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| UN UNPARALLELED IN ABILITY TO SOLVE MAJOR GLOBAL PROBLEMS, RUSSIAN LEADER SAYS
September 23, 2009 at 8:10 pm
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| UN UNPARALLELED IN ABILITY TO SOLVE MAJOR GLOBAL PROBLEMS, RUSSIAN LEADER SAYS
New York, Sep 23 2009 8:10PM
The current global challenges – ranging from conflicts to climate change – have demonstrated the need for collective international action, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev told the General Assembly today, stressing that there is no alternative to the United Nations in bringing together the interests of the world's countries."The creation of the UN has become one of the main achievements of the world community in the 20th century," Mr. Medvedev <"http://www.un.org/ga/64/generaldebate/pdf/RU_en.pdf">said at the annual high-level debate. Characterizing the financial turmoil as the "first wide-scale crisis of the globalization era," he said that reforming the current system of global economic governance was one of many problems that cannot be solved without the UN, "a time-tested mechanism of harmonization of interests of different countries." That crisis has dealt a blow to efforts to alleviate poverty, with all countries having experienced a drop in output, the President noted. "A real threat of disruption of the Millennium Development Goals [<"http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/">MDGs] has manifested itself," he said, referring to the eight anti-poverty targets with a 2015 deadline. Multilateral disarmament must also move forward under the auspices of the UN, he said, in light of recent positive developments on that front, including the recent agreement between Russia and the United States to cut their arsenals. To reach a common understanding on issues such as nuclear weapons proliferation, "we must engage all nations and influential international organizations" into negotiation processes," according to Mr. Medvedev. In his address to dozens of heads of State and government, the Russian leader said the use of force can only exacerbate regional conflicts. "This was demonstrated by a reckless attempt of the Georgian authorities to resolve the problems in their relations with South Ossetia by military means" last August, he said, with the situation almost mushrooming into a full-scale war. "I am certain that this is understood by everyone and in order to avoid repetition of such developments we need to have clear and effective mechanisms to implement the principle of indivisibility of security," Mr. Medvedev said, stressing that ensuring global security is one of the most pressing topics faced by the world today. "We have no right to forget that the UN possesses a unique international legitimacy," he stated. "And we must preserve and strengthen this shared wealth of the peoples of the world."
Sep 23 2009 8:10PM
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| AT UN DEBATE, CHINA STRESSES NEED FOR MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL COOPERATION
September 23, 2009 at 7:10 pm
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| AT UN DEBATE, CHINA STRESSES NEED FOR MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL COOPERATION
New York, Sep 23 2009 7:10PM
Chinese President Hu Jintao called for greater multilateralism and cooperation in international relations in his <"http://www.un.org/ga/64/generaldebate/pdf/CN_en.pdf">speech today before world leaders gathered for the annual high-level debate at the General Assembly. "As the world moves further towards multi-polarity and economic globalization, multilateralism and democracy in international relations have won greater popular support, while opening up and cooperation for mutual benefit and win-win progress have become the shared aspirations of the international community," Mr. Hu said. "We are called upon by our times to unite as one and work together for mutual benefit and win-win progress, like passengers in the same boat." Mr. Hu called for the safeguarding of world peace and stability through joint and comprehensive action, based on mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality and coordination. "We should adhere to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and seek peaceful solutions to regional hotspot issues and international disputes," he said. "There should be no wilful use or threat of force." Mr. Hu called for a more holistic approach to development and the promotion of common prosperity, which he said China believed was an important way to redress global development imbalances. He called on international financial institutions to use their increased resources to help developing countries move out of poverty and provide more flexible and convenient loans. "Great effort should be made to increase the representation and voice of developing countries in reforming the international financial system," he added. Mr. Hu called for opposition to protectionism, an early and balanced conclusion to the Doha Round of trade talks, and the opening of markets by developed countries to developing countries. Noting that climate change, food security, energy, resource security and public health were all global challenges from which no country was immune, Mr. Hu called for common progress based on harmony and close cooperation. He described climate change as "one of the serious challenges to human survival and development" and called for the success of the Copenhagen conference. The Chinese president urged greater tolerance in international relations. "Mutual learning and tolerance… is an inexhaustible source of strength for social progress," Mr. Hu said, adding that "all countries, big or small, strong or weak, rich or poor, are equal." He said countries should respect the right of others to choose their development path and should "let different civilizations and models of development draw on each other's strength through competition and comparison." Mr. Hu said China would continue to increase its support for other developing countries by, among other measures, intensifying trade and investment cooperation, reducing or cancelling debts for heavily-indebted poor countries, increasing assistance to Africa and implementing measures to help other developing countries achieve the targets specified in the Millennium Development Goals (<"http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/">MDGs).
Sep 23 2009 7:10PM
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| BREAKING NEWS ALERT
September 23, 2009 at 7:03 pm
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| | IRAN'S AHMADINEJAD TO ADDRESS U.N. GENERAL ASSEMBLY: WATCH LIVE Read More:
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| UN PEACEBUILDING OFFICIAL VOICES HOPE FOR STABILITY IN GUINEA-BISSAU
September 23, 2009 at 5:10 pm
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| UN PEACEBUILDING OFFICIAL VOICES HOPE FOR STABILITY IN GUINEA-BISSAU
New York, Sep 23 2009 5:10PM
A window of opportunity exists to consolidate peace in Guinea-Bissau, a senior official reported to the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission (PBC). The optimistic note for Guinea-Bissau – plagued by poverty, periodic bouts of civil war, coups, assassinations, and drug trafficking – was prompted by the successful completion of peaceful presidential elections in July, culminating in the inauguration of Bacai Sanhá on 8 September. "It is fair to say that there is an atmosphere of cautious optimism based on the belief that there is renewed political stability, following the recent election," said Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti, chair of the PBC's country-specific configuration on Guinea-Bissau and Permanent Representative of Brazil to the UN. "The international community now needs to step up its efforts and coordinate assistance to the Government during this new phase of development," Ms. Viotti told a meeting of the PBC on Friday after attending the inauguration of President Sanhá. The Peacebuilding Fund has allocated an initial $6 million to initiatives such as prison renovation, upgrading army barracks and programmes to stimulate youth employment. A second distribution is under consideration. Guinea-Bissau was hit with a number of political killings this year, beginning in early March with the assassinations of President Joao Bernardo Vieira and Chief of Staff Tagme Na Waie. Then on 5 June, Baciro Dabo, a candidate in the 28 June presidential elections, and Helder Proenca, a Member of Parliament and former Minister of Defense, were also killed.
Sep 23 2009 5:10PM
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| AFRICAN STATES NEED TO MOVE FASTER ON DEVELOPMENT, UGANDA TELLS UN DEBATE
September 23, 2009 at 3:10 pm
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| AFRICAN STATES NEED TO MOVE FASTER ON DEVELOPMENT, UGANDA TELLS UN DEBATE
New York, Sep 23 2009 3:10PM
The countries of sub-Saharan Africa have spent too long "wandering in the desert of under-development" and need to take faster steps towards building infrastructure and modernizing their economies, the President of Uganda told the opening of the General Assembly's high-level debate today.Yoweri Museveni <"http://www.un.org/ga/64/generaldebate/pdf/UG_en.pdf">said the low levels of electrification across Africa were "shameful" and the high transport costs as a result of dilapidated or non-existent railways and road networks were obstructing the continent's progress. "The whole of Africa needs to wake up on this issue and cooperate to find a solution," Mr. Museveni during his address to world leaders gathered at UN Headquarters in New York. The Ugandan President contrasted the record of Africa and many Asian countries over the past 40 years, noting that the likes of Singapore, the Republic of Korea (ROK), Malaysia and China "did not similarly" struggle with under-development. "Fortunately, in the last 15 to 20 years, Africans have also got the grasp of the development compass. We have started doing what we had left undone for a long time and the 'truth' is now beginning to be 'seen in us'." Citing his own country's record of relatively steady economic growth during the past two decades, Mr. Museveni said it was vital for poor countries to deal with bottlenecks in development and infrastructure. He warned of the danger of States such as Uganda exporting raw materials to richer nations and receiving only 10 per cent of the value of the final processed products. "In Uganda we are also transforming traditional subsistence agriculture into modern agriculture… This involves using improved seeds, fertilizers, tractors, irrigation, improved breeding stock and improved agro-practices."
