and-greet opportunities at local colleges (UCLA, Columbia, University of Miami) that will bring together artists and audiences in a casual, intimate setting.

“Hit Week shows that Italian artists are second to none,” Del Maro says. “We are not coming from the third world of music, but have something new to tell the world.”

Hit Week is produced by Francesco Del Maro for Music Experience Roma Italy and Mela Inc. Los Angeles, with the support of The Minister of Young Generation, The Italian Federation of Music Industry, The Puglia Region, The Italian Trade Commission of Los Angeles, The Italian Ministry of Economic Development, The National Italian American Foundation, The Rhythm Foundation Miami, Gibson, Dw, Aqua Panna, Rockol, Made in Roma, Dw Drums, Paiste and more to come.

2011-10-13T09:01:00.001-05:00

as i predicted i made an egregious error in my review of The Big Year, pointed out by 'elizabird', in that author Mark Obmascik apparently did not consult for the movie, but instead it was birder Greg Miller. this of course makes the entire point of that paragraph/section moot . . . i have a reason, but it's irrelevant, it's wrong . . . so in addition to apologizing to Mark for that (mea culpa) i will be adding an addendum to the review to make sure i have it right in the long run.

Museum of Monterey & theBlu

2011-10-12T12:54:00.002-05:00

On October 15, the Museum of Monterey will be the first museum to exhibit “theBlu” (www.theblu.com), a new entertainment experience celebrating art, innovation, and the ocean.

Created by Wemo Media and a team of Academy Award-winning graphic designers, theBlu is an interactive online world meant to increase awareness of the Earth’s oceans while simultaneously providing a global canvas for the world’s digital artists. Every species and habitat is a unique work of art created by one of hundreds of developers and graphic designers around the world.

TheBlu is currently in invite-only private beta and won’t be accessible publicly until next year. The exhibit at the Museum of Monterey serves as a sneak peek of the evolving art project and represents the museum’s dedication to innovation in artistic expression. The Opening Reception is Saturday, October 15 from 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. and is Free to the public. Wharf parking is free for 2 hours with your ID.

More About theBlu

Picture hundreds of thousands of aquatic species and tens of thousands of underwater habitats, beautiful works of art created by artists and developers all over the world, spread across the canvas of the World Wide Web as a globally shared art gallery. And imagine hundreds of millions of people connected on the web - via phones, tablets, computers, at home, at school, in museums - with ocean life flowing from device to device across cities all over the globe - Honolulu, Sydney, Tokyo, Seoul, Mumbai, Moscow, Dubai, Johannesburg, Madrid, Stockholm, Paris, London, New York, Sao Paolo, Los Angeles... Everyone that much more aware of the Oceans, and everyone that much more aware of each other.

Wemo Media’s team is comprised of a passionate group of Academy award winning artists, technology innovators and execs from film, games and the web, including: Andy Jones (Academy award winner, Avatar), Kevin Mack (Academy award winner, What Dreams May Come), Louie Psihoyos (Academy award winner, The Cove), Joichi Ito (Director, MIT Media lab), and more.

Museum of Monterey

MoM is open Tuesday – Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Sunday 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. The Museum is closed Monday. The cost to visit is $5.00. For more information please call (831) 372-2608 or go to http://www.museumofmonterey.org

USA 0 - Ecuador 1

2011-10-12T11:12:00.001-05:00

United States National Team Team Players Association, October 11, 2011

The United States fell to a second-half goal from Ecuador at Red Bull Arena on Tuesday night. With Ecuador coming off a World Cup qualifying win over Venezuela, they brought a mostly first choice team that had a tough time cracking the United States defense in the first-half. With US coach Jurgen Klinsmann making four substitutions at halftime and eventually using all six, Ecuador faced a different version of the US when they capitalized in the 79th minute. Jaime Ayovi scored the game's only goal, with Maximo Banguera picking up the shutout.

“It’s crazy to see, and you may disagree, but since the Mexico game we haven’t given up a ton of chances," US goalkeeper Tim Howard said. "It’s hard because one goal kills the game so it looks terrible, but we’ve given up four goals in five games and that’s not the end of the world. We’re not giving teams chances, and that’s a positive thing for me as a goalkeeper. We’re creating chances too, they’re just not falling."

-- GAME REPORT --

Match: U.S. Men’s National Team vs. Ecuador
Date: Oct. 11, 2011
Competition: International Friendly
Venue: Red Bull Arena; Harrison, N.J.
Kickoff: 7:15 p.m. ET
Attendance: 20,707
Weather: 65 degrees, clear

Scoring Summary: 1 2 F
USA 0 0 0
Ecuador 0 1 1

ECU – Jaime Ayovi (Walter Ayovi) 79th minute

Lineups:
USA: 1-Tim Howard; 2-Steve Cherundolo (13-Jonathan Spector, 46), 4-Oguchi Onyewu, 5-Carlos Bocanegra (capt.) (14-Tim Ream, 72), 3-Timmy Chandler; 6-Kyle Beckerman; 7-Danny Williams (17-Edson Buddle, 65), 8-Maurice Edu (15-Michael Bradley, 46), 11-Brek Shea (16-DaMarcus Beasley, 46); 10-Clint Dempsey, 9-Jozy Altidore (18-Juan Agudelo, 46)
Subs Not Used: 12-Nick Rimando
Head coach: Jurgen Klinsmann
ECU: 1-Maximo Banguera; 2-Eduardo Morante, 3-Fricson Erazo, 18-Gabriel Achilier, 10-Walter Ayovi; 16-Antonio Valencia (13-Cristian Suarez, 63), 8-Edison Mendez (19-Luis Saritama, 69), 14-Segundo Castillo, 9-Jefferson Montero (17-Jaime Ayovi, 60); 11-Christian Benitez (15-Jairo Campos, 90), 7-Michael Arroyo (4-Juan Carlos Paredes, 86)
Subs not used: 6-Michael Quiñonez, 12-Adrian Bone
Head coach: Reinaldo Rueda

Stats Summary: USA / ECU
Shots: 22 / 9
Shots on Goal: 8 / 4
Saves: 3 / 8
Corner Kicks: 10 / 5
Fouls: 12 / 19
Offside: 2 / 4

Misconduct Summary:
USA – Carlos Bocanegra (caution) 62nd minute
ECU – Luis Saritama (caution) 87
ECU – Jaime Ayovi (caution) 88

Officials:
Referee: Joel Aguilar (El Salvador)
Assistant Referee 1: William Torres (El Salvador)
Assistant Referee 2: Juan Zumba (El Salvador)
Fourth Official: Terry Vaughn (USA)

The Salt of our Earth

2011-10-12T10:09:00.001-05:00

Sevara Nazarkhan Finds the Acoustic Savor of Pared-Down Uzbek Tradition on Tortadur

http://www.worldmusicwire.com

The grief of eternal exile and the ancient ache of love echoed in the pitch-black studio. From gut strings and china saucers, from frame drums and clacking trains, singer Sevara Nazarkhan urged centuries of urgent whispers, secret sighs, and passionate prayers into a new and intimate life.

Supported by a carefully selected handful of musical elders, Nazarkhan has returned on Tortadur to utter simplicity and the audacious acoustic roots of Uzbek tradition—the once lively world of house parties and poet-kings, of black-browed beloveds and word-drunk Sufi saints.

Though a seasoned pop performer—her voice has wowed everyone from Peter Gabriel to Russian pop diva Alla Pugacheva—Nazarkhan turned away from electronic sounds and complex production to the pure, quiet presence of traditional instruments and haunting lyrics, some hailing from as early as the 15th century. Throughout, her voice feels so immediate that you can almost feel the breath on your cheek, the hand on your arm.

“I wanted to express the salt of our earth, so to speak,” Nazarkhan reflects. “People have forgotten, or simply don’t know, about this wonderful, rich side of our music, music that is very subtle and expresses our past.”

~~~

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDYGrEnKd8o

To explore this richness, Nazarkhan softly yet intensely tells tales penned by the original Moghul, Bobur, and by Sufi master Mashrab, among other poets. They praise the beauty that can cause riots, the endless, exquisite pains of passion, but without the frenetic dance beats popular in Uzbekistan or the busyness of electronic production and virtuosic vocal feats. She channeled the spirit of traditional parties, when women would gather for music, tea, and talk.

“It’s a cry of my soul,” explains Nazarkhan, “but in a whisper. I sing very quietly.”

She found new uses for subtle, time-honored techniques, such as the tradition of singing into a tea saucer to add resonance to the voice (“Yovvoi Tanovar”). She rediscovered the heartbreaking words of an early 20th-century anti-Russian freedom fighter sent into exile, whose poem written in a cattle car had mysteriously morphed into an Uzbek party anthem (the train-backed sorrow of “Qargalar”). She gives space to quiet instruments like the gut-stringed doutar and the subtle percussion of the doira (traditional frame drum).

In her quest for a different approach to tradition, Nazarkhan worked very closely with professor and veteran maqam (Central Asian classical music) performer, Temur Makhmudov. Makhmudov not only helped Nazarkhan explore long neglected repertoire, he headed up the all-star ensemble she gathered. Nazarkhan brought together artists in their seventies who had been playing traditional music from childhood as part of musical families. They remembered the old sound, the gentle approach, the quiet expressiveness of their roots.

Assembling this Uzbek answer to the Buena Vista Social Club had its challenges. The feisty nai (traditional flute) player Abdulakhad Abdurashidov at first refused to join them. He was old and tired, he told Nazarkhan on the phone from a remote mountain retreat.

Yet Nazarkhan was taking a different approach to working with these musical elders. Instead of calling the shots or demanding uptempo folk-pop, she turned them loose, urging them to play what they felt. She dimmed the studio lights and let the music unfold. Before she knew it, word got out and there was a knock on the studio door. It was Abdurashidov, asking if anyone needed a nai player.

“He didn’t want to be bossed around or be part of some fusion experiment,” Nazarkhan recalls with a smile. “He’s the best player, and he got to play what he felt. All the musicians had no bounds. It was like they returned to the freedom of their youth and could do whatever they wanted.”

This freedom led to unexpected innovation. As the group worked on “Galdir Talqinchasi” and Nazarkhan sang lines referring to Jacob’s grief for the loss of his son Joseph, the musicians began to hum. It was so striking that Nazarkhan called for vocal mics for each of the players, resulting in something new: a male chorus backing a female singer. On tracks like “Tortadur,” Nazarkhan’s gritty, gentle voice entwines with Makhmudov’s baritone to moving effect.

“What I wanted to show with this album was very clear: the beauty of the melodies, the language, and the instruments,” say Nazarkhan. “I wanted to show that our traditions have meaning, not only as part of the Turkic world, but to everyone.”

The Big Fizzle . . . or not

2011-10-11T19:22:00.012-05:00

A Review of The Big Year by Tony Gallucci, Milk River Media

Fair Warning: This is going to become two reviews in one – of a book and of an unseen movie. As a tie-in to the upcoming movie The Big Year, starring Jack Black, Owen Wilson and Steve Martin, Kristin Matzen of Free Press Publicity (Simon & Schuster) sent me a copy of the book on which the film was based for review. Written by Mark Obmascik, The Big Year: A Tale of Man, Nature, and Fowl Obsession tells the intertwining stories of three birders, Sandy Komito, Al Levantin and Greg Miller, chasing what may seem to non-birders a ridiculous goal – finding the most species of birds in a year in North America.

The reissue is likely meant to piggyback on what is hoped to be the success of the movie, which is being heavily marketed, especially to birders, and perhaps also to drum up business by stirring up critical buzz for the film before it hits this coming weekend.

The former must await the release, but on the second count there is both good and bad news. The one line review would go something like this (and then I will expound): it is a delightful tale of oddball personalities in quest of their life dreams, but the birding in it suffers badly from poor research and/or understanding.

Perhaps it’s all that could be expected from an outside writer without prior knowledge of birding, but since Obmascik insinuates in the introduction that he is now birding convert and evangelist, one could have expected much more. Since the original publication was in 2004, one might also expect that a reissue would include some updated knowledge and some corrections. No such luck.

Birders have been awaiting the film since the first wave of PR came out a few months ago, and has reached an anxious crescendo on the birding listservs and forums. Much of the talk has swirled around three basic topics, each relevant to an examination of the book and this review. The topics are: a) did they make any effort at accuracy with the birds? (including using actual footage of the birds they are talking about; are the bird calls and songs correct; are the locations and habitats correct; is the discussion about them correct); b) are birders going to be made to look like fools? (especially considering Black, Martin and Wilson have each made a career out of playing fools); and c) will it bring more people into birding as a pastime (and maybe subliminally ‘I hope it doesn’t bring a ton of people into birding!’; but also a hint of ‘I hope it also makes people more aware of 1) the environment, 2) conservation, 3) endangered species, and 4) giving a little space to the crazy birders in their lives’).

As I progress here, understand that I’m reviewing the book – I haven’t seen the movie yet, only the several trailers (see links below) – and so my critiques are mostly about the text. The problem, if there is one, is that it’s the starting place for the film, and my gut feeling is that one could hardly expect the film to have taken a giant leap in credibility – the normal progression is for a film to play fast and loose with the facts presented in a book. We’ll have to wait and see.

Okay, let’s get into the nitty-gritty here: Birders, hardcore, listing, chasing, Big-Year-type birders are obsessed. Obmascik himself makes that point repeatedly in the book and I’m here to say it is absolute. One of Obmascik’s diversions is musing briefly about honesty – did these guys really see what they said they saw. Well, this is about personal obsession, there is glory attached, but obsessives want things just so, which is why one makes multiple trips to see a missed bird.

So why is this relevant?

A little personal history to illustrate: I too was a chaser (my obsessions have evolved since then), I did several Big Years myself, though not on a continent-wide or global scale, and once had the third best Texas Big Year (very briefly I might add, and I was long ago left in the dust). The point is, I know this chase business.

I am also a writer, and a minor-league filmmaker, and the confluence of those three things gave me a particular interest in The Big Year, both as a book and as a film.

I obsess over details, like all good, hardcore birders I know, most of them chasers at one time or another. I keep lifelists by county, I intently survey properties I work on for every living thing, I make lists other people wouldn’t think of (we all do, it’s part of the game): for 40+ years I’ve kept a detailed summary of everything I’ve found dead on the road. That’s the way we all operate – lists, numbers, games – ask Komito, Levantin and Miller.

So, pleased (excited actually) to be getting to review the book, I eagerly awaited it’s arrival, and when it did, and I ripped open the envelope and held the book in my hands, my heart immediately sank.

It’s a detail thing. There on the cover of the new edition, the ‘tie-in edition’ is a composite picture from the film of Black, Wilson and Martin holding up binoculars looking off the sides in profile. Of course, the book isn’t about Black, Wilson and Martin, but in our current cultural milieu, oversaturated by marketing, this is precisely what one would expect (though pictures of Komito, Levantin and Miller would have been nice out of respect for the fact the that the book is still their story – the film is fictionalized to some or another extent).

Nevertheless, that’s not what got my feathers fluffed. It’s that there is a bird perched on the end of Martin’s binoculars, tilted over as though peering into the binoculars at Martin. It’s a cute conceit, photoshopped in, and the humor was not lost on me. The problem is, the bird is an American Robin, altogether not an unusual bird for them to see, and it is tiny.

That’s the detail – that it is ridiculously small. So small that it is impossible for it to really be a robin perched there on his binoculars, at least to my eye, which I adjudge to be somewhat good at doing these kinds of things. But being the obsessive I am I am going to do some research to see if my eye is lying to me.

I don’t know if Steve Martin has big hands or small hands, but it’s easy to compare the size of the bird to the size of his hand. And being the obsessive I am I measured the hands of several folks in my office agreeable to having their hands measured. A simple comparison of the widths of their hands versus Steve’s and the bird’s length and I come up with figures that are approximately 4½ to 5½ inches for the total length of the bird in the picture.

Now, American Robins (I apologize for bringing science into all this) can vary in size a little – the birds breeding farther north will average a little larger than the ones that nest here in my podunk town, but the references I quick-checked indicate that average American Robin total lengths run from about 9½ to 10 inches. A bird the size of the one on the cover would be more like say, a Nashville Warbler. A birder instantly recognizes the size issues in that comparison – twice the length, in volume/weight much larger.

Okay, it’s just a stinking cover. Someone may have had a cute idea and passed it on to a graphic designer who not only knew nothing about birds, but may not have cared, and what you end up with is inaccuracy.

But where was Obmascik? Obmascik, the guy who has proclaimed in interviews that he got to check the accuracy of the script and sit in on filming as though his presence meant he would be consulted about getting things right**; doesn’t he get a say on the cover to the new edition of his book? Was he not a newly ordained birder who has the eye to immediately see the glaring error? And one would hope that now, seven years after first publication, his skills and knowledge have grown. Perhaps out of his hands . . . grumble, grumble . . . perhaps.

I still was anxious to get to the text, so I turned the cover over, out of sight, and began to read . . . and to find three, exactly three, times in the book where, in trying to give readers a sense of a bird’s size he compares them to a robin! “Robin-sized” it says, not altogether accurately. In online parlance my response is “smh” – shaking my head.

A digression: Accuracy . . . as a writer I don’t always get things right. There will likely be things that I don’t get right in this review. But I strive for perfection. When I do writing seminars I harp on getting things right. I teach, for instance, that I really don’t know anything about cooking, but I also want to, let’s say, write about cooking. So I’ll make sure I get the details right. I do everything I can to learn about the inherent culture of cooking, and then I may even run stuff by someone who is a pro to make sure I didn’t blow it somewhere.

See, I always wanted to write so that those very pros would believe I knew what I was talking about. I wanted them to enjoy my writing more than anyone else. If I’ve done that, then all the readers who aren’t pros gain real information and insight, and learn along with me.

If I fail in that objective however, then I destroy my own credibility. If I can’t get it right about my subject matter, then how could anyone expect that anything else I write is true, honest, accurate, or faithful.

Obmascik makes something of a big deal in an interview coda to the book about having trusted these guys, but still doing things to ensure accuracy like check weather service records to be sure their journals were not fibbed. It’s a shame no one was checking Obmascik’s accuracy as well.

There are points in his telling where in the interest of waxing poetic, and he gets pretty waxy at times, that he clearly wanted to set a scene and use birds to illustrate his picture, but it seems that he may have played pin the tail on the donkey in the bird book to choose his birds. In those cases he failed a few times. This is especially egregious because using the correct birds would have painted a better picture.

Obmascik may very well have not had any control over Big Issue No. 2 – the use of capitalized names of birds. It may have been an editorial decision he could not change. I have fought this battle myself many times, mostly with newspapers who use their stylebook and no one else’s, and you can be sure I beam when I actually see things done right in a newspaper. On the other hand a book is a product of self, and should represent self, and I will be most disappointed if he wrote it that way himself. If not, if this was editorial, then I am directing this at his editors – you helped wreck his credibility with his subject matter with your decision.

The American Ornithologists’ Union, along with other world professional organizations, makes it a rule to use capital initial letters in the names of all bird species (with specific means of determining which words in a hyphenated concoction are capitalized and which are not). It’s not a hard and fast rule yet among other vertebrate groups but should be, and many of us use the same rules when we write about them. As far as we’re concerned it is not open for editorial discretion any more than if an editor chooses whether people’s names should be capitalized or not.

By setting them off as proper names it serves a functional purpose, very well illustrated in this book – a black storm-petrel is not the same as a Black Storm-Petrel, a White-tailed Eagle is not the same as a white-tailed eagle, which well describes our national bird, but is not the white-tailed eagle talked about in the text. And because we obsessive types are accustomed to reading these in caps; it simply grates every time I come across one of these in the book, which is, of course, on nearly every page. Especially cumbersome and ridiculous are those schizophrenic names rendered as bizarre visual constructions like American avocet, Siberian tit and Baikal teal.

Had Obmascik not known this for the first edition, surely by the second he did, and the entire text could have been easily fixed.

More than anything else it is a blinding reminder in nearly every paragraph that I am reading something as though it was written by a dilettante. And please, I am not trying to be harsh here, or critical of Obmascik (who I do not know) as a person (but strongly suspect is a wonderful human being to be around and bird with). It’s just that I expected more when someone proffers his own interest and credentials before the story even begins.

A few more examples of missed details . . .

I recognize that the book itself is a document reflecting the times, and that our knowledge of bird species has changed some since the book came out. What were all Tufted Titmice then, are now Tufted Titmice and Black-crested Titmice. The book has to reflect the former knowledge because that was what was current at the time. But there’s no reason why the introduction to the book needs to be similarly dated – especially in an edition meant to draw attention now to the sport/act/obsession-with-detail of birding. More importantly, I find no excuse for not correcting blatant errors in the main text. If you are going to draw people anew to the book because of buzz over the movie, why not give them an accurate document?

For instance: It’s one thing to indicate someone was pursuing a certain bird that we now know is a different entity (i.e., titmice), it’s another thing to continue to use the older name of a certain duck, which was changed in part to match old-world usage as Long-tailed Duck, but also because it was considered offensive usage by some, and then to top things off to misspell it anyway as “old squaw”.

Ultimately, there is much bad science here, some of it technical, but some, it appears to me, to be based on the need to conjure up a particular image and just winging it without ‘knowing’ it. There is bad botany, bad geography, and most unfortunately, bad ornithology.

On one hand I try to forgive this as I don’t expect the author to have been scientifically trained, nor to have been obsessed with the details of birds and birding beforehand – and after all this is, I think, meant to be a book about people, about personalities. On the other hand, it’s that credibility issue for those of us who know. It’s about us being a target audience of sorts, and if you want to appeal to an audience of people obsessed with something, the details better be right.

I have written previously about how hard it is for birders to enjoy movies anyway (for example here; here; here; and here). We hear everything in the background and when the bird calls and songs are wrong for the setting, we (or myself anyway) get distracted from the story (another of my writing rules is ‘never do something that takes someone away from the story for even a second’). California Quail calling in the background kind of wrecked M.A.S.H. for me. That one at least was somewhat innocent – it was filmed in California made to resemble Korea and they just picked up ambient noise. Worse is a director wanting 'jungle noise' and loading a film up with Boreal Owl and Common Loon calls.

You can see that although we all have high expectations for The Big Year the movie, we’ll be listening.

One hopes he aspired to produce a book about The Obsession seriously enough to take cues about getting things exactly right. He might have aspired to Kenn Kaufman’s Kingbird Highway, or Mark Adams’ Chasing Birds Across Texas: A Birding Big Year – tomes about the ‘chase’ that were written by the ones who experienced them, who knew the details. Or even Don Stap’s A Parrot Without a Name: The Search for the Last Unknown Birds on Earth, about a more scientific pursuit, but a pursuit of birds nonetheless. Peerless documents these, and thus favorites. Even the dissed James Vardaman’s book Call Collect, Ask for Birdman got a lot of details right.

You see though, there is too much just not right here. The examples are dizzyingly numerous. My head only settled when the narrative proceeded down a non-avian tangent and focused on the people – which is where Obmascik excels, in catching the quirks of the folks he is detailing – while shushing my inner tendency to question everything.

I had trouble for example with the statement that there are 'seven kinds of tits (Siberian, bridled, bush, juniper, oak, tufted, and wren)'. This declaration is fraught with all kinds of scientific shenaniganery. For instance, the Bushtit and Wrentit aren’t really tits in the familial definition of things, they were called tits because of their resemblance to, and old-school placement with, tits. We know better now, and did at the time of the big year the book is based on.

That aside, Siberian is a chickadee in North American parlance, but because chickadees are called tits in the old world, and since the Siberian is the only one of our ‘chickadees’ that occurs in the old world as well, we acquiesced for a while to the old world name, leaving us with a bit of a naming jumble. It’s likely that most of the newer field guides in use during the big year attempt in 1998 had the bird listed as Siberian Tit, but in actuality, the AOU had changed the name back to Gray-headed Chickadee in a January 1998 supplement to the Checklist, and surely the three birders were aware of that name change. So the introduction was off on that one.

Even so, if the Siberian is a tit anyway, then aren’t the Carolina, Black-capped, Chestnut-backed, Mountain, etc.? Okay so maybe the Obmascik declaration is an mnemonic trick to help him remember a few names. If so, it’s personal and both distracting to experienced birders and disingenuous for the new birders among readers.

Take the other four, which present another interesting nomenclatural jumble – we don’t call them tits here, we call them titmice, and it’s accurate that he includes both Juniper and Oak Titmice, both halves of what was previously known as the Plain Titmouse. That split occurred in mid-1997, in plenty of time for the chasers to be aware of the chance to add another bird to their lists. Though neither is mentioned in the text, we have Obmascik’s introductory, and correct use of the names. But then what of the Tufted Titmouse? Black-crested Titmouse was split from the Tufted Titmouse in 2002, a few years after the big year, but a full two years before the publication of The Big Year. What’s the harm in getting that right? Otherwise you have people wondering what happened to ‘their’ titmouse, which happens to be mine as well.

And again: This statement is just plain hyperbole and nothing more – no such birds exist: “There are one-of-a-kind birds living on the streets of St. Louis, below a dam in Texas, and amid the suburban sprawl of Southern California.” He’s talking about European Tree Sparrows, Muscovy, and lord knows what. None of them species actually restricted to those locations – ha, the sparrow (actually a weaver finch) isn’t even native, and none so rare that only a single individual exists. Yeah, I get what he was trying to say, only that’s not what he said. Semantics is all it is, except that it’s inaccurate, confusing, and reflects on the rest of the manuscript.

These examples came just from the introduction to the book, Obmascik’s own reflections. What about the meat of the story? Is it any more accurate?

Well, declaring that an Amistad Reservoir Rufous-capped Warbler is displaced from Costa Rica is wrong; it doesn’t take into account that the bird nests commonly less than sixty miles away in Mexico, nor does it account for the common thought among Texas birders of experience that it is likely a not a terribly rare breeder (borne out by decades of discovery) along the banks of the Rio Grande in Texas, perhaps even inland a ways, it’s just largely inaccessible.

Here’s one of those little asides he makes that I immediately knew was wrong because I’ve held all three of these birds in my hand. To, in the course of one sentence, declare that an Elf Owl is both one quarter the size of a Great Horned Owl, and smaller than a House Sparrow, is not only impossible for it to be one if it is the other, but it is actually wrong on both counts.

There is a constant conflation of length and size, a la American Robin. An Elf Owl is approximately one-quarter the length of a Great Horned Owl all right, but in volume/weight is more like 1/40th to 1/50th; that’s hardly comparable to a quarter the ‘size’. Meanwhile, it is about the same length as a House Sparrow, but the sparrow is long of tail, the owl short, and the difference made by subtracting the almost weightless length of tail makes the owl 30-50% heavier than the sparrow, and thus not smaller as he would have it. I don’t know anyone who is familiar with those two birds who would offhandedly say an Elf Owl is smaller than a House Sparrow.

Again, it makes me suspicious of other details in the book. Indeed, the one other field in which I have some considerable experience, hunting, is alluded to in the book several times, mostly in service to discussions about collecting on Attu. Most of it is vague, but one detail, waxed poetically I believe, is either totally wrong, or else the person involved in the act described is a total moron (of which there is no other indication): Obmascik describes the collection of a Pechora Pipit by a collector using buckshot. Buckshot is a specific size of pellet used in shotgun shells. It is designed, as its name would imply, for bringing down deer (‘buck’shot – get it?). There are few in a cartridge, and they are large. And blasted from a shotgun, if one were so unbelievably lucky as to actually hit a Pechora Pipit, one would only be collecting what I would call smithereens – some slivers of meat and bone and a few feathers. That collector would not be in business very long. In actuality, using a shotgun to collect pipits would be a better use for #8 or #9 pellets, a group of sizes in part known collectively as ‘birdshot’. I suspect this was just an unresearched use of a term in another field and another ding in credibility.

It even extends to the index. In trying to refind a reference to Baird’s Sparrow, I came across an entry for “snatch sparrow”. You can look it up yourself. Perhaps that was some intern’s idea of a joke (especially in light of page 99, where one is directed, being partly about one birder’s return to his wife after time on the road). Or perhaps the index was just computer generated and no one proofed it.

Back to that earlier credibility point: I now don’t know whether things are ‘correct’ for instance in his descriptions of Amish and Mennonite life, things he did not know before writing The Big Year, and doesn’t appear he’s become obsessed enough about to join the communities; or about his examination of Greg Miller’s job to fix thousands of lines of nuclear code ahead of Y2K; or details of the symphonic music wafting through Aspen. Those are things I'd like to walk away having gained as real knowledge, things to enrich my life, but again, if he didn’t get the bird things right, did he get this other stuff right?

It would take me a lot of space here to list all the bird errors. I hope you get the picture without my having to do so.

I was a closet birder until I hit my senior year in high school. I owe that to Jane Hathaway of The Beverly Hillbillies. She was the only other person on the planet I knew who was interested in birds like I was. She was fictional, a caricature, but I sure didn’t want people thinking of me like they must have thought of her. So I went about my business quietly.

The first time I ever birded with someone else, EVER, was on the Freeport Christmas Count of 1971. My family had just moved to Houston, and I was watching the news when a story came on about the count with clips of other people looking at birds, and they weren’t Jane Hathaway. A number flashed on the screen, I called and talked to Victor Emanuel, and the rest, for me, was history.

I had quite an education that day, but I also knew my birds, and from that moment came a lifetime of good friends and birding partners, indeed my best friends in this life are all attached to that time. We’re older now, and we all took our obsessions different directions, but we seem to still show up at the ‘first’ Texas Gyrfalcon or the ‘first’ North American Crane Hawk, or sometimes band together and go out and find our own ‘first’ North American Roadside Hawk*. We have a certain camaraderie in that history, those histories.

Obmascik’s book deals directly with these two things – the quirkiness of birding (thank goodness folks under a certain age don’t know who Jane Hathaway is), and that birding is just another of those things humans do in groups that bind us together. Ultimately the book comes to grips with the humanity of these three obsessed guys. That’s a good thing.

I wanted to say that I was a bit disappointed that the book, the drive of the narrative, sort of fizzled at the end. But in retrospect I think it was appropriate. The big quest itself kind of fizzled out for all three of the chasers at the end of the year. For Levantin and Miller both there was a realization that some other things were more important, and the book made it seem like they finally resorted to having a little pre-mortem fun with their last few birds (even in postholing in the Colorado snow and buzzing around Nevada in the hands of a crazy chopper pilot) once it was clear they were bested.

Komito though never seemed to slow down, even if he tired, but it must be that his drive to put distance between himself and the other two made it a runaway fourth quarter and that cost him some of the joy. Runaway scores take the fun out of sport, if that’s what birding is. It’s not just about the final tally, though that big win is important; it’s about having a reason to press on, someone breathing down your neck to beat, that makes it ultimately worthwhile, that creates the biggest satsifaction.

I have to hope that the truths of the story are just that. That the personal moments, the chatter, the tricks, the worry, the tender family vignettes, portray something close to actuality. I have my questions, but not necessarily suspicions. If they are honest portrayals then Obmascik has succeeded in telling a story that has much humanity in it. It is also well-written as far as providing a tale worth reading, compelling enough to turn every page despite my cringing at the science.

And he does catch some of the flavor of competitive birding too. The seasickness on pelagics is a topic with which I have much experience. Scopelines, jostling for a view past big shoulders, battling unfamiliar environments, wolfed down 4 a.m. breakfasts, not planning for unforeseen vehicle issues, finding a way to make the few enough dollars last an extra day or two, arriving a minute too late, despair in telling someone they arrived a minute too late; all are drawn in much the way those things affect birders’ every travel scheme.

In short, we are a goofy lot.

I’m hoping the movie makes the same leap, because as fodder for pure humor we are rich. I don’t know any of the three main characters of the book, although I know quite a few of the sideline folks, but I definitely know a lot of bird people and a lot of their stories – many drop-dead funny, some heartwarming, a few tragic. In the end we are people, and if the books misses the biology often, and drives me nuts on the details, at least I can turn it into a fairy tale, and enjoy the telling of the story.

Here’s hoping the best for the movie.

A word about the movie in anticipation? Here’s some of what I glean from the clips and trailers: there’s an awful lot of CGI birds involved, and lots of them are awfully small, prepare to not be fooled by the currently bad state-of-the-art in computer generated flight; there is at least one indoor Blue Jay; it’s a cutthroat business (something I really never experienced, in fact when I was doing my runs, or was aware of others, it was all about everyone pitching in to get everyone onto the birds, so this seems a bit uncharacteristic of us, although the book tells a slightly different story); it might be a bit heavy on the exposition (anathema to a filmmaker); the book does an interesting job of telling the story of the origins of Big Years (I’m not certain it is too accurate, but it’s plausible enough), but in the film clip this is reduced to an unseemly collage of events, be prepared; and ultimately this is about comedy, thus that cohort of actors, and that director, and us as an obsessive group to be laughed at.

So I guess, when my ticket shows up, I am going to try, for once, to expect the biology to be wrong, and try to enjoy it for the fairy tale and the comedy without hyperventilating about the details. Do I hope it draws more birders to the fold? Maybe, but I’m withholding judgment until I know what kind of inspiration The Big Year is going to deliver.

Finally, I want to say that the book is an enjoyable read, and I suspect a lot of folks will love it – a lot of critics have. And despite my critique, I liked it enough that I’ve already ordered Obmascik’s other book Halfway to Heaven: My White-knuckled – and Knuckleheaded – Quest for the Rocky Mountain High. Not to worry, it’s about things I don’t know about, so I won’t be reviewing it. But Mark, if the opportunity ever comes for another reprint of your bird tome, I know a lot of details-oriented, obsessed folks who would like a crack at redlining a manuscript for you.

The Movie is in theatres everywhere (except here in Podunk, TX) beginning Friday, October 14th.

Here’s a few more clips:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMHlzAuYnfs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NyUvqSTczg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVygZd8i3DM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nf7MMNdL9Vs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qu7cn8w8gI0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrSMyIHbH-4

* A side note about that Roadside Hawk that readers of the book will appreciate: Jim Vardaman once chewed me out a bit for not calling him about that bird – it would have made his 700th bird in his record-setting big year. I wasn’t on his golden list of reporters, and I had only had mild interest in his quest at the time as I was doing my own Texas run that year. He found out about the bird on New Year’s Day, a few hours too late to chase it.

** As pointed out in the comments below by elizabird, and as I predicted, I made an egregious error in my review of The Big Year, in that author Mark Obmascik apparently did not consult for the movie, but instead it was birder Greg Miller. this of course makes the entire point of that paragraph section moot . . .I have a reason, but it's irrelevant, it's wrong . . . so my apologies to Mark for that (mea culpa), and to Greg for that.

From the movie The Big Year, (l-r) Owen Wilson, Steve Martin, Jack Black.

Earlier versions of the book cover

Tags: blogs, culture, film, literature, science, environment, birds, milkriverblog

2011-10-11T11:39:00.001-05:00

hmmm, ManU making a bid for Brek Shea . . . i could live with that . . .

Scouting Report: Ecuador

2011-10-11T11:32:00.001-05:00

By Clemente Lisi – Harrison, NJ (Oct 10, 2011) US Soccer Players Association

Ecuador comes to the New York area to play the United States on Tuesday night at Red Bull Arena four days after embarking on their two-year quest to reach the 2014 World Cup finals. Ecuador defeated Venezuela 2-0 on Friday in their opening game in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying.

Playing at home, the Ecuador victory was highlighted by the altitude of Quito (almost 10,000 feet above sea level) that favors the home team each time they host a match. The Ecuadorians will have no such luck playing 20 minutes outside of Manhattan. Although there should be plenty of Ecuadorian fans in what is expected to be a sellout (Red Bull Arena only seats 25,000), the USA will certainly give them a tough time.

Ecuador’s roster features mostly domestic-based players. The only name that really stands out is Manchester United midfielder Antonio Valencia. Eleven players called up by Colombian-born coach Reinaldo Rueda (formerly coach of Honduras and no stranger to the USA) play for Ecuadorian league teams, while five others are based in Mexico.

Both of Ecuador's goals against Venezuela came from Mexican Primera Division players. Namely, 23-year-old striker Jaime Ayovi, who plays for Mexico’s Pachuca, and Christian Benitez, who plays for Club America. Ayovi has four goals in 14 appearances for Ecuador, while Benitez, 25, is a veteran forward after being capped 44 times for Ecuador and scoring 19 goals.

After the win over, Rueda said altitude was not a factor, claiming instead that it was his side’s “conviction” and “harmony” that led to the victory. “In the days leading up to the game, there was a serene environment,” he told reporters during a news conference. “We knew the game would go well for us and that is what happened.”

Against Venezuela, La Tri played a 4-4-2 formation with Valencia essentially in the role of playmaker with Ayovi and Benitez in attack. On defense, Rueda started some relative youngsters, including Juan Carlos Paredes and Jairo Campos. The other player to worry about is striker Jefferson Montero, who plays with Spain’s Real Betis. Although he did not play against Venezuela, Rueda may want to use him – particularly on the left side – as an offensive alternative to his usual starters. Capped only 12 times since 2007, Montero, who is 22, has two goals for his country.

The team traveled to New York on Saturday with only 19 players after Rueda let back-up goalkeeper Alexander Dominguez and defenders Geovanny Caicedo and Diego Calderon return to their club Liga de Quito because of this week’s Copa Sudamericana match against Argentina’s Independiente.

Besides the conviction and harmony Rueda claimed made the difference for his team in Friday's qualifier, there is no denying that the quick and powerful Valencia played a big part of it. He served balls to his teammates and kept the attack going. Although he tends to drift to the right, Valencia battled for every ball in Venezuela’s half.

“For me it’s very important to motivate the team on the field,” said Valencia. “I try to do that every time I play, whether if it’s for Manchester United or the National Team, because that’s what I’m there for.”

A utility, player, Valencia said he has played many positions in his career – including as a right back and as a winger – but said he prefers to be an attacking midfielder. “I will play anywhere. Ultimately, my goal is always to make the fans happy,” he said.

Soccer is an important part of life across South America and Ecuador is no different. Most of the players on the team are Afro-Ecuadorian and come from an impoverished area known as the El Chota Valley. Although the region has largely been invisible to most of Ecuador, reaching the 2002 and 2006 World Cup finals helped shine a spotlight on the area. The plight of the people in that region – and many of its players – has been marvelously chronicled in the documentary “Dreamtown” by New York-based filmmaker Betty Bastidas.

On Tuesday night, Valencia and his teammates will have to contend with an energized US squad that is coming off Saturday’s 1-0 win over Honduras in Miami. The win, the first under coach Jurgen Klinsmann, came thanks a Clint Dempsey goal in the first half.

Rueda, who is no stranger to facing the USA during his time as coach of Honduras, said the Americans are “a tough team. For us, this game (against the USA) is preparation for World Cup Qualifying,” he said. “The USA will be prove to be a good rival.”

2011-10-11T10:09:00.001-05:00

tonight i'll be posting my review of the book The Big Year as a precursor to the opening of the movie this weekend . . .

USA 1 - Honduras 0

2011-10-10T11:19:00.001-05:00

From United States National Team Players Association

The United States got its first win under head coach Jurgen Klinsmann, beating Honduras on Saturday night in Miami. Clint Dempsey scored the game's only goal in the 35th minute. Tim Howard picked up the shutout, making several strong saves. Without Landon Donovan, Klinsmann used Clint Dempsey in an attacking role playing behind the two forwards. Dempsey had what looked like a second goal called offsides in the 85th minute. The United States plays Ecuador on Tuesday.

"We didn't play our best in the first 20 minutes but I thought we found the game a little better in the last 20 minutes of the first half," Dempsey said. "There were difficult conditions for both teams with the wind and the pitch being a bit bumpy. We're happy to get our first win under the new manager and hopefully we can build on it."

-- GAME REPORT --

Match: U.S. Men’s National Team vs. Honduras
Date: Oct. 8, 2011
Competition: International Friendly
Venue: Sun Life Stadium; Miami Gardens, Fla.
Kickoff: 6 p.m. ET
Attendance: 21,170
Weather: 73 degrees, heavy rain

Scoring Summary: 1 2 F
USA 1 0 1
Honduras 0 0 0

USA – Clint Dempsey (Michael Orozco Fiscal) 36th minute

Lineups:
USA: 1-Tim Howard; 2-Steve Cherundolo, 4-Michael Orozco Fiscal (14-Oguchi Onyewu, 46), 5-Carlos Bocanegra (capt.), 3-Tim Chandler (13-Jonathan Spector, 76); 6-Kyle Beckerman; 8-Danny Williams (16-DaMarcus Beasley, 65), 7-Maurice Edu (17-Michael Bradley, 65), 11-Brek Shea; 10-Clint Dempsey, 9-Jozy Altidore (18-Juan Agudelo, 83)
Subs not used: 12-Bill Hamid, 15-Jeff Larentowicz
Head coach: Jurgen Klinsmann

HON: 22-Donis Escobar; 16-Mauricio Sabillon, 2-Osman Chavez, 4-Johnny Leveron, 3-Maynor Figueroa (capt.); 14-Boniek Garcia (15-Marvin Chavez, 77), 12-Alfredo Mejia, 17-Roger Espinoza (8-Jorge Claros, 74), 10-Julio Cesar de Leon (7-Mario Martinez, 69); 9-Jerry Bengston (11-Roger Rojas, 65), 13-Carlo Costly
Subs not used: 1-Donaldo Morales, 5-Erick Norales, 24-Bryan Beckeles
Head coach: Luis Suarez

Stats Summary: USA / HON
Shots: 11 / 13
Shots on Goal: 6 /6
Saves: 6 / 5
Corner Kicks: 5 / 4
Fouls: 18 / 16
Offside 0 / 3

Misconduct Summary:
USA – Steve Cherundolo (caution) 32nd minute
HON – Boniek Garcia (caution) 41
USA – Jozy Altidore (caution) 42
USA – Carlos Bocanegra (caution) 45+1
USA – Maurice Edu (caution) 58
USA – Brek Shea (caution) 63
HON – Mavin Chavez (caution) 78
HON – Alfredo Mejia (caution) 82

Officials:
Referee: Courtney Campbell (JAM)
Assistant Referee 1: Kedlee Powell (JAM)
Assistant Referee 2: Keble Williams (JAM)
Fourth Official: Jair Marrufo (USA)

2011-10-02T16:57:00.001-05:00

TEENS PLEDGE TO END RELATIONSHIP ABUSE*

NFL Players Association, A CALL TO MEN and
Verizon Foundation Launch “Training Camps for Life”

To Teach Teens About Healthy Relationships and Take the Pledge for Life

A new program launching in October – Domestic Violence Awareness Month – will educate teens on relationship abuse and empower them to engage in healthy relationships. One in three teens experience relationship abuse and nearly half report having done something that compromised their values to please their partner.

Training Camps for Life (TCFL), a partnership between the NFL Players Association, A CALL TO MEN and the Verizon Foundation, will launch in October at high schools across the country. Each Training Camp will reach between 300-500 teens and will include a post-event in-class curriculum designed to help teens heal from past abuse, engage in healthy teen relationships, and increase safety on school campuses.

Participants will have the option to take the LIVERESPECT pledge (liverespect.org), a commitment to end dating abuse and domestic violence, including:

Treating people with dignity and respect
Not physically, emotionally or verbally abusing anyone
Never blaming someone for being abused
Speaking out against violence

ABOUT WILLIS WHALEN: Willis Whalen is a Manager at the NFL Player’s Association. Willis developed a version of Training Camps for Life when he ran youth programs for the Miami Dolphins. He brought the program to the NFLPA in 2005 and has managed it ever since.

ABOUT LUPITA REYES: Lupita Reyes is a national program director for the Verizon Foundation. She negotiated the partnership between Verizon Foundation and NFLPA and successfully lobbied for the integration of a healthy relationships segment in the Training Camps for Life. She manages all domestic violence prevention programming for the Verizon Foundation.

ABOUT TED BUNCH: Ted Bunch is the co-founder of A CALL TO MEN, recognized internationally for his expertise in organizing and educating men in an effort to end violence against women. He is an expert on healthy relationships and domestic violence prevention. He trains at colleges, universities, and for professional sports organizations including the National Football League.

2011-10-02T16:53:00.001-05:00

USA Roster Announced For October Friendlies*

US National Team coach Jurgen Klinsmann announced the roster for the October 8th friendly against Honduras and the October 11th friendly against Ecuador.

“We would like to continue seeing our players develop through these initial couple of months,” Klinsmann said in a press statement. “One important thing is to see continuity in the build-up of our national team and also in the way we work as coaches. We'd like to see new faces as well, but we also don't want to shake up the core structure of the team too much. The two results with Costa Rica and Belgium didn't work in our favor but we saw clearly that the team started to understand what we demand from them in terms of pace, playing style and how to play. We are definitely on the right path, and what we now need to focus on in this get together is the eagerness to finish things off up front.”

GK: Bill Hamid (D.C.United), Tim Howard (Everton), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
DEF: Carlos Bocanegra (Rangers), Timmy Chandler (Nuremberg), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96), Oguchi Onyewu (Sporting Lisbon), Michael Orozco Fiscal (San Luis), Tim Ream (New York Red Bulls), Jonathan Spector (Birmingham City)
MID: Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Michael Bradley (Chievo Verona), Clint Dempsey (Fulham), Maurice Edu (Rangers), Jeff Larentowicz (Colorado Rapids), Brek Shea (FC Dallas), Danny Williams (Hoffenheim)
FOR: Juan Agudelo (New York Red Bulls), Jozy Altidore (AZ Alkmaar), DaMarcus Beasley (Puebla), Teal Bunbury (Sporting Kansas City), Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy)

2011-09-28T18:37:00.001-05:00

Red Hot Two Step: Zydeco Scion C.J. Chenier Shows the World That It Can't Sit Down

http://www.worldmusicwire.com

C.J. Chenier talks a lot about energy. Ask him why he recorded a certain song and he’ll tell you he likes the energy of it. Why does he love zydeco music? It’s the energy. And so it should come as no surprise that C.J.’s new album, Can’t Sit Down is so jam-packed with energy it could power a small city!

Recorded live in one session at Rock Romano’s Red Shack Studio in Houston, Texas, Can’t Sit Down is all about truth in advertising: give it a spin and watch your feet get to work whether you want them to or not. C.J.—whose father was the late Clifton Chenier, perhaps the most celebrated zydeco musician in the genre’s history—cut the album live in the studio quickly, in order to capture the freshness—the energy—of the material. For that reason, he dispensed with a producer, opting to handle the task himself.

“I figured that nobody knows better what I want than I do,” he says. “Nobody knows better how I want my accordion to sound. Nobody knows better how I want my band to sound. So I decided to stop going with other people’s ears and start going with my own.”

The 11 tracks on Can’t Sit Down are among the most potent of C.J.’s long career, starting with the album-opening title track, written by Clifton. “I play that song pretty much how I played it with my daddy,” C.J. says. “I really liked it so I said, ‘OK, let’s try this one,’ and everybody fell right in. It just clicked. That’s a sign that something is a keeper, when everybody can fall in and it feels good.”

“Hot Tamale Baby” is the other Clifton-penned tune on the album, and then there’s “Paper In My Shoe,” a song written by Boozoo Chavis and Eddie Shuler and usually credited as the first zydeco hit. But some of the songs on Can’t Sit Down come not from the zydeco world at all but from unexpected sources, especially “Clap Hands,” penned by the great singer-songwriter Tom Waits. “I didn’t understand Tom Waits at first,” confesses C.J. “But my guitar player is a Tom Waits freak and one day he brought a video of Tom Waits. That’s where I learned to appreciate what he was doing. When I heard ‘Clap Hands’ I said, ‘I like that song. I can do something with that song.’”

Three blues staples bring even more variety to Can’t Sit Down: Joe Williams’ classic “Baby Please Don’t Go,” John Lee Hooker’s “Dusty Road” and Richard M. Jones’ “Trouble In Mind.” Explains C.J., “You gotta add flavor. When I started playing with my daddy, he played flavorful all night. He played blues, some boogie, he played some waltzes. He mixed it up. You put a good blues on there and it’ll energize the rest of the album.”

One last cover song on the album holds special meaning to C.J., Curtis Mayfield’s “We Gotta Have Peace,” which closes the CD. “That song reflects what I’ve been feeling,” C.J. says. “We need peace, we gotta have it. That’s why I have my grandson talking in the beginning, because if we don’t get it together, where is his future?”

Rounding out the album are three C.J, Chenier originals: “Red Shack Zydeco,” which C.J. calls “a true zydeco song”; “Zydeco Boogie,” which he co-authored with an old friend, Wilbert “T.A.” Miller; and “Ridin’ With Uncle Cleveland.” Uncle Cleveland would be Cleveland Chenier, Clifton’s late older brother and the acknowledged master of zydeco washboard. Says C.J., “He’s the grandfather of the washboard. Nobody has the technique he had. My uncle Cleveland used to call me sometimes on Sundays and he’d say, ‘I’m coming to pick you up. We’re gonna take a ride.’ We’d go ride around. He’d always have a half pint of Crown Royale in his top coat pocket. He’d pick me up on Sundays and him and me would hit a club here and hit a club there, and just have a good time.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kl4XT5i_Pjk

Indeed, C.J. Chenier has been having a good time doing what he does for more than three decades. He was still in his teens when he started out, playing in funk bands in his hometown of Port Arthur, Texas. C.J.’s life changed when Clifton asked his son—who had played saxophone and keyboards before picking up his dad’s instrument, the accordion—to join his Red Hot Louisiana Band. “My mother told me that he was always saying that when I get old enough he was going to try to get me in his band,” says C.J. “I never thought it was gonna happen.”

When that time did come, C.J. admits, he didn’t quite “get” zydeco music at first. “I just didn’t understand it. It all sounded the same to me. Until I started playing it. Then I was able to understand what was going on. But every time I heard it my feet were tapping and my head was boppin’. It was such a fun music and the people partied so hard that I fell in love.”

By the time Clifton passed away in 1987, C.J. knew that his life’s calling was to continue his father’s work—not to play the way Clifton did but to bring zydeco into the present. “My daddy always told me to do the best I can do in my style,” he says. “You master what you do. He told me, ‘Be yourself.’ Clifton Chenier already did his thing. I’m trying to just be C.J. Chenier.”

Make no mistake about: C.J. Chenier is a master too, and Can’t Sit Down is surely this master’s masterwork!

2011-09-28T18:36:00.001-05:00

An Upward Slide: Slide to Freedom Finds the Divine Crossroads of Indian Classical and Southern Sacred Music on 20,000 Miles

http://www.worldmusicwire.com

They sat in silence, holding their breath as the last note of a wild, twining jam faded in a legendary Memphis studio. “Well, what are we going to call that?” laughed sacred steel elder Calvin Cooke, looking across the room at the 17th-generation Indian virtuoso, the hard-touring Canadian folk musician, the merry tabla whiz, the bold singer-songwriter from Austin.

The answer: Slide to Freedom, an ongoing conversation exploring where many sliding, singing strings from across the planet meet. Created by established roots and world music multi-instrumentalist Doug Cox and revered Indian classical master Salil Bhatt, the project brings together fantastic flights of musicianship, wild slide inventions, and the great, transcendent ache that unites sacred songs and deeply personal ballads.

On 20,000 Miles, the band, now regularly joined by Canadian-Indian percussionist Cassius Khan, collaborated with Calvin Cooke, founding father of sacred steel, and members of electric gospel legends The Campbell Brothers, as well as special guest BettySoo, the Americana-inspired darling of Austin’s singer-songwriter scene.

Striking Indian classical pieces weave into newly forged spirituals. Unexpected covers (Hank Williams, Chuck Berry, The Zombies) trade licks with ghazals (Northern Indian songs touching on the divine and erotic). Sacred steel sounds alternate with the ingenious complexity of Bhatt’s satvik veena (a hybrid between a slide guitar and the traditional Indian veena) and Cox’s unique instrumentarium. The result: a catchy, uplifting reflection on the transcendent buzz and moan of mortality.

