22/06/2009
21/06/2009
Revolution in Iran
"Garbage burned. Crowds bayed. Smoke from tear gas swirled. Hurled bricks sent phalanxes of police, some with automatic rifles, into retreat to the accompaniment of cheers. Early afternoon rumors that the rally for Moussavi had been canceled yielded to the reality of violent confrontation."
- NYTimes
Images stolen from Whitechapel.
- NYTimes
Images stolen from Whitechapel.
20/06/2009
Working Title (About Iran, and sexual frustration)
Hello you glorious bastards! Tis be I, your beloved wanker of a person manipulating small black plastic squares with symbols painted on them.
I am currently heavily intoxicated, which may or may not be a good thing. I'm leaning towards good myself, but I'm obviously biased, so fuck me.
Please? There has been thunder and rain over here, and I took a walk in a pitch black bunch of trees close to the plastic tent the party was located in, and you could have used my penis as a compass if you so wished. I would have been tremendously annoyed of course, but like I said: fuck me.
So, anyway, despite my obvious sexual frustration I am in a good mode. You see, I am might be going to bed early today! Yes, for once I won't go to bed after the sun has started to come up. Progress, you bastards!
Anyway, Iran has been on everyones minds (or should have been if you have a heart that is) lately. Sure, some might think "Fuck it", but if everyone did that it wouldn't be happening in the first place, so you are wrong. I don't care much for your excuses to not care though, so don't post them here.
Anyway, this little second Iranian revolution reminds you of all the others that has been popping up lately. In Tibet and Burma mainly. But there is a massive difference here. For one, there is government support in Iran. The police and military refuses to hurt civilians, and it's igniting factor was an election. This legitimizes the whole thing to a new degree, which means the protests are completely justified. Not only because of rightful anger at being ruled by a bunch of priest and retired revolutionaries that delude themselves in thinking people are actually content with the current situation, but also because it's so fucking obvious that their opinion has been completely disregarded and used to wipe asses with.
Even if the rumors going around is not true, it's still obvious, which makes me want to go clubbing baby rabbits to death with gigantic dildos.
That is all.
I am currently heavily intoxicated, which may or may not be a good thing. I'm leaning towards good myself, but I'm obviously biased, so fuck me.
Please? There has been thunder and rain over here, and I took a walk in a pitch black bunch of trees close to the plastic tent the party was located in, and you could have used my penis as a compass if you so wished. I would have been tremendously annoyed of course, but like I said: fuck me.
So, anyway, despite my obvious sexual frustration I am in a good mode. You see, I am might be going to bed early today! Yes, for once I won't go to bed after the sun has started to come up. Progress, you bastards!
Anyway, Iran has been on everyones minds (or should have been if you have a heart that is) lately. Sure, some might think "Fuck it", but if everyone did that it wouldn't be happening in the first place, so you are wrong. I don't care much for your excuses to not care though, so don't post them here.
Anyway, this little second Iranian revolution reminds you of all the others that has been popping up lately. In Tibet and Burma mainly. But there is a massive difference here. For one, there is government support in Iran. The police and military refuses to hurt civilians, and it's igniting factor was an election. This legitimizes the whole thing to a new degree, which means the protests are completely justified. Not only because of rightful anger at being ruled by a bunch of priest and retired revolutionaries that delude themselves in thinking people are actually content with the current situation, but also because it's so fucking obvious that their opinion has been completely disregarded and used to wipe asses with.
Even if the rumors going around is not true, it's still obvious, which makes me want to go clubbing baby rabbits to death with gigantic dildos.
That is all.
17/06/2009
Iran - The Election Was Rigged
People are apparently starting to find boxes of ballots thrown in dumpsters all over the country.
This, in combination with the current President winning even in the oppositions own home village, as well as winning with a clear majority when the result was predicted to be quite even, seems to indicate that the election was indeed a sham.
And here's another blog updating with the latest info.
This, in combination with the current President winning even in the oppositions own home village, as well as winning with a clear majority when the result was predicted to be quite even, seems to indicate that the election was indeed a sham.
And here's another blog updating with the latest info.
Trials Against the Church of Scientology in France
Older article.
New article.
If they are judged guilty the Church of Scientology will no longer be considered legal in France. If it happens, it'll most likely take a few years.
