Le blog du Baron

IT'S BEEN A TOUGH WEEK ...

Where did I left things in my last post ?

Well, everything looked set for a fruitful week-end of jamming and recording . It was a bright, crisp Saturday afternoon and I fixed myself a steamy cup of cocoa before making my way to the Greenhouse (the self-made recording studio which stands at the end of the parc). Once installed I picked the black SG, cranked up the volume and soloed away.

I was still there when I heard the first drops.

Now, one thing you should know about the castle I inherited from my glorious family is this: it had better days. And the roof shows most clearly its age when it rains, especially when it pours down like it did last week.

Here I was, 14th baron in the line, desperately positioning buckets all around the old library when my dear Contessa comes in. She makes it clear that she has enough and that it is high time I get to do something serious with my life.

I guess I say the wrong thing and she throws the first weapon she can find (actually quite a valuable first edition of Albert Camus) directly at me. I gracefully move sideways, avoiding the litterary missile but in the process step on one of the buckets, and lose my balance. Last thing I can remember is a set of armour rushing towards me in a very determined fashion ...

Conclusions after the x-rays: 2 cracked ribs (but don't worry, the armour has hardly a bump) and I'm afraid I might have to stick to air guitar for a little while. Rock & roll !

WHO ARE THE GOOD GUYS EXACTLY ?

A leaked UN report stated last week that the treatment of detainees at Guantanamo Bay constitutes torture in some cases and violates international law; it also calls for the closure of the detention facility. I can only agree with putting a stop to what Amnesty International describes as a "human right scandal".

Unfortunately the US don't seem to have a monopoly on torture and other mistreatments. The Commissioner for Human Rights within the Council of Europe, Alvaro Gil-Robles, points at the dismaying situation of detainees in French prisons. "Except for Moldavia, I have never seen worse prisons than these".

So much for the so-called 'patrie des droits de l'homme'.

BACK IN STUDIO ?

The week-end is coming and I'm hoping to put in some serious studio time and start recording a new song. I hope to be able to post some stuff (at least the guitar parts, maybe also drums if I cannot sleep) next Monday or Tuesday. In the meantime, if anybody is planning to call during the week-end, let it ring: I will be in the green house at the end of the Parc.

RADIO.BLOG

I am becoming a big, big fan of Radio.Blog, a web-based virtual jukebox which allows you to log into a huge database of songs and listen to them (and since you ask, no, downloading is not possible). My favourite tracks at the moment are from Bloc Party and Arcade Fire. You can check the Baron's Jukebox here or by clicking the logo below the Playlist.

ANOTHER VALENTINE'S FRENZY

Difficult to go through February 14th without being reminded constantly that today is Valentine's day. Although I confess being as romantic as most ("actually more" whispers La Contessa in my ear), there is a point where the marketing hype becomes too much. So I was pleased to read about the first "Valentine's party for the AIDS-infected and those who love them" tonight in Paris.

Love is stronger than despair, abandon and HIV: that is a meaningful message for a day like today.

MUHAMAD CARTOONS

Already a few weeks in and the tensions around the Mohammed cartoons don't seem to decrease. A lot has been said and written about freedom of press vs religion; I will not add to this debate. But I do find deeply ironic that Norway happens to be one of the countries in the world which dedicate the highest % of its budget (close to 1%) to international help. 

LA PLAYLIST DU BARON (1)

Broad horizons for this month's playlist: "Happiness is ..." by the amazing Tibetan singer in exile Yungchen Lhamo, "Kothbiri" by Ayub Ogada (that some of you will recognise as the closing track from the film "The constant gardener") and finally the German born "Guru of fusion" Prem Joshua with "Dakini". A perfect mix to bring some sun to your winter days. Enjoy !

MUSIC'S BIGGEST NIGHT ?

The 48th Grammy Awards took place on the 08.02 (with U2 sweeping off 5 of them). John August, who was nominated in the category Best Song TV/Movie/Visual Media for “Wonka’s Welcome Song” from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, has a hilarious insider's take on "music's longest afternoon".

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL: VIOLENCE TO WOMEN IN FRANCE

Let's turn our eyes towards France for a second: Amnesty published a report on violence towards women last Monday. According to the association, one out of 10 in France is victim of violence and every 4 days a woman dies from brutalities, most often inflicted by her "partner". When I look at the way the better half of mankind is treated all over the world, it makes me sick of being a man.

LE NERF DE LA GUERRE (2)

Following on my post from the 1st of February: the White House released on Monday the proposed budget for 2007. No surprise unfortunately: spends for Defense will increase by close to 7% to reach a staggering 440 bn $, and that's not taking into account additional 70 bn $ funds for the war in Irak (after a 50 bn $ emergency request in 2006). At the same time, credits for Environment, Justice, Education and Medicare (the US medical program for the ederly) would be cut down. Mmmmmm ...

The final word goes to US president Franklin D. Roosevelt: " The test of our progres is not whether we add more to the abundance of thise who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little".