END OF ROCKTOBER!!! Z is for Zappa

Frank Zappa, rabidly original guitar blasphemer, brings the august month of ROCKTOBER to a close.

Zappa's musical perfectionism and compositional talents served a brain that was iconoclastic, crude, wildly inventive, and completely unique.

His legacy extends beyond music as an outspoken advocate of free speech, taking a firm personal stand against censorship - including offering senate testimony against the PMRC in 1985.

Low Tech Education in Silicon Valley

 

A recent piece in the New York Times highlights a Waldorf School in Los Altos, CA. Like other educational institutions and philosophies that share values with the Waldorf system, the vast majority of learning methods and resources are low tech, and low profile. Hands on learning is facilitated by a wide variety of methods. Ideas are captured on paper with old fashioned pens by students, on blackboards by teachers. There is a marked absence of computers.

So should it surprise us that top executives and other employees from eBay, HP, Google, Apple, and Yahoo send their kids here? In fact, 3/4 of parents work in the tech industry.  It feels like it should.

Mike Richtel from the Times comments:

"Schools nationwide have rushed to supply their classrooms with computers, and many policy makers say it is foolish to do otherwise. But the contrarian point of view can be found at the epicenter of the tech economy, where some parents and educators have a message: computers and schools don’t mix."

Rocktober Alphabet: Y is for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Indie rock power trio the Yeah Yeah Yeahs are a rockable, danceable mix of rough cut lyrics, great guitar work, and enough attitude to shake up every indie shoegazer who ever tried to pull a Ben Gibbard into an open-mike night PA.

Rocktober Alphabet: X is for the X-Ray Spex

The X Ray Spex, classic and influential late 70's punk rockers, came to light again this year. After the death of talented lead singer Poly Styrene in April, people have been rediscovering the group's music, especially their best (really only) album, Germ Free Adolescents.

Harsh, grating, charismatic, inventive, the group's dynamic presence shaped punk in its formative days. And they still sound really, really good. 

(photo credit)

Top 3 Most Invasive "Patriot Act" Provisions

10 years after the passing of the Patriot Act, the Electronic Frontier Foundation has put together a "Greatest Hits" collection of the Act's most invasive and dangerous elements.

In case you've been living in a bunker since 2001, the Patriot Act is a collection of

"...decidedly unpatriotic principles barred by the First and Fourth Amendments of the Constitution. Provisions of the PATRIOT Act have been used to target innocent Americans and are widely used in investigations that have nothing to do with national security."

Take the time to read the full article at EFF.

Via BoingBoing

Rocktober Alphabet: W is for The White Stripes

The most dynamic, haunting rock of my generation, Jack and Meg White brought roots-blues, American myth, biblical imagery, and garage punk noise noise noise to their fans.

Cultivating a southern gothic personal mystique, the pair made more genuine rock with just drums and a guitar than most full bands could dream of. Though they've broken up (as of February, '11), It's going to take people a very long time to forget about their music.

Shane Claiborne on Jesus and OWS

Out of Ur published author and activist Shane Claiborne's thoughts on the "Jesus-ness" of the OWS movement. Claiborne's is a refreshing perspective, that grounds the important action of OWS protesters and advocates in a larger - and compelling - theological context.

Shane writes

"One of the constant threads of Scripture is “Give us this day our daily bread.” Nothing more, nothing less. Underneath this admonition is the assumption that the more we store up for tomorrow the less people will have for today. And in a world where 1% of the world owns half the world’s stuff, we are beginning to realize that there is enough for everyone’s need, but there is not enough for everyone’s greed. Lots of folks are beginning to say, “Maybe God has a different dream for the world than the Wall Street dream.” 

Maybe God’s dream is for us to live simply so that others may simply live. Maybe God’s dream is for the bankers to empty their banks and barns so folks have enough food for today."

Maybe, Shane. Well said.

Read the full article at Out of Ur.com

(Photo credit)

Rocktober Alphabet: V is for Eddie Vedder

Eddie Vedder, frontman of Pearl Jam, is the quintessential alt-rock frontman. Angry, intense, loud, with a narrative, confessional style, Vedder helped propel alt-grunge into the mainstream of 90's music.