L. Ron Hubbard was apparently also judged guilty of fraud in '78.
New article.
If they are judged guilty the Church of Scientology will no longer be considered legal in France. If it happens, it'll most likely take a few years.
L. Ron Hubbard was apparently also judged guilty of fraud in '78.
A Quick Iran Update
I'm hearing rumors of the police siding with the people, and the military refusing to harm protesters...
I might have to skip sleep altogether tonight to see what happens.
Also: Links.
Here's a piece that takes you back a bit and forces you to think instead of diving into it with your emotions. I found it helpful at least.
U.S. State Department asked Twitter to move their update so that the Iranian people could use it to communicate?
An article about the police protecting both sides. Pretty even headed and whiteout taking a stand towards either side. Good journalism.
Things are getting very interesting. I need tea now.
I might have to skip sleep altogether tonight to see what happens.
Also: Links.
Here's a piece that takes you back a bit and forces you to think instead of diving into it with your emotions. I found it helpful at least.
U.S. State Department asked Twitter to move their update so that the Iranian people could use it to communicate?
An article about the police protecting both sides. Pretty even headed and whiteout taking a stand towards either side. Good journalism.
Things are getting very interesting. I need tea now.
16/06/2009
Iran Links Update
Where I mostly post links so people can see whats going on for themselves.
Here's a few of the photos coming out from Iran. Some NSFW stuff, and it shows just how many people are demonstrating.
Some video from the news.
Another continuously updating blog with loads of information.
A video of wounded people being carried to an ambulance and driven away as the crowd chants.
A man climbing Azadi Sqaure.
A site collecting various Tweets concerning Iran.
Another video, this one showing clashes between riot police on bikes and a massive crowd.
The Twitter of a medical student inside Tehran.
Article about student killed during clashes.
More images from the protests. Some NSFW.
And finally a really good article that clarifies things from a more political standpoint.
Here's a few of the photos coming out from Iran. Some NSFW stuff, and it shows just how many people are demonstrating.
Some video from the news.
Another continuously updating blog with loads of information.
A video of wounded people being carried to an ambulance and driven away as the crowd chants.
A man climbing Azadi Sqaure.
A site collecting various Tweets concerning Iran.
Another video, this one showing clashes between riot police on bikes and a massive crowd.
The Twitter of a medical student inside Tehran.
Article about student killed during clashes.
More images from the protests. Some NSFW.
And finally a really good article that clarifies things from a more political standpoint.
15/06/2009
Links for Iran
There's tons of links on Whitechapel for info, Iranians twittering, throwing up images, videos, etc.
Michael J. Totten also has a great independent news blog worth checking out.
Michael J. Totten also has a great independent news blog worth checking out.
14/06/2009
Iran - A Quick Comment Before Unconsciousness
After it became apparent that the old President of Iran would stay, parts of the word said that things would stay the way they where before. Namely with relations to most of the world deteriorating more and more.
But with the several thousands strong protests still going strong I'm not so sure. I expressed hope that Iran would manage to overthrow it's dictatorial regime in a post months ago. After all, a majority of the population are young people. Not that young people equals revolutions, but they tend to be the ones that (for good or bad) gets pissed off enough to do something about it first.
Not that a bloody revolution would do much, except get hundreds of protesters killed. Hopefully the protests keep relatively calm, because if things get too out of hand, that's the excuse the government and Ayatollahs need to send in the army and their revolutionary guard.
I don't want to go to bed, but I can't stay up past sunrise today again. Tonight sleep will come bearing dreams of a free Iran.
My thoughts are with you.
(And so is my writing, which will continue tomorrow.)
But with the several thousands strong protests still going strong I'm not so sure. I expressed hope that Iran would manage to overthrow it's dictatorial regime in a post months ago. After all, a majority of the population are young people. Not that young people equals revolutions, but they tend to be the ones that (for good or bad) gets pissed off enough to do something about it first.
Not that a bloody revolution would do much, except get hundreds of protesters killed. Hopefully the protests keep relatively calm, because if things get too out of hand, that's the excuse the government and Ayatollahs need to send in the army and their revolutionary guard.
I don't want to go to bed, but I can't stay up past sunrise today again. Tonight sleep will come bearing dreams of a free Iran.
