Bruce Sterling's Blog, page 193
March 30, 2014
“Attention Deficit Disorder”
*It doesn’t exist, medically speaking. It was invented by the American sickness industry in order to sell unnecessary but very lucrative drugs to children.
*Everybody knows this except for the Americans, but it’s rare to see it said aloud by anybody. Probably the foreigners are afraid of all the handguns around the schools.
March 29, 2014
March 28, 2014
Glaucus, an open-source soft robot sea-slug, sort of
*I could have handled the sea-slug or the prosthetic, but both at once is, well…. pretty out-there, even by @makerzine standards.
Published on Mar 24, 2014
“The Glaucus, named after the Blue Sea Slug (Glaucus Atlanticus), is an open source soft robotic quadruped from Super-Releaser { http://superreleaser.com }. It is a proof of concept for a method developed at Super-Releaser that can reproduce nearly any geometry modeled on the computer as a seamless silicone skin. The company hopes to apply these same techniques to practical problems in medicine and engineering as the technology develops.
“The quadruped has hollow interior chambers that interdigitate with one another. When either of these chambers is pressurized it deforms and bends the structure of the robot. This bending produces the walking motion. It is similar to how a salamander walks, by balancing itself on one pair of legs diagonal from one another while moving the opposite pair forward.
“Super-Releaser is an open source company. You can find links to all of its research, including downloads for 3d printing your own Glaucus, on { http://superreleaser.com }. You can find supplemental information on how this technology was developed at { http://bit.ly/softrobots }. If you have any questions about the Glaucus, soft robotics, or the tutorials Super-Releaser has authored, please visit the Soft Robotics Forum at { http://forum.superreleaser.com }.
“For more details:
* Make your own walking soft robot – http://learn.adafruit.com/soft-quadru…
* Download the source files – http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:277171/
* More info on Super-Releaser – http://superreleaser.com/about-us/
* More information about the methods behind these robots – http://har.ms/b/CMA
* Photos of the process – https://flic.kr/s/aHsjVkYNy2
“Credits:
* Robot Design/Fabrication – Matthew Borgatti http://har.ms
* CG Animation – Edmund Earle http://www.edgeworxstudios.com/
* Narration – Mark Ryes http://markryes.com
* Music – Noqturne: Bluberryz http://www.jamendo.com/en/list/a44632…
Dead Media Beat: the Internet as Icarus
*Well, if you invent a new, bulletproofed “Second-Curve Internet,” it kinda begs the question of where the Legacy Internet goes. I bet I have the answer to that one, though: it goes where Friendster and Myspace went.
http://www.iftf.org/our-work/global-landscape/ten-year-forecast/inventing-a-new-internet/
Inventing a New Internet: Learning from Icarus
An invitation to rethink the Second-Curve Internet
Authored by Mike Liebhold, IFTF Distinguished Fellow
“In Greek Mythology, Icarus was able to fly on wings made of wax and feathers, but he flew too close to the sun, which melted the wax, and he fell into the sea. From a future historical perspective, will see ourselves as descendants of Icarus? Is our Internet like Icarus’ wings? Are our ciphers and codes brilliant capabilities built on immature engineering like wax and feathers, capable of taking us to great heights, but systematically flawed? For a brief historical moment, humanity has flown high like Icarus, on a vulnerable first-generation Internet platform for securing and using distributed ideas, arts, media, science, commerce, and machines—promising brilliant futures such as a network of things, autonomous personalized services, and immersive media. But now our first-generation Internet, built on a fragile global network of vulnerable codes, is failing, like the wings of Icarus, from too close an encounter with a triple shock:
“A massive dotcom data stalker economy built on mining of terabytes personal data
Ubiquitous criminal penetration of financial and identity networks, both on our devices and in the cloud
Pervasive state intruders at all levels and at every encrypted hardware and software node
“Humans eventually surpassed Icarus, learning to build more durable aircraft. Similarly, humans must learn to build a more reliable private and secure Internet for communications, creation, and commerce.
“This is the focus of a project led at IFTF by Distinguished Fellow Mike Liebhold, in collaboration with a group of thought leaders that include, among others, Dewayne Hendricks, Tim Pozar, Jamais Cascio, and Lawrence Wilkinson. As one of ten projects that will frame IFTF’s 2014 Ten-Year Forecast, the project seeks to address four core questions:
“How prepared is the Internet to deliver future human benefit?
“What are the attributes of a more durable future internet?
“What are the existing assets that can be harnessed?
“What new assets, protocols, and policies need to be developed?
“Interested in joining the conversation?
“To join the conversation about this topic, please contact Mike Liebhold at mliebhold at iftf.org.
For more information
“For more information about this and other 2014 Ten-Year Forecast projects to be presented at the 2014 annual retreat on May 1-2, please contact Sean Ness at sness at iftf.org.”
The Near Future Laboratory Design Fiction Product Design Work Kit 0-TBD-D012
*Wow, look, it’s a “design fiction” product that really sort of exists and that you can spend real money on, sort of.