Outspoken, brash, human, difficult, Vedder is talented, opinionated, and raw.

Mobile Chapel of Love (Video)

My friend (ex-coworker and member of infamous rogue yarn group The Crotcheteers) Mary S. is highlighted in this video by OregonLive.

Mary runs the Mobile Chapel of Love, a Portland icon of... well, love. The bike powered chapel performs both legally recognized and above-the-law weddings, to anyone or anything you'd like.
Or rather, that you'd love... be that a bike, a Voodoo Donut, or the City of Portland.

Our marriage culture is more polarized than ever in America. As we (at the best of times) humbly discuss, and (worst of times) rant vitriolically about what marriage is and what makes it holy, let's take a minute to enjoy this. Whatever your views, it's a unique visual representation of something every husband or wife knows: much of your marriage is made of what you bring to it. 

Rocktober Alphabet: U is for U2

I will follow...

The boys from Dublin have rocked better, for far longer than any other band in history. But it's not their longevity or prolific, quality output that earn them a spot in Paul's Rocktober Alphabet.

They stand out for the depth of their lyrics, the pounding, huge sound, the breadth and height of what rock music can be. Dynamic, intimate, poetic, angry. U2 rocks with more than  rebellion, more than raw sexual energy. Rather, they speak the truth about humanity's beauty and brokenness, with honesty, dignity, and hope.

The Vatican on Fiscal Theology and Financial Reform

A City on A Hill

Global Money and Human Flourishing

Released today, the Vatican's document on Global Financial Reform is an interesting and inadequate proposal for worldwide financial overhaul.

Phillip Pullella of the National Post summed up some key talking points of the paper:

“The economic and financial crisis which the world is going through calls everyone, individuals and peoples, to examine in depth the principles and the cultural and moral values at the basis of social coexistence,” it said.

It condemned what it called “the idolatry of the market” as well as a “neo-liberal thinking” that it said looked exclusively at technical solutions to economic problems.

“In fact, the crisis has revealed behaviors like selfishness, collective greed and hoarding of goods on a great scale,” it said, adding that world economics needed an “ethic of solidarity” among rich and poor nations.

In addition to this, the paper articulates a strong ethic of Christian involvement for the common good:

Coffee Break Commentary: Why I Bank Local

Safer than a sock under the mattress!

An ancillary benefit of the Wall Street occupation has been to bring attention to the benefits of keeping your money local.

Though attention was given to the "move your money" concept during the 2008- 2009 meltdown process by the HuffPo and others, we're hearing it again as protests and general grumpiness about our fat and shattered system continue.Now may be the time for a personal exodus  from Wall Street finance to community banking.

My family switched to a local credit union several years ago.  

We've experienced several benefits after moving our money from one of the Big Six banks to a local credit union:

Rocktober Alphabet: T is For Townshend

Who?

Pete Townshend. Though blessed and cursed to live in the age of the Great Guitar Gods (Page, Hendrix, Clapton, Beck), Pete Townshend never felt himself the searing lead guitarist that a late sixties rock band demanded. His technique and "upward" lead abilities simply could not compete.

So he created his own kind of music.

Rocktober Alphabet: S is for Patti Smith.

Gritty godmother of punk, people still don't know what to do with Patti Smith. She's rough, artistic, sacred and profane.

Her sheer poetic force, lyrical originality, and dark charisma hypnotize me.

You need to be in the right mood for her albums, I'll admit it.
But there will never be anyone like Patti Smith.

Start with Horses.

OWS as "Post-political" Movement

Party on?

Occupy Wall Street's recently released survey data/overview of their supporters observes that over 70% of respondents self identified as politically independent.

Whatever your view of the movement - supportive, opposing, or apathetically cynical- the data reflects the fact that whatever the long range impact of the OWS movement will be, it is safe to claim that it is a major milestone in the breakdown of American two-party politics.

