(At right, Ngonda Badilla and Dan Udell. Photo by Galen Joseph-Hunter.)

Ngonda Badilla interview
Click here to download or listen to wav file
Ngonda Badilla of Lady Moon and the Eclipse (playing at Club Helsinki in Great Barrington on Aug. 13) and four other Hudson-based bands including Nobody Parts (playing at The Spotty Dog Books & Ale on Aug. 21) is interviewed by Dan Udell in the link above. Udell is President of Udell Productions, multimedia company: writing, editing, videos, animation, and records community events that sometimes air on Mid-Hudson's public access channel. Below, Lady Moon's YouTube video "Mirror."
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xv112m0dPAQ&hl=en&fs=1&]

New problems from an old accountant
From The Register-Star

COPAKE - Town Supervisor Reggie Crowley now says Copake is $200,000 in the hole, and won't pay recently fired town accountant Brian Fitzgerald, who is yet to return the town's records. Crowley is now suggesting a “Negative Fund Balance Elimination Tax” on each of the 2931 taxable parcels in Copake, charging each land-owner a one-time payment of about $68, to fill the deficit. Some town residents wanted a town referendum on the idea, and were told they'd need to collect 300 signatures to put that in motion.

Murphy to face protesters
The protesters who have been disrupting Congressional town hall meetings this summer are coming to U.S. Representative Scott Murphy's gathering in Valatie Saturday. The Campaign for Liberty, Reboot Our Democracy, and the New York Liberty Council are all organizing their constituencies. Murphy (D-20) will also have supporters there, as Moveon.org is also rallying their supporters to attend the 11 a.m. meeting at The Golden Harvest Farm at 3074 US 9.

Gillibrand, Schumer vote for 'cash for clunkers' and Sotomayor
From The Associated Press

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Senate joined the House and passed the popular "cash for clunkers" bill Thursday 60-37, with New York Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand both voting for the bill which President Barack Obama is expected to sign soon. Both New York Senators also voted to add Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court.