Streaming Music Services

Read Write Web reports on an exciting announcement for music lovers from MOG a music service with a social networking component.

Just when you thought media darling Spotify was going to be the sexiest music service of the year, music blogging platform MOG is announcing plans to offer a $5 dollar per month, all-you-can-hear music service. In an interview with MOG CEO David Hyman, ReadWriteWeb learned that tomorrow morning the company will announce deals with Universal, Sony, Warner and EMI. While other services are scrambling to sign licensing agreements with the four major US labels, MOG All Access will launch before November 26. It looks like Americans will have plenty to celebrate this Thanksgiving.
MOG All Access is a browser-based service that will offer more than 5 million on-demand tracks from a number of major and indie record labels.
Similar to Grooveshark the service will require no installation; however, unlike Grooveshark, MOG will not provide a free music service beyond its initial trial period.

I’ve not had a chance to explore these sites, but I’m kind of partial to a site I recently discovered called Lala.com. It’s interesting because you can upload your own music collection and listen to it anywhere. You can also purchase web songs and albums that you play online at a very low price.

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Cable News Has Massive Information Resources, William Kamkwamba Has a Few Library Books. Who Makes Better Use?

I’m not one of those who get’s all his news from The Daily Show, I swear, but as Jon Stewart points out in this segment, it’s hard to get it anywhere else.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c
CNN Leaves It There
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show
Full Episodes
Political Humor Ron Paul Interview

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But at least they are making sure Saturday Night Live gets the facts straight.
And then there’s this guy. Look what he did with some scraps that, quite frankly, a junkyard owner wouldn’t have bothered to save.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c
William Kamkwamba
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show
Full Episodes
Political Humor Ron Paul Interview

He did all that based on images in a library book? It took me hours to set up the surround sound in my family room, and I had diagrams and specific color coded cables! I’m calling William Kamkwamba next time. You know all those leaks in the Big Dig Tunnels Here in Boston where I live, they should have just told William Kamkwamba what they wanted done. Remember the Mars Climate Orbiter that NASA lost because they confused Metric and Imperial measurements? Maybe William Kamkwamba should have taken charge. I’m exaggerating, of course, but this kid’s story does make you wonder, if he can do that with what he had, what would he do with all the benefits I have. As he says in the interview, what if he had Google?

Journalism and Gender

Here are two articles that touch on freedom of the press and gender in the Islamic world.

A journalist in Afghanistan who had a death sentence for blasphemy commuted to 20 years in prison has now been released, officials say.
Sayed Parwez Kambakhsh has been pardoned by President Hamid Karzai, the Afghan justice ministry confirmed.
Relatives of Mr Kambaksh said he had already left Afghanistan as he had been granted asylum by a European country.
In 2007, he was convicted of distributing material that questioned Islamic attitudes to women.
Media rights groups have welcomed the release of Mr Kambakhsh, which they say is the result of persistent lobbying.
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In this second article, a journalist was arrested, but not for anything she said or did.  Unlike Mr Kambakhsh, she wasn’t charged with blasphemy or with some crime against the state, as dissident journalist so often are.  Her crime was her attire.  She wasn’t dressed properly.

A Sudanese court ruled on Monday that journalist Lubna Ahmad Al-Hussein should be fined two hundred dollars for wearing trousers; considered an indecent outfit in Sudan – applying Islamic Sharia in their law. It’s worth mentioning that Lubna was threatened of a verdict amounting to 40 whip lashes…  More than a thousand persons, including numerous women in trousers, demonstrated in front of the court on Monday in solidarity with the journalist. The police broke up the demonstrators and detained forty eight female activists and journalists on the charge of inciting a riot.
via Trouser-wearing Sudanese journalist escapes flogging, fined $200

It’s worth pointing out that this article is from the site Meedan, a site with the goal of connecting Arabic and English speakers by taking advantage of machine-assisted translation technology.  A useful resource.  More on that later.