Rocktober Alphabet: R is for Radiohead

Superlatives fail. Dystopic rock virtuosos, Thom Yorke and his mates create incorrigibly brilliant music.

Masters of composition and form, Radiohead's combination of beauty and postmodern disillusionment has sung the language of our generation more elegantly than anyone else.

Melodic, brooding, atmospheric, haunting, and endlessly listenable.

Gaddafi Dead, Sirte falls to Libyan Rebels

From Al- Jazeera English, the end of the beginning of the Libyan Revolution. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Libyan people, during a time of  violence, victory, and vulnerability.

May this crossroads lead them down a road to peace, justice and a free Libya. The fall of a regime does not guarantee that. The real work begins now.

PLEASE NOTE: GRAPHIC IMAGES

Rocktober Alphabet: Q is for Queen

Off with your head.

I don't even know where to start.  The monumental creativity and musical experimentation of Queen is difficult to capture in an Encyclopedia article, let alone a blogpost snapshot.

The tongue in cheek prog-rock, formidable technical abilities, and rabid imaginations of Freddie Mercury and Brian May drove Queen to a place in music beyond popular commercial success, and beyond the mainstream music avant-garde. The albums are cohesive, emotional, fistpumping masterpieces with flair, humor, and a flamboyant punch.

Lunch Link: "Occupy My Life"

As the Occupy movement begins to come into its own, the myriad human stories of Occupiers are fascinating, heartbreaking, and occasionally very sweet.

A favorite moment from the movement so far.

Occupy!

(via Boing Boing)

Rocktober Alphabet: P is for The Pixies

Alt rock at its apogee, I can never get enough of the ubiquitous Pixies. Pioneering the soft/loud dynamics later heard in Nirvana's grunge, and much of indie rock, they are quirky, endearing, harsh, ferocious.

Much more popular in the UK and Europe than in the states, my first exposure to their music came from a returning traveler  from a European tour.

Black Francis' lyrics are an often bizarre stream of consciousness extravaganza, encompassing sea life, mind numbing parties, and biblical violence.

Lunch Link: Faeth Fiada

The strange, beautiful Lorica of St. Patrick has been on my mind today. May your day be sewn, stitched, hemmed, woven with Jesus Christ, the firstborn of many, many brothers and sisters:

I arise today

Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,

Through the belief in the threeness,

Through confession of the oneness

Of the Creator of Creation.

Rocktober Alphabet: O is for Of Montreal

Lamp those skeletons, Kevin.

 Dissonant art rockers, pan-sexual flowering of loud, Of Montreal is simultaneously danceable,  frightening, comforting.

Really just a platform for frontman Kevin Barnes and his alter ego Georgie Fruit, the band's evolution from the odd scales and tempos of their early psychedelic nursery rhymes to the shimmering afro-euro-beat of their recent albums (Hissing Fauna, are you the Destroyer?; Skeletal Lamping; False Priest) is an odd journey in itself.

Who's the Monkey Now? Cynicism, Love, and Human Origins

Don't be an Organ Donor.

Ever since the Scopes Trial, the American conversation about where people came from has been a bit heated. This conflict has only intensified as recent genomic discoveries - made by an evangelical Christian committed to the view of the evolutionary process as God's tool for shaping the comos- have seemingly overthrown the possibility for the human race to have descended from a population of two individuals as the traditional reading of the biblical account would suggest.

NPR's recent piece Christians Divided Over Science Of Human Origins highlights this tension well, and breaks my heart in the process. Please take the time to listen to it.


Perhaps the most troubling thing about this piece is not the debate itself - though the issues at stake on both sides matter deeply. Perhaps the real catch is that two well educated men who claim to love Jesus need to be refereed by a radio host because they are so eager to jump at one another's throat on national airwaves. 

Where is civility? 
Where is balance? 
Where is humility and a Christlike commitment to both speech and to silence? 

Rocktober Alphabet Continues: N is for Nick Cave

Nick cave is all that is good about rock. Pure originality, smart, punkish, ribald. Holy, screaming, a pure poet and vicious musician.