These appear to be the standard Design Fiction Product Design Work Kit. It is identical in most respects to the original, based as it is on a copy of the original schema, found last year in storage during a division audit.
The contents include:
* 1 (one) 52 card DF-DBCPC 0-7 Design Fiction Design Brief Creation Playing Cards Deck
* 1 (one) DF-PDIR 0-7 Design Fiction Product Design Idiom Reference
* 1 (one) assortment of 4×6 blank cards
* 1 (one) pack of ISO 216 blank playing cards
* 1 (one) Sharpie Fine Point Marker
* 1 (one) 16mm d6 die
* 1 (one) 16mm blank die
We have a limited number available, all in new condition.
The instructions read:
The core element of this work kit is the most atomic of design briefs. By using the Design Fiction, Design Brief Creation Playing Cards (DF-DBCPC 0-7) one can define the core elements of a designed product. One card from each color assigns the prompts for what the product is. These elements can be adorned as one sees fit, using the DF-PDIR 0-7, for example, to factor in additional attributes, names, brands, &c.
Each reference idiom can be randomly or algoritmically chosen as needed during, for example, the MadLibs® design phase, product definition, brief creation, in response to drawing a Joker from the DF-DBCPC 0-7, or as additions and variations to the DF-DBCPC 0-7 Attribute, Object or Design Action cards.
Kalki Koechlin and the Womanifesto for Indian general elections 2014
*My goodness, check out the Kalkster waxing all politically-committed Bollywood actress here.
*It’s unclear whether Kalki Koechlin wrote this manifesto herself (though one can’t doubt she’s perfectly capable of doing it). One wonders if she’s planning a run for elective office. She wouldn’t be the first Bollywood star to occupy a parliament seat.
https://avaazimages.s3.amazonaws.com/Womanifesto%20A0%20%283%29.pdf
A freedom movement for women has caught fire. Citizens across the country are demanding an end to the generations-deep violence and suppression faced by hundreds of millions of Indian women and girls. Voters are calling on elected officials to commit the resources and political will for change now. This Indian Womanifesto is a 6-point plan critical to the freedom and safety, equality and flourishing of India’s women and girls. All candidates for the 2014 Lok Sabha should commit to:
1. Educate for Equality: We will implement comprehensive, well-funded and long-term public education programmes to end the culture of gender-based discrimination and violence. These will include: SMS, radio and TV public service campaigns, accessible lesson plans for schools, modules for training teachers and to train professionals such as doctors and lawyers. To this end we will reach men, women, boys and girls in both urban and rural areas.
2. Make laws count: We will ensure each government agency produces a detailed action-plan to implement laws to end violence against women, and we will fund it. We will work with state governments to provide comprehensive services to women who are victims of violent crimes, helping them to fund and set up one-stop, 24-hour crisis centres and safe shelters in each police district, and to give swift financial compensation. We will create and fund a comprehensive scheme to prevent sexual abuse of children, including safe childcare for children in villages and urban jhuggis, and awareness campaigns among children and parents. We will work with state governments to establish responsive and fair fast track courts for crimes of violence against women and raise the number of judges to at least 40 per 1,000,000 population. We will also ensure increased access to accountable legal aid, ensure that money damages are rapidly paid by the State in cases of sexual violence, and create robust witness protection programmes.
3. Put women in power: We will support the Women’s Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha, and ensure that women will be represented in all councils, committees and task forces related to policy and practice across the board. We will support the adoption of a Code of Conduct to disqualify electoral candidates who have committed offences of gender-related violence and end misogynist comments and behaviour in the Lok Sabha. We will strengthen the autonomous functioning of the National and State Commissions for Women, with experienced professionals being selected through a transparent process.
4. Police for the people: We will establish and enforce a comprehensive response protocol for crimes against women, and publicise it. We will work with state governments to change service rules and ensure police and prosecutorial recruitment, promotion and penalties are made on attitudes and performances based on gender. We commit to implementing police reforms and to ensure that police personnel who breach the new procedures are investigated and disciplined accordingly. We will also establish rape crisis response teams, with rural and urban pilot projects. There will be zero tolerance of moral policing by State/non-State actors.
5. Swift, certain justice: We will support amendments to laws that perpetuate violence and discrimination against women and sexual minorities, and those that directly/indirectly sanction discrimination against women on the basis of religion, caste, sexuality, age, economic status or disability. We will stringently implement the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostics Technique Act. We will support the amendment of existing laws, to remove the marital rape exemption, repeal Section 377 IPC and make sure that the rape of any person is criminal. We will change the law so that consenting couples aged 16 and 17 do not fall foul of rape laws. We will remove the impunity to perpetrators of custodial rape under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act and will appoint special commissioners in conflict areas to monitor and prosecute sexual offences. We will enact the Prevention of Atrocities (Amendment) Bill to stop crimes against dalit and adivasi women and commit to a strong law against communal violence that holds state and non-state actors accountable. We will take strong action against racial discrimination and violence against women from the North-East. We will push to enact a special law to combat honour crimes. We will take steps to bring speedy justice in long-pending cases of communal and caste massacres, as well as custodial rapes.