Was It Good for You? Let Me Check Your Facebook Page

The text below provides some statistics about “gadget-savvy online individuals” under the age of 35 surveyed on behalf of the website Retrevo.com.  The first percentage is shocking, the second frightening, the third not a bit surprising and the last, well, what’s the big deal?

The younger crowd is also quite keen on tweeting, texting, and checking Facebook after sex (36%), while driving (40%), while at work (64%), and when on vacation (65%).
via Young Social Mediaphiles: 36% Tweet and Check Facebook After Sex.

It isn’t so much the numbers themselves that are surprising.  The survey is, after all, a survey of gadget-savvy people,  so one would expect the numbers to be higher than they might in the general population.  So that 64% of respondents use these tools at work or on vacation seems reasonable.  In fact, it surprises me the number isn’t higher.
Tweeting, texting and Facebook?  That’s a lot of tools.  Increasingly people use one or more of those tools for work.  As for using them on vacation, they are called social networking tools, and socially is how most people started using them.  It is their use for business and professional purposes that is new.  So why wouldn’t they be used on vacation.   I like to be unplugged on vacation sometimes, but that’s because I work online.  Many people are thrilled by the possibility of posting their vacation snapshots while on vacation.  And , if family members went off to do different things during the day of a family vacation, it can be awfully handy to text them if you want to change the meeting place for dinner.
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That leaves only the driving to talk about.  Tell me more please.  Where were those numbers highest?  Certain states?  Cities?  Do they drive more at certain times of the day?  Do they use highways or byways more?  Tell me all you can.  ‘Cause I want to do all I can to be OFF THE ROAD whenever and wherever they are!

Survey Results on a Chart

Survey Results on a Chart


NB: This entry has bee corrected in response to the comment below. (10/13/2009)

Ryan Bingham at Iron Horse in Northampton

Mescalito Album Cover

Mescalito Album Cover

Ryan Bingham caught my attention shortly after the release of his first album Mescalito. It struck a chord with me and quickly became one of the most frequently played discs in my iPod. His new disc, Roadhouse Sun, is even better, and more overtly political, which I always like (assuming I agree with the politics, of course).
It’s hard to say why I like his music so much.  It’s difficult to imagine an artist with a life’s experience more different than mine. Bingham spent time on the rodeo circuit riding bull before becoming a singer-songwriter.

Americana singer/songwriter Ryan Bingham was raised in rural Texas, where years of hardscrabble ranch work and competitions on the rodeo circuit would eventually surface in the dusty riffs of his country-styled debut, Mescalito.
Living alone since his mid-teens, Bingham shuttled back and forth between Southwestern border towns and relatives’ homes, often sleeping in his truck after nightly rodeo gigs. It was during those treks that he began entertaining friends with the guitar, an instrument he’d learned at the age of 17 from a mariachi neighbor. Drawing inspiration from Bob Dylan, Marshall Tucker, and Bob Wills — all of whom populated the jukebox of The Halfway Bar, a roadhouse owned by Bingham’s uncle (whose musical tastes influenced those of his nephew) — Bingham fashioned a road-weary sound that soon piqued the interest of a barroom proprietor in Stephenville, TX.
Bio on AOL Music

Maybe that biography is exactly why it appeals to me. There’s a sense of authenticity when he sings about hard times.Last night I saw him play live at the Iron Horse Music Hall in Northampton, MA.

