Socialist Worker vs. the Class Struggle
Nick P. at Black Sun Gazette
It is worth continuing to explore the role of the International Socialist Organization and its political line expressed in Socialist Worker. As the class conflict becomes more two-sided, groups such as the International Socialist Organization will—regardless of the intentions of individual members—play a crucial role in protecting the existing system.
When one sees the ways in which the International Socialist Organization (and other groups like them such as Socialist Action and the Workers’ International League) play left defending attorneys of the trade union bureaucracy and middle class reform organizations (who play a crucial role in defending the Democrats who push many of the same policies as the Republicans) you can see a straight line drawn from the fake left to George W. Bush.
Was Jimi Hendrix’s Ambidexterity the Key to His Virtuosity?
Instead of “virtuosity” I would say “genius” … a very interesting article from Sean Michaels in the Guardian:
Was Jimi Hendrix’s ambidexterity the secret to his talent? This is the question explored in a new paper by psychologist Stephen Christman (via TwentyFourBit), who argues that Hendrix’s versatility informed not just his guitar-playing – but his lyrics too.
According to Christman, who is based at the University of Toledo, Hendrix was not strictly left-handed. Although he played his right-handed guitar upside down, and used his left hand to throw, comb his hair and hold cigarettes, Hendrix wrote, ate and held the telephone with his right hand. He was, Christman argues, “mixed-right-handed”. And this “mixed”-ness, signaling better interaction between the left and right hemispheres of the guitarist’s brain, suffused every part of his music.
Psychetect: Return to the Wasteland
You may know Klint Finley as the editor of Technoccult or the co-founder of EsoZone. You might not know that Klint has also been a noise artist since before you ever heard of him.
His debut full-length album RETURN TO THE WASTELAND, a collection of dark ambient soundscapes and simultateously soothing and haunting drones, may conjure up vague memories or invoke a sense of deja vu in listeners as it takes them on a journey through mental spaces most people would rather forget.
Holy Blood, Holy Grail! The Famed Henry Lincoln on Disinformation: The Podcast
Disinformation: The Podcast – The Rennes-le-Chateau Mystery with Henry Lincoln
iTunes • Direct Download • RSS
We are proud to bring you an interview with Henry Lincoln, author of Holy Blood, Holy Grail, and subject of the disinformation® documentary Origins of the Da Vinci Code.
Henry’s work was the basis for Dan Brown’s famous novel, as well as numerous other works in the genre.
We discuss the mystery surrounding the town of Rennes-le-Chateau, and even talk about Henry’s early work, including writing the second series of Doctor Who!
Thanks for listening! Share your enjoyment with a brand, new Disinformation: The Podcast T-shirt available NOW via disinfo.com.
Howard Zinn: Historian, Activist, Author, Teacher, Dies at 87
What an incredible lifetime of work. Reports the AP via the NY Times:
Howard Zinn, an author, teacher and political activist whose book A People’s History of the United States became a million-selling leftist alternative to mainstream texts, died Wednesday in Santa Monica, Calif. He was 87 and lived in Auburndale, Mass. The cause was a heart attack, his daughter Myla Kabat-Zinn said.
Published in 1980 with little promotion and a first printing of 5,000, A People’s History was, fittingly, a people’s best-seller, attracting a wide audience through word of mouth and reaching 1 million sales in 2003. Although Professor Zinn was writing for a general readership, his book was taught in high schools and colleges throughout the country, and numerous companion editions were published, including Voices of a People’s History, a volume for young people and a graphic novel.
A People’s History told an openly left-wing story. Professor Zinn accused Christopher Columbus and other explorers of committing genocide, picked apart presidents from Andrew Jackson to Franklin D. Roosevelt and celebrated workers, feminists and war resisters.
Philip K. Dick’s Final Years in Orange County
The Berkeley boho spent his final years in Orange County, which suited him fine, his daughter says. Scott Timberg writes in the LA Times:
When, one evening in 1976, Philip K. Dick invited Tim Powers to his Fullerton apartment, the Cal State student expected the kind of night he often passed with the science-fiction titan: a wide-ranging conversation, fueled by wine and beer, about religion, philosophy and Beethoven.