~~~

“Down in Memphis, we had three members of the Campbell Brothers, though the whole band came to watch. We had Calvin Cooke, a Korean-American singer, two guys from India, and a white guy, me,” Cox laughs. “When we were setting up, someone called Boo Mitchell,” the second-generation head of the legendary Royal Recording Studios. “They asked who he was recording, and he answered, ‘The Rainbow Coalition!’”

But this wasn’t about diversity for its own sake, or for quirky novelty. This was a serious, if unexpected, meeting of musical minds. “We weren’t just looking at charts and banging off parts,” Cox continues. “We were interested in what the others were doing—and in taking risks.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTXgeTq3b48

“At the start of the Memphis session, you could feel the different players ripple in and out of confidence, between riffing and tiptoeing because they didn’t want to stomp all over each other,” Soo recalls. “We were all trying to get an idea of where the person would go next. But at the end of the day, everyone let loose. It was magical.”

The session’s breathless final moment and Cooke’s quip came at the end of the grimly named yet musically uplifting “Suicislide,” a free-form dash that harnessed Khan’s vocal abilities and challenged Soo to reach deep, far out of her usual comfort zone.

“Calvin was sitting there, this serene wizard, but as soon as he put his hand to the strings, he created these amazing moments. He could really hold a groove and make it refreshing,” notes Khan. The elder statesman of sacred steel, a recently evolved grass-roots slide style born in Southern churches, Cooke’s bittersweet lines feel at home with Khan’s tender percussion on Soo’s intense “Still Small Voice.”

The heartfelt precision of Khan’s tabla is matched by the seemingly effortless solos that flow from Bhatt and Cox. Often cheekily compared to Jimi Hendrix, Bhatt can shred, but can also make his strings express deep subtleties backed by 500 years of family tradition and a lifetime of rigor. Cox, equally at home on a variety of instruments and in a range of genres, adds distinctive, gritty vocals and intriguing timbres, letting his gadgie (a metal resophone developed by an eccentric English instrument maker) rumble out tasty bass lines.

With years of collaboration behind them, Bhatt and Cox have reached a new level of friendship and interaction on 20,000 Miles, one that moves away from long-format cross-cultural jams to nuanced ballads and carefully crafted instrumentals. “Salil has the ability to reach out to audiences that might not be able sit still for Indian Classical music,” Cox explains. “He was playing to reach out to North Americans in a new way, rather than just responding. Together, we found a way to make both traditions more compact and accessible to new listeners.”

Yet Bhatt, Cox, and Khan carefully kept true to the spirit and practice of Indian classical music, while digging deeper into gospel and country. For more classical pieces like “Vishwakans”—composed by Bhatt’s renowned father Vishwa, a frequent guest musician with Slide to Freedom—the trio recorded together in Khan’s Vancouver-area living room, sitting in a circle on the floor.

“With our Indian Classical background, Salil and I had to retain the appropriate feel, while leaving room for Doug’s input. For the ghazal (‘Anjuman’), we all had to remain more traditional,” says Khan, a rare perfomer who can play tabla and sing at the same time. “But for many of the other compositions, we three relied on our uncanny intuition. We winked through it and jumped in with both feet.”

The Premier League, The Rooney Rule, And Changing The Game

2011-09-26T21:37:00.001-05:00

US National Team Players Association, September 23, 2011

England's Premier League is considering instituting a version of the Rooney Rule, the National Football League's mechanism to insure minority coaches have a fair shot at head coaching jobs.

By Jason Davis - WASHINGTON, DC (Sep 23, 2011) US Soccer Players -- England's Premier League finds itself working through a difficult equation when it comes to race and coaching at the professional level. On one side are the vast numbers of minorities playing the sport at all levels, including 25% or more at the professional level. On the other, the number two. That's how many black managers are currently employed out of 92 professional clubs.

For North American pro sports fans, this is a familiar discussion. How does a sport, especially one with a long history of denying opportunities based on skin color, right that historical inequality?

Though no one should be arguing that North American professional sports is devoid of racial bias, meaningful steps have been taken to create opportunity. There's a long list of firsts for African American and Hispanic players in Major League Baseball, the oldest pro team sport in the United States. What was - decades of institutionalized racism that barred participation - is no more. That list of firsts includes players, coaches, managers, league executives, and team owners.

English professional soccer's efforts to remedy the lack of opportunity for minority players along with the environment that waited for them should they make the professional level began relatively late. Into the 1980's, minorities trying to play in the English League were still facing a day-to-day racism that was overt, menacing, and dangerous. The English game has changed over the last twenty years on the field and in the stands. Where it hasn't is on the sidelines.

Around 25% of English professional players representing multiple countries and heritages would identify as black. The numbers are significantly smaller for Asian and Hispanic players. Yet just two out of 92 professional clubs have black managers. That doesn't include the black players and coaches working in England that never reach the professional level. The number only gets bigger on one side of the equation. England has already admitted they have a problem, and they're now working on a solution.

Across the Atlantic, the National Football League faced this very issue. The coaching ranks were not representative of the black players in the NFL, much less African-American participation at all levels of the game. With numerous black coaches, it made no sense that so few ever ended up as NFL head coaches. The numbers simply didn't add up, and Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney responded by championing what's become known as the Rooney rule. Simply put, NFL teams have to show the league that they've interviewed at least one minority candidate for open coaching positions.

Since the rule's adoption, this has created opportunities for black coaches. It worked, because even though it did not mandate teams hire minority candidates, it allowed those candidates the opportunity to dispel erroneous notions about their ability to do the job based on historical prejudice. Rooney's own Steelers won the Super Bowl with an African-American coach who never played in the NFL.

While England debates the merit of a similar rule for the Premier League down through the Football League, American soccer is left out of the conversation for two reasons: There's not the historical precedent of denying opportunities to minority candidates, and the League has already acted, enacting a modified version of the Rooney rule.

There may not be a sense that the sport in the United States suffers from the same institutional racism that infects the English game. Part of that is the newness of Major League Soccer. A league born in the mid 1990's isn't going to carry with it the weight of history. With professional soccer already considered a foreign sport by most Americans, having a multi-national component on the field and on the sidelines made sense.

By establishing the MLS version of the Rooney rule - called the Coaching Diversity Initiative - the League made it clear they would work to try to solve what's now being discussed in England. Even for a new league like MLS, there's the potential for problems. Acting early helps to prevent the perception of bias in hiring practices. Considering the multiple ethnicities participating in soccer in North America, it's a necessity.

Though the rule’s announcement came and went so quietly that most American soccer fans probably don’t even know it exists, it's in place for a reason. Hispanic player and participation numbers are huge in the United States. Groups and individuals have worked for years to establish a soccer tradition among African Americans. Success on the field means a support system that got the player to that point. Those coaches and administrators should also have opportunities at higher levels. It's only fair, something the English professional game continues to struggle with.

Mandating teams interview at least one minority candidate, one that is presumably qualified for the position, hurts no one. It's a valuable step in a process.

England is considering taking a major step based on historical precedent in working towards making sure minorities are given equal opportunity in the coaching ranks, but it's a small step in the big picture.

Soccer can be the game for all people, regardless of race, ethnicity or gender. Though even in soccer the elite athletes at the highest professional level have rare athletic prowess, that's not a necessity to understand the game as a coach. For a sport that has been identified so heavily with exclusion, soccer is in the position to take the biggest steps towards full inclusion.

Jason Davis is the founder of MatchFitUSA.com. Contact him: matchfitusa@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter: http://twitter.com/mfusa.

High Holy Revival: The Afro-Semitic Experience Gets Age-Old Prayers Dancing in the Aisles on Further Definitions of the Days of Awe

2011-09-14T12:37:00.001-05:00

http://www.worldmusicwire.com

For The Afro-Semitic Experience, there is dancing before the temple of sound. The kings and queens of the Cotton Club trade eights with the rock stars of cantorial music’s golden age. Booker T and the MGs and Astor Piazolla inspire new visions of High Holy Day chants.

Joined by the last of the old-school cantors, Jack Mendelson, the group lays down Further Definitions of the Days of Awe, live explorations of cantorial music, jazz, Latin vibes, Afrobeat and soul. Innovative technique and rock-solid roots get feet tapping and spirits soaring. Just in time for the High Holy Days, the (Jewish) New Year and Yom Kippur, the album presents a positive, cross-cultural reimagination of repentance and catharsis.

Creating new settings for the midnight prayers of Selichot, the service that marks the beginning of the most holy time of the Jewish liturgical year, The Afro-Semitic Experience returns worship to its creative, vigorous roots. It celebrates the intersection of gospel spirit and the passion of hazzanut (an ancient Jewish style of cantorial singing). It finds powerful new points of contact with the divine.

