London Nights

A Little Perspective, Please

The right for average folks to cast votes and elect representatives is a key part of the democratic process, but it can do more harm than good when the public is uninformed.

I'm not about to claim that the British public don't have their facts straight (although recent election victories by the British National Party and the UK Independence Party as well as sensational reporting in major London newspapers on recent political stories are a worrying trend), but I was blown away by the cost to the city of London of the recent 48 hour transit strike of £100 million.

Compare that to a few hundred Members of Parliament charging at maximum £20,000-£30,000 at any point over the past four years, and you begin to see how easy it is to lose perspective on political and economic issues.

Much of the money in the MPs epenses scandal was designated for services and charges that allowed MPs to better serve their constituents, and the vast majority of that was legal under the rules that govern Parliament. Although the public has the right to be upset by these expenses, these funds were expected under the old system, and the existence of a few million pounds of money blocked out for MPs was no secret.


On the contrary, Mayor Johnson's budget for the city of London did not take into account an additional £100 million for a transit strike and not one single citizen was able to voice their opinion about this money being spent or not spent.


Dollar figures (or Pound figures) shoudn't dictate what is right and wrong in government. If that's how we did things there would be nothing stopping each elected official from spending £10/day on candy bars and DVDs. We should, however, be conscious about how serious an issue the expenses scandal was and balance it with the damage that could be done to the county when fascist, racist, anti-semitic, homophobes are elected in the name of "reform."

Bill Richardson and Santa Fe Protective Services: Some Stories Have Wheels

In light of news that more developments in the Bill Richardson/Sante Fe Protective Services story are soon to be published, I have decided to re-post an article I wrote on the case nearly two years ago.

[Below is a revised version of a post I began writing shortly after my encounter with the July 4th, 2007 "Bill Richardson Hummer." I am leaving all the tenses in their original form—I was going to publish this story in early August, 2007]

This story began a month ago. It started quickly—with a keen eye and a few clicks of a camera—and was soon published on this very blog. Shortly after the post went online a handful of other bloggers caught on, most of them using the photos I took:

The Daily Background(with updates HERE)

The Politico's Ben Smith

Green Mountain Politics1

Along with a fair number of visitors at this and other blogs who were displeased with Richardson's actions were a few (some angry) Richardson people who cleared up the situation as quickly as they could. I checked in with the sources who were also carrying the sources and followed their lead by taking down what I had originally written. A month out, I still can't put down the story, so here I am again.



New Hampshire campaigning is a lot like New Hampshire itself—big flashy things stick out in the presence of rolling hills and pleasant landscapes. I was equally surprised to see a shiny black Hummer show up at the small-town Amherst Fourth of July parade with a trailer of Bill Richardson for President equipment in tow. I was all the more surprised to spot New Mexico plates on the vehicle, as well as the logo for "Santa Fe Protective Services." That name sure didn't sound like "Joe's Hardware" to me, so I committed it to memory.

Below is the logo for Santa Fe Protective Services from their website...it's a match.



Light research into the company didn't turn up any direct explanation for its presence at the event--the company wasn't receiving money from the Richardson campaign and there was no mention of the Governor on their web page. I did, however, find the following listed on the company's "about us" page:

Christina Moya isn't on Richardson's staff either, but finding her name on the page began to unravel a complicated plot much more detailed than the response Richardson's campaign gave after the Hummer story broke: that the car was simply that of a supporter. Personally, I think of supporters as families in minivans or guys with old cars and bumper stickers that follow a candidate around and hold up signs. "Supporter" takes on a new meaning here.

Christina Moya is the daughter of Mr. Walter "Butch" Maki, a New Mexico businessman and recent home-buyer in New Hampshire.

Who is Butch? Check out the following articles:

(Business Wire, Jan. 5, 2005)

Walter "Butch" Maki, a former helicopter combat soldier in Vietnam, served as long-time district director for Congressman Bill Richardson, and formed professional relationships with New Mexico's federal, state, and local political and grassroots leaders.

(Albuquerque Journal, Feb. 11, 2007)

(Santa Fe New Mexican, Jan. 28, 2007)

So...Maki is a lobbyist and former aide of Bill Richardson, but what proof is there of Maki receiving any recent benefit from his relationship with the Governor? Well, here's one possibility that sticks out (from the Santa Fe New Mexican on March 3, 2005):

The [New Mexico] House approved the bill on a 56-6 vote without almost no debate.

