NOT BORED! writes:

Translator's Introduction to Guy Debord's
Comments on the Society of the Spectacle

In his "Translator's Note" to his (truly terrible) translation of Guy Debord's Comments on the Society of the Spectacle into English (Verso 1990, reprinted 1998), Malcolm Imrie states:

The French edition of Comments has no footnotes, and it would have been inappropriate to add any to this translation. However, with the author's approval, I have included these brief notes on certain references and allusions that might otherwise remain unnecessarily obscure to English readers.

In August 2004, we found ourselves in strong disagreement with this assessment: footnotes would definitely have helped many readers to better understand Comments, in part because some of the historical events to which Debord refers or alludes aren't very known (have been suppressed, obscured or completely forgotten) in English-speaking countries; and in part because Debord himself "take[s] care not to instruct just anybody." In the absence of such explanations, Debord seemed paranoid (which he wasn't) and his references seemed figural (when they are in fact historical). And so we added 40 brand-new footnotes, while at the same time preserving those written by Imrie. On some occasions, when we found Imrie's notes to be incomplete, we added more information.

Call for Support for Haitian Father Jean-Juste

Here's an action you can take for Father Jean-Juste, prominent Haitian priest,
popular among the poor, and a possible presidential candidate that the interim
regime in Haiti is attempting to silence. See an excellent Village Voice
article below that describes his arrest, his ongoing detention, and the
possible reasons why the Haitian regime is doing this.

stevphen writes:

Continental Drift Seminar

Brian Holmes

Enrollment info for Continental Drift Seminar with Brian Holmes

Part I — Sept, (12) and (15–18)
Part II — Oct (20–24).

Contents

0. Invite
1. Dates
2. About Seminar Format and Schedule
3. How to Enroll? + Funding
4. Continental Drift — An Overview
5. About Brian Holmes
6. Specifics

_______________________________________
0. Invite

We are pleased to invite you to participate in a Seminar with Brian Holmes this September and October online and at 16Beaver.

There are two possible ways of joining:
1. to physically attend in NYC
2. to participate via webcast

We will give more information about the online version, as we have details, so for this email, we focus on the physical participation.

Continental Drift is a modular and experimental seminar that will attempt to embark upon the "impossible" task of articulating the immense
geopolitical and economic shifts which took place between 1989-2001, the effects of those changes on the emerging bodies of governance (i.e., the formation of economic blocs like EU or NAFTA) and in turn the effects on subjectivity. Having witnessed the incredible vibrancy of social movements which took hold in that same period, the seminar acknowledges that new modes of control and channeling of various flows have merited a shift in tactics and strategies. The question of "what now?" is precisely at the core of our study. "The goal, then, is to map out the majority models of self and group within each of the emerging continental systems, to see how they function within the megamachines of production and conquest – and at the same time, to cross the normative borders they put into effect, in order to trace microcartographies of difference, dissent, deviance and refusal."

We hope you will be able to join us in what should be an open and critical discussion.