“Prayer and study are a major tenet of all three Abrahamic faiths. That’s great, but to get there, worshippers often got rid of cathartic experience,” reflects group founder, bassist and composer David Chevan. “But we need the dancing at the temple, those ecstatic moments. That’s really where we’re coming from.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifoswsIbDJA

~~~

For a musician like Chevan and group co-founder, composer, and keyboard wizard Warren Byrd, the links were clear between the most sacred of religious moments in cantorial masterpieces on old 78s and sounds of jazz, soul, and gospel. Listening to Mendelson, who grew up singing with some of hazzanut’s greats, Chevan felt the same contours and dynamics that he experienced as a seasoned jazz performer and as an occasional bassist in several of Brooklyn’s African-American churches.

“I was curious how I would accompany this music if I ever got a chance,” Chevan recalls. “I realized that The Afro-Semitic Experience could do it really wonderfully. We could color the settings the right way and make them interesting, while still bringing out the spiritual qualities.”

The group finds the sway of tango in a stately Selichot prayer (“Adoshem, Part I”) and Otis Redding-style soul in their setting of “Viddui”, a prayer that is an acrostic list of sins worshipers chant to seek atonement High-energy Latin beats (“Adoshem, Part 2”) transform fervent prayers, while slow-burning congas (“Shomer Israel”) and atmospheric trumpet and bowed bass (“Tivieynu”) perfectly support the deep expressiveness of cantorial music.

This moment—where poignant emotion and sonic prowess intertwine—unites Jewish and African American musical tradition. “I’d spent plenty of time as a child and young adult in the presence of the ululations of high praise in churches, seeing my sister, or my neighbor’s son or daughter “slain in the spirit” or speaking in tongues accompanied by Hammond organ, piano, drums, and clapping hands,” Byrd recounts. “The melismata of hazzanut is virtually congruent to the trills and swoops of gospel singing. Our group’s improvisational directive is as free as playing impromptu accompaniment for spontaneous songsters at the Sunday morning service.“

The group’s mix of spirit, complexity, and spontaneity impressed Cantor Jack Mendelson, who heard the group’s interpretation of several vintage cantorial performances. He began meeting with Chevan, singing him lines he had learned and honed over decades of training, davening, and teaching others—including his filmmaker son Daniel, who sings with him on several tracks.

Mendelson is one of the last in a long line of cantors that extends back to the Old World, men revered for their voices and followed them as avidly as any rock star today. Jacob Mendelson caught the tail end of an era when jazz icons would catch top cantors at services, and cantorial singers often savored shows by the great African-American vocalists.

Steeped in the improvisatorial savoir faire of cantorial tradition, Mendelson loved getting a chance to connect his art with jazz. “I can go crazy as long as I stay in the mode. You have to practice and have a good ear, like a jazz musician,” Mendelson explains. “I ask all of my cantorial students to listen to Ella Fitzgerald. When she sings a song, she sings around the song. It’s never the same thing twice...which is what a great cantor does.”

Yet vocal pyrotechnics are only part of the deep Afro-Semitic connection Mendelson and the group bring to light. “For me, hazzanus comes from a place of deep struggle and sadness beneath the surface. There’s a lot more going on emotionally once you tap into that,” notes Daniel Mendelson, who absorbed both his father’s and his opera singer mother’s art. “In a similar way, jazz comes from a place of the blues. To play the blues, you have to know why they need to be played. But it’s also finding joy through that struggle.”

In a small circle or a big house of worship-turned-dance-floor, The Afro-Semitic Experience brings people to this joy. “At a benefit show several years ago in a chapel at Yale, we got into a groove and all of a sudden, the other performers jumped up and started dancing together,” Chevan recalls. “There we were, in a church, with everyone dancing, looking at each other, and thinking wow. It’s all making sense.”

Not long after Katrina, Byrd recalls, “We found ourselves in Lafayette, Louisiana, for a gig at a synagogue. The turnout was small, and the sanctuary was deemed too big by our small contingent, so we moved to the rabbi’s study. At our slight nudge, the attendees formed a semi-circle around us. It was one of the best concerts we ever had.”

This esprit du corps rises from a communal approach to composition. Though Chevan often plays instigator, bringing food for thought to the group, members will craft the perfect horn line or add just the right percussive elements. When Mendelson insisted they work on a Hassidic kaddish together, at first “I didn’t feel it,” Chevan says. “Then I realized that the horn line needed to capture that almost rude boy ska flavor, as well as a klezmer vibe, and we figured the piece out. The neat thing is how much those sounds overlap. [Veteran percussionist] Baba Coleman really brings that to the piece.”

The commitment to group music making has turned the group’s message of cross-cultural connection into a big, dancing reality. “The best moments often come with audiences from different communities. We get to watch people getting into the moment, touched by what we’re doing,” reflects Chevan. “It’s amazing when communities do come together, and you see them listen to each other’s songs and start to dance, side by side. “

“In this music, there really is no room for narcissism,” Byrd muses. “The tuning in to my fellow musicians and the audience trumps any self-centeredness.”

Club And Country

2011-09-09T13:04:00.001-05:00

By Jason Davis, US National Team Players Association

For American fans, there could be no better reminder that the interests of club and country are diametrically opposed than the last round of US National Team friendlies. Players that are both coming into their own as professionals as well as featuring for the National Team find themselves pulled in different directions by teams bent on forcefully expressing their respective positions. American internationals are finding out the hard way that what's good for their status with the National Team isn't necessarily good for them in the eyes of their full-time employers.

At a time when European clubs are pushing for less international release dates when their agreement on the calendar with FIFA expires in 2014, club vs country is once again a hot issue. How does that impact the United States? Well, consider the situation of Jozy Altidore and AZ Alkmaar.

Viewing form through the prism of the potential National Team contributions, Jozy Altidore getting the starting job at AZ is a welcomed rush of success for a player long tabbed for glory in a USA jersey. With former US National Team stalwart Earnie Stewart serving as AZ's technical director, Altidore is in a unique circumstance for a National Teamer in Europe. For Altidore, that's made it an opportune situation in Holland after spending several seasons trying to win a starting job at various stops on loan from his former club Villarreal.

With AZ, Altidore has already scored more goals than all but the most optimistic outlook could have foreseen, and seems to be coming into his own as a (still very) young player. Some of the credit for that has to go to AZ manager Gertjan Verbeek, who showed confidence in his American acquisition - one he had a hand in landing in the first place - and allowed him to shine. It should be all sunshine and smiles for the National Team. A striker the team needs to have take the next step is happy and scoring with a good club in a good league in Europe.

The trouble started with the change in US coach. Verbeek had a deal with former National Team coach Bob Bradley. No Altidore for the September friendlies as he settles in with AZ. Considering how well that settling in process has gone, keeping Altidore in Holland for the September dates took on an even greater importance. Sending Altidore to LA was simply not in Verbeek's plans.

Enter new National Team coach Jurgen Klinsmann, who made it clear early and often that he would be choosing a first choice squad whenever possible. With the September dates already set on the schedule before Klinsmann took over, the European National Teamers got the call to travel to Los Angeles for a Friday fixture, and then Belgium on Tuesday.

The travel, plus the training, plus the international fixtures themselves, gives European coaches good reason to be miffed when their American players are called up for friendly games split between the US and Europe. Needless to say, for Verbeek this was a problem.

Verbeek, being the club coach and beholden to FIFA rules that require he release Altidore at Klinsmann’s request, isn’t beholden to any rule that says he must hold his tongue. He didn’t, and let fly with venom to Voetbal International :

“That's eleven hours flying. And then that doesn't factor in the time difference. This is very dumb of Klinsmann. This serves no one... I have tried to stop it, but he did not appear lenient. And Jozy himself said he didn't want to go... Klinsmann has been appointed the successor to Bradley and clearly he wants to draw his own lines. Whereas it concerns all parties, is it not more important that Jozy gets fit faster? It is pure self-importance from a man who had but one year as manager with a club and got fired. That says enough."

So we know at least two things. 1) Verbeek isn't shy with his opinion, and 2) Klinsmann's plans go beyond the desires of a European club coach.

Belgium 1 - USA 0

2011-09-07T11:10:00.001-05:00

September 06, 2011

The United States historic difficulties winning in Europe continued on Tuesday, with a loss at Brussels's King Baudouin Stadium. Nicolas Lombaerts scored the game's only goal in the 55th minute. Both teams had would-be goals called off, with the United States thinking they had an 86th minute equalizer only for the referee to decide otherwise.

Five Things From Belgium

US National Team, US soccer, Belgium, USA, carlos bocanegra

By J Hutcherson - WASHINGTON, DC (Sep 3, 2011) US Soccer Players -- The United States lost 1-0 to Belgium in Brussels on Tuesday. Here are five things, a few game specific and a few general, to consider as the National Team moves onto the October friendly window.
The Goalkeeper

Nothing buys a team time to get other aspects of their game together like a goalkeeper stopping shots. That was Tim Howard on Tuesday, as if anyone really needed that reminder. What Howard did especially late in the first-half wasn't just keep Belgium out. He kept them honest, forcing them to reconsider their shot selections and what they were doing with their own offense.

That disrupted the flow of a team that seemed to be in control. Instead of going into the half with a goal, they went in with questions. Whether it's Europe or CONCACAF, club or country, that's what having a player of Howard's caliber means. When he's own his game, he wins time. Other than goals, that's the most valuable commodity available over 90 minutes. It's easy enough to stress the save that didn't happen without considering the ones that did. That's not a blanket excuse, but in this game on this night it applies to what Howard did for his team.
Substitutions

We've seen three versions of the National Team under Klinsmann, and we've seen who he subs in and why. What this tells us is simple. When goals aren't getting scored in the first-half, where does Klinsmann look? First place is the point of attack. That's meant bringing on Juan Agudelo, a player that is capable of making the kind of solo runs that can shake up the opposing defense. What Agudelo has been doing in the Klinsmann setup is more than the super sub role where a coach brings on an attacking player late in the hope that one or more goals fall. Agudelo enters the game earlier than a super sub - in the 63rd against Costa Rica and at halftime against Belgium. He's stepping into a role that already exists in the Klinsmann system, a way to reset the attack in real time. It's a lot to put on a young player who isn't a given in the lineup at club level, and it's an interesting move from the National Team coach.
System Soccer

One of the issues with a new coach openly talking about a new system is that it becomes tough to judge early in any direction. Sweep through all challengers, and the expectations might get raised past any realistic assessment. Fail to win, and patience becomes an issue. No coach wants to be locked into a time line. There's a long list of coaches still arguing that they didn't have enough time to get their system in place before being shown the door at clubs and with National Teams all over the world. Though there's no question that appeals to a system that has yet to show any benefits can be used as a crutch, it's much tougher to figure out a set of realistic expectations. 'What should happen when?' before the obvious milestones of qualifying and competitions. It's as simple as that, and it's not limited to the coach or those running US Soccer.
Fitness

Soccer America's Paul Gardner had an interesting point in a recent article following the loss against Costa Rica. The US has an established reputation for fitness, yet that's become a talking point for Klinsmann. The US could be fitter is the simple takeaway, especially for players in Major League Soccer. Yet there's a push/pull between a National Team coach stressing fitness with limited time with a squad and the MLS teams doing what they do day in and day out. Again, like system soccer it becomes tough to fairly judge. There's certainly such a thing as focusing too much on fitness with any professional club. It's a thin line between fit and exhausted, or over training and becoming more susceptible to injury. That's no knock against what Klinsmann is saying or doing, by the way. It's just the reality of only having the National Team squad for limited periods of time. With that in mind, the bulk of the work happens at club level, and there's a wide disparity in club training environments.
Conversation

There's an argument that we're hearing too much too soon from Klinsmann. There are two quick points to make here. 1) It's a nice contrast to the previous setup for those working in the media. 2) Distill his comments and he's not really saying that much. Klinsmann has shown he's more than capable of staying with a set of talking point, slightly altering them for a given situation but not offering much in the way of depth. The problem is the more those points get repeated, along with Klinsmann's almost contagious enthusiasm for the job and his team, the more it opens up Klinsmann and his team to some basic complaints. First and foremost, there's the lack of goals and the wins that normally go with them. Klinsmann deserves credit for his goodwill campaign, but it has its limits. After Tuesday, there's a case he's already reached them. Keeping quiet has its benefits, even for a personality as affable and as genuinely engaged as Klinsmann.

-- GAME REPORT --

Match: USA vs. Belgium
Date: Sept. 6, 2011
Competition: International Friendly
Venue: King Baudouin Stadium; Brussels, Belgium
Kickoff: 2:45 p.m. ET
Attendance: TBD
Weather: 61 degrees; light rain

Scoring Summary: 1 2 F
Belgium 0 1 1
USA 0 0 0
BEL – Nicolas Lombaerts (Marouane Fellaini) 55th minute

Lineups:
USA: 1-Tim Howard; 2-Steve Cherundolo, 4-Clarence Goodson, 5-Carlos Bocanegra (capt.), 3-Timmy Chandler; 6-Maurice Edu, 10- Jose Torres (15-Jeff Larentowicz, 76), 8-Clint Dempsey; 7-Robbie Rogers (14-Kyle Beckerman, 46), 9-Jozy Altidore (18-Juan Agudelo, 46), 11-Brek Shea
Subs not used: 12-Bill Hamid, 13- Michael Orozco Fiscal, 16-Sacha Kljestan, 17- Jonathan Spector
Head Coach: Jurgen Klinsmann

BEL: 1-Simon Mignolet; 2-Laurent Ciman, 3-Toby Alderweireld, 4-Vincent Kompany (capt.), 5-Nicolas Lombaerts; 6-Timmy Simons; 7-Eden Hazard (16-Marvin Ogunjimi, 63), 10-Axel Witsel, 8-Marouane Fellaini (15-David Hubert, 63), 11-Dries Mertens; 9-Igor de Camargo (14-Romelu Lukaku, 63)
Subs not used: 12-Jean-Francois Gillet, 13-Timothy Derijck, 17-Jelle Vossen 18-Moussa Dembele, 19-Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe, 20-Jelle van Damme, 21-Thibaut Coutois
Head coach: George Leekens

Stats Summary: USA / BEL
Shots: 6 / 13
Shots on Goal: 2 / 5
Saves: 4 / 2
Corner Kicks: 3 / 5
Fouls: 11 / 13
Offside: 1 / 2

Misconduct Summary:
None.

Officials:
Referee: William Collum (SCO)
Assistant Referee 1: Graham Chambers (SCO)
Assistant Referee 2: Stuart Stevenson (SCO)
Fourth Official: Philippe Vandecauter (BEL)

The Smiling North: Friggâ€™s Expert Playfulness and Nordic Exuberance Return to North America

2011-09-07T10:33:00.001-05:00

http://www.worldmusicwire.com

Dour Scandinavians? Don’t make the Finnish and Norwegian folk virtuosi of Frigg giggle.

“The overall picture people have of Scandinavians has very little to do with the music,” Antti Järvelä, fiddler and Frigg founder explains. “People think Finnish music in particular is melancholy and minor. But if you look at tunes from before World War II, seventy percent are in a major key. They are happy.”

This neglected joy—the good times of Nordic parties, dances, and weddings— inspired the seven-member group with deep folk roots to breathe fresh life into their ancestors’ wild and merry tunes. The result: the string-bending, tongue-in-cheek genre of “Nordgrass.”

On Grannen and on stages from Malmö to Malaysia, Frigg bursts with an energy and freewheeling fun that belies their intense musical training. Veteran international performers with decades of touring under their belts, Frigg return to North America this autumn for an extensive tour that will spread the sheer pleasure of Northern tunes across the Upper Midwest and several major festivals (Chicago, Albuquerque, Bloomington, IN).

“Frigg is on the new edge,” Järvelä smiles. “And we are making very happy music.”

~~~

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Xm1a35mJt4

Though they now play more abroad than they do at home, Järvelä and several fellow Frigg players have deep roots in Nordic tradition. They hail from one of Scandinavia’s roots-music hotspots, Kaustinen, a small Finnish town of 5,000 which boasts literally hundreds of fiddle players. After decades in training at folk music sessions, guided by exacting relatives and musical elders, Järvelä and company felt it was time explode tradition wide open. And they have a blast doing it.

“In the old days, we did things very particularly,” reflects Järvelä, who’s played with fellow Frigg fiddler Esko Järvelä since the two were barely out of kindergarten. “We really learned lots of details and were required to stay in the form of our teachings. Basically, when you smiled then, it meant you had made a mistake. Now when we smile, it has nothing to do with mistakes.”

Frigg departs from those hard-learned bounds, absorbing the rollicking reels, rippling triplets, and lonesome loveliness of the British Isles and American bluegrass—and makes them sing. “Maple Cake Farm” recalls a glorious day the group spent as guests in New England, as the mandolin suggests the rolling contours of American folk melodies. Party tunes like “Rajrajraj” (a Norwegian exclamation of good times) would be equally at home at an Appalachian front-porch jam or a good old-fashioned Irish céilí.

Yet the band is at its brightest when bringing innovation to the traditions of Scandinavia. The reserved grace of the Norwegian traditional tune “Grannen” or the upbeat savor of “Potatisvals,” composed by Swedish folk icon and musical mentor Ale Möller, open up into sliding solos, merrily brandished bows, and experimental wavelengths. “Amurin tiikeri,” part of an unexpected collaboration Frigg undertook with Norway’s top military marching band, ropes in drums and horns, taking tradition into anthem territory.

Though steeped in tradition and highly trained, Frigg’s vibe remains strikingly spontaneous and democratic, on stage and off. Members shift, changing the energy of the group, and everyone brings in old gems or new ideas to try out.

“Someone will remember a good tune or come up with a good idea,” Järvelä explains, reflecting on the band’s creative process. “We try it out then and there, and if we feel there’s potential we leave it for a while, then come back to it. We build an arrangement up from the feeling we have in that moment.”

This easy-going, happy-go-lucky feel leads to moments of barely controlled chaos live, but Järvelä loves every minute. “There are some tunes that are hard to play on stage, old rocking waltzes and such. We go over the edge. We even lose track of where we are in the music,” Järvelä recounts. “But so long as someone keeps the tune going, it doesn’t matter. Different characters emerge from behind the instruments. And the audience goes crazy.”

Scouting Report: Belgium

2011-09-06T09:38:00.001-05:00

By Clemente Lisi, US National Team Players Association

Following a 1-0 loss to Costa Rica, the United States takes on up-and-coming Belgium on Tuesday in Jurgen Klinsmann’s first test on European soil as US National Team coach. Belgium - 37th in the FIFA World Rankings and 22nd among European teams - has something to prove in front of a home crowd in Brussels.

“They’ve got some good individual players,” US defender Carlos Bocanegra said. “It’s going to be a tough game and another challenge for us. They are a quality team in Europe and it’s good for some of our younger guys to get that opportunity. It will be a good test for us.”

Belgium was one of Europe’s better teams for much of the 1980s and ‘90s, producing players such as goalkeeper Jean-Marie Pfaff, defender Eric Gerets, midfielder Jan Ceulemans and striker Enzo Scifo. These days, Belgium is working on trying to reclaim some of that past glory. They're relying on a generation of players like goalkeeper Jean-Francois Gillet, defender Vincent Kompany, midfielder Moussa Dembele and striker Romelu Lukaku.

Like other National Teams across Europe, Belgium is a multi-ethnic squad, using players who are the sons of immigrants that moved to the country over the past 20 years. At the same time, the team has also benefited from policies put in place a decade ago by many of the country’s first division clubs aimed at developing youth players.

As expected when playing in Europe, he Americans shouldn't have it easy against Belgium. The Red Devils are solid in many parts of the field. Belgium's 24-man roster for the US friendly features five players based in England’s Premier League. On defense, Kompany uses his size and strength to muscle players off the ball just like he does every week for Manchester City. In attack, Lukaku, who signed with Chelsea over the summer, uses bursts of speed and energy to create scoring chances, while Axel Witsel possess a powerful shot. The glue that brings all these components together is midfielder Timmy Simons. The 34-year-old has been capped 83 times since 2001 and has been a regular in the lineup for the past seven years.

Belgium is in the midst of trying to reach the finals of the 2012 European Championship. Currently in third place behind Germany in Group A, they have a 3-3-2 record and is competing with Austria and Turkey for a chance at the 14 remaining spots up for grabs for the 16-nation tournament (after Poland and Ukraine automatically earned participation as co-hosts) that will be played next summer.

Belgium has been coached by Georges Leekens since 2010. He is in his second spell as coach following a two-year stint back in the 1990's. In April, Belgium’s FA rewarded Leekens for his team’s results, extending his contract another two years so that it would terminate in December 2014. A master tactician and author of several coaching books, Leekens is devoted to fielding a strong backline and a scrappy four-man midfield.

When needed, they will play a physical style normally not associated with coaches as tacticians. Timmy Simons is one of the most aggressive players out there, committing 19 fouls in 606 minutes – the second-most in the Euro 2012 Qualifying tournament. Fellow midfielder Marouane Fellaini is ranked fifth, recording 15 after clocking 351 minutes.

While Leekens may at times shun creativity in favor of a muscular defense, it doesn’t mean that Belgium isn’t an offensive threat. Leekens’s squad has mastered the ability to surprise opponents, especially against the run of play, and have effectively used that to score goals. The US defense and midfield will need to avoid that effective trap. A perfect example was Belgium’s 2-0 road win this past year against Austria. While Austria controlled the pace of the game and most of the possession, the Belgians took an early 1-0 lead with Witsel and was dangerous on the break. A second Witsel goal after halftime finished off the game.

This past Friday, Belgium did not look so impressive in its Euro ’12 Qualifier against minnows Azerbaijan. The 1-1 draw put a dent in Belgium’s chances of reaching the European Championship, dropping them to third place and a point behind Turkey with two games left. After taking the lead thanks to a Simons penalty kick, Azerbaijan tied the score with four minutes remaining when Belgium’s defense left Rauf Aliyev unmarked in the box. Aliyev headed the ball in for the easy goal.

One American player, Sacha Kljestan, is familiar with Belgium. Kljestan, the former Chivas USA defender, joined Belgian club Anderlect last year, scoring four goals in 28 games for the club. He is a teammate of Lukaku and defender Denis Odoi and will likely see more playing time than the 24 minutes he saw against Costa Rica as a second-half sub for Robbie Rogers.

The Americans, meanwhile, are coming off a surprise loss against Costa Rica in a game the US dominated for long stretches, especially during the first-half. For Klinsmann, the Belgium friendly gives him a chance to test players against a quality European side.

While Europe is familiar territory to the former German international, the Americans have traditionally struggled on the continent. The USA has not played away from home this year and will be without Landon Donovan (who returns to the Los Angeles Galaxy for MLS duty), while Fulham's Clint Dempsey will likely play his first game under Klinsmann.

This is the first meeting between the USA and Belgium since 1998 and the fourth overall. In two of those matches played in Belgium, the USA failed to score. Overall, Belgium holds a 2-1-0 advantage in the all-time series. For Klinsmann, it's a chance for his first win in his third game in charge of the USA.

“Belgium will be another good experience,” Klinsmann said. “We want to try to develop that style of play that we are confident on the ball and that we try to pass our way through difficult situations and tight spaces. It will take time.”

Back In The Day: The NASL's Longest Game

2011-09-01T11:23:00.001-05:00

NASL, North American Soccer League

By Michael Lewis, NEW YORK, NY (Sep 1, 2011),US National Team Players Association

Until that night 40 years ago, Carlos Metidieri had never been thanked by an opponent for scoring the winning goal in a soccer game. Then again, Metidieri and his Rochester Lancers and Dallas Tornado had never played in a game like the one they had participated in on September 1st, 1971.

After Metidieri connected for the winner in the Lancers' 2-1 victory over the Dallas Tornado in the 1971 North American Soccer League playoffs, a Tornado player approached him moments later and said: "Thank you Carlos for scoring a goal because we couldn't do it anymore."

The teams had just played - no make that endured and survived - 176 tortuous minutes of soccer. The game was only four minutes short of two full 90-minute matches. It began at 8 pm and ended at 11:59 pm - one minute before midnight - before 8,309 fans at Holleder Stadium in Rochester, NY.

Today, Major League Soccer and the United Soccer Leagues in the United States use extra time and a penalty-kick tie-breaker to decide playoff matches and prevent marathon games. In 1971, however, NASL playoff games were played out until literally there was a last team standing.

"It was like being in the desert without water for four weeks," Lancers forward Manny Seissler said after the game.

Lancers coach Sal DeRosa called it the "most unbelievable game I have ever seen."

Indeed, even if that seemed to fall short of describing what transpired that late summer night.

After they had traded goals in regulation, Rochester and Dallas battled into extra time. Each extra time - technically, it was called overtime in those days - lasted 15 minutes. Like the National Hockey League playoffs, the teams continued to play until someone scored, although the soccer designers probably thought it highly unlikely that a game would need six of those overtime periods.

Metidieri, the man of the hour - or would it be more appropriate to say he was the man of four hours? - picked it up from there.

"Going to the bench for the second overtime, we could tell looking at the guys' faces we were giving up a bit," he said. "We were tired. Some of the guys changed shoes. Some had cramps."

Dallas defender Gabbo Gavric's thigh cramped in the 165th minute. Since both sides had used their allotted substitutions, Gavric stayed around the center circle for the rest of the match, kicking the ball whenever it was in his vicinity.

"My body didn't bother me as much as my feet," Metidieri said. "I remember my feet going crazy. I went through two pairs of shoes. And after a while the ground got so hard our muscles were giving up. We tried throwing water in the shorts. We bit oranges and put ice in our mouths. It look like we were going to get fat instead of losing weight because we were going through oranges and coffee and all that stuff. It was a painful experience."

A painful experience that seemed like it was never going to end.

Metidieri said that by the time the players went out for the third overtime "the players were even more tired and so were the people in the stands. But they didn't move. They wanted to see what was going to happen. It was sometime around midnight and there was a throw-in near where my wife was sitting. I told her to start cooking breakfast and that I might be there in a couple of hours."

DeRosa and Dallas coach Ron Newman, who would later coach Kansas City in the early days of Major League Soccer, pleaded with NASL commissioner Phil Woosnam several times, ask him to stop the game of have it decided by penalty kicks or even by the number of penalty kicks already taken. After the fifth overtime, Woosnam said that he would wait and see.

So the game went on and on and on. Finally, in the sixth overtime, Metidieri scored off a poor clearance by a Dallas defender.

"I got the ball from the right side," Metidieri said. "Ken Cooper [the Dallas goalkeeper and Kenny Cooper's father) went down and missed. I was coming from the left side and I just hit it right and it went into the net. I looked around and saw our players falling down and then I saw fans coming onto the field, putting players up on their shoulders. It was like there was a pot of gold on the field and everyone wanted to get rich. It was like we won the championship. They went wild."

"For about 15 minutes I was riding the backs of people up and down," Metidieri added. "They were throwing me like a beach ball. That was fun. It was one of the greatest feelings to be on top, to see the people love you and see them excited because you won the game. It was the biggest moment of my career."

Some strong words for the only player in NASL history to win back-to-back scoring titles and MVP awards. As it turned out, despite the 12th-hour heroics in the marathon affair, that game was not for the championship. That was the first match of a best-of-three series.

That night Metidieri told reporters, "I think this will take the stuffing out of them. We shouldn't have too much trouble with them in Dallas."

But it wasn't so.

The Tornado won the next two games. The final game, quite appropriately, took 148 minutes, also at Holleder. But it was won by the Tornado, which went on to defeat the Atlanta Chiefs for the title. That was the second longest game in NASL history, but hardly anyone remembers that match in comparison to what happened forty years ago tonight.

The Tactician

2011-08-30T09:22:00.001-05:00

By Tony Edwards, San Jose, CA,Aug 29, 2011, US Soccer Players Assocaition

In Bayern Munich and Germany captain Philip Lahm’s new book, The Fine Difference, United States National Team coach Jurgen Klinsmann is presented as, well, less than a tactical genius during his short-lived time leading Bayern.

"We practiced little more than fitness,“ Lahm writes. “Tactical things were neglected. The players had to get together before (the games) to discuss how we wanted to play. After six or eight weeks, all players knew it wouldn't work with Klinsmann. The rest of the season was damage limitation.”

No one who has been paying even the least amount of attention to Klinsmann’s career would be surprised by these comments. He's simply not that type of coach. That said, does it mean anything going forward on his new role with the National Team? For that matter, is lacking that type of chalkboard understanding of the game even a criticism for a coach working with American players?

In the aftermath of Major League Soccer winning twice in Mexico over consecutive weeks in the group stage of the CONCACAF Champions League, hardly anybody brought up the tactics employed by first Dallas and then Seattle. In fairness, a new era for American club soccer playing away writes its own story, one focused on finally winning after 49 attempts.

Sigi Schmidt and Schellas Hyndman are experienced coaches who have been given time and resources to build their teams. Bruce Arena, the third American coach in the CONCACAF Champions League this season, has arguably the greatest resume of any American soccer coach. That these three men are having success in MLS and in the CCL should surprise no one.

To put it plainly, tactical nuance is not a hallmark of American soccer. I give you Juan Carlos Osorio, reputed tactical genius, as Exhibit 1 as to what can happen with coaches known for tactical nous.

Before heading for a coaching manual near you and making the case for American coaching as groundbreaking when it comes to positional play, out-thinking the opposing coach, and turning the game of soccer into chess played on a field, let's at least for a minute not take lack of tactics as a criticism, much less a knock.

Some of the best National Team coaches in the world, not to mention their club counterparts, aren't tactical geniuses. Luiz Felipe Scolari, ‘Big Phil,’ was rightly praised for finding a way to get his best players on the field during the 2002 World Cup, and then taking Portugal to the Finals of Euro 2004. Does anyone outside Brazil or Portugal really look back at those teams with great fondness or as being trendsetters in terms of tactics?

Vicente del Bosque, Spain’s National Team Manager, is widely praised for being a player’s manager and getting the most out of his team. Like Scolari, del Bosque finds a way to get his best players on the field. That he, like Scolari, has mostly enjoyed having his key players healthy should also be lost on no one.

Again, it's personnel and motivation more than putting together a game plan that turns a group of under achievers and overlooked players into winners. This is high level soccer, not Hoosiers, and the best coaches tend to have the best players at their disposal.

Klinsmann, even his most vocal critics in Germany acknowledge, thoroughly overhauled the set-up there. He emphasized team building, home-field advantage, and low expectations, supposedly leaving the tactics to his then-assistant Joachim Low. Whether the tactics part is true or another example of canny marketing on Klinsmann’s part to make sure his assistant got the top job doesn’t really matter.

With the USA, Klinsmann Klinsmann has promised a similar revolution in the American soccer setup. But here, instead of emphasizing fitness, he is wisely highlighting Claudio Reyna’s role as Youth Technical Director and promising a more prominent voice to Tab Ramos. By bringing these two (criminally underrated) players to the fore, Klinsmann is hopefully sending a message that the endless days of the US soccer (and perhaps MLS) focus on athleticism might be waning. This is a positive step that has very little to do with imposing systems or methodologies on established professionals.

Likewise, Dallas and Seattle’s results in Mexico are positive steps. The big takeaway from those games are two coaches that motivated their teams. Check the quotes leading into those two contests, and even an understaffed Seattle was saying the right things. Then again, it’s not like Mexican teams will immediately put 10 players behind the ball next time an MLS team is on the schedule. What we had were two intelligent teams that (mostly) tried to play good soccer, rode a little luck, and got back on the plane with its toughest group stage challenge successfully behind them. That’s really the bottom line.