My thoughts are with you.
(And so is my writing, which will continue tomorrow.)
09/06/2009
Model/Photographer by Zak Forsman
A six minute prelude to the upcoming feature Heart of Now.
Via Twitch
Zak Forsman is a part of the movie collective Sabi.
He's also made another short called: I Fucking Hate You.
04/06/2009
02/06/2009
Linky
Don't have the time to write anything other than an essay today, so I come bearing links instead.
All 3 from Grinding.be actually.
2 makes me think of cyberpunk, and one of an Utopian future.
All 3 from Grinding.be actually.
2 makes me think of cyberpunk, and one of an Utopian future.
29/05/2009
Global Think-Tank?
This is an idea I've sorta stolen from Warren Ellis. You see, once upon a time he wrote about an organization called Global Frequency that solved urgent problems that threatened the very existence of life as we know it.
That sort of problem solving capability isn't what I'm interested in, although it might be needed in the future. You never know, after all.
But what I was thinking was more of a a think-tank that works around the clock, different experts exchanging places as people sign on and off. But I'm not talking about experts in the normal sense either. Depending on the situations, problems, resources at hand at the various locations, the political climate, and so on, it'd take a lot of manpower to get it operational, and from there getting it efficient might not even be possible. The administration alone would probably be a nightmare.
But if it was possible to get it going, starting out with, for example: working out a sustainable method to reduce starvation in a certain region in Africa.
First you need to look at the general state of the country, what does the infrastructure look like? How stable is the country? It'd be a bad idea to start a project in a country that at any moment could erupt into civil war, or other types of conflicts for that matter.
The food production might be seized by militant groups in the name of their cause, so that means there would also be a need for some form of security.
But all of this is after the organization has been formed.
Considering that my thought is to keep it mainly a humanitarian organization, the main problem as I see it is funding. Who do you work for that wants to pay you for creating such things as running water, simple and environmentally friendly techniques for producing electricity in places where there are none?
Then UN comes to mind. That's pretty much it actually. I can see the EU being interested in hiring this type of organization, but mainly for developing nations wanting to become a part of it.
We'd also have to develop alternative methods for existing techniques that'd be of use, thanks to the patents.
But what about the administration of it then? Would it be better to have supervisors out controlling the various projects with local personnel? Teams doing the projects in part and gradually phasing in local talent? Coordinators supervising various projects in a region, or even inside a country?
Which would be best? To finish the project yourself and then hand it over to the locals, or let them do it themselves? What would be most efficient, most economic, and would it more or less of a difference depending on which you chose?
Maybe it'd be better to work out scenarios of different types in advance and then try to think of a solution? Which leads to another question: should the problems we as a group work on be the problems of today only? Or should we include the ones of tomorrow?
Need to think more about this. Ideas, suggestions, etc. would be most welcome. Even if it might not be possible to create such a group, we could at least develop a concept. Hopefully it might inspire and aid others with similar goals.
Leading by theoretical example, you might say.
I'll think it over some more, and I hope you do too. If you think of something write it down, I definitely will.
That sort of problem solving capability isn't what I'm interested in, although it might be needed in the future. You never know, after all.
But what I was thinking was more of a a think-tank that works around the clock, different experts exchanging places as people sign on and off. But I'm not talking about experts in the normal sense either. Depending on the situations, problems, resources at hand at the various locations, the political climate, and so on, it'd take a lot of manpower to get it operational, and from there getting it efficient might not even be possible. The administration alone would probably be a nightmare.
But if it was possible to get it going, starting out with, for example: working out a sustainable method to reduce starvation in a certain region in Africa.
First you need to look at the general state of the country, what does the infrastructure look like? How stable is the country? It'd be a bad idea to start a project in a country that at any moment could erupt into civil war, or other types of conflicts for that matter.
The food production might be seized by militant groups in the name of their cause, so that means there would also be a need for some form of security.
But all of this is after the organization has been formed.
Considering that my thought is to keep it mainly a humanitarian organization, the main problem as I see it is funding. Who do you work for that wants to pay you for creating such things as running water, simple and environmentally friendly techniques for producing electricity in places where there are none?
