So I was listening to music today, and the song Landslide (the Smashing Pumpkins version) came up, and it got me thinking to what my favorite cover songs were. I drew up a list, and here they are purposefully unordered, because I couldn't think which was my favorite.
Hallelujah - Rufus Wainwright/Jeff Buckley
Everyone always lists the Jeff Buckley version as one of the best covers ever, but I personally like the Rufus Wainwright version from Shrek a bit more.
Clocks - Buena Vista Social Club
I used to think Clocks, by Coldplay was an awesome song, but then I realized it was really boring. Then I randomly heard this cover version on the radio. It's awesome! I highly recommend giving it a listen if you want.
Take on Me - Reel Big Fish
Even though it might all sound similar, I like the upbeatedness and fast-paced tempo that comes with Ska music. This is a great cover of a great song.
All Along the Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix
I admit that Bob Dylan's version is great, but again, I prefer this cover by Jimi Hendrix over the original. It's amazing.
Big Yellow Taxi - Counting Crows
This is another good cover in my opinion, even though it might be a girly song. But I still think Counting Crows does a really good job.
Landslide - Smashing Pumpkins/Dixie Chicks
The original is great, the Smashing Pumpkins version is great, and I even thought the Dixie Chicks version was pretty good, so this one definitely makes the list.
Let It Be - Nick Cave
I wanted to pick a song from either the I Am Sam or Across the Universe soundtracks because they both do great jobs covering the Beatles' songs. But this is probably my favorite cover from both soundtracks.
The Man Who Sold the World (Unplugged) - Nirvana
This is probably one of the first cover songs I ever knew, although I didn't know it was a cover at the time. Still a great version though.
Stand By Me - John Lennon/Playing for Change
There's so many cover versions of this song, but my two favorite are done by John Lennon, and the video you may have seen of street musicians for an organization called 'Playing For Change.'
Twist and Shout - The Beatles
The Beatles did a lot of old rock n roll covers in their early days, but this is one of my favorite covers they do.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Monday, June 8, 2009
Terrorism!
Hola! So for our final Government paper we had to write an essay on the topic of terrorism, and the prompt I chose was this: 'Does the presence of Adam Gadahn debunk any assumptions about al-Qaeda or United States Policies?' Hopefully this isn't too bad of an essay, and it may sound a little fear-mongerish, but I thought you might enjoy reading it.
The presence and story of Adam Gadahn definitely debunks a lot of opinions about al-Qaeda and United States policies. The first assumption of al-Qaeda that many people have is that it is composed of 100% Arab Islamic fundamentalists. In contrast, Adam Gadahn had a fairly normal American childhood. He was home schooled by his parents, played baseball, and was a Christian. However, as he grew older and moved in with his grandparents he moved away from Christianity because he found it too paranoid and fear-driven. Gradually he found his way toward Islam, where he found himself more inclined and at peace. However, he was eventually convicted of assaulting his mentor and teacher at the mosque where he practiced Islam. Eventually he moved to Pakistan in 1998 and married and Afghan refugee, following which his whereabouts became mostly unknown. He showed up in 2005 on the fourth anniversary of the September, 11th Attacks, where he was shown in an al-Qaeda video warning Americans of more attacks inside the United States.
