Resources for February 20, 2014

Lee, Kevin. "Finding Freedom the Second Time Around: The Politics of Before Sunset." Senses of Cinema (October 2004)

Carlin, Dan. "Neutral Nets & Reform Bets." Common Sense #268 (January 20, 2014) ["President Obama floats some reform ideas for the gathering of data by the NSA and a judge strikes a blow against Net Neutrality. Dan has a few long-winded thoughts on both these subjects."]




serendipity \sair-un-DIP-uh-tee\

noun : the faculty or phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for; also : an instance of this

EXAMPLES

We found the restaurant by pure serendipity, rather than careful research, but it turned out to be the best deal in town.

"Many young people today have never had the experience of getting lost.… They have not experienced the pleasure of wandering while lost and discovering by serendipity interesting new places." — From an op-ed by Katie Davis and Howard Gardner in the Seattle Times, January 7, 2014

In the mid-1700s, English author Horace Walpole stumbled upon an interesting tidbit of information while researching a coat of arms. In a letter to his friend Horace Mann he wrote: "This discovery indeed is almost of that kind which I call Serendipity, a very expressive word, which as I have nothing better to tell you, I shall endeavor to explain to you: you will understand it better by the derivation than by the definition. I once read a silly fairy tale, called 'The Three Princes of Serendip': as their highnesses travelled, they were always making discoveries, by accidents and sagacity, of things they were not in quest of…." Walpole's memory of the tale (which, as it turns out, was not quite accurate) gave "serendipity" the meaning it retains to this day.


Democracy Now headlines for February 19, 2014:



Cox, Laverne and CeCe McDonald. "'Black Trans Bodies Are Under Attack': Freed Activist CeCe McDonald, Actress Laverne Cox Speak Out." Democracy Now (February 19, 2014)

Sustainable World Coalition. Sustainable World Sourcebook. Berkeley, CA: New Society Publishers, 2010.

Feldman, Karen. "Walter Benjamin and his 'Artwork' essay." Entitled Opinions (July 3, 2013) [They are discussing Benjamin's 1936 essay: "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction"

Anti-Oedipus was lobbed into the fray like an intellectual cluster bomb -- it had multiple targets, from the primacy of the signifier in linguistics to the dependency on lack in psychoanalysis, but its primary objective was (as Michel Foucault astutely points out in his highly influential preface to the English translation) to caution us against the fascist inside, the desire to seize power for oneself. The principle thesis of Anti-Oedipus, around which its many conceptual inventions turn, is that revolution is not primarily or even necessarily a matter of taking power. Insofar as taking power means preserving all the old institutions and ideas in which power is invested it could even be said that revolutions of this type are actually counter-revolutionary in purpose and intent because they change nothing essential. By the same token, Deleuze and Guattari were concerned about the allure of power, its apparent ability to drive us to desire to be placed under its yoke. The most important political question, as far as Deleuze and Guattari are concerned, is how it is possible for desire to act against its interest. (Buchanan, Ian. Deleuze and Guattari's Anti-Oedipus. NY: Continuum, 2008: 21.)

Benton, Michael Dean. "Notes on Anti-Oedipus: Capitalism and Schizophernia." Dialogic (February 20, 2014)

HUM 221: Contemporary Peace & Conflict Studies (Spring 2015)

[Gathering resources -- suggestions welcome]


Hedges, Chris. War is a Force That Gives Us Meaning. NY: Random House, 2003.

Klein, Naomi. Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism. NY: Metropolitan Books, 2007.

Solnit, Rebecca. A Paradise Built in Hell: The Extraordinary Communities That Arise in Disaster. NY: Viking, 2009.

Resources for February 18, 2014

Mador, Chase. "The Over-Policing of America: Police Overkill Has Entered the DNA of Social Policy." TomDispatch (December 8, 2013)

Copps, Michael. "Former FCC Commissioner Warns About Comcast-Time Warner Merger, "Mindless" Media Consolidation." Democracy Now (February 17, 2014)





Assange, Julian and Michael Ratner. "Julian Assange on Being Placed on NSA "Manhunting" List & Secret Targeting of WikiLeaks Supporters." Democracy Now (February 18, 2014)

Radack, Jesselyn. "Attorney for Edward Snowden Interrogated at U.K. Airport, Placed on 'Inhibited Persons List'" Democracy Now (February 18, 2014)

Radack, Jesselyn and Michael Ratner. "Spying on Lawyers: Snowden Documents Show NSA Ally Targeted U.S. Law Firm." Democracy Now (February 18, 2014)

Greenhouse, Steven. "Republican-Funded, Anti-Labor Campaign Succeeds in Tennessee As Volkswagen Workers Reject UAW Union." Democracy Now (February 18, 2014)

Mirrlees, Tanner. "How to Read Iron Man: The Economics, Geopolitics and Ideology of an Imperial Film Commodity." Cineaction #92 (2014)

Carlin, Dan. "The Challenges of Living Dangerously." Common Sense #269 (February 5, 2014) ["The death of actor Phillip Seymour Hoffman has Dan contemplating how society might better handle the vagaries of human nature if we would be honest about what human beings often want."]

