Blair Event At Judson University Only Inspiring For War Criminal Wannabes

The Daily Herald April 13th article "Tony Blair inspires during Judson University visit" is a shameful example of puff journalism unbefitting a responsible newspaper. Blair is the former British Prime Minister, who a majority of Brits believe should be tried for war crimes for his cooperation in President Bush's 2003 criminal invasion of Iraq. He keeps his speaking engagement itinerary secret in Britain because responsible protesters show up in mass with signs blaring BLIAR instead of BLAIR to reflect the lies he told with President Bush to  launch their criminal war. He occasionally shakes hands with an attendee at the Meet N Greet afterwards who calmly says "I'm making a citizen's arrest of you for war crimes" before security hustles the citizen arrester away.

But there were no BLIAR signs among the 600 Judson Forum attendees, or citizen arresters among the 150 admitted to the VIP event where Blair gave his one sided defense of actions that would land him in a prison cell if there were justice for the hundreds of thousands killed in the Bush-Blair war crime, including 4,488 GI's. That is because Americans, kept in the dark by fawning corporate media like the Daily Herald, are shielded from the truth that simply doesn't fit our mainstream narrative that America is incapable of committing such abominable acts.

The article starts with the line " 'Inspiring' was the overwhelming description from those who saw former British Prime Minister Tony Blair speak Friday at Judson University". But the millions who were killed, wounded or left homeless by Blair's criminality weren't privileged to attend the event simply described as "inspiring". Had they been present, through tears they would have muttered "Shame".

Jazz Pick Of The Week: Bunny Berigan

Bunny Berigan's theme song and one of most famous recordings of Big Band era. "I can't get started" was little known 1929 Broadway show tune till Bunny recorded it twice, first in 1936 with a six piece combo and again in 1937 with his full 14 piece big band. This is the shorter, more intimate 1936 version (despite link label stating 1937 as year recorded) . Bunny made only a handful of vocals to go along with his amazing trumpet work on over 600 sides recorded between 1930 and 1941, but his amateurish, high pitched, nasally voice is perfect for this lament about a guy whose achieved everything but can't impress his love interest. Bunny did get started early on with the bottle and couldn't stop till it killed him at 33 in 1942. But you won't find one clinker on his prodigious recorded output.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyAoTLJAHOk

US Big Lie About North Korea Is One Of Omission

If you believe Uncle Sam and his servants in the mainstream media, North Korean leader Kim Jung-un woke one day and decided to engage in crazy talk about ordering his underlings to prepare for a missile attack on the United States. He followed up by posing before a command center wall map titled: "Plans to Attack the Mainland US". That was enough to provoke the US to announce it's sending an additional missile defense system to American territory Guam, which has been the subject of previous North Korean threats.

But what neither our Uncle nor the media tell us concerns the provocative actions America took such as conducting war games in South Korea since early March, including a mock nuclear attack on North Korea by flying two nuclear capable B-2 Stealth bombers. America also ordered F-22 Raptor stealth fighters to South Korea, which further escalated tensions with North Korea. Is it any wonder that North Korean leaders would trot out their only possible response: bellicose and delusional claims of standing up to our needless provocative behavior.

The Military-Industrial Complex loves this flare up. It portends more military contracts for weapons systems to meet an imaginary danger, a danger likely provoked by their bankrupt, but still free spending Uncle when it comes to military hardware. While the real needs of rebuilding US infrastructure, creating alternative energy independence, developing a medical delivery system for all, and returning America to world class educational leadership languish, those vested in endless war and military adventurism flourish.

America's reporting of North Korea's threatening words are truthful. Its refusal to give us the whole story of America's belligerent and provocative actions, much more ominous than mere words, amounts to a reckless lie of omission that every sensible American should call out and challenge.

Jazz Pick Of The Week - Lee Wiley

My favorite canary (girl singer) from the early jazz/big band era is Lee Wiley. Wiley (1908-1975) is little known today outside of  jazz aficionados, but she should be. Great name, gorgeous and possessing ...a smoky, sensual singing voice that still mesmerizes. I got hooked on her singing about 20 years ago. In 1939, she originated the concept album featuring only songs of one composer. Here is one of her best, "Lets Fly Away" from her 1940 Cole Porter album. The trumpeter is jazz legend Bunny Berrigan, one of her music pals she did fly away with and compromise.   

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGheSn5MSLg