Recently, I had a conversation about blogging with my partner, who is a Montessori teacher. Often times as we share a ride home from work, she will discuss some aspect of her work day that leaves me impressed with her knowledge and insight about teaching and child development. More than once, I have suggested to her that she start a blog to share that knowledge and more than once she has shot down the idea,…
A Sililoquy on the Cassette Tape and other Analog Wonders
Yes, I know it’s 2010 (pronounced “twenty-ten”), and I know that nostalgia for the analog age is a 30-something cliche, and I know the cassette has become a sickening node of ironic culture. But for just a few minutes, I ask you to set aside your pernicious Family Guy-inspired liking for hackneyed 80s references to consider the cassette as it should be understood: as a lost assertion of our basic rights, a technological and social…
The Spectacle, the Social Web and You
“The only historically justified tactic is extremist innovation” – Debord & Wolman, A User’s Guide to Détournement (1956) I’ve been thinking about the Situationists for about a decade now, after learning of Guy Debord’s Society of the Spectacle in some Propagandhi liner notes (I think) about a decade ago. Sadly, after all that time, I’ve developed no great insights as to what the hell they were talking about. I mean, I get the gist if…
Liberal Guerillas to Fling Terror Poo at G-20 Summit!
I will rarely address current events on this site, but a friend of mine in PA sent me a link to a completely ridiculous story from KDKA TV News Pittsburgh, a CBS affiliate. Hit the break for the video and the full story, annotated with my first hand clarifications. If you think Fox News is the only one towing the right wing agenda, think again. Luckily, these dupes are so roundly unconcerned with journalistic standards…
Jun 24, 2009 | by James Calder 1
I Studied Medieval History Because I Thought it was the Metal Thing to Do
Yes, that’s true. I even got a Master’s Degree. Now, I like history and other humanities for lots of reasons, not just because they’re sometimes kind of metal, but I figured that with my first post on this site I’d return to my roots and original reasons for liking history. Strangely enough, this post will sort of fit in thematically with some of my others that are in the works in that one of my…