Then UN comes to mind. That's pretty much it actually. I can see the EU being interested in hiring this type of organization, but mainly for developing nations wanting to become a part of it.
We'd also have to develop alternative methods for existing techniques that'd be of use, thanks to the patents.
But what about the administration of it then? Would it be better to have supervisors out controlling the various projects with local personnel? Teams doing the projects in part and gradually phasing in local talent? Coordinators supervising various projects in a region, or even inside a country?
Which would be best? To finish the project yourself and then hand it over to the locals, or let them do it themselves? What would be most efficient, most economic, and would it more or less of a difference depending on which you chose?
Maybe it'd be better to work out scenarios of different types in advance and then try to think of a solution? Which leads to another question: should the problems we as a group work on be the problems of today only? Or should we include the ones of tomorrow?
Need to think more about this. Ideas, suggestions, etc. would be most welcome. Even if it might not be possible to create such a group, we could at least develop a concept. Hopefully it might inspire and aid others with similar goals.
Leading by theoretical example, you might say.
I'll think it over some more, and I hope you do too. If you think of something write it down, I definitely will.
Yellow Mold Will Kill Your Family
Yellow Slime Mold Timelapse from sesotek on Vimeo.
5 hours of moving, breathing fungi condensed into mere moments.
26/05/2009
Linky
This another one of those lazy posts where I just hand over some links of interest of the last couple of days.
First of: Sequential Trauma, which is a school project that plays with the medium of comics. For some reason I only really like the first page. Imagine it as a stand alone page, or turning into the world as he now sees it. It could possibly turn into a brilliant teaching aid of sorts in my mind.
Grinding also had an interesting post about so called Seed Bombing. Which seems like a really good idea, and also lead me onwards to the Guerrilla Gardening movement.
Original article @ Inhabitat.
Jamais Cascio posted about history, family, and information on Memorial Day, over at Open the Future.
And then Laurie posted about rape over at Penny Red. Which lead to a long list of all kinds of comments, all pretty interesting for the most part. As well as Laurie herself providing a few links which are pretty disturbing.
Especially this one, which may appear to be mainly about a rape game, but is more an interesting commentary about the legal and social views of rape in Japan. Pretty frightening stuff if you ask me.
As well as some teenage gang rape.
And yes, I have spent the morning reading about rape. Something that really makes you question yourself as a sexual human being.
More links might show up later on. I've got a hundred of them laying around, so I might as well read them and throw them up here sooner or later. It's also a good way of storing them for reading when away from your computer, or in case of a crash or similar.
First of: Sequential Trauma, which is a school project that plays with the medium of comics. For some reason I only really like the first page. Imagine it as a stand alone page, or turning into the world as he now sees it. It could possibly turn into a brilliant teaching aid of sorts in my mind.
Grinding also had an interesting post about so called Seed Bombing. Which seems like a really good idea, and also lead me onwards to the Guerrilla Gardening movement.
Original article @ Inhabitat.
Jamais Cascio posted about history, family, and information on Memorial Day, over at Open the Future.
And then Laurie posted about rape over at Penny Red. Which lead to a long list of all kinds of comments, all pretty interesting for the most part. As well as Laurie herself providing a few links which are pretty disturbing.
Especially this one, which may appear to be mainly about a rape game, but is more an interesting commentary about the legal and social views of rape in Japan. Pretty frightening stuff if you ask me.
As well as some teenage gang rape.
And yes, I have spent the morning reading about rape. Something that really makes you question yourself as a sexual human being.
More links might show up later on. I've got a hundred of them laying around, so I might as well read them and throw them up here sooner or later. It's also a good way of storing them for reading when away from your computer, or in case of a crash or similar.
23/05/2009
While You Were Asleep
This happened:
Galactic Center of Milky Way Rises over Texas Star Party from William Castleman on Vimeo.
Via Grinding.
Since this is more an online journal than anything else, posting has never been really regular. Still, there has been lots of things on my mind lately, and it might just be time to put it to print to get a bit of an overview. That's something I do from time to time. Writting things down helps me organize my thoughts, and is part of the reason while I still have a blog. If I blogged for attention I'd probably have killed myself by now.