Sep 23 2009 3:10PM
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| GLOBAL CITIZEN: GET ON UN YOUTUBE AND TELL WORLD LEADERS HOW TO SAVE THE PLANET
September 23, 2009 at 3:10 pm
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| GLOBAL CITIZEN: GET ON UN YOUTUBE AND TELL WORLD LEADERS HOW TO SAVE THE PLANET
New York, Sep 23 2009 3:10PM
The United Nations today <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2009/pi1912.doc.htm">harnessed the powers of cyberspace to enable the ordinary global citizen to join the scores of presidents, kings and other leaders now gathered at the General Assembly in proposing solutions for the planet's problems.Starting today and running until 10 October, coinciding with the Assembly's General Debate, people everywhere can directly engage with decision makers by uploading video messages on the UN YouTube channel as part of the "Citizen Ambassadors to the United Nations" campaign. Launched by the UN Department of Public Information, the campaign offers a unique opportunity for world citizens, youth in particular, to make their voices heard during the General Assembly by responding to the question: "If you had the opportunity to speak to the world leaders, what would you say?" Videos featuring Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and high-profile celebrities, including UN Messenger of Peace George Clooney, allow UN YouTube users to reply with their own video message on how to create "a better, safer world" by 10 October. The best five video finalists will be designated "Citizen Ambassadors" and invited to UN Headquarters on the 64th UN Day, 23 October, when they will take a special guided tour, have their photo taken with Mr. Ban and receive VIP seating at the UN Day Concert. The campaign is the latest in a series by the UN to use the power of the Internet and online social networking to increase awareness of the work of the Organization and engage a new generation of world citizens in the importance of international diplomacy. These initiatives include the "We Must Disarm" campaign, which uses the online social networking sites, Twitter and Facebook, to disseminate information about nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. The UN YouTube Channel can be found at <"http://www.youtube.com/user/unitednations">http://www.youtube.com/user/unitednations
Sep 23 2009 3:10PM
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| DISARMAMENT CAN BOOST TRUST AMONG NATIONS, TURKMENISTAN'S LEADER TELLS UN
September 23, 2009 at 3:10 pm
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| DISARMAMENT CAN BOOST TRUST AMONG NATIONS, TURKMENISTAN'S LEADER TELLS UN
New York, Sep 23 2009 3:10PM
Disarmament can serve to boost trust and understanding among the world's nations, the leader of Turkmenistan told the General Assembly today, emphasizing that there can be no return to a Cold War-style global structure under which armament build-up was paramount.Reductions of weapons arsenals and counteracting their distribution remains one of the top issues on the global agenda, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov told the Assembly's annual high-level debate. There is no space in the current international system for Cold War-type arrangements where the "quantity and quality of armaments were almost the main criteria of influence and authority of States," he said. "We are convinced: the less armaments in the world, the more stable and quiet would be its development, the more trust and understanding [there] would be among the countries and peoples," Mr. Berdimuhamedov told dozens of heads of State and government gathered in New York. A treaty setting up the first nuclear weapon-free zone in Central Asia opened for signature in 2006 in the Kazakh city of Semipalatinsk, which endured over 400 atomic blasts, and it entered into force earlier this year. That pact, the Turkmen leader said today, "proved to be consonant with aspirations of the majority of countries worldwide." He proposed that an international conference, under UN auspices, be held on disarmament in Central Asia and the Caspian basin.
Sep 23 2009 3:10PM
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| SEVERE FOOD SHORTAGE THREATENS NEARLY 400,000 PEOPLE IN TAJIKISTAN – UN
September 23, 2009 at 2:10 pm
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| SEVERE FOOD SHORTAGE THREATENS NEARLY 400,000 PEOPLE IN TAJIKISTAN – UN
New York, Sep 23 2009 2:10PM
Some 390,000 people in Tajikistan, about 9 per cent of the rural population, face severe food shortages due to both chronic vulnerability and the impact of this spring's floods, the United Nations reported today."The economic crisis, resulting in loss of employment and a decrease in remittances, has also hampered households' access to food," the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/">OCHA) said following a food security survey conducted by the UN World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/">WFP) and the UN World Health Organization (<"http://www.who.int/en/">WHO). A good harvest of wheat, vegetables and fruits, and aid from WFP and its partners prevented the situation from deteriorating even further. The spring floods and mudflows also destroyed or damaged 70 schools, mainly in the southern province of Khatlon, where 3,000 children have been unable to return to their schools. Some 500 of these have been resettled in Khuroson district where they are now enrolled in schools in neighboring villages. But these schools are far away from the children's homes and do not have desks, chairs or learning materials for the additional pupils. The newcomers have no proper clothes or school books and are attending classes while standing for up to five hours. The provincial administration has allotted land for a new school, but construction has not yet started due to a lack of resources. Sep 23 2009 2:10PM
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| CONSTRUCTIVE DIALOGUE ONLY WAY TO OVERCOME HONDURAN CRISIS – UN
September 23, 2009 at 2:10 pm
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| CONSTRUCTIVE DIALOGUE ONLY WAY TO OVERCOME HONDURAN CRISIS – UN
New York, Sep 23 2009 2:10PM
The United Nations system in Honduras has called for the urgent establishment of a constructive and transparent dialogue to overcome the current political crisis facing the country, which earlier this week witnessed the return to the capital of the recently ousted President.Since Monday, José Manuel Zelaya, who was forced from office by the military in late June, has been seeking refuge in the Brazilian embassy in the Honduran capital, Tegucigalpa. According to media reports, troops have surrounded the embassy and services such as electricity, water and telephone were cut off for a time on Tuesday before being partially restored. "It is the responsibility of the State to guarantee the life, freedom and security of all of its citizens in conformity with the international human rights treaties ratified by Honduras, the Constitution of the Republic and national legislation," the UN said in a statement issued yesterday in the capital. "The use of force, in any form, by agents of the authorities, applied without regard to the criteria of need and proportionality, violates the right to life and integrity," it added, also noting that the Government must guarantee the legitimate exercise of the right of assembly. Brazil's President today called for a return to power of Mr. Zelaya in a speech to the General Assembly's annual high-level debate in New York, adding that political will is vital to confronting and overcoming threats against peace, development and democracy. "Unless there is political will, we will see more coups like the one that toppled the constitutional President of Honduras," Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said. "The international community demands that Mr. Zelaya immediately return to the presidency of his country and must be alert to ensure the inviolability of Brazil's diplomatic mission in the capital of Honduras," Mr. da Silva added. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expressed his support for mediation efforts of President Oscar Arias of Costa Rica to resolve the crisis in Honduras, and has offered technical assistance and cooperation to help the parties reach an agreement.
Sep 23 2009 2:10PM
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| URGENT RESOURCES NEEDED TO FEED ETHIOPIANS STRICKEN BY DROUGHT, WARNS UN
September 23, 2009 at 2:10 pm
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| URGENT RESOURCES NEEDED TO FEED ETHIOPIANS STRICKEN BY DROUGHT, WARNS UN
New York, Sep 23 2009 2:10PM
A lack of resources for emergency relief efforts in Ethiopia threatens to cut off food aid delivery to the most vulnerable people in the coming days, the United Nations humanitarian arm warned today."All food aid pipelines to groups of needy people in the country could break in September," the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/">OCHA) said in an update on the situation in the Horn of Africa nation. Poor rains in eastern Africa this year has produced crises in the areas of food, nutrition, water and disease among others, leaving some 24 million people in need of aid – up from 17 million last year – across the region, in Djibouti, Eritrea, Kenya, Somalia and parts of Uganda, as well as Ethiopia. OCHA noted that currently food aid distributions planned between September and December face a deficit of some 56,789 metric tons valued at $37.1 million. In addition, a joint mission, consisting of various UN agencies and the Ministry of Health, is in the Amhara region to assess an outbreak of acute watery diarrhoea, which has struck a number of regions, to ensure adequate measures are in place to prevent infections gathering pace in schools and religious and traditional festivals, among other areas. The World Health Organization (<"http://www.who.int/">WHO) reported that major gaps in the ongoing response to the outbreak include shortages of Case Treatment Centre materials, funds for running the centres, inadequate protection of water sources and poor hygiene practices.
Sep 23 2009 2:10PM
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| Today's Tech News: Real-time Web keeps social networkers connected
September 23, 2009 at 1:53 pm
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| To view the latest USA TODAY Tech headlines on your mobile device, click here.
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To make changes to your e-mail subscriptions, click here  | | |  |  |  | | | | Real-time Web keeps social networkers connected | | | By Jon Swartz, USA TODAY
Jessica Stryczek reaches for her iPhone every morning, even before she gets out of bed. It is her lifeline to the world an uber alarm clock/CD player/e-mail device/game player/newspaper/shopping guide/banking assistant/conduit to Facebook and Twitter. "Without it, I wouldn't survive," says Stryczek, 26. Such is life in the post-Web 2.0 world. Read more | |
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| BAN URGES IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF CHILDREN ASSOCIATED WITH UGANDAN REBELS
September 23, 2009 at 1:10 pm
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| BAN URGES IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF CHILDREN ASSOCIATED WITH UGANDAN REBELS
New York, Sep 23 2009 1:10PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) to work with the United Nations for the immediate release of all children associated with the Ugandan rebel group that is notorious for its abduction and use of child soldiers.In his latest <"http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/2009/462">report on children and armed conflict in Uganda, Mr. Ban noted that the LRA has not knowingly operated in Ugandan territory since the cessation of hostilities in August 2006. However, over the past four years, the group – including "a substantial but unknown" number of Ugandan children associated with its forces – has increasingly moved into neighbouring countries to establish additional bases. "Children and their communities in the Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Central African Republic have been victims of attacks that have claimed hundreds of lives and resulted in the disappearance of hundreds of children," Mr. Ban wrote. The Secretary-General encouraged the Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict to consider visiting Uganda and the region to assess the impact of its work in the country, as well as to review the regional impact of the LRA's activities on children. "I strongly urge the Lord's Resistance Army to engage with United Nations country teams in the region for the immediate release of all children associated with its forces," he added. In this connection, he called on his Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Radhika Coomaraswamy, to create an advocacy and contact group to help bring about this release as soon as possible. Meanwhile, Mr. Ban highlighted that the cooperation with the Ugandan Government has been "very effective" and has allowed the UN and its partners to successfully verify that no more children are present in the ranks of Ugandan People's Defence Forces (UPDF) or its auxiliary forces and that no cases of recruitment or use of children have been reported since August 2007. Nevertheless, he notes that a number of challenges remain to be addressed to protect children. "I strongly urge the Government of Uganda to prioritize the protection of children in its military actions against LRA elements, either on Ugandan territory or in joint operations in neighbouring countries," Mr. Ban said. The LRA has waged war in northern Uganda against Government forces since the mid-1980s. Both sides have signed several peace agreements, raising hopes of a comprehensive accord to formally end the entire conflict being signed eventually.
