Tuesday, September 06, 2005

Rolling Stones: "Sweet Neo Con" causes uproar


Released today in the USA the Rolling Stones new CD "A Bigger Bang"

One track has caught the attention of the media and here are some of the lyrics

Sweet Neo Con

You ride around your white castle,
On your little white horse
You lie to your people,
and blame it on your war of course

You call yourself a Christian,
I call you a hypocrite
You call yourself a patriot,
well I think you’re full of shit

Oh, sweet Neo Con,
What path have you led them on?
Oh, sweet Neo Con,
Is it time for the atom bomb?

You parade around in costume,
Expecting to be believed
But as the body bags stack up,
We believe we’ve been deceived

The horror you’ve unleashed,
Will backfire with more grief
When will you ever learn,
Sweet Neo Con, as the world burns?

Oh, sweet Neo Con,
What path have you led them on?
Oh, sweet Neo Con,
Is it time for the atom bomb?

Oh, sweet Neo Con,
What path have you led them on?
Oh, sweet Neo Con,
Is it time to drop the bomb?

How come you’re so wrong?
My sweet neo-con,
where’s the money gone,
in the Pentagon.

It’s liberty for all,
democracy’s our style,
unless you are against us,
then it’s prison without trial.

Here is how one critic describes the track:
"The biggest surprise. We thought Mick was an old Thatcherite. But here he sticks it to Bush and co right between the eyes. ''You say you are a Christian , I think you are a hypocrite,'' he spits in the opening line to a tune a little like Dylan's "Masters Of War", while the chorus sneers, ''How come you're so wrong, my sweet neo-con.'' A Virgin spokeswoman in the US has already put out a panicky statement denying it's about Bush or anyone on the White House (can't risk upsetting Clear Channel, can we?). But if you believe that, you'll believe anything."
---------------------------
"I've got strong opinions,'' Jagger said. "I'm obviously very interested in the way that we conduct foreign policy in the West. It's one of my interests, if not passions. So obviously I have opinions about it.''

"There's been other social comment before from the Rolling Stones,'' Jagger said. "This one's a bit more direct. Perhaps it's the times we're living in. I was being more direct than metaphorical.

"I think right-wing commentators get fed up with pop singers getting involved with anything but pop singing. But artists have responsibilities too. Everyone has responsibilities. As long as you don't bang on about it every day - because people get pretty bored with that - I think comments from artists, whether they are painters or any kind of creative people, is part of what you do.''

Apart from "Sweet Neo Con'' there's another pointed anti-Iraq War jab on "A Bigger Bang.'' In "Dangerous Beauty,'' the Stones deal the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal with some very dark humor.

"Who you got there in that hood
You look so fancy in those photographs
With your rubber gloves on
But you're a favorite of the Chiefs of Staff . . .''

---------------------------


Must see show in Sydney

If the catalogue we received in Tokyo is anything to go by this will be a stunning show of Peter Neilson's latest paintings.

Sepember 6 to October 1, 2005

Drifting South, Always South
Australian Galleries
15 Roylston Street
PADDINGTON
NSW 2021

02 9360 5177

enquiries@australiangalleries.com.au

Monday, September 05, 2005

Hiroshima: Wilfred Burchett's report 60 years ago

Daily Express 5 September 1945

30th DAY in Hiroshima: Those who escaped begin to die, victims of
THE ATOMIC PLAGUE
'I Write this as a Warning to the World'
DOCTORS FALL AS THEY WORK
Poison gas fear: All wear masks

Express Staff Reporter Peter Burchett was the first Allied Reporter to enter the atom-bomb city. He travelled 400 miles from Tokyo alone and unarmed, carrying rations for seven meals -- food is almost unobtainable in Japan -- a black umbrella, and a typewriter. Here is his story from –

HIROSHIMA, Tuesday

In Hiroshima, 30 days after the first atomic bomb destroyed the city and shook the world, people are still dying, mysteriously and horribly -- people who were uninjured in the cataclysm -- from an unknown something which I can only describe as the atomic plague.

Hiroshima does not look like a bombed city. It looks as if a monster steamroller had passed over it and squashed it out of existence. I write these facts as dispassionately as I can in the hope that they will act as a warning to the world.

Sunday, September 04, 2005

Nishi-Hachioji: Emperors tomb

Today we were treated to a traditional Japanese tea ceremony (actually a home made ceremony picking the best elements from three ceremonies)


We also visited the tombs of the Emperors (above is Hirohito's) and spent some time discussing Japan's Article Nine (renouncing war) with our friends. We came to the conclusion that the world would be much better of if everyone in the world adopted this article for their own constitution. Learn from Japan: renounce war!

Instead the jingoists in Japan (with support of the usual mob elsewhere ... take your pick Bush, Howard ...) are hoping to destroy this remarkable article if they win the election, the one they called after being prevented from selling off the Post Office!!! Presumerably the US$3 trillion dollars the Post Office is estimated to be worth would then be poored down the drain of military expenditure.

Is it just a coincidence that election day in Japan this time is September 11th? Is it just election banter that former members of Koizumi's Liberal Democratic Party are now calling him a fascist? Anyway we felt even the old emporer might be turning in his grave.

and we don't always eat out despite what you blog readers might think. Here's our old standby of chickpea and pasta
-----------------------------
take one tin of chickpeas, a heap of finely chopped garlic, a tablespoon of tomato paste, a tin of tomatoes (Italian of course) a chopped chilli or two, olive oil and fresh picked basil. start by frying the garlic and chilli and then adding the tomato paste. then the drained chickpeas, stir till gluggy, add the tomatoes and let simmer till nice and thick add the basil and serve over the pasta that mysteriously cooked itself while this was being written.
-----------------------------

Friday, September 02, 2005

Nishi-Hachioji: Noa-Ya (Nowhere)

We said we would visit the little restaurant again and we did

If you look closely at the middle window you can spot the photographer

small, medium and large!!


and a little map if you need to find it