Isaiah's THE WORLD TODAY JUST NUTS "Biden Privilege" went up Sunday. In other news? I was just noting the passing of Eddie Money ("Eddie had two tickets to paradise") and now we learn the lead singer of The Cars has died.
NPR notes:
Ric Ocasek, leader of the Boston-based rock band The Cars and an influential music producer, has died, a New York Police Department spokesman confirmed to NPR. He was found unconscious Sunday afternoon at his townhouse in Manhattan. (There is some confusion about Ocasek's exact age: The NYPD said that he was 75; public records list his age as 70.)
On Monday, the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner told NPR in a statement that Ocasek died of heart disease, specifically hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, with pulmonary emphysema as a contributing condition. OCME also lists the singer's age as 75.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, which inducted The Cars in 2018, called the band "the ultimate New Wave dream machine: a hook-savvy super-charged quintet that fused '60s pop, '70s glam and avant-rock minimalism into a decade of dashboard-radio nirvana."
The Cars' lead singer, rhythm guitarist and songwriter was born Richard Otcasek in Baltimore and raised in Cleveland, where his father was a computer analyst for NASA. It was a tough transition: He told Interview Magazine he got "punched in the face the very first day of school." He co-founded the group with Benjamin Orr, a bassist and vocalist with whom he had begun playing in Ohio. The two began traveling as a duo before landing in Boston, and The Cars came together in 1976 with three other musicians: guitarist Elliot Easton, keyboard player Greg Hawkes and drummer David Robinson.
Their hits included "My Best Friends Girl," "Let The Good Times Roll," "Shake It Up," "You Might Think," "Drive" (which Benjamin Orr sang lead on), "Hello Again" and "Just What I Needed." As a solo artist, he had a hit with "Emotion in Motion."
FOX NEWS notes:
The Cars' self-titled 1978 debut album was a smash hit, boosted by singles including "Just What I Needed." The album helped lead the way for new wave's influence on rock music throughout the following decade.
The band's 1981 single "Shake It Up" hit #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, while 1984's "Drive" hit #3.
"I liked songwriters, I was always attracted to people like Buddy Holly, Little Richard, Gene Vincent in the '50s, and when the '60s came, of course I loved The Beatles, but I also loved the Velvet Underground, Captain Beefheart, and Frank Zappa," Ocasek told The Vinyl District earlier this year. "I certainly always loved a good pop song. I always liked great songs, and it didn’t matter if it was from the Carpenters or Lou Reed. As long as they were done well and they weren’t corny or fake."
THE IRISH TIMES adds:
In a string of
multimillion-selling albums from 1978 to 1988, Ocasek and The Cars
merged a vision of dangerous and romantic nightlife and the concision of
new wave with the sonic depth and ingenuity of radio-friendly rock. The
Cars managed to please both punk-rock fans and a far broader pop
audience, reaching into rock history while devising fresh, lush
extensions of it.
The Cars grew out of a
friendship forged in the late 1960s in Ohio between Ocasek – born
Richard Theodore Otcasek – and Benjamin Orr, who died in 2000. They
worked together in multiple bands before moving to Boston and forming
The Cars in the late 1970s, with Elliot Easton on guitar, Greg Hawkes on
keyboards and David Robinson
on drums. It was the beginning of the punk era, but The Cars made their
first albums with Queen’s producer, Roy Thomas Baker, creating songs
that were terse and moody but impeccably polished.
I love "Shake It Up" but I think "Magic" was my favorite Cars song.
Closing with C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot:"
Monday, September 16, 2019. More calls for war as the media largely ignores Joe Biden's White privilege.
Starting in the Middle East, Peter Symonds (WSWS) reports:
Drone strikes on key oil facilities in Saudi Arabia on Saturday by Yemen’s Houthi rebels have triggered concerns about a potential major disruption in global oil supplies and a spike in oil prices. The attack, in retaliation for the brutal Saudi-led and US-backed war on Yemen, has sharply raised regional tensions and heightened the danger of a US war on Iran, which Washington accuses of backing the Houthis.