One provision could provide some financing for a startup company that is negotiating to buy Qwest's telephone lines on the Navajo reservation. The company, Sacred Wind Communications, plans to use wireless technology to expand telephone service on Navajo lands.

A quick search of the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission's website yields a searchable database of corporations operating within New Mexico. Using the search, Maki's name appears next to two corporations, one of which should sound quite familiar...

Sacred Wind—the company contracted under Richardson's administration.

Maki's ties to Richardson, as well as many members of New Mexico's political elite, undoubtedly helped him secure millions of dollars in government contracts during Richardson's time in office.

It's not corruption when a business has very good relationships with politicians and can get terrific government contracts. It's America.

[So did I overreact last year when I put up photos of "Bill Richardson's Gas-Guzzling Hummer" online? Yes, but was there more behind this "supporter's" vehicle than I was initially told (or angrily commented about) by Richardson's campaign? You tell me.]

Hell Breaks Loose

I've been here for over a month, and in that time I have learned my way around so much of London, picked up all the needed vocabulary and not sound appalingly "touristy," but despite working in govenment here it's taken longer to comprehend just what is going on in British politics now.

Take a look at the following headlines from this morning's Telegraph, the newspaper that's been leading the charge on the MPs expenses scandal:

"Labour suffers humiliating election defeat"

"Hangdog Prime Minister looks like he's had his day"

"Gordon Brown looked worse than ever at his press conference: exhausted, isolated and nearing the end of his tether"

"[Brown] pushed to the brink by resignations, expenses and calls to quit"

"How much more proof of his utter unsuitabiltiy to lead a party of a government does Mr Brown need?"

Put simply, the London rags make American media look like journalism at its best, and we know that's hardly true. But instead of dwelling on that, let's dig in a little bit and think about what the biggest issues are in Great Britain and the subsequent actions taken by the media and the voting public.

The Situation: 

The economy is and has been in crisis for some time, although recent indications show that relief may be on its way. Britain is plagued by the issue of knife crime, a serious issue that undercuts the ability of the Government to maintain the best public safety. Labour popularity is at its very lowest levels and Gordon Brown, although most certainly not abdicating his post anytime soon, is facing a growing wall of opposition. Finally, after weeks of newspaper revelations detailing MP's expenses, the rules for members of the government need to be reformed.

The Media & the Public:

Instead of presurring PM Brown to do more on the economy or criticise the proposals he's made in the past weeks, the British media has devoted no less than 80% of its attention to MP's expenses scandal (to the tune of 15 page spreads every morning for two weeks—I struggle to remember the last time the American media has had the attention span to run the same story repeatedly like that). Lead by the Telegraph, media coverage of expenses runs much more like McCarthyistic witchhunting than true investigative journalism. Media ethics have flown out the window as junior reporters usually assigned to celeb columns or minor features are asked to pull together a feature on specific evidence of "government corruption" and, their appetite whetted for a big story, so-called reporters publish private addresses and misinterpret the crucial details of expenses files.

Faced with constituents calling for their heads and outlandish media reports attacking their ethics and ability to represent the voting public, many MP's and ministers have been forced to step down from important posts or resign come the next election.

Which brings me to the wide gap between what is happening and what should be happening.

MP's that have broken the rules (bear in mind that MP's are allowed to expense many of the things they claim for, and when they sought approval from the Parliamentary Pay office most of their claims were approved) and flagrantly cheated the system should be asked to step down, and if they refuse, sacked by Gordon Brown.

Instead of learning from their mistakes and being forced to face tougher, more vigilant constituents, the voting public will vote out of office hundreds of Labour MP's in favor of Conservatives or Liberal Democrats and then forget about the expenses scandal and the reasons that wanted "change" in the first place. These news MP's will have tremendous leway to do whatever they place, and once the public has forgotten about the expenses scandal, the same practices that people complain about now will begin again, only this time (likely) under the Tory Government of David Cameron.

Borrowing the failed aspects of the American "democracy first" system where those who have done wrong are sacked symbolically while the underlying problems continue without reform, the British public are thirsty for blood and blinded by their right to voice discontent with a vote that's much harmful to the public good than any expenses claim.

Simple Listening Rules to Live By

I'm surprised I haven't taken up more space on this blog reviewing the music I come across. The ever-evolving journey of musical discovery is for me what diving into a new book is like for some: the first time experiencing a spectacular world (it's like Harry Potter for your ears!)