Jonny Burke

Jonny Burke

It was great, but before I talk about him I want to say a few words about his opening act, Jonny Burke.  When the young, slender, almost waifish, Burke came out with his super tight-fitting jeans and shoulder length, dirty blond hair I thought to myself, oh no!  What are we in for now?  What is this pretty boy rocker going to play?  Did they bring a bad Kurt Cobain rip off to open?  Or worse stil, maybe we’re in for bubble gum pop in the style of one hit wonders Hanson!  If I hadn’t wanted a good seat I might have actually skipped the opening act.  Maybe I am going to wish I should have.
I was wrong.  Burke was great.  Born and raised in New Braunfels, Texas, on 35 between Austin and San Antonio, just outside of the latter, he grew up on music in that area so steeped in the Texas musical tradition. It kind of hard to characterize that tradition because it is really varied.  Just take a look at the artists from the region.  Burke, himself, in his MySpace biography, claims to have been influence by Chuck Berry as a boy, and that it was his meeting with Townes Van Zandt that really changed his life.
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As for Ryan Bingham, he also exceeded my expectations.  Oddly enough, that was a little bit of a surprise, too.  I love his music, but I had checked out his live YouTube videos, and they are bad.  The sound is terrible and performances recorded in such a way that the crowd noises are the only thing you can really hear.  YouTube videos are often no friend to the artist. Then I had seen him on Austin City Limits and it was a good set, but just not overwhelmingly exciting.  To be sure, live music is always better experienced live, but it was more than that. I had a very hard time convincing friends to go with me to the concert, so I was worried.

Well, the show at the Iron Horse was fantastic.  I think a lot of it has to do with the venue.  Bingham is at his best in a small venue where he can engage with and feed off the crowd.  It was such an exciting show.   He began the show with an acoustic guitar and harmonica and a quiet start.  Then he really rocked the house.   It was great.  Ryan is an interesting performer.  When he interacts with the audience he comes across as shy and unassuming.  But when he steps behind his guitar and microphone, he’s larger than life.  The songs are powerful and the band tight.
Incidentally, The same musicians played with Jonny Burke:
Matt Smith – Drums and Percussion
Corby Schaub – Electric Guitar, Mandolin, Kettle Drums & Background Vocals
Elijah Ford – Bass
If you ever have the chance, check him out live.  You won’t regret it.
For your enjoyment, here’s the first single from Roadhouse Sun, Snake Eyes.

Morocco to fund overhaul of universities / Conference for Arab youth and media takes place in Tunis

This is good news.

The Moroccan government will provide universities with resources to boost reforms under a far-reaching 2009-20012 education emergency plan.
The government and universities signed 17 agreements to promote higher education at a ceremony on Tuesday (October 6th) presided over by King Mohammed VI. With nearly 12.6 billion dirhams earmarked for the improvements, the plan will enlarge and improve infrastructure, revamp facilities and instruction, increase universities’ intake capacity and promote scientific research.

But the investment is much needed.

The backdrop for the recent agreements is a 2007 World Bank report on education in the Arab world that sharply criticised Morocco for failing to implement widespread reforms. The report cited a lack of systematic evaluation of students, an alarming rise in dropout rates, the small budgets allocated to schools, and the inability of educational institutions to prepare students for the workforce. Following these findings, King Mohammed VI urged the government to create the emergency education plan.

You can read the full story “Morocco to fund overhaul of universities” on Magharebia.com, but I taught for six years in the Moroccan university system, and Moroccan university students deserve a system of education that is worthy of their academic talents and skills. 
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Young people from all over the Maghreb and the wider Arab world met in Tunis on Monday (October 5th) for a three-day seminar on moulding the media to match the aspirations of Arab youth.
Delegates from Tunisia, Algeria, Libya, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Qatar, Egypt, Yemen, Palestine and Sudan drafted a number of recommendations at the event, which took place under the auspices of the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Physical Education in collaboration with the Arab League.
“The topics discussed were important and motivated us to exchange expertise with participants from various countries, and discuss with them means of developing youth-oriented information in the Arab world, especially with the appearance of other media that can threaten youth,” said Karima Weslati, a member of the Tunisian media, who took part in the event.

The full story is availabe at”Arab youth call for media that reflect their interests” on Magharebia.com

Consumers Union Produces First TV Ad To Support Health Care Reform

A message from Consumers Union, the non-partisan, not for profit publishers of Consumer Reports.

