WANTED: Graphic artists and writers to create poster designs for social change. SEEKING POSTER DESIGNS ON THE FOLLOWING FASCINATING TOPICS:
The Monotony of Growth Society!
Consumerism & Corporate Control!
Neoliberalism vs Liberalism!
Freedom, Hope & Colour!
The Earth Commons!
This poster series hopes to broaden discussion and inspire debate on the issues surrounding global capitalism while the G20 is in town!
The 2006 G20 meeting of finance ministers, reserve bank governors and heads of the World Bank and IMF will take place in Melbourne on November 18-19, 2006. This will be the most significant gathering in Melbourne of people responsible for pushing corporate-led globalisation, neoliberalism and capitalism since the World Economic Forum in 2000 (remember the other S11).
For more information regarding the actions taking place and how to get involved, check out stopg20.org or for the official take, g20.org.
The posters will be launched to coincide with the G20 meeting in Melbourne. We are also encouraging artists and designers to use writing and statistics from academics, historians, poets, activists and song writers in their poster designs.
Unfortunately, artists cannot be paid, but each artist will recieve copies of the publication.
To find information about the very succesful Stolenwealth Poster Series (Breakdown Press Poster Series #1) featuring 21 diverse posters. please go to breakdownpress.org/posters.
SUBMISSIONS DUE: 1st September 2006.
SPECS:
The posters will be A2 (420mm x 594mm) and printed (300dpi) on newspaper stock.
Email low resolution files, if easier, for selection.
Posters will be printed full colour (CMYK).
Also there may be space for smaller designs/artworks which could be spread throughout the publication.
Breakdown Press cannot guarantee publication of all artworks submitted.
I took the day off school today. Just as I was about to leave for class, my cat did an amazing karate kick and knocked a full cup of coffee all over my desk, including my keyboard, scanner, graphics tablet and mouse (which was filled with coffee). On his way down fron the giant roundhouse against the mocha, he completely destroyed an expensive bit of cartridge paper. I took it as a sign that, on some days, it's just not worth leaving the house.
I'm finally getting together that podcast I've been talking about for ages (the banned, notable and controversial music one, not the zombie one). I was looking for info on Pauline Pantsdown
99 Problems - Jay Z and DJ Danger Mouse
What U Sittin' On? (feat. Jemini, Cee Lo And Tha Alkaholiks) - DJ Danger Mouse
Tutti Frutti - Little Richard
Baby Got Back - Sir Mixalot
Oldschool Players - DJ Shir Khan and Outkast
Rosa Parks - Outkast
Touch Me (I Want Your Body) - Samantha Fox
Ghostbusters - Ray Parker Jr
911 is a Joke - Public Enemy
Goodbye Horses - Q Lazzarus
Aloha Steve & Danno - Radio Birdman
I Want Candy - MC Chris
I'm A Back Door Man - Pauline Pantsdown
Good Time Girl - Dsico
You'll just have to wait for the podcast to find out why these songs are being included (hint: it's something to do with being banned, notable or controversial.)
Hopefully regular readers checked out the great Super Becca video I posted a while ago.
The pic on the left is from Super Becca's website. It's one of those hypnotising pics that encapsulates everything that is awesome in the universe and the complete idiocy that is the interweb.
Why are they in a kitchen? Why wasn't the chair at least turned over in the struggle against the super villain? And who are these nerds that have found some very decent MILFS who like to dress up as heroines?
What I like about Super Becca is the kind of innocence she has, the way she talks about going to "FetishCon" like she was heading down to Spotlight to pick up some tapestry supplies. Though that kind of "no sex, my fetish is G-rated" takes the naughtiness out of it all.
I feel more than a bit guilty for linking stuff like this. Part of me thinks its dodgy, the other part thinks that I don't want to think about why I reckon it's funny.
WWPD? [What would Paglia do?]
PS If you get that joke you're a dirty christian.
PPS Speaking of Paglia (again), go to her website and check out her Top Ten lists:
"10. Mommie Dearest (1981) At a compulsory night class in aesthetics, Joan Crawford (Faye Dunaway) instructs her daughter to shun banal utilitarianism: "No wire hangers!""
In between texting the word "babe" to mobile numbers handily supplied by my television, and spending all my money on comic books (I wish that was a joke), I've been silently stewing at how crappy things are getting. Specifically, I went to the "community protest" against the Howard Gvernment's Industrial Relations laws I blogged about previously. Below is an [edited version of] what I wrote on the Australian Anarchist Bulletin Board:
It was crap. Not many turned up the General Strike Bloc (maybe 20 or 30). The small amount of revelry in the beginning soon turned into annoyingness as the same chant was produced over and over again. From my point of view, people decided to deliberately bug the dickhead pro-ALP unionists around us with the "general strike" chant meaning that any pretense of agitation for a general strike was thrown out the window. The Beasley heckling was funny for about 15 seconds, but I felt more like a shitstirrer than anything else.
