links for 2007-01-31

• High Plains Hootenanny - Iowa City's alt.country radio home
  Anyone who plays Bobby Bare, Jr is all right.
  (tags: music)

Hrant Dink Murdered

Hrant Dink was the editor of the Armenian newspaper in Turkey. In July, was sentenced to a sixth-month suspended prison term for "insulting Turkishness" for a 2004 article he wrote about the massacre of Armenians by Turks in 1915.

He was shot today and killed by two bullets to the head while leaving his newspaper office in Istanbul.

From a1plus.am, a newspaper in Yerevan:

“I’m not a racist. I simply use the word “Genocide” which is a reality. I want my identity of an Armenian to be respected”, announced Turkish-Armenian writer and journalist Hrant Dink in a press conference in Yerevan. He had applied to the European Court of Human Rights in order restore his rights. In case the Court did not answer the letter of the editor of newspaper «Agos», he was going to leave Turkey. Alas, he did not have time for that.

Hrant Dink thought that there are only two cases when Turkey can recognize the Armenian Genocide: either under the pressure of the international community or by the demand of its own people.

Times Square trailer

It's funny to finally see the trailer of a film I've seen hundreds of times. When this came out, I was 7 yrs old. By the time I was around 10, I'd seen it and wanted to live in an abandoned warehouse on the river. It also introduced me to the Ramones, Roxy Music, Patti Smith, and XTC.

links for 2007-01-11

• Rubin's Kosher Restaurant Delicatessen
  I had forgotten about Rubin's until last night. Turkey, slaw, russian on marble rye, a pickle on the side and a Dr. Brown's root beer. Oh and a potato knish to have another day -- wrapped in deli paper. Amazing.
  (tags: boston food)
• Boston's Weekly Dig: Eats & Drinks: A Beacon of Deliciousness in the Suburban Heart of Darkness
  About Waltham. Must remember to try Taqueri­a El Amigo and Mi Tierra.
  (tags: food)

Screamers

Last night I attended previews of Screamers, "a new film by Carla Garabedian examining, through the eyes of the Grammy award-winning rock band System of a Down, why genocide continues".

Garabedian was there and gave a talk about making the film and took questions from the crowd. The title is taken from Samantha Power's book, A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide. Screamers are the "policy critics and whistleblowers" who speak up when genocide occurs.

This film opens in the Boston area January 26. It's not just about the Armenian Genocide, but about the Holocaust, Cambodia, Bosnia, Rwanda, and today in Darfur. It's about how we say "Never Again", but examining how and why we don't really mean it.

The music in the film is from System of a Down--all grandchildren of genocide survivors. The members of the band are shown confronting Speaker of the House, Dennis Hastert, on his actively blocking a vote on the Armenian Genocide Resolution (H.Res.316) in Congress.

It's an important film and I can't wait to see it.

Best

I did this last year, so I figured I should again.

Last year I listed my top 7 records of 2005 -- this year I only have 6:

1. The Crane Wife - Decemberists
I really didn't plan to like the Decemberists this much. I love the Crane Wife 1 & 2.

2. And Now That I'm In Your Shadow - Damien Jurado
I just adore this guy. He's so heartbreakingly good.

3. Get Lonely - Mountain Goats
Speaking of heartbreaking. Perfect.

4. Fox Confessor Brings the Flood - Neko Case
Never really got her before I heard this one.

5. Fewer Moving Pieces - David Bazan
Again never really got Pedro the Lion (etc) until this year.

6. How We Operate - Gomez
I really never used to like Gomez before, but I found myself listening to How We Operate often.

A non-musical best of 2006:

I was accepted to a masters program and completed my first semester with better grades than I ever got as an undergrad. Hopefully I can keep it up.