The Lebanon

Now that my Mużika Mod Ieħor podcast is on a temporary break (until mid-August) postings on this blog will appear in a somewhat different pattern. My plan is to blog as frequently as possible and in a slightly less systematic way than what I've been doing over the past few months.

Anyway, this morning I felt that I needed to write something about the latest crisis in the Middle East. Anyone who cares about relatively hidden links on my blog knows that I haven't completely ignored the situation. Nevertheless, it's one of those things where what I think and say doesn't matter at all. What can I do or say to make that situation better or worse? I'm so sick of it.

So I move on to an alternative way of witnessing this mess. I'm not alone in this, of course. I know that some of my blog readers are of the same mind as I am on all this. Others are not...and that's why there's a comments facility on this blog.

One of the most moving experiences for me (other than seeing the carnage on both sides along with the callous political/industrial war complex in full action) comes through Mazen Kerbaj in Beirut. His blog has become a must-read for me.

If I were producing another podcast in the Mużika Mod Ieħor series today I'd most definitely feature his music. Here it is:

STARRY NIGHT
(excerpt) 6.31 min

A minimalistic improvisation.

Mazen Kerbaj: trumpet
Israeli Air Force: bombs

Recorded by Mazen Kerbaj on the balcony of his apartment in Beirut, on the night of the 15th into the 16th of July 2006.

You can also access this MP3 from other sources.