Welcome! "The Evening Blues" is a casual community diary (published Monday - Friday, 7:00 PM Eastern) where we hang out, share and talk about news, music, photography and other things of interest to the community.
Just about anything goes, but attacks and pie fights are not welcome here. This is a community diary and a friendly, peaceful, supportive place for people to interact.
Everyone who wants to join in peaceful interaction is very welcome here.
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Hey! Good Evening!
Tonight's music features a sort of lineage of Mississippi blues. From Skip James and Fred McDowell to RL Burnside, Junior Kimbrough and the North Mississippi Allstars. Enjoy!
"I wanted to get out of Mississippi in the worst way. Go back? What I want to go back for?"
-- Muddy Waters
Photos From Joe on the Road
Amazing mural in Bucyrus, Ohio (Photo by joe shikspack, 7/3/12)
Amazing mural in Bucyrus, Ohio (Photo by joe shikspack, 7/3/12)
[ Editor's Note: joanneleon and KBO will be holding down the Evening Blues fort while joe shikspack is on his roadtrip vacation. When we can, we'll post photos and messages that he sends in and put them in this section of the diary. He'll be checking in regularly when he has connectivity, so feel free to leave him some greetings in the comments. Also, we would love to have your help with ideas for Evening Blues topics while he is gone, so feel free to lend your Blues and Roots music expertise and ideas in the comments! ]
News
From the Guardian. Want to go put your two cents in the comments there?
Fourth of July playlist: taking your suggestions (#IndependencePlaylist)
There's plenty of evidence on file to support the theory that this may be the lamest Fourth of July ever, starting with the drought engulfing a quarter of American communities and ending with the fact that Independence Day 2012 is a mid-week holiday.
[ ... ]
We've built a Spotify playlist of American-centric tunes to keep this from being the worst Fourth ever – seeking your additions
#NatGat Day 3: Inside the Protest
NBC10 producer embeds Day 3 of the Occupy National Gathering
The Occupy movement might be gone from encampments on Wall Street, at City Hall and around the country but the anti-corporate greed (and plenty of other causes) movement continues to exist as occupiers from dozens of movements are in Philly this week for the Occupy National Gathering.
On Monday this writer was embedded with the #NatGat folks as they held break out strategy sessions and listened to speakers in Franklin Square throughout the day before marching miles through downtown Philadelphia starting around rush hour to call for corporate accountability.
[ ... ]
But there were also onlookers who didn’t seem upset but rather interested in the cause. That curiosity was helped by protesters willing to stay back a minute or two to voluntarily explain why they were out there in the first place to anyone willing to listen.
Occupy National Gathering: ‘Our permit is our First Amendment’
Less than an hour before the rally began, the U.S. Desk learned that police were preparing to disperse and arrest protesters who they say have no permit to hold rallies. Ward Reilly, from Veterans for Peace, told the U.S. Desk that those participating in the rally will “stand” in the scene despite possible “arrests.”
He said that they were gathering in the “First Amendment Park” to try to end the occupations, to call attentions to drone warfare [and] all the critical issues that are happening in this country right now.”
Reilly expressed dismay at the fact that “the very veterans who have guaranteed that we have a First Amendment and a Constitution” are seeing their First Amendment rights violated by being forced out of their protest events.
Days Two and Three of Occupy National Gathering
Day 3 of Occupy National Gathering was filled with action, visioning, information and visioning.
The morning and early afternoon were dedicated, first, to discussions of different topics, like food, information, actions.
That was followed by speakers. Matt Taibbi spoke around 1 PM.
At 3:45, about 300 marchers left Franklin Square at sixth and Race to begin a march that would run about three miles-- stopping at Comcast Headquarters and a few banks.
Heat turning ugly again
What looked last week to be a modest re-surgence is turning into an all-out bake-a-thon, with temperatures on Saturday now projected to make a run at 100.
The National Weather Service has posted an "excessive heat watch" in effect for tomorrow afternoon on into the weekend.
The intensity of the heat is ominous in and of itself, but perhaps a bigger concern is duration.
This will be day 5 of the current heat wave, and day 5 with official temperatures failing to get below 70 in PHiladelphia. Expect at least 5 more hot days and warm nights.
Heat has a cumulative effect, particularly in the black-roof, brick rowhouse neighborhoods where the elderly live-alone populations tend to be concentrated.
4th of July festivities in Philadelphia.
Have fun on July 4th, even though it's on a Wednesday this year
[ ... ] obligatory multi-performer concert and fireworks in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. This year, Queen Latifah, Daryl Hall, Common, Joe Jonas and headliners The Roots will get sweaty onstage as we stay up past our bedtimes to watch the sky blast and sparkle. Don't worry about driving to any of the above, either; SEPTA is running extra service all around the festivities.
Party on the Parkway, Benjamin Franklin Parkway, 20th Street to Eakins Oval, noon-7 p.m., Jam and Grand Finale Fireworks, 20th and the Parkway, 7-11 p.m., welcomeamerica.com.