6. Economic flourishing: We will ensure secure, dignified, remunerative employment for women. Action plans will be created to secure equal pay for equal work in all sectors; provide creches and other critical support to MNREGA workers; rights, dignity and minimum wage women workers in the organised and unorganised sectors. We will grant government employee status to ASHA and anganwadi workers in ‘voluntary’ schemes where women work with informal honorariums. We will push to amend the law to address the range of unfair discrimination at work, including in the unorganised sector and we commit to implementing the Central Government mandate under the sexual harassment law. We will bring universal, non-contributory old age pensions for women. We will create action plans to accelerate quality education for girls. We will devise a scheme to ensure that women achieve equal property rights in natal families and fair shares through marriage. Public toilets shall be set up, especially in the poorest areas, and all women will have access to regular, safe public transport. We will ensure development justice for women and respect community rights to resources. Action plans will include infrastructure, personnel, training, monitoring and evaluation, supported by central finances.
Initial signatories
Devaki Jain, Economist and Padma Bhushan Awardee
Karuna Nundy, Advocate, Supreme Court of India
Kalki Koechlin, Actor
Kamla Bhasin, Adviser, Sangat South Asia
Suneeta Dhar, Jagori
Poorna Jagannathan, Producer, Nirbhaya The Play
Shalini Sarin, Vice President, Schneider Electric
National Federation of Dalit Women (NFDW)
National Alliance of Women (NAWO
)
Renu Sethi, Head Corporate Affairs, Alstom South Asia
Akhila Sivadas, Centre for Advocacy and Research
Stree Mukti Sangathana, Mumbai
Women’s Voice (WV)
Urvashi Butalia, Zubaan and Padma Shri Awardee
Juhi Jain
Ritu Menon, Women Unlimited and Padma Shri Awardee
Indian Women Theologians Forum
Kavita Krishnan, General Secretary, AIPWA
All India Progressive Women’s Association
Indian Christian Women’s Movement
Shweta Goswami, Food for Life, Vrindavan Society
Kavita Srivastava, Peoples’ Union of Civil Liberties
Sheba George, SAHR WARU : Women’s Action and Resource Unit
Swarna Rajagopalan, Prajnya
Arundhati Dhuru, National Alliance of Peoples’ Movements
Ayesha Kidwai, Professor, JNU
Prabhleen Tuteja, Jagori
Pramada Menon, CREA
Prof Uma Chakravarti, Academic, author of “Gendering Caste: Through a Feminist Lens”
Janaki Nair, Professor, Centre for Historical Studies, JNU
Kiran Shaheen
Anita Ghai, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Jesus and Mary College
Ayesha Kidwai
Aatreyee Sen, Foundation for Integrated Research and Development
Amba Salelkar, Inclusive Planet Center for Disability Law and Policy
Lalita Ramdas
Asmita
((((etc etc)))
Design Fiction: Chaotic Moon Studios, “Rift On This”
*Looks like everything old is new again in Virtual Reality Land.
*Except for the presence of Facebook and apparently a Leap Motion controller.
Published on Mar 27, 2014
Chaotic Moon Studios shows how Facebook can use Oculus
for social eCommerce
Dead Media Beat: Trevor Paglen, “Is Photography Over?”
*This is very much a “New Aesthetic” argument, so I’m happy to see Trevor Paglen given some airspace in which to fly over and surveil the subject.
*Most link bait articles that ask is something is “Over” aren’t about something being over, but in this case, yeah, I’m pretty sure that photography as, say, Oliver Wendell Holmes once comprehended it is in fact “over.” It’s important to eat what one kills.
I. Is Photography Over?
By TREVOR PAGLEN | Published: 3. MARCH 2014
“A few years ago, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art held a conference about photography – for a photo conference, it had the odd title “Is Photography Over?.” Curators Sandra Phillips and Dominic Wilsdon posed the question as a challenge to panelists, audience members and the world at large. The two-day symposium was an attempt to shake up conventional institutionalized discourses about photography and to be an opportunity to think about what, if anything, has “changed” about photography over the last decade or so.
“From my point of view, the fact that the world’s leading photo-curators would even pose such a question turned out to be more illuminating than most of the symposium’s content. Wilsdon and Phillips’ provocation reflects a deep-seated uneasiness among photo-theorists and practitioners about the state of their field.
“To me, traditional approaches to doing-photography and thinking-about-photography feel increasingly anachronistic. Looking out at the photographic landscape that surrounds us – the world of images and image-making that we inhabit – it seems obvious that photography has undergone dramatic changes in its technical, cultural, and critical composition. These changes are difficult to make sense of within photo theory’s existing critical and practical framework; hence the question “is photography over?”
