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25 Easiest Languages You Could Be Learning Today
Posted by Sameen, Updated on November 8, 2017
Let's be honest, learning a language is no small or simple task. However, some are easier to master than others. So what are the easiest languages to learn? For this list, we've based "easy" on availability of quality resources, similarity to your native language (for the purposes of this list we will assume you only speak English), and the script the language uses. So if you're wondering which language to tackle next, check out the these 25 easiest languages you could be learning today.
Source: duolingo.com
While Mandarin is one of the hardest languages for English speakers to learn, the first several languages on our list are here not because they are fundamentally easy to learn, but rather because the languages are large enough to easily find learning resources.
For example, while Bengali is more closely related to English (they are both Indo-European), it isn't a global language and therefore not many quality learning materials exist. (The keyword is "quality.")
Source: babbel.com
Along with Mandarin, Arabic is one of the hardest languages for English speakers to learn. Go to any bookstore or foreign language section, and you'll find several methods and resources to tackle this language. Many colleges also offer Arabic classes.
Arabic isn't the only Semitic language on our list though. Hebrew will be coming along in a bit (#19).
Farsi (Persian)
So Farsi is the first Indo-European language on our list. As you can guess, the Indo-European language family is divided into two branches – European and Indo-Iranian. Farsi falls under the second. (It's spoken in Iran). One cool thing about Farsi is that it uses the Arabic alphabet. So if you've studied Arabic at all, it will come in handy here as well.
Hindustani (Hindi/Urdu)
Although both India and Pakistan like to pretend as though they speak different languages, Urdu and Hindi are about as far apart as American English and Scottish English. There is actually far more linguistic variation in German. Having said that, the main difference is that Urdu uses the Arabic script while Hindi uses the Devanagari script. Also, along with Punjabi and Bengali, Hindustani constitutes most of the "Indo" portion of the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages.
BCS (Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian)
So now we have switched over to the European branch of the Indo-European language family. To be more specific, BCS is a South Slavic language. Variations of this language are spoken throughout Bosnia, Serbia, and Croatia. It's worth noting that BCS is written both in Cyrillic and Latin scripts. This is another thing we considered in making this list…how easy is it to read the language? The faster you can pick up the alphabet, the faster you can learn the language.
Along with Finnish and Estonian, Hungarian is actually a Uralic language. The crazy thing is that Uralic languages aren't Indo-European. That's right, Hungarian is farther from English than far-off languages like Bengali, Farsi, and Punjabi. It might as well be Mandarin…and it kind of is. So why does Hungarian rank higher? The big one here is simply the alphabet. Since it uses the Latin script, it's a bit easier to jump into.
Note: there is a strong argument to made, however, that Hungarian is more complex than even the most obscure Asian languages. So it's kind of a pick-your-poison situation.
Remember what we said about Hebrew. Well, here it is!
So why would Hebrew rank higher than Arabic? Well, there are two main reasons. First, Arabic has more dialects and can therefore be harder to master. Second, thanks to a relatively widespread English speaking Jewish diaspora, there are more quality Hebrew learning resources available than there are Arabic learning resources.
Although Greek uses its own alphabet, we're once again safely back within the Indo-European language family, so words and structure will be a bit more familiar. Also, Greek has a solid number of resources available for instruction.
Our second Slavic language on the list, Polish is part of the West Slavic branch of the Slavic language family. Once again, a combination of being Indo-European, having Latin script, and the existence of a decent amount of resources put Polish where it is.
Czech makes up the other major part of the West Slavic language family. Given that the Czech Republic is the most economically dynamic of the few advanced Slavic speaking nations, Czech is the most popular choice for people wanting to visit Central Europe. This means that you should be able to find a decent number of resources. It also uses the Latin script and is extremely phonetic.
Bonus: it is mutually intelligible with Slovak.
Due to sheer size and geopolitical dominance, Russian has plenty of learning resources available. One downside people note is that it uses the Cyrillic script. However, the Cyrillic alphabet is surprisingly easy to learn. It's also very phonetic. You could learn the alphabet and roughly "read" anything; you'll just need more work to understand what it is that you're reading.
Remember how we were saying that German is more linguistically diverse than Hindustani? Well, it's actually more linguistically diverse than almost any other language. In fact, if any language should be split up…it would be German. It would be borderline impossible for a north German to understand Walser German (from south Switzerland). Although they both fall under the same linguistic umbrella, they are effectively different languages. Having said that, as with Arabic, you should learn Hochdeutsch (high German). The only languages with more resources available are French and Spanish.
So now we've reached our first Romance language. You may be thinking, if English is a Germanic language, shouldn't it be more closely related to German than Romanian? The answer is yes. It is more closely related to German. The thing is though, English is one of the simpler Germanic languages, while German is one of the harder ones (as you now know) so many of the Romance languages are actually easier to learn due to their simpler structure and grammar.
Another Romance language! Portuguese ranks higher than Romanian for the simple fact that it has more pull on the world stage, and therefore, more resources are available to learn it.
There shouldn't be much of a surprise here. Italian is a popular language among students, so resources abound. It also has straightforward pronunciation which most people are familiar with due to Italy's strong cultural influence.
The next three are all North Germanic (Scandinavian) languages. There are two more – Icelandic and Faroese – but we won't include those because so few people speak them. Danish is the first to be mentioned, just because most people claim it is the hardest Scandinavian language to learn.
Norwegian is similar to both Danish and the next language, Swedish. It is considered to be easier (relatively) for English speakers simply because its verb conjugation forms are so straightforward.
Swedish is sometimes considered the easiest of the Scandinavian languages, just because it is the most accessible. (It has the most speakers.)
Apart from French, Spanish is one of the easier non-Germanic languages for English speakers to learn. A major positive is its fairly consistent pronunciation.
This made up language was designed to be easy to learn. Although its usefulness is limited, if you speak an Indo-European language, you should be able to pick this one up to some extent.
French is the closest non-Germanic language to English just because there are so many cognates. Due to geographic proximity, the two languages have been influencing one another for years.
Along with Flemish and Africaans, Dutch is part of the low franconian branch of the west germanic language family. In terms of major world languages, Dutch is probably the most similar to English, at least in terms of phonology (sound). Of course, there are a few new sounds that will give you a run for your money.
English, Scots, and Frisian make up the Anglo-Frisian branch of the West-Germanic language group. This language has the most "English" pronunciation of any language but is relatively useless as far as foreign languages are concerned. It's only spoken by about 500,000 people in the Netherlands.
Although its status as a language is debatable, Scots is English's closest relative.
It's basically a simplified version of Dutch as it doesn't have any verb or pronoun conjugations.
