Nuclear Beef

A while back I had a conversation with some peers about when Bush declared an end to "major combat operations" in Iraq. They gave me the approximately standard line that Bush was trying to say that the war was over, and of course he was wrong! Very, very wrong.

Bush was right, although his language was imprecise.

Doctrinally, the military draws a distinction between 'high intensity, 'mid-intensity,' and 'low-intensity' warfare, and there's a doctrinal difference between levels of insurgency. A 'level 1' insurgency is essentially the 'bandit' stage of an insurgency. Level 1 Insurgents do not get the same protection under international law as Level II and Level III insurgencies do.

So when Bush gave that speech, he was recognizing several technical operational things:

• We expected to be done with maneuver operations at division level and higher.
  
• The Army is still conducting a "movement to contact," but it's relying on the "search and attack technique" rather than the "approach march" technique.
  
• Civil Military Operations moved towards the top of the priority of work--replacing offensive operations as a priority on staff planning time.
• In terms of the principles of war, "Security" and "Economy of Force" recieved greater consideration, moved to the top slot, probably replacing "Mass" and "Maneuver."

There were a whole series of staff planning gear changes in place at that point.Supply operations changed a good deal--we could move construction supplies in, for example. All available cargo space did not have to be taken up by ammunition and immediate sustenance.

Everything changed.

The legal status of the Iraqi government changed. We were now working WITH large segments of the Iraqi population. But that was happening at the grassroots level.

It was a huge grinding of the gears, taking place behind the scenes. Bush never promised that hostilities would cease. Anyone who says he said the war was over is repeating a lie.

You can have wars without 'major combat operations.' I.e., operations, say, at division level or above.

Think Belfast.

Jason

Posted by darwin at 05:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

My recent post on romantic moods in hip-hop prompted K. to mention an sincerely emotional song by The Coup. I recalled another Coup song which has a certain emotional poignancy, so here's my AWESOME BLOG ENTRY!!

Me and Jesus The Pimp in a 79 Granada from 1998's Steal This Album

A storytelling rap that would make Slick Rick proud. Intensely personal (though one presumes not autobiographical) and well constructed rhymes. All this over a beat that will leave heads nodding "like [they] agreed a lot." A glimpse at the potential most MCs squander with their "sicker-than" raps.

Wear Clean Draws from 2001's Party Music

This album is perhaps best known for its original cover art which prophetically depicted the WTC being blown up. Copies of the CD with the original art were distributed (as promos?) in the Bay Area, but the wide release after 9/11 had a different cover. In any case, K. recommends this sweet song from Boots to his daughter. I'm not too wild about the pre-chorus (hint: don't rhyme the word toilet, ever) but the rest of the track is solid. As above, it helps to listen closely.

Posted by darwin at 01:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

ZHEVSK, Russia, July 24 - The bazaar in this industrial city shows why Western companies regard Russia as a land of piracy.

Bootlegged copies of new American movies - "King Arthur,'' "Troy'' and "Spider-Man 2'' - sell for $3. Photoshop CS, a $600 program in Western stores, fetches $2.75.

Markets like this, found throughout Russia, have been a longstanding subject of diplomatic complaint. Washington contends Russian intellectual-property pirates cost the United States more than $1 billion a year.

Now Russia is striking back. A Russian industry and product designer are asserting that the United States has been abetting intellectual-property pirates to suit its own needs, by directing copies of Russian merchandise around the world.

The complaint is not about software or music. It makes no mention of movies or video games. It is about the Kalashnikov assault rifle, the most prolific firearm ever made.
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Since the collapses of the Taliban in Afghanistan and Saddam Hussein's army in Iraq, the United States has been purchasing or arranging the transfer of thousands of knockoffs of Kalashnikovs commonly referred to as AK-47's, to outfit new military and security forces in Kabul and Baghdad.

These rifles have not been made in Russia, where the arms industry holds patents for the weapon in several nations. Instead they have originated in weapons plants controlled by Eastern European states, each of which was a partner of Moscow's in Soviet days.
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The officials noted that the low price of Kalashnikov knockoffs can make it impossible to sell the genuine item, a phenomenon resembling the underselling of software and DVD's, albeit on a different scale.
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"They are selling these rifles at dump prices," said Alexander G. Likhachev, a former Izhmash director who is now an official with the state arms agency.