Sep 23 2009 1:10PM
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| HUMANITARIAN CRISIS WORSENS IN NORTH YEMEN FIGHTING, UN REPORTS
September 23, 2009 at 1:10 pm
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| HUMANITARIAN CRISIS WORSENS IN NORTH YEMEN FIGHTING, UN REPORTS
New York, Sep 23 2009 1:10PM
The humanitarian crisis in northern Yemen, where 150,000 people have been driven from their homes by fighting between Government and rebel forces, continues to worsen, with the lack of drinking water posing a particularly serious concern, the United Nations reported today.Given the very limited access to people affected by the conflict and the geographical spread of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) in all four affected northern governorates, it has been very difficult to assess the full scope of displacement and provide sufficient relief, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/">OCHA) said. "Food rations have been pre-positioned at strategic points throughout northern Yemen and are sufficient to provide 60,000 beneficiaries with a monthly ration," it added in its latest update. "In the hot weather conditions, the current lack of potable water is particularly a serious concern." The $23.7 million Flash Appeal that was launched three weeks ago has still not received any funding, although some pledges have been recorded. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home">UNHCR) is procuring emergency shelter items for 35,000 IDPs, including 7,000 tents, 5,000 plastic sheets, 250 plastic rolls, 21,000 mattresses, 36,000 blankets and 5,000 kitchen sets. Since 12 September, a window of access has allowed Islamic Relief Yemen, the main partner of the UN World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/">WFP) in the region, to start the second cycle of food distributions in Hajjah governorate and by 16 September some 12,800 people had benefited from 188 metric tons of food. New families arrived in Hajjah from Sa'ada governorate on hearing that aid was being provided. These families have been added to the distribution lists. The UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/">UNICEF) will triple water distribution in the IDP camp in Sa'ada, but additional funding is needed to construct separate toilets and washing facilities for men and women and ensure adequate water and sanitation services. The UN World Health Organization (<"http://www.who.int/">WHO) has received surgical supplies from the Italian Government for 400 major surgical operations, as well as medical supplies for 20,000 IDPs for three months and diarrhoeal disease treatment for 1,500 victims of severe to moderate dehydration. While some international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) were denied access to IDPs in Al-Jawf governorate, the Ministry of Health/WHO mobile teams managed to continue delivery of essential health care services to displaced persons in the area.
Sep 23 2009 1:10PM
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| UN-BACKED TRIBUNAL FOR RWANDAN GENOCIDE BEGINS TRIAL OF FORMER GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL
September 23, 2009 at 1:10 pm
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| UN-BACKED TRIBUNAL FOR RWANDAN GENOCIDE BEGINS TRIAL OF FORMER GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL
New York, Sep 23 2009 1:10PM
The trial of a former senior Rwandan Government official accused of committing genocide got underway today at the United Nations war crimes tribunal established in the wake of the mass killings that engulfed the small Central African nation in 1994.Among the charges levelled at Augustin Ngirabatware, 52, by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (<"http://www.ictr.org/">ICTR) are genocide, conspiracy to commit genocide, complicity in genocide, direct and public incitement to commit genocide; crimes against humanity, including murder, rape, and other inhumane acts; and serious violations of the Geneva Conventions. In his opening statement today, the Prosecutor said that he will prove Mr. Ngirabatware's individual responsibility for the crimes he is charged with. He added that the former Minister of Planning failed to prevent or punish criminal acts committed with his knowledge by his subordinates. The Prosecutor told the Tribunal in Arusha, Tanzania, he would call 17 witnesses to prove that the accused is individually, or jointly responsible for killing, and causing bodily or mental harm to members of the Tutsi ethnic group in Gisenyi prefecture, and for raping Tutsi women, as part of a widespread or systematic attack on civilians. In October last year, Mr. Ngirabatware pleaded not guilty to all counts after being arrested in Frankfurt, Germany, in September 2007. Mr. Ngirabatware was initially charged jointly with Jean de Dieu Kamuhanda, former Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in January 2004. Over a 100-day period in 1994, more than 800,000 Rwandan Tutsis and Hutu moderates were massacred, mostly by being hacked to death with machetes.
Sep 23 2009 1:10PM
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| Entertainment news from USA TODAY - Sept. 23, 2009
September 23, 2009 at 1:08 pm
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| Daily Travel News: Today in the Sky tours Manchester airport
September 23, 2009 at 12:31 pm
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| MULTILATERALISM THE ONLY WAY FORWARD, GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT SAYS
September 23, 2009 at 11:10 am
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| MULTILATERALISM THE ONLY WAY FORWARD, GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT SAYS
New York, Sep 23 2009 11:10AM
Multilateralism is the only practical method for tackling major international problems and the United Nations offers the most legitimate forum for ensuring countries take meaningful global action, the President of the General Assembly said today as he urged UN Member States to work more closely with the world body.Ali Treki told the opening of the annual General Debate in the 192-member Assembly that today's multiple challenges – including climate change, disarmament, extreme poverty, the HIV/AIDS pandemic, and the food and energy crises – demonstrate the need for greater international cooperation among countries. "Multilateralism is the way forward to address global, common-shared problems and it is also the only way to ensure effective and collective action," he told dozens of world leaders who have gathered at UN Headquarters in New York. Dr. Treki said the international community has learned from experience that transnational threats and other crises cannot be solved through unilateral actions, which "can only exacerbate conflicts and delay the search for more sustainable solutions." Describing the UN as "the embodiment of multilateralism," he said it was "therefore the most legitimate forum for ensuring concerted global action." Dr. Treki singled out the General Assembly for its "global membership and universal legitimacy unmatched by any other organization" and vowed to work with Member States to build on existing efforts to revitalize the forum and make the 15-member Security Council more representative. He also pledged to cooperate with Member States to ensure the strongest possible international response to such global crises as climate change, the struggle to obtain enduring peace and sustainable development across Africa, and the battle to help countries emerging from conflict consolidate peace. The President also stressed the importance of promoting and protecting human rights, and ensuring that the UN mechanisms that deal with the issue have the resources, respect and credibility to carry out their work. "I will work with Member States to reaffirm our collective commitment to universality, non-selectivity, and the indivisible, inter-dependent and inter-related nature of all human rights: civil and political, economic, social and cultural rights, and the right to development." In a wide-ranging address, Dr. Treki also discussed the situation in the Middle East, the importance of the rule of law worldwide, and efforts to achieve the social and economic targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015.
Sep 23 2009 11:10AM
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| Today's News from TheEagle.com
September 23, 2009 at 10:08 am
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| B-CS rainfall exceeds monthly average Posted: 22 Sep 2009 11:05 PM PDT Rainfall totals at Easterwood Airport are 3.72 inches above normal for the month. Based on yearly averages, though, Bryan-College Station remains 4.33 inches below normal.Recent rainfall has helped to raise the water level in Lake Somerville a foot, ... | | Animal shelter pact not renewed Posted: 22 Sep 2009 11:05 PM PDT The Bryan City Council on Tuesday decided against renewing an annual contract worth more than $145,600 with the Brazos Animal Shelter after two people raised concerns about the shelter's management and details of the contract.The shelter had requeste ... | | B-CS banks joining forces Posted: 22 Sep 2009 11:05 PM PDT Officials from two Bryan-College Station banks said Tuesday that a planned merger would enhance their ability serve the community.The Bank and Trust of Del Rio will join with Texas Enterprise Bank. The business will be renamed The Bank and Trust of B ... | | Second man convicted in 2008 murder Posted: 22 Sep 2009 09:02 AM PDT The second of two men accused of robbing and stabbing to death a Bryan man for $43 and a cell phone was found guilty of murder Tuesday after a trial that lasted more than a week. Jurors will now decide the sentence of O.C. Hayward, 26, with the punis ... | | Bank and Trust merges with Texas Enterprise in Bryan Posted: 22 Sep 2009 06:33 AM PDT The Bank and Trust of Del Rio officials on Tuesday announced plans to merge with Texas Enterprise Bank. The business will be renamed The Bank and Trust of Bryan-College Station, and combined assets will total almost $200 million, officials said. Of ... | | Rudder to host memorial for Pruitt Posted: 22 Sep 2009 11:05 PM PDT Services for longtime community leader and activist Mell Pruitt have been set for 11 a.m. Saturday at Rudder High School's Margaret Rudder Auditorium.Pruitt died Monday at the age of 79.Visitation is scheduled to start at noon Friday at the Brazos Va ... | | Bryan man guilty of murder Posted: 22 Sep 2009 11:05 PM PDT A Bryan man faces up to 99 years in prison after being convicted of murder by a jury Tuesday. O.C. Hayward, 26, was the second man convicted of robbing and stabbing Wesley Miller to death for $43 and a cell phone.Jurors will now decide the sentence, ... | | Cold front, more rain expected across Brazos Valley Posted: 22 Sep 2009 03:45 AM PDT The National Weather Service forecast rain and a cold front for the Brazos Valley area Tuesday.The weather service issued a hazardous weather outlook for southeast Texas -- including Brazos, Burleson, Grimes, Madison and Washington counties -- statin ... | | Man accused of breaking into Bryan bar Posted: 22 Sep 2009 04:56 AM PDT Police said they arrested a 28-year-old man on a burglary charge early Tuesday after they caught him trying to take money from a jukebox in a Bryan bar.William James Johnson of Bryan was arrested on a charge of burglary of a building.Police said they ... | | Funding for signs pits CS, district Posted: 22 Sep 2009 11:05 PM PDT College Station city and school leaders disagreed Tuesday over who should pay for road signs needed to enforce a ban on hand-held cell phones in school zones.Texas House Bill 55, which went into effect Sept. 1, lets local government agencies prohibit ... | | Rudder's Rangers plan mock battle Posted: 22 Sep 2009 11:05 PM PDT Grenade explosions and rifle fire will fill the air near the quadrangle formed by the Corps of Cadets' dorms at 6 p.m. Thursday. But there's no need to be alarmed: The grenades will be fake and the M-16 will be firing blanks. Rudder's Rangers -- a 37 ... | | Man charged with dealing cocaine in Cameron park Posted: 22 Sep 2009 02:30 AM PDT Police said they arrested a 28-year-old man after they saw him dealing cocaine in a Cameron park.Christopher Demon Johnson of Cameron was arrested Monday on charges of manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance in an amount from four to 200 gr ... | | Contest to exhibit Blinn students' work Posted: 22 Sep 2009 11:05 PM PDT Current and former Blinn