The paper was pretty much right on who turned up ["union fossils"], though they may not have mentioned that the government had made it illegal to actually strike (hence being called a "community protest"), and anecdotally, it wasn't well publicised. Most of the speakers were [Trades Hall] hacks or politicians. One good thing was getting some workers to tell their stories about how AWAs and the other new laws had affected them, though I wouldn't be surprised if at least one of them were a branch member.
[Fascists] were there in the form of Australia First. They seemed to have handed out a shitload of pamphlets. On the plus side, they were obviously a bunch of nutters. On the negative side, other than some minor confrontations they were able to operate unhindered.
Others will disagree, but I wish I had've stayed in bed. I was embarrassed by the small numbers in the Bloc (though I didn't do anything to build it other than put a note on my blog) and by the decision to behave brattily in lieu of numbers was disappointing - though given the level of anarchist organisation at the moment, it wasn't surprising.
On top of that, adding to the numbers of a shamefully pro-ALP rally was a bit soul destroying. Trades Hall is putting all of its eggs in one basket: an ALP victory at the next election. And that means we are fucked unless there is more direct action, and I don't necessarily mean "fuck shit up" either...
Isn't it painfully obvious to everyone that the ALP aren't going to win the next election? They don't stand for anything, but even if they did, the best they can hope to be, and to quote my highschool history teacher on the subject of government, the window dressing of capital. Okay, so it's kind of a no-brainer to say things like that. I guess the real question is, what can be done about the IR laws and the existence of government ?
For me, anarchy is the answer. A system of agreed rules and commitment to amicable dispute resolution, the abolition of class and free rainbows for the elderly. I feel hopeful when I look at the history of anarchism, but then I look around at the complete fucking shambles of the anarchist milieu. I take comfort in the fact that anarchism is something that is practiced rather than avowed (a "historical tendency," I think Chomsky said), but it seems that anarchy (and anarcho-syndicalism) could offer some very pertinent strategies for defeating the workplace repression that going on at the moment.
So I think that you have to offer leadership by example (I've been saying that a lot lately), literally practice what you preach. It seems that if you can practically create a functioning anarchy, other people will follow in kind. In the short term, it seems to me that the task is to build bridges — to other groups, other people. We need to address why the anarchist scene is so bloody white for example. If we can get to the point where we can resolve these kinds of problems we can be in a position to stand up to repression and create an alternative.
Ah, but these are my priorities. For some people, it might be enough to create a community in which they feel comfortable. Camille Paglia (*swoon*) said something in an interview with the June issue of LOTL* that sort of put this into focus for me:
People are often attracted to activism because of their own personal problems; they lock onto it, it's like a big teat — they want all their answers given to them.
But I'm not sure that people are necessarily looking for answers. Comfort maybe. At least, the kind of comfort that comes from defining a niche for yourself. For example, I know of one guy who defines himself oppositionally within the anarchist scene. He's never done a single constructive thing, obviously holds women and gays in complete contempt... Twice, he decided to tell me that I "wasn't natural", as though nature is so fucking great. Basically he's a useless piece of shit. So why does someone like that still try to hang around the periphery of a group that obviously compounds his sense of broader social isolation? There's probably more reasons than can be blogged, but at a guess one reason is because it gives him an identity and a sense of place.
So what do we do? How does anarchism move from ghetto to a force to be wreckoned with? I'll be buggered if I know. Probably something to do with ads on television. It'd be nice to hear what other people think.
*Unfortunately you can't see the article without subscribing. Pity, because it was pretty good overall.
Okay, time for more Web 2.0 idiocy. Is it just me, or is the woman in this video not entirely unhot? "Yuuve taykin muh pohwuuuhrs." Brilliant. Currently Playing — Love Tinted with Misogyny Mix: Boys In Town - The Divinyls Ain't No Fun - 213 High Fidelity - Jurassic 5 Land of Ladies - Brothers Johnson The Voice of Love - Angelo Badalamenti Desci and Bob Show Podcast Then He Kissed Me - The Ronettes Clark Gable - The Postal Service Virginia Plain - Roxy Music Graduation Day - Chris Isaak
I promise I'll do a proper post soon instead of my Youtube whoring. Anyway, take note of the woman on the left's drawing, and the reaction of the co-host when he sees it for the first time.
This is complete gold. It's only a matter of time before someone gets this as a tattoo. I know Tim and Tones are going to love this.
On the topic of videos that freaked me out as a kid, check out this mofo that sometimes played between Dr Snuggles and The Goodies. What the fuck were people on back then?
WANTED: Graphic artists and writers to create poster designs for social change.