Yet, this result, combined with Salt Lake’s run to the Final last year, might show that given time, intelligent teams can find ways to overcome MLS’ limitations and reduce the advantage Mexican clubs have in this competition.

“We are the first to beat a good Mexican team in Mexico,” Hyndman told MLSsoccer.com. “I hope that more MLS teams will have the same courage to play good soccer and that we can continue to find success here.”

He said “good soccer,” not tactical innovation. It’s not like Ben Olsen has the luxury of developing tactical nuance while being expected to win enough games to qualify for the playoffs. Even an incoming coach such as Martin Rennie (known for playing a 4-3-3) has to know that that being an expansion (or second year) team is no excuse in the win-now world of MLS.

The most pleasing MLS teams to watch aren’t tactical groundbreakers, but rather they stick to their principles of putting the best players on the field and putting those players in a position to succeed. Not only is that unlikely to change, it doesn't need too. With all respect due to Lahm, the style of coaching he describes is the answer to a specific problem rather than an object statement for what makes a great coach. At this level, the motivator is more important than the tactician.

Tony Edwards is a soccer writer based in the Bay Area.

Immense Beauty, Intense Presence

2011-08-19T15:52:00.001-05:00

British Icon John Martyn’s Legacy is Reimagined by Thirty Artists on Johnny Boy Would Love This…a Tribute to John Martyn

http://www.worldmusicwire.com

Among the contributors are David Gray, Paolo Nutini, Beck, Swell Season, and Robert Smith

In the late ’60s, the late British guitarist and songwriter John Martyn broke ground by leaping from acoustic folk into highly successful experiments with tape delay, wild recording scenarios, and jazz-inspired arrangements. He became a cult figure among British musicians. A list of his admirers reads like a who’s-who of rock, pop, and even trip hop: Eric Clapton, The Band’s Levon Helm, Lee “Scratch” Perry, The Cure’s Robert Smith, Beck, Morcheeba.

To honor his life, thirty artists reveal the full breadth of Martyn’s creativity on Johnny Boy Would Love This…A Tribute to John Martyn. The package will include a double CD digi-pak, 40-page booklet, and DVD that will feature interviews with a number of the contributing artists, performance videos, and rare live performances by John himself. Adding to this unique audio experience is the inclusion of John's actual guitar work on two of the tracks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxx8UYah6as

Musicians from several generations take on Martyn’s intense, sometimes joyful and sometimes despairing, but always influential work. They come from the fertile acoustic fringes (Vetiver, Beth Orton) and from the heart of rock and pop (Robert Smith, Phil Collins). They are elders of blues (Clarence Fountain and Sam Butler of the Blind Boys of Alabama) and young up-and-comers (John Smith and Sabrina Dinan).

***

When Bob Marley listened to Martyn (his label mate from Island Records) perform from backstage, he turned to Island founder Chris Blackwell and asked, intrigued, “What band is that?” It was the charismatic Martyn, playing solo. Along with his charmingly rakish persona and intense musicianship, Martyn began using analogue effects on his acoustic guitar in the 1960s. The result was so big and distinctive that it transformed Britain’s rock, roots, and dance music.

“I first heard ‘Small Hours’ on the John Peel Show late in 1977 and fell instantly in love with it... ‘One World' very quickly became my favourite John Martyn album... And these beautiful songs were, are and always will be an inspiration and an enchantment.”—Robert Smith (“Small Hours”)

Martyn’s deep appreciation for jazz musicians like Pharoah Sanders, as well as his unfailing instinct for crafting evocative and musically complex songs, led him to the Echoplex, an early tape delay unit that allowed him to layer sound on sound live. The effect not only wowed Marley, but opened the door for Brian Eno’s ambient music, The Edge’s delay-soaked guitar, and a slew of recent loop-based solo artists.

“He was the very first folktroniker if ever there was one!”—Beth Orton (“Go Down Easy”)

His live innovations were matched with unconventional approaches to studio recording, audible on tracks like “Small Hours.” Recorded beside a lake at 3 a.m., Martyn played on one shore while the engineers sat on the other.

“John Martyn was a true pioneer within the world of acoustic music, and his work has left signs on the road for all of those who would follow. As well as being a deft guitar player and passionate singer, he was always very much alive to the possibilities of the studio, where he was a vivid creator of mood and atmosphere.” –David Gray (“Let the Good Things Come”)

Add excellent songs to that heady mix—gems like “Stormbringer,” “Glorious Fool,” “Bless the Weather,” and “May You Never”—and it’s easy to understand why generations of musicians have respected and loved the innately musical, tumultuous Martyn. He was everywhere in the ’60s and ’70s—and knew and inspired everyone. He struck up close friendships with Nick Drake, Phil Collins, and Eric Clapton, with Steve Winwood and Jimmy Page.

“John Martyn was unique. Completely unique. He had such power, such emotion, in his music that he could overwhelm the listener even when it was just him and an acoustic guitar.”—Phil Collins

Yet unlike many icons, Martyn never settled for pop stardom. He continued to innovate and reach new audiences. His classic album Solid Air was voted one of the best chill-out albums of all time in the 1990s, and Martyn was lionized by a new generation of trip hoppers.

"I can remember when I first heard [the seminal Martyn song] ‘Solid Air.’ I was around 20 years old. It was a bright sunny afternoon. The sound of the double bass and the twinkling of the piano was just delicious. I was totally smitten.”—Skye Edwards (“Solid Air”)

Despite the acclaim and recognition he received in Britain, Martyn remains a musician’s musician in the U.S., where his albums were not widely distributed. Johnny Boy Would Love This aims to bring the immense beauty Martyn sparked to new listeners.

“The album features all these young new artists, as well as some big guns and old friends,” says Jim Tullio, longtime Martyn friend and producer, who also covers Martyn’s “Road to Ruin” for the tribute. “They were elated to be asked, and really show how influential John has been. They’ve done more than just make for a nice standard tribute; they’ve breathed new life into John’s songs.”

2011-08-11T11:13:00.001-05:00

Bradley And The American Coaching Conundrum

By Jason Davis, August 10, 2011 - WASHINGTON, DC (Aug 10, 2011) US Soccer Players -- Don't cry for Bob Bradley. Despite losing his job as the head coach of the United States National Team rather unceremoniously just a week and a half ago, Bradley is already in the mix for another position. According to reports and confirmation from his agent, Bradley is the front runner to become the next head coach of Egypt. Whether he gets the job or not, Bradley's candidacy represents a step outside of the traditional bubble for American coaches. If he does take over in Egypt, Bradley will immediately become a trailblazer for coaches from the United States.

American coaches live in a fishbowl, swimming laps in a confined space. Whether they start in college or the pros, the men born in the US and raised on the game here are typically coaches of American soccer in some form for the entirety of their careers. As a matter of course or circumstance, Americans just aren’t plucked for jobs abroad. Rarely are the even mentioned as candidates. Upward mobility in the American coaching ranks means turning a college gig into a pro gig, and if fortune smiles, into a National Team run. Bradley, like his predecessor Bruce Arena, followed that path.

It might be fitting that just as US Soccer has changed course with the hiring of a non-American for the first time in twenty years, the American coach they dismissed is being considered for a landmark appointment.

There’s not much history of American coaches taking their talent to foreign shores. The list of head coaches at the international level begins and ends with Steve Sampson’s tenure with Costa Rica's National Team, a position he held from 2002-2004. Sampson had moderate success with the Ticos before being dismissed during a poor run in qualifying. He promptly returned to MLS to coach the Galaxy. Sampson’s sojourn turned out to be nothing more than a blip, and the status quo took hold again.

There is a smattering, or less, of American head coaches outside of the country in the club game. While their careers prove that it’s possible to be American and get a job somewhere other than in America’s unique patchwork of schools and clubs, none is guilty of having a profile of much note. That’s mostly a function of where they coach, off the radar in lesser soccer countries or in lower divisions that get little attention. It’s a task just to find references to them in the information-easy internet age.

Here's the thing, Bradley’s name popping up as a verified candidate for the Egypt job shouldn’t be all that surprising. His reputation has always been much stronger outside of the United States than within it, and he’s proven himself to be a capable international coach by taking the Americans to heights previously unseen.

It was interesting to watch the reaction from foreign journalists when Bradley’s dismissal hit the wires. Beyond the prevailing “two-cycle” wisdom, many were taken aback by the apparent ease with which Bradley and his record were dismissed. After renewing Bradley’s contract after the 2010 World Cup, the decision to make a change now was eyebrow-raising. That says something about the perception of American talent, but it’s also a commentary on how much respect Bradley has garnered from people with an outsider’s perspective on US Soccer.

Bradley’s candidacy for the Pharaohs position alone is a breakthrough of sorts. With apologies to Steve Sampson and Costa Rica, Egypt is a significant step up as a well-regarded team with several continental championships and a tradition of success. Egypt failed to make the World Cup in South Africa last year, losing to Algeria in a playoff, but they’ve hardly dropped off the map. It can’t hurt Bradley’s chances that one of the signature victories on his resume was against Algeria just last year. Bradley’s serious consideration by a nation of Egypt’s stature - hardly a world beater but a a perennial African power - means someone is looking either looking past his American-ness, or does not see that as an impediment to his doing the job. If it’s the latter, times, they are a-changing.

And if Bradley gets the job? An American coach in charge of a team with serious ambitions outside of the North and Central American environment is something that was previously impossible to imagine. Mostly, this is a credit to Bradley and the job he did while at the helm of the National Team and the impression he made on the greater soccer community.

If there’s a river to be born, a dam first has to burst. Bob Bradley, swimming beyond the American cultural sphere could be the man to cause the first fissure.

We’re quickly running out of firsts when it comes to Americans and soccer. There’s still a league or two to crack, and an American has to play in a Champions League final, but for the most part Americans have broken through the glass ceilings that matter. American players captained their sides in Europe. Americans have led their teams in goals. Young American players are the next frontier for clubs constantly on the hunt for new talent. Americans have sufficiently wormed their way into the fabric of the sport to become less and less of a novelty with each passing year. Americans are just a part of the game.

American players, that is. When it comes to head coaches, the United States has yet to produce one with any notable resume written outside of its borders. Perhaps Bradley will have an opportunity to change that. Even if he doesn't, his candidacy is a sure sign that day is coming.

Highlights: USA 1 - Mexico 1

2011-08-11T11:12:00.001-05:00

August 10, 2011

The United States got a quick return after losing the Gold Cup final to Mexico in June, meeting in a friendly on Wednesday night in Philadelphia. In front of 30,138 fans, it looked like the game was going to be all Mexico. The USA finished the first-half with no shots while Mexico went into halftime with a goal. Oribe Peralta scored in the 16th minute. The United States regrouped in the second-half, coming close to scoring just before Klinsmann used his first substitutions in the 60th minute. It would be a sub proving the difference for the US, with Robbie Rogers scoring two minutes after entering the game for Michael Bradley. Fellow sub Brek Shea had the assist on the Rogers goal.

"I think we stopped giving them so much respect and we put them under pressure," US midfielder Landon Donovan told ESPN following the game. "When they're under pressure, they don't do well. They don't like it."

The game was the debut for new National Team coach Jurgen Klinsmann, who saw his squad regroup to get an equalizer.

"What we were lacking in the first-half was putting pressure on them, going into their half in the final third and creating chances," Klinsmann said.... "We kept the pace up and we expected them to struggle a little bit towards the end of the game. I think there are some players that can make a difference here. Landon, obviously, but Robbie Rogers and Brek Shea, they have the qualities to go one-on-one. Those qualities that Mexico have as well, but they are attacking midfielders. That is really fun to see. They’re taking people on and they’re going into the box. That’s what changed with them coming in as subs."

-- GAME REPORT --

Match: USA vs. Mexico
Date: Aug. 10, 2011
Competition: International Friendly
Venue: Lincoln Financial Field
Kickoff: 9 p.m. ET
Attendance: 30,138
Weather: Clear and warm, 80 degrees

Scoring Summary: 1 2 F
USA 0 1 1
MEX 1 0 1

MEX – Oribe Peralta (Andres Guardado) 17th minute
USA – Robbie Rogers (Brek Shea) 73

Lineups:
USA: 1-Tim Howard; 6-Steve Cherundolo, 5-Michael Orozco Fiscal, 3-Carlos Bocanegra (capt.), 2-Edgar Castillo; 7-Kyle Beckerman 4-Michael Bradley (16-Robbie Rogers, 72), 8-Jermaine Jones (17-Brek Shea, 60) ,10-Landon Donovan, 11-Jose Torres (15-Ricardo Clark, 84); 9-Edson Buddle (18-Juan Agudelo, 60)
Subs not used: 12-Bill Hamid, 13-Zach Lloyd, 14-Heath Pearce
Head Coach: Jurgen Klinsmann

MEX: 1-Guillermo Ochoa, 16-Efrain Juarez (22- Paul Aguilar, 75), 4-Rafael Marquez (2-Francisco Javier Rodriguez, 69), 15-Hector Moreno, 3-Carlos Salcido; 7- Pablo Barrera (21-Christian Bermudez, 72), 6-Gerardo Torrado, 17-Antonio Naelson (10-Giovani dos Santos, 55), 8-Israel Castro, 18-Andres Guardado; 19-Oribe Peralta (9-Omar Arellano, 62)
Subs not used: 11-Javier Aquino, 12- Alfredo Talavera, 13-Jesus Zavala, 20-Jorge Torres Nilo
Head coach: Jose Manuel de la Torre

Stats Summary: USA / MEX
Shots: 6 / 7
Shots on Goal: 3 / 1
Saves: 0 / 2
Corner Kicks: 2 / 4
Fouls: 8 / 16
Offside: 0 / 4

Misconduct Summary:
MEX – Efrain Juarez (caution) 42nd minute
MEX – Rafael Marquez (caution) 67
MEX – Gerardo Torrado (caution) 86

Officials:
Referee: Raymond Bogle (JAM)
Assistant Referee 1: Ricardo Antonio Morgan (JAM)
Assistant Referee 2: Dion Neil (TRI)
Fourth Official: Ricardo Salazar (USA)

2011-08-10T20:19:00.001-05:00

game on baby . . .

2011-08-09T11:08:00.001-05:00

Scouting Report: Mexico

From the US National Team Players Association:

By Clemente Lisi – PHILADELPHIA, PA (Aug 9, 2011) US Soccer Players -- A new era starts Wednesday when Jurgen Klinsmann makes his debut as United States National Team coach against old rivals Mexico at Lincoln Financial Field. The friendly in Philadelphia will be the first game for the USA since losing to Mexico in the Gold Cup final in June. With that Gold Cup final loss still fresh and with players looking to impress a new coach, this August friendly takes on considerable meaning.

Although a USA-Mexico match is always a highly anticipated date on the calendar, this game will be viewed with even greater scrutiny given that it is the first for Klinsmann. If the National Team can play well, and even get a win, it would be a positive omen for Klinsmann as he embarks on a three-year journey that is expected to end with a competitive World Cup appearance in Brazil.

“It’s a very, very good team,” Klinsmann said of Mexico. “They have done a tremendous job over the past few years with a generation of young players and a record of really performing well at the highest level.”

Asked how he felt to play Mexico in his debut game, Klinsmann said, “It's a great start.”

For now, Klinsmann has his plate full assessing players and scouting after being officially introduced on August 1st. Mexico may be an attack-oriented team, but Klinsmann, a former striker, will likely field a US squad that will seek to dominate its opponent in the final third.

The game is the 59th meeting between the sides. The USA has an all-time record of 15-32-11 against Mexico dating back to 1934, but the USA has a 13-8-9 edge at home since 1957. The USA also holds a 13-10-8 advantage since 1990.

The match falls on a FIFA international fixture date, meaning both sides will have their European-based players at their disposals. Mexico is riding high after a string of stellar performances this year. Nine wins and two draws in 2011, with the three group stage losses at the Copa America explained by CONCACAF requiring Mexico to use a second-string squad made up largely of Under-23 players.

For the game, Mexico’s 20-man roster will not include Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez, but still boasts an impressive offensive trio – Giovani Dos Santos, Andres Guardado and Pablo Barrera -- who dominated at the recent Gold Cup. All three scored against the US in the Gold Cup final. Hernandez will miss the game after suffering a concussion during training with Manchester United on the eve of last month's MLS All-Star Game.

Chicharito’s absence not withstanding, El Tri will be at full strength and feature the return of goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, who was suspended during the Gold Cup after testing positive for the banned substance clenbuterol. The goalkeeper was later cleared of wrongdoing by the Mexican Federation because he was found to have unintentionally eaten tainted meat. Three others suspended for the same violation – Christian Bermudez, Francisco Rodriguez and Antonio “Sinha” Naelson – also make their return to the roster.

De la Torre like to use a 4-4-2 formation that often transforms into a 4-2-3-1, allowing the Mexicans to use the wings to move the ball into the opposing penalty area while allowing the midfield to push forward. De la Torre may employ striker Omar Arellano as a lone striker, although he is more comfortable playing on the right wing. Arellano, who got the call-up in place of Chicharito, said he is looking forward to playing the USA.

“It is a revenge match. Both sides will come out fighting,” he said.

The 24-year-old Chivas Guadalajara goal poacher is one of the Mexican league’s budding stars. Arellano played on Chivas’s youth team alongside Hernandez and played in the recent World Football Challenge against Barcelona. Chivas beating Barca 4-1 prompted Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola to heap praise on his opponents.

“Mexican football is very dynamic and entertaining,” he said.

Indeed, this current Mexico team has excelled as a result of the Mexican Football Federations' continued investment in youth players. Mexico’s recent Under-17 World Cup title and reaching the knockout stage at the ongoing U-20 World Cup are indications the future looks bright for Mexico.

For now, the US needs to worry about the team Mexico fields on Wednesday night. Klinsmann’s side appears to be a little more “Mexican” than past US teams following the call-ups of Michael Orozco, Edgar Castillo, Jose Torres and DaMarcus Beasley – players who all play for Mexican clubs. Veterans like Tim Howard, Carlos Bocanegra, Steve Cherundolo and Landon Donovan, all of whom have plenty of experience playing Mexico, form the core of the lineup.

The Americans can definitely compete with Mexico. For Klinsmann, the game is his first test. More importantly, the match at The Linc is a dry run for what awaits both nations as they embark on the road to Brazil 2014.

La.'s Tunica tribe revives its lost language

2011-08-08T08:58:00.001-05:00

By MARY FOSTER Associated Press
Posted: 08/06/2011 08:46:41 AM PDT
Updated: 08/06/2011 08:54:58 AM PDT

NEW ORLEANS—Brenda Lintinger decided to do more than learn a new language—she set out to resurrect the ancient tongue of her own Tunica Indian tribe, words that had not been uttered for more than 60 years.

In spring 2010, the 51-year-old Tunica Tribal Council member had been searching the website of Tulane University in New Orleans when she noticed that the school specialized in lesser-known languages.

"And I thought, they don't get much more unknown than ours," said Lintinger, whose maternal great-great-grandfather was a tribal chief in the 1930s, the last decade the language was spoken.

So she sought the help of Judith M. Maxwell, who heads the Tulane Interdisciplinary Program in Linguistics. It fit the criteria for a dead language, as the tribe has not found anyone who even remembers hearing the Tunica language as a child.

"It was a very exciting prospect," said Maxwell. "Especially since the tribe is so enthusiastic about it."

The Endangered Languages Fund turned down Maxwell's application for a small grant, so she instead put together a group of students who donated their time to the project.

The Tunica tribe aligned with the French and later the Spanish during Louisiana's colonial period in the 1700s and was granted land in what is now Louisiana by the Spanish. But encroachment cut tribal holdings to about 130 acres by the mid-1900s, Lintinger said.

The Tunica, which says it now has 1,174 members concentrated in central Louisiana, combined with the Biloxi tribe, whose roots are in Mississippi, as both groups lost population and the tribe was officially recognized and granted reservation land in 1981. The Tunica opened a casino and hotel in Marksville, La., in 1994, employing almost 2,000 people.

The casino has sparked a renewal for the tribe, allowing it to fund programs and training for members and giving members a chance to move back to the area for casino jobs, Lintinger said.

But their language, which like those of many Native Americans was lost as they assimilated into the European and African-American population around them, seemed unlikely to come back before the Tulane efforts.

There were a few old, wax phonograph cylinders with the language recorded on them, but years of wear and background noise made the chants impossible to decipher, said Kathleen Bell, a graduate student who worked on the project.

"The quality was terrible, and the drums more or less drowned out the chants," she said.

The researchers were able to refer to past work by academics. One published a short grammar of the language in 1921, and a linguistics scholar in 1939 worked with the last tribal member known to be conversant in the Tunica language.

Mary Haas, a linguist who worked with a number of Native American languages, worked with a tribal elder, writing down stories and bits of Tunica history. She used the International Phonetic Alphabet, marking stress and some intonations, but not enough to give Maxwell's group the rhythm, timing and the way the language was phrased, Bell said.

The modern scholars used Haas' material to create glossaries and a "more modern take on grammatical properties of the language," Maxwell said.

The process was gradual, and there is still much work to do, Bell said.

"We would meet in group sessions and hash it out. I would say we still don't have grasp on much of it," she said.

Bringing a language to life depends on the desire to speak it, and attempts to revive languages generally aren't successful, Maxwell wrote in an email while conducting a summer program in South America. But Tunica members have a strong interest beyond simply hearing how their ancestors communicated.

"If people want to speak a language, they will," Maxwell said. "Look at the number of people who now speak Klingon or elvish or Na'vi."

Tunica officials eventually hope to be able to teach the language to members of all ages, Lintinger said. A children's book based on the language was presented during the tribe's annual powwow in May, and many members wanted to learn the language and asked about classes, Lintinger said.

About 650 copies of the book—featuring the Tunica tales "Deer and Turtle" and "Fighting Eagles"—were handed out at the powwow. Two tribe members read the stories aloud in their native tongue.

"When we got up and read them in our language, I wish I could tell you how excited everyone was," Lintinger said. "Everybody was so taken by it, so caught up in listening to the stories."

The group, along with Tulane faculty member Nathalie Dajko, also has put together two Tunica prayers.

Kathleen Ubnoske, who read one of the stories at the powwow, said it took a lot of work to learn the language, but when she stood before the members of her tribe, speaking it came easily.

"My mouth just ran with it, not that it was easy but it felt so right when I started to read," Ubnoske said. "It seemed it was a natural thing for me to do.

"I took it as I was honoring my grandfather and great-grandfather and down the line when they were speaking this."

8 Reasons Young Americans Don't Fight Back: How the US Crushed Youth Resistance

2011-08-04T23:41:00.001-05:00

The ruling elite has created social institutions that have subdued young Americans and broken their spirit of resistance.

AlterNet: By Bruce E. Levine, July 31, 2011 |

Traditionally, young people have energized democratic movements. So it is a major coup for the ruling elite to have created societal institutions that have subdued young Americans and broken their spirit of resistance to domination.

Young Americans—even more so than older Americans—appear to have acquiesced to the idea that the corporatocracy can completely screw them and that they are helpless to do anything about it. A 2010 Gallup poll asked Americans “Do you think the Social Security system will be able to pay you a benefit when you retire?” Among 18- to 34-years-olds, 76 percent of them said no. Yet despite their lack of confidence in the availability of Social Security for them, few have demanded it be shored up by more fairly payroll-taxing the wealthy; most appear resigned to having more money deducted from their paychecks for Social Security, even though they don’t believe it will be around to benefit them.

Read the rest here: http://www.alternet.org/vision/151850/8_reasons_young_americans_don%27t_fight_back%3A_how_the_us_crushed_youth_resistance/?page=1

Rebel Elders: Terakaft Refines Rough-Hewn Desert Rock on Aratan N Azawad (Children of the Azawad)

2011-08-03T08:48:00.001-05:00

http://www.worldmusicwire.com

Old-school rock rebels and musical elders from the desert. Terakaft brings together the raw sounds of minimal indie guitar rock and the swaying pulse of Saharan journeys. They harness the energy of flirtatious midnight songs and the gravitas of respected advisors calling for peace and unity.

Tuareg guitar warriors, Terakaft keeps alive the musical spirit honed by decades of oppression, rebellion, and exile on Aratan N Azawad. Drawing on traditional forms of this Saharan nomadic people, filtered through an utterly fresh take on blues and rock, Terakaft (“Caravan”) moves through Tuareg history and a sea of sand to take the plight of their people to the world—in angular guitar licks and pulsating grooves.

Based in Mali, the core of Terakaft got its start where it all started: with the boot camp blues that became a musical liberation movement. In hopes of liberating their denigrated, divided people scattered over five African countries, some Tuaregs turned to violence, gaining military and ideological training from the Libyans. But their casual, cigarette-fueled blues jams in between training sessions soon inspired a better way to shake up the Tuareg world: trade the machine guns for electric guitars, following in the footsteps of Bob Marley and John Lennon.

The resulting music sparked a revolution all its own, as young Tuaregs embraced the new sound, simply called “guitar” in Tuareg, and began taking ancient call-and-response poetic forms and making them rock. Terakaft leader Liya Ag Ablil (a.k.a. Diara) and the late Inteyeden (who like Diara once formed the core of Tinariwen) themselves began a new direction within that greater movement: They composed historical songs in the new rock style. Terakaft now embraces two generations of musicians and a body of music dedicated to the rich history and poetry of the Tuareg.

“Historically, our people had a huge territory that extended across the Sahara,” explains bassist and singer Abdallah Ag Ahmed. “But now Tuaregs are all living in despair and isolation, each in their own little corner of the world. We want to unite our people,” with rousing calls for progress like “Aghalem.”

Terakaft has perfected the songs that launched this desert rock rebellion, with tracks like “Aratan N Azawad,” which insists that children must study Tuareg language and history, which “is written in the mountains,” for there to be hope. Originally composed by Diara during the Tuareg rebellion two decades ago, Terakaft brings balance and quiet insistence to the song’s catchy melody and pared-down guitar solos.

Terakaft’s vision of national unity and Saharan rock incorporates the rich heritage of Tuareg poetry and dance, blending it with the details of contemporary desert life. The brand image on a pack of Algerian cigarettes inspired “Akoz Imgharen” (“Four Patriarchs”), suggesting a council of wise elders for the four corners of Tuareg territory to Diara’s imagination. The lyrical “Idiya Idohena” is based on iswat, the playful, sensual songs that accompany young Tuaregs’ midnight dancing. The song is traditional, but Terakaft singer and guitarist Sanou Ag Ahmed adapted it for guitar and voices (and a subtle patter of palms).

Though firmly rooted in traditional forms, Terakaft has quietly expanded the musical palette of Tuareg rock. There’s a sparkle and upbeat vibe reminiscent of West African guitar rock running parallel to the modal and bluesy feel that first won Tuareg music international attention. Interlocking bass grooves and drums add a funky complexity to songs like the romantic “Hegh Ténéré.”

“We’ve just begun to work with musicians from other places, like the Indian singer Kiran Alhuwalia or a Celtic clarinetist we performed with not long ago in Angers,” notes Diara. “It was great to play with them. And we now tour with Matthias [Vaguenez],” a percussionist and fixture on the French world music and trip hop scene, whose thoughtful playing weaves throughout the album.

Increasingly familiar with and known to the world at large, Terakaft remains devoted to their desert heritage and to their ongoing hope of a united Tuareg nation. “I have to say,” reflects Diara, “there is nothing better than unity and peace.”

See the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTrKRt8Kjs4

Transcript Of Klinsmann Press Conference

2011-08-02T10:46:00.001-05:00

August 01, 2011

On Monday, the United States Soccer Federation released the following transcript of new National Team coach Jurgen Klinsmann and USSF president Sunil Gulati's remarks to the media.

U.S. Soccer President SUNIL GULATI
Opening comments:
“It’s been an exciting summer, which is still going on with some terrific games – Barcelona and Manchester United over the weekend, lots of big crowds and the excitement of the Women’s World Cup. The excitement of the Gold Cup set all sorts of records in attendance and television ratings.

There were some ups and downs obviously for our teams on the field, but overall the health of the sport in this country certainly is quite good and headed in the right direction. That doesn’t mean there won’t be wins and losses along the way, but we’re very pleased, generally, with where the sport is headed. Having said that, I think today is a very important day and perhaps the start of a new era for us. We’re extraordinarily excited about having Jurgen Klinsmann join our team, to lead our team and to help lead our technical program. Jurgen’s experience, both as a player and coach, and as a resident of this country – and I think all three of those are important – we think are huge assets. The latter solves whatever we think about having an international coach, and whether they’ll know America, and know the difference between Duke (University) and the Portland Timbers, and all the things that are specific to the U.S., like the role of education, geography and so on. Jurgen has that. He’s been a resident of the country for 13 years and has studied a lot of things. He’s lived around the world. He’s multi-lingual, and that is in addition to his vast playing experience and the coaching experience with the German national team and Bayern Munich. His record is extraordinary. It speaks for itself. We’ve had discussions, which have been widely reported, for quite some time. We’re going to focus today on going forward, although I’m sure there is some interest in how we got to today, and we’ll address that, but we really want to focus on going forward and the excitement in the sport. It’s also a reflection of the sport that there has been so much interest in this announcement, in the fate of the national team. We think all those things are positive.”

On the issue of control:
“Between [Jurgen and I], there has never been an issue of control. I think that’s a bit of a red herring. Jurgen’s comments previously were about being able to incorporate that onto a piece of paper. The understanding that we’ve had about moving forward and collaborating, quite frankly, has been pretty clear for many years. How to best incorporate that is something that we’ve been able to get through, and it’s been a collaborative effort in all areas.”

On why the change is happening now:
“Quite a bit of it is always results. We take time after every major competition to reflect on that competition and what led up to it. It’s not a single game, or a single result. It’s where the program is, and how comfortable we feel in the direction that it’s going. That’s based partly on results for sure, partly on the last year, and we made a decision that it was time to make a change. The timing was never good for a change. We have a game in nine days, so that’s not an easy situation for Jurgen to walk into. In some cases, players have been contacted and he may or may not choose those same players. After the Gold Cup, which is a benchmark for us, it was a natural time to look at where we were.”

On whether he thinks there is an American approach to the game:
“Prior to us having any discussions about coaching the team after the World Cup in Germany, Jurgen outlined what he had done when he had first gone to Germany on that issue of style and why that German team felt, played and looked different than previous teams. It’s exactly what he just outlined which we were fascinated with. He essentially had a series of conversations in some sense with the country, but with players, with coaches, with media about what they expected, what they wanted German soccer to represent at the international level. Given the diversity of this country, that sort of dialogue here is exciting.”

