Two Quotes on Excess

The mother of excess is not joy, but joylessness.

–Friedrich Nietzsche, Human, All Too Human

The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom.

–William Blake, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell

So…

Obama called Kanye West a jackass for interrupting a meaningless awards show with a rude (albeit aesthetically justified) outburst. Obama also quietly approved when Van Jones was forced to resign for calling the infinitely more contemptible Republicans “assholes.” Now, Obama did accept Joe Wilson’s apology for a similarly rude outburst (remember, when he called Obama a liar and reinforced the insane belief that healthcare reform will include taxpayer funded insurance for illegal immigrants?) because “everyone makes mistakes.” I wonder if Obama will take back what he said now that Kanye has issued his own phony apology. Obviously the difference is that Obama doesn’t need Kanye West’s support to pass legislation, but what kind of example is all this setting for the children? And if James Crowley could successfully play the hurt feelings card after receiving a few seconds of public criticism from the president, just imagine how Kanye feels being universally condemned. Well I got your back, Kanye. Fuck the haters.

Edit: Cornel West’s with me on this one! –
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/9/30/dr_cornel_west_on_his_new
(@ 53:00 mark)

Give me liberty or give me death!

Happy Independence Day!

And out of gratitude to the French for their indispensable contributions to the American victory, here’s Derrida’s essay ‘Declarations of Independence’.

Gore Vidal on The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

It was in 1972 when Nixon won and there was not much to laugh about. And I was speaking in Boston to a large, youthful audience…And somebody said, “How do you explain that we here in Massachusetts were the only state to vote for McGovern?” And I said, “Well, I could compliment you and say Boston is the Athens of America,” and they started to applaud dutifully, and I said “No, no, no.” I said “It’s not that.” I said “Since the beginning of the Republic, Massachusetts has been the most corrupt state in the Union and you know a crook when you see one!“

–Transcribed from a 2003 interview at the New York Society for Ethical Culture.

Space, Dwelling…Microwaves?

Maybe. Video of Bruno Latour and Peter Sloterdijk at Harvard available here.

(Link happily discovered on http://www.anthem-group.net/, so thanks to the intriguing hivemind that runs things over there!)

Divided Cities Conference

I’ll be volunteering for most of this next week:

Leaders from Divided Cities to Meet at UMass Boston April 14-16

Building on his successes at bringing together leaders from divided societies in South Africa, Northern Ireland, and Iraq, Padraig O’Malley, the John Joseph Moakley Distinguished Professor of Peace and Reconciliation at UMass Boston’s McCormack Graduate School of Policy Studies, is convening a meeting of leaders from places where the dividing lines run straight down city streets.

Called the “Forum for Cities in Transition” (FCT), the conference, to be held April 14 through 16, will bring together leaders and representatives from Kirkuk, Iraq; Mitrovica in Serbia and Mitrovica in Kosovo; Belfast and Derry/Londonderry in Northern Ireland; and Nicosia, Cyprus. Conceptually, the conference builds on O’Malley’s long-held belief that people from divided societies are the best people to help others in divided societies.
[...]
In addition to dealing with issues such as race, ethnicity, religion, and political ideology, as well as the geographical flashpoints within each city where different sides clash, conferees will also discuss, in smaller groups, non-partisan topics such as electricity, water, and sewer systems;seemingly mundane topics, but topics about which O’Malley believes opposing parties can find common ground, and then work towards a greater understanding.

Ultimately, said O’Malley, the hope is that the representatives will agree to form a “club” of divided cities;annual meetings with each of the participating cities hosting the others on a rotating basis. For now, though, O’Malley just hopes to bring the group together, show them their common ground, and let the participants take it from there, including the setting of each day’s agenda.
[...]
The conference will end with a public panel discussion on Thursday, April 16, at 7:30 p.m. at UMass Boston’s Campus Center, titled “Divided Cities: Common and Uncommon.” [...]“

http://www.bostonirish.com/

Two Quotes on the Law

In this sphere, in contract law that is, the moral conceptual world “guilt,” “conscience,” “duty,” “sacredness of duty” has its genesis—its beginning, like the beginning of everything great on earth, was thoroughly and prolongedly drenched in blood. And might one not add that this world has in essence never again entirely lost a certain odor of blood…?

–Nietzsche, On the Genealogy of Morality

Law does not grow by syllogistic compulsion; it is pushed by the social logic of domination and challenge to domination, forged in the interaction of change and resistance to change. It is not only in the common law that the life of the law is experience, not logic. Behind all law is someone’s story—someone whose blood, if you read closely, leaks through the lines.

–Catharine MacKinnon, Crimes of War, Crimes of Peace

“It’s only making it worse…”

I heard this discussion on the current military conflict between Israel and Hamas on the BBC World Service while driving home from Boston last night.

Chilling stuff. I haven’t been able to find any information about whether Jihad Rustum is okay.

Someone should tell Itay that the international press is being denied access to Gaza.

Alright, homies…

…let’s get drunk!

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Damn.

Y’know, given all the amphetamine that passes through human users into the sewage system, then into the water supply, and, presumably, up through the roots of thirsty flowers, it’s about time someone corrected Rimsky-Korsakov’s bumblebee for 21rst century accuracy.