The Story as it is Happening.

I have been flipping back and forth between BBC, CNN, and CNN-IBN (India's local CNN channel) and have noticed that a lot of information and footage has been left off of the Western/International News Feeds. So here is the information, mostly from IBN as I know it.

Sometime around 830-9pm last night A large group of fashionably dressed, well-groomed, 20-something men (their pictures are on Indian tv, not on international... there were at least 26 of them) with AK-47s, MP5s, magazines (ammunition cartridges) strapped to their arms and legs, and backpacks full of grenades got off of boats near India Gate in Colaba. Colaba is the main district where tourists, from backpackers to businessmen, stay in Mumbai.

They placed bombs at the monument and spread out. Shooting began at Leopold restaurant (one of the most famous places for tourists to have dinner, grab a drink, and generally hang out... really old, think it opened in the late 1800s) around 9:15. The Indian channels are showing the inside of the restaurant with pools of blood, shell casings and tourist shoes. Western channels aren't showing this.

Around 10pm they began firing at security personnel at the Taj Mahal Palace hotel, mumbai's most famous hotel and a landmark in its own right. There were at least 2,000 people inside. At least 200 people were being held hostage in one of the major halls at one point. Reports say that the terrorists were checking people for identification, looking for Brits and Americans. The terrorists ran through the halls of the hotel shooting whoever they saw and throwing at least 10-15 grenades. There are still 40-100 people still being held hostage in the Taj. Reports say that security measures were decreased at the hotel (from 2 metal detectors and baggage x-rays to one metal detector) sometime in the past two weeks. Terrorists have used RDX to bomb one of the penthouses and the lobby. There are still fires burning in the hotel and are still at least 5-6 terrorists inside. There are many european MEPs still being held hostage and at least one killed (probably from spain) who were in town for an economic summit

Around the same time, about a kilometer east of the taj, terrorists opened fire at the oberoi, also a $300+ a night hotel. There were at least 1000 people in the hotel. The terrorists are still holding at least 40 people hostage. The terrorists bombed the lobby when the army tried to enter, severely delaying rescue attempts. Again witnesses report terrorists were specifically targeting foreign guests.

Around 1030 terrorists began opening fire and throwing grenades at mumbai's main train station killing at least 3 and beginning a firefight with police officers.

Around the same time a car bomb went off at mumbai's domestic airport terminal in a taxi.

At least 3 car bombs have gone off in Vile Parle's Juhu area, known for being the homes of many bollywood actors and foreigners. The Marriot hotel, also in this area was bombed. There were some reports Jewish/Israeli people were being targeted.

The headquarters of an orthodox jewish charity, Chabad Lubavitch, is under siege and is still the sight of gun battles between terrorits and police. There are still many people being held hostage. This has not been reported on western channels as far as I know.

Terrorists took over parts of the Cama Hospital, where victims from the attacks were being brought for care. There was a long gun battle between terrorists and police. All of the terrorists were killed or arrested. This is where the top three Mumbai anti-terrorism police were killed.

There were CNN-IBN reporters at the Metro Cinema when a police van (apparently hijacked by terrorists) opened fire on a crowd, blowing off two fingers of a CNN-IBN crew member and killing an anti-terrorism offcer. The complete video of this attack is being shown on Indian tv, but has been heavily censored or not shown at all on western channels. Another reporter for IBN has just been shot at outside the Oberoi on live tv but is unhurt.

The top three anti-terrorism police in Mumbai have all been killed.

There are reports that weapons manufactured in pakistan have been found with the bodies of the terrorists.

There are at least 100 dead and 187 injured.

Around 2pm there was an end to a hostage situation in one of the hotels. IBN says oberoi, bbc says taj.

Ok, that's it for now... I'll keep you updated as the attacks are still on-going.

And now for something, etc...

So on a blog that I once kept, ages ago, I used to put up album/movie/book recommendations to the joyous applause of the masses. Along those lines I felt like putting up some new albums (came out in last 6 months or so) that I've liked in the hopes that maybe you'll give some a listen and like them too.

1.) kings of leon - only by the night
2.) fucked up - the chemistry of common life (one of the best bands I hadn't heard of until a month ago)
3.) dj shadow and cut chemist - the hard sell (part three in the brainfreeze, product placement, etc... series)
4.) tv on the radio - dear science (and seriously you should still be listening to the last two tv on the radio's)
5.) the streets - everything is borrowed (better than the last but can't touch either of the first two)
6.) new mitch hedberg - do you believe in gosh? (though he died in 2005 so it's just new to us)
7.) Sigur Ros - Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust Iceland's coolest band does it again... get "( )" (their second album) right now if you don't have it already
8.) Frightened Rabbit - The Midnight Organ Fight ....(if you like the shins or anything in that vein) seriously find me a better album put out in the past 7 months. If you do it, you win a special treat from the land of cows, moustaches, and curry.
9.) Calle 13 - Lost de atras vienen conmigo. Not just a great reggaeton album... in fact it's hardly a reggaeton album at all.... perhaps this album is to traditional (e.g. Daddy Yankee) reggaeton as the slim shady lp was to gansta rap. Anyway, give it a listen and you'll definitely like it.
10.) Flowering Inferno - Death of the Revolution... best dub album i've heard in a looooooong time. Dub meets Stan Getz.
11.) The Black and White Years - The Black and White Years ... a bit like talking heads/modest mouse. Nothing spectacular but worth a listen.
12.*) Santogold & Diplo - Top Ranking - no idea what it will sound like... great new artist and great producer on a record that has only existed in rumor until this summer and is still hard to get
13.*) Mighty Underdogs - Droppin Science Fiction .... just look at the line-up: Lateef the Truth Speaker and Gift of Gab messing around with DJ Shadow, Mr. Lif, Akrobatik, The Alkoholiks' Tash, Jurassic 5's Chali 2na, Julian and Damian "JR Gong" Marley. Epic.
* - Haven't heard these two yet, but I recommend them knowing that they will be incredibly awesome.

and perhaps most amazing of all, the release on cd of
14.) Rodriguez - Cold Fact.... perhaps the greatest "lost artist" of the 1960s.... a spectacular album that rivaled anything put out in the decade but was eclipsed by captain beefheart's - trout mask replica (another all time greatest) which came out around the same time.

oh and if any of you happen to be deftones or slipknot fans, check out:
15.) the hollywood undead - swan songs ... but seriously if you don't know who the deftones are or are mildly afraid of adult men in cheap masks don't get this one.


Ok, that's it for now.

Enjoy.

The world sat up. and all listened. for the sound was righteous. and the moment correct.

Today is a day of celebration and rejoicing. However I can't help but feel that, while we learned that being African American no longer defines the limits of your potential, being gay still does. In California, proposition 8 passed making gay marriage specifically illegal. Similar ballot measures passed in florida and arizona... and in arkansas gay people were specifically banned from adopting children. Regardless of your opinion of homosexuality, why should it be legal to legislate who can marry whom? It just doesn't seem right or fair, and it certainly shows a blatant mixing of church and state. Hopefully it will be appealed up to the 9th circuit court and no further... because if the current supreme court takes it there is no telling what precedent they will set.