Resources for February 17, 2014

Cocozza, Paula. "Oppressed Majority: the film about a world run by women that went viral." The Guardian (February 11, 2014)

Wade, Lisa. "U.S. Rare in the Spending of More Money on the Education of Rich Children." Sociological Images (December 8, 2013)

Marks, Ben. "Trailing Angela Davis, from FBI Flyers to 'Radical Chic' Art." Collector's Weekly (July 3, 2013)

Huffington Post: "Texas Sports Anchor Dal Hansen Delivers Jaw-Dropping Speech On Gay NFL Players"











IndieWire: "The 15 Best Documentaries Of 2013"


Merriam-Webster's Word-of-the-Day

probity \PROH-buh-tee\

noun : adherence to the highest principles and ideals : uprightness

EXAMPLES

The tale of young George Washington's refusal to tell a lie after cutting down his father's cherry tree was told to us as grade schoolers to illustrate his probity.

"The Senate has confirmed Jeh Johnson, once the Pentagon's top lawyer, to lead the Department of Homeland Security. Mr. Johnson brings a sharp legal mind and reputation for probity to the job." — From an editorial in The New York Times, December 26, 2013

"Probity" and its synonyms "honesty," "honor," and "integrity" all mean uprightness of character or action, with some slight differences in emphasis. "Honesty" implies a refusal to lie or deceive in any way. "Honor" suggests an active or anxious regard for the standards of one's profession, calling, or position. "Integrity" implies trustworthiness and incorruptibility to a degree that one is incapable of being false to a trust, responsibility, or pledge. "Probity," which descends from Latin "probus," meaning "honest," implies tried and proven honesty or integrity.


Jessleyn Radack for Daily Kos: "Clapper's Spin Unravels in Congressional Testimony: Cannot Keep His Story Straight on Snowden"

Resources for February 15, 2014

Merriam-Webster Word-of-the-Day
crepitateAudio \KREP-uh-tayt\

DEFINITION

verb: to make a crackling sound : to make a series of short, sharp noises

EXAMPLES

Most of the tiny town's residents had something to contribute to the bonfire, and it burned brightly and crepitated loudly late into the night.

"A familiar synthetic beat starts the disc…. The band slowly fills in around the pulse, wind blowing through tunnels, factories moaning, yawning infrastructure, broken, creaking. Embers of some final blast crepitating." — From a music review by David King in Metroland, October 17, 2013

"Crepitate" comes from the Latin word "crepitare," meaning "to crackle." It has been used with this meaning since the late 1820s, but it had a previous life: about 200 years prior it was used to mean "to break wind." That meaning is now obsolete, and the word has no embarrassing remnants. In addition to its general use as a synonym of "crackle," "crepitate" also has a specific medical meaning—"to produce or experience crepitation." "Crepitation" here refers to a grating or crackling sound or sensation, such as that produced by the fractured ends of a bone moving against each other.


Ham, Julie. "Can Immigration Officers Predict Trafficking by Looking at Women’s Underwear?" Border Criminologies (September 12, 2013)

Democracy Now: "Debate: Was Snowden Justified? Former NSA Counsel Stewart Baker vs. Whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg."

Musgrave, Beth. "Council members want more details about financing for Rupp Arena renovation." Lexington Herald-Leader (February 14, 2014)

Three Oscar Nominated Documentaries:

Rowley, Rick and Jeremy Scahill. "Dirty Wars: Jeremy Scahill and Rick Rowley’s New Film Exposes Hidden Truths of Covert U.S. Warfare." Democracy Now (January 22, 2013)

Oppenheimer, Joshua. "The Act of Killing: New Film Shows U.S.-Backed Indonesian Death Squad Leaders Re-enacting Massacres." Democracy Now (July 19, 2013)

Noujaim, Jehane. "The Square: Jehane Noujaim’s New Film Captures Egypt’s Ongoing Revolution After Mubarak’s Fall." Democracy Now (January 25, 2014)

The Square (Egypt/USA: Jehane Noujaim, 2013) [Ongoing archive of resources on Dialogic Cinephilia)

Resources for February 13, 2014

Ahmed, Nafeez, Keith Allen and Sibel Edmonds. "Unlawful Killing (Secrets of the UK and US Establishments)." Unwelcome Guests #680 (February 8, 2014)

Democracy Now reports:

"Death By Metadata: Jeremy Scahill & Glenn Greenwald Reveal NSA Role in Assassinations Overseas"