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Inglourious Basterds' hook is clever, canny, and seemingly irresistible. A squadron of Jewish-American soldiers, led by a gentile backwoodsmen (is there any other kind?), drops behind enemy lines in 1944 Germany and sets about killing as many Nazis as possible. While Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) leads his titular squadron on an Apache-inspired campaign of terror against the Germans, a quiet, beautiful young cinema owner endures the unwanted attention of a chipper Aryan sharpshooter. Unexpectedly, these overtures lead to a meeting with Goebbels, a tense dinner with the man who killed her family (he does not recognize her) and the opportunity to exact retribution on her kin's murderers. The climax sees the Basterds' official mission unknowingly collide with Shoshana's personal revenge plot, as a propaganda print and occupied theater goes up in flames, and the Fuhrer goes down in a flurry of bullets. Yes, the movie's hooky all right, but in the finished film the goofy high concept (Nazi-hunting Jewish guerrillas) is probably the least interesting element; one frequently wonders if Tarantino couldn't have made a better film by foregoing the cartoonish central device and withholding the residual hipster winking (dramatically toned down, but still a dominant element in the director's style).
The very best sequences in Basterds don't need postmodern parody or black comic nihilism. They are about character, and wit, and tension - these are passages that would be at home in a Melville or Hitchcock film. Primarily I'm thinking of two scenes. There's the initial visit of the jovial "Jew hunter" with his ridiculous pipe (that rare touch that strikes just the right note of whimsical exaggeration), loquaciously wearing down a French farmer hiding "enemies of the state" beneath his floorboards. And then the ingenious drinking game in a cellar tavern, which begins with playing cards on foreheads and winds up with genitals blasted all over the cobblestone. These scenes are often diabolically clever, wildly referential, and ruthlessly merciless. Yet they could easily be all of these things, and still exist within a moral and/or "realistic" framework. What does Tarantino achieve by eschewing the acute moral viewpoint of a Melville or the dry sense of humor of Hitchock (whose subversive jokes were subtle)?
Well, for one thing, a number of excellent moments in Basterds (and they are mostly moments) do rely on Tarantino's self-conscious grasp of film history, the winding relationship of pleasure and plot, and a wild bending of tone and style (plus the director's trademark willingness to slaughter plot and character for effect - i.e. spoilers ahead). For example, the burning of the theater as Shoshana's face fills the screen, the revelation of her Jewishness to the Nazi audience at best coequal to the bevy of associations arising from her gigantic blue visage - and the sheer kick of the visuals taken in isolation. Or how about Shoshana's death, only a few minutes before her larger-than-life screen image goes up in flames - scored stirringly to a sweeping Ennio Moricone pop elegy; or Shoshana's preparations for the deadly premiere to the tune of the delightfully anachronistic (and yet, it goes without saying, perfectly appropriate) Bowie tune "Cat People" - subtitled, ahem, "Putting Out Fire" with the requisite tongue-in-cheek obviousness.
Indeed, Shoshana, or rather Laurent, proves to be a fashion pin-up extraordinaire in her prole chic tomboy gear; a number of shots and/or costume changes exist only, it seems, to glamorize this smoldering young actress. Rightly so, of course - what was it Godard said once upon a time? Yet, ironically, the gun gets the girl in the end and one watches Shoshana's beautiful death throes with discomfort. While her demise could be explained in plausible dramatic terms, following the torture and strangulation of another frustratingly gorgeous screen goddess (Diane Kruger as German movie star Bridge von Hammersmark) it just seems that Tarantino's proving he's above beauty or that beauty, violence, sexiness, and cool are all the same thing, man...
Are they? This brings us back to my fundamental discomfort with Tarantino's overall approach here, and the nagging suspicion that a work of full, here's the word I'm looking for, maturity might ultimately be superior. From the perfectly composed yet wildly divergent opening credits (complete with anachronistic "MMIX" under the main title) to the various chapter headings to the impulsive needle drops to the stylishly cartoonish performance of Brad Pitt - and indeed, all the Americans - Inglourious Basterds stubbornly hangs on to the adolescent showoff in Tarantino's persona. This, even as the writer/director (emphasis on both) branches out and imbues much of the work with new levels of subtlety and sophistication.
Also it must be said, the central conceit often borders on tastelessness, exemplified by the boorish "Bear Jew" (Eli Roth) jeering a dignified German before bashing in his skull with a baseball bat, or trapping a captive audience in a chamber of death in which it's the Jews who stand aside to watch their enemies squirm and scream and bellow like slaughtered cattle. At what point does the conceit of switching Jewish and German roles as victim and victimizer - while maintaining the moral culpability of the latter - cease to be clever and become merely offensive? Probably at its very inception.
If the Basterds represent Tarantino's boyish, brutal side, the brash geek puffing out his chest and slumming with the tough guys, then Col. Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz), the aforementioned "Jew hunter", gives voice to the filmmaker's canny, amoral sophistication. Erudite, perpetually cheery (because brooding through mass murder would be so gauche), effeminate at times, but always able to assert his power when need be, Landa loses his composure only twice: choking a crippled film queen to death (in an eccentric burst of patriotic violence - though Landa will soon betray the Fatherland too), and faced with the thick blade of Aldo's bowie knife.
Blankly dishonorable (whereas Landa is impeccably disingenuous), the American calls the German's bluff and decides to leave one last grisly tattoo, a sort of farewell gesture to the Basterd habit of mutilating those who are spared death. At this point we realize that if the film has had any hidden structure, beneath the sprawling, often un-intersecting storylines, it has been the war. Not the one between the Allies and the Axis, nor the Jews and the Germans, nor even reality and whatever fantasy parallel universe we've dropped into. No, it's a war between the two duelling aspects of the Tarantino persona, until this film cunningly integrated: the brash, gimmicky show-off who emulated exploitation flicks and indulged in gruesome violence, and the smart, sophisticated scribe whose articulate, playful dialogue betrayed the latent adult sensibility behind the teenage shenanigans. Here, at last, Tarantino leaves no doubt as to where his ultimate sympathy lies. After Aldo carves a grisly swastika on Landa's brow, the crude roughneck leans back to admire his handiwork. "Yep," he drawls. "Think this may be my masterpiece."
Cut to "Written & Directed by Quentin Tarantino" in bold, yellow, stylized font, cue the arresting Morricone selection, and suddenly we're inclined to agree. Yes sir, with that stellar close, admiration swept away most of my doubts, objections, and hesitations. It reminded me that boldness is a virtue, and that if Tarantino had not quite made the film I might have hoped, he had nonetheless fully realized the film he had made. Tarantino's frustrating that way - it would be nice to dismiss Pulp Fiction as a dated relic of the ain't-it-cool nineties, but the film is so sure, so well-shaped, so confident and strong that it holds up despite our better judgement.
Likewise, Inglourious Basterds knows what it's doing, does it well, and ultimately commands our recognition. Is it great? Quite possibly, though repeat viewings will have to confirm that. If so, it's great despite the carelessness with which it dispatches its hook, luring us into the theater with the novel concept and then diverting our attention elsewhere. Like many a great film, Tarantino's movie renders its flaws indispensable to its achievement and embodies its own vision so thoroughly that our complaints are rendered relatively toothless. Inglourious Bastereds is something to behold - a fascinating, unruly, sometimes frustrating, very rich tapestry. If it's a masterpiece, it's a shallow one, but these are plentiful shallows nonetheless. Objections duly noted, and overruled. Like another difficult, impressive and occasionally transporting film (Antichrist) it must rank as one of the singular achievements of 2009.
This review was originally published on the other Lost in the Movies site (and linked on The Sun's Not Yellow).
Labels: movie review/film essay, nazi germany, quentin tarantino, world war II
I enjoyed reading your thoughts on IB.