Oh, and I might also take the time to mention that I've also started writting for another blog. It's made up of 10 people, all who enjoy writting things. So that's what's going on basically. There are stories being told, all kinds of stories. Long ones, short ones. Nothing too long though. Or at least not yet. I suppose it might happen? I'm really not sure what's ok to do. I'm just gonna improvise and then see how people react. Hopefully I manage to escape hired killers and smart bombs for now. Oh, and it's called Orrot. I'll throw up a link somewhere on here as well. Might take me a while. Might not.
04/05/2009
Blue People
Are very real it seems.
Or how about a blue man?
A blue woman?
And here's the name of the medical disorder: Methemoglobinemia.
I know, I know. Wiki is lazy, but checking the links and sources are pretty useful most of the time.
Now go do that.
Or how about a blue man?
A blue woman?
And here's the name of the medical disorder: Methemoglobinemia.
I know, I know. Wiki is lazy, but checking the links and sources are pretty useful most of the time.
Now go do that.
Ghosts of Abu Ghraib
Just watched this documentary a few minutes ago and I'm not really sure what to say. I'm angry, sad, disappointed, confused and quite a few others I'm not even sure what they are.
I'm not angry because it happened so much as I am angry that the ones that have the ultimate responsibility for it will never be punished. Some even got rewarded for their disregard for human rights, approval of torture, and of course for covering their asses while a few MPs took the fall.
How many people died at Abu Ghraib? How many have died at Guantanamo? Why did the previous American government approve of the use of so called extreme interrogations?
Has the policy been revised? Are there any plans to? What about a formal apology from the current president on the behalf of the American people?
How can you go from trying to maintain a standard that is above the Geneva Convention to going far far below it?
Is the American military and intelligence really this bad at their jobs? You get the feeling that their was no real regulations, no rules or much control in general over what was going on. People where trying to ignore it, just like the Germans living around the concentration camps were during World War II.
Is this how far we've come? What is in our future if this sort of thing is allowed to happen, and is even encouraged by the government of one of the biggest nations at this point in time?
Since when did it become "do what's necessary" instead of "do what's right"?
Since when does the ends justify the means?
But the one question I keep hearing over and over in my head is just a single word: "Why?"
I'm not angry because it happened so much as I am angry that the ones that have the ultimate responsibility for it will never be punished. Some even got rewarded for their disregard for human rights, approval of torture, and of course for covering their asses while a few MPs took the fall.
How many people died at Abu Ghraib? How many have died at Guantanamo? Why did the previous American government approve of the use of so called extreme interrogations?
Has the policy been revised? Are there any plans to? What about a formal apology from the current president on the behalf of the American people?
How can you go from trying to maintain a standard that is above the Geneva Convention to going far far below it?
Is the American military and intelligence really this bad at their jobs? You get the feeling that their was no real regulations, no rules or much control in general over what was going on. People where trying to ignore it, just like the Germans living around the concentration camps were during World War II.
Is this how far we've come? What is in our future if this sort of thing is allowed to happen, and is even encouraged by the government of one of the biggest nations at this point in time?
Since when did it become "do what's necessary" instead of "do what's right"?
Since when does the ends justify the means?
But the one question I keep hearing over and over in my head is just a single word: "Why?"
30/04/2009
The Swineflu Pandemic
What most likely to get you killed that's a direct result of the Swineflu is an outburst of panic caused by Swineflu hysteria, most likely.
At least if nothing dramatic happens, anyway. Like a sudden mutation in the virus that causes it's infectiousness to increase by a few 100 % for instance. Then it might actually be able to kill as many people as the ordinary influenza we're used to.
So far it's just the media having a wank over how easy it is to scare people and make a profit while doing it.
Well then, with that sorted, I'm off to stock up on supplies in case the media actually manages to start a panic that results in looting and anarchy!
Leave my flat alone, bastards! I've got a crowbar and I'm not afraid to use it!
Here's a map of confirmed cases and deaths so far btw.
At least if nothing dramatic happens, anyway. Like a sudden mutation in the virus that causes it's infectiousness to increase by a few 100 % for instance. Then it might actually be able to kill as many people as the ordinary influenza we're used to.
So far it's just the media having a wank over how easy it is to scare people and make a profit while doing it.
Well then, with that sorted, I'm off to stock up on supplies in case the media actually manages to start a panic that results in looting and anarchy!