Gadahn is, in fact, one of many from ‘Western’ countries who have converted to Islam and become radical fundamentalist terrorists. People like John Walker Lindh and David Hicks were also white, non-Muslims up until their teenage years. However, both studied the Qur’an and eventually joined al-Qaeda, the Taliban, or both. Gadahn, Lindh, and Hicks signify a major shift in the conception of Islamic fundamentalism. The fact that these three individuals were able to convert to Islam and become terrorists shows that the traditional view of terrorists is inaccurate. In today’s world, terrorists do not only come from the Middle East with a strict Islamic family background. They instead can come from any corner of the globe, whether it is the UK, Australia, or even in the United States of America. Some UK citizens who have joined militant Islamic groups have criticized the way the US and other Western nations have been conducting their ‘War on Terror.’ Gadahn even outlined five major steps the US would have to take in order for terrorism by al-Qaeda to stop: pulling all military forces out of the Middle East, the stopping of economic aid to Islamic nations, ending all support for Israel, banning certain broadcasts in the Middle East, and freeing all Muslim captives from US Prisons and detention centers. The presence of not only Gadahn but Lindh and Hicks also signifies that there is no real profile for a terrorist. They can come from any background or location, without any real fore-warning. One interesting note, however, is the fact that Gadahn published an essay on a USC website in 1998 entitled ‘Becoming Muslim,’ in which he described his conversion. With the rise of the internet and the practically instantaneous flow of information throughout the world, one cannot help but wonder not if but when the next Adam Gadahn will show up. As the world becomes more inter-connected, it is now as easy for adolescents to find pro-terrorist propaganda on the internet as it is to find anti-terrorism information. This startling fact presents a delicate problem for the United States in determining its foreign policy. Already a step behind because of tactical and strategic faults in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, the United States has to take a bold step forward in promoting foreign policy that does not come across as anti-Islam, but rather as anti-Terrorism. Although it is sad to say, sometimes it appears that the United States has refused to acknowledge the Arab points of view in conflicts in the Middle East, such as the United States’ crush on Israel in fear of offending Jews. But the reality remains that President Obama and future Presidents need to be willing to extend a hand of peace toward all Middle Eastern countries, in trying to resolve conflicts. One key indicator of this will be the status of Iraq as the United States withdraws its troops. If the US-backed Iraqi government is able to retain stability in a very turbulent region, it will be an incredible help in improving relations between the Middle East and the United States. It will also be interesting to watch how the US will deal with Iran, who has become one of the most anti-Western Middle Eastern countries thanks to their President Ahmadinejad. Pakistan has also become a major problem in US-Arab relations, as an unstable government possessing nuclear weapons is close to being overrun by Talibani insurgents who are welcomed in many villages on the Pakistan-Afghan border. Without help from the Pakistani military, the border in that area will become one of the most dangerous and important places on the planet, which can plan terrorist activities throughout the entire world (like the Madrid train bombings or the Mumbai hotel massacre.) Although these attacks were not all committed through the same organization, they have shown that terrorism is not confined to any one region, nationality, or background. The cases of Adam Gadahn and others have shown this, and it is clear that the United States will need to take that information into account when planning and executing its foreign policy.
The presence and story of Adam Gadahn definitely debunks a lot of opinions about al-Qaeda and United States policies. The first assumption of al-Qaeda that many people have is that it is composed of 100% Arab Islamic fundamentalists. In contrast, Adam Gadahn had a fairly normal American childhood. He was home schooled by his parents, played baseball, and was a Christian. However, as he grew older and moved in with his grandparents he moved away from Christianity because he found it too paranoid and fear-driven. Gradually he found his way toward Islam, where he found himself more inclined and at peace. However, he was eventually convicted of assaulting his mentor and teacher at the mosque where he practiced Islam. Eventually he moved to Pakistan in 1998 and married and Afghan refugee, following which his whereabouts became mostly unknown. He showed up in 2005 on the fourth anniversary of the September, 11th Attacks, where he was shown in an al-Qaeda video warning Americans of more attacks inside the United States.