I think a better film could have emerged without the Basterds being in it at all. For me Shosanna and Landa were the most interesting characters and the depth that could have been achieved in the relationship between these two cunning, resourceful and worthwhile adversaries would have been something to get your teeth into.
I don't know if you have read my thoughts (you commented but only in relation to 'Blog 09') but I will post a link if you're interested. The film left me underwhelmed and disappointed on many levels:
http://checkingonmysausages.blogspot.com/2009/12/
observations-on-inglourious-basterds.html
Your review is well written and you make me see and understand your point of view even if I had a different experience. Thank you.
P.S. I'm glad Christoph Waltz won the Oscar - he is one of the (not quite) saving graces of the film.
MovieMan0283 said...
I hadn't read it yet, but I will now. I suspected as much as you, feeling that the Basterds hook did not have much to do with the film's real achievements. But in the end, it seemed impossible to untangle the good, bad, and ugly from Tarantino's directorial vision, which is often the case with gifted filmmakers. Like the mischievous but charismatic child who is scolded with affection, Inglourious Basterds seemed - to me - ultimately hard to resent. Much as I would have liked the Shoshana-Landa movie, I'm not sure Tarantino could have made the one without the other. Perhaps at some point he'll do a "gimmick-free" movie but until then the gimmickry seems too integral to his filmmaking personality for better and worse. By the end of this film, he seems to make it work despite my qualms.
Yeah, everybody seems to agree on Waltz!
Just Another Film Buff said...
MovieMan. Another splendid review. Although I am no longer put off by Tarantino's adolescent flights, I can empathize with your minor reservations.
I'm down with sickness and will get back soon on the Bright Star review. Lots of catching up to do, it looks like.
JAFB, thanks - me too (catching up, what with the focus on writing I haven't been reading as much as I'd like), hopefully I can rectify that soon.
Andrew: Encore Entertainment said...
I don't like this much, but unlike others I disliked this year I don't mind when persons herald even though I wouldn't call it anywhere near a masterpiece. What I find interesting is that both of us single out the same two scenes as favourites. The opening is good, and the game of Schnapps is my favourite part of the film. In fact Ms. Kruger contributes my favourite performance of the film (closely followed by Waltz of course). But the parts I don't like I REALLY don't. Laurent does nothing for me and the praise she garners continue to annoy me. The reason the film ultimately loses me is because Tarantino teases us with excellence (like those two scenes) but then resorts to his same gratuitousness in others. Of course that's what makes him Tarantino. But I've never really been a fan.
Exactly - those last few sentences sum up my ambivalence. Tarantino probably COULD make a less silly, more mature film if he wanted to. Often it's frustrating that he doesn't. But what he gives us is often so unique and accomplished, I'm tempted to throw up my hands and say, "Let Quentin be Quentin."
Not that he needs my persmission or anything.

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Jacobs flied out to rf (0-1 K).
DeGroot struck out looking (0-2 KSFK).
Kneeland grounded out to 3b (1-1 BK).
Keady grounded out to 3b (0-1 K).
Gillis singled to left field (1-0 B).
Gillis advanced to second on a throwing error by p, failed pickoff attempt.
Korwek flied out to cf (1-0 B).
Katsiroubas struck out swinging (0-2 KFFS).
Sanborn struck out swinging (1-2 BKSS).
Devlin struck out swinging (3-2 KBSFFBBS).
Johnson walked (3-1 BKBBB); Baggett advanced to second.
Rey flied out to cf (0-1 K).
Brennan singled to right center (1-1 BF); Johnson advanced to second; Baggett advanced to third.
Witkowski walked, RBI (3-2 KBFFBBFB); Brennan advanced to second; Johnson advanced to third; Baggett scored.
Keady singled to second base, bunt, RBI (0-0); Witkowski advanced to second; Brennan advanced to third; Johnson scored.
Muir grounded into double play 2b to 1b (0-1 F); Keady out on the play.
Wilson grounded out to 2b (0-1 K).
Sanchez struck out swinging (2-2 KBBFS).
Deuel grounded out to 3b (1-0 B).
Hamilton to p for Finnegan.
Gillis out at second c to 2b, caught stealing.
Korwek grounded out to ss (3-2 BKBKB).
Baggett grounded out to ss (1-0 B).
Jacobs flied out to cf (2-1 BFB).
DeGroot singled down the lf line (0-1 K).
Kneeland reached on a fielder's choice (0-0); DeGroot out at second ss to 2b.
Katsiroubas walked (3-2 KBBBFB); Kneeland advanced to second.
Sanborn reached on a fielder's choice (0-0); Katsiroubas out at second ss to 2b.
Johnson out at first 1b to p (0-1 K).
Rey fouled out to 1b (0-0).
Brennan out at first 1b to p (1-2 KFBF).
Devlin struck out swinging (1-2 KKBS).
Wilson singled to second base (2-1 BSB).
Sanchez grounded out to c (0-0); Wilson advanced to second.
Deuel grounded out to ss (2-2 BKBK).
Boutoures to p for Hamilton.
Witkowski grounded out to ss (1-1 BK).
Keady out at first 1b to p (1-1 KB).
Muir grounded out to 2b (0-2 FKF).
Jacobs singled down the lf line (0-1 K).
DeGroot doubled to right field, ground-rule (0-0); Jacobs advanced to third.
Kneeland grounded out to p (3-2 BBKBK).
Katsiroubas hit by pitch (2-2 KKBF).
Sanborn reached on a fielder's choice, RBI (0-2 FS); Katsiroubas out at second ss to 2b; DeGroot advanced to third; Jacobs scored.
Devlin grounded out to 2b (0-1 F).
Guilmette to p for Boutoures.
Gillis flied out to cf (3-2 BKFBB).
Korwek lined out to cf (1-2 KBF).
Baggett flied out to rf (2-1 BKB).
Wilson singled to second base (1-1 BK).
Rooney pinch ran for Wilson.
Sanchez grounded out to p (0-0); Rooney advanced to second.
Deuel flied out to rf (0-1 F).
Jacobs grounded out to 1b unassisted (0-0).
Johnson grounded out to 3b (1-1 BK).
Rey lined out to lf (1-1 FB).
Brennan grounded out to 2b (0-1 F).
DeGroot flied out to cf (2-2 BKBFF).
Kneeland flied out to cf (1-1 KB).
Katsiroubas singled to right center (1-1 KB).
Sanborn grounded out to 3b (2-1 BBK).
Nunes to p for Guilmette.
Witkowski struck out swinging (0-2 KKS).
Keady singled to pitcher (2-2 BBKK).
Muir grounded out to 2b (1-1 BF); Keady advanced to second.
Gillis grounded out to 1b unassisted (0-2 KK).
Devlin grounded out to 2b (2-2 KBKFFB).
Ricoy to dh for Rooney.
Ricoy singled to center field (2-1 BKB).
Gendron pinch ran for Ricoy.
Sanchez reached on a fielder's choice (1-2 KFB); Gendron out at second ss to 2b.
Deuel fouled out to 1b (0-2 KF).