Leave my flat alone, bastards! I've got a crowbar and I'm not afraid to use it!
Here's a map of confirmed cases and deaths so far btw.
25/04/2009
21/04/2009
Sandi Sirocco & Ebony Bones videos
Sandi Sirocco - 'Dancing Dancing Dancing Dancing' from S.Aichele & J.Sheard on Vimeo.
Found a nice little tune, and a pretty awesome video via Dancefloor Mayhem.
Speaking of which, Ebony Bones "The Muzik" is currently my favorite video. I can't help it, for some reason I just love these kinds of videos:
Happy dancing people from all over the world. And the music is awesome. It's the closest I can think of coming to basing a band on The Invisibles by Grant Morrison. One of my absolute favorite comics. Either that or Transmetropolitan most likely.
Well, enjoy then!
17/04/2009
Culture, Cities and so on - The Neural Network of Humanity
Despite the overly long and somewhat serious sounding title; this is a post about us. Not about anyone in particular, except maybe in the context of the whole.
We are humanity. And I know, humanity is also a bunch of individuals, but we're all still human so it stands to reason that we're actually more alike than we are different, no?
Anyway, about culture, and the places that breeds it then.
Trying to identify culture is pretty damned hard, but a few things comes to mind. One would be Dawkins memetics, another Jungs collective unconscious.
The wordbook says something like "the expression of thoughts, emotions and abstracts notions trough a variety of different forms".
So, communication, then. And not just any form of communication. It's social communication to boot.
Art is usually for the great mass of people, although in a few cases it might be aimed at a single one of us. If it hits or not doesn't really matter, it's firing it that's what important. Sure, getting done, putting time and soul into it will of course help. These are the things that turns it from a 9 mm bullet into a cluster bomb of .44 hollow point magnum rounds.
(I just read up on the difference between hollow point and FMJ, and I'm not sure which fits the best here. The one with impact, or the one that can hit more people. I'll leave it as is, though.)
Of course culture should have impact, but it might be hard to find a target at times.
These gun parallels are making me a bit uncomfortable, though. They're not very fitting in this case either, considering I'm trying to make a point of culture as a global form of communication and closeness with others. Culture is in the end a shared experience. It builds of previous ones, both in the receiver and sender, and creates something that is partly new and etheric, and partly old and physical.
Sometimes you have to wonder if the only obstacle for the realization of an idea is time itself?
Back to culture then. It creates a connection between people, it gives us something to talk about and helps us relate with others. It's a useful form of social lubricant in that regard. It's also interesting how different groups form around different forms of culture. Mainly with the music scene, but there's probably some with movies, art, literature, and so on, as well.
It never ever stops changing either. It keeps coming in wave after wave. Sometimes smooth and nice, sometimes it's a tsunami smashing everything in it's wake. But when it comes down to it, at it's core it's still human.
No matter how bizarre and alien you might find it, the base is always in the human heart and mind. You too can go there if you so wish, or should at the very least be able to grasp it roughly in the palm of your hand.
Like with everything else it's hard to leave your cultural comfort zone for the first time. But the more you do it, the easier it gets. Listening to a form of music you've decided to hate could be a step in the right direction here. I personally don't understand how anyone can stick to just one genre, or for that matter, category of music. I prefer to listen to most forms of music, though I have a few I tend to return to. Electro is one, bebop another, trip-hop, hip-hop and rap yet a few more. But who cares? It's not about what you listen to anyway. Or even if you're active, passive, or just want the music as a form of company while droning in front of your computer in the middle of the night. When it comes to music the first criteria is that you listen. The second could be how you do it, but I'm getting sidetracked here.
The human library, as I was saying. Thought saying that it's culture alone might be too limiting. We might even have to think about society, culture, cities, infrastructure, and all the things that make up the modern world as the global brain of humanity. Maybe we're just the braincells rubbing together, trying to start a chain reaction of sparks?
Maybe we're a lot more...
But I haven't even mentioned cities yet, or maybe I have? Can't remember it in any case, so at the moment it doesn't really exist in my personal sphere of reality anyway.
So, cities, then. The hubs of humanity, the strongholds of culture, creation, destruction, seats of power, and all the other things that goes on there. Nerve clusters maybe?
