I just got back from seeing The Corporation. It should be opening in a theatre-near-you this summer and you *must* see it. OMG. It’s a complete unpacking of the current corporation culture in which we reside. Coupled with getting to hear Lakoff speak again today, i’m in land of deep thought about the corporate/political regime.

The opening segment of the movie explains how a corporation is treated as a person in legal statute. Yet, by applying the DSM-IV to the corporate individual, a clear diagnosis emerges: psychopath. Consider these symptoms of a psychopath:
– Glibness/superficial charm
– Grandiose sense of self-worth
– Need for stimulation, with a proneness to boredom
– Pathological lying
– Conning and manipulating behaviors
– No sense of remorse or guilt
– A very shallow emotional affect – they display emotions they don’t really feel
– A lack of empathy for others
– They are parasitic – they live off of others
– They are impulsive, and show poor control over their behaviors
– They tend to be promiscuous
– Their behavior problems start early in life
– They cannot form long-term plans that are realistic
– They are impulsive, and irresponsible
– They do not accept responsibility for their actions – another caused it
– Marital relationships are short, and many
– They display juvenile delinquency
– They violate probation often
– Their criminality is diverse

Monkey!
You are a cheeky Monkey.
We find you funny.

Monkey, Ninja, Pirate, Robot?
brought to you by Quizilla

How on earth am i a monkey? Robot robot robot.

Moose pointed me to Michelle’s personal path through kitsch and beyond in her art. There’s something really compelling about it for me… embedded in the description of her path through art is a discussion about growing up. Of course, it really helps that it starts out with an analysis of Ween because i really do adore those guys.

I know that i’m growing up. It’s a weird feeling to know that, with each breath, there’s a bit more change occurring (and a few more creases in the boyd). I mean, there has to be because all i can see is the big differences… i have to imagine that it’s a smoothed out interpolation. All the same, i find myself getting lamer. I don’t just stay out to stay out and i prefer sleep to caffeine. I no longer feel the compulsion to fit in with the freaks by actively following the social norms and i’ve stopped trying to make small talk with anyone whose initial discussion points involve drugs, sex or the music. Perhaps it’s just another shift, but it’s funny to taste the changes, to start accepting that i don’t have to be a caricature of myself. Ah, the new form of identity crisis… getting stuck in the identity that you constructed for yourself.

Of course, i still love kitsch and i still love Ween.

It has been way too long since i went to an underground performance art event. If you live in the Bay Area, you need to go see the bright river: a mass-transit tour of the afterlife next weekend. It was absolutely stunning.

Imagine Shalom Alecheim and Raymond Chandler got together and decided to rewrite Dante’s Inferno, and you have the basic premise for The Bright River. A dizzying journey through a world spinning helplessly out of control, the show sends audiences on a mass-transit tour of the afterlife. Guided by a fixer named Quick, and moving through an urban landscape that is at once both intensely real and fantastic, the show is a cinema verite look at life and death in America.

Trained as a traditional Jewish storyteller and oral historian, Tim Barsky has been getting increasing attention for his unique style of performance, which blends hip-hop, physical theatre and folklore. Tim is also the world’s first beatbox flutist, an aural prestidigitator capable of producing up to 8 rhythms and melodies at the same time. He is joined by the members of Everyday Theatre, a group of musicians drawn from the underground hip-hop and klezmer communities. Bassist and drummer Shree Shyam, cellist Jess Ivry, and beatboxer/ vocal percussionist Andrew Chaikin bring a diverse set of skills and traditions to bear. And physical theatre maestro Jeff Raz brings a wealth of tradition to the production in his role as directorial consultant.

Fantastic storytelling and the best beatbox artist i’ve seen. Go out and support fantastic local art!

Update: This show has had extreme success and will be re-opening in the Bay Area from December 1, 2004-January 16, 2005. Click here for more information. (Brought to you by too much Google juice.)

My friend Amos just posted a great entry on his blog, examining issues the usage of the term ‘they’ and the rules of institutions, ‘high’ class and ‘objective’ science (complete with links to interesting articles on synesthesia and vocabulary). I love when my friends weave stories through utterly fascinating ideas.

Slave labor has emerged a new trend: primate programming

After a group of friends “gift economied” all of their condiments, another friend posted a great reference – Table of Condiments That Periodically Go Bad

Travelocity and Burning Tours invites you to Burning Man 2003! Come experience the colorful sights, the amazing sounds, and interesting people that come to this grand festival in the Nevada desert every year!

For only $1400, you can purchase the Travelocity Burning Man Package, which includes 14 meals, Burning Man 2003 ticket, modern air-conditioned tent with private sleeping areas and a separate toilet facility, a professional Burning Man guide and much much more!

[Yes, this is a joke. The problem is that it’s actually believable.]

I’m very proud to help a variety of people access Ani Difranco lyrics through my website, but an email today made me realize that my help extends to surprising places:

We went to an Ani gig last night, and because one of us is deaf, the kind folks at RBR gave us a setlist and printed out the lyrics. Rather than getting the words from one of their own sources, Ani’s tour manager went to your site and downloaded them from there.

When i applied to Berkeley, it never dawned on me that classes might begin *before* Labor Day. It’s Berkeley, neighbor of San Francisco, the city that moves to Black Rock for a week at the end of August. How dare they!?!? I went through a great deal of strife trying to figure out how i would get myself out of this one and was utterly relieved when my mumbling lead-in statement to my new advisor “So…. i uh noticed that well classes seem to umm start on umm August 25…” was responded to with “Don’t worry, no one shows up for the first week – they’re all at Burning Man. SIMS even has a camp going.”

Much relief.

But apparently i’m not the only one who worries about these things. In the latest Jack Rabbit Speaks (the announcement list for Burning Man), a student at Berkeley wrote a letter entitled “August: A Bad Time to be a Berkeley Grandmother.” It’s hysterical. Click here to read more…

Continue reading →