tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63909112007-06-02T14:54:45.113-04:00Shawnnoreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6390911.post-1163303708189674812006-11-11T22:54:00.000-05:002006-11-11T23:05:41.233-05:00

A couple good examples that back up my earlier argument for institution building over protest from the blog Pharyngula. Pharyngula is a liberal blogger, but whatever he makes some excellent points that are worth a read. Cynicism in the face of Idiot America Demand higher standards for homeschooling! And while we're on the subject of what the fundies are doing, allow me to show you what is

Shawnnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6390911.post-1162012257383319412006-10-28T01:05:00.000-04:002006-10-28T01:37:39.496-04:00

I'm completely blown away. I've just heard that NYC indymedia activist, and a great and funny guy, Brad Will was murdered by paramilitaries in Mexico. I haven't seen Brad in at least two years. I haven't been involved in activist stuff, other than my own projects, for that long, so I am in no way in the loop. But this is really awful. We were never close friends, but I always thought well of him.

Shawnnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6390911.post-1161716594515821622006-10-24T14:56:00.000-04:002006-10-24T15:05:14.123-04:00

I’m about to confess something that I think many North American activists secretly know to be true but have never had the nerve to say aloud: protests don’t work anymore, they may have worked in the past and they may still work to some degree on small focused campaigns but, generally, protesting is a futile and ineffective activity. If you don’t believe me, then name an American protest movement

Shawnnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6390911.post-1161027169547535742006-10-16T15:26:00.000-04:002006-10-24T15:46:55.993-04:00

This is an informal guide I’ve put together after doing a lot of research on buying a new car and I thought some people might find it useful. I am not an expert on any of this, I’m simply sharing what I’ve learned from doing my own research. Obviously, the most ecological choice you can make when it comes to buying a car is to not buy or own a car at all. Unfortunately, for a great many people,

Shawnnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6390911.post-1159809361479512122006-10-02T13:11:00.000-04:002006-10-02T13:16:32.623-04:00

I have to confess that my last post was basically just an unedited collection of paragraphs on this subject. I had too many points I wanted to make and I just gave up on organizing them and just posted what I had. Here are two better written commentaries that say what I was trying to say much more clearly: Matt Taibbi I, Left Gatekeeper: Why the "9/11 Truth" movement makes the "Left Behind"

Shawnnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6390911.post-1159418077457943762006-09-28T00:25:00.000-04:002006-09-28T12:43:05.500-04:00

This is rather belated, but while many people on the left still cling to 9/11 conspiracy theories, this topic will remain relevant. On the fifth anniversary of the September the 11th terrorist attacks, I listened to a debate on 9/11 conspiracy theories hosted by Democracy Now. The debate was between Dylan Avery and Jason Bermas, producers of that cinema masterpiece of the tinfoil hat crowd “Loose

Shawnnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6390911.post-1152545378466893872006-07-10T11:28:00.000-04:002006-07-10T11:31:14.816-04:00

More stuff probably coming soon at some point in the future.

Shawnnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6390911.post-1154378418707912942005-04-02T01:43:00.000-05:002006-07-31T19:32:40.343-04:00

How I came to read this book serves as a good example of one of the most basic benefits of the Internet that we all take for granted, which is how the Internet makes it possible for one to communicate with people that you might not ever interact with otherwise. Last February, John Baker wrote me a note complimenting me on my review of Million Dollar Baby, I wrote back thanking him and we

Shawnnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6390911.post-1154378316228163232005-03-25T22:23:00.000-05:002006-07-31T16:38:36.256-04:00

[NOTE: This is really long, and I'm not sure it's quite complete, but I'm posting it anyway. --Shawn] Since the RNC protests here in New York last summer, I've been taking a break from activist work--mainly for personal reasons. Standing back from activist circles for awhile has given me an interesting perspective that I haven't experienced in over ten years: living in and experiencing the world

Shawnnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6390911.post-1154378596900620032005-02-23T06:26:00.000-05:002006-07-31T16:43:16.906-04:00

There is an interesting article in the New York Press this week about CBGBs and the gentrification of the East Village which brings to mind some of my own observations about living in New York. In spite of the fact that the city government and city developers are doing their damnedest to make Manhattan resemble an inhabitable Mall of America, Manhattan is still the only place worth living in New

Shawnnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6390911.post-1154378038016105922005-02-17T00:07:00.000-05:002006-07-31T16:35:20.730-04:00

Come Home to Syracuse -- Although this site is a bit chamber of commerce-y, in the right hands, a project like this could be really interesting. Instead of: "Look at all that our depressed, rust-belt town has to offer you! Come! Drink the Kool-Aid!" How about a little more honesty, like acknowledging that those who left had damn good reasons to leave. I love my hometown and I have a tenacious

Shawnnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6390911.post-1154388869664703502005-02-14T00:08:00.000-05:002006-07-31T19:34:29.673-04:00

Let me just start out by saying that Million Dollar Baby is an astonishing movie. It is easily the best movie of 2004 (certainly that I've seen so far), it is likely one the best boxing movies ever made, and it ranks alongside Unforgiven as one of Clint Eastwood's best films as a director. Yes, of course, it has its flaws, but you know what? Who cares? Taken as a whole this movie is simply

Shawnnoreply@blogger.com