economy

When I wrote the following pages, or rather the bulk of them, I lived alone, in the woods, a mile from any neighbor, in a house which I had built myself, on the shore of Walden Pond, in Concord, Massachusetts, and earned my living by the labor of my hands only. I lived there two years and two months. At present I am a sojourner in civilized life again.

laissez faire

….while others follow’d Mysteries,

To which few Folks bind ’Prentices;

That want no Stock, but that of Brass,

And may set up without a Cross;

As Sharpers, Parasites, Pimps, Players,

Pick-pockets, Coiners, Quacks, South-sayers, 

]And all those, that in Enmity,

With downright Working, cunningly

Convert to their own Use the Labour

Of their good-natur’d heedless Neighbour.

...

the moral 

THEN leave Complaints: Fools only strive

To make a Great an Honest Hive

T’ enjoy the World’s Conveniencies,

Be fam’d in War, yet live in Ease,

Without great Vices, is a vain

Eutopiaseated in the Brain.

Fraud, Luxury and Pride must live,

While we the Benefits receive:

Hunger’s a dreadful Plague, no doubt,

Yet who digests or thrives without?

Do we not owe the Growth of Wine

To the dry shabby crooked Vine?

Which, while its Shoots neglected stood,

Chok’d other Plants, and ran to Wood;

But blest us with its noble Fruit,

As soon as it was ty’d and cut:

]So Vice is beneficial found,

When it’s by Justice lopt and bound;

Nay, where the People would be great,

As necessary to the State,

As Hunger is to make ’em eat.

Bare Virtue can’t make Nations live

In Splendor; they, that would revive

A Golden Age, must be as free,

For Acorns, as for Honesty.

FINIS.

’We have discovered happiness’ – say the last men, and blink thereby

...These three authors put the late modern subject on stage as a ‘porous’, that is precarious and problematic creature, with the phenomenon of depression at the centre of the portrayal. However, what in their interpretations stays underexposed is depression as experience, by which also the possibility of depressive passivity as a form of re-activity remains hidden in the dark. Though Dufour touches upon this possibility when he writes that the rise of the phenomenon of depression might be ‘an obvious sign of resistance of the subject to the economy of the generalised market’9, he leaves the option undiscussed. Rosa bestows upon the depressed person the status of ‘most sensitive seismograph of current and coming transformations’10, without coming to an understanding of this sensibility. And Ehrenberg’s analyses, finally, are in the end always focused on ‘a certain tonality of our collective psychology’11 and not on the response of the concrete individual to this ‘tonality’. Furthermore, it concerns a ‘tonality of loss’12, and so depression appears wholly as a token of deficiency, as ‘fatigue of being oneself’, ‘pathology of acting’, as ‘lack of project, lack of motivation, lack of communication’, in brief, as ‘lack of initiative’.13 Is there something hidden behind this deficiency? What causes someone to fail? In what way is this incapacity to act still a way of acting? Is there any defence or resistance in it? In order to take a first step in elucidating depression ‘from the inside’ the final part of this paper will be devoted to a phenomenological interpretation of this disorder: that of the Belgian psychiatrist and psychoanalyst Jacques Schotte. In his ‘pathoanalytical’ perspective depression occupies a central place. He calls the disorder ‘the most ubiquitously important one of the whole of psychiatry’.14 

9 Dufour 2007a : 325-326. Cf Dufour 2007b : 107, and 2011: 125, 279.
10 Rosa 2005: 390.
11 Ehrenberg 2010: 20.
12 Ehrenberg 2010: 309.
13 Ehrenberg 1998: 157, 251, 182.

14 Schotte 1989: 79. 

Kipling's early impressions of the moving image

"Then the doors opened and the passengers came out and the porters got the luggage - just like life. Only - only when anyone came down too far towards us that was watchin', they walked right out o' the picture, so to speak . . . Quite slowly, from be'ind two porters - carryin' a little reticule an' lookin' from side to side - comes our Mrs Bathurst. There was no mistakin' the walk in a hundred thousand. She come forward - right forward - she looked out straight at us with the blindish look which Pritch alluded to. She walked on and on till she melted out of the picture - like - like a shadow jumping over a candle . . . " 

