LiTraCon: light transmitting concrete. Check this picture.
Regarding the prisoner abuse in Iraq, it is funny that it’s being spun as a mirror image of the ongoing insurgency: “just a few bad apples”, but even army-adorationist Ralph Peters understands that it’s disastrous. Wasn’t it just last week Dave posted that foreign policy review mentioning the symbolic blindness of using a hated prison for essentially the same purpose it had under Saddam? “Meet the new boss: same as the old boss.”
Still, while I’d like to see the Geneva Convention as humane and progressive, there’s a sense in which it’s just a way of legitimating war. One of the great American myths I heard as a child was about how the clever colonial revolutionaries defeated the effete British who were so stupid that they just marched up in well-ordered lines presenting our crafty (guerrilla) sharpshooters with easy targets. In fact, the Brits were practicing “civilized” and “honorable” war as it had been developed in Europe over centuries, ameliorating the martial chaos of the Dark Ages, and they thought that the colonists weren’t playing fair or going by the “rules of war.” (In keeping with the May Day theme, it may be noted that to the Europeans it was evident that the colonials had lost touch with the cultural values of their motherland, having been made wild by living in a wild country.) But what’s with the notion of “we’re going to kill you, but we’ll be polite about it”? When push comes to shove (comes to shoot) this stuff always goes out the window, and there’s a certain level of hypocrisy in pretending otherwise. Being nice about killing is not to be decried, but it’s just a small step on an old road; what we need is a quantum leap. War crimes is a redundancy.
Still, while I’d like to see the Geneva Convention as humane and progressive, there’s a sense in which it’s just a way of legitimating war. One of the great American myths I heard as a child was about how the clever colonial revolutionaries defeated the effete British who were so stupid that they just marched up in well-ordered lines presenting our crafty (guerrilla) sharpshooters with easy targets. In fact, the Brits were practicing “civilized” and “honorable” war as it had been developed in Europe over centuries, ameliorating the martial chaos of the Dark Ages, and they thought that the colonists weren’t playing fair or going by the “rules of war.” (In keeping with the May Day theme, it may be noted that to the Europeans it was evident that the colonials had lost touch with the cultural values of their motherland, having been made wild by living in a wild country.) But what’s with the notion of “we’re going to kill you, but we’ll be polite about it”? When push comes to shove (comes to shoot) this stuff always goes out the window, and there’s a certain level of hypocrisy in pretending otherwise. Being nice about killing is not to be decried, but it’s just a small step on an old road; what we need is a quantum leap. War crimes is a redundancy.
bugmenot.com - registration bypass collective
CONRAD BAKKER UNTITLED PROJECT: MUSCLECAR
"1969 PONTIAC GTO JUDGE"
Fully loaded, Great condition, only $21,480!
oil on carved wood, 10'4"x4'6"x3'
lately i get so bombarded with pop ups while i'm online. it's annoying to the point that i'm not using the web as much as i normally would. it seems like its gotten way out of control in the last month or so. is anyone else noticing this?
mickey hart does a yahoo tv ad. did anyone else catch that?
food blogs that we are not.
developing brooklyn
An anonymous tipster just sent me this picture which is purported to be the new sustenance food critic...
"Creative life may be flourishing in widely different ways across Europe, but the most common cultural link across the region now is a devotion to American popular culture in the form of movies, television and music." This is what Alan Riding has to say, I am not sure I agree (or do I fear what if he is right?)
Also, see his list of "leading living artists" per country (top of page 2) Nytimes, April 26.
Also, see his list of "leading living artists" per country (top of page 2) Nytimes, April 26.
article in the guardian about blog fiction.
This is silly, but since I used to be a voracious Risk player when I was a kid I thought it was funny: AN OPEN LETTER TO WILLIAM KRISTOL, RICHARD PERLE, AND PRESIDENT BUSH'S OTHER NEOCONSERVATIVE PUPPETMASTERS.
from the CNN Crawl:
"Poets die younger than writers and playwrites. reason is unclear."