In any case, it's in the boiling pot of humanity that tends to exist in cities that interesting things happen. Or that's at least what we tend to believe. It might actually only be true because we think it is. The artistic and creative grows up learning it, and move to a city to express themselves. That might actually be what's going on. What if we're only slaves to out memes in some cases? What if we usually are? Is it a side effect of culture then, that shapes us into adopting certain preconceptions? Maybe it's necessary for it to work as a social lubricant. It's worth considering. What balance of critical thinking of our preconceptions, and acceptance of them is needed?
And I've gone from proclaiming my truths, to asking questions once again. Maybe that's how it's supposed to be. Questions leads to truths that leads to new questions, and on it goes.
Culture, society or whatever you wanna call it, we seem to be stuck with it, so we might as well try and figure out what it is. Or at least what it isn't.
We are humanity. And I know, humanity is also a bunch of individuals, but we're all still human so it stands to reason that we're actually more alike than we are different, no?
Anyway, about culture, and the places that breeds it then.
Trying to identify culture is pretty damned hard, but a few things comes to mind. One would be Dawkins memetics, another Jungs collective unconscious.
The wordbook says something like "the expression of thoughts, emotions and abstracts notions trough a variety of different forms".
So, communication, then. And not just any form of communication. It's social communication to boot.
Art is usually for the great mass of people, although in a few cases it might be aimed at a single one of us. If it hits or not doesn't really matter, it's firing it that's what important. Sure, getting done, putting time and soul into it will of course help. These are the things that turns it from a 9 mm bullet into a cluster bomb of .44 hollow point magnum rounds.
(I just read up on the difference between hollow point and FMJ, and I'm not sure which fits the best here. The one with impact, or the one that can hit more people. I'll leave it as is, though.)
Of course culture should have impact, but it might be hard to find a target at times.
These gun parallels are making me a bit uncomfortable, though. They're not very fitting in this case either, considering I'm trying to make a point of culture as a global form of communication and closeness with others. Culture is in the end a shared experience. It builds of previous ones, both in the receiver and sender, and creates something that is partly new and etheric, and partly old and physical.
Sometimes you have to wonder if the only obstacle for the realization of an idea is time itself?
Back to culture then. It creates a connection between people, it gives us something to talk about and helps us relate with others. It's a useful form of social lubricant in that regard. It's also interesting how different groups form around different forms of culture. Mainly with the music scene, but there's probably some with movies, art, literature, and so on, as well.
It never ever stops changing either. It keeps coming in wave after wave. Sometimes smooth and nice, sometimes it's a tsunami smashing everything in it's wake. But when it comes down to it, at it's core it's still human.
No matter how bizarre and alien you might find it, the base is always in the human heart and mind. You too can go there if you so wish, or should at the very least be able to grasp it roughly in the palm of your hand.
Like with everything else it's hard to leave your cultural comfort zone for the first time. But the more you do it, the easier it gets. Listening to a form of music you've decided to hate could be a step in the right direction here. I personally don't understand how anyone can stick to just one genre, or for that matter, category of music. I prefer to listen to most forms of music, though I have a few I tend to return to. Electro is one, bebop another, trip-hop, hip-hop and rap yet a few more. But who cares? It's not about what you listen to anyway. Or even if you're active, passive, or just want the music as a form of company while droning in front of your computer in the middle of the night. When it comes to music the first criteria is that you listen. The second could be how you do it, but I'm getting sidetracked here.
The human library, as I was saying. Thought saying that it's culture alone might be too limiting. We might even have to think about society, culture, cities, infrastructure, and all the things that make up the modern world as the global brain of humanity. Maybe we're just the braincells rubbing together, trying to start a chain reaction of sparks?
Maybe we're a lot more...
But I haven't even mentioned cities yet, or maybe I have? Can't remember it in any case, so at the moment it doesn't really exist in my personal sphere of reality anyway.
So, cities, then. The hubs of humanity, the strongholds of culture, creation, destruction, seats of power, and all the other things that goes on there. Nerve clusters maybe?