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Future Tech is the topic du jour on Modern Marvels tonight
Sebastian Blanco
Jan 24th 2007 at 6:03PM
How the History Channel gets away with a show on the future, I'm not quite sure. Nonetheless, on the tube tonight (7 pm EST) will be their look at the future of technology, including some green vehicle tech as part of a wide-ranging list of topics (like rollercoasters, if the image on the History Channel's website is accurate). The History Channel site only hints about which car they're talking about is that it runs on processed seawater. As for the show itself, the History Channel says that, "With the help of 3D animation, we present some pretty far-out predictions and take you to various research labs to see working prototypes of these technologies in their infancy. Join us on a rollicking ride through the entertainment room, down the road, over the battlefield, through the mind, out in space, and into the future, where science fiction becomes science fact."
Oh, wait, I guess the past does play a role here: this episode first aired in June of 2005.
[Source: History Channel]
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Written by two child therapists, this book offers more than fifty activities you can do together as a family to help you and your child replace stressful and anxious feelings with feelings of optimism, confidence, and joy. You'll learn proven relaxation techniques, including deep breathing, guided imagery, mindfulness, and yoga, and then receive guidance for teaching them to your child.


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Asp Amina, Igp Idris' Mistress Who Was Promoted From Corporal To Asp I
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Regional Court Says Can Hear Serengeti Case, Dismisses Tanzania Appeal
By East African Community (EAC)
ARUSHA, Tanzania, March 16, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- The Appellate Division of the East African Court of Justice Thursday upheld a ruling of the First Instance Division that it had jurisdiction to hear a case in which a non government organization seeks to block construction of a highway through the Serengeti National Park.
By ordering that the matter should proceed for hearing in the First Instance Division, the Court dismissed an appeal by the Attorney General of the United Republic of Tanzania challenging an earlier suit filed by Africa Network for Animal Welfare (ANAW).
In making its decision, the Court took into consideration the provisions of the EAC Treaty Article 111 on the environmental and natural resources, where the Partner States recognize that development activities may have negative impacts on the environment leading to the degradation of the environment and depletion of natural resources and that a clean and healthy environment is a prerequisite for sustainable development.
The Appellate Division also decided the EACJ would not be drawn into whether it had power to grant a permanent injunction restraining the Tanzanian Government from constructing the highway, saying the matter is premature because the case was yet to be heard on its merits.
State Attorney Mr. E. Mwenyunge represented the Attorney General of the United Republic of Tanzania and while the Respondent (ANAW) was represented by Mr. Saitabao Kanchory Mbalelo. Justices Harold Nsekela, President, Philip Kiptoo Tunoi, Vice President, Emilie Kayitesi, Laurent Nzosaba and James Ogoola presided over the case.
Kenya Government Wins on Appeal in Mount Elgon Case
Also on Thursday the EACJ Appellate Division overruled the First Instance Division and dismissed a case filed by Independent Medical Legal Unit, alleged that the act of the Kenyan Government failing to investigate, prosecute and punish those responsible for executions, acts of torture, cruelty, inhuman and degrading treatment of over 3,000 Kenyan residents in Mount Elgon District contravenes the Treaty.
The Court concurred with the Kenyan Attorney General, who had appealed the case, that IMLU's suit had been filed out of time. The Treaty under Article 30(2) provides that a case should be instituted within two months of the enactment, publication, directive, decision or action complained of, or in on the day it came to knowledge of the complainant. The Appellate Division found that the complainant had knowledge of the acts complained of 2008 but filed its case in 2010.
Justices Harold Nsekela, President, Philip Tunoi, Vice President, Emillie R. Kayitesi, Laurent Nzosaba and James Ogoola however upheld the decision that the Court has jurisdiction to entertain the case.
They cited the fundamental principles that govern the achievement of the objectives of the Community which include good governance, adherence to the principles of democracy, the rule of law, accountability, transparency, social justice, equal opportunities, gender equality, as well as the recognition, promotion and protection of human and people's rights in accordance with the provisions of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights.
Senior Principal Litigation Officer Mr. Anthony Ombwayo represented the Attorney General of the Republic of Kenya and Ms. Kethi Kilonzo was IMLU's advocate.
The Court ordered that each party bears its costs.
Mathias Safari | 3/20/2012 10:28:00 AM
Actually the Appelate Division of the EACJ was very clear by reaching such coclusion concerning the issue of Serengeti Case. If it would rule infavour of Tanzania it would be considered a toothless dog. The decision is excellent due to the fact that it is very difficult to convince a patriot Tanzanian, who is tired with economic subotage by those in power, that the road construction was for the benefit of the EAC members. Congratulations the Court! Tanzania should take this as an example on the issue of appointing judges; in our new constitution which the President of Tanzania wants to monopolise all the powers of its enactment, Judges should not be appointed by the President. Judges appointed by the President become toothless dogs when they are to decide matters which the President is interested. Kenyans are good, I like the way they create judges, they comply to standards of humanity, democracy, rule of law and independent of judiciary. Briefly, EACJ I thank you for helping in protecting environment which some of Tanzanian leaders want to destroy.
Now for the issue of Mount Elgon case, here I think had the Court scrutinized careful the issue of state's power, it would have sided with IMLU. Actually the Attorney General Kenya said nothing strong to contradict the view on the failure to file the case within time. Briefly, the Counsel for IMLU Ms. Kethi Kilonzo left no gap for the Attorney General Kenya to pass. It is udisputable fact that since the violations of human rights were commited by the state, it was difficult to investigate the matter without encoutering inconveniences rendering danger to the life of those investigating or in alternative facing unnecessary obtacles leading to delay. It was difficult to get documents necessary to support the case. If the issue was to file the case in its immature stage it would be possible by the bush lawyer to do so, but I think the delay by the IMLU was inevitable and reasonable and that being the case it could be cured by Court's careful interpretation of Article 30(2) of the treaty in relation to the violations, nature of violations, time they were taking place and time they stopped. If they would fail to do that, this provision would be declared bad in law. If the Penal laws would be "st*p*d" like Article 30(2), murderers who could be reported late could escape punishment. I therefore advise the EAC to revise its treaty in respect of this provision to omit the requirement of two moths. I wish if I get employment in the EAC, I may be useful in many things.


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Thomson launch its New 3 Variants of Smart TV in India
Thomson, owned by France-based Technicolor, on Thursday launched its range of smart televisions in India. The televisions – 43-inch 4K UHD HDR, 40-inch, and 32-inch – will be manufactured by Noida-based SPPL. They will go on sale in the country exclusively via Flipkart starting Friday, April 13. The flash sale for the new Thomson televisions will start at 12pm IST. The models are affordably priced, and appear set to take budget TV players such as Micromax, Vu, and Xiaomi in the country.
The 43-inch 4K UHD Thomson television, bearing model name 43TM4377, has been priced at Rs. 27,999. It sports a LG IPS panel with a 3840×2160 pixels resolution and HDR support. The company is claiming a 178-degree viewing angle. It runs Android 4.4.4 KitKat, is powered by a 1.4GHz dual-core Cortex-A53 processor coupled with a Mali-T720 GPU and 1GB of RAM. It has 8GB of inbuilt storage. It features two 10W speakers. Ports include 1x RF input, 1x AV input, 3x HDMI ports, 1x Component port, 2x USB ports, 1x RJ45 port, 1x SPDIF port, 1x 3.5mm headphone jack, and one SD card slot. It also has Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n connectivity. Thomson 43 inch Smart LED TV price in India is Rs. 27,999.