College art students may enter a contest to have their work displayed at Texas A&M University. Blinn is co-sponsoring the contest with the European Union Center. The theme is "Express your vision of the European Union thr ... | | 'Q-tip tax' debate rolls on Posted: 22 Sep 2009 11:05 PM PDT WASHINGTON -- They were calling it the tax on Q-tips.Amid Republican ridicule, a Democratic chairman backed down Tuesday and exempted consumer items of $100 or less -- from condoms to contact lenses -- from a proposed tax on medical device manufactu ... | | Keeping an eye on Northgate Posted: 22 Sep 2009 11:05 PM PDT Steven Vandiver of RedMoon Broadband in Plano installs one of four surveillance cameras at the Northgate Promenade area Tuesday. The cameras, which are set to start functioning this weekend, will record 24 hours a day, seven days a week, which Colleg ... | | Complexes on alert amid terror probe Posted: 22 Sep 2009 11:05 PM PDT NEW YORK -- The government expanded a terrorism warning from transit systems to U.S. stadiums, hotels and entertainment complexes as investigators searched for more suspects Tuesday in a possible al-Qaida plot to set off hydrogen-peroxide bombs hidde ... | | State: Health reform could cost Texans up to $20B Posted: 22 Sep 2009 11:05 PM PDT WASHINGTON -- A preliminary state report shows the pending federal health care reform plan would add about 2.5 million Texans to the state public insurance rolls.The report by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission also says the added enrollm ... | | OH man who made toddler smoke pot gets 10 years Posted: 22 Sep 2009 11:05 PM PDT COLUMBUS, Ohio -- An Ohio man who videotaped himself forcing his 18-month-old niece to smoke marijuana has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.Prosecutors say 19-year-old Melvin Blevins of Pataskala was part of a marijuana-trafficking ring. A video ... | | McDonald's fries the holy grail for potato farmers Posted: 22 Sep 2009 11:05 PM PDT KIMBERLY, Idaho -- From the fields of Idaho to tasting rooms in suburban Chicago, potato farmers, researchers and industry representatives are in the midst of an elusive hunt: finding a new spud for McDonald's french fries.A decade has passed since t ... | | Laredo man dies after police use Taser on him Posted: 22 Sep 2009 11:05 PM PDT LAREDO, Texas -- Three Laredo police officers are on administrative duty pending investigation of the death of a man they shocked with a Taser gun.Police spokesman Alberto Escobedo says the three officers answered a pre-dawn criminal mischief report ... | | Judge removes self from Bush library lawsuit Posted: 22 Sep 2009 11:05 PM PDT DALLAS -- A judge has recused himself from a property dispute between some ex-condo owners and Southern Methodist University over the site of George W. Bush's presidential library.State District Judge Martin Hoffman was scheduled to hold another he ... | | Zelaya holed up in embassy Posted: 22 Sep 2009 11:05 PM PDT TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras -- Baton-wielding soldiers used tear gas and water cannons to chase away thousands who demonstrated outside the Brazilian embassy Tuesday, leaving deposed President Manuel Zelaya and 70 friends and relatives trapped inside with ... | | Obama tackles Mideast Posted: 22 Sep 2009 11:05 PM PDT NEW YORK -- Bristling with impatience, President Barack Obama sternly prodded Israeli and Palestinian leaders to relaunch Mideast peace negotiations Tuesday, grasping a newly personal role in their historic standoff. He won an awkward, stonefaced han ... | | Baucus continues push for health care changes Posted: 22 Sep 2009 11:05 PM PDT WASHINGTON -- Bidding for support from Democrats as well as a single Republican, the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee gaveled open a long-awaited debate over health care Tuesday with fresh plans to reduce costs on working-class families and i ... | | New Treatment Could Spare Heart Patients From More Surgery Posted: 22 Sep 2009 07:11 PM PDT (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Researchers have discovered a minimally invasive procedure that dramatically cuts costs and could spare heart patients further surgery. It's called CT-guided tube pericardiostomy and it's used to treat pericardial effusion, the ... |  |
| BREAKING NEWS ALERT
September 23, 2009 at 9:48 am
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| | PRESIDENT OBAMA TO ADDRESS U.N. GENERAL ASSEMBLY, FOLLOWED BY LIBYAN LEADER MUAMMAR QADDAFI: WATCH LIVE AT 10 A.M. EDT Read More:
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| BAN STRONGLY CONDEMNS LATEST DEADLY ATTACK IN SOUTHERN SUDAN
September 23, 2009 at 9:10 am
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| BAN STRONGLY CONDEMNS LATEST DEADLY ATTACK IN SOUTHERN SUDAN
New York, Sep 23 2009 9:10AM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has strongly condemned the weekend attack in southern Sudan in which more than 100 people were reportedly killed, the latest in a string of ethnically-based incidents in the region. Around 2,000 homes were also burned when gunmen attacked the village of Duk Padiet in Jonglei state on the morning of 20 September. "The Secretary-General urges the Government of Southern Sudan to further strengthen their efforts to identify and bring to justice the perpetrators of these crimes," Mr. Ban's spokesperson said in a <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=4085">statement issued last night. "In the meantime, the Secretary-General commends the efforts of the Government to restore order, deter retaliatory attacks, and to pursue dialogue and reconciliation among all concerned parties," the statement added. The UN Mission in Sudan (<"http://unmis.unmissions.org/">UNMIS) is working to determine the full extent of the attack. There has been a rise in attacks across the region since the start of this year. Just last month tribal militiamen attacked residents of the village of Wernyol, killing numerous civilians.
Sep 23 2009 9:10AM
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| RENEWED FIGHTING IN DARFUR SPARKS DEEP CONCERN FROM SECRETARY-GENERAL
September 23, 2009 at 9:10 am
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| RENEWED FIGHTING IN DARFUR SPARKS DEEP CONCERN FROM SECRETARY-GENERAL
New York, Sep 23 2009 9:10AM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expressed deep concern at an upsurge in fighting between Sudanese Government forces and rebels in the war-scarred region of Darfur and urged both sides to cease hostilities and turn to the negotiating table.Media reports indicate that as many as 18 civilians have been killed and numerous properties destroyed in the area in and around the North Darfur town of Korma over the past week. "The Secretary-General calls on all parties to use restraint, renew their commitment to an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, and redouble their efforts to reach a political settlement of the conflict in Darfur," according to a <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=4087">statement issued by his spokesperson last night. "The Secretary-General also reiterates the importance of ensuring a safe and free passage for United Nations and humanitarian personnel to assess the situation on the ground and provide life-saving assistance to those in need." More than 300,000 people are estimated to have been killed in fighting between rebels, Government forces and allied Janjaweed militiamen since 2003, and all three groups have been accused of attacks against civilians and human rights abuses. Another 2.7 million people have had to leave their homes across Darfur, a region roughly the size of Iraq on Sudan's western flank, during the past six years. Since the start of 2008 a joint African Union-UN peacekeeping force known as UNAMID has been deployed to try to quell the fighting and alleviate the humanitarian situation. Clashes between Government forces and rebels have diminished overall in the past year and the UN has also been involved in efforts to bring the warring sides together to reach a comprehensive peace settlement.
Sep 23 2009 9:10AM
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| Daily Briefing: Real-time Web connects people
September 23, 2009 at 6:41 am
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| To view the latest USA TODAY News headlines on your mobile device, click here. If you have trouble reading this e-mail newsletter click here. To make changes to your e-mail subscriptions, click here  | | | | | | | | | | | |  | | | | | Advertisement   | | Sponsored Links To forward this e-mail to a friend, please click here. You are currently subscribed to this newsletter with the address: phoenixnews09@gmail.com.
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| 9/23 CNN.com
September 23, 2009 at 12:00 am
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| | Please add updates@feedmyinbox.com to your address book to make sure you receive these messages in the future. | |
| New York Post not laughing at spoof edition
September 22, 2009 at 6:41 pm
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| A day before the United Nations held a climate change summit, New York City was blanketed with 100,000 fake copies of the New York Post tabloid, filled with content related to climate change. |
| Quick California fire threatens homes
September 22, 2009 at 5:38 pm
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| A rapidly moving fire in southwest California torched oil fields and threatened homes as it blazed southward Tuesday, a fire official told CNN. |
| Desperation stalks Zimbabwe's white farmers
September 22, 2009 at 5:23 pm
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| A desperate Zimbabwean farmer fighting to hold onto his land -- a year after the country's political rivals pledged to govern jointly -- fears he will eventually lose to politics and violence. |
| Clinic to couple: You got the wrong embryos
September 22, 2009 at 5:02 pm
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| On a cold morning in February, 10 days after undergoing in vitro fertilization, Carolyn Savage lay in bed at her Ohio home waiting for the results of her pregnancy test. |
| Any 'Plan B' for U.S. efforts in Afghanistan?
September 22, 2009 at 4:53 pm
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| In a sign that President Obama is facing growing skepticism within his own party on Afghanistan, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said Tuesday that the U.S. commander in Afghanistan should brief Congress on his recommendations for revising U.S military strategy. |
| Borger: Congress needs 'Boss Obama'
September 22, 2009 at 4:43 pm
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| First of all, let me stipulate that, as a purely political matter, I take no issue with President Obama's concern that Democrats could take a shellacking in 2010. |
| Mackenzie Phillips expected to drop bombshell
September 22, 2009 at 4:26 pm
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| Mackenzie Phillips hid in her home, made compulsive purchases and struggled with personal issues, she tells Oprah Winfrey. |
| Edwards mistress 'chose a different path'
September 22, 2009 at 4:23 pm
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| Rielle Hunter, the woman at the center of the John Edwards sex scandal, has been known variously as a spiritual seeker, an aspiring actress, a party girl and a political operative, according to media reports. |
| Obama prods Israel, Palestinians on talks
September 22, 2009 at 3:50 pm
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| President Obama on Tuesday prodded Israel and the Palestinian Authority to get moving on talks aimed at a permanent resolution of their decades-old conflict. |
| Recalling Katrina, few at shelter complain
September 22, 2009 at 3:48 pm
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| "These are top notch. I mean, these are really good!" said Cosman Dragoiescu, holding a plastic Panera Bread cup with two sugar-sprinkled, glazed nuggets that did look, for the most part, tasty. |
| Chinese president vows to fight climate change
September 22, 2009 at 3:25 pm
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| Chinese President Hu Jintao told a U.N. summit on climate change Tuesday that China will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase reliance on clean energy sources in coming years. |
| Let 'shoe bomber' communicate with family?
