Saturday, November 29, 2008

Blues Break: Ben E. King - 'Stand by Me'


A vast international collaboration filmed and orchestrated by Playing for Change. Here are the lyrics, written by Ben E. King, with Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, in 1961:

When the night has come And the land is dark
And the moon is the only light we'll see
No I won't be afraid, no I won't be afraid
Just as long as you stand, stand by me
And darlin', darlin', stand by me, oh now now stand by me
Stand by me, stand by me
If the sky that we look upon
Should tumble and fall
And the mountains should crumble to the sea
I won't cry, I won't cry, no I won't shed a tear
Just as long as you stand, stand by me
And darlin', darlin', stand by me, oh stand by me
Stand by me, stand by me, stand by me-e, yeah
Whenever you're in trouble won't you stand by me, oh now now stand by me
Oh stand by me, stand by me, stand by me
Darlin', darlin', stand by me-e, stand by me
Oh stand by me, stand by me, stand by me

[H/T Bill Moyers Journal and Laura Doty at Firedoglake]

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

'Taxi to the Dark Side' - See it!



Anyone who has doubts about prosecuting the highest officials of the Bush/Cheney administration for their roles in the torture regime of the last seven years should see this powerful film, which won an Academy Award and a Peabody Award. It should be required viewing for all incoming members of Congress and the new administration, especially Barack Obama and his Justice Department.

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Blues Break: Toumani Diabate - 'Elyne Road'


The legendary Toumani Diabate plays his kora at the 43rd Cambridge Folk Festival in 2007. The song appears as the second track on his latest album, Mandé Variations (2008).

Friday, November 07, 2008

Bush's first (and last) selfless act

“For the next 75 days, all of us must ensure that the next president and his team can hit the ground running,” Mr. Bush said in an emotional speech to hundreds of employees of the executive branch on the South Lawn of the White House. He urged them to “conduct yourselves with the decency and professionalism that you have shown throughout my time in office.”

New York Times, November 6, 2008
No doubt President-elect Obama appreciates Bush's sincerity and generosity in offering full cooperation during the remaining days of his administration.

Bush's understandable concerns about his legacy could be slightly alleviated if he took one further step that would be wildly popular around the world: resign immediately. And take Dick Cheney with him. Under the Presidential Succession Act of 1947, that would leave Nancy Pelosi as regent until Obama and Biden can be sworn in.

Then the adults could take over immediately and begin to grapple with the wasteland that Bush/Cheney will leave as their true legacy.