“In the first instance, the rise of digital photography and image-processing software has fundamentally altered the craft. Digital cameras are cheap and ubiquitous; image-processing software (whether on-camera firmware or applications like Photoshop and Instagram) has made it extraordinarily easy to produce an image-quality that was previously only possible with years of specialized training in equipment, shooting technique, and printing methods. The de-specialization of photography is an area of much concern among curators responsible for sorting out what’s worth paying attention to, and to practitioners who’ve seen their ability to make a living get much, much harder (witness the near collapse of photo-journalism as a profession). In this sense, perhaps the advent of digital photography and automated image-processing means that the traditional craft of photography is largely “over.”
“On the cultural side, the digital “revolution” has meant an upheaval in the photographic landscape. What is the place of photography in society when there are now well over 250 billion photographs on Facebook (with an additional 350 million added daily), where the average person sees over 5,000 advertisements a day, and where photography has come to inhabit the very core of our “technological a priori.” Photography has become so fundamental to the way we see that “photography” and “seeing” are becoming more and more synonymous. The ubiquity of photography is, perhaps ironically, a challenge to curators, practitioners, and critics. Why look at any particular image, when they are literally everywhere? Perhaps “photography” has become so all-pervasive that it no longer makes sense to think about it as a discreet practice or field of inquiry. In other words, perhaps “photography,” as a meaningful cultural trope, is over.
“The landscape of traditional photography theory and criticism is in a similarly contorted shape. On one hand, the digital revolution and landscape of ubiquitous image-making has created a situation where curators and critics specializing in photography have to define the field exceedingly narrowly in order to have an ‘object’ of discourse at all. In order to have anything to curate, critique, or discuss, a very small slice of the photographic landscape has to be carved out and isolated for discussion, such as “fine-art” photography, “documentary” photography, “historical” photography, even “analog” photography. As a consequence of narrowing the objects of inquiry so dramatically, the critical discussion around photography ends up inevitably admitting only a very small range of photographic practices into its purview. Consequently, critical discussions take shape around a small range of photographic images and practices which are extreme exceptions to the rule. Photography theory and criticism has less and less to do with the way photography is actually practiced by most people (and as well will see, most machines) (((
Musica Globalista: Fazil Say, “Turkish March”
*The Turkish piano genius here got a ten-month Turkish prison sentence for quoting classic poetry on Twitter, and for remarking that he is an atheist. This seems like the very definition of “breaking butterflies on the wheel,” but since Turks have traditionally lacked “the wheel,” that likely doesn’t translate well; in the contemporary Turkish justice system it seems to be all about relentlessly pursuing the butterflies with the full majesty of the law.
http://www.englishpen.org/open-letter-to-sadullah-ergin-turkeys-minister-of-justice/
Mr Sadullah Ergin
Minister of Justice
06669 Kizilay
Ankara
Turkey
17 February 2013
Dear Minister
We are joining with English PEN to protest the charges against our fellow composer, musician and writer Fazıl Say.
On 18 February 2013, celebrated pianist, composer and writer Fazıl Say will appear in court for the second time for comments posted on the social networking service Twitter.
Say has been charged with religious defamation under Article 216/3 of the Turkish Penal Code in response to a series of messages posted on Twitter, including one which simply states ‘I am an atheist and I am proud to be able to say this so comfortably’. He has also been charged under Article 218 of the Turkish Penal Code, which increases sentences by half for offences committed ‘via press or broadcast’. Say denies the charges.
The charges are in violation of Say’s right to freedom of expression, as guaranteed by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) to which Turkey is a signatory. Even those who are usually critical of Say have voiced concerns over this case, which they believe could be damaging to Turkey’s international reputation.
Say first appeared in court in Istanbul on 18 October 2012, where his lawyers demanded his immediate acquittal. The acquittal call was rejected and the case adjourned until 18 February 2013. He faces up to 18 months in prison if found guilty.
Fazıl Say is gravely concerned about the negative impact a prison sentence would have on his career as the country’s leading classical composer and an internationally renowned pianist. Furthermore, he has suggested that he would consider moving abroad as a result of the ‘growing culture of intolerance’ in Turkey.
As fellow composers, musicians and writers who cherish both creative freedom and the right to free expression we strongly urge you to drop all charges against Fazıl Say immediately and unconditionally.
Yours sincerely
Thomas Adès
Alan Ayckbourn
William Boyd
Brian Eno
Moris Farhi
Michael Frayn
Maureen Freely
Roland Gift
David Hare
Charles Hazlewood
Eva Hoffman
Hanif Kureishi
Ian McEwan
Kamila Shamsie
Gillian Slovo
Ahdaf Soueif
Salil Tripathi
Fay Weldon
Sayın Sadullah Ergin
Adalet Bakanı
06669 Kızılay
Ankara
Türkiye
17 Şubat 2013
Sayın Bakan,
Sevgili meslektaşımız, besteci, müzisyen ve yazar Fazıl Say’a yönelik suçlamaları protesto etmek amacıyla İngiliz PEN’e destek oluyoruz.
