Year: 2003
Charlie McCreevy, Globalisation and the Rise of the Machines
What do McCreevy, Arnie and a load of robots have in common? Arnold Schwarzenegger, fresh from machine-gunning his way across the worlds’ cinema screens, wants to be governor of California. Charlie McCreevy is the Irish Minister for Finance. The Matrix is a great movie with a dodgy sequel. What do they all have in common? The answer: globalisation. But what is it? Exactly what is it that we are all talking about? Exactly what is it that we are all protesting about? Is it about economics? Is it about cultural hegemony? Is this about arms and warfare? Or very simply, is it all about the oil? Now then, now then, rattle, rattle, jewellery, jewellery, my marbles have you seen them? The truth of the matter is that defining precisely what Globalisation is, is almost as difficult as trying to define what the so-called anti-globalisation movement wants. And I’m not getting...
July 23rd Declared ‘Robert Anton Wilson Day’
Regular readers of Blather will know that we're not given to sycophantic behaviour. We are, however, inclined towards enthuastic proselytizing about the people and things that we care about. And we care about Robert Anton Wilson. I can't even really remember how I came across his work - sometime in the mid nineties I came across his work, probably through constant references and mentions... and then getting my hands on The Illuminatus trilogy, a mad sprawling fantasy/conspiracy epic. I loved the book... but it was when I started reading Wilson's books of philosophy and psychology that I was really affected. Those who espouse Wilson's work tend to refer to how he initiated some kind of 'brain change'. This isn't some cult-like brainwashing... it's more like brainwashing yourself, or providing a path towards having fun with your own head. Robert Anton Wilson's website Maybe Logic official website Robert Anton Wilson Day...
Saints and Shinners
In a new series exploring the sexual peccadilloes of Irish political parties, we replicate the US model involving crack teams of interns, rigorously trained to penetrate the highest echelons of government. This is not mere titillation. Through Miss Kinky’s expert manipulations , we hope to gain fresh insight into the cultural preferences of our honourable elected representatives, and into the most intimate workings of the party machinery behind them. It was decided to initiate the project with Sinn Féin since, flush from their success in last year’s general erection, their representatives proved to be eager, dynamic and gifted with a ‘hands on’ approach to community interaction. Next in the series we look at Fianna Fáil, fisting and felching – don’t miss it! All experimentation was carried out by fully consenting adults, none of whom are married or members of a religious order. See No Evil, Speak no Evil Partial sensory...
Loyalty Cards, Big Brother and the Scared New World
Just what is the price of consumer loyalty... Loyalty cards, a subject in which I am intensely interested, has been popping up quite a few times in the last few weeks. Specifically, I am interested in the introduction of tracking devices in supermarkets, customer profiling and loyalty schemes. I became intrigued by this subject some months ago, when I was given a guided tour around a supermarket by a Category Manager from a large British company who specialised in the manufacture of toiletries. During our tour I asked him many questions about how supermarkets figure out what their customers want. He was more than forthcoming in spilling the beans. What started out for me as a fool’s errand, became a learning experience that left me reeling. In days gone buy, such customer related data was simply gathered by observing stock levels, basic market research and planning your store according to...
Paul Kingsnorth’s ‘One no: many yeses’
Ever wanted to know why, despite the fact that the world is getting richer, there are more people living in poverty than there ever has been before? Ever wondered what it’s all about? Ever wondered why all those people are screaming outside every meeting of the G8, the WTO and the IMF? Ever wanted to know who is in charge of this movement? Ever wanted to know who is really running the planet? Ever wanted to know the truth about capitalism? Ever wanted to know why economies are run the way they are? Ever wanted to know why, despite the fact that the world is getting richer, there are more people living in poverty than there ever has been before? Paul Kingsnorths’ new book ‘One No: Many Yeses’ answers all of these questions. Part social commentary, part social document, part travelogue, part rant, part vision – this book has left...
For Sale: Portal to Hollow Earth
Richard Shaver's studio is for sale! No bids yet, but they're looking for US $2,799.00 Doug Skinner got in touch to tell us about an oddity amongst oddities on ebay.com: Richard Shaver's Studio Only five hours left! Richard Shaver's Art Read more about Richard Shaver Previous mentions of Shaver on blather.net
Roman Villas, Birthday cakes and Blisters
Well, I finally got to indulge myself with one of my long held dreams over the weekend and went digging on a Roman site. <!-- --> This was the Roman villa at Bignor. I don’t know if any of you have ever had a chance to visit this place, but Christ it’s special. The mosaics they have uncovered there are quite spectacular – the most notable being a Medusa head flanked by representations of the four seasons and then in another room, Venus surrounded by duelling gladiators. There is also an exposed hypercaust which is wonderful. The event in question was one of those open weekends where kids are invited to come along and get shown basic digging techniques and live out their Time Team fantasies. I spent half the day on my face trowelling through a test pit (the aray of blisters on my hands are testament to this)...
The Fourth Yoke
Infidels, Liberals and Free Lovers... The fourth issue of The Yoke is out now! ___________________ The Press Release: Propaganda, property, sexual preferences of Irish political parties, corruption, life before and after death, satire and fish - it's the fourth yoke magazine. The Yoke (see www.theyoke.net) is a noble web and print publishing enterprise that chronic underfunding and total lack of experience cannot defeat. Once again The Yokels have triumphed over these petty hurdles - the fourth yoke includes illuminating articles on American identity, Isabel Allende?s vision of life after death, what Roisin Ingle and Eugene O?Brien (Eden) would do with one day left to live and how Sinn Fein feel about bondage sex games. The Yoke is a veritable 'how-to' guide to changing your world, fearlessly surfing the postmodern dilemmas of the global generation. The Yoke is distributed to bookshops and newsagents throughout the UK and Ireland by Eason Wholesale,...
An Army of Leprechauns
Taken from the 'never to be finished in a millenia of sundays' novel Mysterious Ways... Michael was having a rough day. He decided that a drink would be a good idea. A very good idea indeed... He shuffled through the door of the pub and straight to the bar without looking at any of the forlorn figures who were scattered around the tables and chairs. “Howdy pardner” said Conor from behind the bar. He was a tall and gaunt man, with unkempt black hair and huge, bent Roman nose which had quite obviously seen better days. His chin was decorated with a short beard and his top lip with an enormous handlebar moustache. He was also notable for his enormous feet and hands, a fact which a great many women seemed to take notice of. “Evening Conor” said Michael, forcing a half smile out of the corners of his down-turned...
Goddamit, we’re back
We took a rest because of restructuring. Out with the old, in with the new. Jesus I mean, we only installed the whole Shitegeist thing in May... but progress waits for no man. Actually, it waited for me... and we were, I mean I was, upgrading the blog software to Movable Type.