The night began the usual way. But it took a strange turn as Dick’s wife, Tessa, and her brother began grabbing lamps and chairs. “She and her brother were carrying things out of the house,” recalls Powers. “I said, ‘Phil, they’re taking stuff, is this OK?’ ”
” ‘Powers, let me give you some advice, in case you should ever find yourself in this position,’…
Banksy “Speaks” At ‘Exit Through The Gift Shop’ Sundance Premiere
Kevin Kelly writes in Cinematical:
The infamous street artist Banksy premiered Exit Through The Gift Shop at Sundance last night, which was part of Sundance’s “Secret Spotlight” series. In short, we enjoyed it, but there’s a lot to say about it this movie, so check back later for our review. The title itself refers to Disneyland and Disney World’s engineered design of having guests exit attractions right through the gift shop, so as to better serve all of their merchandising needs.
Banksy, whose real identity is an extremely well-kept secret, may or may not have been at the screening last night (how would we even know?), but he did send a letter which Sundance Director of Programming John Cooper read aloud to the audience. Read on for the full text of the mysterious letter, keep your eyes peeled for our reviews … and for more mysterious street art to appear.
Why Does Harlan Ellison’s Name Appear in the Credits of ‘The Terminator’?
“Writers are exorcists of their own demons.” —Mario Vargas Llosa
The documentary Dreams With Sharp Teeth, really answers the above question on the nature of this brilliant, cantankerous science fiction master. Below is a clip from this documentary, but if you’re looking for a direct answer to the above question, here’s the answer.
The Criminalization of Protest
From Reason.com:
Police and politicians ignore the First Amendment when we need it the most.
I’ve lived in the Washington, D.C., area for the better part of the last 10 years. So I’ve seen my share of demonstrations, although more often than not I just try to avoid the traffic nightmares they cause. Among the various classes of protests—pro-life, anti-war, environmental, and now tea parties—the most destructive are the anti-globalization marches. So when cops clashed with anti-globalization demonstrators at the Pittsburgh G-20 summit in September, it was easy to assume that most of the altercations represented justified police responses to overzealous protesters.
But a number of disturbing photographs, videos, and witness accounts told a different story. Along with similar evidence from other recent high-stakes political events, they reveal an increasing, disquieting willingness to…
China Jails Dissident Liu Xiaobo for 11 years
From Reuters:
China’s most prominent dissident, Liu Xiaobo, was jailed on Friday for 11 years for campaigning for political freedoms, with the stiff sentence on a subversion charge swiftly condemned by rights groups and Washington.
Liu, who turns 54 on Monday, helped organize the “Charter 08″ petition which called for sweeping political reforms, and before that was prominent in the 1989 pro-democracy protests centered on Tiananmen Square that were crushed by armed troops.
He stood quietly in a Beijing courtroom as a judge found him guilty of “inciting subversion of state power” for his role in the petition and for online essays critical of the ruling Communist Party, defense lawyer Shang Baojun said.
Liu was not allowed to respond in court to the sentence.
“Xiaobo and I were very calm when the verdict was read.…
85 Years Ago Today, Edward Hubble Announces the Universe is Bigger Than Anyone Can Imagine
Amazing to consider what we didn’t know less than a hundred years ago. Via PBS:
On December 30, 1924, Hubble announced the discovery of a Cepheid, or variable star, in the Andromeda Nebulae. Since the work of Henrietta Leavitt had made it possible to calculate the distance to Cepheids, he calculated that this Cepheid was much further away than anyone had thought and that therefore the nebulae was not a gaseous cloud inside our galaxy, like so many nebulae, but in fact, a galaxy of stars just like the Milky Way. Only much further away. Until now, people believed that the only thing existing ouside the Milky Way were the Magellanic Clouds. The Universe was much bigger than had been previously presumed.
If you’re curious to see what the famous telescope named after him has been up to lately, check out: Hubble Sets an Eye on the Dawn of Time.
Here’s a video of Hubble’s work found on YouTube:
An Anarchist Defense of Karl Marx
From Chris M. at Black Sun Gazette:
Karl Marx has received a bum rap. Some see him as the godfather of the modern revolutionary movement while others see him as the architect of Stalin’s gulags. I’m in the former camp rather than the latter. This is not to say his he is infallible, his texts are sacred, or his supporters haven’t committed any errors. In fact I think that last point is the cause of most of the controversy.
Few people have bothered to read his works and instead point to the horrors committed by his followers mainly Lenin and the Bolsheviks. After Karl died three main voices appeared in the socialist movement of the 20th century all claiming the mantle of Marx — Bernstein, Lenin, and Luxemburg.