On national team coaches having two World Cup cycles and whether Klinsmann will be given two cycles:
“The second cycle issue is always an awkward question because most coaches that aren’t very successful, defined at some level for their own circumstances and their own country, don’t get that opportunity, and those that do have generally done well in the first cycle. To improve on a good performance is never easy. On statistical grounds, there’s not many of them and it’s not easy to measure. The commitment we’ve made for now is through the World Cup, so it’s not a seven-year commitment. We’ll look at that along the way. In the case of Europe, there are four and six year commitments quite often around a European Championship. The Gold Cup has become increasingly more important for us when it leads to the Confederations Cup and as a competition in itself, so we’re worrying about the next three years, and the next nine days with a game right off the bat. We’ll see how it goes over that period of time. In the case of Germany, Jurgen was able to get comfortable relatively quickly - not in seven days - to get that team ready, and we’ll look forward to that over the next three years.”

On his meeting with Bob Bradley and the importance of Klinsmann’s World Cup experience:
“After the Gold Cup, we started to review the year and the five years. In the last 10 to fourteen days, we came to some conclusions, and that’s Dan Flynn, our CEO, and I for the most part. I don’t think I’m going to get into details on the meeting with Bob. These are always difficult situations. Bob has done a very good job with the national team and has been a good friend long before he was the national team coach and I was U.S. Soccer President, so those moments are difficult. With regards to Jurgen, it’s a great thing to have someone who’s been there, who’s been on the winner’s stand at the World Cup, and at the European Championship. That’s a unique situation. He’s had a bronze medal as a coach at the World Cup. For us, that’s a fantastic situation that he’s played at the very highest level, coached at the very highest level with Bayern and with Germany, but to have actually tasted the success of winning the World Cup we think is a plus for sure.”

U.S. Men’s National Team head coach JURGEN KLINSMANN
Opening comments:
“Thank you for those kind words, and for having me here today. I’m really excited about this opportunity, this chance to coach the U.S. team having lived here for the last 13 years, and also getting to know the U.S. Soccer environment, having connected with this country in all sorts of environments – the youth level, the college system, MLS. There has always been a feeling around that maybe one day I’ll have the opportunity to coach the U.S. team. Obviously, as most of you know I took over Germany for two years, guiding them to the World Cup in 2006, then had a one-year experience with Bayern Munich. But I have always stayed, for family reasons, deeply connected with the U.S. team. This is a big moment for me personally and for us as a family, and I’m really proud that I get that opportunity to be part of the future of U.S. Soccer. It’s going to be a challenge, absolutely. It’s going to be quite demanding the next couple of weeks to get my hands around this. There is a game coming up next week against Mexico already in Philadelphia, so it’s a lot to do. We’ll be calling up the players now, getting the squad together and knowing that isn’t going to be too easy since a lot of players had their breaks and some haven’t even played a game yet in the new season in Europe. But that’s all just part of the job. I’m really excited about that opportunity on all levels. I’m obviously talking with Sunil and a lot of people here in the U.S. Soccer environment and it’s about the bigger picture. Obviously, the main responsibility is the men’s team and moving that program forward, but it’s about discussing with a lot of people involved in the game about what happens in the youth scene and in all the developmental areas. It is an exciting moment and I want to thank you for coming today and giving me such a wonderful reception. I look forward to answering all sorts of questions, and hopefully see you next week in Philadelphia for the first big one.”

On why he decided to take this job now:
“Sunil and I have obviously talked, and sometimes it was just talks in general, not just about maybe someday being the head coach of the U.S. team, but always about where is the sport in this country, the big issues on the table and the challenges ahead. Throughout those years, there were always different moments and different opinions, which is normal. It was never really the moment before. Now there is a feeling of understanding that it is just a moment of a certain comfort level between the two of us, and the federation and myself. It’s not about power; it’s about topics that float around, challenges. There is so much going on in this country right now. In the past year we’ve seen Academy clubs rising on the youth level, which is a big topic. We see where the youth national teams are going, and obviously we see the development of the men’s and women’s teams and their directions. There are always different moments, different timing, and right now the timing is right. We had a clear understanding of what we want to do, and that’s why I’m really happy that we’ve thought about this and found a comfort level for moving forward.”

On how he intends to fix some of the issues of the team:
“I don’t think there is anything wrong with the team. They lost a Gold Cup final against a very, very good Mexico team that over the last couple of years became one of the top 10 teams in the world and have a lot of talent. When you come into a situation like this, you analyze every individual player, the team itself and the program, which I’ll have the chance to do during the next couple of weeks, to see how I can develop them further. You build on what was built before, and if you look back on the past 20 years in this country, a lot has been built. The U.S. has, since 1990, always qualified for the World Cup. The U.S. has made a lot of noise with MLS being introduced. Now look where MLS is. I know in the beginning there were eight or 10 teams and half of those were supported by Phil Anschutz. Now, you have a league with 18 teams and growing next year again. There are development teams being introduced with the Academy program. It’s come a long way, soccer in the United States. I’m now getting this opportunity to move it further. We can build on what has been built by Bob [Bradley] in the last five years, and before that by Bruce Arena and Steve Sampson and so on. I’m proud to get that opportunity. Having played abroad in different countries, Italy, France and Germany, I have my own ideas for the program. And I will, step by step, introduce the ideas that I have, always double checking if it suits the American game. I’m not coming in here to be the European guy. I’ve lived here for 13 years, so I think I know a lot about certain issues. But I think you can also be proud of what you’ve achieved over the last few years where soccer is now. Look at this press conference. Look at three or four soccer television channels. Who would have thought that 15 years ago? It’s a lot of movement going on, and I want to be part of that movement and help out with it. There is a lot to do.”

On whether he thinks there is an American approach to the game:
“I deeply believe that soccer in a certain way reflects the culture of a country. Having studied the U.S. culture over the last 13 years, it’s quite a challenge. You have such a melting pot in this country with so many different opinions and ideas floating around there. Every coach obviously has his own ideas, and then you have the whole challenge of youth soccer in this country being based on a very different model than anywhere else in the world. Your educational system is completely different than the rest of the world. One of my challenges will be to find a way to define how a U.S. team should represent its country. What should be the style of play? Is it more proactive and aggressive, a forward-thinking style of play? Or is it more reacting style of play? That comes with the players that you have at your disposal, but also the people that you are surrounded with, and the people that have an opinion in this country, like the media, like coaches. There’s such a wealth of knowledge in this country. In Europe or in South America, it’s unheard of. The college coaches have a four-year education as well. Traditionally in Europe, you become a pro at the age of 18, so you never get to go to college. It is important over the next three years, especially in the beginning, that I have a lot of conversations with people engulfed in the game here to find a way to define that style. What suits us best? What would you like to see and identify with? I think a great example is the women’s team, and how they played their World Cup final. This is how America wanted to see their girls play that game, and they did an awesome job. It will be one of our main topics, always sitting down and discussing that. It should reflect your mentality and your culture. If you talk about Brazil, you know how Brazil plays. You know about Argentina, you know about Italy. They sit back and wait for one mistake, and if you do, they’re going to kill you. We defined that with Germany in 2004, which was a very difficult process, but we worked through that process and now it’s settled that style of play. Your opinion is important. College coaches’ opinions are important. Youth coaches’ opinions are important. Everyone is involved in that process, players as well. I’m looking forward to a lot of talks.”

On whether he has spoken to any of the players or staff ahead of the Mexico game:
“I spoke to about five, six players over the weekend. We were extremely busy to get this whole thing organized and get officially ready to work and move forward towards the Mexico game. I spoke to five or six players, and I will call the rest tomorrow. I pretty much have a picture of where they are at right now with their club teams, especially if you look at the overseas players, their personal situations, some without a club right now. It’s not going to be easy to form a highly competitive team, but we will get it off the ground. That being said, about the staff, me, Sunil and Dan had a good talk about that as well. I would like to approach it in the way that I will work from game to game with different people. I won’t confirm a full time staff over the next couple of months, because I want to see what’s out there. There are a lot of good, highly qualified coaches in the U.S. that I might not know. I need to talk to people and understand what’s out there. We’ll talk to a lot of MLS coaches and get their perspective and see who I can invite as guest coaches, guest assistant coaches. I won’t come in and say this is my staff. It was a different situation seven years ago with Germany, because of the media pressure and the speculations. You needed to calm that down right away. Here, because we’re not jumping into qualifying right away, we have that opportunity where we have exhibition games so I can try out different coaches on my side to see how they are doing. I had a great conversation with Claudio Reyna, and I want Claudio very close to me in terms of helping him in his new role as a Technical Director for Youth Development at the Federation. He will always be a part of the staff, and he will sit with us coaches at the table so I can tell him how I look at the game and how I can be of help to him. I spoke to Tab Ramos. I want his perspective, and I want his information about what’s coming through in the Under-20 and U-17 level even if I have seen some of those games already, and I kind of already know most of the players from watching them, but I will take my time. Hopefully by Wednesday, we can announce the roster for the Mexico game so we can give you a clear picture on who is on that roster of 20 players and also announce who will be my assistants on the training field and on the bench. It won’t be a coaching staff that will be confirmed for the next three years. We will take our time. I want to make sure that I get to know a lot of different people, a lot of different approaches, because covering this country here is a different challenge than a small country like Germany.”

On the debate about foreign and domestic coaches for the U.S. team:
“There are pros and cons. I think foreign coaches can bring a lot to the table because of their experience in certain high intense environments. If you coach a national team in South America or Europe, or a club team, you are in the daily grind. This is really something you have to deal daily with - this amount of journalists instead of once in a while. You have a different perspective on the game, and you are used to working in a different environment. It is important to understand the specifics of U.S. Soccer. It is important to understand your culture and how you grow up and where your emotions and priorities are. It took me years to understand how important this whole educational path for people is in this country. I never got it the first couple of years, and I said, ‘Why is the program really not that important to people, and why is it always about where you are going to college? What’s the high school? Where are your kids going to school?’ I always responded, ‘My kids are going to school at the next closest school. What’s the big deal?’ Over the years, I saw that those are the reasons why you think that way and it’s because it’s a completely different setup. It’s important that I know all those things, and it’s important when a foreign coach comes in, he gets the time to understand all those mechanisms. You always have to consider the different people in different roles. One thing is to coach the U.S. team and develop players in this country for their future, and the other thing is you may have to prepare them for a World Cup in Brazil or wherever in Europe. Suddenly, totally other circumstances come in where maybe a U.S. coach, in that moment, is very comfortable in whatever happens in this country, but suddenly he is out of his comfort zone when he is in Brazil and deals with different nations and different styles of play and different issues there. One of the fascinating topics we will have over the next months and years is what people can we work with on a global basis? That doesn’t mean you bring in an assistant coach from Europe just to have an assistant coach from Europe, but maybe you have some people in Europe that help to work with the U.S. Soccer Federation and they live in Europe. You have the case that probably two thirds of your squad of the best 20 players are in Europe so maybe a thought is, ‘Should we have somebody in Europe to oversee those players so I don’t have to fly back and forth every weekend?’ I will build, with Dan and Sunil together, we will build a network with people who help U.S. soccer to move forward and quietly. It doesn’t need to be on the media surface. It’s amazing to talk to foreign coaches about what happened here in the U.S. A good friend of mine is Berti Vogts in Germany, or Cesar Menotti of Argentina, or Carlos Alberto Parreira in Brazil. When I talk to these coaches, they admire what has happened here in the last 20 years. Carlos Alberto was here for a year and experienced MLS himself, which was a huge challenge for him because he didn’t know how things worked. Suddenly there was a draft and he said, ‘What’s a draft?’ We don’t have that in Europe and South America. To learn from those coaches for your own program is also very important, and I have most of those relationships already, and I will build further relationships with coaches abroad and then see what is best for U.S. Soccer.”

On whether he would like to see a uniform style of play for the youth system in the United States, what changes he would like to see in the youth system and if that was a sticking point in the negotiations at any point:
“That was never a sticking point. It’s actually a fascinating point and I think, yes, the youth teams should reflect, again, the mixture of your cultures. It should reflect what’s going on in your country and there’s so much going on and that’s why I think Claudio Reyna’s roll is very, very important to find a path, with us together, how those teams should play and how they should be put together. There’s so much influence coming from the Latin environment over the last 15-20 years. It also has to be reflected in the U.S. National Team, and you have so many kids now with dual citizenship, Mexican or other Central American countries and American, so that will always be a topic to discuss. Obviously, you won’t have a copy in your Under-20 or Under-17 of the Men’s National Team because players are different. Players have all different characteristics, so every coach needs to find his own little path of how to put things together. But overall it should be a broader understanding of how also the youth teams should play, and this will be one of the main topics going forward. What started from U.S. Soccer with the youth academies, it will expand and will get bigger and bigger. All these discussions are important and also important for you, media, to have your say in it. I’ve talked to a lot of youth coaches, my boy is playing youth soccer, my girl as well, and they all wait for information. They are very knowledgeable on the youth level in this country but they also ask those same questions. I think there’s a huge opportunity to discuss things and bring different people in and hopefully define more and more how the style should look like.”

On how he would describe the mentality of the country in regards to how he thinks the U.S. Men’s National Team should reflect the mentality of the U.S.:
“Studying your culture and having an American wife and American kids, mainly right now my understanding is that you don’t like to react to what other people do. I think this is maybe a starting point. I think America never really waits and sees and leaves it up to other people to decide what is next. I think America always likes to decide on its own what is next. This guides maybe towards a more proactive style of play where you would like to impose a little bit the game on your opponent instead of sitting back and waiting for what your opponent is doing and react to it. It always depends, also, on your opponent. If you play Brazil or Argentina, you might play differently than maybe a country in CONCACAF, but it is a starting point if you say we want to start to keep possession, we want to start to dictate the pace of the game, we want to challenge our players to improve technically in order to keep the ball. All those components you have to build into your training sessions and have to build it into the curriculum for the youngsters because the earlier they start with that type of work, the better it is. Barcelona was not born in the last couple of years. It was born, the style of play now, in the early 90’s through Johan Cruyff. It took 20 years for that moment today that we see and all admire, just to take an example. So I’m really curious to hear all the different opinions out there.”

On the expectations of the U.S. Men’s National Team over the course of the next three years:
“Expectations are always based on what was built over the last 10-15 years. When you coach Germany the expectations are to be in the final. Other than the final, the country is not happy. I think expectations here certainly are different because of how the game grew in the last 10-20 years. I think a quarterfinal is already huge. I think going through the group stage is really, really important and then going to the knockout stage where anything is possible. But obviously you want to improve, you want to get better, you want to be better than the last World Cup and the World Cup before, but you can’t promise anything because once you’re in the knockout stage, anything can happen.”

On the challenges he faces:
“I think there are a lot of different challenges ahead of us, especially on the foundation level and the foundation is youth; how they should be trained, how often they should train, how much time they should spend with the ball, how they should develop their talent, and it all feeds into Claudio’s new role here. This is really important to be addressed from the beginning because I think this is what is really missing compared to the leading soccer nations around the world, the first 10-12 nations around the world, is the amount of time kids play the game. If you have a kid that plays in Mexico 20 hours a week, and maybe four hours of organized soccer but 16 hours of unorganized soccer just banging the ball around in the neighborhood, but if he gets up to 20 hours it doesn’t matter how he plays it, with his dad or with his buddies in the street., this will show later on with his technical abilities, with his passing, with his instinct on the field and all those things, and I think that’s certainly an area where a lot of work is ahead of us. If you look at MLS, they took major steps forward. It’s come a long way, but it’s still a hectic style from the college game, which slowly we have to get it more on a technical level, we have to get it on more comfortable level with the ball, and so there are developmental issues. I think there are pros and cons. It’s come a long way, but we have a ways to go still to break into those top 10 in the world. We need to be realistic that we are not belonging there right now, or not yet.”

CONCACAF World Cup Draw

2011-08-01T11:34:00.001-05:00

FIFA conducted the World Cup qualification draw in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday. Under the CONCACAF Qualifying system, there will now be a 2nd Round group stage that the United States will not be involved in. The USA enters in Round 3, where they will face fellow seeded team Jamaica along with the winners of Round 2's Groups E and F.

North, Central America and the Caribbean Zone Draw (Round Two)
Group A: El Salvador, Surinam, Cayman Islands, Dominican Republic
Group B: Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Barbados, Bermuda
Group C: Panama, Dominica, Nicaragua, Bahamas
Group D: Canada, St. Kitts and Nevis, Puerto Rico, St Lucia
Group E: Grenada, Guatemala, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize
Group F: Haiti, Antigua and Barbuda, Curacao, US Virgin Islands

North, Central America and the Caribbean Zone Draw (Round Three)
Group A: USA, Jamaica, Winner of R2 Grp E, Winner of R2 Grp F
Group B: Mexico, Costa Rica, Winner of R2 Grp A, Winner of R2 Grp B
Group C: Honduras, Cuba, Winner of R2 Grp D, Winner of R2 Grp C

Bradley Relieved Of Duties

2011-07-29T14:56:00.001-05:00

The United States Soccer Federation announced on Thursday that Bob Bradley is no longer the coach of the US National Team. No replacement was announced.

“We want to thank Bob Bradley for his service and dedication to U.S. Soccer during the past five years,” Gulati said in a press statement. “During his time as the head coach of our Men’s National Team he led the team to a number of accomplishments, but we felt now was the right time for us to make a change. It is always hard to make these decisions, especially when it involves someone we respect as much as Bob. We wish him the best in his future endeavors.”

2011-07-28T12:16:00.001-05:00

MLS All-Stars 0 - Manchester United 4

Manchester United had no problem finding their offense on Wednesday night at Red Bull Arena, with their defense shutting out the MLS All-Stars. Anderson opened the scoring for United n the 20th minute, with All-Star Most Valuable Player Ji-Sung Park scoring in the 45th minute. In the second-half, Dimitar Berbatov knocked in a ball that rebounded off the crossbar in the 52nd minute. Danny Welbeck finished off the scoring in the 68th. The All-Stars out-shot Manchester United 13 to 11, but United had the better accuracy putting six of their shots on frame to five for the All-Stars.

"Even if you lose 4-0, I can say I'm quite pleased with the performance," All-Stars coach Hans Backe said. "The first half is a very, very even first half. Possessionwise it's, I don't know, 50-50."

Victory for evolution in Texas

2011-07-27T13:10:00.001-05:00

National Center for Science Education, July 22nd, 2011

Pop the champagne corks. The Texas Board of Education has unanimously come down on the side of evolution. In a 14-0* vote, the board today approved scientifically accurate high school biology textbook supplements from established mainstream publishers — and did not approve the creationist-backed supplements from International Databases, LLC.

"This is a huge victory for Texas students and teachers," said Josh Rosenau, NCSE programs and policy director, who testified at the hearings this week. In his testimony, Rosenau urged the board to approve the supplements — recommended by a review panel largely composed of scientists and science educators — without amendments, and to reject International Databases' creationist submission. The board did just that, and asked for only minimal changes to the approved supplements.

In hearings yesterday, NCSE members and allies showed up in force. At least four times as many people testified in favor of the supplements as written, versus those opposing the supplements or demanding significant changes.

One hot button: the supplement from Holt McDougal. A creationist member of the review panel released a list of Holt's supposed errors involving evolution and common descent. But in today's hearing, the Texas Education Agency pointed out that the full membership of the review panel had not signed off on the list.

Ultimately, the board approved the Holt supplement, and directed Commissioner of Education Robert Scott to review the list of supposed errors, and to develop amended language for Holt to incorporate. NCSE and Texas education groups are confident Scott's revisions will reflect the current state of evolutionary biology, and not any creationist alternatives.

Dr. Eugenie Scott, NCSE's Executive Director, is celebrating the decision. "These supplements reflect the overwhelming scientific consensus that evolution is the core of modern biology, and is a central and vital concept in any biology class. That these supplements were adopted unanimously reflects a long overdue change in the board. I commend the board for its refusal to politicize science education."

* Correction: This story initially reported the vote as 8-0. The board has 15 members, with one (Mary Helen Berlanga) away on vacation.

2011-07-27T13:09:00.001-05:00

The United States fell six spots to 30th in the July 2011 FIFA Rankings released on Wednesday. Mexico's three and out performance in the Copa America dropped them 11 places to 20th. Uruguay winning the tournament moved them up 13 spots to 5th.

2011-07-18T11:29:00.003-05:00

and a third: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303661904576452170522412118.html

2011-07-18T11:29:00.001-05:00

a second one: http://espn.go.com/sports/soccer/news/_/id/6778657/women-world-cup-women-world-cup-was-magical-event-david-hirshey

2011-07-18T11:28:00.001-05:00

Some really nice game analyses coming up: http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/united/womens-world-final-both-teams-deserve-respect-after-enthralling-game/2011/07/17/gIQArsxgKI_story.html?hpid=z2

The Drought vs. The Frio

2011-07-18T10:11:00.001-05:00

. . . check out this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6nDlwHYDAc

Full Northern Exposure: The Rugged Intimacy and Gold-Rush Enthusiasm of the Yukonâ€™s Dawson City Music Festival

2011-07-18T10:04:00.001-05:00

http://www.worldmusicwire.com

When The Persuasions, a cappella icons and fifty-year touring veterans, got out of the bus atop the Midnight Dome overlooking the confluence of the Klondike and Yukon Rivers, they broke into tears at the view. Under a midnight sun, while eagle-sized ravens soared overhead, the Persuasions looked down at a tiny town of gold rush-era buildings, where the 2,000 inhabitants of Dawson City waited eagerly for their arrival.

Welcome to the Dawson City Music Festival (July 15-17, 2011; http://www.dcmf.com), dubbed “Canada’s tiny, perfect festival” (Georgia Straight).

The remote Yukon town doubles in size for the festival each year, as visitors fly in on prop planes, drive down the Top of the World Highway, or canoe for ten days up the majestic, northward-flowing Yukon River. Upon arrival, the dirt streets grow dusty from the enthusiastic feet of musicians and audience members exploring the culture, architecture, and good spirits in this gold-rush town. Impromptu jam sessions spring up on all corners, lasting well past the festival’s 2 AM curfew; neither the world-class musicians nor the spirited audience members want to stop playing.

“For locals, it’s insane,” exclaims Tim Jones, festival producer. “Hordes of interesting and arty people descend on our sleepy gold mining town. For visitors, our small size (1200 tickets) creates an incredible intimacy. People get to know the volunteers and the locals. The musicians are everywhere – in the same bars and restaurants as the patrons. You feel a real personal involvement in the community that you‘d never feel at a huge commercial music fest.”

It started, like many Canadian festivals, with a little party—a private goat roast on the banks of the Yukon River, paying its visiting musicians with flakes of gold—that was too much fun to keep quiet about. It grew into a festival able to woo and wow major talent, both established and up-and-coming: Bruce Cockburn, Barenaked Ladies, Jane Siberry, and indie darling Basia Bulat. Bulat was so refreshed and inspired by her time in Dawson that she centered her latest album, Heart of My Own, on the experience.

Artists rarely leave without a story: hitching a five-hour ride on a Porta-Potty truck when their flight was overbooked or playing their way up the Yukon at tiny hamlets with just a gas station and a motel. And sometimes, they decide to stay for good.

“Performers sometimes drop everything and move here,” Jones notes, himself a recent and very willing transplant to the area. “One year, the Ontario alt-country band Jon-Rae and the River came. Right after the festival, they broke up and the singer moved to Dawson City. She got a job with the local First Nations band and organized a powwow the next summer.”

What draws and inspires people is Dawson City’s peculiar Northern spirit: a self-reliant egalitarianism and modest openness bred of a powerful place—grizzlies outnumber people by nearly 3-to-1 in the Yukon—and relative isolation.

The Yukon is a challenging place to keep a band going, with distance and difficult travel a part of life–but the Territory is still crawling with musicians, driven by a local culture built around supporting the arts and live music. In addition to big-name international artists, Dawson’s Festival showcases dedicated, creative musicians, from First Nations singer songwriters to local soul outfits. The Festival is especially fond of the esoteric: Whitehorse’s all-female metal band Carnal Romance take their lyrics from Harlequin novels and will roar and moan at this year’s festival.

At year-round live shows and at the festival itself, it’s not surprising to catch the town’s mayor between a mechanic from the gold mine and a hipster from Montreal in town for seasonal work. Grubby hardworking crews fresh from setting up the stage have been caught singing back-up with a sprightly children’s folk performer. People have been known to crowd surf to bluegrass.

“Dawson has the most enthusiastic and open-minded audience I’ve ever seen anywhere. They are thrilled to hear live music – since it’s so rare up here, after all - and want to hear something they’ve never heard before,” Jones explains. “You’ll have miners and seniors listening intently to a noisy new music ensemble [Bell Orchestre, 2008, featuring members of Arcade Fire] or an avant-jazz sax improviser from Harlem. They’re ready for anything.”

â€œBuddy Rocks The Pointâ€

2011-07-18T10:02:00.001-05:00

A CURRENT REVIEW by Jacquie Bovée

Pick up your phone, call 367-5121 and make reservations to see “The Buddy Holly Story,” now playing at the Point Outdoor Theatre. The classy, fun-filled production is a must-see ticket, and the way the packed-solid house was jumping last Saturday night . . . it’s mighty lucky the Point Outdoor Theatre’s flooring is concrete.

With a book by Alan Janes and music and lyrics by Buddy Holly, the storyline showcases the last three years of the Texas boy’s life. Even without Janes’ well written book, the dynamite musical performances are well worth the price of the ticket. To be specific . . . the show’s terrific!

“The Buddy Holly Story’s” London opening in 1989 ran for over 12 years for a total of 5000 performances, making it one of the longest-running musicals in London history. Paul McCartney (who owned the copyrights to Holly’s music) objected to the inaccuracy of the 1978 movie and contributed greatly to the show’s U.K. success. Humm, Crickets . . . Beatles?

Much of the credit to the smashing production at T
he Point goes to Chris Huber’s sensational portrayal of Buddy Holly, and Adrian Aguilar and Mark Beushausen’s brief, but fabulous, renditions of Ritchie Valens and “Big Booper” Richardson. Greig Bitkower, who also turns in some dynamite guitar playing as the fourth Cricket, has done a superb job as musical director. Listening to Huber, one also appreciates the outstanding work Lynda Ables contributed as his vocal coach.

Holly’s short but accelerated raise began in Lubbock, Texas in 1956 were he insisted on playing his unique rock style on the local country western radio station. Holly and his pals, drummer Jerry Allison (Michael Martin) and Joe B. Mauldin (Brad Shearhart) on bass, moved on to Tennessee.

It was in New Mexico, with producer Norman Petty (exceptionally well played by Luke Cummings) and his keyboard-tickling wife Vi (hilarious played by Karen Billingsley), that Holly & the Crickets recorded their first hit, “That’ll Be the Day.”

As Act one ends, the group ends up booked into New York’s Harlem hot spot, the Apollo Theatre. The MC (Naomi Exum) and singer Frankie Lyman’s (Ruben Exum) scepticism quickly disappears when the “white” guys rock n’ roll.

Act two deals with Holly’s marriage to Maria Elena (superbly portrayed by talented Emily Houghton), the break up with the Crickets and Holly’s final appearance at the 1959 Winter Dance Party in Clear Lake, Iowa, with Ritchie Valens and Big Booper. The show ends, just before they board the small plane during a blizzard, with Holly, Ritchie’s “La Bamba” and Booper’s “Chantilly Lace” bringing down the house.

HCAF’s Executive Director, David Cockrell, does a phenomenal job of casting, designing and directing the musical. Cockerell’s work plus technical direction by Bobby Dale Sands, lighting design by Lorenzo Nichols, sound design by Dana Rochelle Paul, scenic design by Johna Sewell, choreography by Jessica Roberts and costume design by Ellen Bithkower make for one hell of a show.
James Morris as Hipockets Duncan, Trevor Stewart as Moondust DJ & Clear Lake MC, Lance Billingsley as Murray Deutch round out the talented cast.

Another winner is Krista Turner, appearing as Mary Lou Sokolof, who belts out a incredible “Star Spangled Banner.” And, if one listens very carefully, they may even hear the Synth on Bitkower’s guitar softly playing a sweet tenor sax.

See you at the Theatre!

EFX PERFORMANCE WANTS TO SEND YOU TO HARRY POTTER

2011-07-06T16:25:00.001-05:00

PRESS RELEASE

EFX Performance and Warner Bros. Continue to Work Together to Release Harry Potter Themed Bracelets

MISSION VIEJO, Calif. (July 6, 2011) - EFX Performance recently announced its new partnership with Warner Bros. Entertainment and commemorated the event by introducing special Green Lantern themed performance bands. Word of possible future endeavors, such as the making of custom-designed bracelets to promote the upcoming Harry Potter movie, circulated soon afterward.
Plans to offer specially-designed Harry Potter bands have been confirmed today, just in time for the premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, the final installment of the enchanting series. Fans will be able to choose from three different designs - Hogwarts, Gryffindor, or Slytherin - to show their enthusiasm and House loyalty.
In addition, EFX Performance will generously give each person who purchases one of these custom bands from EFXUSA.com a free AMC Gold Experience Ticket to go watch the long-anticipated summer blockbuster.
"What better is way is there for fans to show their 'house' allegiances?" asked Randy Largent, CEO of EFX Performance. "Not only are Harry Potter enthusiasts getting a stylish bracelet to accentuate their enthusiasm, they're getting to see the movie for free."
Fans may choose from one of three custom bands which will feature either Hogwarts, Gryffindor or Slytherin colors and logos. Each band will have EFX's proprietary holograms embedded.
Though they signed a licensing agreement only a short time ago, EFX Performance and Warner Bros. are already proving to be a promising pair. More custom bands featuring characters from DC Comics, such as Batman and Superman, are already in the design process.

REV: Sleeping Beauty

2011-07-01T19:14:00.001-05:00

As published in the West Kerr Current, 23 June 2011

Sleeping Beauty

A Current Review by Tony Gallucci

If one were to judge an entire show by its opening number then the Point Theatre’s production of Sleeping Beauty knocks it out of the park. The three fairies, Marigold, Lilac and Daisy, portrayed respectively by Maikenzy DeZarn, Krista Turner and Marjorie Williams, sound like a soprano fairy rebirth of Crosby, Stills and Nash as their trio of gorgeous voices perfectly execute the interwoven harmonies of “It Starts With One”.

In fact, the biggest highlight, of many in the show, is the array of voices and songs delivered well, especially in the difficult ensemble pieces. Only an occasional solo falls flat. Kudos right off the bat to Musical Director Michael Kahl.

This thoroughly familiar tale is well-delivered, with Jessica Roberts’ direction unfailingly bringing out the motive nuances in each of the major characters. Her staging is spot on, with several numbers delightfully choreographed. I’m not privy to the script so am unaware how much of the subtle humor and visual effects are written in, but I suspect more than a little of the really fine moments are the product of Roberts’ and her creative team’s imaginations. Well done.

