Dub dot dash

Back to the roots.
A few gigs in town tonight worth checking, if you're in the AK...
Legendary Wellington reggae crew Roots Foundation Sound System return to AK for a set at Safari Lounge toonight (Friday Nov 12) from 9pm. Koa, Lemon, Goosebump and Mu have been plugging roots music since the early 90s -here's a good interview from today's NZ Herald.
Mu reports that his other project - Fat Freddys Drop - have a new single out next month and their album is due early next year. Wouldn't hold your breath for that one, tho. It was supposed to be out in October this year. Still, good things take time, just like those cats say in the cheese ad.
The other gig is by Wing - she's performing instore at Real Groovy Auckland this evening, at 6.30pm. Who is Wing? She is a local singer (originally from Hong Kong) who is famous/infamous for her 'original' intrepretations of well-known tunes. Check the bounds of what you think is good taste and have a listen to some samples on her site. I dare you. Backgrounder from the Listener over here.




Surprise!
I've been picking up references on various US blogs to Bush's backdoor draft, but haven't really heard too much detail about it til now. US writer Jeff Chang has been concerned about his cousin David Miyasato...

"... David enlisted in the army in 1987. You enlist when you're 18 for a lot of reasons. You do your time like they tell you--3 years through a war to an honorable discharge, 5 more on inactive duty. At that point, by contract, by rules that the Army has established, your obligations are finished.
In the 8 years after that, you start a family, try to provide for them, and then the Army wants to come back at you like they own you. It ain't right. It's the exact opposite of what this country is supposed to be about.
David was an ammo-supply driver. If you haven't been up on it, here's a taste of what kind of work that is.
But David is not trying to duck difficult, perhaps deadly work--like Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz and all these other chicken hawks who refused to serve. David is asking to be treated justly and fairly, according to the rules the Army set forth at the beginning. That's not unpatriotic, it's the most American thing to do.
Whether or not you agree the war is unjust and wrong, David has done his time."

More press coverage Here's and here. (More here.)

It looks like they've had some success getting him out of this nightmare, thanks to some help from his Senator.