September 22, 2009 at 2:44 pm
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| Convicted "shoe bomber" Richard Reid was given permission to correspond from prison with members of his family this summer, after the Justice Department allowed restrictions on him to expire. |
| Honduran military uses tear gas on protesters
September 22, 2009 at 2:09 pm
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| Honduran police used mustard gas Tuesday to disperse supporters of ousted President Manuel Zelaya outside the Brazilian Embassy in Tegucigalpa, where Zelaya has sought refuge since secretly returning to the country, TV news reports showed. |
| Feds: Stadiums, hotels attract terrorist interest
September 22, 2009 at 1:50 pm
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| The Department of Homeland Security and FBI have issued security bulletins to raise awareness regarding "terrorist interest" in attacking sport and entertainment venues as well as luxury hotels. |
| NFL player who shot self in leg goes to prison
September 22, 2009 at 1:12 pm
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| Former NFL wide receiver Plaxico Burress surrendered to authorities Tuesday to serve a two-year prison sentence on a weapons charge, the Manhattan District Attorney's office said. |
| Tiny technology captures energy of heart beat
September 22, 2009 at 12:47 pm
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| Forgot to charge your cell phone last night? Imagine that you could power it by walking. Weirder still, you might be able to just spray a new battery on. These concepts are being developed by two leading nanotechnology researchers who are developing cleaner, more efficient ways of delivering electrical power. |
| 'Glee' banks on risky strategy
September 22, 2009 at 11:42 am
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| When Fox aired a sneak-peek episode of its new series "Glee" four months before the show actually premiered, it took a big chance that the audience would still care. |
| Relentless rain to blame for Atlanta flooding
September 22, 2009 at 11:40 am
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| Much of Atlanta is underwater. Highways and neighborhoods have been submerged. Creeks are swollen. Several are dead. |
| Florida man charged in deaths of wife, 5 kids
September 22, 2009 at 10:58 am
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| A Florida man in custody in Haiti faces first-degree murder charges in the deaths of his wife and five children, authorities said Tuesday. |
| Obama has warning on recession and climate
September 22, 2009 at 10:46 am
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| President Obama warned Tuesday that the global economic recession could hinder the ability of countries to take necessary steps to combat climate change. |
| Multiple deaths reported at Illinois home
September 22, 2009 at 10:33 am
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| Multiple deaths have been reported at a home about 45 miles northeast of Springfield, Illinois, the sheriff's department in Logan County said Tuesday. |
| Source: Feds seek about a dozen in terror plot
September 22, 2009 at 10:23 am
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| Investigators are looking for about a dozen more people in connection with a wide-ranging terror investigation that has already netted arrests in Colorado and New York City, a source familiar with the investigation said today. Federal agents arrested three men late Saturday in connection with what the Justice Department has said was a plot to detonate bombs in the United States. |
| Airline industry plans to halve carbon emissions
September 22, 2009 at 8:50 am
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| Read full story for latest details. |
| Digging out from $80,000 in debt
September 22, 2009 at 8:34 am
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| Two years ago, Dawn Warfield was drowning in debt. |
| France dismantles illegal migrant camp
September 22, 2009 at 7:41 am
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| French authorities on Tuesday began dismantling a makeshift camp known as "the Jungle," which housed illegal immigrants who fled dangerous homelands to seek a more prosperous life in Europe. |
| Commentary: World should shun Iranian leader
September 22, 2009 at 6:47 am
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| This week world leaders will gather in New York for the annual meeting of the U.N. General Assembly. While Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will be among them, Iranians reject his claim to leadership. They strongly oppose any meeting or recognition of Ahmadinejad, especially by President Obama. |
| Climate change talk 'unprecedented opportunity'
September 22, 2009 at 5:10 am
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| World leaders converge Tuesday in New York to focus on climate change, with the clock ticking down toward a summit this year in Denmark, where a global climate change pact is to be signed. |
| Flooding takes at least 6 lives; more rain falling
September 22, 2009 at 3:01 am
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| With at least six people dead and large swaths of land, roads and homes under water, Georgia's governor declared a state of emergency Monday in the 17 counties hardest hit by flooding. Early Tuesday morning, the National Weather Service had a flash-flood warning for counties along the Interstate 20 corridor east of the Atlanta area almost to the South Carolina border. |
| Palin to speak before investors in Hong Kong
September 22, 2009 at 2:41 am
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| Former U.S. Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin will be in Hong Kong this week to address about 1,000 investors from around the globe in what is billed as her first speech outside North America. |
| Sources: Edwards asked aide to claim paternity
September 22, 2009 at 2:10 am
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| Former Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards talked a campaign aide into claiming he fathered a child born to Edwards' onetime mistress, sources familiar with the issue said Monday. |
| Bill Clinton sounds off on Obama racism charge
September 21, 2009 at 11:34 pm
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| While some criticism targeting President Obama is racially motivated, the fight over health care isn't, former President Bill Clinton told CNN Monday. |
| Stunned Georgians scramble to safety
September 21, 2009 at 11:24 pm
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| The incessant banging on the door finally roused Ted Jackson from a deep sleep. |
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| 9/23 NBA.com: News
September 23, 2009 at 12:00 am
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| | Please add updates@feedmyinbox.com to your address book to make sure you receive these messages in the future. | |
| Utah D-League owner offers Jordan-Russell charity rematch
September 22, 2009 at 8:42 pm
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| | The owner of the Utah Jazz's NBA Development League team wants to see Michael Jordan go 1-on-1 against Bryon Russell one more time. |
| NBA, players differ on use of replacement refs
September 22, 2009 at 7:22 pm
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| | The NBA's president of basketball operations is confident replacement officials would perform well if they are needed when games begin. |
| Nuggets acquire swingman White from Rockets
September 22, 2009 at 7:18 pm
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| | The Denver Nuggets have acquired swingman James White from the Houston Rockets in exchange for the draft rights to forward Axel Hervelle, a 2005 pick who has yet to play in the NBA. |
| LeBron James shoots hoops with David Letterman
September 22, 2009 at 6:23 pm
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| | LeBron James and David Letterman indulged in a little free throw contest on the LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN, Tuesday, Sept. 22. |
| Agent: Bogans to sign one-year deal with Spurs
September 22, 2009 at 5:48 pm
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| | Guard Keith Bogans is the latest newcomer to the San Antonio Spurs. |
| Wizards' Saunders thinks Arenas will be better than ever
September 22, 2009 at 4:38 pm
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| | New Washington Wizards coach Flip Saunders thinks Gilbert Arenas can be just as good -- or better -- than the All-Star point guard was before having three operations on his left knee. | 
| 9/23 CNN.com Recently Published/Updated
September 23, 2009 at 12:00 am
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| | Please add updates@feedmyinbox.com to your address book to make sure you receive these messages in the future. | |
| French passes tough anti-piracy measure
September 22, 2009 at 10:37 pm
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| French lawmakers passed a tough new measure to crack down on illegal downloading. |
| CNN Student News Learning Activity: Hispanic Heritage Month
September 22, 2009 at 10:17 pm
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| Students will investigate the contributions of Hispanic Americans to U.S. culture, and what it means to be an Hispanic in America today. |
| Air travelers, others speak out on passenger bill of rights
September 22, 2009 at 9:59 pm
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| Airline passengers who were trapped on tarmacs "like sardines in a can" had their opportunity to air their grievances Tuesday at an unofficial Capitol Hill hearing that shared some of the characteristics of those flights. |
| Police: Initial findings don't link Garridos to other disappearances
September 22, 2009 at 9:56 pm
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| Investigators who completed their search of the California property belonging to kidnapping suspects Phillip and Nancy Garrido said initial findings do not connect the couple to the disappearances of two young girls. |
| Quick California fire injures two, threatens homes
September 22, 2009 at 9:41 pm
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| A rapidly moving fire in southwest California injured two firefighters Tuesday as it ripped through the hills and rugged canyons of Ventura County, a fire official told CNN. |
| D.C. train crash probe prompts nationwide rail alert
September 22, 2009 at 9:35 pm
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| Federal safety investigators said Tuesday they fear flaws found in Washington's Metro subway system after a deadly crash this summer may endanger other transit systems, and they sent out an urgent recommendation asking that other rail operators check for similar problems. |
| CNN Student News Transcript: September 23, 2009
September 22, 2009 at 9:09 pm
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| September 23, 2009 |
| CNN Student News: Daily Discussion
September 22, 2009 at 8:56 pm
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| September 23, 2009 |
| Report: Tent set up in New York suburbs for Gadhafi
September 22, 2009 at 7:47 pm
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| A tent was erected on a property in Westchester County, New York, in anticipation of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's visit to the United States for the United Nations General Assembly, police told CNN affiliate WABC Tuesday. |
| NATO chief: We must succeed in Afghanistan
September 22, 2009 at 7:26 pm
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| More resources and personnel are needed to train Afghan security forces so they can become "masters in their own house," NATO's secretary-general said Tuesday. |
| Simple Facebook question raises problems around the world
September 22, 2009 at 7:10 pm
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| "Where do you live?" |
| Catherine Zeta-Jones to star in Broadway musical
September 22, 2009 at 7:04 pm
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| Catherine Zeta-Jones is limbering up for her Broadway debut. |
| New York Post not laughing at climate change spoof
September 22, 2009 at 6:41 pm
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| A day before the United Nations held a climate change summit, New York City was blanketed with 100,000 fake copies of the New York Post tabloid, filled with content related to climate change. |
| Ibrahimovic injured as Barcelona race to top
September 22, 2009 at 6:27 pm
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| Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored his fourth goal in as many La Liga outings as Spanish champions Barcelona matched their best start to season since 1997-98 with a 4-1 trouncing of Racing Santander, but the summer signing also suffered an injury blow. |
| Kardashian wedding to be a 'classy affair'
September 22, 2009 at 5:29 pm
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| With less than a week to go before their Sunday nuptials, Khloe Kardashian and her L.A. Lakers beau Lamar Odom have decided to hold their wedding ceremony at the Los Angeles-area home of family friend and legendary music manager Irving Azoff. |
| Sri Lanka stun hosts South Africa in Champions Trophy opener
September 22, 2009 at 4:56 pm
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| Tillakaratne Dilshan scored a century and spinner Ajantha Mendis also starred as Sri Lanka defeated hosts South Africa in a rain-affected opening match of the ICC Champions Trophy at Centurion on Tuesday. |
| Is there a 'Plan B' for U.S. efforts in Afghanistan?