Zach Salcich’s dual Prince characters, separated by a hundred years, were each similar enough to be believably related, but different enough to pull off the distance in time. And his voice soars, bringing some warm humanity to what otherwise can come off as a wooden character in the hands of lesser actors.

Kayla Rohrbach’s Briar Rose was suitably naive at times, curious at others, and above all enticing as the Prince’s object of affection. She flits from moment to moment, afloat in the wonder of everything around her.

Wisteria and Falcon, played by Andrea DeLeon and Trevor Stewart, were brilliantly wrought, towering above most every scene they were in. The royal parental units, played by Luke Cummings and Breanne Lawrence kept me in stitches much of the show, both through their actions and the cleverness of their repartee – it takes more than reading dialogue to make conversation real.

It won’t do here to single out all the roles as there were many, but a blanket congratulations would be well-deserved for a cast that seemed never out of character and was animatedly involved throughout without ever distracting from the action.

I suppose this might be something of a spoiler, so you can tune out briefly, but the show is enlivened by the tossing in of a number of anachronisms and a heavily referential dose of pop culture. One must think this was done to keep the adults as engaged and entertained as much as the children are by the staging of a favorite story. King Stefan’s Borat-ish vocals constantly took me back to scenes from other places, doubling my pleasure in the moments.

The show is not without problems, hardly a community theatre production is. Chief among them is a sound system that always sounds sup-par, and Friday night’s show was no exception, with one or two microphones always limiting out, and others with persistent, annoying buzzes.

My other criticisms are minor however: I could wish for one magical character with a strong dialect to be certainly intelligible, especially in the adrenaline rush of the early scenes – I missed an entire setup.

The rock number via guitar created a visual disconnect – while the costume was grunge-ish, and the song begged for the same, the attitude and delivery was more on the side of soft-pop. I suppose it could appropriately go either way, but delivered without authority one way or the other made it schizophrenic.

Among the highlights, besides the singing, were a deliciously colored castle hinting of candy canes (and although they are beautifully executed, the forested drops have hit the end of their recyclable life – they remind too much of other shows).

The costumes were stunning, the best I’ve seen on that stage since Beauty and the Beast, and not for some time before that. The dragon was fantastic in execution, and brilliantly manipulated by its trio of handlers.

The band, which in these productions often feels either weak and thin or distractingly overpowering, was instead just solid enough to propel the action, without being overwhelming. Another ‘well done’ to the band.

All in all the show was a delight. Director Roberts, and her staff of directors and managers – TJ Ashabranner, Kahl, Bobby Dale Sands, Lorenzo Nichols and Johna Sewell should take no small pride in having produced this show.

It’s appropriate for children of all ages – even the scary scenes are delivered with humor and fall short of terrifying – and isn’t too long or slow, at two hours, to bore anyone.

Three shows remain, this week Thursday through Saturday at 8:30 pm, tickets are $15 and reservations are highly recommended. Call 367-5121.

Tags: blogs, culture, theatre, music, milkriverblog

June 2011 FIFA Rankings: Big Move For Mexico

2011-06-29T11:02:00.001-05:00

The United States fell two spots to 24th in the June 2011 FIFA Rankings released on Wednesday. With the Gold Cup final counting in this rankings period even though it was played after last Thursday's deadline, Mexico advanced a remarkable 19 places from 28th to 9th. Jamaica also moved up multiple slots after the Gold Cup, climbing to 38th from 55th. Honduras fell one spot to 44th, with Panama advancing from 67th to 52nd, three spots ahead of 55th-place Costa Rica. The next ranking will be released on July 27th.

Edgy Beats, Artful Jazz, Rough-and-Ready Roots: London, Ontarioâ€™s TD Sunfest Bursts with Global Sounds, Flavors and Arts

2011-06-29T10:10:00.001-05:00

http://www.worldmusicwire.com

Plenty of outdoor summer festivals give music fans good times in the park. Some feature global sounds. But in sonic scope, community impact, and positive vibes, few rival London, Ontario’s admission-free TD Sunfest (July 7-10, 2011) Full festival info at http://ping.fm/XLfRP

Artists fly in from across the continent and overseas—just to perform at TD Sunfest. It’s a signature Canadian festival that has now outgrown its verdant, tree-lined home in Downtown London’s Victoria Park, drawing ever larger, strikingly multi-generational and multi-ethnic crowds during its four-day run (More than 200,000 visits last summer in a city with a population of just over 350,000).

The credit goes to Sunfest’s unwavering commitment to fresh yet deeply rooted global sounds: from Maori chants (New Zealand’s Moana & the Tribe) to rough Saharan blues (Niger’s Etran Finatawa), and from the swaying, accordion and banjo-powered songs of Haiti’s Ti Coca & Wanga Neges to the lush marimbas and vocal harmonies of South Africa’s Dizu Plaatjies & Ibuyambo. Elsewhere in the park, Chicago’s super-cool family affair, Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, bumps with the jazz-tronic wonder of Netherlands-based Saskia Laroo and her effects-fueled trumpet.

Check out the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSAuh6V9eeI

In addition to its always rich panoply of roots, world, and jazz artists–many of them JUNO Award (Canadian Grammy) winners—this year’s TD Sunfest is highlighting the global edge of electronica through a new programming component entitled “Suntronica ‘11”. International heavy hitters—the South American psychedelia of Chicha Libre, the Afro-Colombian Technicolor hip hop of Systema Solar—meet Canadian favorites, such as Vancouver’s unlikely yet grooving Delhi 2 Dublin and Montreal’s Nu Afro-Latin big band, the Roberto Lopez Project. Artful jazz, raw roots, and dance floor beats mingle, just as immigrant grannies get down next to hipster teens.

“Our patrons relish the tremendous element of surprise, of sharing new discoveries,” explains TD Sunfest Executive & Artistic Director Alfredo Caxaj. “Every year we work hard to book both established and up-and-coming creative artists whom people haven’t seen live before; international and Canadian groups coming to the area for the very first time. Sunfesters always know there will be something spectacular on stage.”

Caxaj adds: “The most incredible thing about Sunfest is its unparalleled socio-cultural impact. We are the only event where the community, here in London and from across the region, comes together in a free and upbeat environment. That’s worth a hundred political initiatives, in our book.”

This unique environment stems not only from an eclectic music lineup—ranging from the Afro-Colombian body percussion and a cappella from NVOZ to the Kiwi alt-klezmer of Mamaku Project—but also from the hundreds of premier food, craft, and visual art exhibitors who turn Victoria Park into a huge international feast. With the sun as its inspiration, the heady mix of sounds, sights, and tastes draws tens of thousands of visitors from increasingly far afield—Middle Eastern music fans from Southeastern Michigan, festival devotees from Central Ohio. As one visitor told London’s local daily last summer, “Once you get a taste of Sunfest, you’re a fan for life”.

While putting London on the global music map, the festival is also helping to catapult the Forest City to the top tier of tourist destinations. In fact, the American Bus Association recently selected TD Sunfest one of the TOP 100 North American Events for 2011.

Such popularity and acclaim is already fuelling plans to move TD Sunfest outside its park hub and into the streets of downtown London. The expansion comes despite the dismal economic outlook confronting many arts organizations. If Caxaj and his colleagues have their way, “Canada’s Premier Celebration of World Cultures” will soon turn urban street corners into dancehalls, jazz clubs and jam sessions brimming with musical surprises.

2011-06-28T10:42:00.001-05:00

The USA And The Golden Generation^
From the US National Team Players Association, June 28, 2011

By J Hutcherson - WASHINGTON, DC (June 28, 2011) US Soccer Players -- Back in 2001, I was working for a company that provided the material for the official FIFA Under-17 World Cup site. At the time, the United States was expected to turn out better than most in a field of 16 teams. Instead, they crashed out in the group stage to Nigeria, eventual champions France, and fellow under-achievers Japan.

Unlike the other three teams in the group, the US finished with no points. Only Iran and hosts Trinidad and Tobago joined the US in that category. All told, whatever promise that group of players had going into the tournament was downplayed by that early exit.

Yet there was an exception, as always seems to be the case with a USA squad. They did better than expected against the eventual champions. On September 16th, 2001, they lost to France 5-3 at Dwight Yorke Stadium in Bacolet. That’s not a score line that flatters, but since the US was shutout in their other two games it’s worth stressing. Three goals – one a gift in the form of an own-goal – against the eventual champions and crashing out in a group that contained the other finalist. Hey, if you want an upside it's two US players scoring against France.

The goal scorers? Our current MLS Player of the Week and the League’s favorite fill-in goalkeeper Mike Magee and Eddie Johnson. A quick run through of the starting eleven against France: Adam Schuerman in goal, David Chin, Justin Mapp, Magee, Jordan Harvey, Santino Quaranta, Johnson, Gray Griffin, Chad Marshall, Jordan Stone, and Craig Capano. Coach John Ellinger used all three subs, bringing on Paul Johnson, Chris Lancos, and Chefik Simo.

In June of ‘01, the US played in the Under-20 World Cup, back then known as the World Youth Championship. Their lineup in their opener against China? DJ Countess in goal, Qguchi Onyewu, Nelson Akwari, Alex Yi, Kelly Gray, DaMarcus Beasley, Landon Donovan, Bobby Convey, Kyle Martino, Brian Carroll, and Conor Casey. Coach Wolfgang Sunholz also went with three subs: Philip Salyer, Alecko Eskandarian, and Edson Buddle.

At the World Youth Championships, the US finished second in Group C losing to China, beating Chile, and drawing with Ukraine. The goal scorers in those games were Beasley, Brad Davis, Buddle, and Kenny Arena. Egypt knocked the US out in the Round of 16 in a 2-0 shutout.

Two years later, and the next U-17 and U-20 tournaments. At U-17 level, the USA finished second in their group, losing to Brazil in the quarterfinals. A look at who was playing for the USA: Phil Marfuggi in goal, Jonathan Spector, Eddie Gaven, Dwight Owens, John Diraimondo, Guillermo Gonzalez, Freddy Adu, Steven Curfman, Jamie Watson, Corey Ashe, and Danny Szetela against Korea in their opening game. Coach John Ellinger used two subs, Chris Germani and Brian Grazier. The goal scorers for the US in that tournament? Owens, Adu, Watson, Curfman, and Gonzalez.

At U-20 level, the US won Group F beating Paraguay, losing to Germany, and beating South Korea. They beat Ivory Coast in the Round of 16 and lost to Argentina on penalties in the quarterfinals. The lineup in that game against Argentina was: Steve Cronin in goal, Zak Whitbread, Justin Mapp, Chad Marshall, Ryan Cochrane, Eddie Johnson, Bobby Convey, Ricardo Clark, Freddy Adu, Drew Moor, and Ned Grabavoy. Coach Thomas Rongen used two subs, CJ Klaas and Santino Quaranta. Johnson, Mike Magee, Convey, Whitbread, and Mapp scored in that tournament.

Those ‘03 squads combined to form the 2004 Olympic soccer team, a synthesis of proven goal scorers at international level over two youth championship cycles. Some of you are already giving me that look, while others are waiting for the squad list. The US didn’t qualify for the ‘04 Olympics, losing out to Costa Rica and Mexico. The USA won their group in CONCACAF’s pre-Olympic tournament, but lost 4-0 to Mexico in Guadalajara. They ended up finishing in fourth-place after losing to Honduras on penalties in the third-place game.

From all of those rosters – the ‘01 and ‘03 U-17’s and ‘01 and ‘03 U-20’s, six players were on the ‘06 World Cup squad. Johnson, Beasley, Onyewu, Convey, Donovan, and a barely used substitute from the ‘03 Under-20’s named Clint Dempsey. Onyewu, Dempsey, and Donovan are the only players from that group to make the 2011 Gold Cup squad.

Injuries happen. Players continue to develop differently into their early 20’s. New faces emerge. Other teams in all of those tournaments were relying on odds-on future stars that didn’t pan out. All fair enough. But looking back at those rosters it should be clear that the obvious choices for that generation of American players weren’t as obvious by ‘06. Some of them reemerged for the 2010 cycle, but only Onyewu, Dempsey, and Donovan have stuck around.

Three players from the cycles of youth soccer that would give us players in the prime of their career. Something to think about for those looking at the current crop of American youth national team players and trying to predict the future.

Five Things From The 2011 Gold Cup

2011-06-27T11:19:00.001-05:00

From the US National Team Players Association, June 26, 2011

By Clemente Lisi – PASADENA, CA (Jun 26, 2011) US Soccer Players -- History has an awful way of repeating itself. With the USA up 2-0 in the Gold Cup final Saturday afternoon against Mexico at the Rose Bowl, it looked as if the Americans were on their way to the title.

It was not meant to be. Like the 2009 Confederations Cup final against Brazil, the USA squandered a 2-0 lead. Before a crowd of 93,420 baking under an early-summer California sun, Mexico put on a dazzling display, tying the match before halftime and getting the better of Tim Howard and the US defense by netting two unanswered goals in the second half.

Indeed, it was the Mexicans, before a largely partisan crowd, who came up roses in Pasadena. A year and two days after Landon Donovan scored the winning goal against Algeria at the World Cup, the National Team was not able to replicate that success and emotion.

The US loss notwithstanding, the Gold Cup, and the past three weeks, taught us a few things.
The 2014 Cycle

The Gold Cup was the true start of the 2014 World Cup cycle. The insertion of players like Alejandro Bedoya, Jermaine Jones, Juan Agudelo, Eric Lichaj and Tim Ream is the start for bringing a group of new players into the fold. Regardless of the final outcome, it was important for US coach Bob Bradley to identify new talent ahead of World Cup Qualifying.

The rediscovery of Freddy Adu, who did not make last year’s World Cup roster, is a pleasant surprise and adds depth to the player pool. His long-ball pass that ultimately resulted in Clint Dempsey’s goal against Panama in the semis will be remembered as one of the prettiest plays at this tournament.

“I think the team’s getting a little bit better,” said former National Team striker Eric Wynalda, who now works as a Fox Soccer analyst. I think that's because certain players have defined their roles within the team. We are establishing a much better continuity and idea of who the core group is.”
Mexican Supremacy

The Mexicans are the ones headed to Brazil in 2013 for the Confederations Cup. As CONCACAF representatives, everyone across the region wishes them well. At this Gold Cup, Mexico was the superior team. When they weren’t beating opponents handily, they worked hard to rally when falling behind. They were the comeback kings in the quarterfinals against Guatemala (down 1-0) and in the championship game to the USA (down 2-0).

Despite being dogged by a doping scandal, Mexico defended the Gold Cup they won in 2009 and enters the 2014 cycle with a solid group of players ready to take the country to new heights. This current Mexico team could arguably be the strongest fielded since 1986, when on home soil they reached the quarterfinals of the World Cup under the leadership of Hugo Sanchez.

Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez, who is one of the greatest strikers in the world, leads the Mexican squad. Like Sanchez who played at Real Madrid at the time, Chicharito is a star at Manchester United. Once again, it is no secret that having your star player in the lineup of one of Europe’s top clubs every week translates into success not only for club, but country as well.
The Talent Gap

The gap between CONCACAF's heavyweights and the mid-tier and smaller nations in the region is widening. That's the only way to explain why the first round was loaded with blowouts. This does not bode well for the region as a whole come World Cup Qualifying next year.

If this Gold Cup is to be any barometer, expect the USA, Mexico and Honduras to steamroll their way to the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil. Competition within the region is what will make the USA (and others) better and future Gold Cup more enjoyable to watch. That the final would be contested between the USA and Mexico was not really a surprise to anyone.

That said, there were some good performances by Jamaica (quarterfinals), Guatemala (quarterfinals) and Panama (semifinals), but on the whole it's not an optimistic outlook. While teams like Cuba and Grenada solidified their roles as minnows, Canada was a major disappointment after they were unable to get out of group play. If the Canadians want to qualify for Brazil ‘14, they will need to up their game big time over the next year.
Growing Popularity

TV ratings were never so good. A year after the World Cup, it seems that Americans do have an appetite for the game. For instance, last Wednesday’s Mexico-Honduras semifinal was the top primetime sports telecast ever on Spanish-language network Univision, which aired every match of the tournament. The broadcast averaged 7.1 million viewers. That’s not counting the final, which will without a doubt beat out that number once the Nielsen ratings are released this week.

“We were better than Telenovelas," joked CONCACAF General Secretary Chuck Blazer before the final, referring to TV ratings for soap operas popular across Central America.

Over on Fox Soccer, Gold Cup viewership jumped 82% compared to the 2009 edition. The USA-Panama semifinal drew 381,000 viewers, a larger audience than the 369,000 that watched the 2009 final between the United States and Mexico.
The MLS Factor

Major League Soccer may have been the poorer for missing so much talent over the past three weeks, but the League did contribute immensely to the quality of teams at this Gold Cup. Ten of the 12 countries that participated in the Gold Cup featured at least one MLS player (Cuba and Panama were the only exceptions). Jamaica had the most MLS players on its roster with eight, followed by the USA with seven.

Indeed, a record 32 League players were named to Gold Cup teams, which represented the highest number in the tournament's history. The previous record-high of 29 players had been set at the 2009 Gold Cup. That number will only increase over the next decade as more players from Central America and the Caribbean flock to our shores for a chance to play in MLS, which has shown to be one of the best leagues in CONCACAF.

It would not be a surprise if more players join MLS after spending the past month on US soil, training and playing in world-class venues. The region is loaded with gifted players that would add pizzazz to MLS clubs, not to mention appeal to American fans of their National Teams.

Gold Cup Final: USA 2 - Mexico 4

2011-06-27T11:12:00.001-05:00

From the US National Team Players Association
June 25, 2011

Mexico successfully defended their Gold Cup title, winning the 2011 edition of the tournament on Saturday in Pasadena. As CONCACAF champions, they advance to the Confederations Cup to be held in Brazil in 2013.

In front of a packed Rose Bowl, the United States got a quick start. Michael Bradley scored in the 8th minute from a Freddy Adu corner. USA coach Bob Bradley put Adu and Landon Donovan into the starting eleven after both players had super sub performances in the semifinal. It was Donovan's turn in the 23rd, picking up a pass from Clint Dempsey in the box and making it 2-0 USA in the 23rd minute. Mexico answered back six minutes later when Pablo Barrera scored. The score was level through an Andres Guardado goal in the 36th minute. Mexico took the lead five minutes into the second-half when Barrera scored his second. It was 4-2 Mexico when Giovani Dos Santos scored in the 76th minute.

Both teams were forced to substitute early. USA defender Steve Cherundolo was injured in the 11th minute, with Jonathan Bornstein replacing him in the US back line. Mexico used a sub for a tactical adjustment in the 28th minute and were then forced to use another when Rafa Marquez was injured in the 43rd minute.

"You walk away on a night like this and nobody has a good feeling in their mouth so it’s part of being a competitor," USA midfielder Michael Bradley said. "Nights like this you leave everything you have on the field and at times it doesn’t go your way but it only motivates you more to work harder, to get better, to know what we need to bring on nights like this when things are at the absolute highest level. It’s not a nice feeling, but having said that we’ll be back. I know that.”

-- GAME REPORT --

Match: USA vs. Mexico
Date: June 25, 2011
Competition: CONCACAF Gold Cup – Final
Venue: Rose Bowl – Pasadena, Calif.
Kickoff: 4 p.m. PT
Attendance: 93,420
Weather: Sunny, 75 degrees

Scoring Summary: 1 2 F
USA 2 0 2
MEX 2 2 4

USA – Michael Bradley (Freddy Adu) 8th minute
USA – Landon Donovan (Clint Dempsey) 23
MEX – Pablo Barrera (Javier Hernández) 29
MEX – Andrés Guardado 36
MEX – Pablo Barrera (Andrés Guardado) 50
MEX – Giovani dos Santos 76

Lineups:
USA: 1-Tim Howard; 6-Steve Cherundolo (12-Jonathan Bornstein, 11), 21-Clarence Goodson, 3-Carlos Bocanegra (capt.), 14-Eric Lichaj; 4-Michael Bradley, 13-Jermaine Jones; 22-Alejandro Bedoya (9-Juan Agudelo, 63), 20-Freddy Adu (16-Sacha Kljestan, 86), 8-Clint Dempsey; 10-Landon Donovan
Subs not used: 2-Jonathan Spector, 7-Maurice Edu, 15-Tim Ream, 23-Marcus Hahnemann
Head Coach: Bob Bradley

MEX: 12-Alfredo Talavera; 16-Efraín Juárez, 15-Héctor Moreno, 4-Rafa Márquez (capt.) (2- Héctor Reynoso, 43), 3-Carlos Salcido (20-Jorge Torres Nilo, 28); 6-Gerardo Torrado, 8-Israel Castro, 18-Andrés Guardado, 7-Pablo Barrera (13-Jesus Zavala, 75), 10-Giovani dos Santos; 14-Javier Hernández
Subs not used: 9-Aldo de Nigris, 11-Angel Reyna, 17-Paul Aguilar, 23-Jonathan Orozco
Head coach: Jose Manuel de la Torre

Stats Summary: USA / MEX
Shots: 13 / 17
Shots on Goal: 3 / 8
Saves: 4 / 1
Corner Kicks: 3 / 5
Fouls: 19 / 10
Offside: 0 / 7

Misconduct Summary:
USA – Landon Donovan (caution) 33rd minute
MEX – Jorge Torres Nilo (caution) 81
USA – Clint Dempsey (caution) 87
USA – Jermaine Jones (caution) 90+1

Officials:
Referee: Joel Aguilar (SLV)
Assistant Referee 1: Hector Vergara (CAN)
Assistant Referee 2: William Torres (SLV)
Fourth Official: Walter Lopez (GUA)

Adu On The Night

2011-06-23T12:12:00.001-05:00

June 23, 2011

From the US National Team Players Association

By J Hutcherson - WASHINGTON, DC (June 23, 2011) US Soccer Players -- Let it never be forgotten that Freddy Adu is a big game player. He showed that decisiveness that was apparent early on in his career again on Wednesday at Houston’s Reliant Stadium. Big stage, everything riding on a result, and it was an Adu pass that unlocked the opportunity for the USA to score the game’s only goal.

Sure, that move also required Landon Donovan making a run, seeing a passing line right in front of the Panama goal, and connecting with Clint Dempsey’s outstretched foot. That takes nothing away from the pass Adu made to find Donovan.

This raises an old complaint about Adu’s game. It tends to show up when it wants to, and normally in the high profile matchups. Unfortunately for Freddy, those games have been few and far between in recent years. Fortunately for the USA and coach Bob Bradley, given the proper stage Adu’s game doesn’t normally disappoint.

Where this leaves the US, not to mention Adu, is interesting. One game left in the tournament, a packed Rose Bowl against Mexico, and Adu still one of the best US players working at full speed. Let’s not gloss over that last bit. Adu makes his moves and picks his moments in the flow of the game. He’s shown before that when that flow picks up, so does he. It’s no guarantee of performance, but it also separates him even at this level.

Panama had enough examples of players enjoying the view for long moments on Wednesday night. That they even had the chance at a late equalizer is disturbing. It wasn’t that they were over-matched all over the field, it’s that Panama ceded space with no tactical benefit. They also took space that didn’t exactly help them.

Stringing passes along the width of the field closer to your own goal than the one you’re supposed to be attacking? Looking for the call at the same moment you’re supposed to be focused on that final touch? Turning the likeliest point of the US attack into a shoving match down the flank? With all due respect to what got them there, Panama rarely looked like a team on its way to a final.

In fairness, the USA also had their moments where they weren’t exactly creative with their use of space, not to mention the ball. Stretches in the first half looked like two teams eating the clock. That changed for the US first with the Donovan substitution at halftime and again when Adu entered in the 66th minute. Was it night and day? No, but it was a quick indication that there are more variants to the US game than what the team showed in the opening half.

Now the question becomes simple. Why wait? Against a Mexico team powered by the current best player in CONCACAF, it’s tough to hold onto the potential American trump cards until halftime. That’s the limit to Donovan’s role as a super sub, ending up in a situation where he’s pushed into service after things have gone wrong.

There’s a difference when a player enters needing to spark an offense versus needing to salvage something quickly after the team has gone one or more goals down. With Donovan two games into starting on the bench, we’ve yet to see that goals down scenario.

Now Adu is added to this mix, creating the potential for three levels of play for the United States.

Mark 1 is the standard lineup minus Donovan in Bradley’s return to a five man midfield and a single forward. That the forward has switched from Jozy Altidore to Juan Agudelo is almost irrelevant. Though the two are the same height, Altidore plays bigger than Agudelo. For his part, Agudelo appears to be quicker with his runs. Either way, it’s not a crucial letdown in quality.

Mark 2 is subbing out one of the midfielders for Landon Donovan. That’s a new trick, and one perfectly suited for the later rounds of a tournament. More can be made of it than is necessary, especially for a team that was in search of something coming out of the group stage. Donovan understands not only his role, but just about everything else happening on the field. That’s what makes him Landon Donovan. Of all the established players to press into sub service, he’s the one.

Mark 3 is now Freddy Adu, changing the complexion of the US with one appearance. Adu is that big game player looking for that big game moment. Even if he’s only seeing the final half hour, he should find plenty of them. That was certainly the case against Panama where he followed up his decisive pass with a run at the middle of the Panama defense.

That’s exactly what the USA needs against Mexico. Decisiveness, pressing upon Mexico early that there’s a plan in place that won’t be easy to disrupt. Mexico has taken their quarter and semifinal games into overtime against over-matched teams. They were and are the class of this tournament, but they’ve also proven susceptible to tournament malaise. Part of that has to be the squad shuffling they did mid-tournament, but this is still a squad built on individual quality with most of those individuals still there.

Playing to that strength, Mexico remains dangerous from minute 1 to minute 120. That’s how the US has to treat them, taking nothing for granted in yet another high profile Gold Cup final between the best in CONCACAF.

USA 1 - Panama 0

2011-06-23T12:11:00.001-05:00

June 22, 2011

Something happened in the 78th minute of Wednesday night's Gold Cup semifinal that most USA soccer fans thought would be common by this point in the team's development. Freddy Adu found Landon Donovan with a long pass, Donovan put a ball in front of the net, and Clint Dempsey finished it off for the 1-0 win over Panama.

Donovan came on for the start of the second-half, with US National Team coach Bob Bradley sticking with the setup he used against Jamaica. With Jozy Altidore injured, Juan Agudelo got the start. Agudelo subbed out in the 66th minute for Adu, who made his first appearance for the National Team since the 2009 Gold Cup.

”It was very important for me, personally, and very important for the team," Adu said. "I haven’t stepped on the field for the national team in over two years. To get a chance to be out there, I was very happy and very fortunate. The goal as a substitute is to get out there and bring a lot of energy and make a difference. It worked out well.”

The win advances the United States to the 2011 Gold Cup final. The USA will face Mexico, who needed overtime to beat Honduras 2-0.

-- GAME REPORT --

Match: United States vs. Panama
Date: June 22, 2011
Competition: CONCACAF Gold Cup – Semifinal
Venue: Reliant Stadium – Houston, Texas
Kickoff: 6 p.m. CT
Attendance: xxx
Weather: Indoor

Scoring Summary: 1 2 F
USA 0 1 1
PAN 0 0 0

USA – Clint Dempsey (Landon Donovan) 76th minute

Lineups:
USA: 1-Tim Howard; 6-Steve Cherundolo, 21-Clarence Goodson, 3-Carlos Bocanegra (capt.), 14-Eric Lichaj; 4-Michael Bradley, 13-Jermaine Jones; 22-Alejandro Bedoya, 16-Sacha Kljestan (10-Landon Donovan, 46), 8-Clint Dempsey; 9-Juan Agudelo (20-Freddy Adu, 66)
Subs not used: 7-Maurice Edu, 11-Chris Wondolowski, 12-Jonathan Bornstein, 15-Tim Ream, 23-Marcus Hahnemann
Head Coach: Bob Bradley

PAN: 1-Jaime Penedo; 5-Román Torres, 14-Eduardo Dasent, 17-Luis Henríquez, 23-Felipe Baloy (capt.); 6-Gabriel Gómez (20-Anibal Godoy, 86), 10-Nelson Barahona (8-Gabriel Torres, 86), 11-Armando Cooper (16-Luis Renteria, 71), 21-Amilcar Henríquez; 18-Luis Tejada, 19-Alberto Quintero
Subs not used: 3-Harold Cummings, 4-Aramis Haywood, 9-Renan Addles, 12-Luis Mejía, 15-Eric Davis, 19-Alberto Quintero, 22-Eybir Bonaga
Head Coach: Julio Dely Valdes

Stats Summary: USA / PAN
Shots: 5 / 8
Shots on goal: 1 / 2
Saves: 2 / 0
Fouls: 21 / 10
Corners: 2 / 3
Offside: 2 / 2

Misconduct Summary:
PAN – Armando Cooper (caution) 18th minute
PAN – Luis Henríquez (caution) 36
USA – Carlos Bocanegra (caution) 68
PAN – Gabriel Gomez (caution) 72

Officials:
Referee: Enrico Wijngaarde (SUR)
Assistant Referee 1: Hector Vergara (CAN)
Assistant Referee 2: Leonel Leal (CRC)
Fourth Official: David Gantar (CAN)

Really nice article about me in the KDT

2011-06-22T19:42:00.000-05:00

A true Renaissance man
Tony Gallucci has varied interests and talents, but it’s his
passion for others that makes him vital to the community

By Peter McCrady, Kerrville Daily Times Staff Writer, June 22, 2011

Hidden behind mountains of papers, computer towers and media equipment in his office at the Hill Country Youth Ranch, you might be able to find Tony Gallucci, if you’re lucky. The organized chaos of his office only shows a fraction of his busy life in the community.

“I could use some sleep now and then, but I hate wasting a second of time,” Gallucci joked as he turned on some tunes from a band he had discovered.

Gallucci works in media and publications for the youth ranch, but his job doesn’t stop there.
“I do what needs doing,” Gallucci said. “I can’t tell people ‘no.’ That’s one of my great failings. Not being able to say ‘forget it.’”

“When I work with the kids though, I’m normally doing something with fine arts.”

Just a few of his endeavors at the youth ranch include theater productions based on the kids’ poetry and music videos. Gallucci also teaches at the Playhouse Academy, owns Milk River Film productions, is a founder of the Guadalupe Stage Quartet and is a photographer.

“I just do things,” Gallucci said. “I don’t pick out a role and then try to fulfill it. It’s a good feeling that the community gains something from what I do. I wish the whole world was like that.

“I think we’re at our best when we’re doing for others. The selfish end of this is I dn’t do things unless I feel good about doing them.”