Rocktober Alphabet: M is for Metallica

My heavy metal knowledge is limited. But fortunately, Metallica doesn't fall into that gap.

What is this, and why is it staring at me?

No comment. Only a deep, frightened feeling.

Indy Central Canal

I'll be honest. I did not expect Indianapolis to be awesome. But it sort of is. It seems livable, walkable, and on the same kind of midsize city upswing that Portland is experiencing.

Here are a few pics of the lovely Central Canal, that runs into the city's downtown from the White River. A recent mural project is brightening up the many bridges that span the water.

It's exciting to see the recent revitalization of these public spaces. One thing I appreciated was the orientation of many buildings (including museums and businesses) so that their front was to the car-free Canal Area, and their backs to parking areas and street access. That choice highlighted the pedestrian or cyclist as the expected and courted patron, rather than rewarding drivers with the building's primary presentation.

Nicole Baker Fulgham at CCDA

Nicole Baker Fulgham is speaking at CCDA today on the intersection between her Christian faith and vital involvement in the US public education system.

Former vice president of Teach for America and an experienced policy analyst, she has recent started an organization to mobilize faith communities for positive, service oriented engagement with schools in their neighborhoods.

She sees kids as profoundly disenfranchised in our broken education system, and models the role of a savvy, committed educator who does what she does because of her vibrant connection to Jesus.

Her stories of systemic transformation in places like Compton and Detroit are more than inspirational. They reflect unarguable, measurable change that has exponentially increased the number of college bound African American men and other populations that have been underserved and underheard.

Reversing entrenched and destructive trends in the school system is starkly difficult, but it can be done. It takes involvement, strategy, and grit.

How profound for her to example these things humbly, in the public classroom and eye, as a woman committed to the redemption of the kingdom, extending to shed common grace on the lives and desks of any child, regardless of race, background, or the prevailing "wisdom" of a broken system and a bent culture.

Whispers of Innovation

This year's CCDA Conference focuses on the theme of innovation, especially as it connects to creative solutions to the broken American educational system.
Last night we heard from pastor Thurman Williams of Baltimore, MD as our plenary speaker.

Williams expressed theological and biblical foundations for innovation and creativity in ministry, connected with the concept of God as a profoundly innovative doer of new things.

Wind, Fire, Whisper

Williams grounded his call for innovation in 1 Kings 19, where the discouraged prophet Elijah encounters a difficult question from God while on the run from the powers that be.

The text is an interesting one. God asks the fleeing prophet: What are you doing here, Elijah?

Paraphrased, his answer is "Running for my freaking life because I'm the only one in the whole wide world who gives camel spit about you and your justice."

God's response is to tell him to go outside the cave he's squatting in, onto the side of the mountain. You know what happens next:

Occupy Indianapolis

I walked a bit around Indy yesterday with the men, women, and kids of Occupy Indianapolis. They marched from the state Capitol building to the Columbia Club where Gov. Rick Perry was speaking.

"We have a question for Gov. Perry" they shouted at the side of the building.

"Why is he speaking at the most expensive club in Indy when he could have spoken at a free public venue?"

Though Perry didn't answer (or likely hear) the question, it's a good one.

Paul writing from CCDA, Indianapolis

I'm honored to be attending the Christian Community Development Association conference in Indianapolis, Indiana today through Saturday.

The schedule of speakers and workshops is out, and it looks like an incredible list.

I'm looking forward to connecting with friends old and new, as we ponder together the communal and social implications of the Kingdom of Heaven and grounded holistic ministry in varied contexts. I expect conversations relating to reconciliation, social justice, advocacy and policy, and robust theologies of community, vocation, and cultural engagement.

I'm sure that I'll be posting thoughts and updates as the week progresses, so stay tuned.

Will you be attending the conference? Please comment so that we can connect.

(photo credit)

Rocktober Alphabet: L is for Led Zeppelin

There will never, ever be another band like Led Zeppelin.
Their starkly original blend of gritty blues, shimmering acoustic instrumentals, and caustic rock redefined what was possible for a four man band to accomplish...