September 22, 2009 at 4:53 pm
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| In a sign that President Obama is facing growing skepticism within his own party on Afghanistan, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said Tuesday that the U.S. commander in Afghanistan should brief Congress on his recommendations for revising U.S military strategy. |
| Borger: Congress needs 'Boss Obama'
September 22, 2009 at 4:43 pm
|
| First of all, let me stipulate that, as a purely political matter, I take no issue with President Obama's concern that Democrats could take a shellacking in 2010. |
| Desperation stalks Zimbabwe's white farmers
September 22, 2009 at 4:29 pm
|
| A desperate Zimbabwean farmer fighting to hold onto his land -- a year after the country's political rivals pledged to govern jointly -- fears he will eventually lose to politics and violence. |
| Mackenzie Phillips expected to drop bombshell on 'Oprah'
September 22, 2009 at 4:26 pm
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| Mackenzie Phillips hid in her home, made compulsive purchases and struggled with personal issues, she tells Oprah Winfrey. |
| Edwards mistress Rielle Hunter changes names, images
September 22, 2009 at 4:23 pm
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| Rielle Hunter, the woman at the center of the John Edwards sex scandal, has been known variously as a spiritual seeker, an aspiring actress, a party girl and a political operative, according to media reports. |
| Senate panel begins consideration of Baucus health plan
September 22, 2009 at 4:14 pm
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| Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus on Tuesday unveiled changes to his compromise health care proposal intended to alleviate the concerns of fellow Democrats as the panel began debating more than 560 proposed amendments to the measure. |
| Affidavit: Anna Nicole Smith received many dangerous drugs
September 22, 2009 at 4:01 pm
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| Doctors gave Anna Nicole Smith a long list of dangerous drugs over the three years before her death, including while she was pregnant, according to sworn statements by investigators. |
| Obama prods Israel, Palestinians to restart talks
September 22, 2009 at 3:50 pm
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| President Obama on Tuesday prodded Israel and the Palestinian Authority to get moving on talks aimed at a permanent resolution of their decades-old conflict. |
| Recalling Katrina, few at Georgia shelter complain
September 22, 2009 at 3:48 pm
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| "These are top notch. I mean, these are really good!" said Cosman Dragoiescu, holding a plastic Panera Bread cup with two sugar-sprinkled, glazed nuggets that did look, for the most part, tasty. |
| 'Entourage's' Jordan Belfi on the 'scary truth'
September 22, 2009 at 3:45 pm
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| Jordan Belfi has a great job: He plays Adam Davies on the HBO show "Entourage," a comedy series that takes a look at the life of a young actor, Vincent Chase, and the old friends who surround him in Hollywood. |
| Five found killed in Illinois home
September 22, 2009 at 3:45 pm
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| Five members of a family were found slain in their Beason, Illinois, home, authorities said Tuesday, and they urged people in the area to be cautious until the killer is found. |
| Chinese president pledges steps to combat climate change
September 22, 2009 at 3:25 pm
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| Chinese President Hu Jintao told a U.N. summit on climate change Tuesday that China will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase reliance on clean energy sources in coming years. |
| Bellamy warned after clash with United fan
September 22, 2009 at 3:23 pm
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| Craig Bellamy has escaped punishment following his clash with a fan at the end of Sunday's tumultuous Manchester derby, with the City striker receiving a warning from the English Football Association. |
| Climate change proposal would revolutionize value of forests
September 22, 2009 at 12:02 pm
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| The world's tropical forests are disappearing, and one reason is simple economics: People, companies and governments earn more by logging, mining or farming places such as the Amazon jungle than by conserving them. |
| Tyra Banks talks body image, hair on 'Larry King Live'
September 22, 2009 at 12:00 pm
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| Tyra Banks has gone from supermodel to super businesswoman. |
| Florida man held in Haiti charged in family slayings
September 22, 2009 at 11:58 am
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| A Florida man in custody in Haiti faces first-degree murder charges in the deaths of his wife and five children, authorities said Tuesday. |
| Experts wary of "shoe bomber" communication with family
September 22, 2009 at 11:57 am
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| Convicted "shoe bomber" Richard Reid was given permission to correspond from prison with members of his family this summer, after the Justice Department allowed restrictions on him to expire. |
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| 9/23 Boston Phoenix - thePhoenix.com
September 23, 2009 at 12:00 am
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| On a roll
September 22, 2009 at 6:31 pm
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| Hallelujah the Hills top themselves with Colonial Drones
When I go bowling with bands, it's usually to extract them from their natural habitat and place them in a controlled environment for study. In the case of my recent bowling date with Hallelujah the Hills, though, my aim was true. I just wanted to bowl.
SHAME CHANGER: "It took me a long time to convince myself that everything I was doing wasn't totally embarrassing," says Ryan Walsh (third from left). |
When I go bowling with bands, it's usually to extract them from their natural habitat and place them in a controlled environment for study. Although not exactly sterile, a bowling alley provides a setting wherein communal fun is rigorously tested by individual ambitions — ideal for band observation. In the case of my recent bowling date with Hallelujah the Hills, though, my aim was true. I just wanted to bowl.Our teams were the Rhythm Section (cellist and guitarist David Bentley, multi-instrumentalist and recordist Elio DeLuca, bassist Nicholas Ward, and drummer Matthew Glover — erstwhile of Lights) versus (name not our choice) the Divas (myself, horn player Brian Rutledge and big HTH cheese Ryan Walsh). No wagers were made; the usual competitive machismo that energizes bowling (or ping-pong) seemed quelled by an aura of unity. When Walsh slipped and fell on his ass on his first ball, it came off like a leader yelling, "Charge!" "It took me a long time to convince myself that everything I was doing wasn't totally embarrassing," he tells me on the phone a week later. When he started out writing songs, he'd record little albums, burn them to CD, bang out some artwork, and suffer acute humiliation on reviewing the results. It's like seeing a low total at the end of a string: often you don't feel those gutter balls until you look at the score sheet. It's a strong proverbial bowler who keeps on proverbially bowling. It's hard to imagine these hesitant first attempts, if only because Hallelujah the Hills are (and have been from their beginnings three years ago) one of Boston's most confident-sounding bands. That they've always rolled deep on stage (all those people!) doesn't hurt, but it's their sound that stands out. Pitchforkian shorthand might produce some horrible "Elephant 6 imprisoned in Pollard's basement" fiasco, and it wouldn't be all wrong, but comparisons to other acts shortchange the point. Walsh's voice as a singer and a writer is distinctive. His singing can slip from tremulous neighs to chummy narration; his writing tethers together dozens of disparate rock traditions, new and old, to create a kind of über-Americana propelled by the energy of its own abundance. And as a lyricist, he's as skilled a craftsman of catchy quips as he is a trusty guide into abstraction.
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| Interview: Jane Goodall
September 22, 2009 at 6:30 pm
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| Creature comforts
If only there were more trees to be torn down, we could utilize them . . . to fill newspapers with the endless depressing stories out there about the environment and all its hapless inhabitants.
If only there were more trees to be torn down, we could utilize them . . . to fill newspapers with the endless depressing stories out there about the environment and all its hapless inhabitants. The good news is, to break the doom-and-gloom cycle of cynicism, we have Dr. Jane Goodall — internationally renowned primatologist and United Nations Messenger of Peace best known for her study of chimpanzee behavior in Tanzania — to offer a remarkably optimistic point of view in her new book, Hope for Animals and Their World (Grand Central). Hope details how a variety of endangered species have been rescued from the brink of extinction — it's a "you can do it" ecological pep talk. I caught Dame Goodall — who travels 300 days a year advocating for animals — over the phone in New York. In the book, you introduce us to Old Blue, the last-remaining female South Pacific black robin who "saved" her species. The researcher who studied and rescued her has an approach that seems to reflect your own philosophy, which has been controversial in scientific circles in that it anthropomorphizes animals.
That's my favorite story ─ that set me off on this whole track! I met Don Merton a long time ago. And that story is soooo amazing. And that man is such a lovely man. You know, he loves those little black robins. And he's not ashamed of saying he loves them. It's not so much anthropomorphizing, but it's that one should be totally objective and you shouldn't have any empathy with your subjects, and you shouldn't give them names, and they can't have personalities, and they ought to be numbered, and they don't have feelings. But, of the amazing people that I've talked to in writing this book, I haven't found any who actually felt that. Sometimes they felt they ought to put that front out in order to get funding. But down underneath, they care passionately about their animals. And a lot of them will actually admit it. If they've retired ─ they're very happy to admit it then!
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| Soul training
September 22, 2009 at 6:20 pm
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| Suddenly, Mayer Hawthorne is running retro-pop
Mayer Hawthorne rose to instant retro-pop acclaim the same way that everyone from Al Green to Michael Jackson moved on up — work and luck.
