1. Looking back, the art history classes I took were the most fun. They were both incredibly easy and thoroughly enjoyable, a nice combination. The professors would flash slides on a screen, talk about art and artists, movements and counter-movements, women and religion, cultures and clashes, and I would absorb as much as possible. As far as school work goes, what could be better? These classes at UNC-Chapel Hill sparked a permanent interest in visual art, for sure.
Above is Edgar Degas' Mlle La La at the Circus Fernando (1879). It's his birthday, and this seems more appropriate than his ubiquitous ballet dancers.
2. When I worked at Duke University's Perkins Library in the late 1980s, I occasionally saw George McGovern walking around West Campus. He was very tall. I'm glad to know he's still kicking up interest, working to address world hunger issues and end the Iraq occupation, just as he labored to end the Vietnam War, even though he turned 85 today. Like Nelson Mandela and Jimmy Carter and other elder statesmen, he keeps on keeping on.
Newer Books: Out of Iraq: A Practical Plan for Withdrawal Now (2006), with William R. Polk.
William R. Polk, Understanding Iraq: The Whole Sweep of Iraqi History, from Genghis Khan's Mongols to the Ottoman Turks to the British Mandate to the American Occupation. Some of Polk's ideas might help galvanize the disintegrating American social structure, too.
3. Herbert Marcus, One-Dimensional Man (1964), is still relevant decades later. How does one remain free in modern society, shaking off mass hypnosis? By taking a critical view of the status quo, for one thing. Advertising and propaganda, stand back -- we're trying to think! One thing I noticed at the minor league game the other night was the constant prerecorded noise. Not like the silly organs of yesteryear, but a hypnotic barrage of mostly crap designed to get the "participant" to buy more shit. Live sports venues have been moving in this direction for some time. I suppose that's why it's called "advanced capitalism."
Today's Rune: The Warrior.
Birthdays: Edgar Degas, Lizzie Borden, Vladimir Vladimirovich Mayakovsky, Herbert Marcuse, George McGovern, Atom Egoyan, Campbell Scott, Nancy Walls.
Ciao!
6 comments:
mullah cimoc say fake free press of usa twist brain of ameriki people.
cbs the neutralized, nbc and abc both the pro war propaganda each day.
learn how usa agent controlling the tv station: inside the company, a cia diary by phillip agee (dated but relevant-banned book, available for used bookstore online.
ahora usa media him never mention these two word: "neocon" and "weapon mass destruction". why? A: because everyone to remember him israeli spies (neocon) lie usa into war with fake wmd intel. now never mention perle, wurmser, feith, et al.
but kagan of "surge" am him neocon? A: yes, and father too. but him so fat and cannot move. him mental sick to have such the fat body.
some stupid ameriki so pride want kill iraki for no reason even if all the lying of usa government and controlling usa the israeli spy.
this same ameriki so blind not see usa be destroy while him leaderss fiddling the song:
now in usa cheeseburger and fry costing $9.65, plus tax. nice home for the family 500,000 dolar now cheap price. But usa govt say not the inflation
Woman of ameriki too many slut whore of take LBT (low back tattoo) sex every man even the gang member. (in waziristan these gang member get beating and father beated also, and if not repent-- kill both). usa woman not bear the child. just take the meth and the abortion for kill beautiful baby. so sad and not the justice-but have the new car and the cheese nacho of 711.
this mean whitie of ameriki him extinction coming.
but still to love the kill and torture. why him not understand the destroy coming.
Hmmm, I wonder if the Shrub's Boys know all about advanced capitalism.
I loved my college art history courses too. Wish I could take a few more.
McGovern was and is a great man. He was painted as a "pantywaist liberal" in the 1972 election, but ironically flew B-24's in World War II, one of the most hazardous duties available.
I am not really certain there is a practical plan for Iraq withdrawal left now. Where there were no gaping holes in the border and relative stability in the nation under Hussein now it has become a country filled with on the job anti-western training in armed warfare. We could just follow the Palestinian/Jewish model of the Brits in 47 and leave and let everyone duke it out, but Iran would be the sure winner in that scenario.
To be honest going as green as possible in this country is the best way to "withdraw" from the middle east. All new construction should use heat pumps where practicle instead of oil or forced air furnaces, solar panels and battery packs, wind and hydro electric power and converting a portion of coal fired plants to wind power generation stations and every time they tear down a mountain to get the coal out they should be required to bring it back to it's original height to put either solar panels, or flat top it to put in wind farms. Capture the sun not Iraq, the sun produces more energy in one hour than all the people on earth use in one day.
How does one remain free of modern society? For once the problem of modern society is not concentrated on Madison Ave. They already inculcated their morays into my generation and without knowing better taught them to our children but to shake it off is easy, turn off your tv and radio, quit reading only one newspaper or online news article on any given subject, Use DVD and CD for entertainment so your not mesmerizing your brain with the onslaught that keeps you fed. Learn to read books with an eye towards what they are saying until the author convinces you it is truth, put down your video games which can teach a certain negative reality of life to the kids and put their ass outside to play tag and hide and seek, baseball against the steps or basketball.
In other words don't buy into the bullshit and then the bullshit becomes unpalatable. Try twenty different brands of toothpaste until YOU decide which one is the one you want, not the one with the nearly half naked model (male/female)with the thirty thousand dollar teeth.
Good to hear about McGovern - read about him in Comparative Politics class whilst at school in the dying days of the Thatcher era. Yen's comment rings true with how I remember him being received
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