Dolphin Slaughter in Taiji’s ‘Cove’ Suspended

If you haven't had a chance to see The Cove, a 2009 documentary about dolphin slaughter off the coast of Japan, you should track it down. Pretty gruesome stuff. However, everything seems to be turning around with the film's publicity, as shown by a recent article in ecoworldly.com:

Dolphin Slaughter in Taiji's Cove Suspended

Ric O’Barry reports that the horrific annual dolphin slaughter in Taiji has been suspended due to publicity from the film, The Cove.
September 1st usually marks the first day of the year for the brutal killings, but for the first time the Japanese media has arrived in Taiji en masse, causing the local fishermen to pause while the world takes notice.

O’Barry has been trying to raise awareness in Japan about the secretive dolphin slaughter that takes place in the small fishing town of Taiji for years, but the Japanese media has refused to cover it. Until now.

“Today is September 1st, the first day of the dolphin slaughter season in Japan. But when I arrived today by bus from Kansai Airport with media representatives from all over the world, the notorious Cove from the movie was empty. There were no dolphin killers in sight. So today is a good day for dolphins!”, wrote O’Barry today in a report for the activist social network, TakePart.

He also said that when the Japanese police arrived, they merely shook his hand and told him they there were not there to support the “dolphin killing fishermen”, then left.

Despite all of his trials in the town, O’Barry believes strongly that Taiji can change its shameful image. He hopes to show the media around the town tomorrow, to encourage a more positive view of its people and potential. O’Barry sees an opportunity to turn the disgraced town into a place where dolphins are cherished rather than slaughtered. In time, he thinks Taiji could become a model for dolphin activism and education, raising awareness about dolphins much in the same way that Nantucket, once the center of the whaling industry in the U.S., has changed its image by stopping the killing and marketing to whale-watchers instead.

Even though the media is finally taking notice, keeping the movement alive over time will still take a great commitment from those who care about dolphins. You can help by donating to the Save the Dolphins Coalition, which you can do at savejapandolphins.org.



Amazing, the power of film.

Hints of San Francisco

From "Desolation Angels" by Kerouac:

It's the bridge that counts, the coming-into-San Francisco on that Oakland-Bay Bridge, over waters which are faintly ruffled by oceangoing Orient ships and ferries, over waters that are like taking you to some other shore, it had always been like that when I lived in Berkeley - after a night of drinking, or two, in the city, bing, the old F-train'd take me barreling across the waters back to that other shore of peace and contentment - We'd (Irwin and I) discuss the Void as we crossed - It's seeing the rooftops of Frisco that makes you excited and believe, the big downtown hulk of buildings, Standard Oil's flying red horse, Montgomery Street highbuildings, Hotel St. Francis, the hills, magic Telegraph with her Coit-top, magic Russian, magic Nob, and magic Mission beyond with the cross of all sorrows I'd seen long ago in a purple sunset with Cody on a little railroad bridge - San Francisco, North Beach, Chinatown, Market Street, the bars, the Bay-Oom, the Bell Hotel, the wine, the alleys, the poorboys, Third Street, poets, painters, Buddhists, bums, junkies, girls, millionaires, MG's, the whole fabulous movie of San Francisco seen from the bus or train on the Bridge coming in, the tug at your heart like New York -
And they're all there, my friends, somewhere in those little toystreets, and when they see me the angel'll smile - That's not so bad - Desolation aint so bad-




Maybe just reading about romantic Frisco puts me in the mindset. It's not that the Apple is any less romantic, just less personal. I miss my close friends. Road trip to the Catskills soon with Scatini. Need a vacation.

Using my Bass Drum to Trigger an Analog Synth

It says it all in the title:

Animal Collective at Prospect Park

I know I don't have to come out and say this, but Animal Collective puts on one of the best shows I've ever seen. Here are some clips:








This show made me feel so great. I'm so happy this kind of stuff happens in Brooklyn.

A Work In Progress: Echo/Delay Circuit

Drumset

Decided to finally put my drums back together. After ripping apart all the blue shit that was on them, I stained and clear-coated them. The result? Awesome:



Maybe playing a show in a week? Things are looking good. If I can just get this echo circuit to work....

The Future of Literature

Lately, with no musical outlet here in New York, I've resorted to writing. In addition to this blog, a quasi-serious observation of events and people in New York, I've been writing more descriptive pieces about people and events in my life that I hope someday to turn into something bigger. This will mostly not be published here.


I've been thinking of a way to combine the two lately. Take this blog and make legitimate. Even before I was editor of ALT Magazine in college, I've been longing for my own magazine, with a team of writers who were on the same wavelength. It was tentatively titled In On The Joke, and it would include personal essays, political commentary, and observations of people in our generation. I was fueled by Adbusters and Ian MacKaye, and my young punk-rock mindset.

Now that I am older, I don't feel that the title In On The Joke accurately describes what I'm going for anymore. Instead of promoting the ideas of a young, rebellious generation, I think we need a professional, critical look at our leaders, the world, important issues such as health care and economics, and writing that comes straight from someone's heart, fueled by passion rather than an assignment.

There is a strong difference between someone writing passionately and someone writing as an observer, to cover a news story. While the latter is important for reporting, it lacks a certain flair and importance that can move people emotionally. This is the sort of writing I'm looking for. After publishing ALT Magazine for two years, however, I'm well aware of the costs of printing.

So the question is, how legitimate is electronic publication? A friend of mine referred me to a few websites with online magazines. Triple Canopy is very similar to what I am thinking of, with themed issues (just like ALT) arranged as an electronic publication. However, as with the first installment of ALT Online, this reaches a much smaller audience.


Electric Literature, a collection of fiction, distributes their work through paperback, iPhone, Kindle, and eBook. While it is affordable ($21 for 6 issues), I'd like to make my publication free of charge.

With the Kindle and Twitter gaining popularity, the question remains: is print media going to remain relevant? Would it be worth it to invest in printing a magazine and produce a tangible product, or is free electronic publication going to reach a wider audience? Does anyone care about online content, or do they simply skim through it?

I'm interested in your feedback, and if you're willing to jump-start this project with me, let me know. I want to find writers, designers, and artists. Anyone with something to say.