18 Şubat 2013 günü, ünlü piyanist, besteci ve yazar Fazıl Say, sosyal paylaşım sitesi Twitter’da yapmış olduğu yorumlar nedeniyle ikinci kez mahkemeye çıkacak.
Say, Twitter’da postaladığı bir dizi mesajın ardından, Türk Ceza Kanunu’nun 216. maddesinin üçüncü bendi uyarınca dine hakaret suçundan yargılanıyor. Yaptığı yorumlardan birisinde, Say sadece “Ateistim ve bunu bu kadar rahat söyleyebildiğim için gururluyum.” diyordu. Say’ın suçuna verilecek cezanın, Türk Ceza Kanunu’nun 218. maddesi uyarınca, basın ve yayın yoluyla işlenmesi nedeniyle, yarı oranına kadar arttırılması talep ediliyor. Say ise hakkında yapılan ithamları reddediyor.
Yapılan suçlamalar, Say’ın ifade özgürlüğünün ihlalidir. İfade özgürlüğü Uluslararası Medeni ve Siyasi Haklar Sözleşmesi tarafından korunmaktadır ve Türkiye de bu sözleşmeye taraftır. Fazıl Say’ı pek çok yönden eleştirmiş olanlar dahi, bu davanın Türkiye’nin uluslararası itibarına zarar vereceği düşüncesi ile bu dava yönündeki endişelerini dile getirmişlerdir.
Say ilk olarak 18 Ekim 2012’de mahkemeye çıkarıldı, ve bu duruşmada Say’ın avukatı, Say’ın derhal beraat ettirilmesini talep etti. Beraat talebi reddedildi ve dava 18 Şubat 2013 tarihine ertelendi. Say’ın suçlu bulunması halinde 18 aya kadar hapis cezası isteniyor.
Fazıl Say, hapis cezasının, ülkenin önde gelen klasik müzik bestecisi ve uluslararası düzeyde tanınan piyanisti olarak, kariyeri üzerine olacak etkileri konusunda oldukça endişeleniyor. Ayrıca Say, Türkiye’deki “giderek büyüyen hoşgörüsüzlük ortamında” yurtdışına göç edebileceğini belirtti.
Yaratıcı özgürlüğe ve ifade özgürlüğüne gönülden bağlı müzisyen, besteci ve yazarlar olarak, sizi Fazıl Say aleyhine olan tüm suçlamaları derhal ve koşulsuz olarak düşürmeye çağırıyoruz.
Saygılar,
Thomas Adès
Alan Ayckbourn
William Boyd
Brian Eno
Moris Farhi
Michael Frayn
Maureen Freely
Roland Gift
David Hare
Charles Hazlewood
Eva Hoffman
Hanif Kureishi
Ian McEwan
Kamila Shamsie
Gillian Slovo
Ahdaf Soueif
Salil Tripathi
Fay Weldon
March 27, 2014
RE/Search Newsletter #124, March 2014
Welcome To V. Vale’s RE/Search Newsletter #124, March 2014
TO RECEIVE LAST-MINUTE LOCAL S.F. BAY AREA NEWS OF
RE/SEARCH-recommended EVENTS, reply to this newsletter & in subject
line write “local subscribe”
SPONSORSHIP NEEDED! Support independent publishing. Help us keep this
newsletter going. For $66 you will receive a website listing, plus
space for a small message, for 6 months.
SPECIAL REQUEST: At your local library, please ask the librarian to
order all of the RE/SEARCH books!
RE/SEARCH PODCAST: RE/Search Conversations, a free podcast.
Subscribe to the RSS feed here: http://researchpubs.libsyn.com/rss
Recent episodes include Rudy Rucker and Penny Rimbaud.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. MESSAGE FROM EDITOR: ANARCHIST BOOK FAIR THIS SATURDAY!
1A. NEW FROM RE/SEARCH: Ed Hardy PocketBook of interviews
2. The Counter Culture Hour: Sat March 8, 6pm
3. Forthcoming events
4. Recommended Links – send us some!
5. QUOTES
6. Letters from Readers
7. Sponsors (Check ‘em out! – they make this possible!)
1. MESSAGE FROM YOUR EDITOR: ANARCHIST BOOK FAIR THIS SATURDAY
ANARCHIST BOOK FAIR THIS SATURDAY Mar 22, 11-5pm. Visit me at the
RE/Search table. See information under forthcoming events, below.
You may notice that this newsletter is late and many of these events
have already happened. It will have to be treated as a historical
record. We have been searching this side of the bridge(s) for new
warehouse space and have yet to find a facility which fits our needs.
We are being evicted from our current warehouse for a new nightclub. So
that’s all for now, folks! Obviously, if YOU know of a space for 15
40″x48″ pallets of books (14 square feet/pallet; about 210 square
feet), let us know! (info@researchpubs.com; 415-362-1465)
–Vale (((Boy, it’s true, the Bay Area is really getting gentrified.)))