A

λλά δυστυχώς, δεν είχε ο ουρανίσκος σου, τη γεύση από μπονμπονιέρα

δεν ήταν τα λασπόνερα στην άκρη του δρόμου, το μάνα που με κέρναγες

δε φύτρωσαν στα βλέφαρα σου, αναριχώμενοι δυόσμοι

δεν προφέραν ποτέ τα χείλη μας ταυτόχρονα, σαν το βιολί και τη βιόλα, το κάλεσμα για σουσάμι και επειδή η λέξη που επίμονα προφέραν, όλες οι ίνες αυτού που τέλος πάντων είσαι εσύ, όλες οι λέξεις σωματοφύλακες, οι κέρβεροι της Λέξης δεν ήταν αυτή που φαντάστηκα,

ξέρεις αυτή που προέκυπτε από τις δύο πρώτες λέξεις της σελίδας 32, στα δύο πάνω-πάνω ράφια της βιβλιοθήκης στο σαλόνι, μετά

έστρεψα τον νού μου, αλλού, και αποφάσισα πως δεν θα είσαι εσύ, αυτός,

που θα μοιραζόμασταν μαζί, σκιές, μπουκιές, μαξιλαράκι και εν τέλει ανάσες

και αποφάσισα αυτό.

atmosphere_

walk in silence, don't walk away, in silence.
see the danger, always danger,
endless talking, life rebuilding,
don't walk away.

walk in silence, don't turn away, in silence.
your confusion,my illusion,
worn like a mask of self-hate, confronts and then dies. don't walk away.

people like you find it easy,
naked to see, walking on air. hunting by the rivers,
through the streets, every corner abandoned too soon,
set down with due care. don't walk away, in silence,
don't walk away.

meta meta curiosity

But methinks we have been not a little inattentive to run over so many different parts of the human mind, and examine so many passions, without taking once into the consideration that love of truth, which was the first source of all our enquiries. Twill therefore be proper, before we leave this subject, to bestow a few reflections on that passion, and shew its origin in human nature. `Tis an affection of so peculiar a kind, that `twould have been impossible to have treated of it under any of those heads, which we have examin'd, without danger of obscurity and confusion....

...But tho' the exercise of genius be the principal source of that satisfaction we receive from the sciences, yet I doubt, if it be alone sufficient to give us any considerable enjoyment. The truth we discover must also be of some importance. Tis easy to multiply algebraical problems to infinity, nor is there any end in the discovery of the proportions of conic sections; tho' few mathematicians take any pleasure in these researches, but turn their thoughts to what is more useful and important. Now the question is, after what manner this utility and importance operate upon us? The difficulty on this head arises from hence, that many philosophers have consum'd their time, have destroy'd their health, and neglected their fortune, in the search of such truths, as they esteem'd important and useful to the world, tho' it appear'd from their whole conduct and behaviour, that they were not endow'd with any share of public spirit, nor had any concern for the interests of mankind. Were they convinc'd, that their discoveries were of no consequence, they wou'd entirely lose all relish for their studies, and that tho' the consequences be entirely indifferent to them; which seems to be a contradiction. (hume, treatise, book ii)

flaming_lips

yoshimi battles the pink robots part 1

cognitive dissonance

were we to resurrect in perpetuity

would love outlast death ?

desire.desire:tide.tide:breath.breath

voyeur

.Ούτε το σκισμένο δέρμα στη καρέκλα του συνοδηγού απο το κακοβαλμένο "μην καπνίζετε", ούτε οι ειδήμονες αθλητικολόγοι που αναρωτιούνται για ένα ακόμη πέναλτι. Ούτε το αρωματικό δενδράκι που κρέμεται από τον καθρέφτη, με το ματόχανδρο, και τον σταυρό. Ούτε οι κατάρες που ρίχνει στα αρνιά του, και στο αγροτικό του, και στο κέρατο του το τράγιο. Ούτε η στάχτη που ξαναμπήκε μέσα, και ήρθε στο πρόσωπο μου. Ούτε η άξαφνη, φάλτση απαλότητα στην φωνή, όταν είπα όχι ευχαριστώ, με μια κάποια ευγένεια. Ούτε τα πρεζόνια σαν χορευτές φαντάσματα. Ούτε από τη Μπενάκη. Ευχαριστώ.