Local news today says that fourth of July will not be occupied. But it will probably be interesting. This is the best article I have seen so far about the #natgat Occupy National Gathering.
City says despite multitude of protests, fourth of July will be 'business as usual'
[ ... ]
On the fourth of July, these four group will all hold events at the same location – save the first listed, who recently moved their meeting place ... two blocks away.
– The Independence Hall Tea Party Association will host their fourth-annual Independence Day rally, "Celebrate American Exceptionalism," at the Independence Visitors Center Ballroom.
–– Unendorsed Occupy spin-off The 99 Percent Declaration is holding a "Continental Congress 2.0" at the Philadelphia Convention Center to petition the federal government for a redress of grievances. They plan to march to Independence Hall on July 4.
– Pennsylvania Society of the Sons of the Revolution will hold their annual "Let Freedom Ring" celebration of the Declaration of Independence signing at Independence Hall.
– Occupy's National Gathering will hold a massive final march to Independence Mall that is expected to draw thousands of participants from around the country.
[ ... ]
Tomorrow's march will target large financial institutions in what one protester called "a more participatory, direct action." A demonstrator said earlier this week they planned to stage a circus "to point out the absurdity that financial institutions in our country have become."
Keep an eye out for performers costumed, for example, as a tax-dodging acrobat. Occupy sub-group Philadelphians Allied for a Responsible Economy played a large role in putting the performance protest together.
On Monday
#OCHI Members Occupy State Attorney's Office In Solidarity With #NATO5
Earlier today, three of the five people who were arrested on trumped-up charges of terrorism during the NATO summit in Chicago last May pleaded not guilty during their arraignment. The National Lawyers Guild has called the case a clear example of entrapment, as the supposed terrorist plot was coordinated by police informants themselves, who had infiltrated the Occupy movement disguised as protesters. Occupy Chicago marched to the office of State Attorney Anita Alvarez to demand freedom for the #NATO5, other Occupy supporters who were arrested surrounding the anti-NATO mobilization, and all those held by the flawed U.S. (in)justice system. The trial for the three arraigned today has been set for summer 2013.
Supporters of the #NATO5 flooded the courtroom and raised their fists in protest and others have demonstrated in front of the Federal Prison at Van Buren & Dearborn in Chicago throughout the day. Three Occupiers entered the State Attorney office and refused to leave until all charges against the #NATO5 are dropped, while others rallied in support outside chanting "Brick by brick, wall by wall, our prison system has got to fall!" and "Hey Anita what do you say? Let the #NATO5 go today!"
The sit-in did not last long before police moved in to arrest. The 3 people who occupied the State Attorney's office have been taken to the jail at 18th and State. Several dozen Occupiers have made their way there for jail support, and others are encouraged to join them!
Government-sponsored study destroys DEA’s classification of marijuana
A government-sponsored study published this month in The Open Neurology Journal concludes that marijuana provides much-needed relief to some chronic pain sufferers and that more clinical trials are desperately needed, utterly destroying the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency’s (DEA) classification of the drug as having no medical uses.
While numerous prior studies have shown marijuana’s usefulness for a host of medical conditions, none have ever gone directly at the DEA’s placement of marijuana atop the schedule of controlled substances. This study, sponsored by the State of California and conducted at the University of California Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research, does precisely that, driving a stake into the heart of America’s continued war on marijuana users by calling the Schedule I placement simply “not accurate” and “not tenable.”
NASA: Magnetic storms possible after Monday’s massive solar flare
U.S. space agency NASA warned this week that a massive solar flare recorded on Monday could cause spectacular geomagnetic storms on Earth as soon as Wednesday.
Video published by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory shows the flare in multiple wavelengths jetting out from a sunspot on July 2. The agency said that it caused a magnetic burst that may be powerful enough to cause significant static interruptions in some radio communications in Europe and light up the night skies with atmospheric auroras.
The burst was almost powerful enough to be classified by NASA as an X-class solar flare, the highest and most threatening rating. An X-class flare could significantly disrupt space-based electronics like global positioning systems, cause stock markets to crash or even knock out whole power grids for weeks or months, which NASA has been warning about for years now after predicting the current period of intense solar activity.
Leaked CERN video shows glimpse of the Higgs
With all eyes on CERN in advance of tomorrow's Higgs update it appears that someone has slipped up and given us a sneak peak. In a video posted on CERN's website but dated tomorrow, Joe Incandela, spokesperson for the CMS experiment, confirms that they have found a new particle, but stops short of calling it the Higgs.
We've observed a new particle. We have quite strong evidence that there's something there, so to ascertain its properties is still going to take us a little bit of time.
IMF admits US recovery is 'tepid' but urges Obama to avoid drastic cuts
Christine Lagarde delivers gloomy forecast for president, but says attempts to cut spending too quickly would be 'excessive'
The International Monetary Fund has advised the Obama administration not to tighten its belt too quickly to reduce the public deficit, warning that to do so could further weaken the US economy by the end of this year with possible global implications.