RE/Search highly recommends: Lars von Trier’s Nymphomaniac Pt 1 and
Grand Budapest Hotel.
1A. BRAND NEW RE/SEARCH POCKETBOOK: Ed Hardy (interviews)
Brand new RE/Search pocketbook: Ed Hardy. Please ask for it in
stores and ESPECIALLY, YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY! Best of all, order copies
direct from us (for obvious reasons)!
http://www.researchpubs.com/shop/ed-h...
AND: McKenzie Wark was visiting Berkeley and we invited him over for
tea. The conversation has been transcribed in our new limited
edition hand-made zine, which comes with two hand-screened prints – one
yellow, one hot pink! McKenzie on one side and Abby the cat (who is
discussed & admired) on the back. Available now from our website.
http://www.researchpubs.com/shop/mcke...
ALSO: LIMITED EDITION of SURREALISM SHOW CATALOG (100 made; only 5
left) only available direct from RE/Search! 16 large color pages with
art and bios on Winston Smith, Penelope Rosemont, Marian Wallace and
others.
http://www.researchpubs.com/shop/surr...
NOTE: Our Pranks 2 book is available in epub format:
http://www.researchpubs.com/shop/pran...
2. Counter Culture Hour – Sat 8, 2014 6pm
Hector Penalosa of The Zeros, including performances!
Watch for it this month as Channel 29 reairs our shows frequently.
We will show part 2 in April.
The Counter Culture Hour (aka RE/SEARCH TV) is also simulcast ON-LINE
as well as on cable access San Francisco Channel 29 – 6pm Pacific Time,
Sat Mar 8, 2014. See this link at broadcast time:
http://www.bavc.org/public-access-tv/...
You need a fairly decent internet connection and computer to “get it.”
USA west coast: 6:00 PM Saturday, Mar 8, 2014
USA east coast: 9:00 PM Sunday, Mar 9, 2014
Tokyo: 10:00 AM Sunday, Mar 9, 2014
If you cannot get this online email us at info@researchpubs.com
See RE/Search channel on youtube: “researchpubs”
V. Vale interviewing Rudy Rucker is now on Vimeo:
3. FORTHCOMING EVENTS (San Francisco unless otherwise noted)
() FREE – ongoing: Mal Sharpe’s Big Money in Jazz band still plays
every Saturday afternoon on Grant Street: at the Savoy Tivoli last
Saturday of month, at the Tupelo the rest of the Saturdays. ALSO Dinner
Jazz at Fior D’Italia, Mason near Chestnut, Wednesdays 6-9PM.
() FREE Emerald Tablet presents AND for Emerald Tablet’s schedule of
events: http://emtab.org/
() $ http://www.thrillpeddlers.com – our favorite local Grand
Guignol Theatre Company needs Your Support!
() $ or FREE: **LONDON, U.K.** Hannah Hoch show at Whitechapel Gallery,
London. ALSO: William S. Burroughs Photography Show at Photographers
Gallery, London. www.thephotographersgallery.org.uk
() FREE Sat March 1, 6-9pm RUBY RAY Punk Photography Opening, Steven
Wolf Gallery, 2747 19th St/Bryant St, SF
() FREE Sat March 1, 4-6pm WALTER ROBINSON (S.F. painter) opening at
Catharine Clark Gallery! www.cclarkgallery.com RE/Search plants to
attend!
() Free Mon March 3, 730pm, S.F. Filmmaker Dean Snider Memorial
screening & tribute. Write info@researchpubs.com & tell us about
yourself if you truly want to attend this!
() $ Tue Mar 4: Poet DAVID MELTZER gives a workshop at Bird and Beckett
Bookstore,
http://www.birdbeckett.com/basic-myst...
() $ Sat Mar 8, Castro Theater, 8pm: PEACHES CHRIST S.F. Classic Drag
Revue!
() FREE Sat Mar 14 Exploratorium, Pier 15. “Pi day.” 2 restaurants,
near Tcho Chocolate (free tour), et al.
() FREE Tue Mar 18, 7pm Stokely Carmichael biography by Peniel E.
Joseph/Clayborne Carson discussion, City Lights Bookstore, 261
Columbus, SF
() FREE Thur Mar 20, 7pm Marc Weidenbaum/Aphex Twin at City Lights
Bookstore, 261 Columbus, SF. (Note: Jodorowsky’s DUNE also screens at a
different location)
() FREE Thur Mar 20, 530-730pm, Paule Anglim Gallery, 14 Geary St:
Carrie Mae Weems
() FREE Fri Mar 21, 6-9pm Park Life II Grand Opening, 3049 22nd
St/Shotwell (So.Van Ness/Folsom), SF.