Bernstein who lead the democratic…
Did Google Steal From Philip K. Dick’s Brain?
Great observation from Charlie Jane Anders of io9.com:
Philip K. Dick’s daughter, Isa Dick-Hackett, is considering suing Google because their phone handset may be called the Nexus One.
The Replicants in Dick’s Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep? were Nexus-6 models.
Would you want a Roy Batty phone?
Read More on io9.com
Philip K. Dick: Prophet of the 21st Century
From Chris M. at Black Sun Gazette:
Philip K. Dick is sci-fi’s most imaginative seer. I know that’s a pretty strong statement, but it’s from the heart. Everybody has a favorite author and he’s one of mine. All though his life was relatively short (1928–82) he wrote hundreds of short stories and four dozen novels. He worked in obscurity, with the exception of a 1963 Hugo Award for Best Sci-Fi Novel, and didn’t recieve mainstream attention until shortly before his death.
In 1981 his novel Do Androids Dream of Electronic Sheep was adapted as a film called Blade Runner. It’s a brilliant film by Ridley Scott, starring Harrison Ford and Rutger Hauer, which still holds up today and one of the few faithful from book to Hollywood movie success stories. But after the…
Why Journalist Gary Webb Died
From Consortium News:
Five years ago, a tragedy occurred in American journalism: Investigative reporter Gary Webb – who had been ostracized by his own colleagues for forcing a spotlight back onto an ugly government scandal they wanted to ignore – was driven to commit suicide. But the tragedy had a deeper meaning.
Webb’s death on the night of Dec. 9, 2004, came as the U.S. press corps was at a nadir, having recently aided and abetted President George W. Bush in taking the country to war in Iraq under false pretenses. The press corps also had performed abysmally in Bush’s two presidential campaigns in 2000 and 2004, hesitant to take on the powerful Bush Family.
In retrospect, Webb’s suicide could be viewed as an exclamation point on that sorry era, which had begun…
Nikola Tesla: ‘We Have a Message from Another World’
On the fascinating site Letters of Note:
In the summer of 1899, whilst alone in his Colorado Springs laboratory working with his magnifying transmitter, the inimitable Nikola Tesla observed a series of unusual rhythmic signals which he described as ‘counting codes’. Having just detected cosmic radio signals for the first time, Tesla immediately believed them to be attempted communications from an intelligent life-form on either Venus or Mars, and later said of the experience, ‘The feeling is constantly growing on me that I had been the first to hear the greeting of one planet to another’.
The next year, Tesla was asked by the Red Cross to predict man’s greatest possible achievement over the next century. The letter below was his reply.
A much-needed transcript follows.
Read Nikola Tesla on Letters of Note
…
The Nation: Carrying The Spirit Of Seattle Today
From NPR:
Ten years ago, tens of thousands of people poured into the streets of Seattle to protest the WTO ministerial and the global trade agreement that sought to expand global corporatization at the expense of communities around the world. The protesters came from all walks of life: they were teachers, students, faith-based people, farmers, unionists, environmentalists, human rights activists, people of color…ordinary citizens. They came to express their outrage, to show solidarity and to demand change. While the trade ministers and corporate lobbyists found themselves trapped in their luxury hotels as activists blockaded intersections, hotels, and the Washington State Convention and Trade Center, the Steelworkers marched side by side with the Turtles and Butterflies. The relentless use of pepper spray, tear gas and rubber-and plastic-jacketed bullets did not deter French…
Iran Limits Internet Access Ahead Of Protests
From Huff Post:
TEHRAN, Iran — Iranian authorities have slowed Internet connections to a crawl or choked them off completely before expected student protests Monday to deny the opposition a vital means of communication.
In another familiar tactic before such rallies, authorities have ordered journalists working for foreign media organizations not to leave their offices to cover the demonstrations.
Iran’s beleaguered opposition has sought to maintain momentum with periodic demonstrations coinciding with state-sanctioned events. Monday’s rallies will take place on a day that normally marks a 1953 killing of three students at an anti-U.S. protest. Since the 1990s, the day has served as an occasion for pro-reform protests.
Students are at the center of the opposition to Iran’s clerical regime and its brutal crackdown on demonstrators protesting what they believed was a fraudulent presidential…
