I was talking to Jessica yesterday about the differences between the music sites.  Beatport.com lets you listen to a sample of songs, like last.fm does when you wander into the store portion.  But the web 2.0 cred like this Yahoo Pipes page using it and Youtube, social (music) bookmarking features on last.fm, html instead of Flash (for stuff like permalinks), and radio-style format which plays full songs for free make the site a real competitive threat to more conventional retail operations like Amazon, Beatport and iTunes.

Also–check out my new diary page.

By Rich Swanner via Webshots.

NPR reports:

“The Los Angeles city attorney’s office has filed criminal charges against hospital giant Kaiser Permanente for endangering a former patient. The charges allege Kaiser dumped a homeless patient on the city’s downtown Skid Row.

The charges stem from video captured by security cameras in March. The footage shows a 63-year-old patient from Kaiser Permanente’s Bellflower hospital, dressed in a hospital gown and slippers, exiting a taxicab on Skid Row. She is later seen shuffling toward the Union Rescue Mission, the city’s largest homeless shelter.

Prosecutors describe what happened to Carol Ann Reyes in a 20-page document supporting the false imprisonment and dependent-care abuse charges. Reyes lived mostly in a public park in Gardena before she was hospitalized. When she was discharged, prosecutors say, she wasn’t told she was being taken to Skid Row.

For many months, L.A. city officials have suspected that medical centers and law-enforcement officials from elsewhere are dropping off their indigent patients in the city’s tough Skid Row area. The criminal charges against Kaiser are the first to be filed in the city’s efforts to crack down on the practice.”

Gang rape and murder–American forces at work

Perhpas a small percentage of the U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq carry out such atrocities as have come to light. But that does not go any way toward explaining or excusing these outrages, and anyone arguing that just the fact of these tepid courts-martial is proof of things “working” is probably delusional.

BBC News reports on the Mahmudiya case:

“A US Army soldier has pleaded guilty to raping a 14-year-old Iraqi girl and helping murder her and her family.

James Barker agreed to the plea deal at the start of his court-martial in the US to avoid the death penalty, his civilian lawyer said.

A criminal investigation began in June into the killing of the family of four in their home in Mahmudiya, south of Baghdad, in March 2006.

Specialist Barker is one of four US soldiers charged with murder.

They are alleged to have helped a former private – who has since been discharged from the army – to plan, carry out and cover up the attack.”

Reuters updates the Hamdania case:

“In the case at Camp Pendleton near San Diego, Pfc. John Jodka, the second defendant sentenced in the April 26 death of Hashim Ibrahim Awad, pleaded guilty last month to charges of assault and conspiracy to obstruct justice.

Under a plea deal his attorneys hammered out with government prosecutors, Jodka will serve an 18-month sentence in the military brig — getting credit for about six months spent in confinement — if he agrees to testify against his squad mates and assist prosecutors.”

John Abizaid is trying to make people believe that somehow America is improving the situation in Iraq–but also, the burden needs to be shifted to Iraqis. As NPR reports:

“Sectarian violence remains high and worrisome,” Abizaid still admitted in front of Congress. Then he talked about “six [more] months.” How many times will the war be sold in installments of six “critical” months (the next six, always)? Why doesn’t he admit failure and urge withdrawal?

[photo: AP]

So what can be said about Iraq? Arthur Silber at powerofnarrative.blogspot.com is probably right:
“And that is the ‘dreadful truth’: we have unleashed forces that no one can now control, probably not for years to come. Moreover, we are now, as we have been for several years, an inextricable and significant part of the problem as long as we remain. There is no point whatsoever in our staying, not in the sense that it will improve the situation.
[…]
Our governing class still searches for a miracle to save them. There will be no such miracle, and the chaos and death will continue into the foreseeable future. But they refuse to admit this — for one unforgivably shabby, despicable reason: they will not admit they were wrong.“

Charles Dickens – A Christmas Carol

This lunatic, in letting Scrooge’s nephew out, had let two other people in. They were portly gentlemen, pleasant to behold, and now stood, with their hats off, in Scrooge’s office. They had books and papers in their hands, and bowed to him.

“Scrooge and Marley’s, I believe,” said one of the gentlemen, referring to his list. “Have I the pleasure of addressing Mr Scrooge, or Mr Marley?”

“Mr Marley has been dead these seven years,” Scrooge replied. “He died seven years ago, this very night.”

“We have no doubt his liberality is well represented by his surviving partner,” said the gentleman, presenting his credentials.

It certainly was; for they had been two kindred spirits. At the ominous word “liberality”, Scrooge frowned, and shook his head, and handed the credentials back.

“At this festive season of the year, Mr Scrooge,” said the gentleman, taking up a pen, “it is more than usually desirable that we should make some slight provision for the Poor and destitute, who suffer greatly at the present time. Many thousands are in want of common necessaries; hundreds of thousands are in want of common comforts, sir.”

“Are there no prisons?” asked Scrooge.

“Plenty of prisons,” said the gentleman, laying down the pen again.

“And the Union workhouses?” demanded Scrooge. “Are they still in operation?”

“They are. Still,” returned the gentleman, “ I wish I could say they were not.”

“The Treadmill and the Poor Law are in full vigour, then?” said Scrooge.

“Both very busy, sir.”

“Oh! I was afraid, from what you said at first, that something had occurred to stop them in their useful course,” said Scrooge. “I’m very glad to hear it.”

“Under the impression that they scarcely furnish Christian cheer of mind or body to the multitude,” returned the gentleman, “a few of us are endeavouring to raise a fund to buy the Poor some meat and drink, and means of warmth. We choose this time, because it is a time, of all others, when Want is keenly felt, and Abundance rejoices. What shall I put you down for?”

“Nothing!” Scrooge replied.

“You wish to be anonymous?”

“I wish to be left alone,” said Scrooge. “Since you ask me what I wish, gentlemen, that is my answer. I don’t make merry myself at Christmas and I can’t afford to make idle people merry. I help to support the establishments I have mentioned: they cost enough: and those who are badly off must go there.”

“Many can’t go there; and many would rather die.”

“If they would rather die,” said Scrooge, “they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population. Besides — excuse me — I don’t know that.”

“But you might know it,” observed the gentleman.

“It’s not my business,” Scrooge returned. “It’s enough for a man to understand his own business, and not to interfere with other people’s. Mine occupies me constantly. Good afternoon, gentlemen!”