He added that Russia wants that business. "We are prepared to manufacture the genuine weapons, in big quantities, because we know there is a demand," he said.

This article really speaks for itself. Warez can be used for evil, as well as good. This AK-47 Piracy really represents the Dark Side of Warez. 200x creds n00ked.

(august on the hooks)

Posted by darwin at 03:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In honor of Election Year partisan nastiness, I wanted to share this clip from the 1977 movie The Kentucky Fried Movie

It's from a TV pundit debate called Count Pointer-Count. First we hear from Conservative John Fitzsimmons and then Liberal Shiela Hamilton.

Shiela has a suggestion for John. Click here to see what she suggests John sit on..

Ok, big group hug time for Liberals and Conservatives, whatever that means. I love you, man!

Posted by darwin at 04:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Iran has broken the seals on nuclear equipment monitored by United Nations inspectors and is once again building and testing machines that could make fissile material for nuclear weapons. Teheran's move, revealed to The Daily Telegraph yesterday by western sources, breaks a deal with European countries under which Iran suspended "all uranium enrichment activity".
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America believes that a succession of reports by IAEA inspectors "revealing that Iran [has lied] systematically for 18 years and has yet to answer many troubling questions about its activities" provide ample evidence that Teheran has violated the treaty.
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Inspectors have found that Iran made small quantities of weapons-grade uranium and plutonium.

Posted by darwin at 07:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

First off, shouts go out to K., who knows what the magic number is.

Romance is not a mood commonly expressed in hip-hop. However when tough MCs do decide to get romantic, they seem pretty certain that this girl is "the one." Awww.

You're The One by P-Nut from his 2003 album Sweet As

P-Nut is apparently a UK guy in the vein of Pete Rock, and "Sweet As" (what's up, db in nz??!) is uneven in the proud tradition of uneven producer albums. The gem here is MC Shells bringing the thug romance on a beat you can just imagine booming in a jeep on a hot summer night.

The Only One by KRS-ONE from his 2003 album Kristyle

This link is very difficult to find a "buy" link for, because of drama with Koch records. Basically Koch released an incomplete version of this album, so there's actually two versions out. This track is from the "underground" version but appears on both. I can't find a place to buy the "underground" version, in fact Koch records does not list KRS-ONE on their artist roster anymore. Apparently he's now on Grit Records

In any case, here's a sweet song from The Teacher. It's presumably dedicated to his real-life wife. Intelligent, with a dope hook and KRS-ONE's patented bullet-proof flow.

The One by Cee-Lo from his 2004 album Cee Lo Green Is The Soul Machine

Last but certainly not least is a bouncy club track from Cee-Lo, formerly of the Goodie Mob. This album is on my top 10 of 2004, and for good reason. Even a weak guest spot by T.I. can't spoil it. A catchy Singalong hook from Jazzy Pha and a few smoking verses from 'Lo show why this song fits perfectly on the sunny Sunday morning album of the year.

Posted by darwin at 07:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In the four months since the former president Jean-Bertrand Aristide was forced to flee Haiti, only one foreign force has shown the potential to reunite the country - the Brazilian football team.
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The best that is hoped of the United Nations, whose soldiers recently arrived to replace the Americans, Canadians, French and Chileans, is that they manage to keep the pro-and anti-Aristide factions apart. But when the Brazilians play a friendly football match against Haiti in August, divisions will dissolve for at least 90 minutes. Brazilian troops, who make up a large part of the UN peacekeeping force, arrived last month bearing gifts of 1,000 footballs for Haitian children. The Brazilian president, Luiz Inacio "Lula" da Silva, plans to attend the game. But to get a ticket for the big match, each fan must turn in at least one gun.

Posted by darwin at 10:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here's Alan Moore making an unfortunate mis-step while ranting about politics. I wish artists I like would keep these sorts of opinions to themselves, frankly. Do I really want to know that Alan Moore bought the "firing blanks" line regarding Jessica Lynch or that Dave Sim is a he-man woman hater? Goddamn it!