The 40-inch variant is also running Android 4.4.4 Kitkat and features a 40 inch Full HD screen (1920 x 1080 pixels) with 300000:1 dynamic contrast, 6.5ms dynamic response. It comes with 1GB RAM, 8GB ROM, Built in Wi-Fi (2.4GHz), 3x HDMI, 2x USB 2.0, Ethernet port and 2x 10W speakers. Thomson 40 inch Full HD smart TV price in India is Rs. 19,990.
This is a 32 inch Smart TV, running Android KitKat 4.4.4. It is powered by 64 bit processor packed with 1GB RAM and 8GB ROM (internal storage). Screen resolution is 1366 x 768 pixels resolution, with 178 degree viewing angles. Key features are Single band Wi-Fi (2.4GHz), 2x USB 2.0 ports, a Ethernet port and 3x HDMI ports. This Thomson LED TV comes with 2x 10W speaker. Thomson 32 inch LED Smart TV price in India is Rs. 13,490.
Huawei Y6 2018 variant with 5.7-inch 18:9 Display at 11,999 Rs.
Xiaomi has been finally launched Xiaomi Black Shark | Xiaomi's Gaming Smartphone
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Q: Error-free conversion of OTF fonts to WOFF format I need to convert some OTF fonts to WOFF format for web use, but I'd like to avoid display errors for the converted fonts.
Is there a process to ensure my resulted WOFFs are OK? Are web converters like cloudconvert or convertio reliable in producing error-free conversions?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Passenger jet pilot reports a close encounter with a drone
By David Nield	 June 7, 2015
The pilot of a passenger jet flying into Dallas Love Field on Friday reported seeing a drone within "a few hundred feet" during the approach. The unmanned aerial vehicle was also spotted from the air traffic control tower and authorities are currently trying to track down the pilot.
According to the Dallas Morning News, the Boeing 737 (Southwest Flight 28) was traveling from Houston to Dallas and saw the drone about a mile from the airport. The quadcopter was spotted by the aircraft's left wing although the jet "landed without incident" and didn't have to take any evasive action to avoid the drone.
Ground units and a helicopter were dispatched to try and locate the pilot, but so far the identity of the drone operator remains a mystery. "We're concerned, because these are easily purchased devices, and they have pretty amazing capabilities," said Mark Duebner, the director of aviation in Dallas
"I don't think the average person understands the airspace limits around the airport, because they wouldn't have reason to know them," he added. "We need to do some campaigns to raise public awareness, though, because we don't need these anywhere near the airport."
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is taking an "incremental approach" to drone regulations in the U.S. — drones used for commercial purposes, for example, currently require a special license while the FAA works out how it wants to manage their use more widely.
Rules for noncommercial drone use currently require that the UAVs are flown below 400 feet and remain within sight of the pilot. "Remain well clear of and do not interfere with manned aircraft operations," add the regulations and "don't fly within five miles of an airport unless you contact the airport and control tower before flying" — points that the drone pilot in Texas was obviously unaware of.
Via Ars Technica
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Majority Backs Legal Status for Undocumented Immigrants in New Poll
Fifty-two percent support legalization for the undocumented.
ByJORDAN FABIAN
Jan. 18, 2013— -- A majority of Americans favor an immigration reform plan that allows undocumented people to apply for legal status, according to a new poll released Thursday.
Fifty-two percent say they support such a plan while 46 percent oppose it, an NBC News/Wall Street Journal survey shows.
See Also: What's In Obama and Rubio's Immigration Plans?
The survey shows that a majority of the public favors the general outline of a comprehensive immigration reform plan that President Barack Obama is expected to push in his second term.
For the first time in NBC's poll, a majority say they support a path to legal status. The question was last posed in April 2007, when President George W. Bush spearheaded a push for comprehensive immigration reform. Then, 44 percent supported legal status while 51 percent opposed it.
But what to do with the 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the U.S. remains one of the most difficult problems to resolve for lawmakers.
President Obama supports a plan that would provide an earned pathway to full citizenship for undocumented immigrants who pass a criminal background check, pay fines and back taxes, and learn English, along with other requirements. The White House's 2011 blueprint for immigration reform says that it would take eight years to acquire a green card (legal permanent residency) and then an additional five years to become a citizen.
In a separate Hart Research Associates/Public Opinion Strategies poll sponsored by pro-immigration reform groups, including the National Immigration Forum, America's Voice, and SEIU, 63 percent of respondents say they want immigration reform to include a path to citizenship.
But others who want to pass immigration reform don't support a special pathway to full citizenship. For example, Republican Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.) has released a plan that would allow undocumented people to apply for legal status that stops short of citizenship. The requirements would be similar to what Obama's plan requires to apply for citizenship.
Rubio told The Wall Street Journal last weekend that undocumented immigrants could attempt to pursue a green card and citizenship under his plan, but that the process "would have to be long enough to ensure that it's not easier to do it this way than it would be the legal way."
And there are others on the right-wing of the conservative movement who oppose any form of earned citizenship, dismissing it as a form of "amnesty."


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Read, Watch, Listen, Do: a resource guide for understanding white supremacy
by Scalawag Editors November 17, 2017 April 16, 2021
Two weeks ago, Scalawag Magazine publicly announced our commitment to use our platform to explicitly name and oppose white supremacy and anti-Blackness. To help deepen the conversation, we've asked our editorial team to put together an informal resource guide to share with our readers. This "Read Watch Listen Do" is our way of sharing a list of books, articles, films, podcasts, and activities that have helped us better understand and articulate white supremacy and anti-Blackness.
Zaina: It's been helpful for me to learn from abolitionist writers who historicize the connective tissues of racism and prisons as extending far beyond the "justice system" in the United States. In many ways anti-Black and anti-indigenous racism and incarceration actually serve as foundational paradigms that have shaped the US nation-state, since its creation. I've also learned a lot from scholars like Sylvia Wynter, who question how our systems of language and education reproduce anti-Blackness which seeps into our ways of learning and understanding, perpetuating a failure to assign value to Black lives in the world(s) we live in. I strongly recommend: Against Innocence: Race, Gender, and the Politics of Safety by Jackie Wang. First published in LIES: A Journal of Materialist Feminism Vol. 1 (liesjournal.info), 2012 and No Humans Involved: An Open Letter to my Colleagues by Sylvia Wynter. First published in Voices of Black Diaspora, 1992.
Lewis: As a white, transgender person politicized in the anti-racism and anti-war movements of the late 90s and early 2000s, I've long seen my liberation as tied up with Black and Brown liberation–and long struggled with the role that white people should or shouldn't play in these struggles. I also have deep roots in the South, ancestors who were slave-owners and Confederate generals and proud of it. One of the first tools I engaged with on my path to understanding my own role in combating white supremacy was Mab Segrest's classic book, Memoir of a Race Traitor, published in 1999 by South End Press. I was also deeply influenced by Assata Shakur's autobiography, Assata.