In its report for 2012, the IMF has delivered a pessimistic forecast for the US economy, predicting that growth will remain modest over the next two years. The fund's managing director, Christine Lagarde, said that America's economic recovery "remains tepid. It is economic recovery, we are in positive territory, but it is tepid".
She pointed to two main risks facing the world's largest economy: exposure to the potential contagion spreading out from the euro debt crisis, and political uncertainty in Washington that was preventing agreement on fiscal policy that in turn threatened to push the US off a "fiscal cliff".
Ah, so he resigned after all. I guess that support from the board was not as strong as he thought. Hmm, the
Guardian has opened a liveblog for this. A big deal in a few different ways.
Barclays blames 'senior Whitehall figures' for Libor scandal as Bob Diamond resigns - live
• 2008 email implicates Bank of England and Labour government in Libor manipulation
• Barclays briefs media on CEO's departure - 3.25pm onwards
• COO Jerry Del Missier also resigns - full details
• Sir Mervyn King implicated.....
• Will Diamond now 'declare war' on Bank of England?
• Boris Johnson still values Diamond
• Barclays statement here
Ex-President Sarkozy's home, offices searched
PARIS - French investigators searched former President Nicolas Sarkozy's home and office on Tuesday as part of a probe into suspected illegal financing of his 2007 presidential campaign by the L'Oreal cosmetics heiress, an official said.
[ ... ]
The probe centers on the finances of France's richest woman, L'Oreal cosmetics heiress Liliane Bettencourt.
A long-running family feud over her fortune ballooned in 2010 into a multi-layered investigation and political affair. Allegations emerged that Bettencourt provided illegal campaign cash to Sarkozy's party during the 2007 campaign. Sarkozy vigorously denies the claims.
Pakistan opens Afghan supply line after US apology
WASHINGTON - The Obama administration said Tuesday that Pakistan was reopening its supply lines into Afghanistan, after the U.S. belatedly issued an apology for the November killing of 24 Pakistani troops in a NATO airstrike.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton expressed her condolences for the deaths in a telephone conversation with Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar. The incident badly damaged already strained relations between the two countries and forced the U.S. and its allies to send supplies via costlier northern routes into Afghanistan.
"We are sorry for the losses suffered by the Pakistani military," Clinton said in a statement, recounting her discussion with Khar. "I offered our sincere condolences to the families of the Pakistani soldiers who lost their lives. Foreign Minister Khar and I acknowledged the mistakes that resulted in the loss of Pakistani military lives."
Iran nuclear talks restart as tensions rise in Gulf
Negotiations in Istanbul as the US sends more ships to Gulf and Iran's parliament calls for action in the Strait of Hormuz
alks have begun in Istanbul between Iranian scientists and their counterparts from six major powers in an attempt to resolve an impasse over Iran's nuclear aspirations, as both Tehran and Washington raised the military stakes in a perilous standoff in the Gulf.
On Tuesday, the US was reported to have significantly increased its military presence in the region, doubling the number of its minesweepers while bringing in stealth warplanes in part as a deterrent to any Iranian attempt to close the Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf, through which a fifth of the world's oil supply flows each day.
As part of extensive war games Iran test-fired medium-range missiles, capable of hitting US bases in the region or Israel. The parliament in Tehran, meanwhile, called an urgent debate on a bill to block at least some oil tankers in the Gulf, and there were reports that the leadership might be considering announcing a new, higher level of uranium enrichment.
Blog Posts of Interest
Here are diaries and selected blog posts of interest on DailyKos and other blogs.
What's Happenin'? 7.4.12
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/07/04/1104739/-Higgs-Boson-Announcement-v5-0-DISCOVERY on DailyKos by science
Amazing Image of E.U. Parliament Celebrating Its Rejection of ACTA ("Hello Democracy") on DailyKos by The Troubadour
Full Moon Fever on DailyKos by GreenMother
Occupy History: The American Revolution Was About Debt Relief on DailyKos by DSWright
Things Worth Fighting For on emptywheel.net by emptywheel
Ex-Barclays CEO Diamond Testifies Before Parliament in Libor Scandal on FDL News by David Dayen
Isis King and Janet Mock discuss Transwomen in the Media on DailyKos by rserven
A Little Night Music
Mississippi Fred McDowell - John Henry
Skip James- Hard Time Killin' Floor Blues
Skip James - Devil Got My Woman
Mississippi Fred Mcdowell - Kokomo Me Baby
Skip James - Crow Jane
R.L. Burnside - See My Jumper Hanging On the Line
Junior Kimbrough - Sad Days, Lonely Nights
Mississippi Fred McDowell - Shake 'Em On Down
North Mississippi Allstars - Po Black Maddie/Skinny Woman
For further listening:
R. L. Burnside - Death Bell Blues
Mississippi Fred McDowell - You gotta move
Fred McDowell - Write Me A Few Lines
Junior Kimbrough - All Night Long
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