Houthi spokesman Brigadier-General Yahya Sare’e told the media that its forces had “carried out a massive offensive operation of 10 drones targeting Abqaiq and Khurais refineries.” Hijra Khurais is Saudi Arabia’s second largest oil field producing about 1.5 million barrels of oil a day, and Abqaiq is the world’s largest crude stabilisation facility, processing some 7 million barrels of oil for export.
While Saudi authorities insisted that fires at the two sites were under control, Saudi’s state-owned Armco oil company suspended production at the facilities, cutting output by about half. The price for Brent crude oil, the international benchmark, shot up by almost $12 a barrel to $71.95 a barrel, before easing to $68 a barrel, up by more than 12 percent.
The Trump administration immediately blamed Iran for the drone strikes. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted that “Tehran is behind nearly 100 attacks on Saudi Arabia… Amid all the calls for de-escalation, Iran has now launched an unprecedented attack on the world’s energy supply. There is no evidence the attacks came from Yemen.”
Pompeo provided not a shred of evidence for any of his allegations, simply asserting that the Houthi rebels did not have the ability to carry out such a sophisticated attack. To date, Saudi authorities have provided few details of the strikes and have not attributed blame to regional rival Iran. Pompeo’s provocative remarks undermine the possibility of talks between the US and Iran.
Tehran has denied any involvement in Saturday’s drone strikes. Foreign ministry spokesman Seyyed Abbas Mousavi dismissed Pompeo’s “blind accusations and inappropriate comments,” saying: “Even hostility needs a certain degree of credibility and reasonable frameworks. US officials have also violated these basic principles.”
Rattle the sabers! Beat the drums! Empire's what this country runs on!
Jason Ditz (ANTIWAR.COM) notes:
Following Saturday’s drone attack on Saudi Arabia, Iraq’s government has issued a statement denying that there was any link to Iraqi soil and the attack, saying its territory had not been used in any way in the attack.
Moreover, the statement vowed to “punish anyone who intended to use Iraq as a launchpad for attacks in the region.”
Jason also notes:
Indeed there doesn’t appear to be any publicly available evidence of Iranian involvement, while Yemen’s Houthi movement, the most probable culprit, openly admits to having carried out the attack themselves. Pompeo says there is “no evidence” the attack came from Yemen, suggesting that North Yemen’s largest faction flat out saying they did it doesn’t count as evidence to him.
A commander for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard also suggested if Iran wanted to attack something, it wouldn’t be some Saudi refinery, noting that a number of US military bases and aircraft carriers are well within range of Iranian missiles. He added that Iran has long prepared for a full-fledged war, suggesting Iran is ready to respond if the US uses this as a pretext for war.
REUTERS adds, "U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi that the United States has information confirming Baghdad’s denial that Iraqi territory was used to launch an attack on Saudi oil facilities, Iraq said on Monday."
While the drone attack on Saudi Arabia passes for an international crisis, drones entering Iraqi air space don't even appear to raise an international eye brow. XINHUA reports:
The paramilitary Hashd Shaabi forces on Sunday opened fire on an unidentified drone as it flew over its headquarters in Iraq's central province of Salahudin.
The anti-aircraft weapons of the Hashd Shaabi's 41st and 43rd brigades fired at the drone after they confirmed that the drone is unknown even for the Iraqi Joint Operations Command, according to an online statement by the Hashd Shaabi.
The statement did not say whether the drone was shot down or fled the area. However, a video clip published by a Hashd Shaabi website and local media showed a small plane flying far away in the sky while an anti-aircraft machinegun was firing a series of bursts.
In other news, INTERNATIONAL QURAN NEWS AGENCY reports that Iraq's military has begun 'cleansing' the suburbs of Mosul of terrorists -- this after claiming in 2017 to have liberated Mosul from ISIS.
Meanwhile Jane Arraf Tweets the following news:
Starting in the Middle East, Peter Symonds (WSWS) reports:
Drone strikes on key oil facilities in Saudi Arabia on Saturday by Yemen’s Houthi rebels have triggered concerns about a potential major disruption in global oil supplies and a spike in oil prices. The attack, in retaliation for the brutal Saudi-led and US-backed war on Yemen, has sharply raised regional tensions and heightened the danger of a US war on Iran, which Washington accuses of backing the Houthis.