Gadahn is, in fact, one of many from ‘Western’ countries who have converted to Islam and become radical fundamentalist terrorists. People like John Walker Lindh and David Hicks were also white, non-Muslims up until their teenage years. However, both studied the Qur’an and eventually joined al-Qaeda, the Taliban, or both. Gadahn, Lindh, and Hicks signify a major shift in the conception of Islamic fundamentalism. The fact that these three individuals were able to convert to Islam and become terrorists shows that the traditional view of terrorists is inaccurate. In today’s world, terrorists do not only come from the Middle East with a strict Islamic family background. They instead can come from any corner of the globe, whether it is the UK, Australia, or even in the United States of America. Some UK citizens who have joined militant Islamic groups have criticized the way the US and other Western nations have been conducting their ‘War on Terror.’ Gadahn even outlined five major steps the US would have to take in order for terrorism by al-Qaeda to stop: pulling all military forces out of the Middle East, the stopping of economic aid to Islamic nations, ending all support for Israel, banning certain broadcasts in the Middle East, and freeing all Muslim captives from US Prisons and detention centers. The presence of not only Gadahn but Lindh and Hicks also signifies that there is no real profile for a terrorist. They can come from any background or location, without any real fore-warning. One interesting note, however, is the fact that Gadahn published an essay on a USC website in 1998 entitled ‘Becoming Muslim,’ in which he described his conversion. With the rise of the internet and the practically instantaneous flow of information throughout the world, one cannot help but wonder not if but when the next Adam Gadahn will show up. As the world becomes more inter-connected, it is now as easy for adolescents to find pro-terrorist propaganda on the internet as it is to find anti-terrorism information. This startling fact presents a delicate problem for the United States in determining its foreign policy. Already a step behind because of tactical and strategic faults in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, the United States has to take a bold step forward in promoting foreign policy that does not come across as anti-Islam, but rather as anti-Terrorism. Although it is sad to say, sometimes it appears that the United States has refused to acknowledge the Arab points of view in conflicts in the Middle East, such as the United States’ crush on Israel in fear of offending Jews. But the reality remains that President Obama and future Presidents need to be willing to extend a hand of peace toward all Middle Eastern countries, in trying to resolve conflicts. One key indicator of this will be the status of Iraq as the United States withdraws its troops. If the US-backed Iraqi government is able to retain stability in a very turbulent region, it will be an incredible help in improving relations between the Middle East and the United States. It will also be interesting to watch how the US will deal with Iran, who has become one of the most anti-Western Middle Eastern countries thanks to their President Ahmadinejad. Pakistan has also become a major problem in US-Arab relations, as an unstable government possessing nuclear weapons is close to being overrun by Talibani insurgents who are welcomed in many villages on the Pakistan-Afghan border. Without help from the Pakistani military, the border in that area will become one of the most dangerous and important places on the planet, which can plan terrorist activities throughout the entire world (like the Madrid train bombings or the Mumbai hotel massacre.) Although these attacks were not all committed through the same organization, they have shown that terrorism is not confined to any one region, nationality, or background. The cases of Adam Gadahn and others have shown this, and it is clear that the United States will need to take that information into account when planning and executing its foreign policy.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Good Books!
So just recently on my long band trip to Orlando, Florida I finished reading the book A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess. It was quite good, and I recommend reading it. In fact, I named this blog after it because I couldn't really think of anything else. Anyway, there's a quote in it that I really liked, where Alex, the main character is in prison, and the Prison Chaplain is discussing the issue of choice. At one point, the chaplain, or 'charlie,' as Alex calls him in the almost incomprehensible slang of the book, says "When a man cannot choose, he ceases to be a man." Eventually, when the chaplain allows Alex to be subjected to the Ludovico Treatment, a type of aversion therapy that forces Alex to be good he expounds in a way on the topic of free agency: "It may not be nice to be good, little 6655321. It may be horrible to be good. And when I say that to you I realize how self-contradictory that sounds. I know I shall have many sleepless nights about this. What does God want? Does God want goodness or the choice of goodness? Is a man who chooses the bad perhaps in some way better than a man who has the good imposed upon him?" Clearly the chaplain has mixed feelings about letting Alex be subjected to what the supporters of the technique call 'reclamation.' In the book, the Minister of the Interior says “Padre, these are subtleties. We’re not concerned with motives, with the higher ethics. We are concerned only with cutting down crime--and. . .with relieving the ghastly congestion in our prisons. He will be your true Christian: ready to turn the other cheek, ready to be crucified rather than crucify, sick to the very heart at the thought even of killing a fly! Reclamation! Joy before the angels of God! The point is that it works.” But is it truly better for Alex to be a harmless or even helpful member of society if it is not his choice to do so? I have my own personal views, but what do you think?
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