From Freeway Blogger

Thursday, January 20th, 2005…
 
 Will be an historic date. With the swearing-in of George W. Bush for a second term as President of the United States, the world will bear solemn witness to what may well be the Biggest Mistake since the Dawn of Time.  Future generations, provided there are any, will one day look to us and ask “What did you do during the inauguration?”  Hopefully, you’ll be able to look back and say: “I did everything I could: I was a Freewayblogger.”
 
Please join us on the freeways in a free, non-violent expression of horror and dismay on January 20th.

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US special forces ‘inside Iran’

The American investigative journalist Seymour Hersh has claimed that US commandos are operating inside Iran selecting sites for future air strikes.

Abbas offers olive branch, Sharon spits at it.

Palestinian officials said increased military actions by Israel would only accelerate the cycle of violence that has rocked Gaza for months. They called for a return to the negotiating table.

Neither Bush or Sharon want peace or compromise, this should be abundantly clear.

So let’s get in the streets on Thursday for the Counter-Inaugural protests.

In D.C.

The A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition has obtained permitted space at 4th St. and Pennsylvania Ave. (north side) that holds well over ten thousand (10,000+) people.

In addition to the bleachers, there will be a rally and speak out, including the voices of military families, including those who have lost loved ones in the Iraq war, members of the Arab American and Muslim community, elected officials, union leaders and activists, students and youth, and others.

In L.A. the demo will be at the Westwood Federal Building 6 pm. We have permits for a march through Westwood and for a rally stage on Veteran just south of Wilshire. Be there!

One more time, ANSWER lawyers have accomplished the seemingly impossible and gotten permits in spite of resistance from the government, especially in D.C.

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From respected security consultant Bruce Schneier

A nascent security trend in the U.S. is tracking schoolchildren when they get on and off school buses.  A school district in Spring, Texas, is using computerized ID badges to record this information, and wirelessly sending it to police headquarters.  Another school district, in Phoenix, is doing the same thing with fingerprint readers.  The system is supposed to help prevent the loss of a child, whether through kidnapping or accident. 

What’s going on here?  Have these people lost their minds?  Tracking kids as they get on and off school buses is a ridiculous idea.  It’s expensive, invasive, and doesn’t increase security very much.

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It’s in the culture in Hawaii, hawaiian music, hula, and chants. Some of it has been Hollywood-ized, thankfully much has not. During our stay in Maui, my inlaws, haole like me, played much from their extensive collection of Hawaiian music, and they listen to it often.

Israel Kamakawiwo’ole is perhaps the best known Hawaiian performer. His haunting cover of "Somewhere Beyond the Rainbow" has circled the planet, and when he died in 1997, Hawaii mourned. You hear his music everywhere in Hawaii, in malls, stores, and restaurants, where he is known simply as "IZ."  He is one of the demi-gods of Hawaiian music. There are others. 

The Beamers are the first family of Hawaiian music, and have been around for three generations, running hula, music, and ukelele schools, as well as performing. Their music only began to be recorded when Kapono and Keola Beamer, brothers in the current generation, began playing.

Keali’i Reichel is credited with popularizing traditional Hawaiian beyond cult status,  both for Hawaiians, then to the mainland. Of Hawaiian-German ancestry, he learned of chanting and hula from his grandmother, and soon it became his life.

Uluwehi Guerrero sings beautiful falsetto.

Multiple island cultures meet in Hapa, Hawaii and the British Isles. This seemingly incongrous blend of musics works beautifully. Keli’i Kaneali and Barry Flanagan front the group, and their powerful version of U2’s "In the Name of Love" is a show-stopper, ending with a Hawaiian chant on top of the song, then spoken word from Dr. Martin Luther King.

O-shen is from Papua New Guinea, and "his music (which he calls Urban Island Music) is a fusion of hip-hop, rap and reggae, and his lyrics and vocal styling are a direct reflection of his Pacific Island upbringing."

Iz, the Beamers, Uluwehi Guerrero, Hapa, and O-shen can be found on the amazing Mountain Apple Company, one of the premier Hawaiian labels.

Check out Pure Aloha Volume One for a compilation of Hawaiian reggae, hip hop, pop, and r&b.

Update: This was meant as the tiniest of introductions to Hawaiian music, as was pointed out in the comments, slack key guitar, which I neglected to include, is amazing music too.

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