Adelaide and Fringe, Feasible Socialism and French Films

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The visit to Adelaide and the Fringe Festival was very enjoyable. Most days spent with Paula and seeing her play 'Bugger Me Dead' (a faux Australian war veteran has troubles with hippie daughter and contracts cancer on retirement), seeing Gail's JPG inspired tie-and-scarf fashion parade, and meeting in real life up with Morrigan77 (hooray!).

The Fringe Festival, considered second in the world only to the Edinburgh festival, certainly had its attractions for cabaret, theatre, comedy, visual arts and music. I didn't get to see much, preferring more comprehensive visits to the State Art Gallery and State Museum. One pleasant encounter was The Kilted Generation, a meeting between trad-scots and punk. I just had to buy their CD, entitled "Liverdance".

Two disappointing items included The Baudrillard Brothers, an alleged comedy show with excellent copy ("What happens when Sigmund Freud, Michel Foucault and Roland Barthes walk into a bar?" etc), but poor (indeed, pathetic) execution and a sloppy Cajun band with French spoken with an Australian nasal twang. The Computerland exhibition - old computers from yesteryear - wasn't as good as longi could do. The exhibition was small (less than a dozen) and most of them I'd owned or worked with in the past. Also there wasn't much of an interactive element - I mean, what's the point of computers if they aren't interactive? Grumble..

Anyway, I did take the opportunity to work further on my thesis. For the first time in over I year I composed it into a single document. Over 140,000 words and over 520 pages. The spell and grammar checker crashed at page 123. At this stage I'm looking at the broader issue of changes to social formations with the introduction of communications technology. With reference to books on the history of telegraph (including a pithy document given by caseopaya, "The Victorian Internet") and radio I am leaning against postmodern interpretations of the Internet and more in favour of a modernist "industrialisation of information" orientation.

In the meantime, not to separate the means of communication from the relations of production, I took the opportunity to read Alec Nove's, The Economics of Feasible Socialism (2nd Edition 1991) which is believed to had significant influence in the transformation of the Eastern European economies. Nove's mainly critical of Marx's assumptions of abundance, central planning (ex ante assumptions prior to ex post justifications), the transformation between labour theory of value to exchange value and the disappearance of the division of labour. In general, I agree with Nove's criticisms of Marxian socialism (which in no way invalidates Marx's criticisms of capitalism!) and in fact, his "feasible socialism" is actually more "socialist" than something I would advocate. I would not, for example, claim that capitalisation is "unearned income", as he does. I do however hold that copyright and patents are. In many ways, I think my ideas about economics are a lot closer to Henry George than Karl Marx.

Have been thinking about seeing parts of the French Film Festival. (Ugh, what a terrible website). Except the copy presented for each film is very disappointing. The following may get my viewing...

Since Otar Left

Princes and Princesses and

Bon Voyage.

But in general, it's slim pickings this year. So what has happened to French culture and especially French film culture? Why has it become so self-referential and inward looking? Insidious postmodern theorists?

The Intelligence Report. Well worth a read.
www.aph.gov.au follow the links to committees, joint committee on ASIO, ASIS and the DSD.

I must admit I was warned about this debacle with
Australia purchasing US tanks. Via Lederhosen. Who also reminds us of that campaigns that attempt to divert the course of nature simply don't work. The failure of teenage sexual abstinence.

Sometimes you can't win. I thought about doing a book on basic systems administration. So I went to google and typed in "basic systems administration". What did I get?

Comments

[lefae.livejournal.com]

Aaaaaaaah was wondering where those kilted weirdos had gone to, the mall has been very quiet without them ;)

We're their biggest fans *grin*

I've got their first cd 'Music for the Kilted Generation'. Can't wait to grab their second one when they get back here :D

They rock!

[catbiscuit.livejournal.com]

I don't know whether you're into Jacques Tati, but some of his films have been digitally remastered and are about to tour Australia. It was announced on The Movie Show last week, but I've not seen any announcements as to when and where.

Also - have you seen Irma Vep? If not, seek it out - it's a rather cute film and the actors are fantastic.

[morrigan77.livejournal.com]

Abstinence is just an American word for 'maybe later' - weren't they going to abstain from war?!! Just a thought :)
It was fun to meet in the real life, internet hasn't taken over ALL forms of social interaction just yet and will never be able to replace some! Glad you did get to some of the Fringe stuff, perhaps I could dredge up some of my French and attend a film ...

Marx's socialism asumes one great leap - that all people want to live, think and share; in other words 'play nice' and we all know that ain't humanity!!!

[caseopaya.livejournal.com]

At least there are three possible films then!!! Better than last year when I only went to see Asterix :)

[zey.livejournal.com]

I would not, for example, claim that capitalisation is "unearned income", as he does. I do however hold that copyright and patents are.

We might have to disagree on this one. There are many useful and important publications and products which would not get written or produced without a profit motive.

I'll agree, however, that the current copyright and patent leglislation in force around the place takes it much too far. Creation/invention date plus 35 years in the case of patents and copyright for the life of the author (or 35 years, whichever is greater) seems fair enough to me.