Houthi spokesman Brigadier-General Yahya Sare’e told the media that its forces had “carried out a massive offensive operation of 10 drones targeting Abqaiq and Khurais refineries.” Hijra Khurais is Saudi Arabia’s second largest oil field producing about 1.5 million barrels of oil a day, and Abqaiq is the world’s largest crude stabilisation facility, processing some 7 million barrels of oil for export.
While Saudi authorities insisted that fires at the two sites were under control, Saudi’s state-owned Armco oil company suspended production at the facilities, cutting output by about half. The price for Brent crude oil, the international benchmark, shot up by almost $12 a barrel to $71.95 a barrel, before easing to $68 a barrel, up by more than 12 percent.
The Trump administration immediately blamed Iran for the drone strikes. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted that “Tehran is behind nearly 100 attacks on Saudi Arabia… Amid all the calls for de-escalation, Iran has now launched an unprecedented attack on the world’s energy supply. There is no evidence the attacks came from Yemen.”
Pompeo provided not a shred of evidence for any of his allegations, simply asserting that the Houthi rebels did not have the ability to carry out such a sophisticated attack. To date, Saudi authorities have provided few details of the strikes and have not attributed blame to regional rival Iran. Pompeo’s provocative remarks undermine the possibility of talks between the US and Iran.
Tehran has denied any involvement in Saturday’s drone strikes. Foreign ministry spokesman Seyyed Abbas Mousavi dismissed Pompeo’s “blind accusations and inappropriate comments,” saying: “Even hostility needs a certain degree of credibility and reasonable frameworks. US officials have also violated these basic principles.”
Rattle the sabers! Beat the drums! Empire's what this country runs on!
Jason Ditz (ANTIWAR.COM) notes:
Following Saturday’s drone attack on Saudi Arabia, Iraq’s government has issued a statement denying that there was any link to Iraqi soil and the attack, saying its territory had not been used in any way in the attack.
Moreover, the statement vowed to “punish anyone who intended to use Iraq as a launchpad for attacks in the region.”
Jason also notes:
Indeed there doesn’t appear to be any publicly available evidence of Iranian involvement, while Yemen’s Houthi movement, the most probable culprit, openly admits to having carried out the attack themselves. Pompeo says there is “no evidence” the attack came from Yemen, suggesting that North Yemen’s largest faction flat out saying they did it doesn’t count as evidence to him.
A commander for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard also suggested if Iran wanted to attack something, it wouldn’t be some Saudi refinery, noting that a number of US military bases and aircraft carriers are well within range of Iranian missiles. He added that Iran has long prepared for a full-fledged war, suggesting Iran is ready to respond if the US uses this as a pretext for war.
REUTERS adds, "U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi that the United States has information confirming Baghdad’s denial that Iraqi territory was used to launch an attack on Saudi oil facilities, Iraq said on Monday."
While the drone attack on Saudi Arabia passes for an international crisis, drones entering Iraqi air space don't even appear to raise an international eye brow. XINHUA reports:
The paramilitary Hashd Shaabi forces on Sunday opened fire on an unidentified drone as it flew over its headquarters in Iraq's central province of Salahudin.
The anti-aircraft weapons of the Hashd Shaabi's 41st and 43rd brigades fired at the drone after they confirmed that the drone is unknown even for the Iraqi Joint Operations Command, according to an online statement by the Hashd Shaabi.
The statement did not say whether the drone was shot down or fled the area. However, a video clip published by a Hashd Shaabi website and local media showed a small plane flying far away in the sky while an anti-aircraft machinegun was firing a series of bursts.
In other news, INTERNATIONAL QURAN NEWS AGENCY reports that Iraq's military has begun 'cleansing' the suburbs of Mosul of terrorists -- this after claiming in 2017 to have liberated Mosul from ISIS.
Meanwhile Jane Arraf Tweets the following news:
Iraqi women posing on steps of presidential palace after working with President @BarhamSalih on landmark draft bill to criminalize domestic violence. Controversial in #Iraq, the bill would end protection for assault within families and allow safe houses for victims of violence.
At #Iraq's presidential palace. President @BarhamSalih after meeting today on groundbreaking draft law that would criminalize domestic violence. The bill would end legal protection for domestic violence and - hugely important - allow safe houses for women and others fleeing abuse
In the United States, the race for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination continues. Last night, Isaiah's THE WORLD TODAY JUST NUTS "Biden Privilege" went up.