Sarah: As a white Atlantan who attended the city's public schools, I could see how my skin color was a difference that made a difference — how my whiteness insulated, protected and privileged me in a school with not enough resources to go around. The struggles and obstacles I faced were worlds apart — and, with hindsight, of trivial significance — from those of my classmates. In the years since, I have found texts that have showed me how little I know of the worldview and the lived experiences beyond my own, an ignorance that is neither innocent or insignificant when it comes to the perpetuation of racial hierarchies. I have learned from so many texts, and so many conversations. It would be difficult to recount them all. But Claudia Rankine's Citizen (Minneapolis: Graywolf Press, 2014) has walked alongside me for a few years now, challenging me on each read to look deeper at the traumas that anti-Blackness inflicts on the people who are subjected to it. I've also found much to mull over in Rachel Kaadzi Ghansah's taut profiles of Black artists, writers and intellectuals (esp. her profile, "The Radical Vision of Toni Morrison"). On the more academic side, Charles Mills' work rearticulating white supremacy as a critical concept and Patricia Hill Collins' work in Black Feminist Epistemology: Knowledge, Consciousness and the Politics of Empowerment (New York: Routledge, 2000) have both influenced my thinking. Mills gives an interview for The New York Times about his work that is more accessible than his philosophical texts.
Alysia: As a Black poet and performer, I am always drawn to the creative ways people communicate emotional truths drawn from the empirical data of their lived experiences. Creativity speaks to the way in which we use our tools and skills to generate new possibilities from old materials. In particular I'm thinking of James Baldwin's works and their sheer communicative power in addressing racism and white supremacy. I am drawn to Baldwin's 1965 Cambridge debate with William Buckley "Is the American Dream at the expense of the American Negro?" In this speech he is able to indict systems of oppression and white supremacy and just as adeptly speak to the moral, interpersonal, and human cost of racism.
James Baldwin addresses the debate's central question in such a way that reminds us of our inherent, undivorceable bond to one another. He drives home the point that liberation is all together liberating and oppression is all together oppressive to all parties involved.
Zaina: In this short video It's Not Police Brutality," Dylan Rodriguez—critical race theorist and professor at the University of California Riverside—offers a useful problematizing of mainstream language around reforms to policing, raising the analysis that brutality seen from police is not a deviation or merely the actions of "few bad apples" but rather, the enacted function of police, since the foundation of the first police forces.
Cierra: We are some 60 years past Brown v. Board and the educational achievement gap, the disparity in academic achievement between groups of students, is the greatest it has ever been. This is especially true when we compare white students and students of color, and even more specifically Black students. What then did we get wrong in our execution of integration? How does such a disparity exist? What has happened to the great equalizer?
As an educator, this is the lens through which I began to understand how pervasive white supremacy actually is and how much it dictates who is set up to succeed in our society. White supremacy is the root of educational inequity; when we look at the issues that complicate access to a quality education — school budgets tied to property taxes, busing, the school to prison pipeline, etc., we begin to understand just how pervasive white supremacy is and how it connects to other systems of inequality in our country.
"The Problem We All Live With" is one of my favorite This American Life episodes and does a great job of breaking down the inequities that exist in education and the racism and anti-Blackness underpinning them all. There is even a segment on work that has been done here in Scalawag's home base of Durham, NC and why these "reforms" failed.
Lovey: The sheer quantity of good reporting that has come out this year taking deep dives into the tenets of white supremacyis staggering. But as active members of a field that more often than not serves as a tool to reinforce white supremacy, consuming good reporting isn't really enough. We're pretty good at self-critique here at Scalawag, but something that I think a lot of us in this realm have to grapple with is the fact that talking about these kinds of issues from an academic standpoint already piggybacks on a history of quiet ignorance about the very same issues we spend university money researching and dismantling. It's not enough to drop in and report on the radicalized "other"; it's about acknowledging the system's role in our modern-day society and calling it out directly.
Listen: Hate on the march: White nationalism in the Trump era, Reveal
Listen: Shackled Legacy: History shows slavery helped build many U.S. colleges and universities, APM Reports
DO – TOOL KITS AND ACTION STEPS
Matt: One way that white people implicitly support white supremacy is by distancing themselves from it and disavowing their complicity in social structures and patterns of white domination. Even if we oppose it, our lives are deeply enmeshed in white supremacy— our world would be unrecognizably different without it. As I've wrestled with understanding the implications of this, the following resources have been helpful:
Dismantling Racism's "analysis tools" on denial and resistance
Sara Ahmed, "Declarations of Whiteness: The Non-Performativity of Anti-Racism," borderlands e-journal 3.2 (2004)
Shannon Sullivan, Good White People: The Problem with Middle-Class White Anti-Racism (New York: SUNY Press, 2014).
Lewis: I'm passionate about the role of hands-on political education and political action as a tool for both building community and strengthening our skills and analysis. So, a couple of political education resources : "White people for Black Trans Liberation" is an online toolkit created by Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) as part of a national day of action for Black Trans Lives, #transliberationtuesday
"Prison Industrial Complex (PIC) Resources," by the Chicago PIC Teaching Collective and Project NIA, is a collection of interactive curricula, including audio and video, for political education about the role of policing and prisons in upholding white supremacy. Go deep–it's worth it.
Danielle: Name whiteness in the same ways that you name Blackness. Combating white supremacy and anti-Blackness requires understanding the basics of how race works. In a racialized society, there isn't a place, person, object, policy, or practice that is not raced, regardless of what they are called. Because whiteness exists at the top of the power hierarchy in this country—and around the world—the everyday, mundane mainstream things that most (even non-white folk) take for granted as "true" or "right" are in fact, simply white. For example, The New York Times is a mainstream, international newspaper "of record" from the U.S. In other words, it's a white newspaper. This is true, even though non-white people write or edit or even administer parts of the paper. If race is about power, then whiteness has to influence how everyone thinks about what is "newsworthy" or "fact". So even though the NYT publishes people with different opinions, its main perspective centers the interests of whiteness. Still, nobody calls it white, because to do so would be to make it seem "subjective".
No other race gets the luxury of being "objective." And Blackness, which is located at the bottom of the power hierarchy, is treated as the most "subjective"—and thus the least trustworthy in articulations of what is "true" or "right." Everyone knows that Essence and Ebony are Black magazines espousing Black perspectives, but whose perspectives are espoused in Rolling Stone or The Nation?
Once we can name whiteness, we can begin to take it off its pedestal, to rearrange power. Here are some resources that have been helpful to me—a queer Black woman struggling with internal and external anti-Blackness:
The Making and Unmaking of Whiteness
Racism without Racists
Some data on race naming in The New York Times
Scalawag Team: We'll give y'all one final do: let us know who is working to combat white supremacy in your community! Scalawag is publishing an ongoing series about southerners standing up to white supremacy in many forms, and we want to hear your ideas about what we should cover. We're also open to your pitches for these profiles. We pay writers money! Either way, get at us—we want to know you and your community better, and lift up the stories of the people who are already standing up and fighting.