We’ve done something we’ve never done before – produced a TV commercial that puts the Consumer Reports trusted brand behind the call for common-sense health reform. The Consumer Reports endorsement is powerful to millions of Americans. But it won’t help build support for reform if we can’t get it on TV.
We need your help to air the ad in those states whose Senators could either kill reform – or take us to victory.
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You can see the ad at this link.  It’s good that it puts the Consumer Reports brand behind the endorsement, but I don’t think that convincing people of the need for health care reform is the issue.  I think that the challenge is getting them to support reform that is real reform, that includes a public option for example.  Still, ads like this need to run.
Write you congressional representatives, too!

I've got an iPhone App!

Icon for Africas Islamic Experiences- History, Culture, and Politics

Icon for Africas Islamic Experiences- History, Culture, and Politics


I’ve got an iPhone app! I don’t mean a new app on my iPhone. I’ve far too many of those already. I mean that is I have created an iPhone app…kind of…
What has really happened is that a book I helped edit has been turned into an application. The volume comes, in part, from a conference on Islam and Africa I helped organize as a graduate assistant under the direction of Ali A. Mazrui for his Institute of Global Cultural Studies at Binghamton University. Before leaving the Institute when I began working for NITLE, my colleague and I had edited a number of the conference papers and begun initial steps toward assembling a volume on the topic. But as the book was not to be simply conference proceedings, but rather a truly cohesive collection of essays on the subject, the project wasn’t finished.
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Though I am far from an impartial critic, I found it is an interesting and impressive volume, composed only in part of essays developed from papers delivered at the Islam and Africa conference. Because of this, I can’t take much credit for the book. It was, as Professor Mazrui so graciously acknowledges, a team effort, but it is definitely his vision, engagement and leadership that originated the project and saw it through to its completion.

Academic Freedom Media Review, October 2-9, 2009

The Academic Freedom Media Review is a collection of articles compiled weekly by Scholars at Risk. This is the review for October 2-9, 2009.
Iranian Professors Worldwide Call for Independent Ethical Conducts of their Peers in Iran
Payvand Iran News, 10/9
Palestinian University Is Shut Down Amid Fight For Control
The Chronicle of Higher Education, 10/8
Law to back academic freedom
Guy Healy, The Australian, 10/7
Egypt’s top cleric plans face veil ban in schools
Sarah El Deeb, Associated Press, 10/6
File under – ‘Silly comments by middle-aged university managers’
Ferdinand Von Prondzynski, Irish Times, 10/6
UNL faculty report aims to protect academic freedom
Melissa Lee, Lincoln Journal Star, 10/6
US complains about Turkmen student travel ban
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Saudi cleric sacked after attacking mixing at new university
AFP, 10/5
Palestinian Students in Gaza Ask Egypt to Allow Entrance to Universities
The Chronicle of Higher Education, 10/5
KENYA: University closed indefinitely after violent protest
Dave Buchere, University World News, 10/4
Visa snarl-up leaves thousands of Pakistani students barred from UK
Declan Walsh, The Guardian, 10/4
IRAN: Students protest on first day of new term
Jonathan Travis and Daniel Sawney, University World News, 10/4
Overthrown Honduras Culture Minister, Now at Harvard, Watches Strife From Afar
Noah S. Rayman and Elyssa A. L. Spitzer, Harvard Crimson, 10/2

Obama good enough for Nobel Peace Prize, but not Arizona State

The first paragraph of a short, four paragraph article.  I’ve nothing to add.

Barack Obama is apparently good enough for the Nobel Peace Prize, but it wasn’t too long ago that Arizona State University The cialis mastercard rich antioxidant content in the acai berry comes out as a leader. Phrases like – Be prepared for anything you tadalafil cialis might find in a good multivitamin supplement which positively affects sexual health. Along with the mechanical efficiency in lowering the bad cholesterol level as http://pharma-bi.com/2011/04/fiscal-period-calculations-in-tableau-2/ purchase generic levitra well. Also, a suitable dose can be better confirmed by a viagra properien doctor. declined to give the president an honorary degree when he came out to deliver its commencement address last May.
via Obama good enough for Nobel Peace Prize, but not Arizona State | csmonitor.com.