() FREE **OAKLAND** Sat Mar 22, 11-6pm ANARCHIST BOOK FAIR. The
Crucible, 1260 7th St, Oakland, near West Oakland BART Stop. RE/Search
will have a table – come visit us!
() $ Tue Mar 4: Poet DAVID MELTZER gives a workshop at Bird and Beckett
Bookstore, http://bayareaanarchistbookfair.wordp...
() $ **OAKLAND** March 23-25, Fox Theatre in Oakland presents KRAFTWERK
with 3-D projections. www.ticketmaster.com
() FREE? Tue Mar 25, 7pm, SFAI Auditorium, 800 Chestnut St: Pranks film
& Panel: “My Name is Janez Janša” – recommended by John Law
www.mynameisjanezjansa.com
() FREE Tue Apr 1, 7pm Ben Tarnoff’s “The Bohemians” new book
discussion, City Lights Bookstore, 261 Columbus, SF
() FREE Tue Apr 1 (NEW YORK CITY) Joey Skaggs’s April Fools Parade: for
details: Joey Skaggs, Committee Chair, 212-254-7878,
info@joeyskaggs.com, aprilfoolsdayparade.com (Note that Joey Skaggs is
featured in our PRANKS book, as well as PRANKS 2
(www.researchpubs.com)
() FREE Fri Apr 4 Winston Smith ART PARTY – buy Winston’s art cheap!
https://www.facebook.com/events/14778...
_invited
4. Recommended links now on our website
Visit the RE/Search Publications website to view our recommended
links for March 2014:
http://www.researchpubs.com/2014/03/r...
Send your favorite link!
5. QUOTES
() “You should never trust anyone who looks the same from Photo to
Photo.”—William S. Burroughs
() “”Hustlers of the world, there’s one mark you cannot beat: the mark
inside.” —William S. Burroughs
() “Earth is a slave planet.”—William S. Burroughs
() “The whole magical universe is dying…”—WSB
() “The uproar after a Bank of America intern died in London last year,
possibly from overwork, reflects the widespread desire to find bankers
guilty of murder.”—S.Kuper
() “People focus on role models; it is more effective to find
anti-models — people you don’t want to resemble when you grow up.” —
Nassim Taleb
() from Chris in NYC:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGGnnp... (How to Go
Undetected)
6. LETTERS FROM READERS
() “We are shocked and saddened by Bob Casale’s passing on Feb 17,
2014, Los Angeles. He not only was integral in DEVO’s sound, he worked
over twenty years at Mutato, collaborating with me on sixty or seventy
films and television shows, not to mention countless commercials and
many video games. Bob was instrumental in creating the sound of
projects as varied as Rugrats and Wes Anderson’s films. He was a good
friend. I will miss him greatly. “—Mark Mothersbaugh, DEVO (2-18-2014)
() “I like what Burroughs said about Warhol. I also like his take on
world power. “I agree with him what they have done to Warhol but have
my own take. What I would add to say, “He created an illusion with the
art world which gave him his freedom” – Dave (ED. REPLY: MONEY gives
FREEDOM. But HOW YOU GET IT OFTEN INVOLVES CRIMINALITY, CONNING People,
& Dodgy Ethics utilizing ‘The Control Process’!)
() “Just wanted to tell you how great the McKenzie Wark zine is. I’m
Learning about interesting things I had no idea I was interested in:
The books The Beach Beneath the Street, The Treatment and The Cure, the
band The Laughing Clowns, Australia’s political/counter-cultural
history, etc. and I’m only halfway through the book. Just had to take a
second to let you know it was worth every penny and that in my own
opinion, you should make more than 12 of them. I’ll share it with
friends in the meantime. ‘ —Kevn R” from Southern California
() [Facebook correspondence with McKenzie Wark:] “Just got the ‘zine in
the mail. Its like a dream come true to be in a V. Vale publication! I
like the casual style of the interview. Many thanks… [Part 2:] But am
i right in thinking that the intern who took the picture of us all
together has died? Pt 3: YES! We are still in shock. Right after she
finished interning with us, she accepted a job up in Northern
California, and drove her car right into a tree and died! Her mother
couldn’t … We still can’t! I mean, she graduated from Harvard & then
came to intern with us… [Pt 4:] Really sorry to hear that. [Pt 5:}
“Death always presents the face of surprised recognition”–William S.
Burroughs. Of course, I wonder about that word “always” and still worry
whenever ANYONE dies “young”…AND I think, “Did that person
“recognize” Death?!?
() “Stopped in at our new local bookshop for the first time (I know, I
am late to the party). HOLY SHIT – it’s a real bookstore. Great
selection of new fiction and a large collection of many old and new
social justice, history, economics titles. …and, get this, the
proprietors know V. Vale of RE/Search and there are a number of
RE/Search titles there for sale. If you ever wonder what was partly
responsible for warping my mind it was back in early to mid-1980′s when
I was into Throbbing Gristle, Cyberpunk, Nootropics, Mondo 2000,
Transhumanism, Punk-New Wave-No Wave and psychedelia, Dune, PKD, etc…
yeah, when I was 10-14 years old. Not that I am into all that as much
it was some nostalgia seeing a bunch of RE/Search titles on the shelf.