Tagged: Combating White Supremacy, Editorial
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Jonathan Leeman
Jonathan Leeman (Ph.D, Wales) serves as editorial director for 9Marks. He has written a number of books and articles, and edits the 9Marks Journal and series of books. He also serves as an elder at the Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC. show more
Jonathan Leeman (Ph.D, Wales) serves as editorial director for 9Marks. He has written a number of books and articles, and edits the 9Marks Journal and series of books. He also serves as an elder at the Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC.
Jonathan Leeman's Books
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The olive sparrow is found primarily in Mexico and Central America. The northern portion of their range does stretch into southern Texas which is the only place in the United States where they can regularly be found.
They are a somewhat secretive bird which are usually found in dense under growth. Their preferred habitat consists of chaparral and thornscrub thickets.They eat a combination of seeds, insects and larvae, which it gleans from the undergrowth and ground.
Olive sparrows do not typically migrate. Their nesting season is from march to September. They build their nest low to the ground in a shrub or cactus. The nest is usually dome shaped and made from sticks, bark, grass and leaves. They usually lay from 2 to 5 eggs per year.
Never seen or heard of this Sparrow so it was lovely to see one in your post.
Love him...great little sparrow, and wonderful photos!
Lovely photographs of it on the water.
blends in well with the stones!
That's a new one. I'll have to keep an eye out for him next time I go to the Rio Grande Valley. Beautiful photos.
What a gorgeous little fellow, looks like it is enjoying the water.
He's a cute little guy - and your photos are great!


text:
FirstCom
Rivers of Stars
Andrea Perry
'Come pick me off the floor and clear this dreary weather...' croons Austin's Andrea Perry by way of an introduction to her world. This thesis develops into an essay that keeps the listener on his toes: one cannot be sure whether to laugh, cry, celebrate, mourn. These songs are upbeat and positive, just as the works of The Smiths, The Cure and The Pogues are upbeat and positive; they pull you up and out of the gutter and offer sympathy for your recent binge. The music and lyrics are the work of an experienced songwriter who has lived what she teaches -- one who avoids clichés and speaks her heart, working elements jazz, new wave, classic folk (Neil Young, James Taylor), funk, punk and good old circus music into her paranoid, extroverted musical message. To Perry's credit, she plays every instrument on Two but the drums -- and unlike some artists, who claim to be multi-instrumentalists but are actually pretty half-assed at most of them, Perry plays them all well. She also produced Two which makes me wonder what wonder drug supplement she orders in her smoothies.
Production-wise, this is no demo -- it's definitely ready for the big leagues. It's also very much a "true" album, designed to be listened to in sequence, rather than a handful of singles padded with filler tracks. The songs average a very concise three minutes thirty seconds -- you'll neither get bored nor long for more. My favorite track ("I Think Of Nothing") comes in at just under two minutes, which seems like uncommon restraint for a self-produced singer/songwriter.
The variety of Perry's music suggests a Beatlesque approach -- free from unnecessary boundaries, but united by a common thematic element. It was Paul, John and George's voices -- never Ringo -- that provided this link in the Beatles' music, and I'm going to risk public flogging by suggesting that Perry's voice has the same type of power. It recalls the sadness of Nina Persson (The Cardigans), the fun of Bis's Manda Rin and the radio-friendliness of Tanya Donnely; Perry could sing karaoke over an Air Supply or REO Speedwagon single and I would still plop down the cash for the bootleg.
Perry's confidence in her music definitely shows on Two. She does not rely on elaborate orchestration, glitchy drum machine loops, filtered vocals or any of the other tricks that FM radio currently pimps on its listeners. I appreciate Perry's honesty, and I believe that she follows the mantra of a true artist: continue doing what you believe and the world (or the people who count) will notice soon enough."
-Dave Madden, Splendid
Comes with a Smile, UK
Andrea Perry's second album, perhaps obviously given the title (though it's not always safe to assume such things), is quite simply lovely. 'Two' maintains and often exceeds the high standard set by her accomplished 2001 debut Saturday Morning Sweet Shoppe. As with that record, which itself took a few listens to reveal its many depths, once the album's multifaceted arrangements unfurl you should be hooked. Andrea Perry's songs seem as contrarily sparse as the arrangements are oddly complex.
However often you play the album the intimate yet spacious production continually exposes previously unheard nuances. An extremely adept multi-instrumentalist, Perry played keyboards, guitar and bass and that's apart from equally proficient talents as composer, arranger and producer. Proving she's not superhuman, she only relinquishes the albums' percussive chores to someone named SearCh, who following some elementary investigation can be revealed to be Chris Searles who performed the same task for Perry on her debut.
Andrea's voice, occasionally quirky in inflection - though as often velvety smooth - is as integral a part of the album as any instrument. Her voice can be lush, warm, beautiful, vulnerable, eccentric and intriguing, as are the songs she's singing. Two is a difficult album to categorise, as Andrea Perry is an artist with whom it's not easy to find comparison. Originality is a rare thing indeed, but Perry definitely has it. Her avowed shyness can surely be the only reason she isn't more widely known and appreciated as in no way could her music be regarded inaccessible. In terms of recommendation I can put it no better than Andrea Perry does herself on Two, so if you're unfamiliar with her work it must be Time To Say Hello."
-Geriant Jones
"Perry has conceived as stunning an epic, searching, Beatlesque piano ballad as has come down the line since Paul McCartney wrote a little tune called 'Let It Be.' Seriously."
One of the primary reasons why the homogeneous state of mainstream pop/rock in 2002 proved so frustrating was because there still existed bona fide tunesmiths capable of writing the sort of gloriously memorable songs that, when you hear them years later, mark specific places or events in your life. Andrea Perry proved to be precisely that caliber of songwriter on her first album. Too bad, then, that so few people heard its overflow of pleasures. Those who were lucky enough to come across Saturday Morning Sweet Shoppe were cast into a Spector-centric universe where girl group pop never, in fact, went away. And in a just world, Perry - a Lesley Gore sound-alike with the decidedly mature compositional skills of Carole King - would have Top Ten singles with three-fourths of the songs on her even more winning sophomore record.
Two offers all the same pleasures as its predecessor but is an even more artful, confident, and distinctive outing. This is most immediately apparent in Perry's assured production, which, while still humble in its do-it-yourself conception, is considerably more detailed throughout, particularly by way of its overlay of keyboard-generated parts and a cornucopia of self-harmonies (perfectly illustrated on the chorus of "Make the World Go 'Round," which, cleverly, is a musical round). Two can be experienced to greatest effect, however, by letting the diversity of its songs pour over you, whether the swirling good cheer of "Bursting Through the Clouds," with its see-saw circus melody, the subtle funk touches (including a too-brief wah-wah solo) of "On No! The Day Is Dawning," or several enchanting lullabies: "You Broke the Spell" (which, contrary to its message, casts a spell), the hypnotically Baroque "Bye Bye," and "Higher," a gorgeously weary evocation of devotion. And in the culminating "Across the Water," Perry has conceived as stunning an epic, searching, Beatlesque piano ballad as has come down the line since Paul McCartney wrote a little tune called 'Let It Be.' Seriously."
-Stanton Swihart
After thrilling with her debut Saturday Morning Sweet Shoppe , Andrea Perry returns to prove that release was no fluke. Perry continues on a path proving that she's one of pop's original voices at work today with Two .
