odonian revolt

cville / biking / goonies

noreply@blogger.com (adrogersam) — Fri, 16 May 2008 02:25:00 +0000

Well, oddly enough blogging hasn't been coming naturally to me--but I want to bring it back and anyway I read somewhere recently that blogging about blogging is a cardinal sin so that's enough on that.

My departure from Charlottesville is imminent (about three weeks now) so it's time to (a) live it up and (b) reflect on what I like about this place. One thing I've always liked is these taxis with the puns on them ("punishment" as Rat would say), so here's my favorite one of late which happens to be parked around the corner from my house on the regular.

Let's see what else: this week is Bike Week in Charlottesville which is pretty sweet. I got some fruit and reflectors and stuff at a "bicycle pit stop" today and entered a raffle to win an awesome oldschool bike from Syklos. All that stuff was from the city & biking advocacy group ACCT, but tomorrow Community Bikes gets in on the action with the first Bike-In Movie of the season

By the way, another thing I like about Charlottesville is Shelly's signs/posters/handwriting/etc., an example of which is the Bike Week sign (also, that might look like my car in the picture but it's not, I was on my bike, so there). For the Bike-In Movie we are showing THE GOONIES, which I'm pretty psyched for, seeing as it's basically the first movie I ever remember seeing. (I really hope it doesn't rain on us--it's raining here now.)

And I can't really talk Goonies without mentioning the NES game, which was one of my favorites as a kid. Watch the YouTube clip below for a trip down memory lane -- the audio at 4 minutes in is like the soundtrack to my childhood.

Space Disco 3000: WTJU marathon tonight

noreply@blogger.com (adrogersam) — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 16:32:00 +0000

Jake & I will be on the radio tonight, trying to rustle up some cash for WTJU. Tune in to 91.1FM if you're in C-ville or at http://wtju.net/stream.rb if you are afar. See the show description below, and for more information on the marathon, go here:
http://wtju.net/cache.rb/marathons/spring2008/index

Space Disco 3000

When:	Tuesday, April 01 11:00PM - 1:00AM
Hosted by:	The CEO & DJ Atom
Category:	Rock

Finally, disco is back. Check in with The CEO and DJ Atom for a show that celebrates the far-out, danceable sounds of electro-disco. We'll explore the mutant disco of Cristina and Was (Not Was), the electronic sounds of classic German and Italo disco and check out the new wave of disco sounds courtesy of LCD Soundsystem, Chromatics and Daft Punk. This is a can't-miss show for anyone who wants to experience the dance floor of the future.

The studio will look something like this:

Remembering Mikey Dread & Joe Gibbs

noreply@blogger.com (adrogersam) — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 05:39:00 +0000

Well, the record score of my last post has pushed me into where we all probably knew this blog was going, which was into my love of music, and here is a place for me to move that forward. In the past few weeks, the reggae world (which is the whole world) has lost two great pioneers and giants of roots music, producer extraordinaire Joe Gibbs and radio DJ turned reggae superstar Michael Campbell aka Mikey Dread the "Dread at the Controls."

First things first, I'm going to be doing a musical tribute to these greats on my radio show, Reggae Vibrations, today from 2:00 to 4:00 PM Eastern on WTJU 91.1 FM in Charlottesville. Listen live online here.

I won't attempt to write their obituaries, as more capable and suitable people have done that already (for Gibbs here, and Campbell here). However, I would like to share a bit of their work, and what they've done for reggae music. You would do well to check out all of this stuff, but at least look at the first clip for each of these guys. And do yourself a favor and turn the volume UP.

MIKEY DREAD
Mikey Dread - at the controls live in the dancehall, London 1981:

Mikey Dread - "Natural Roots"

JOE GIBBS: the Youtube tributes to Joe Gibbs consist mostly of record-play videos; sooner or later, I'll be making these myself, but for now you should enjoy the following:

Junior Murvin - "Cool Out Son" produced by Joe Gibbs:

Joe Gibbs & the Professionals - "Runnings Irie" (Money in my Pocket version)

If you want to hear Mikey Dread in action you can download one of his JBC radio shows on Rapidshare here. Shit's ridiculous: "Michael, you make me feel so good!"

