Month: November 2004

Blogging on this channel has been somewhat lighter than normal over the past couple of weeks. I’ve been very very busy. So some updates are in order.

First, I’ve created a new politically-oriented website, radicalpolYtics.org. The goal of the site runs something like this:

We are dedicated to those who question the current state of politics in America and in the world. We are not dedicated to any one particular viewpoint, however we do recognize that alternatives to the party lines in the mass media are necessary. These two party lines are so overexposed, many people don’t realize that there many alternatives out there. The purpose of this site is to provide reading and listening material that involve these political alternatives.

We are radical in the mathematical sense; we look to get to the root issues that define politics today. And we are poly in the sense that we look at the many paths through the forest.

Our plan is to host a dynamic archive of articles and audio recordings in the furtherance of alternative political dialogue in America and in the world.

Related to this new site is some typesetting work I’ve been doing, helping to format various texts for publication in various media. One huge benefit of all this is that it looks like I’ll finally be able to purchase a laptop computer, so researching this has also taken up some time. I’m very much a computer geek; I’ve built several desktop computers and have no trouble installing operating systems, etc., but I’ve never really worked with a laptop before. There are some issues running Linux on laptops, most notably getting the winmodems to work, getting the power management features (ACPI or APM) to work, and then the normal sound/video issues that still lurk in the background of any Linux installation.

So among my tasks has been seeing what’s involved in running Linux on laptops, though my preferred Linux distro is a LiveCD so I can just insert the CD into the laptop, boot directly from the CD, and get a working Linux desktop within minutes. This will be a great test for the new system, as any config problems will reveal themselves quickly.

Ideally, then, I’d find a local dealer and try everything from the laptop before purchase. However, prices are typically much cheaper online. I’ve also been considering getting a used laptop to save some money. But, with some various discounts that are available to me, it may be just as cheap to get a new one.

More research is necessary, but my laptop budget won’t land in my lap for another week or two. By the time I have the cash, I will hopefully know just what I want to get.

In other news, this will be a big week for the Freakwitch album. Matt and I have booked out 2 solid days this week, where the kids are with other people, so he and I can just focus on getting some solid guitar and vocal tracks recorded. I’m very much looking forward to it. With any luck, I’ll have some oggs up for your listening pleasure in about 10 days.

Maybe this guy will make millions. Look what he’s planning in The Wire: the next world. Basically, ultimate gaming salons with geeked-out gear and spherical screens. Pretty cool.

I’m still reading Caliban and the Witch. It’s a bit slow going because a) I’m really busy right now; and b) it’s a very detailed analysis of the objectification of bodies and their subsequent exploitation at the dawn of capitalism. Kind of a dry topic for many of us. But it’s important in several ways.

First, for as many witches (freaky or otherwise) out there, and especially for as many politically aware and active witches that are out there, this book is essential. We must know our history.

Secondly, this book reinforces the idea that capitalism did not come out of nowhere. There are centuries of bloodshed, torture, war, oppression, repression, persecution, injustice, colonialism, imperialism, racism, sexism, and all the rest that go bundled with the rise and sustenance of capitalism. This is important to remember. Despite any good that has come from capitalism, these details of capitalism’s legacy of violence must not be forgotten.

If you are interested in learning more about why things are the way they are, if the election of 2004 disillusioned you in any way, if you are asking “Anybody But Bush didn’t work; now what?” then I would urge you to check this out. It might take you to a place where you can begin to build answers to these most fundamental questions.

It looks like the next phase of legal code for advancing the Virtual Enclosures is in the works. This article by Eric Hellweg explains the new “Intellectual Property Act[IPPA]” that is in the legal pipeline. Apparently under this new act, fast-forwarding through recorded commercials would be illegal, and p2p networks would become illegal.

Now, speaking as an artist, I find this utterly objectionable. Because some corporations who represent artists don’t want p2p around, then I as an independent artist would be deprived of my main avenue for finding my audience. This is just wrong.

Look at the language used by an RIAA spokesperson:

“We certainly support it,” says Jonathan Lamy, spokesperson for the RIAA. “It includes a number of things to strengthen the hand of law enforcement to combat piracy. Intellectual property theft is a national security crime. It’s appropriate that the fed dedicate resources to deter and prosecute IP theft.”

The “War On Nouns” mindset is leaking: we need to “combat” “piracy” for national security. Amazing.

For more information on the IPPA, look on the Public Knowledge site.

This article has been going around; a necessary read.

Not much going on here. Had a fruitful day in the studio last night. I’m really pleased with the recorded sounds my new gear is producing. Yay.

I’m also working on a longer article, sort of summarizing and extending some of the random political thoughts I’ve expressed here. When it’s done I’ll link to it. Watch this space.

I’m still reading Caliban and the Witch. It’s very good; like any good Marxist Federici really takes things from a class perspective, painting a nice picture of the serfs and their struggles in the transition to capitalist economy. I may post a more detailed review in due course, but this book strikes me as being very important on my levels.

Gads, I hope not. But after his resignation as attorney general, perhaps he’s gearing up for the impending Supreme Court appointments…

I just got a copy of Caliban and the Witch by Silvia Federici. I’ve just begun it, but from the back cover:

Caliban and the Witch is a history of the body in the transition to capitalism. Moving from the peasant revolts of the late Middle Ages to the witch-hunts and the rise of mechanical philosophy, Federici investigates the capitalist rationalization of social reproduction. She shows how the battle against the rebel body and the conflict between body and mind are essential conditions for the development of labor power and self-ownership, two central principles of modern social organization.

Federici is a noted Marxist and Feminist scholar. She has also written several articles with George Caffentzis and the Midnight Notes Collective. Thus far it seems to be similar in scope to Carolyn Merchant’s book, The Death of Nature.

I’ll report back after I’m further into the book.

A message to the world. Some of the photos are very good.

Well, there seems to be
plenty
of
evidence
that
the
election
results
are
tainted. The question is, how bad is the problem? Note that this is a very different question from “were the results tainted?” It is clear that they are. The only question is the extent of the tampering. One observation that has been made elsewhere: it seems that every voting discrepancy is in favor of the BuShites. What does that say? I have no reason to believe that this “election” is genuine, or that the BuShites have, as they are claiming, a “mandate” from the American people.

If you steal the election, you have committed a coup d’etat. Of course, we learned this in 2000. My country has indeed left me.