Disjointed rhythms, an almost whispered vocal, and a seemingly effortless way with melody Perry weaves in and out of arrangements that are full of surprises. Light Up The Underworld isn't a song as much as it is a few songs. The tribute to Perry's talent is that you never get the sense of someone saying "hey, look what I can do!". Two remains an album - as in a set of songs - probably more so than Saturday Morning Sweet Shoppe.
There's a stronger consistency here. Sure, there doesn't seem to be much Perry won't try, but she finds her voice most successfully in letting her bass and piano parts bounce along with her vocal as in 'All Alone' and the opening 'Bursting Through The Clouds.' To keep a playful variety in the mix, the sly funk of 'Oh No! The Day Is Dawning' and the exotic groove of 'I Think Of Nothing' add much.
Perry is an artist with a strong signature sound. So strong that some may find that it isn't up their alley. With Two , this should be a pretty overwhelming minority."
-Claudio Sossi
Top 10 Albums of 2002, #6
A dozen newly intriguing musical gems that feature intricate rhythms and deceptively spare arrangements. Her soft voice lulls you with its sweetness, often masking the swirl of inner portent her lyrics convey. There is precision and confidence on each track, as Perry contributes guitar, keyboard and bass. She is a natural in finding the right amounts of nuance and musical texture, and writes honest, evocative songs that are a refreshing distance apart from the mainstream."
-Gary Glauber, Pop Matters
Womanrock.com
Andrea plays all instrumentation on this album, save drums. That is taken up by SearCh who adds a lickety-split style that in its horizontal motion keeps this album moving forward. Perry sings in a charming, heady voice reminiscent of Kate Bush. Some songs feature piano or keyboards, others guitar. Plushly upholstered in multi-tracked vocals singing poignant personal poetry, Two is number one material"
-Thomas Schulte
Since women are still in the overwhelming, overwhelmed minority of musicians, it's difficult to discuss female performers without making at least a discreet reference or two to their gender. The artists that seem to escape this curse are, sadly, the ones that conform to sexist stereotypes, depicted as weak, submissive, and desperate to subsume their identities in a romantic relationship. Those who've tried to slip this yoke would have been blasted in a less sensitive era with accusations of masculinity, but today, they're greeted with condescending girls-can-rock-too rhetoric from misguided critics. The whole situation is enough to make you throw your hands up in disgust, when along comes someone like Andrea Perry, offering a graceful escape from the gendered ghettos of pop music.
An mp3.com darling, Perry follows up her debut, Saturday Morning Sweet Shoppe, with the appropriately titled Two. She runs through a dozen songs in forty minutes, proving along the way that the attention she's garnered thus far is no accident. Despite her idiosyncrasies-- and there are many-- Perry remains easily accessible, never letting her unique artistic vision slip into insularity. This is surely due to the fact that, at heart, she's a pop songwriter, and a very fine one at that; though some tracks inevitably shine above others, all twelve display an assured sense of craft. The hooks are never repeated ad nauseam; the bridges always arrive in the nick of time. Perry is able to marry simple joys with depth and sophistication, as on the opener, "Bursting Through the Clouds", a potentially radio-friendly crossover hit, but its magnificent chord progressions signal the author is capable of sustaining whatever attention she grabs. An even more daring balancing act arrives with "I Think of Nothing", which chugs along in a disorienting 5/4 beat beneath an ethereal cloud of melody.
The degree to which Perry was responsible for these sonic details makes the album's accomplishments all the more striking; she plays everything except the drums, and sounds thoroughly comfortable on bass, guitar and keyboards. Perry earns added accolades for her production as well: the record feels crisp and clean without veering into sterility. Drummer Chris Searles, the only other musician on Two, is as sympathetic a partner as Perry could ask for, keeping busy without becoming intrusive. Together, they give the songs the thrust they need to keep from stalling.
-Brian James
Pop Matters
Objectivity is a difficult task, made even more so when fondness for an artist might cloud one's perspective. Still, I am compelled to gush when speaking the praises of the chronically shy Andrea Perry, who might be one of the most pleasant musical surprises to come my way in many a moon.
Two is the aptly titled sophomore effort from the multi-talented Perry, who delivers again on the promise first heard on her debut Saturday Morning Sweet Shoppe with a dozen newly intriguing musical gems. Perry's complex rhythms and deceptively spare arrangements fall a refreshingly far distance from the mainstream. Her soft voice lulls you with its sweetness, at times hiding the swirl of inner portent her lyrics convey.
This is smart, quirky pop with a difference that appeals even more because of that difference. In addition, Andrea Perry is a natural in adding just the right amount of nuance and musical texture - you get a voice slide here, an unexpected guitar fill there, even a xylophone when necessary.
Perry knows how to structure songs. She has wonderful middle bridges, and never overstays her welcome (the longest song here is 4:28). She gets to the point and marries the music, its rhythms and its words. Her songwriting talents are only half the story here - as a performer she excels, whether on guitar or keyboards or bass or vocals (and believe me, she uses vocals as another instrument). The only thing she doesn't play is drums, and those are ably handled by the masterful Chris Searles.
Spending her formative years in Austin, Texas as the daughter of two accomplished pianists, Perry grew up in a musical household (mostly classical, although the Beatles and some Danny Kaye children's albums also made the cut). Piano lessons didn't go well for her, the result of laziness and/or a learning disability. This, coupled with horrible stage fright and the rationale that the Beatles had had no formal piano training, led to quitting. Instead, she played the way she wanted to, deciding by age 10 that she wanted to write songs and make records.
As she grew older she went from a love of radio and its "top 40" music to a devotion to the album rock of The Clash, Talking Heads, David Bowie, Lou Reed, The Police, and The Pretenders and then onto classic rock radio through the remainder of high school. After graduation, Ms. Perry began to make her first four-track recordings, and solidified a conviction that this was what she wanted to do with her life.
Her college career was peppered with musical milestones (University of Southern California - gets first keyboard; Hampshire College - gets a Strat and eventually learns to play guitar). She joined a band (The Ice Weasels) as keyboardist, along with Paul Melancon, Aaron Tucker, Montgomery Knott, Peter Altman and the late Billy Greene (to whose memory this new CD is dedicated).
After college, Perry convinced Tucker, Knott and Altman to join her in testing Austin's thriving music scene. With new drummer Mike McElhaney rounding out the roster, the band Wax Elephant developed a strong following in the early '90s, but ultimately broke up. Since then, Ms. Perry found work writing for video games and CD-ROMs, and learned to play the bass, all of which has helped sharpen her creativity en route to this more recent solo career.
"There is not a bad song here (nor was there on her first CD) and the complexity of the songs demand repeated listens."


I'm surprised this forum isn't used more. I don't see much technical support for Crosleys on the web.
I experience a substantial front end wobble under intermittent conditions. I believe I traced the problem to the ball on the Y shaped bracket that the rear end of the steering drag link connects to (is that the tie rod?). I don't see how to post a photo here, or I would show it. It has a distorted shape now. This ball appears to be pressed in to its bracket, even though it has a nut and cotter pin at the bottom. I don't see a replacement part available anywhere, and am looking for advice on fixing it.