WHO'S THE NEW GUY?: Mayer Hawthorne doesn't pack the vocal prowess of Boston's own white-soul survivalist Eli Reed, but his music is years more contemporary. |
Mayer Hawthorne rose to instant retro-pop acclaim the same way that everyone from Al Green to Michael Jackson moved on up — work and luck. A long-time DJ who was born in snow-white Ann Arbor, he left home to seek hip-hop fame in Hollywood after outgrowing Detroit's rap scene. Once out West, he recorded two soul tracks that he planned to share just with friends, but they wound up wowing Stones Throw owner Peanut Butter Wolf and Amy Winehouse producer Mark Ronson, both of whom helped establish him as new black music's unlikely alt hero. Pretty standard, really, but still a huge surprise to the Motown native, who comes to Great Scott on Tuesday. "This all just happened last November, so I had to drop everything in order to become Mayer Hawthorne," says the renaissance talent born Drew Cohen. "Even the [stage] name was sort of last-minute. Mayer Hawthorne is really my porn name: 'Mayer' is my middle name and 'Hawthorne' is the street that I grew up on. For whatever reason, though, this whole thing has caught on, and now it's out of my control." Although unlikely, Hawthorne's rise wasn't quite as unbelievable as some on-line rumor mills have suggested — he wasn't an obscure shut-in making laptop rock in his Underoos. As DJ Haircut — before he donned a cardigan and dropped the universally adored single "Just Ain't Gonna Work Out" — the vinyl-minded turntablist/producer racked up props and paychecks, both as an A-list Sunset Strip party jockey and as a member of Detroit's well-regarded Athletic Mic League (alongside Buff 1) and his electro-soul squad, Now On. He was even represented by the all-powerful Agency Group, and it seems he knew the right people who knew the right people. "These songs were experiments for fun on the side," he says of his secret jam sessions. "They were for me to see if I could really do it. At first, I only had two songs, and no plans to do more, when I played them for a friend who knows Peanut Butter Wolf. After that, when she introduced me to Wolf and didn't say anything about my hip-hop stuff, I was like, 'Cool — thanks for shopping songs that I didn't even want anybody to hear.' But then he wrote me about a month later asking where I dug up these old records. When I told him that was me singing and playing all of the instruments in my bedroom, he flipped out and asked if I would do a whole album."
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| Review: Darkest of Days
September 22, 2009 at 4:30 pm
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| Time travel's last stand?
In Darkest of Days you play as Alexander Morris, a soldier fresh from Little Big Horn. Right after you get nailed with some feather-tipped arrows, KronoteK rushes in to "save" you. There's a catch, though: you then go to work for KronoteK.
The list of games that include time travel is mighty short, and the list of games that use the device effectively is even shorter. Off the top of my head, there's Ocarina of Time, and . . . well, I told you the list was short. So it was a bit puzzling to learn that 8monkey Labs decided to use this complex and delicate plot device in their first "big" video-game release, Darkest of Days. In Darkest of Days you play as Alexander Morris, a soldier fresh from Little Big Horn. Right after you get nailed with some feather-tipped arrows, KronoteK rushes in to "save" you. There's a catch, though: you then go to work for KronoteK, a futuristic research team with a time machine that tracks down soldiers on the point of death, abducts them, and forces them to spend the rest of their lives in the company's employment. You'd think they'd give you a staggering futuristic arsenal, but no, they want to make sure you don't stand out, so they doom you to a life reliving dangerous battles with substandard weaponry. Darkest of Days recreates notable battles of times past. The player uses historically accurate weaponry in famous fights like the Battle of Antietam and the Battle of Tannenberg. Sounds awesome, right? You must not have been listening: historically accurate weaponry. There's a reason games don't include scenes from the Civil War: the guns sucked. You'll spend more time watching the achingly slow reload simulation than you will shooting, not to mention that your shots won't fire straight. You can aim right at a guy and your unreliable bullets won't hit their mark, just like a real American soldier in 1862. Having fun yet? You're purportedly fighting in these tedious battles for the sake of recording history (with a camera? It's never clarified), and you are instructed not to change the past. For example, characters who you aren't supposed to kill are illuminated with blue light; you can shoot them in the legs if you need to incapacitate them. However, you are also told that these missions are "emergencies" and that you have to "save" the battle and make sure it goes the right way -- for example, at Tannenberg, you have to make sure that the Nazis don't win. If you think about that directive for longer than one second, you'll remember that all of the battles have already happened and there's no real "emergency." Eventually, some rogue agents who've obtained KronoteK technology show up and start interfering with your missions. Around this point, you might think you're finally getting to the good part of the game, but you'd be wrong. I won't spoil it for you except to say that the game's denouement is as unsatisfying as its historically accurate artillery (seriously, whose idea was that? How did that one get past the brainstorming phase?).
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| Review: Tom Russell | Blood and Candle Smoke
September 22, 2009 at 4:25 pm
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| Shout! Factory (2009)
This LA-born troubadour with a Dustbowl voice works voodoo on his 24th studio album, conjuring ghosts of the '60s and '70s along with apocalyptic visions as he relates tales of gun-toting madmen and dark rifts of the heart. |
| Photo: Damian Ortega at ICA
September 22, 2009 at 4:20 pm
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| Damian Ortega's Do It Yourself exhibit at the ICA, September 18, 2009 - January 18, 2009
Photos of Damian Ortega's Do It Yourself show at the ICA
Photo: Melissa Ostrow
Damian Ortega: Do It Yourself | Institute of Contemporary Arts | September 18, 2009 - January 18, 2009
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| Review: Muse | The Resistance
September 22, 2009 at 4:04 pm
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| Warner Bros. (2009)
English rock trio Muse here attempt a rock opera. |
| Review: Bebe Gilberto | All In One
September 22, 2009 at 3:14 pm
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| Verve (2009)
There couldn't be a more apropos title than the one Bebel Gilberto has given her fourth album. |
| Fool's Gold | Fool's Gold
September 22, 2009 at 2:52 pm
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| Iamsound (2009)
A big band with a big sound, Los Angeles-based Fool's Gold come off as self-consciously cosmopolitan. |
| Eno Moebius Roedelius | Cluster and Eno/After the Heat
September 22, 2009 at 2:47 pm
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| Bureau B (2009)
Krautrock pioneers proved much more simpático musical partners than either the fractious Roxy Music or the British classical avant-garde milieu that thought of Eno as an untrained fanboy. |
| Interview: Robert Siegel
September 22, 2009 at 2:11 pm
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| On the shoulders of Giants fans
As Robert Siegel explores the idea of what happens when reality curb-stomps overblown expectation, it's hard not to feel a visceral twinge of empathy.
.jpg "interview-RSeigel_main2") Big Fan director Robert Siegel (right) with Patton Oswalt (left) |
Big Fan is the kind of movie that taps directly into my lizard brain, stirring up bits of primal dread. By which I mean to say Big Fan is a gut-wrenchingly great film. The directorial debut of screenwriter Robert Siegel (the Onion's former editor-in-chief who also wrote the screenplay for The Wrestler), Big Fan stars comedian Patton Oswalt as Paul, an arrested-development working stiff whose fervor for the NY Giants verges on religious mania and whose awe of fictional linebacker Quantrell Bishop resembles an adolescent crush. When Paul follows Quantrell into a strip club, the athlete freaks out and unloads a savage beating on his fan, bruising his brain and shattering his world. As Siegel explores the idea of what it means to inflict your presence on your personal idol, and what happens when reality curb-stomps overblown expectation, it's hard not to feel a visceral twinge of empathy. Last week, I accosted Siegel via phone, and we got a little meta.
So, Big Fan -- what a jolly way to kick off football season.
Some people, it puts them in the mood for football. Other people it depresses. Are you a football fan?
No, I'm not. But the film really touched a nerve. So, I've read that Darren Aronofsky was originally interested in Big Fan before you both collaborated on The Wrestler. Was he?
Yes. That's how I met him, through Big Fan. The script just kind of floated around Hollywood and made its way to various people's desks. And somehow it reached him, and he liked it, and we met a bunch of times about it. ... And he wound up not doing it for various reasons. You know; shit happens. But he called me up, maybe a few months later, and he asked if I had any interest in doing a movie about a wrestler. And I said, "Definitely." I think when he read Big Fan, I guess he just thought I would be a good fit for it.
Well, Big Fan does feel like the flip side of The Wrestler, or vice versa -- one's about the perils of being the athlete, and the other's about the perils of being the fan.
Yeah, in that way, it is. It's kind of simultaneously the flip side and a companion piece. In that they [Patton Oswalt's Paul in Big Fan and Mickey Rourke's Randy in The Wrestler] are both guys that are kind of on the fringes in their own way ... I guess they're both outsiders, in that one is an outsider among fans and the other is an outsider among athletes.
I read that you started out writing screenplays in more of a Will Ferrell-type comedy vein.
Yeah, I tried comedy, just because I thought that's what I was supposed to do. Being a comedy writer by trade, I thought I'm supposed to write comedy, which seemed logical at the time. But the pages were -- they were OK; they were nothing special, though ... But then this one, I just came up with this idea through the comedy. It [Big Fan] could have been a comedy. There's probably a comedy version of this. But I always saw it as a dark drama and kind of a dark character study. It felt like something clicked that hadn't clicked before, in terms of finding my voice.
Did Big Fan deviate from the original script at all?
It's basically the same. The only significant change was that there was kind of a half-assed love subplot. He meets a girl, and it was a little like in Punch-Drunk Love -- a "these two misfits" kind of thing -- and it wasn't necessary. It was a distraction. Every time I got to those parts of the script, it felt like I was hitting a commercial break in the movie, and you just wanted to get past it. And, really, the movie didn't need a love story because it already had one, which is the love story between Paul and Quantrell.
Which is wonderful and sort of uncomfortable. Very uncomfortable. Profoundly uncomfortable, actually.
Some people just think it's funny. I don't know, it gets very different reactions. Some people just think it's like, "Hey, I totally know that guy, and it's funny." Sports fans tend to have a less complicated reaction to it. They just think it's kind of fun and relatable and weird. But more artistically minded individuals tend to find it more crushingly depressing.