It is the idea of doing for others that drives Gallucci in his various projects. But the notion took a lifetime to develop. Gallucci said he had an idea when he was younger that he wanted to live forever.

He thought to achieve that goal he had to leave something behind. It created an obsession in him that he had to be the best at everything he did.

“I wanted this lasting thing, and somewhere along the line, I realized even if I were to . . . get famous or be known for those things, that all I was leaving behind was something that was inanimate,” Gallucci said. “It was just a piece of me, and I’m not sure that piece of me was of value to anyone else.”

After this epiphany, Gallucci decided the way to live forever was to give something someone else might be able to use that might have an effect on their life. Gallucci believes this approach has two benefits — the enrichment of those he works with and the enrichment of his own life.

“I’m not sure exactly how it turned into troubled kids, but that’s the direction it took,” he said. “I think maybe because there’s some kind of subliminal empathy going on, I connect with them.”

It’s the connections Gallucci makes with the community that have kept him in the area.
“I have to work with people. I love being outdoors, but I can’t be away from people,” he said. “And it’s the people that have kept me around here. I would love to live in Austin, but I just can’t leave the people here.”

The Stealth Clave: Roots Pianist Neil Pearlman Wakes Up the Latin and Funk in Traditional Scottish Tunes on Coffee and the Mojo Hat

2011-06-22T14:25:00.001-05:00

The Stealth Clave: Roots Pianist Neil Pearlman Wakes Up the Latin and Funk in Traditional Scottish Tunes on Coffee and the Mojo Hat

http://www.worldmusicwire.com

“There’s a clave hidden in Scottish music, if you look for it,” explains piano player, arranger, and composer Neil Pearlman. It’s a secret place where Robert Burns does the boogie woogie. And where salsa brass and Tower of Power bass sneak into the frenetic triplets of island dances.

Pearlman has found this sweet spot. The young freethinker of a musician unleashes Scotland’s unexpected grooves and Cape Breton’s unique piano style on Coffee and the Mojo Hat. Doffing his plaid cap for “mojo,” Pearlman gently but firmly expands on tradition, honing high-precision technique and finding uncharted rhythmic affinities.

The possibilities of the piano—Pearlman’s chosen instrument since he was four—were limited by what Pearlman humorously calls “the boom-chuck” style of most accompaniment for traditional tunes. But not on Cape Breton, Canada’s Celtic roots hotspot, with its thriving music scene and a piano style all its own.

Inspired by stride and boogie woogie, Cape Breton piano players held their own with the region’s acclaimed fiddlers at community dances. They broke out the broken octaves, setting the right hand free to hit all the burls—the traditional, fast-paced triplets—that make Scottish tunes sparkle. Pearlman fell in love with the approach, which he taught himself in his early teens by watching Cape Breton performers.

“The base of Cape Breton piano is the left hand, which was heavily influenced by boogie woogie and keeps a constant pulse,” Pearlman says. “It condenses the usual two-handed back-and-forth and opens up right hand to do syncopations. It’s a totally different world from the basic piano style you often hear in a contra dance or other fiddle music tradition.”

He comes by his sixth sense for rhythmic subtlety honestly. Neil grew up hanging out at his fiddler father Ed’s lively sessions and ceilidhs, hearing master players from Scotland and Cape Breton. At concerts and festivals Ed organized as the long-time head of the Boston Scottish Fiddle Club, young Neil would sit enthralled. He soon began playing along.

As an accompanist and as a member of Highland Soles, the Pearlman family band, Neil has been moving to and making Scottish music professionally for more than a decade. A step dancer from toddlerhood, Pearlman learned the complex footwork that accompanies Scottish tunes from his dancer mother. He danced as part of Cape Breton fiddler Natalie MacMaster’s touring group at the tender age of 11.

“On a very basic level, this music is dance music, just like jazz, funk, and lots of Latin genres,” notes Pearlman. “To really understand the Scottish music tradition, you need to understand the dance tradition. You know where strong points in melodies fall if you’re dancing. That’s a point you jump or land. Especially in some of the more stylistically complex tunes, the dance phrasing is crucial to music phrasing.”

This phrasing is vital in traditional strathspeys, powerful dance tunes unique to Scotland. Whether composing his own (“Alison House”) or taking on tradition (“Highlanders”), Pearlman found the strathspey delightfully complex to arrange for piano without losing its distinctive feel. “Although in a strong 4/4 time signature, there is a subtle undercurrent of triplets, which is a difficult thing to work with if you don't want to lose the sharp drive,” explains Pearlman, “but if it is approached right, you can accentuate, rather than detract from the strathspey feel.”

Triplets are not the only undercurrent in Pearlman’s music. There’s a quiet pressure of Pearlman’s other musical fascinations: Latin music (he played trombone in a Cuban band); funk of the likes of Tower of Power and Earth, Wind, & Fire; and jazz. Though Pearlman knows traditional ballads (“Monymusk Lads”), airs (“Mill Mill O”), and Robert Burns songs (“Afton Water”) like the back of his hand, he hears them with brass parts and bass lines.

“Even when I’m not performing in a band setting, I don’t play totally traditionally,” Pearlman states. “I’ve been bringing in all these influences anyway, for years. In fact, I put this project together so I could flesh out these other possibilities with other musicians who could play them.”

Along with conga player Javier Ramos (who first helped Pearlman feel Scottish music’s stealth clave), Pearlman works with drummer Alex Cohen, who has precise chops honed by years playing heavy metal and jazz, and bassist Doug Berns, who gets seriously funky on tracks like “Butterfly.” Pearlman has also brought in his father, fiddler Ed Pearlman, whose poignant playing graces “Mill Mill O,” renowned fiddler Alasdair Fraser, and guest vocalists who navigate the edge of tradition and jazz with a beautiful lightness.

The natural, playful way seemingly divergent sounds unite means Pearlman’s pieces keep to their original spirit: the Scottish vibe, and the dancefloor joy. “I want people to take it intellectually, but sometimes if you start talking about melding styles or about fusion, people start thinking too hard,” Pearlman states. “It should be about the groove, about enjoying what you’re hearing.”

2011-06-22T13:43:00.001-05:00

Cool Stuff from Dana^

You are perhaps aware that 2011 begins the Sesquicentennial of the U.S Civil War. My friend -- and co-producer of The Conjurer --- Thomm Jutz has gathered an illustrious group of songwriters and artists to write and record a collection of original songs about that epic conflict.

The just completed CD is called The 1861 Project, and conveys through song how the lives of both civilians and soldiers were effected by the Civil War. Some of the other artists involved include Marty Stuart, John Anderson and Irene Kelly.

The song that I co-wrote with Thomm, entitled Greater Gentlemen, tells the story of Lee's surrender to Grant at Appomattox -- as it might have been witnessed by an anonymous soldier.

The track is available for your listening or downloading pleasure by following this link. In fact, you can listen to the entire CD from that page, or just visit 1861project.com. There is also a Facebook conversation about the Project that you are welcome to join.

Finally, if you live in the Houston area I want to remind you of two upcoming concerts this week. Thursday, June 23 I share a musical evening with my old friend and cohort Jack Saunders at Main Street Crossing in Tomball, TX. Friday, June 24 I perform solo at the legendary Anderson Fair in Houston, TX. See below for details and times.

Thank you,

-- Dana

Roma close in on Bojan

2011-06-22T11:46:00.001-05:00

By ESPNsoccernet staff, June 18, 2011

Roma director of sport Walter Sabatini says Roma are confident of reaching an agreement to sign Bojan Krkic from Barcelona in the coming days.

Bojan, 20, made his breakthrough at Barca in the 2007-08 season, but he is set to leave the Camp Nou after falling down the pecking order.

Former Barca B coach Luis Enrique is now in charge at Roma and, with his agent suggesting the move would suit the striker, Sabatini has confirmed he hopes a deal can be completed in the imminent future.

"It's true and I confirm this is a very realistic hypothesis, even if it has not been perfected yet," Sabatini told Rete Sport.

"Bojan is a quality player, no doubt. We hope to complete the signing of Bojan in the next few days, but for now he's still a Barcelona player."

Reports suggest Bojan is likely to move for around €10 million, although Barca are apparently eager to include a buy-back option in the deal.

Five Things For Panama... Again

2011-06-22T11:25:00.001-05:00

From the US National Team Players Association

The Individual: The USA has had a tougher than expected time allowing enough space for individual skill. When a US player takes a chance on the ball, it's almost as surprising for his own team as it is for the opposition. Players don't adjust, leaving minimal options and few second chance opportunities. Though this improved against Jamaica, it was also most of the reason the US didn't score as many goals as expected against Guadeloupe and couldn't get back into the game against Panama. It's easy enough to expect your skill players to be the difference, but so far that hasn't been the story of this US team.
The Group: As a squad, the US should be disappointed at their goals total. They've produced enough chances to expect more, but a combination of final touches, shot selection, and plan bad luck has limited the offense. There are moments when the US has seemed more interested in the buildup than the final shot. Ducking that reputation has yet to really happen. It's the pressure cooker scenario, where there's a distinct feeling that eventually the US offense will explode for multiple goals. Not a bad way to enter a semifinal winner-take-all game.

Playing The Advantage: In the wake of the Charlie Davies dive against Real Salt Lake on Saturday, Jermaine Jones wasn't left with much in the way of benefit of the doubt when his minimal contact response to the nearest Jamaican defender resulted in a game-altering red card. Jermaine Taylor was shown the early exit and the US responded with a second goal 13 minutes later. US coach Bob Bradley did the smart thing in getting Jones off the field eight minutes after the red card incident. No sense leaving a player already holding a yellow in the position to be the brunt of a makeup call. All of that said, Jones measured the risk/reward in the moment and saw an opportunity. For all of the US fans belaboring the point about diving, at this stage of the game would you rather be the victim or the beneficiary?

Route 1: At various points in this tournament, the USA has reverted to a style more closely associated with desperate lower division teams in England. Lob the ball up the field and hope for the best, and for the US that hasn't worked out all that well. And for good reason. The soccer equivalent of football's Hail Mary works just often enough to encourage teams out of ideas to try it. More often than not, it's a waste of energy. For all the talk of passing we heard coming out of the 4231 the US played against Jamaica, we already know the US has no problem hedging their chances with the long ball. It's unfortunate from a team that should be showing a higher level of tactical nuance.

Brothers Of The Brides: The US gets a rested eleven against Panama, in theory giving them a stronger squad than the one that beat Jamaica. Panama's showing against EL Salvador was the kind of chippy game that's become a cliché among the Caribbean teams. It doesn't work against a team like the USA because the US simply doesn't engage in that style of play. That's not a knock against the way Panama and El Salvador contested their semifinal, just a realistic assessment in differences of style of play. Panama will need to adjust more than the US, and they'll be doing it without their first choice attack.

Scouting Report: Panama - Semifinals

2011-06-21T12:06:00.001-05:00

By Clemente Lisi – The USA’s collision course with Mexico remains very much alive at this Gold Cup. That seemingly inevitable final match-up between CONCACAF’s two best teams is the likeliest outcome from Wednesday’s semifinal doubleheader at what’s expected to be a full Reliant Stadium in Houston.

While Mexico mounted a 2-1 comeback win over Guatemala Saturday at New Meadowlands Stadium in suburban New York to set up a semifinal against Honduras, the United States got the better of Jamaica the following day at RFK Stadium with a cathartic 2-0 win.

Now, the USA gets another shot at Panama, only this time, the game is a do-or-die affair. At stake is a spot in this Saturday’s final at the Rose Bowl. Panama, the tournament’s Cinderella team, will be looking to play spoiler once again. In its quarterfinal victory over El Salvador on Sunday night, Panama had more scoring chances over 120 minutes. Ending 1-1- in regulation and with that score holding through the overtime period, they needed a 5-3 win via penalty kicks to advance. That should take nothing away from Panama’s strengths. After all, they’re the team that finished first in Group C.

The USA, for its part, will need to remain confident if it wants to avenge its 2-1 loss to Panama in the first round just 10 days ago. In a telephone poll conducted by Spanish-language network Univision, only 38% of viewers said the USA could defeat Panama. Aside from the fact that those polled were mostly Hispanic, there is some reason to fear Panama. While Panama remains a solid team, the Americans are not the same squad that lost to them in Tampa.

Instead, there should be optimism in a USA win. The Americans are definitely surging and the victory over Jamaica was a positive step in showing just how hard to beat they can be when things come together. US coach Bob Bradley tweaked his lineup just enough for it to dramatically improve things. Bradley’s 4231 – instead of the much-used 442 – served him well. For Bradley, having the extra bodies in the midfield definitely helped create more offense. What resulted was a solid showing and superiority in every part of the field. The USA will again need to up its game to get past the potent Panamanians.

Like they did against Jamaica, the Americans will need to capitalize on their opponents’ mistakes. Midfielder Sacha Kljestan started in his first game at this Gold Cup and created ample space for Clint Dempsey. Ditto for Michael Bradley and Jermaine Jones, both of whom had great games. Both had possession of the ball for long stretches and the usually defensive Jones pushed up in an effort to aid the attack. His efforts were rewarded with a goal. The second US strike came from Dempsey, who broke out of a brief funk to score his fourth all-time Gold Cup.

“From the start, we were able to do a good job establishing control, passing the ball and keeping the ball,” Bradley told reporters after the game.

The US defense had a relatively easy day against Jamaica. Don’t expect Panama to fall as flat. True, they might be fatigued, playing those 120 minutes and the stress of the penalties in a game that started on Sunday evening, but Panama has shown at this Gold Cup that it can compete with the best teams.

Under coach Julio Dely Valdes, Panama has turned into a much tougher side. If in the past teams like El Salvador would have gotten the best of them, Panama has learned to compete with the rest of Central America. Panama could have gotten further at previous editions of the Gold Cup had they not always seemed to have run into the United States and been eliminated.

That’s almost like a regular occurrence. The USA is 6-1-2 all-time versus Panama, including a 3-1-1 record at the Gold Cup. Prior to this Wednesday’s game, both sides have met in the knockout stage of the tournament three consecutive times. The Americans defeated Panama on penalty kicks in the 2005 final and beat Panama 2-1 in both the 2007 and 2009 quarterfinals.

Asked about playing the United States, Dely Valdes said, "It will be a very complicated game.”

Striker Luis Tejada has become the Gold Cup's biggest clutch player after he tied the score against El Salvador in the 90th minute to send the match into overtime. The controversial goal - El Salvador later claimed the ball never crossed the line - energized Panama, who came close to scoring twice during the extra session. In the shootout, Tejada scored what turned out to be the decisive kick to send Panama through to the semis. Tejada had also scored in injury time in the final group stage match against Canada to earn a 1-1 draw.

“I’m not at all worried. We really need some rest because the game is only a few days away,” Tejada said. “The United States is a great rival, but I do think this will be a different game the second time.”

Panama will be without Blas Perez, who was red-carded following a scuffle against El Salvador's Luis Anaya at the end of regulation. Perez's absence will hamper Panama's flashy attack. He had played in all four games thus far, scoring a goal. Panama doesn't have the depth of other Central American teams like Honduras and could find itself at a loss up top.

All that bodes well for the USA. If the surging Americans can keep its defense compact and midfield pushing forward, revenge over Panama will be complete. Mexico or Honduras may be waiting on the horizon, but the USA needs to get past Panama if it wants to play for the trophy. A repeat performance of the Jamaica game would be enough for them to reach the final.

2011-06-17T12:45:00.001-05:00

The hatred of Gov. Rick Perry’s BFF, Bryan Fischer

From dallasvoice.com

Posted on 17 Jun 2011 at 12:09pm
Bryan Fischer is the director of issues analysis for the American Family Association, which is funding Gov. Rick Perry’s Day of Prayer event at Reliant Stadium in Houston on Aug. 6. Right Wing Watch has posted the above compilation of clips from Fischer’s radio show, featuring some of his most precious “issues analysis.”

read the rest here: http://www.dallasvoice.com/watch-3-1080421.html

Scouting Report: Jamaica

2011-06-17T09:53:00.001-05:00

By Clemente Lisi -- It often looks as if the opening round of the Gold Cup is a formality aimed at setting up a USA-Mexico final. More often than not, those are the two countries contending for the trophy. This year, Jamaica has something to say about that.

After going 3-0 in the first round and outscoring opponents 7-0, Jamaica is making a bid to reach the Gold Cup final for the first time in history. In order to make at least the semifinal, they will have to defeat the United States on Sunday afternoon at RFK Stadium (3pm ET – Fox Soccer) in a hotly-anticipated quarterfinal clash.

“We are here to get to at least the semifinals. We didn't come here expecting to play any easy games, so every game from this point forward is like a final,” Jamaica coach Theodore Whitmore said.

For US coach Bob Bradley, the stakes are much higher. Anything short of reaching the championship game will be seen as a huge disappointment.

“Our goal has always been to get to the final,” he said. “We understand from experience what it means in group play. You have to deal with each game and find a way to advance. We were pretty hard on ourselves because we weren’t satisfied with our performance against Panama. Nonetheless, I think there are things there that bring the group together, and now we get ready for the knockout phase and approach it one game at a time.”

The Jamaican defense has yet to yield a goal and the US offense will need to come out guns blazing to change that. Players like Jermaine Jones and Michael Bradley will be key in the midfield. Bradley will need to have another big game by maintaining possession and making sure the Jamaican attack never gets a chance to create anything offensively. Subs Sacha Kljestan and Maurice Edu were efficient in the USA’s 1-0 win over Guadeloupe and their energy made sure the Americans stayed fresh down the stretch.

The Reggae Boyz have used their speed, poise, and midfield play to dominate opponents, while showing defensive discipline not usually associated with most Caribbean teams. Even the fabled Jamaica team that qualified for the 1998 World Cup in France was not immune at giving up easy goals.

“We have made a lot of progress,” Whitmore said. “We have a group of players that we have been working with for some time. It is a good group of players. I think what we bring to this tournament is increased ball possession because in the past we tended to give away the ball a lot.”

For Jamaica, the United States represents its biggest challenge yet at this Gold Cup. While Major League Soccer gets a lot of praise for helping develop future American talent, the League has also become a place where an increasingly large number of Jamaicans ply their trade. Jamaica, ranked 55th by FIFA in its May poll, has nine players on its roster that currently play in MLS. Goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts (Los Angeles Galaxy), striker Ryan Johnson (San Jose Earthquakes) and winger Dane Richards (New York Red Bulls) are just three of the standouts familiar to MLS fans.

“We have been improving with every game,” Richards said. “We have to score first and early, not give up any goals, and I think that can be the formula for success for us.”

Jamaica has been powerful offensively despite losing Omar Cummings, who had been originally selected to the roster but withdrew last week following a nagging ankle injury. Cummings will be reunited with his Colorado Rapids teammates this weekend.

Stoke City standout Demar Philips, who scored in Jamaica’s first two games and leads the team with three goals, and Johnson have been two of the deadliest strikers at the Gold Cup. The US backline will need to shut them down. Otherwise, it will be a long afternoon for goalkeeper Tim Howard.

“We’re showing CONCACAF and the world that we have the players and we have a lot of talent in Jamaica,” Johnson said. “We’ve been working on things in practice, passing quickly, finishing. It’s showing on the field. I’m just happy everything is coming together and we’re just trying to take this as far as possible.”

As for the United States, Steve Cherundolo and Eric Lichaj were effective on the flanks and provided plenty of balls in the box against Guadeloupe in their final Group C game. Carlos Bocanegra at centerback gave stability to the backline, while Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan were the attacking catalyst in the midfield.

Often, Bradley's 4-4-2, with Jozy Altidore and Chris Wondolowski up top, turned into a 4-2-4 with Donovan and Dempsey aiding the attack with passes and long-range shots. Although the Americans could only score one goal against Guadeloupe, they pressured their opponents and stretched its defense with as many as five US players in the box at any given time. Applying that much offensive pressure Sunday could be what makes the Jamaican defense finally buckle.

The USA has scored just nine goals in 11 games since last summer’s World Cup. The National Team’s inability to score on a regular basis was on full display in the pre-Gold Cup friendly against Spain (a 4-0 loss) and last week versus Panama (a 2-1 loss). Against Canada (a 2-0 win) and Guadeloupe (a 1-0 win), the Americans did substantially better, but it was against relatively weak opponents.

“Our teams have always come back really well even when we haven’t been at our best,” said Bradley.

For all involved in the US camp, the stakes are clear.

“Now if you don’t win you go home,” Altidore said. “Those chances come back to haunt you. Over the years, we’ve gotten better and better at putting our chances away but now more than ever we have to really stake our claim and score some of these goals.”

The Americans have yet to play at their best at this tournament, something that should be of concern for Jamaica. If the recent past is any guide, never count the USA out.
National Teamers Available In England

Jonathan Spector, Eddie Johnson, and Marcus Hahnemann are available as free transfers after parting ways with their clubs. Spector, who found success last season in a switch from defense to midfield, leaves West Ham United. West Ham was relegated at the end of the season. Spector joined the club for the 2006-07 season, ultimately making 101 Premier League appearances.

Johnson parts ways with Fulham after spending the second half of the season on loan with Preston North End. Johnson had 13 appearances with PNE, who were eventually relegated from the Championship.

Hahnemann spent most of the 2010-11 season as the backup goalkeeper at Wolverhampton. Over two seasons in the Premier League with the club, he had 39 appearances.

2011-06-15T13:39:00.001-05:00

Notes from the Yugoslav Dub Underground: La Cherga Rocks the Mic and the Diaspora with Pan-Balkan Funk

http://www.worldmusicwire.com

Founded by a former Croatian punk turned dub DJ and infused with pop sensibility, La Cherga knows how to organically meld hip-hop MCs to Macedonian Gypsy brass, booming bass and eerie flute melodies, post-Cold War irony with optimistic uplift. Don’t let the crazy-quilt of descriptors fool you. La Cherga is no hybrid band.

The Austria-based, pan-Balkan crew is the product of natural musical evolution, the defiant, hard-hitting energy of a Yugoslav dub underground that spans from small-town Bosnia to the jazz conservatory of Graz. Revolve (Asphalt Tango Records; June 14, 2011), goes beyond the band’s party-hardy dubbed out past into deep funk, rock, and soul territory, guided by the unquenchable spirit of Sarajevo.

In Bulgarian, cherga is a quaint term for a rag rug, a reflection of the band’s love of sonic recycling. Yet it has other resonances as well: “In Romany, ‘cherga’ means a bunch of people, often wandering around without a purpose or direction,” La Cherga founder and producer Nevenko Bucan explained in an interview. “You could say it describes the Gypsies themselves, but we in the band are now immigrants, too. There are definitely links between the choice of that band name and the course of our lives."

The course of La Cherga runs through a vibrant musical diaspora, a fraught world formed by civil war, economic displacement, and a bubbling sense of irony. La Cherga waltzes and skanks through these complexities like a Roma band kicking out the jams at a Jamaican dancehall. Singer and lyricist Adisa Zvekic whispers poetry one moment, channeling Nina Simone, and raises hell like Ari Up the next.

The sultry sway of “Melaha,” backed by a wild lashing of beats and Gypsy brass, bleeds into hardcore defiance, calling for change (“One”)—or at least another round of drinks—while rocking the mic Yugoslav-style. Hints of Augustus Pablo and Bettye Lavette swirl around pop hooks and introspective jazz horns (“Rise Up”). Tales of immigrant life’s boozy woes (thanks to Croatian MC Killo Killo on “Votka dot kom”) alternate with calls from Zvekic’s rebel soul for peace, love, and an end to nationalism and conflict.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_5__RmO9QA

La Cherga came together accidentally on purpose. Bucan became a fixture on the Graz music scene, gaining a reputation for his seamless mix of dub, drum & bass, and rootsy grooves from the former Yugoslavia. But Bucan wasn’t satisfied with the DJ-centric approach of Austrian avant-dub, a scene led by producers like Kruder & Dorfmeister, who put Bucan’s work on their label’s compilations. “There was something missing,” Bucan reflects. “The scene needed live bands.”

Serendipitously, Bucan met Bosnian guitarist Muamer “Muki” Gazibegovic, who was studying music at the university in Graz, a magnet for young musicians from across the former Hapsburg realm. Regular jam sessions, which soon involved Macedonian horn players Kiril Kuzmanov and Trajce Velkov, turned into an album and a live touring band.

But dub and reggae have deep roots for La Cherga that extend beyond the cool Central European club experiments. Zvekic, who got her start as a teenager MCing with her brother and close friends as part of Bosnia’s Dubioza Kolektiv, grew up on dub, thanks to a community of music fans in her small home city of Zenica, Bosnia. People of all generations traded cassettes and exposed each other to anything and everything. “The dub approach is my roots. It’s something very natural that already is inside,” Zvekic notes. “It’s natural and spontaneous because I listened to a lot of music for a very long time.”

Putting odds and ends together has long been the cultural norm for musicians like Zvekic and in cities like Sarajevo, where, despite a decade of war, that spirit remains. That Bosnian vibe—a curious mix of cultural diversity and local distinctiveness—powered much of Revolve: Bucan worked with producer Nino Skiljic at a studio there, and Zvekic recorded with Dubioza’s MCs at a home in nearby Zenica (“One”).

“Sarajevo is a very old town, and its spirit carries on, sometimes despite its people,” Zvekic muses. “Its spirit reflects the efforts of cultured people who wanted to save its true values.”

Bucan summed up these values perfectly: “Nationalism and patriotism are so passé!” he exclaimed with a laugh during a recent interview. “In a way, we're like the orchestra on the Titanic. Everything around us is going to hell, but we keep on playing. We're just trying to create our own micro universe.”

Scouting Report: Guadeloupe

2011-06-14T11:05:00.001-05:00

By Clemente Lisi – Mention the name Guadeloupe in the context of the Gold Cup and the first thing that comes to mind is the word ‘upset.’ In its first-ever Gold Cup appearance in 2007, Guadeloupe reached the semifinals only to lose 1-0 to Mexico. Two years later, it reached the quarterfinals, eliminated by Costa Rica in a rollicking contest that ended 5-3. If anything, Guadeloupe knows how to fit into its Cinderella slippers and put a scare into CONCACAF opponents.

The USA, coming off a disappointing 2-1 loss to Panama on Saturday night in Tampa, will need to regroup and exert its dominance against Guadeloupe cone Tuesday night if it wants to emerge from Group C and reach the quarterfinals.

“It’s going to be the hard route to the final now but we’re ready for it, and we have to get this loss behind us and focus on the next game,” US defender Steve Cherundolo said.

To fully understand Guadeloupe’s soccer team and the success they’ve enjoyed over the last few years, you need to take a closer look at the tiny archipelago’s history and culture. Guadeloupe is not a member of FIFA because it is not a separate country. Technically an overseas department of France, those born in Guadeloupe can play for France. Yet Guadeloupe is a member of CONCACAF, and is eligible to compete at the Gold Cup. However, should Guadeloupe shock the tournament and win the Cup, they wouldn’t be eligible to advance to the Confederations Cup.

The group of islands may not be too large in size, but Guadeloupe remains a place that produces lots of quality players. In the past, the island has produced such talents as defender Lilian Thuram, who helped lead France to the 1998 World Cup.

“You have to remember, the island is not big,” New York Red Bulls striker Thierry Henry said. “The good players all play for the French National Team.” Henry’s father, Antoine, was born in Guadeloupe.

Under the rules established by CONCACAF, the Caribbean island is not allowed to field players who have played for France during the past five years. Anyone who played for France prior to 2006 is allowed to compete at this year’s Gold Cup.

Although only a handful of players who once wore France’s blue jersey (Jocelyn Angloma is one recent example) played for the island, Guadeloupe offers lower-league players who haven’t made the French National Team a chance to represent their home. Angloma now serves as an assistant coach for Guadeloupe and has been pivotal in recent years in helping recruit players for his homeland.

This year’s version of the Gwada Boys does not feature any big-name French stars. Making its third-ever Gold Cup appearance, Guadeloupe, as mentioned, has been the tournament’s Cinderella team in the past. Coached by Roger Salnot since 2001, Guadeloupe qualified for the Gold Cup after losing to Jamaica in the 2010 Digicel Caribbean Cup final on penalty kicks.

In their Gold Cup opener, Guadeloupe lost to Panama 3-2, but kept the game close when it scored both goals in the second half after falling behind 3-0. In their second game against Canada this past Saturday in Tampa, Guadeloupe lost 1-0 and showed very little offensively. If the US can shore up its defense and create in their attacking third, then a positive showing over Guadeloupe is very much possible.

“We have got to turn around and make sure that we are ready to play,” US midfielder Landon Donovan said after the Panama game. “We’ve got to win Tuesday, see what else happens and see where we end up. We’re still fine. We just have to make sure we learn some lessons.”

Five Things For Guadeloupe

Group C In Play: Nothing has been decided in Group C going into the final matchday. The United States could finish anywhere from 1st to 4th, with 2nd-place and a game against Jamaica the likeliest outcome from a US win. The US would need a Canada win and to beat Guadeloupe to take Group C and play Guatemala in the next round. A Canada win and a US draw with Guadeloupe is the only scenario that would have the US playing Mexico in the next round. Playing the scenarios isn’t likely to satisfy most US fans getting over the disappointment of the Panama game. The US should expect to be playing Jamaica after beating Guadeloupe, the likeliest outcome.

The US Attack: The United States was unable to capitalize on late opportunities against Panama. The chances were there, but the decisiveness wasn’t. Though there are usually moments in any game that allow a losing team to tell a different story than the actual result, the US had moments to at least pull level and salvage a point. The USA – Panama game wasn’t all Panama, but the difference was Panama taking advantage of their chances. For the US to have its own chance in this tournament, they have to figure out a way to turnaround their offense. Should the US advance, Guadeloupe is the easiest game left on their Gold Cup schedule. It’s an opportunity to build some confidence in an offense that needs to do more.

Fouls To Give: Against Panama, the US played a physical game that resulted in a penalty and some wondering why they finished with 11 players on the field. That’s not something normally associated with the US National Team, and it needs to be left with Panama. The US we’ve seen in competitions is used to absorbing attacks, playing in their own box, and taking calculated risks. That’s especially true for the back four. With two new players seeing time in the US defense, the group needs to figure out a way to recalculate those risks. All of the late chances the US had against Panama were unlikely had they been playing a man down, With a United States squad that isn’t particularly deep, they need a first choice eleven.

USA 1 - Panama 2

2011-06-13T12:53:00.001-05:00

US National Team Players, June 11, 2011

The United States got a first-half shock at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa on Saturday night, falling behind by two goals to Panama. Luis Tejada opened the scoring in the 18th minute and Gabriel Gomez doubled the lead from the penalty spot in the 35th. The USA came back when Clarence Goodson headed in a goal from a set piece in the 67th minute. Though the US came close several times in the closing minutes, they were unable to find an equalizer.