In any case, it's in the boiling pot of humanity that tends to exist in cities that interesting things happen. Or that's at least what we tend to believe. It might actually only be true because we think it is. The artistic and creative grows up learning it, and move to a city to express themselves. That might actually be what's going on. What if we're only slaves to out memes in some cases? What if we usually are? Is it a side effect of culture then, that shapes us into adopting certain preconceptions? Maybe it's necessary for it to work as a social lubricant. It's worth considering. What balance of critical thinking of our preconceptions, and acceptance of them is needed?
And I've gone from proclaiming my truths, to asking questions once again. Maybe that's how it's supposed to be. Questions leads to truths that leads to new questions, and on it goes.
Culture, society or whatever you wanna call it, we seem to be stuck with it, so we might as well try and figure out what it is. Or at least what it isn't.
15/04/2009
One of Those Days
You know you're in for a bad one when you for the first time in your life had to throw up to feel a little less wrecked.
I still have that sweet and sour burning taste of stomach juice in the back of my throat, and even my breath mints kept in a little white unmarked medical bottle won't make it go away.
Despite feeling like someone's ripped out chunks of my intestines, I'm pretty sure where it all went wrong. Sure, it's gone wrong before, but this case is unique in a way.
It started of with me going to get myself a beer. I offered to buy beers for the people at my table while I was at it. They accepted. I bought the damned things.
Here, though, is where things start going wrong.
None of them really wanted any beer, except for the guy I was there with.
So, in an act of stupidity I drank 3 beers instead of one.
In retrospect I shouldn't even have had one more, but the thing with beer is that it tastes better the more you drink.
So, needless to say, I felt pretty fucking great for a while there when the alcohol abused my brain.
And yet another problem I have is that I tend to drink faster the more I drink, which is a really horrible thing to do to yourself. I have several case studies to back this up.
Also: skull-fuckery-from-the-inside type of headache. Luckily it comes and goes, so it doesn't outright wreck my ability to coherent thinking. It's just crippled.
I was hoping that I'd be able to get to my lecture today, but no such luck.
Too bad we don't have video lectures that you can watch several times to get familiar with the material.
(This is a few days old, and it appears I haven't posted it yet for some reason.
I, for one, find it highly amusing how I decided to "never drink again" just a few days ago, and right about now I could actually go for a beer or two. I guess that's life, ey?)
I still have that sweet and sour burning taste of stomach juice in the back of my throat, and even my breath mints kept in a little white unmarked medical bottle won't make it go away.
Despite feeling like someone's ripped out chunks of my intestines, I'm pretty sure where it all went wrong. Sure, it's gone wrong before, but this case is unique in a way.
It started of with me going to get myself a beer. I offered to buy beers for the people at my table while I was at it. They accepted. I bought the damned things.
Here, though, is where things start going wrong.
None of them really wanted any beer, except for the guy I was there with.
So, in an act of stupidity I drank 3 beers instead of one.
In retrospect I shouldn't even have had one more, but the thing with beer is that it tastes better the more you drink.
So, needless to say, I felt pretty fucking great for a while there when the alcohol abused my brain.
And yet another problem I have is that I tend to drink faster the more I drink, which is a really horrible thing to do to yourself. I have several case studies to back this up.
Also: skull-fuckery-from-the-inside type of headache. Luckily it comes and goes, so it doesn't outright wreck my ability to coherent thinking. It's just crippled.
I was hoping that I'd be able to get to my lecture today, but no such luck.
Too bad we don't have video lectures that you can watch several times to get familiar with the material.
(This is a few days old, and it appears I haven't posted it yet for some reason.
I, for one, find it highly amusing how I decided to "never drink again" just a few days ago, and right about now I could actually go for a beer or two. I guess that's life, ey?)
01/04/2009
Sweden: Far from perfect
Two years ago the Swedish prime minister Frederik Reinfeldt said that the government would not pass a law that would criminalize a whole generation of young people.
Today Ipred went into effect, which as well as making it able for record and movie companies to demand ISPs to release their clients IPs, also makes him a liar. Companies will now also be able to take people to court if they so wish, or turn the evidence over to the police.
The industries own copyright police is now more or less a reality, I'm afraid.
Today Ipred went into effect, which as well as making it able for record and movie companies to demand ISPs to release their clients IPs, also makes him a liar. Companies will now also be able to take people to court if they so wish, or turn the evidence over to the police.
The industries own copyright police is now more or less a reality, I'm afraid.
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