Rocktober Alphabet: K is for The Kinks

The Kinks were one of the most influential and under played bands of the British Invasion.

Literate, talented, funny, raucous, they helped shape punk, new wave, and mod, and even molded contemporary superstars like The Who and The Doors.

Their popularity has never really taken off, and most people know them only for one of the handful of singles that scored moderate commercial success. We should remember them for more.

Rocktober Alphabet: J is for Jimi Hendrix

Sitting today in the Seattle airport, it's only fitting that Rocktober's J post should honor the Emerald City's favorite musical son.

James Marshall Hendrix.

An electric gypsy still ahead of his time, Jimi redefined what was possible for rock music.

His virtuosity with the guitar made it more than an instrument. He made it a lover, an enemy, a weapon, a true second voice.

Not all his music will be remembered. In fact, about half of his catalog feels dated already to me. But Jimi at his best made music that is timeless, moving, and profoundly expressive.

Though he has wandered on, his early death a bitter and foolish waste of a special creative life, Jimi still has the power to awe, soothe, and move us.

Rocktober Alphabet: I is for Iggy Pop

A Real Wild Child.

Iggy Pop, outrageous singer of songs, bare-chested howler and roarer.
The hop, the swagger, the wild sweaty scream ushered in proto-punk while many bands of the late 60's and early 70's were still shedding their flower people bandannas.

Iggy has never received the acclaim he deserved.
Rabidly original, widely influential, nonetheless the public has never known quite what to do with him. He smiles too much, shies a bit like he's scared of his crowd - then proceeds to sear our ears with biting, punishing words. He's too tough to pigeonhole, and that makes people nervous.

He deserves more. Give him a listen. Start with Fun House, on a day when you can turn it up in an empty house and stomp a little bit.
Iggy may surprise you, but he won't let you down.

(Photo Credit)

Holy Vandals and Heavenly Subversion

 

“We’re here to put a dent in the universe. Otherwise why else even be here?”

—Steve Jobs

This weekend, I've been on retreat in Yelm, WA with the Murdock Trust - the organization that provides the funding for my current Editorial Residency at Leadership Journal.

For those of you unfamiliar with the trust, it's a foundation dedicated to spending the money of M. J. Murdock (inventor of the oscilloscope), for the common good of the citizens of the Pacific NW. Their pockets are deep, their generosity is legendary, and you would be surprised at the many many wonderful things they support in our region.
I can almost guarantee that if you're a citizen of Cascadia, then you owe these guys a thank you note for something.

The retreat has been a very positive experience. Aside from some kayaking and pesto covered prawn skewers, I've enjoyed interacting with Steve Garber of the Washington Institute.

Garber is a key contemporary thinker on the intersection between faith and vocation, and the radical application of "common grace for the common good." He's very interested in helping people make deep dents in the universe, and he has a powerful reason for doing so ... a reason that I wholeheartedly share.

Rocktober Alphabet: H is for Buddy Holly

Every day, it's getting stronger.

Buddy Holly's brief career shaped rock n' roll more than any other early rocker.

It's impossible to overstate his impact.
His attitude, his electric style, his cool aloof, the swing of his leg and the punk cock of his head at the camera - all are his legacy beyond the twang and sparkle of his pop singles.

In the video below, I see Roger Daltrey, Joey Ramone, Elvis Costello, Robert Plant.
I see Slash, Bono, Patti Smith, and Trent Reznor.
Every rock star since Buddy picked up his signature Fender Stratocaster has been (conciously or not) channeling him.

I don't care who you are or what you listen to. You've heard Buddy Holly, you've seen Buddy Holly everywhere.
He usually sings with other people's voices, punches with other people's feet, winks with other people's eyes, but it's him.

Next time you meet him, make sure to say thanks.

(Photo Credit)

Rocktober Alphabet: G is for The Grateful Dead

 

Meet the kings of dirt-under-your-fingernails psychedelic Americana. 

Seminal jam band pioneers, the Grateful Dead cultivated a devoted following that redefined the notion of fan-dom. 