Also, I'll be DJing tonight in Harrisonburg at Clementine if you'll be around the area or know people there who might enjoy it.

Score! Lots of Disco-Funk Records

noreply@blogger.com (adrogersam) — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 06:20:00 +0000

This weekend I made probably the biggest record score I've had in my young record-digger's life. I came across a fairly large (100+) record collection in a thrift store, obviously all from the same person/place. It's almost all disco-funk from 1976-1978, but there's some soul and some avant-spiritual jazz in there as well.

Above are records holding two of my favorite disco tracks of all time: Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band ("Cherchez La Femme") and Esther Williams ("Last Night Changed It All"). These are the two I'm most thrilled about--they might not be the rarest of the bunch, but they'll get the dancefloor moving when needed.

It seems like they must have come from a radio station, 'cause most of the records are promos, and some of them are even still sealed, like the copy of Cloud One's disco classic "Spaced Out" above. Some of these records are clearly worth some money , but that'll reveal itself at a later date. For now, they're just a joy to listen through and look at. John, James, & Ali were hanging out tonight, and we were all pretty enamored with the totally 70s graphic design of the album covers. And I'm getting psyched for the next dance party--naturally, I'm thrilled.

Secretly Vegan #1: Girl Scout Cookies!!

noreply@blogger.com (adrogersam) — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 18:37:00 +0000

With this post, I'm starting a new segment of the blog, called Secretly Vegan. I'll be surveying different foods which are secretly or surprisingly vegan. Vegan for those of you not in the know means no animal products whatsoever involved in the making of this product. And this is a particularly good example of the fact that vegan does not equal healthy.

So anyway, I was surprised to find that these two types of Girl Scout cookies are completely vegan: "Lemonades" and "Thanks-A-Lots." Note that the name Thanks-A-Lots is trademarked so don't even think about using it to brand your new greeting card line or Solja Boy single. You'll notice old favorites Thin Mints and Samoas didn't make the list, but these two are pretty good. And it's encouraging to know that the GSA are pushing the vegan option at a very young age--I wonder if they have a Tofu Cream Cheese merit badge?

NCOR this weekend in DC

noreply@blogger.com (adrogersam) — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 16:36:00 +0000

This weekend is the National Conference on Organized Resistance, still going strong after ten years. It's held at American University in Washington DC, I've been the last three years, and it's a really amazing experience. The conference attracts a wide variety of generally leftist types, with a large showing of anarchists, and a great number of hard-working activists ready to share tactics and stories. It's a learning environment, one that always inspires and educates me.

What are we resisting? Oppression, racism, sexism, capitalism, tendencies toward fascism, the commodification of everything, destruction of the planet, war... just to name a few.

Check out the workshop schedule here (pdf) and the film schedule here.
Basically the way the thing goes down is there are workshops all day long Saturday and Sunday, with films going on at the same time. The workshops range from academic lectures to group discussions to skillshares, the full gamut. Some are more inclusive/interactive, others are more just one knowledgeable person talking a lot. But there's always way too many I want to attend, which is not a terrible problem to have.

I'm most excited this year for the Radical Theory Track being offered by the Institute for Anarchist Studies. This is a rare opportunity to think and talk about anarchism in a really intellectual, academic setting. This is the second year IAS is doing this, and last year it was incredible to get so deep into theory with so many different, informed perspectives (40 or so people from different parts of the country, different levels of experience, etc.) in the room. See the link above for a preview of the workshops they're offering. Also, the NCOR site has descriptions of all the workshops here, which are good to look at beforehand so as to not be confused or overwhelmed when you get there.

So I guess that brings me to this: anyone want to go with me? Locals (Cville), we could carpool, others we could meet up there. The conference is only 12 bucks which includes lunch both days, and they offer a place to stay (but I know plenty of people up there too). Maybe we could find a show to go to Saturday night, too. If you're up for only one day, mention that, because there's other rides available and it might work out just right. Talk to me.