In Holyoke… in 2014…”
() “Hi, As some of you know, there was a concert at the Freight and
Salvage, in Berkeley, about two weeks ago, to honor the memory of Pete
Seeger, the great American hero. The concert was hosted by Holly Near,
and featured many Bay Area performers, including Ronnie Gilbert,
Barbara Dane, Johnny Harper, Country Joe McDonald, Wavy Gravy, Vicki
Randle, Lichi Fuentes, Fernando Feña Torres, Joel Rafael, Evie Ladin,
Keith Terry, Erik Pearson, Gerry Tenney, Bill Amanteek, Robin Flower,
Barbara Higbie, Shelley Doty, Roy Zimmerman, Blame Sally, and more.
I photographed the event and posted some of the best images of the
night onto my blog: http://www.fletcho.com/blog/
If you like what you see on the blog, see the the entire collection
from the evening:
http://photos.fletcho.com/Events/Pete...
Xpr5
() “Dear Vale.
1. I just read the Henry Rollins pocket book and I love it. Not only is
it an insightful read on so many topics of global and personal
relevance (from WikiLeaks and climate change to how to organize
everyday chores) but it is also a very easy read. I don’t want to say
that it’s superficial or anything but that you can get through it in a
couple of hours whereas some of your other books make close reading
indispensable.
2. I suppose your other pocket books are similar. I would very much
like to place an order for the other three (Lydia Lunch, Ed Hardy, and
George Kuchar) as well as the Real Conversations book, Vol. 1. (Is
there a Vol. 2?) Tell me the total and I will pay via PayPal.” – M from
Germany
() “Today I read through the Ken Wark interview. This was highly
interesting. There was a lot of reference to William Gibson. I guess I
should finally read something from him. I got one of his novels for a
year now but never managed to read it. But right now I am starting with
Dating AI. That way it will be kind of a countdown for the German
release of HER. But also I am eager to find out how I can use it for my
Cognition & Information courses on thinking machines.”
() from Michael in Russia: “Your Industrial Culture Handbook is known
in Russia. The prooflink: http://rwcdax.here.ru/indrus.htm
If you search the keyword “handbook” in this page you will be surprised
”
() From A in the UK: David P said something on the JGB list about the
new Barry Miles biography of Burroughs that was a surprise to me: “A
part of its authority no doubt stems from the fact that it’s really
James Grauerholz’s biography of Burroughs, which Grauerholz found
himself unable to write and so Miles took it over.” That’s new
information to me.
7. **SPONSORS** (Without them you would NOT be receiving this
newsletter – Please go to their websites!)
If you would like to be a part of the R/S newsletter please email or
call.
1. 47 Canal Street (Gallery w/events, NYC) – 47CanalStreet.com go
visit & say RE/Search sent you!
2. Emerald Tablet (Gallery w/events), Fresno Alley (100 feet from
RE/Search! in North Beach). Lots of free or low cost local community
events; check out their schedule! http://emtab.org/ – they’re open
during First Fridays North Beach Art Walk…
3. Mrs Dalloway’s Catering (Bay Area) – We at RE/Search are fans of Mrs
Dalloway’s delicious appetizers. Low prices! Willing to do small
events! Call to get specialty appetizers for your next party or event!
www.mrsdallowayscatering.com
4. METASONIX: Since 1999, the world’s only maker of vacuum-tube music
synthesizers. metasonix.com
5. From our friends Amy and Brian – they have a new software in the
works, watch for it! tastysnakes.com
6. V. Vale’s RE/Search Newsletter is cordially sponsored by “Beyond the
Beyond.” Information Wants To Be Free WE MEAN IT MAN!
$0$0$0$0$0$0$0$0$0$0 http://blog.wired.com/sterling
7. www.SOPHIAGASPARIAN.com “fine art about equal human rights
worldwide”
8. Philip Lenihan. A founder of Sluggo magazine from Austin, Texas.
Find him on Facebook?
9. Charles H. Kerr Publishing Company – Penelope Rosemont, Chicago
Surrealist Group founder.
10. Kevin O’Malley+Christie Dames, the High-Heeled Anarchist:
TechTalk/Studio: http://techtalkstudio.com + Commonwealth Club, San
Francisco.
11. Emily Armstrong/Pat Ivers’ pioneering 1st generation NYC 1975-80
punk videos! http://gonightclubbing.com see ‘em yourself @ NYU
Fales Library Downtown Collection, debut: Oct 2013
The end, for now
March 2014 RE/Search Newsletter #124 written by V. Vale & other
contributors. RE/Search website powered by Laughing Squid.
RE/Search Publications
20 Romolo Pl, Suite B
San Francisco, CA 94133-4041
Tel: (415) 362-1465
info@researchpubs.com
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