Ούτε ο μπάτσος με το βλέμμα το γλαρό, στα δύο κορίτσια που ανηφορίζουν τη σκουφά. η γυναίκα που βγήκε για τσιγάρο, στο δρόμο από το νοσοκομείο. Ούτε τα φρύδια της, ούτε το χάσιμο της. Ούτε τα σκουπίδια, που πλησιάζουν τον πρώτο όροφο. Η σοβατισμένη αλλοδαπή σερβιτόρα που προσέχει τα ελληνικά της. Ούτε αυτός ο κατάπτυστος στο απέναντι μπαλκόνι που κάνει μπανιστήρι.

.Είναι κάτι ενοχλητικό. Τώρα που θα φτάσω. Κάνει κρύο έξω. Θα πρέπει να ψάξω ψιλά, να τα μετρήσει. Να ανταλλάξουμε αβρότητες. Ίσως μου πεί κάτι τελευταίο για τον άτιμο, που της τα φαγε. Και εγώ μετά θα πρέπει να σηκωθώ. Θα συγκεντρώσω την πραμάτεια μου. Θα βγώ απο δεξιά γλιστρώντας στο δέρμα. Θα κοιτάξω δεξιά μου, για κάποιο μηχανάκι ανυπόμονο. Θα ρίξω μια τελευταία ματιά μήπως που έπεσε το κινητό, ή χρήματα ή κάτι. θα κλείσω την πόρτα. Όχι χλιαρά γιατι θα τη θυμώσω, όχι δυνατά γιατί θα τη θυμώσω. Θα περάσω το δρόμο. Ίσως έχω ετοιμάσει ήδη το κλειδί για να μην χάσω χρόνο. Θα κοιτάξω για κάποιο απογευματινό γράμμα. ή λογαριασμό. Θα ανέβω τις σκάλες. Θα μπώ μέσα.

suspending

as in transit, i ve grown accustomed

and i am not bothered to utter the manner likewise again

and yet my tongue, audacious dares to entertain the notion again

and bored, and tired yet with hope

as if i 've never been here before, and yet, countless times i 've layed my eyes upon

such here

and i ve got the field, before me, with fruits ripe and sunbeams stretching along

but some obscure force, as ever, dragging me away, struggling to convince me that

down the depths of the paradigmatic there is bound to be some logical mistake

but logically, sliding down the depths of the paradigmatic, i returned exactly where i begun

on the verge of the field, before me, with fruits ripe and sunbeams stretching along

words with fewer letters, such as i, and, so, what, why, not, and air and signals that get through despite all the noise

you can call this the problem with these terms

but you have to remember that this is the problem

and you got be able to retell

plus there is all these commas, the fullstops, the dashes...all those punctuation marks that i have been using wrong.

i have but to marvel the consistency of the problem, and its ever imaginative way of it reasserting itself, until i am imaginative enough to call it something else, and it obeys me permanently. the more i write, the more it evades me. setting my course towards it, but it likewise.

so i am closing down. i am moving my voting rights to the centre of athens where i live, i will unsubscribe from the monocle, and honestly, i am not drinking another decaf

no, i m closing down, seriously

seriously

seeriously seriously

seriously y y y

new darwin inn

it is closing in.

it changes the colors of the walls.

it makes bones tilting inwards.

suddenly the dvd collection seems impossible burden.

the building structure the work of creatures of some superior order.

and then somebody says top chef will surge the ratings.

and not top physicist for instance or top philosopher even as comedy.

centauri proxima. yes. but till then its just europe.

timespace, and the f continuum. the f dimension

the f of aggression. the f the mother of traumas. the f of miracles.

زمان" זמן"

lost trajectories

now if i turn my head, sideways, looking away, will you cease to be ?

are you really there, when i m not looking ?

are you here, take a t, or give

will you was, were you will

is this the thing. this the pillow case. the purple duvet cover. the antique bedside table.

that dream, the breath, those steps

the trivial, the burning,

the bloodcells. the words. the story of some past, yet to happen that lies ahead. give an a,

(or take)

here lies. and truths. and all in between. and those bursting out from the cracks, and right in

beyond the measured and the named, yet right within it. meas...uring, nam...ing

is this a question that i care to answer

who is the murderer of cause. this a question. (which is a yes, or no, an one or a two, a right or a wrong,true and false)

the second law

iamthelordyourgodwhobroughtyououtofthelandofegyptoutofthehouseofslaveryyoushallhavenoothergodsbefore

meyoushallnotmakeforyourselfanidolwhetherintheformofanythingthatisinheavenaboveorthatisontheeart

hbeneathorthatisinthewaterundertheearthyoushallnotbowdowntothemorworshipthemforithelordyourgodamajealou