"Did somebody just get faint?"

noreply@blogger.com (adrogersam) — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 05:01:00 +0000

For some reason, these are the two videos that have stuck with me from the slew of primary season youtubing.

The first is kinda weird, but is somehow endlessly amusing to me. It's just a compilation of recordings of Obama's responses to different people fainting in the crowd at his speeches. You get some strange sliver of his personality coming through that's kinda charming: "You probably didn't eat lunch--that's the problem." This is a man who eats lunch.

By the way, unless you're a glutton for punishment don't bother with the comments on the Youtube page. They range from idiotic racist stuff to weirdo conspiracy theory suggestions to fawning Obama-love. Sounds like a microcosm of our political system, now that I think of it.

The next one is more obviously comedic--it's a parody of the popular Obama "Yes We Can" video made by will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas. Someone re-did it using some of John McCain's most egregious statements, and it comes off pretty well.

I don't mean to come off as a cynic and surely don't think this situation is (only) laughable, but I don't go placing my hope for change in a politician either. I did vote, mind you, and for Obama (he eats lunch, after all), but I don't think real structural change (the kind we desperately need) will come from a president. I don't even think he's a good candidate, but I'm confident (hopeful?) our government would kill less people if he became president, and that matters a lot.

Now if you could make some space, I just need to drink a little water.

Fear not / Finally done!

noreply@blogger.com (adrogersam) — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 04:12:00 +0000

Dear Reader,
Fear not. The blog hasn't gone under, just by the wayside as I've finished up my applications for library school. Speaking of that, here's the seals of the schools I've applied to, and yes, I also wish they were that kind of seal, but they are not. Expect a flurry of posts in the next few days as I attempt to catch up on my blog's purported frequency. And you can call, write, and invite me out to do things again, 'cause I'll have a lot more free time now.

OK, I can't say no to you:

And one more, just to keep you crazy:

Thanks, Google Image Search!

best spam ever / robot poetry

noreply@blogger.com (adrogersam) — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 07:56:00 +0000

This is probably the best reason I've got to hang on to my Yahoo! account, especially now that Microsoft is trying to take over the Internet by buying it (see Google's response here). I've still yet to receive any spam on Gmail, so I rely on Yahoo to keep me up to date.

This one above is probably the best I've read, though I have to admit enjoying weekly offers of millions from Burkina Faso. I guess these spammers (or "Beaulah Rosu" herself), just gave up on trying to get your attention and decided to use reverse psychology? (Worked on me.)

Or maybe, just maybe, some of the spambots caught wind of the growing AI poetry revolution (see example below), following the lead of Flowerewolf out of the shackles of consumer servitude to the heights of aesthetic innovation? Is this the new surrealism?

Unfortunately, the link to Downloaadable Softtware was dead, so I have no idea what mystery was behind that underlined blue door... but here are some more examples of the spampoets' work.

As for the work itself, I think it's deliciously confusing. There's enough substance to bring you in: the characters are distant yet poised, and bound inextricably. The grammatical errors seem purposeful, almost mocking of the reader and language itself. The pseudonym and title ("piratises") carry that same feeling. But most important, it is saying something, for example:

... Strength and perseverance.
accomplished in all notice that your usual bodyguard is
absent ...

So, without returning to the whole Googlehoo thing, how can we be sure to let the avant-garde through our spam filters?

Circuit Bending Media Blitz

noreply@blogger.com (adrogersam) — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 01:09:00 +0000

So a couple weeks ago I did a workshop on circuit bending at the Bridge. You probably heard about it already, seeing as it got a lot of press. C-ville printed a nice photograph (above), the same week they screwed up their crossword, don't get me started on that). Megan Lovett also made a great slideshow with audio for the Daily Progress. Well, Chris also made a video of the performance part of the evening, which was a group jam on (mostly) circuit-bent instruments, accompanied by an interactive video feedback setup. I have that posted online now, as you can see below (thanks Mom for the camera used to make the video).