Entire mobile communties of “Deadheads” toured cross country with the band - sometimes for months or years - comprising an economy whose chief exports were tie dye and veggie burritos, and whose chief import was cannabis.

Thousands of concerts recordings by Deadheads comprise a seemingly infinite catalog of bootleg recordings that are distributed legally to this day.

Deadheads were drawn to the rootsy, gritty sound, the laid back message of peace and love, and the outstanding talent of Jerry Garcia. They founded a community that Joseph Cambell reportedly named "the newest tribe".
The music was great, but following the band meant being part of something bigger than the songs. Really it was about belonging. For the most faithful, the music (while great) was a folk-electric excuse to be part of a family.

The Dead are still celebrated by fans, and the remaining members have continued to play shows after the death of Garcia in 1995. They still swap those bootleg recordings for free, though the day of the Deadhead is over and gone.

But I have to admit, whenever I hear the first couple chords of American Beauty, I can understand the pull, the draw to dance with friends to the guitar and the mandolin, to sing with the turtles down by the river, to run from the devil down the whiskey colored train tracks back home.

Here's Brokedown Palace.
Enjoy.

(Photo Credit)

Rocktober Alphabet: F is for Fripp

Fripp with King Crimson, 1973

Robert Fripp.

One of the truly great guitar innovators, Fripp's meticulous, obsessive attention to the musical craft of rock, combined with his groundbreaking uses of technology, carved a lasting niche in the music world. He could easily be called the "thinking man's guitar hero."

Extremely talented, both in performance and production, his virtuosity with the guitar and creative use of analog looping in a real time technique he dubbed "Frippertronics" influenced a generation of players and producers, notably Brian Eno.

For his fiercest rock foray, listen to King Crimson's sonically vicious In the Court of the Crimson King.

A taste of Fripp/King Crimson live in the late 60's (pardon the poor quality):

And, for the purists, a demonstration of Frippertronics:

Remember when he was developing these reel to reel performance techniques, lest you be jaded by the ubiquitous looping, sampling, and digital correction of today's music.

In an interview, Fripp says this about art and the creative process:

"For me, art is the capacity to experience one's innocence. Craft is how you get to that point. Maturity in a musician would be the point at which one is innocent at will. At that point, the relationship between music and the musician is direct and reliable."

Fripp's body of work reflects this philosophy and maturity, in a rare and challenging way.

(Photo Credit)

Rocktober Alphabet: E is for Elvis

Falling from Graceland

Elvis Presley arguably is rock n' roll to more people than any other artist. Cultural icon, velvet voiced rebel, hip-shaking corrupter of a generation, Elvis needs no introduction.

Or does he? For many, Elvis the icon eclipses Elvis the musician, the tousle haired boy that won his fame fairly, by completely rocking.

If you're one of those (like me once) who thinks of Elvis as a punchline, a blur in a mist of pink Caddilacs, silver sequins, Vegas impersonators, and black velvet paintings, pay attention.
If you only think of pompadours, Graceland, fried peanut butter and a grotesque death in a bathtub, listen up.
Please meet Elvis Presley for the first time. He can sing, and he has an attitude.
You should get to know him.

(image via Wikipedia.org)

Lunch Link: The Lovely, Odd World of Tom DesLongchamp

The good friend of a childhood buddy, Tom Deslongchamp's art, animation and bizzarely original creativity has kept me captivated since middle school.

So, dear readers of Threeow, I thought I'd share the proverbial love.

Tom's world of  kids, creatures, music, and talking hot dogs operates by a rigorous internal logic that is obviously there, somewhere, but terribly difficult to articulate.
His art by turns inspires, entertains and disturbs - often all at once. If you get it, you'll love it.

Thoroughly explore the archives -going back to '99- at his website.

Here's a live film "About Dogs":

About Dogs from Tom DesLongchamp on Vimeo.


And a personal favorite:

Earl Boone Is Alive from Tom DesLongchamp on Vimeo.

Also make sure to check out Tom's recent webcomic The Nose.