"Report: Obama Administration Considers Assassinating Another American Overseas"

"Defying Threats to Journalism, Jeremy Scahill & Glenn Greenwald Launch New Venture, The Intercept"





Juzwiak, Rich. "Watch Creationists Talking About Creationism." Gawker (February 11, 2014)





Amato, Peter. All Opinions are Not Equal: Critical Reasoning Theory & Practice. (Drexel University: 2014)

Dobson, Teresa M. and Tammy Iftody. "Consciousness and Complexity in Waking Life" Complicity: An International Journal of Complexity and Education 6.1 (2009)

Jones, Kent. "To Live or Clarify the Moment: Rick Linklater’s Waking Life." Senses of Cinema (March 2002)

Resources for February 11, 2014

Benton, Michael Dean. "Exploring the Nature and Causes of Violence in Film." Uprooting Criminology (February 10, 2014)

Morley, David and Bill Schwarz. "Stuart Hall obituary: Influential cultural theorist, campaigner and founding editor of the New Left Review." The Guardian (February 10, 2014)

In The Guardian: "Washington state to suspend death penalty by governor's moratorium: ‘There are too many flaws in this system,’ Governor Jay Inslee says as he announces stay on capital punishment."





Adams, Tim. "Jazz Fan, Hipster and a Leftwing Hero; The Remarkable Journey of Stuart Hall." The Observer (August 18, 2013)

Check out Glenn Greenwald's, Laura Poitras' and Jermey Scahill's new online publication The Intercept: here is the "about" description:

"The Intercept, a publication of First Look Media, was created by Glenn Greenwald, Laura Poitras, and Jeremy Scahill. It has a two-fold mission: one short-term, the other long-term. Our short-term mission is to provide a platform to report on the documents previously provided by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden. Although we are still building our infrastructure and larger vision, we are launching now because we believe we have a vital obligation to this ongoing and evolving story, to these documents, and to the public. Our NSA coverage will be comprehensive, innovative and multi-faceted. We have a team of experienced editors and journalists devoted to the story. We will use all forms of digital media for our reporting. In addition, we will publish primary source documents on which our reporting is based. We will also invite outside experts with area knowledge to contribute to our reporting, and provide a platform for commentary and reader engagement. Our long-term mission is to produce fearless, adversarial journalism across a wide range of issues. The editorial independence of our journalists will be guaranteed. They will be encouraged to pursue their passions, cultivate a unique voice, and publish stories without regard to whom they might anger or alienate. We believe the prime value of journalism is its power to impose transparency, and thus accountability, on the most powerful governmental and corporate bodies, and our journalists will be provided the full resources and support required to do this. While our initial focus will be the critical work surrounding the NSA story, we are excited by the opportunity to grow with our readers into the broader and more comprehensive news outlet that the The Intercept will become.

Blackburn, Robin. "Stuart Hall, February 3rd, 1932-to February 10th, 2014: An Obituary." Verso Books (February 10, 2014)

Stu Johnson for WEKU podcasts an interview: "Mayoral Candidate Danny Mayer to Focus Beyond Downtown Lexington"

Stuart Hall (1932 - 2014)

Stuart Hall was a major part of my intellectual development and an exemplary role model as an educator. He will be missed, but more importantly, he will be remembered in the works/lives of those he inspired. This will be an ongoing archive of materials by/about Stuart Hall. I welcome suggestions of materials to include in this archive.


Adams, Tim. "Jazz Fan, Hipster and a Leftwing Hero; The Remarkable Journey of Stuart Hall." The Observer (August 18, 2013)

Blackburn, Robin. "Stuart Hall, February 3rd, 1932-to February 10th, 2014: An Obituary." Verso Books (February 10, 2014)

Hall, Stuart. "The Neoliberal Revolution." Soundings # 48 (Summer 2011): 9-28.

Morley, David and Bill Schwarz. "Stuart Hall obituary: Influential cultural theorist, campaigner and founding editor of the New Left Review." The Guardian (February 10, 2014)

Today We Fight Back

Resources for February 9, 2014

Mooney, Chris. "Why Bill Nye Won the Creationism Debate Last Night." Mother Jones (February 5, 2014)

Harvard University Press provides a video and articles on Thomas Piketty's new book Capital in the Twenty-First Century

Eco, Umberto. "Senses of Semantics." Harvard University Press Blog (January 24, 2014)








Krul, Matthijs. "Mandela and Socialism." The Northstar (December 9, 2013)

Allen, Woody. "Woody Allen Speaks Out." The New York Times (February 9, 2014)





Blake Farmer for NPR: "Tennessee Weighs The Cost Of A Free College Education"

Scott Neumann for NPR: "French Court Orders Google To Display Notice On Its Search Page"