So here it is on the Internet Archive (higher quality):
http://www.archive.org/details/Circuit-Bending_Video_Feedback_Jam
And here's the Youtube clips (two parts):
Part One:

And Part Two:

Credits are up on the Archive & Youtube, and you can post comments on either of those site--thanks to everyone who came out and participated. Vijith is making a podcast about the event for Monkeyclaus, so I'll link to that when it's available. And of course, I'll update you all once I get back to my bending projects as well. I have a video mixer, a drum machine, and a Casio SK-1 all waiting for me in the lab. For now, though, back to the library school applications--looks like this (two a week) is about the pace this blog will be moving.

Just remembered--Wendy posted some photos she took that evening as well. Here's one below:

MLK Assassination Zine Review

noreply@blogger.com (adrogersam) — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 19:09:00 +0000

The CIA Makes Science Fiction Uninteresting #1- The Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

This zine was an obvious purchase for me: it tells some lesser-known history of the political left, it's designed well, and it only cost a buck. You can get a copy of it from the publisher Microcosm (in fact, looks like they have an updated version, and you can read the text here). I finally got around to reading it this week, as it happened to be on the top of a pile of comics on MLKjr's birthday.

While it's somewhat poorly written, the zine provides a lot of information in a small package and could be seen as a basic introduction to the case, and a starting point for someone to pursue the topic further. The zine presents a lot of unanswered questions and unexplained details surrounding the assassination, many of which raise suspicions of the FBI and Memphis authorities. I won't get into the details here, but it's hard to deny they clearly lead to a conspiracy.

One of the most disturbing things is the undisputed fact that the FBI had King under surveillance since 1961 as part of COINTELPRO, and had repeatedly harassed and tried to blackmail and discredit him. According to the zine, the same FBI intelligence detail was assigned to investigate his murder. If you don't know anything about COINTELPRO, you would learn a lot about our nation's idea of justice by researching it.

The skeptic in me doesn't like the lack of direct citations in the zine, so I would need to do further research to get to any sort of belief on the matter. One of the books cited was written by Mark Lane, a Charlottesville resident whom I saw speak a year ago at the Virginia Film Festival. At that time, he was talking about the Jonestown suicide/massacre, an incident in which he was personally involved and also suggests a conspiracy (in another of his book). I have to say, the man was fairly convincing in person, and was able to raise a reasonable doubt.

Anyway, where does this leave us? Well, assuming there was a conspiracy in the murder of King, and that members of the government were possibly involved... it leads to a lot of distrust. I think this can be healthy, though, as elements of the government clearly don't always have our best interests in mind (COINTELPRO being an egregious example of this).

But also, when we mourn him, we should hold close the memory that he died in a struggle against sinister forces of oppression which still exist in the power structures we live with today.

If this is a downer and you want to be lifted back up, again let me recommend Democracy Now's broadcast of his speeches the other day.

What are your thoughts on this? Let me know in the comments.

Starting Out

noreply@blogger.com (adrogersam) — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 20:47:00 +0000

Okay y'all, I'm gonna ride this hype from the circuit-bending workshop right into the 2.0 future realm. So here is my blog which will feature updates from my circuit-bending and video projects, children's (and some adult) books, the best of the best music i'm listening to, the occasional link to YouTube, commentary on life in charlottesville, links to what my friends are doing, and more.

So i hope you subscribe, read, and comment. Try out google reader, it's a good way to subscribe: very easy to use, and you'll forget how you ever lived without it.

And if you're wondering where the hell the name for my blog came from, it's a reference to the character Odo, from The Dispossessed by science-fiction writer Ursula K. Le Guin, which I read recently and really enjoyed. I'll write more on this later, but for now take this one quote:

"It is useless work that darkens the heart."

Talk to you soon,
Adam

PS. Credits to Mikey B. for the photograph, taken at Bagby Hot Springs in Oregon last November. Oh, and Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day to you all. (That reminds me, there will be a lot of talk of Democracy Now on here, too.)