This is what wars are; it's not Hollywood, not that ridiculous manipulation of Jessica Lynch, where they had soldiers shooting blanks into the air to make it look as if they were rescuing her under fire. It's Jerry Bruckheimer warfare; they even had to dress it up to make it seem as if she was sodomized or raped by her captors. And there's no evidence of this, she doesn't remember it, and it seems that the people looking after her were trying to get her back to the Americans. The whole thing is a movie.

Like, totally deep man.

Except that in order to fire blanks out of a M16, you need a blank firing adapter.

Disregarding the fact that no commander in their right mind would send troops into hostile territory with weapons loaded with blanks, you can't easily switch between blanks and real ammunition. The "blanks" claim from an Iraqi witness never passed the laugh test, but apparently Alan Moore is still really convinced!

Posted by darwin at 10:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

QUESTION: Since Sadam's fall, what items are the Iraqi's buying like crazy? I have heard cell phones & satellite dishes. Trying to find out the specifics on what companies are making the products that are being bought. Thanks. Jenkins, Jason ANSWER: About 100 meters from my room is small shop that's owned by a couple Iraqi's. I went over to them today and asked the three Iraqi's behind the counter your question, and the first answer all three of them gave me was: Porno. They said now you can buy porno videos downtown, and you couldn't do that when Saddam was in power. The also have worldwide communication available to them now that wasn't here before, cell phones, Internet, and there's a shit load of European cars here now. Everyday I see truck loads of European cars being brought here, and a lot of people here are now driving BMW's and Mercedes. Its weird, almost every car here looks like its straight off the junk yard, but then every now and then you'll see some luxury european car driving down the street.

See, Saddam tried to keep porno from the people, and he got his due comeuppance. Now people throughout the ghettos of Iraq are rolling in their M3s on 24s.

Hallahhhhh!

Posted by darwin at 05:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

pay dues forever/
slay dudes when it comes to who's more cleverer

Rock KoKaine Flow by De La Soul ft. MF DOOM

Posted by august at 04:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

james over at music for robots posted a great T. Rex song called "Planet Queen" which I had never heard before.

Actually, I had heard it before, hundreds of times. Only I thought it was a Holy Cow song, because it was on their album Soul Box without any obvious indication that it's really a T. Rex song. It sounds, well, like all the other Holy Cow material : spooky, driving, tribal and overwrought. This is a live version, but I believe there was a studio version released on the B-Side of a vinyl 7".

Planet Queen by Holy Cow from their 1995 album Soul Box

Holy Cow never really broke through, and I'm not sure why. It's a lot better than most modern Industrial/Darkwave, and Soul Box has great real drumming. I heard a more recent album and it had poorly sequenced synth drums.. the magic was not quite there. The live show was all about the pounding tribal drumming and spooky ass singer Chris Means. Sorta like Neurosis but fewer people on stage.

Anyway, shouts go out to Chunga and Moleman from Holy Cow. Their new stuff is on NEUE ASTHETIK records.

Posted by darwin at 12:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

So not that anyone actually reads my blog but my friends (I'm no superstar DJ moe rex) but I was out of town. I now return to my regularly scheduled AWESOME BLOGGING. Here's some mp3s I've been feeling lately.

Desperate Guys by The Faint from their forthcoming album "Wet From Birth"

This song reminds me of a particular person. Regardless, The Faint are back and they just keeping better. 3:05, what sound like real strings, lots of bleepy edits. The groove on this shit, if this doesn't get you hyped up you should make sure someone didn't slip you a mickey. A good vocal performance and hilarious lyrics :

In the evening I saw you / You were warming the bass up /
Your hair covered your face up /
I was acting indifferent at the merch booth /
Putting on makeup

The rest of the album is this good too. Definitely a "strong buy" if you this is your sort of thing.

Screening Phone Calls by edIT from his 2004 album Crying Over Pros For No Reason

Apparently edIT is some guy from Los Angeles. This album is on Planet Mu Records which is the label of a guy from mu-ziq. That's all I know about him, but jesus his album is pretty damn amazing. If you thought Prefuse 73 wasn't glitchy enough, your ship has come in. What's weird is that he's also somehow more soulful. An album of this can fatigue the ear, but each track has its own feel. Next level shit.

UPDATE: Some whore mp3 search engine or something linked to this post, so the download link doesn't work anymore. Thanks, guys!

Posted by darwin at 12:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)