Replying to and
Civility police. Same old BS. All people of color raised by people of color know we can't get away with the same actions as white people. Castro was right. Biden contradicted himself about Biden's own healthcare policy.
What an elitist and privileged thing to say. "Let's not worry about how racist this guy is, let's focus on getting the other racist out first!" Ok so by your strategy what exactly do POC win if Biden does? #WhitePrivilege
Essential reading to understand Biden! The old guard in the African American community may support him but his record on racial injustice speaks volumes! Obama shouldn’t have picked him as his VP. Biden didn’t deserve it. Another illustration of how white privilege works!
Welcome to America. That's not a Biden specific issue. That's a white supremacy and white privilege issue. He is going to use white privilege when he can as will his white supporters and the white media.
@reporthutch Political podcast 'Take on the Week': white privilege Biden & reparations, CA cap on skyrocketing rents & Elizabeth Warren's SS plan
Joe Biden is white supremacist lite for people who still actively want to benefit from white privilege but don’t want to see how the sausage is made.
They don’t want any actual progressive reform, they just want systemic violence to become politely invisible again.
Biden never apologized for saying that the segregationist wouldn't have called him "boy" (racial slur) but son. When booker brought it to his attn he said the black man should apologize to him. He never apologizes. He apologized for working w/ them. White privilege at it's best.
This narrative we must accept Joe Biden racist comments because Trump need to be defeated is drenched in white privilege. I will not ignore racism because we must win an election, that's a luxury my people cant afford. I will still be Black after Trump 4 or 8 years in office.
Wouldn’t it be bold and progressive if @ewarren issued a statement in support of @JulianCastro re: his calling out Biden’s misrepresentation of his own statements? This is an opportunity for her to use her white privilege for good. I would honestly make a donation to her.
You slayed me with “Biden's Negro Summer Safari Adventure”! Good gods! How can anyone listen to this drivel and not understand that this man is *beyond out of touch*?! His ‘white savior’ vision of himself is the paragon of white privilege and I am increasingly repulsed.
The anger at @JulianCastro is disgusting. He called out a legit issue with Biden. If Biden can’t take the heat then he shouldn’t be the nominee. There’s also an obvious tinge or racist white privilege - defending a white dotard bc a PoC called him out.
There's the world the media misrepresents and then there's the real world. The media never saw Donald Trump coming. I called it for Trump in September of 2016. The difference is I'm not living in a bubble. I'm going around the country every week speaking. I hear what people are saying. And you're kidding yourself if you don't see that Joe Biden is in serious trouble over his racist remarks as well as over his White privilege brigade rushing out to defend him and attack Julian Castro.
Must be nice to live in a reality in which racism in America started with Trump and you can afford to pretend not to see low-key racism in people running against Trump because Trump is your only problem.
People need to be listening right now. It doesn't matter what you think, honestly. This is how Joe is being seen and you need to register it regardless of what you think. How important is this issue to me? I'm about to piss off Jim. I'm sick, I've got a nasty cold. But Ava and I wrote our piece for THIRD late Saturday night so it could go up because it's an important topic -- it's largely about this topic. And, hold on a second, because I'm gong to log onto a computer and publish it (the snapshot is dicated).
Alright, it's up: "TV: Biden and Handler privilege" and it addresses the reality that no one wants to talk about. How Joe violated the rules of the debate -- they were noted by David Muir at the start. How Joe had spoken of healthcare first and then had been allowed three rebuttals. It was finally Julian Castro's turn to speak for the first time on the topic and Joe, in violation of the rules, interrupts Julian's time to speak for his fifth time.
It's White privilege, stop pretending otherwise. The Anglo White media started whining about tone and fairness but they never seemed to grasp that Joe was in violation of the rules, outlined at the star of the debate by Muir, and that Joe interrupted Julian's time. Joe did that throughout the debate. Despite Muir declaring that those who interrupted would have time taken from them, no punishment for Joe. He was rude and entitled and it's about damn time the chatty Anglo White pundits explained why they never bothered to note that Joe speaking during Julian's turn was a violation of the rules.