I swear I'm not making this up.
"Poets die younger than writers and playwrites. reason is unclear."
I swear I'm not making this up.
Blue Hill at Stone Barns
WHAT
The opening of Sonic Forest ’04 by artist Christopher Janney: an enticing grove of 16 aluminum “electronic trees” that rustle, sing, whisper and sometimes “dance” in response to people’s movements. To celebrate the opening, legendary dancer-choreographer Sara Rudner will perform in the grove with colleagues to set Sonic Forest ’04 into action.
WHEN
Friday, April 23, 2004
6 p.m.
WHERE
Union Square Park
Union Square West near 14th Street
The opening of Sonic Forest ’04 by artist Christopher Janney: an enticing grove of 16 aluminum “electronic trees” that rustle, sing, whisper and sometimes “dance” in response to people’s movements. To celebrate the opening, legendary dancer-choreographer Sara Rudner will perform in the grove with colleagues to set Sonic Forest ’04 into action.
WHEN
Friday, April 23, 2004
6 p.m.
WHERE
Union Square Park
Union Square West near 14th Street
This guy,
http://events.thing.net/Boeskov_text.html
is having an exhibition at THE THING
He's infiltrating a chinese weapons fair with an imaginary gun!
Opening Talk: April 23 2004, 6 –7 pm
Opening Reception: April 23 2004, 7-10 pm
601 West 26th Street, Floor 4 New York, NY 10001
t: (212) 937-0444
http://bbs.thing.net
events@thing.net
http://events.thing.net/Boeskov_text.html
is having an exhibition at THE THING
He's infiltrating a chinese weapons fair with an imaginary gun!
Opening Talk: April 23 2004, 6 –7 pm
Opening Reception: April 23 2004, 7-10 pm
601 West 26th Street, Floor 4 New York, NY 10001
t: (212) 937-0444
http://bbs.thing.net
events@thing.net
Yesterday afternoon in Central Park I was crossing the North Meadow with birding friend Tom Fiore when we saw a police helicopter coming down very low. We were approaching the Reservoir, and Tom wondered, half jokingly, whether someone might have fallen in. Sure enough, today’s Post has the story of two young women from Canada who decided to take an unauthorized swim. The new fence was installed over the winter. It’s modeled after the original design, which was replaced years ago by a high cyclone fence. The new/old barrier offers much better views of the skyline, not to mention the birds on the water. I sometimes find the “improvements” in the Park to be dubious, but this one is much appreciated. One hopes they won’t add razor wire after this, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see some “no swimming under penalty of law” signs go up.
Speaking of the Reservoir, it was the site of an exciting birding moment on Sunday, when I discovered a Tundra Swan, a great rarity for the Park. You can read my report by scrolling down on this page. The birding was terrific over the weekend, but on Monday more birds seemed to have moved on than had come in. I’d have done better to take the day off; three days in a row is enough to fry me, and it’s not even May yet, when migration reaches its height. Regardless, these have been beautiful days. The warm weather has got the flowers blooming and the leaf buds bursting. It really looks like Spring. Those who complain of a too-swift transition from winter to summer would be well advised to get out there now.
Speaking of the Reservoir, it was the site of an exciting birding moment on Sunday, when I discovered a Tundra Swan, a great rarity for the Park. You can read my report by scrolling down on this page. The birding was terrific over the weekend, but on Monday more birds seemed to have moved on than had come in. I’d have done better to take the day off; three days in a row is enough to fry me, and it’s not even May yet, when migration reaches its height. Regardless, these have been beautiful days. The warm weather has got the flowers blooming and the leaf buds bursting. It really looks like Spring. Those who complain of a too-swift transition from winter to summer would be well advised to get out there now.
df squeal of approval
i havent tried it yet but this might be a good tool for the memory holer in you.
raging slab back in the sadle at don hills 4/30/04