Cell phone off, distractions put aside, head phones on, and let an album play out right in front of, and if you're lucky, all around you.

I have found but a few golden rules to ensure a proper CD listening experience before diving in:

1) Environment: Many people are so caught up in themselves that it's impossible to "turn off" and imagine for a moment that the world will in fact carry on without you for a good 90 minutes; besides from doctors on call, firefighters, and other emergency service workers, you've got a problem if either you or your mate's lives begin to fall apart if you can't go an hour without returning texts. If you are unable to explain that to your friend, time to befriend someone who's got a better grip on reality.

2) Musical Setup: Headphones vs. Speakers is always a contentious debate. With the proper speaker setup (5.1 Surround, etc.) you're sure to experience the closest possible recreation of what the band intended you to hea; no matter what music you care for, you can be assured that the band didn't mix their music to sound good on iPod bud headphones or laptop speakers. But if you're more concerned with drowning out ambient noise instead of trying to cover it up, headphones are your weapon of choice. If you're willing to shell out $160 for HeadRoom's BitHead headphone amplifier + crossfeed device (to recreate a surround sound-like depth field). I go for headphones.

3) iPod/playback settings: The last thing you'll need to fix before diving into your new album are the settings you've got on your iPod (if you're not running from a CD player or deck). First off, head to your preferences pane on iTunes and ensure that you haven't got Crossfade enabled--there's nothing worse than missing the final blessed seconds of a track for the "continuity" or flow of two different songs blending together like the work of a crummy radio DJ. Second, check that you've selected all the songs in the album and labled the album as "gapless": a number of groups these days don't stop playing between tracks, and you can avoid the hiccups in playback with this one simple step. Finally, make sure you've got every song on the album in the right order (aka AVOID THE SHUFFLE FUNCTION)...the band has put the songs in the order they think compliments the music the best, so don't ruin it by hopping around from track to track!

The Schedule

 

Eight concerts so far this May and a busy June + July ahead!

1 June — Ondine (The Royal Ballet)

3 June — Third Day

9 June — Piotr Anderszewski

16 June — James Blood Ulmer

23 June — Dredg

27 June — Michael Franti and Spearhead

30 June — Maria Joáo Pires (Philharmonia Orchestra)

1 July — Lenny Kravitz

8 July — Social Distortion

20 July — U2

21 July — U2

24 July — U2

25 July — U2

Joy

Aldo Ciccolini turns 84 in August. A master interpretor of French piano works, Ciccolini took the stage at Royal Festival Hall on Wednesday night with Yannick Nézet-Séguin, the London Philharmonic's rising star guest conductor, trailing behind respectfully. Most artists struggle to maintain their mastery late into their lives; if you closed closed your eyes as Ciccolini began his performance you heard the notes of a virtuoso in his prime.

On the plate for the elder pianist was Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, an effortlessly resonant work composed at the piano as Rachmaninoff worked his way out of a sustained period of depression.

I hardly consider myself to possess a trained ear for classical music, but it was hard to deny the magic that emanated from Ciccolini's piano. Following three encores (no less standing ovations—hard to come by in this city), Ciccolini returned to the stage, took his place in front of the piano and capped off his performance with a stirring rendition of Schubert's Kupelwieser Waltz.

As the audience shuffled out of the auditorium the handkerchiefs and napkins were out in full force; Ciccolini brought the Royal Festival Hall, and me, to tears.

Hand in Hand

Civilized Britain:


Uncivilized Britain:

Eisenhower in Grosverner Square

There ought not be a prouder moment for Americans in London than the sight of the monument honoring Presdient Dwight D. Eisenhower. Next to the American Embassey at Grosverner Square rises the figure of Gen. Eisenhower, leader of Alllied Forces against one of the world's most formidable enemies.

Challenged. Matched. Defeated.

Only 60 or so years ago the future of the world was in jeopardy. Can you believe that?! We grieve about the war in Iraq and some sweat over the fear of terrorists occasionally targetting a few hundred folks in isolated incidents; imagine an enemy around every corner, and what seemed like a never-ending wave of tanks, bombers, and soldiers conquering France, breaking down the door in Russia, and relentlessy bombing the city of London. Entire cities were destroyed and death tolls were in the millions.

Gen. Eisenhower rose to the occasion and guided the armies of the freedom-loving world to victory in one of the greatest of wars in history.

If I never return again to pay proper thanks:

Mr. Eisenhower, thank you.

Here Comes the Rain