I hope you smile with me at a bright, strange mind.
Keep it up Tom.

Rocktober Alphabet: D is for The Doors

As Rocktober gets into full swing, The Doors are an obvious "D".

Though the band as a whole was remarkably talented, it's frontman Jim Morrison that took the group from the morass of forgettable mid-60's music and into a permanent place in rock history.


I remember my dad telling me about attending a Doors show in Hollywood when he was young.
The one impression he shared of that performance was the sense of Morrison as a consummate, terrifying, nigh perfect storyteller.

It's true, no matter how you hear him. When the man snarls, it's gentle, when he sings smooth you know he's going to stab you with something. Don't ever trust him. He's dangerous. 

Morrison - even 40 odd years later - remains hypnotic, difficult, frightening.
He alternatively sounds like a lover, a killer, a prophet, a poet, delivering his lyrics with a growl of authority, and the indefinable sense that no matter what he's singing, he's telling you a story.

Other than the inherent mesmerism of hearing a man whose sheer vocal and narrative energy can cut you through vinyl, I wonder sometimes how The Doors became so popular. They wear you out. The music is good, great even, but I'm always left emotionally exhausted.
Great art -and they made great art- is rarely a recipe for commercial success, but to date they've sold over 100 million albums.

That kind of following occasionally means something.
In this case, trust me, it does.

The Assassination of al-Awlaki and Citizen's Rights

Image via Wikipedia.com

Salon.com has an excellent piece commenting on the recent murder of Anwar al-Awlaki in Yemen by US forces. A known leader of al-Qaeda (and a legitimately dangerous man), al-Awlaki was nonetheless a US citizen who had not been indicted for any crimes, and was far from any fighting on the ground.

Cory Doctorow over at Boing Boing comments:

"Whether or not al-Awlaki was a terrorist (something no court can determine now), this sets a new precedent: the US can assassinate its own citizens on presidential order without any due process or accountability."

This really is the "new reality" for American citizens, setting unequivocal precedent that a presidential order is all that is necessary for the execution of an American.

With the tremedously FUBAR implications of that new reality aside, al-Awlaki's death highlights a stark fact: it is the difficult choice of our time that we may need to be forced to decide between "better" security and the the very freedoms and protections that American citizens enjoy.

Are we willing to resist the justified fear of further terrorist attack and choose instead for a society that protects (or justly punishes) its people? Are we willing to be more vulnerable in exchange for doing the right things the right way?

Legality can be cumbersome sometimes. So can morality. But those difficult choices are the most important by far, because they are the ones that define us.

In al-Awlaki's case, it's too late. With one missile in the desert, we have made a martyr of a man who was by all evidences filled with hatred for the country he belonged to - a country that should have prosecuted him according to the laws that he broke.

Justice is not served by murder outside the law. We needed to do the right thing the right way, and we didn't.

Yes, it's too late for al-Awlaki.
Let's hope though, that it's not too late for you and me.

Coffee Break Commentary: Human powered transit... and water filter?

Today's Coffee Break Commentary is a human powered combination of transit and water filtration.

Wait... what???

The "Aquaduct" is a well thought out vehicle intended for third world use to decease the time and energy needed to carry and store water, and increase the drink-ability of that water.

Though I'm unconvinced that this is going to solve- or even perceptibly ease- the global water crisis, it's a great idea, that even has myriad first and second world applications. I will be interested to see how the units perform under real world stresses (especially rough roads under the weight of a lot of H2O).

I also hope that people keep getting great ideas like this to the ground - and into the drinking cups - of those who can most benefit from creative solutions to perennial problems.

Rocktober Alphabet: C is for Costello

Elvis Costello.

Where to begin?

One of the most incorrigibly prolific musicians of ... ever, Costello's produced (by my count) 22 studio and four live albums, numerous significant album collaborations with major artists, a library of single song collaborations, a classical ballet score for orchestra recorded with the London Philharmonic, two film scores, and more. The man is a musical polymath.

His compilations and "greatest hits" collections dwarf the entire catalogs of most rock musicians.