sgodpunishingchildrenfortheiniquityofparentstothethirdandfourthgenerationofthosewhorejectmebutshowingsteadfa

stlovetothethousandthgenerationofthosewholovemeandkeepmycommandmentsyoushallnotmakewrongfuluseofthename

ofthelordyourgodforthelordwillnotacquitanyonewhomisuseshisnameobservethesabbathdayandkeepitholyas

thelordyourgodcommandedyouforsixdaysyoushalllabouranddoallyourworkbuttheseventhdayisasabbathtothelordy

ourgodyoushallnotdoanyworkyouoryoursonoryourdaughteroryourmaleorfemaleslaveoryouroxoryourdonkeyoranyof

yourlivestockortheresidentalieninyourtownssothatyourmaleandfemaleslavemayrestaswellasyourememberthatyou

wereaslaveinthelandofegyptandthelordyourgodbroughtyououtfromtherewithamightyhandandanoutstretchedarmtherefore

thelordyourgodcommandedyoutokeepthesabbathdayhonoryourfatherandyourmothera

sthelordyourgodcommandedyousothatyourdaysmaybelongandthatitmaygowellwithyouinthelandthatthelo

rdyourgodisgivingyouyoushallnotmurderneithershallyoucommitadulteryneithershallyoustealeithershallyou

bearfalsewitnessagainstyourneighborneithershallyoucovetyourneighborswifeneithershallyoudesireyourneig

hborshouseorfieldormaleorfemaleslaveoroxordonkeyoranythingthatbelongstoyourneighbor

traumagic experience

banners_4_the_paradox

Let's start with risk... we are all conscripts in one sense or another...for all of us, it is hard to break ranks, to incur the disapproval, the censure, the violence of an offended majority with a different idea of loyalty. We shelter under banner words like justice, peace and reconciliation that enroll us in new, if much smaller and relatively powerless, communities of the like-minded...to fall out of step with one's tribe; to step beyond one's tribe into a world that is larger mentally but smaller numerically--if alienation or dissidence is not your habitual or gratifying posture, this is a complex, difficult process. It is hard to defy the wisdom of the tribe, the wisdom that values the lives of members of the tribe above all others. It will always be unpopular--it will always be deemed unpatriotic--to say that the lives of the members of the other tribe are as valuable as one's own. It is easier to give one's allegiance to those we know, to those we see, to those with whom we are embedded, to those with whom we share--as we may--a community of fear...let’s not underestimate the retaliation that may be visited on those who dare to dissent from the brutalities and repressions thought justified by the fears of the majority...we are flesh. we can be punctured by a bayonet, torn apart by a suicide bomber...fear binds people together...and fear disperses them...courage inspires communities: the courage of an example for courage is as contagious as fear.... but courage, certain kinds of courage, can also isolate the brave. The perennial destiny of principles: While everyone professes to have them, they are likely to be sacrificed when they become inconveniencing. Generally a moral principle is something that puts one at variance with accepted practice. And that variance has consequences, sometimes unpleasant consequences, as the community takes its revenge on those who challenge its contradictions--who want a society actually to uphold the principles it professes to defend. The standard that a society should actually embody its own professed principles is a utopian one, in the sense that moral principles contradict the way things really are--and always will be. How things really are--and always will be--is neither all evil nor all good but deficient, inconsistent, inferior. Principles invite us to do something about the morass of contradictions in which we function morally. Principles invite us to clean up our act, to become intolerant of moral laxity and compromise and cowardice and the turning away from what is up-setting: that secret gnawing of the heart that tells us that what we are doing is not right, and so counsels us that we'd be better off just not thinking about it. Again: There is nothing inherently superior about resistance. All our claims for the righteousness of resistance rest on the rightness of the claim that the resisters are acting in the name of justice. And the justice of the cause does not depend on, and is not enhanced by, the virtue of those who make the assertion. It depends first and last on the truth of a description of a state of affairs that is, truly, unjust and unnecessary.

breakfast with friends

mell, parelth, and par

mirror amechania

The film as a mirror and, as a further consequence, the phenomenon of identification primarily inherent in feature films, condense to a type of essence of film’s potential. This film reports on cinema and the processes within it. In doing so, it doesn’t reveal any secrets, but instead, attempts to transfer – in the sense of seeing what we see – what we do in the cinema and what also can be relevant outside of film into a visually stimulating and captivating event.