To call back to the Onion: for me, the sheer torture of certain aspects of Big Fan reminds me of Jean Teasdale columns. I love them, but oh my God, I can barely make it through them.
Exactly. It's funny. I love Jean.
Did you ever write Jean?
No. I used to write Smoove B. No, Jean was written by Maria Schneider, who's not there anymore, but she was at the Onion for years and years. But I'm glad you like Jean. A lot of people ask, "What is the connection [between the Onion and Big Fan]? Where does this come from? Somebody who used to write comedy?" But the Onion has a lot of dark undercurrents. And this is kind of the cinematic version of an "Area Man" story. The Onion's staple of "Area Man Does Such-and-Such" that makes you want to kill yourself. It all makes perfect sense to me.
When you wrote Big Fan, did you have Patton Oswalt in the back of your mind for the role of Paul?
Did I have him in the back of my mind? No. Well, I had a guy who looks and sounds exactly like him in the back of my mind, but I didn't put the name Patton to it at the time. I mean, I knew of Patton; I'd been a fan of his for many years. But I didn't really ever think about real-world people at that point. I definitely pictured a guy who looked remarkably like Patton. And then it was years later before I actually started thinking about casting, and it wasn't long before I got to Patton.
You did an interview where the person you were talking to had a great line about Paul -- something to the effect of: "We all know 'that guy,' but none of us are that guy."
Yeah. To date, no one has fessed up to being him. At any screening that I've done Q&A's at, people come up to me afterwards, and they all say they know "that guy." Which either means they're in denial, or "that guy" just doesn't leave the house.
Where did this film come from? Did it come from any particular experience that you had had? I think everyone must have a story involving a disappointing encounter with a celebrity.
I've taken pains to avoid any such encounters ... Years ago, I was at the Vatican, at the Sistine Chapel, during my first-ever trip to Europe, and I saw Bruce Springsteen there. He was there on family vacation with Patti and the kids. And Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson were there with their kids. Which, in retrospect, is crazy because it was just like The Da Vinci Code, seeing Tom Hanks at the Vatican, but this was before The Da Vinci Code. Your first impulse is to go up to the person and say, "I'm your biggest fan." But they get that all day long. And there's really no way to satisfyingly prove that you actually are in fact their biggest fan -- except by doing something uncomfortable and awkward and psycho, like pick the most obscure Springsteen song and recite all the lyrics. And what does that accomplish? There's nothing to be gained. I could only annoy or piss off my hero, and I would walk away the rest of my life feeling like Bruce Springsteen thinks I'm a douchebag. What is the possible positive outcome of approaching him? There's no time to convince him. He doesn't want to be convinced. He gets this all day long. I'm probably not his biggest fan, also, even though I think I am. So I just have the good sense to stand in line behind him. I mean, I hovered for quite a while. But I had the good sense not to say anything to him.
Yeah, that's a huge fear of mine -- blowing a celebrity encounter the way Paul did in Big Fan. So for me, the movie felt a lot like a horror movie. Like, "Don't go in there!"
Exactly. But then there would be no movie. Well, who would be your hero?
Well, actually, I was kind of relieved that Patton Oswalt was not available for an interview. I was thinking, "God, I'd love to talk to Patton, too." But as I was thinking it over, I realized I was terrified that I'd say something to make him hate me, and then I could never enjoy Patton Oswalt again.
He's very, very sweet. Unless you're, like, a movie-junket cheeseball. Those people he has no tolerance for.
Oh, I don't mean to insinuate anything. I just had a moment of uncontrollable dread. Anyway, it's funny that you brought that up.
I interviewed Paul McCartney last year for the Onion. At the last minute, they called me and said he was in New York for a couple days doing press for his album, and they needed somebody to interview him in person, and they called me on, like, 10 minutes' notice. At first I said no ... but I did it, just because he has this reputation of being an insanely nice guy. So I did it, and it was great. I took pictures with him and had a great interview with him. But I only did it because -- well, I would not have said yes to Lou Reed on short notice, because that would have been terrible. He would have been a dick to me.
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| No new age
September 22, 2009 at 1:51 pm
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| Earthsound is for real
Yes, this Boston jazz trio incorporates the sounds of seals, tree frogs, and crickets. Yes, one of them is a working ecologist. Here's why you shouldn't hold that against them.
FOUND SOUND: Jason Davis's jazz is "earthy" in more ways than one. |
All the external trappings of Earthsound suggest new age, beginning with the band's name and extending to phrases in the liner notes of their album Movement about "the barriers between human culture and the natural world" and "seals recorded underwater in Antarctica." Eeek!But the names of the players tell another story: flutist Fernando Brandão, pianist Nando Michelin, drummer Jorge Pérez-Albela — all esteemed jazz musicians on the local scene. The most convincing argument is made by the music itself: beautifully played, vibrant jazz, often based on the most demanding — and "earthy" — of folkloric idioms: Brazilian choro, Peruvian waltz, and Turkish belly dancing music. And yes, there are the voices of the occasional tree frog, but more on that later. "For sure, part of my goal with this project is to avoid the new-age cliché," says the bassist and leader of Earthsound, Lexington native Jason Davis. "I have nothing against it. Paul Winter is great. But I really want this to come from the jazz tradition, and world music like Brazilian, and not water it down at all but make it real music." No questioning the "real" part. The album opener, the Davis original "Ariane," is a driving samba, with Brandão, Michelin, and Davis all picking up on the melody-as-rhythm theme in their solos. The same goes for composer Felipe Pinglo's Peruvian standard "El Plebeyo," its particular vals criollo rhythm leading to an extended elaboration by the band and a feature for Davis's distinctive bowing. Four of the 12 pieces on the CD feature Earthsound improvising with ambient field recordings. In "Summer Lake," Davis bows against the rhythms and pitches of frogs and crickets. "Monteverde Slow" has Michelin responding to the dense multifarious sounds of a Costra Rican rain forest. "Hermit Thrush," has Brandão "singing" along with that North American bird. And in "The Seals," Davis bows long tones and then faster rhythmic figures alongside the eerie clicks, sucks, and whistles of those Antarctic underwater mammals. "The first time I heard that, I said, 'What is that?" says Davis of the seals when we get together for lunch on the back patio at Audubon Circle. "I couldn't believe it was a natural sound. And I love that. I love hearing a sound people don't associate with 'nature' — and it's almost electronic!" In live shows, Davis triggers the field recordings with an iPod and calls out individual band members to improvise. "Nando has perfect pitch — he can hear a bird call and turn it into a motif to improvise off." Michelin's rhythmic, harmonically layered response to the rain forest suggests a combination of bird-loving modernist classical composer Olivier Messiaen and Bill Evans.
Read more | | | 
| 9/23 USATODAY.com Most Viewed Articles
September 23, 2009 at 12:00 am
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| Mysterious ruins may help explain Mayan collapse - USATODAY.com
September 22, 2009 at 4:44 pm
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| Ex-Giants WR Plaxico Burress sentenced to 2 years, begins serving jail time immediately - The Huddle: Football News from the NFL - USATODAY.com
September 22, 2009 at 3:43 pm
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| People with 'no religion' gain on major denominations - USATODAY.com
September 22, 2009 at 2:43 pm
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| Microsoft takes notice as more people use free Google Docs - USATODAY.com
September 22, 2009 at 1:43 pm
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| Reunited: Maine workers discover they're lost brothers - USATODAY.com
September 22, 2009 at 12:43 pm
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| As lenders clamp down, credit scores take a hit - USATODAY.com
September 22, 2009 at 12:43 pm
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| 9/23 Arizona Cardinals : News
September 23, 2009 at 12:00 am
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| 9/23 azcentral.com | diamondbacks
September 23, 2009 at 12:00 am
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| 9/23 azcentral.com | business
September 23, 2009 at 12:00 am
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| Zila acquired by Colorado company
September 22, 2009 at 4:57 pm
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| | Shareholders of Zila Inc. last week approved a $4.8 million deal to be acquired with a Colorado-based company. |
| Rebound in commodities carries stocks higher
September 22, 2009 at 4:46 pm
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| | A rebound in commodities is drawing investors back into the stock market. Major stock indicators rebounded Tuesday from a drop the day earlier. The Dow Jones industrials rose 51 points after losing 41 on Monday. |
| Arizona Fry's, Safeway workers take strike vote
September 22, 2009 at 4:29 pm
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| | Arizona grocery workers have been asked to approve a strike at Fry's and Safeway if current contract negotiations fail. |
| Swiss bank to alert Americans about IRS cases
September 22, 2009 at 3:47 pm
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| | BERN, Switzerland - Swiss bank UBS AG said Tuesday it will inform American clients whether their bank accounts are among the 4,450 that will be revealed to the U.S. Justice Department in a tax evasion investigation. |
| Focus on work that earns a promotion
September 22, 2009 at 3:17 pm
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| | Question: I recently found out that a colleague makes merely $15,000 less than I do, though my job is much more demanding and requires my advanced degree and seven extra years of experience. |
| General Motors raising output at 3 factories
September 22, 2009 at 1:57 pm
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| Congress wary of 'vanilla' bank proposal
September 22, 2009 at 12:36 pm
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| Rebound in commodities carries stocks higher
September 22, 2009 at 11:23 am
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| | In late morning, Dow rose 32.12 to 9,810.98 |
| FDIC could seek bailout from banks
September 22, 2009 at 11:02 am
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| | Fund has slipped to 0.22 percent of insured deposits. |
| CarMax 2Q profit soars
September 22, 2009 at 10:45 am
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| | RICHMOND, Va. - Car dealership chain CarMax Inc. said Tuesday its fiscal second quarter profit surged on higher sales and a one-time gain related to its auto financing business. |
| ConAgra sees 1Q profit fall, raises outlook
September 22, 2009 at 10:38 am
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| | OMAHA, Neb. - ConAgra Foods Inc. said Tuesday that its fiscal first-quarter profit dropped 63 percent because of a gain last year, but adjusted results beat analysts' estimates. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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