Costello's ability to write, to perform, to think both radically and traditionally is legendary, but most impressive is his pounding drive to make, to create, to always be developing his craft and pushing his boundaries.

He embodies the eclectic individuality that rock and roll is at its finest; the attitude of punk, the roots of blues and folk, the intricacy, harmony and evocation of the classical tradition. He's getting older, but he will never be "last year's model."

Listen today to "This Year's Model" on Grooveshark.

Pump it up.

Tossing Rocks in the Digital Cave

Up on the web was a lonely goatherd...

Google's partnership with the Shrine of the Book at the Israel Museum is making the Dead Sea Scrolls available to scholars and the public in a groundbreaking new way.

Realizing that the physical copies of these manuscripts from the Qumran community have a limited shelf life, the team is digitally archiving the collection. This is itself is important, and impressive. Their project is about much more than simple storage, though.

What makes this so exciting from the perspective of a biblical student and text critic is the fact that it the end result (according to the project's website)"gives users access to searchable, fast-loading, high-resolution images of the scrolls..."

In the era of Project Gutenberg, searchable pdf files, and advanced web crawling, this may not seem so impressive. Don't yawn though. This is a really, really big deal.

What this means is that texts that previously even the most respected scholars could never have dreamt of handling or studying for themselves are available - for free - to the general public. These texts are now fully searchable, and offer translation directly tied to the image being studied. This is a big deal.

Play around with the Great Isaiah Scroll for a sense of the project.

Part of my fascination with the scriptures has to do with the vulnerable, messy way that they have come to us. The story of the bible's development rambles and winds through millenia, through myriad ethnic and religious communities, across barriers of language, culture, race, and belief. We hold flaps of papyrus, bits of parchment and vellum as evidence of its antiquity, and use these to carefully compare to what we have today, to faithfully interpret the meaning of those texts.

This careful criticism holds profound implications for how we study, exegete, translate, and teach the scriptures. The Dead Sea Scrolls are a key part of that study.

Now that they are archived in the cultural and scholarly "commons" means that any student of the Bible's text and story can directly interact with these manuscripts for themselves, compare their conclusions with those of the wider community, and bring that story a bit closer to the narrative of their own lives.

It's my sincere hope that this project is a vision of "things to come" in ancient text criticism. Though the real beauty - and danger - lies in the interpretation of the manuscripts, having them within easy reach of anyone whose heart lies in the letters on that old paper is a really, really good idea.

And though they might not say it, the desert hermits of the Qumran community would probably be a bit jealous.


(Photo credit)

Rocktober Alphabet: B is for Bowie

Seminal pioneer of glam-rock, master of the concept album, genre and gender bending Thin White Duke. David Bowie's flair for grit-glitzy rock and roll prophecy is and was sheer genius.

He's experimental without being alienating, danceable without becoming a commercial sellout. He can write, he can play, he can think, he can sing. He's pure rock, individual, artistic, mysterious, and a rebel.

Check out "Five Years" from Ziggy Stardust for a quiet taste of the goodness.

Rocktober Alphabet: A is for Autry!

Autry! Rawks!

It's the 1st of Rocktober. As we kick off our Rocktoberfest, let's start close to home.

As in Portland.

As in my RAWKING COUSIN...

Growing up with Autry (she was like a second little sister through elementary school) was awesome, and I can't think of a better A to kick off Threeow's Rocktober Alphabet. She's local, talented, and tastefully over the top.

Rob Cullivan over at the Tribune summed it up well:

If Cyndi Lauper hadn’t acted so ditzy and Ani DiFranco joked a lot more, either woman might’ve been Autry, a Portland punk-meets-the Roaring ’20s singer-songwriter who’s so clearly out of her mind she just might be the sanest of us all. Not to mention she’s got a heckuva set of pipes and could hold her own against a lot of blues shouters if she so chose.

  
Here's an old version of one of her more out there tunes - "Bug". Enjoy. Find more at her myspace.

LET THE ROCKTOBERFESTIVITIES BEGIN.