“You can’t start that way," US midfielder Landon Donovan said. "I think for some reason we were just a little lackadaisical, a little complacent early. We had some of the ball and we felt OK about ourselves, but they put us on our heels a few times and they made a play that changed the game. The penalty is a little fluky and now we’re chasing the game. We can’t start that way; that’s the overwhelming, obvious point.”

In the other Group C game, Canada beat Guadeloupe 1-0. Dwayne De Rosario converted a 50th minute penalty for the game's only goal.

-- Game Report --

Match: USA vs. Panama
Date: June 11, 2011
Competition: 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup; Group C
Venue: Raymond James Stadium; Tampa, Fla.
Kickoff: 8 p.m. ET
Attendance: 27,731
Weather: 85 degrees, warm

Scoring Summary: 1 2 F
USA 0 1 1
PAN 2 0 2

Scoring:
PAN – Luis Tejada 19th minute
PAN – Gabriel Gómez (penalty kick) 36
USA –Clarence Goodson (Michael Bradley) 68

Lineups:
USA: 1-Tim Howard; 6-Steve Cherundolo, 21-Clarence Goodson (11-Chris Wondolowski, 78), 15-Tim Ream, 3-Carlos Bocanegra (capt.); 8-Clint Dempsey, 4-Michael Bradley, 13-Jermaine Jones (16-Sacha Kljestan, 60), 10-Landon Donovan; 17-Jozy Altidore, 9-Juan Agudelo (22-Alejandro Bedoya, 61)
Subs not used: 5-Oguchi Onyewu, 7-Maurice Edu, 14-Eric Lichaj, 23-Marcus Hahnemann
Head Coach: Bob Bradley

PAN: 1-Jaime Penedo; 5-Román Torres, 14-Eduardo Dasent, 17-Luis Henríquez, 23-Felipe Baloy (capt.); 6-Gabriel Gómez, 10-Nelson Barahona (8-Gabriel Torres, 70), 11-Armando Cooper (19-Alberto Quintero, 84), 21-Amilcar Henríquez; 7-Blas Pérez, 18-Luis Tejada (22-Eybir Bonaga, 81)
Subs not used: 3-Harold Cummings, 12-Luis Mejía, 15-Eric Davis, 16-Luis Renteria
Head Coach: Julio Dely Valdes

Stats Summary: USA / PAN
Shots: 20 / 13
Shots on goal: 8 / 6
Saves: 4 / 7
Corner Kicks: 6 / 2
Fouls: 16 / 16
Offside: 0 / 1

Misconduct Summary:
USA – Jermaine Jones (caution) 18th minute
PAN – Armando Cooper (caution) 25
USA – Jozy Altidore (caution) 25
USA – Clarence Goodson (caution) 56
USA – Alejandro Bedoya (caution) 64
PAN – Jaime Penedo (caution) 90+2
USA – Carlos Bocanegra (caution) 90+3

Officials:
Referee: Marco Rodríguez (MEX)
Assistant Referee 1: Jose Luis Camargo (MEX)
Assistant Referee 2: Alberto Morín (MEX)
Fourth Official: Jeffrey Solis (CRC)

Documentaries and the Truth We Can Still Tell (But for How Long?)

2011-06-13T12:51:00.001-05:00

By Vivian Norris

There may be an awful lot of lawyer jokes out there but for more and more documentary filmmakers, the legal challenges they are up against when trying to tell a story are no laughing matter. Forty years after the initial publishing of The Pentagon Papers, the full truth about Vietnam is finally being released. Daniel Ellsberg has stated that what he did back then as an investigative journalist was actually legal. Today, post-9/11 and Patriot Act, not only would it be illegal, it would be much more difficult to find any published information at all. Some information has indeed disappeared completely. And for those wonderfully stubborn souls who keep searching for the truth and trying to get it out there in front of audiences, they often find themselves, especially in the US, attacked by layer upon layer of lawsuits funded by corporations with deep pockets.

read the rst here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/vivian-norris-de-montaigu/documentaries-and-the-tru_b_875729.html

2011-06-13T09:02:00.001-05:00

http://www.npr.org/2011/06/13/137029208/heart-with-no-beat-offers-hope-of-new-lease-on-life

2011-06-13T08:28:00.001-05:00

http://ping.fm/N9YZz

Blackfeet hear Thunder radio

2011-06-13T08:08:00.001-05:00

Written by KRISTEN INBODY
11:00 PM, Jun. 11, 2011

BROWNING — John Davis took a unique route to his badge of honor.

"I was the first Blackfeet to ever talk on this radio," Davis said. "This is my coup story."

Davis, a 21-year-old Blackfeet Community College student, is among the volunteers who have made FM 107.5 a force to be reckoned with in Browning.

In the Blackfeet language, the station is Ksistsikam ayikinaan. That translates to "voice from nowhere," but you can call it Thunder Radio.

At 30-watts, the community radio station doesn't reach too far beyond Browning, but its impact is growing.

"What I've heard is, it's our own," station manager Lona Burns said. "The Blackfeet people have our own accent so I guess they enjoy that it sounds like them."

The DJs are preachers, teachers, students and others but have one important thing in common.

"Every single one has a positive outlook on life," Burns said. "Their programs transform into positive energy for the listeners."

The station went live on Nov. 20, 2010, with only three or four DJs. Programming was live only from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

"People were excited so we raised the hours to 7 a.m. to midnight, Monday through Friday," Burns said.

Now the station is live daily from 6 a.m. to midnight.

"They didn't think people would be willing to volunteer," Burns said.

Instead, after less than a year on the air, the station has a waiting list of those who want to be DJs.

"That radio has brought about a community energy," Burns said.

The chamber, radio station and town are working together on an event at a date not yet set that will include pie eating and a radio talent contest.

"The radio station is the driving force in getting the community and entities working together," Burns said. "Everyone has us in common because they come to us to get information out."

In addition to a bevy of public service announcements and community bulletins, the station has promoted the importance of voting, especially among the young, and has hosted candidate forums.

"The apathy is so rampant in elections," Burns said. "We're pushing for people to go vote."

Davis's program is about more than music, although certainly music is key.

"Our big enemy is apathy," he said.

Davis said for a long time community service carried a stigma.

"They thought of people in orange jumpsuits on the roadside," he said. "Never before on this reservation has there been such a great energy of volunteerism."

Davis is the voice behind the "Captain's Love Boat Show" and pledges to "make love to your eardrums."

He's said listeners hear on-the-air jokes they would never hear on a Clear Channel Radio station, such as: "The captain is as cool as commodity cheese."

The tag line — quoted around town — is a reference to part of the reservation culture, he said, and something Davis saw first-hand working at the commodities office.

"That was our prize asset. We had to watch the cheese," he said.

When the station was replaying programming that originated elsewhere, the radio was all "tear in my beer" and "your cheatin' heart." They called it the suicide station for its depressing old country themes.

"I never thought I'd be hearing Martin Gaye and AC/DC on 107," Davis said.

The station's next step is streaming online broadcasts.

"We have 16,000-plus members of the Blackfeet nation, but 30,000 with descendants and only 8,000 on the reservation," Burns said. "We want to allow off-reservation members to learn the language, hear our program and get a little taste of home."

The radio is a way to hear the Blackfeet language — and keep that language contemporary. Talented linguist Darrell R. Kipp, who uses his Blackfeet name Apiniokio Peta (Morning Eagle) on the show, broadcasts a mixture of language lessons and stories from elders.

The program helps "bring an ancient language into a very modern and electronic age, in keeping with the notion tribal languages are viable in the modern age, not icons of an ancient past," he said.

"The radio is a good vehicle to keep the language viable," Kipp said. "It gives the community an opportunity to listen to an hour of Blackfoot."

The Ksistsikam ayikinaan radio program is broadcast on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays during the noon hour. A free booklet to go with the broadcast is available at the Piegan Institute or radio station.

"In the program, we play numerous recordings of our venerated older generation speaking the language. They might be telling stories, or, for example, one recording was Peter Red Horn, who has since passed on, reading the American Indian Civil Rights Act of 1958 in Blackfoot. We've had for the last six Sunday programs, the Gospel of John in Blackfoot."

A Mother's Day episode focused on Blackfeet words connected with mothers. Generally the Monday and Tuesday programs are focused on language instruction.

"If it's raining, we do rain words," Kipp said. "If it's snowing, we do snow words. Today we're doing terminology for months, weeks and time."

Kipp said the radio program fits well with the Piegan Institute's goals since its 1987 founding to keep the language active and revitalized.

The radio program "has been well received. I've had many individuals who have voiced they're glad to hear the language again," he said. "The language is in a fragile state, and it's important the community keep it in a contemporary sense."

Children are especially good at coming up with descriptive language for modern items such as iPods.

The language "has to be used to keep it dynamic, and to be viable it has to be spoken by children," Kipp said.

A mantra in America has been to concentrate on English only and, especially at the turn of the century, to wipe out mother tongues, Kipp said. But the institute's language emersion Cuts Wood school has found that its students do extremely well when they go to high school.

"It's not necessary to sacrifice one language to another, and it's simply less effective than to add another language on," he said.

2011-06-10T12:32:00.001-05:00

me too . . . "Barcelona striker Bojan Krkic 'angry' at reports he has been offered to Udinese in potential Alexis Sanchez transfer"

Barcelona striker Bojan Krkic 'angry'

2011-06-10T12:31:00.001-05:00

. . . at reports he has been offered to Udinese in potential Alexis Sanchez transfer

The 20-year-old Spanish forward insists he will do everything possible to stay at the Nou Camp as Luis Enrique admits that he could target the Catalan club for new signings

By Harry Veal
8 Jun 2011 22:35:00
Barcelona striker Bojan Krkic has admitted that he is "angry" at reportedly being offered to Udinese as part of a potential deal for forward Alexis Sanchez.

The Champions League winners are reported to have offered the young Spaniard to the Italian club as part of negotiations for the Chile winger, although Bojan insists that he will not be forced into a move.

"I feel angry at the situation I am in," Bojan told Rac1.

"I will do everything possible to continue playing for Barcelona.

"Nobody told me that I would be just a player to be exchanged. Nobody likes to be a part of that situation, especially not me."

The 20-year-old has previously been linked with a move to the Premier League, with Arsenal reportedly keen, but it has now emerged that he could be a target for the likely soon to be appointed Roma coach Luis Enrique.

The former Barcelona reserve team coach is on the verge of taking the reigns at the Italian side and admitted he could raid his former club for new signings.

"I'll look to work with the best players, those who I will find in Rome and those who I'll be able to bring with me from Barcelona," he stated.

Scouting Report: Panama

2011-06-10T11:42:00.001-05:00

By Clemente Lisi -- After outclassing Canada in its Gold Cup opener, the United States takes on Panama on Saturday in another delicate Group C encounter. A win would earn the National Team a berth to the quarterfinals. A loss or draw would set up a potential do-or-die match against Guadeloupe.

A USA victory appears to be the likeliest scenario at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL. The Americans are 24-0-2 all-time in group play at the Gold Cup and have had the best of Panama at past tournaments. Panama, making their fifth Gold Cup appearance, does not have the same soccer pedigree as its Central American neighbors, but has enjoyed a degree of success over the past six years. Panama reached the 2005 Gold Cup final, only to lose to the USA on penalty kicks. The USA also eliminated Panama from the Gold Cup in the quarterfinals of both the 2007 and 2009 editions.

“We’re in a weird situation in CONCACAF because we play a lot of top teams around the world and we’re hunting them all the time,” said goalkeeper Tim Howard, comparing the USA’s recent friendly with Spain compared to the field it will face at the Gold Cup. “Then you come into CONCACAF and - for better or worse - we are the hunted.”

La Marea Roja is coached by Julio Dely Valdes, a former striker with Cagliari in Italy’s Serie A, who took over as manager last year. Under Dely Valdes, Panama finished third with a 3-0-2 at the Copa Centroamericana to qualify for the Gold Cup. The team is currently ranked 67th by FIFA.

Panama had spent the past few weeks in the US training for the tournament. While in Florida last month, Panama played the NASL’s Fort Lauderdale Strikers in a scrimmage that ended 1-1. In its Gold Cup opener this past Tuesday, Panama nearly squandered a three-goal lead with 26 minutes left in the game. Against a scrappy Guadeloupe, Panama dominated the first half, jumping out to a 2-0 lead and ultimately holding on to win 3-2. Despite almost let the game get away from them in the final minutes, Dely Valdes didn’t seem overly concerned.

“I am very happy with the way the team has played. It is important to get a win in the first game of a tournament,” he said through a translator. “We are prepared for the US and satisfied with our training going into the game. We are very motivated to do well against such a good team.”

In many ways, Panama will be a much tougher opponent than Canada was Tuesday night in Detroit. Panama moves the ball well and combines physical play with finesse passing and an effective offensive game.

The player to keep a close eye on is striker Luis Tejada, who has played in 11 Gold Cup games and scored six goals for Panama. Nicknamed “Matador” for his ability to tame charging defenders, the 29-year-old Tejada has collected 44 caps and 18 goals since making his Panama debut in 2004. Tejada, who scored his team’s second goal against Guadeloupe, was top scorer with three goals at the 2005 Gold Cup and was named the tournament’s MVP.

Another player the USA needs to keep tabs on is attacking midfielder Armando Cooper. Just 23, Cooper has been a regular in the lineup under Dely Valdes for much of the year. Known for his pinpoint passes and ability to create space, Cooper has amassed 12 caps and scored two goals since making his debut in January 2010. He was previously a member of Panama’s Under-20 squad and was once scouted by the New York Red Bulls.

Panama has few weaknesses. If anything, there is a talent gap that gives the USA an edge in this game. Having said that, better teams don’t always win. Known to hunker down defensively after taking the lead, Panama’s back line typically does a reliable job. In its previous eight games this year before the start of this year’s Gold Cup, Panama conceded just two goals.

Veteran goalkeeper Jaime Penedo has played in 14 Gold Cup matches since 2005 and his leadership and experience is a big reason why Panama has kept opponents off the board. Against a 10-man Guadeloupe, Panama gave up two goals – both just feet from the goal in the six-yard box – to equal its tally for the year. Panama’s defense could be in even bigger trouble this weekend. In doubt is central defender Roman Torres, who was injured against Guadeloupe. Dely Valdes said that the 25-year-old Torres has stiffness in his left thigh that could keep him sidelined. Dely Valdes said he could field 22-year-old Eduardo Dasent, who has just two caps, in Torres’ place.

The US was calm and collected against Canada. It needs to do the same Saturday. If the US offense is firing on all cylinders, the game will be an easy win for the Americans. Jozy Altidore’s goal against Canada and honored with Man of the Match honors in the USA’s 2-0 win should help the offense in general regain confidence. Altidore had not scored for the National Team since September 2009 and managed just one tally this season with his Turkish team Bursaspor.

“For confidence, it’s a good game for Jozy,” US coach Bob Bradley said during Tuesday’s post-match news conference. “The movement that led to the first goal and, obviously, the ball that he put across for (Clint Dempsey’s) goal were both great plays. When you go through a stretch with your club team where you’re not always playing regularly and not getting goals, in terms of confidence this was very important.”

Team captain Carlos Bocanegra said the US needs to possess the ball for longer stretches and avoid counterattacks if it wants to beat Panama.

“We have to come out with the same energy and put them on their heels like we did to Canada,” he said. “I think we had four or five corners in the first 10 minutes of the game.”

Dely Valdes said the players on the field are just part of what it takes to win. He is hoping Panamanians fans living across Florida will come out to support the team.

“The players are prepared and I hope our fans are as well,” he said. “The fans need to believe in us and support this side. Whenever Panama plays the US, it is a very big game here and in my country.”

2011-06-09T12:26:00.001-05:00

oh my you know . . .

http://ping.fm/dxDNj

2011-06-09T10:48:00.003-05:00

thanks Kevin Zelnio! on today's Google logo you can play, record and playback tunes! All in honor of Les Paul!

2011-06-09T10:48:00.001-05:00

very cool, the kid wins one . . . and well-deserved, even if not my idea of country . . .

http://ping.fm/KDVPI

2011-06-09T10:47:00.001-05:00

the new Cage the Elephant vid is off the charts . . .

2011-06-08T11:27:00.001-05:00

USA 2 - Canada 0^

The United States opened their 2011 Gold Cup campaign with a 2-0 Group C win over Canada at Detroit's Ford Field in front of 28,209 fans. A 15th minute goal from Jozy Altidore opened the scoring with Landon Donovan picking up the assist. Clint Dempsey made it 2-0 USA in the 62nd minute, with Altidore assisting. Tim Howard needed to make several saves late in the game to preserve the shutout.

“The last couple of days around the hotel and on the training ground... the atmosphere was really good in the hotel, training was really upbeat," Howard said. "We got into the dressing room early and there was a toughness about us that we were ready for this game. There was no hangover. We’re in a weird situation in CONCACAF because we play a lot of top teams around the world, and we’re hunting them all the time. Then you come into CONCACAF and, for better or worse, we’re the hunted. It takes on a different mindset and I think equally you have to be hard, you have to be tough and you can’t take anything for granted. Tonight our mindset was right.”

Also in Group C on Tuesday, Panama beat a 10-man Guadeloupe 3-2 in the early game at Ford Field. Guadeloupe trailed 2-0 when Mickael Tacalfred was sent off in the 37th minute and were down 3-0 before getting on the board in the 64th minute when Brice Jovial scored. Jovial would get a second shorthanded goal in the 78th minute.
Five Things From Canada

By J Hutcherson -- In the aftermath of the USA's clinical treatment of Canada in the opening night of Group C, we look at five things to carry forward into the second set of games on the Gold Cup schedule.

Multiple Choice: The United States was calm, collected, and dangerous on first looks. It was the second and third looks letting them down, turning into a panic matched only by the Canadian defenders. A bit more poise and winning time to consider options, and they're likely in the lead a lot earlier. Instead, shot selection went out the window in place of simply putting the ball somewhere near frame. It can work, but the US is too good a team to rely on that style of soccer. Their second goal demonstrated what the US should be doing in those situations, and it's to this team's credit that they made the appropriate adjustments.

Clean Up: There should be no complaints directed at the US defense from Tuesday night's performance. Steve Cherundolo, Carlos Bocanegra, Tim Ream, and Clarence Goodson did their jobs. The Canadian attack had its moments, but not what's expected from a team with Dwayne De Rosario and Ali Gerba. Canada can expect better against other teams in Group C, but the US back line wasn't giving enough away for Canada to have much of an opportunity of turning a half chance into a goal.

The Canadian Question: After tonight's as close to Canada as possible rivalry game, the Canadian Soccer Association is once again left to wonder what's happening with their program. Almost was moments like '07 aside, they have to find a way to develop and recruit players to compete at CONCACAF level. Right now, there are just too many gaps to fill. They're also combating a long term image problem with players that have options to represent another country more than likely to take it. Canadian MLS teams might not be the answer, but the CSA had literally two decades to come up with something better between the end of the North American Soccer League and MLS expanding to Canada. Remember when they were going to form a league made up of reserve teams from European clubs?

More background on the orientation therapy story

2011-06-08T10:49:00.001-05:00

http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/06/08/rekers.sissy.boy.experiment/index.html?hpt=hp_c2

2011-06-08T08:34:00.001-05:00

Therapy to change 'feminine' boy created a troubled man, family says^

June 07, 2011|By Scott Bronstein and Jessi Joseph, CNN

Kirk Andrew Murphy seemed to have everything to live for.

He put himself through school. He had a successful 8-year career in the Air Force. After the service, he landed a high profile position with an American finance company in India.

But in 2003 at age 38, Kirk Murphy took his own life.

A co-worker found him hanging from the fan of his apartment in New Delhi. His family has struggled for years to understand what happened.

"I used to spend so much time thinking, why would he kill himself at the age of 38? It doesn't make any sense to me," said Kirk's sister, Maris Murphy. "What I now think is I don't know how he made it that long."

read the rest here: http://articles.cnn.com/2011-06-07/us/sissy.boy.experiment_1_kraig-experimental-therapy-feminine-traits?_s=PM:US

UTA helps Native Americans learn to save own languages

2011-06-08T08:25:00.001-05:00

By Diane Smith
dianesmith@star-telegram.com
Posted Sunday, Jun. 05, 2011

ARLINGTON -- Hutke Fields pictures a time when younger generations of Natchez people use his tribe's native tongue at ceremonies, while sharing oral histories and during everyday talk at home.

But Field's vision is complicated by the fact that only six people, out of about 10,000 members of the Natchez tribe in Oklahoma, still speak the language.

"We'll lose it if we don't use it," said Fields, who received assistance last year during a workshop dedicated to helping American Indian communities in Oklahoma to bring back disappearing languages.

Fields is a participant in the Breath of Life project -- a joint effort by experts from the University of Texas at Arlington and the University of Oklahoma -- in which linguists mentor American Indians so they can better recover endangered languages.

It is modeled after a project at the University of California, Berkeley.

"We are growing field linguists," said Colleen Fitzgerald, associate professor and chairwoman of UT Arlington's Linguistics Department. "We are transferring knowledge to community members so they can teach their own languages."

Workshops

The first workshop was held in summer 2010 at OU in Norman, Okla., which is also the site of the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History. Members of three American Indian communities took part: the Osage, Otoe and Natchez.

Linguists and American Indians will be able to work together again next May. The project recently got a funding boost that will allow for a second workshop, Fitzgerald said.

The project team received a total of $90,000 in grant money from the National Science Foundation, an independent federal agency that helps support research at colleges and universities.

The grant is spread over two years.

Besides training American Indian community members to be linguists on the ground, UT Arlington will be working to create linguistic databases that will ultimately enable the creation of online dictionaries and collections of texts in various languages, Fitzgerald said.

Each community will have a database which will also be stored in a repository at the Noble museum.

Linguistic diversity

Oklahoma was described as a "hot spot" of linguistic diversity by experts in National Geographic's Enduring Voices Project, said Mary Linn, associate curator of American Indian languages at the Noble museum and an associate professor of anthropology at OU.

As North America was settled by whites, many tribes were forced to move to Oklahoma. As a result, there is not only a great deal of linguistic diversity, but also high levels of language endangerment, Linn said.

The languages grew even more endangered as American Indians assimilated to English-speaking culture that dominates society.

"It's hard to resist shifting to English," Linn said, adding that many small tribes picked up the languages of larger tribes.

Today, language sleuths rely on tribal records, grammar and alphabets that were often chronicled by missionaries, military generals and tribes. President Thomas Jefferson also collected word lists, Linn said.

Fields said the project allowed his community to computerize a dictionary and research. Now, Natchez people in South Carolina can practice with their Natchez friends in Oklahoma. This also allows Natchez histories to flow more readily from elders who still tell of their contributions to America as farmers expert in corn and beans.

Their histories tell of a people displaced from the Gulf Coast and of deaths from influenza that followed early encounters with European explorers.

"I grieve daily over the loss of cultural values," said Fields, principal chief for the tribe. "It takes a community and economy and people who want to preserve."

Diane Smith,

817-390-7675

Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/06/05/3129442/uta-helps-native-americans-learn.html#ixzz1OgsUIaVM

PR: Ballroom Icons, A Journey through the Lives of Dancers, Doers and Devotees of the Ballroom World

2011-06-08T08:19:00.001-05:00

Award-winning limited luxury edition showcases the passionate men and women responsible for ballroom dancing's longevity and resurgent popularity

"[Ballroom Icons is] richly illustrated with unique history and photographs of extraordinary personalities that resonate the culture and values of dance and its divine beginnings. It is the perfect compliment to the grace and beauty of the dance world that has and will continue to inspire every generation." ~ Sophie Drinnan

If you want to dance with the "real" stars of ballroom dancing, look no further than Brigitt Mayer-Karakis' new award-winning, exquisitely crafted book Ballroom Icons, A Journey through the Lives of Dancers, Doers and Devotees of the Ballroom World.

Carefully designed in every detail, this recipient of the Independent Publisher (IPPY) Book Award features the following:

* an elegant gray hard-shell slipcase imprinted with the title of the book on the front and spine
* high-quality acid-free archival paper to ensure the paper remains soft and pure white as it ages
* onion-skin flyleaf inserts featuring memorable dance quotes
* random 8x10 limited edition photographic plates of key icons photographed by German master photographer U. H. Mayer
* a center foldout panel featuring photographs of the icons in action and the signatures of forty-six icons
* two different sections of historical notes offering insight into the development of ballroom dancing and the many challenges it faced through years of war and at other times
* pages of commentary by today's top champions

Brigitt comments, "Ballroom dancing has its roots in the first decade of the twentieth century and its nature is perennial. I created Ballroom Icons to become a lasting legacy as important and influential as the people featured within its pages."

Only 2,500 limited luxury editions were produced, each one individually numbered. For more information or to contact the author for media commentary, email info@ballroomicons.com or visit http://www.ballroomicons.com.

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Author: Brigitt Mayer-Karakis was born in Germany and began ballroom dancing at age sixteen. She became a professional ballroom dancer in 1988 and subsequently was a World Open Exhibition Championship runner up. A highly commended member of the Canadian Dancers Federation and the British Dancers Federation International, she is a World Championship judge and is affiliated with Arthur Murray International, Inc. To read her complete bio, visit www.ballroomicons.com.

Letter from the President of TxMPA

2011-06-08T08:17:00.001-05:00

Incentive Program receives funding for 2012-2013 budget cycle

In what was a very challenging legislative session, we emerged with $30
million in funding for the next budget cycle for the Texas Moving Image
Incentive Program. Our funding is included in HB 1, the state budget
that was passed by the Texas Legislature on Memorial Day.An additional
$2 million is included in the budget for the Governor's Trusteed
programs for film and music to cover administration and marketing. This
is a tremendous victory since it is an increase of $20 million from the
original $10 million dedicated to the program when the budget was filed
in January.At one point during the legislative process the Texas Senate
removed all funding for the program.

The Governor called a special session that began May 31st to address
several key bills related to funding the budget that died at the end of
the regular session.It is widely expected that other issues may be added
to the special session agenda, including congressional redistricting,
but the moving image incentive program is not expected to be impacted.

This was a very difficult budget year for the Texas legislature, with
school districts and health care programs facing onerous reductions in
funding.TXMPA representatives worked hard to make sure the legislature
recognized the significance of the moving image incentive program to the
state's economy.Key to the success this session was the involvement of
TXMPA membership. Membersthroughout the state met and contacted their
legislators about the personal impact of the program and what it means
to film, television, video game, commercial and other production in
Texas.Thank you.Your efforts paid off.

Our mission doesn't end with the inclusion of program funding in HB 1.It
takes a year-round effort to make sure the message of the importance of
our industry to Texas is heard.TXMPA will continue to work with the
legislature, the Governor's office, and the Texas Film Commission during
the special session and the interim to ensure the ongoing success for
the Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program and our industry at
large.As TXMPA matures to better handle this task, we need all industry
members to stay involved.Please mark July 23rd on your calendars and
plan to attend the TXMPA annual meeting that will be held in Houston
this year.Keep an eye out for further announcements on meeting details
and on this year's election of representatives to the board.

Again, thank you for all of your efforts and support that kept our
incentive program alive and put us in the position to build it in the
future.

Don Stokes
President, TXMPA

2011-06-07T14:04:00.001-05:00

what a great shot!

http://ping.fm/wKxWc

2011-06-07T08:54:00.001-05:00

hope you don't have to be a member to see this . . .

http://ping.fm/hUMER

2011-06-07T08:26:00.001-05:00

CORONADO NATIONAL FOREST TO CLOSE JUNE 9 - Effective Immediately^
Extreme Fire Danger, Threats to Public Safety Cause Temporary
Closure

News Release
USDA Forest Service
Coronado National Forest
www.fs.fed.us/r3/coronado

Tucson, AZ (June 6, 2011) – Due to extreme fire danger and concern for public safety,
the Coronado National Forest will be closed to all public use beginning at noon on
Thursday, June 9 (36 CFR 261.52[e]).
The temporary closure applies to all ranger districts of the Coronado National Forest, and
includes visitor centers, campgrounds, picnic areas, trails, summer cabins, organization
camps and all other public uses. District Rangers may authorize use for specifically
permitted activities through Special-Use Permits. Violation of the closure is punishable
by a fine of not more than $5,000, or imprisonment for not more than six months, or both.
On the Santa Catalina Ranger District, the Catalina Highway (Mt. Lemmon Highway)
will remain open during daylight hours so visitors may access Summerhaven atop Mt.
Lemmon. Vehicles may not stop along the highway, and must use it strictly to access
Summerhaven. The road will be closed at night.
This closure will be lifted when significant moisture is received to reduce the wildfire
threat to manageable levels.

2011-06-07T08:10:00.001-05:00

Microsoft is the anti-Zuckerberg, but in all the wrong ways - IE9 is all Fengshuied up so it looks nice and tidy and then they cram everything into a couple of dropdowns . . . tech engineers are becoming more bureaucratic by the minute . . . just glad i use Firefox

Spain 4, USA 0

2011-06-06T12:03:00.001-05:00

the only upside was Torres getting a goal . . . USA 0 – Spain 4

From US National Team Players . . .

On a tough afternoon for US soccer supporters, the United States lost 4-0 to Spain in front of over 64,000 fans at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. The United States started a mix of veterans and squad players against an equally experimental Spain. Without Landon Donovan (illness) or Carlos Bocanegra (rested), US coach Bob Bradley opted to leave regulars Michael Bradley, Steve Cherundolo, and Clint Dempsey on the bench.

As expected, Spain had the better attacking play, stringing together passes and creating opportunities. Santiago Cazorla opened the scoring in the 28th minute, capping several near misses by Spain. Xabi Alonso found Alvaro Negredo to make it 2-0 Spain four minutes later. It was 3-0 Spain in the 41st when Cazorla scored again, this time from a rebound. Fernando Torres made it 4-0 in the 73rd minute, sending in a shot that bounced off both posts before crossing the goal line.

Uncharacteristically, Bradley subbed on five players at halftime, bringing on Bradley, Cherundolo, and Dempsey along with Clarence Goodson and Chris Wondolowski. Bradley later subbed on Alejandro Bedoya, using all of his available field players. Spain also used all six of their substitutions, bringing on regular starting keeper Iker Casillas in the 77th minute.

Earlier in the day, Cobi Jones, Earnie Stewart, and Eddie Pope were officially inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame. Joining the three Player inductees were Veteran Bruce Murry and Builder Bob Gansler. The five new members of the Hall of Fame were introduced before the start of the game.

2011-06-06T09:02:00.001-05:00

Jonah Smith starts a whirlwind weekend in Kerrville & Austin, and Rodney Ames covered stop number one

http://ping.fm/Ac2tv