Comments on: … is optimism of the act? http://whatinthehell.blogsome.com/2006/02/27/is-optimism-of-the-act/ A working notebook Tue, 15 Dec 2009 13:37:27 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.1-alpha by: Nate http://whatinthehell.blogsome.com/2006/02/27/is-optimism-of-the-act/#comment-453 Thu, 02 Mar 2006 00:41:25 +0000 http://whatinthehell.blogsome.com/2006/02/27/is-optimism-of-the-act/#comment-453 Kear Kadraig, I know more about the Krigatte Krosse than Kaader-Keinhof. There's a really great Chumbawamba song about Ulrike Meinhof, someonce commented that if she was still alive she'd probably have turned out as something good like a Green MP, to which the Chumbas crooned "who wants to be a Green MP?" Good Morning Night is a great film! It's one of my all time favorites. There's a film I really want to see about Radio Alice, written by the Wu Ming folks, called Working Slowly (Lavorare Con Lentezza). It unfortunately doesn't have English subtitles and il mio italiano sucks. You're in Ireland, right? Did you ever run across a journal there called Ripening of the Time? I have an issue (lovely old mimeographed aesthetic) from back in the day singing the praises of the Red Brigades and the GAP (I forget what it stands for, I think Armed Proletarian Group or something like that). I heard off an email list once that there was an Althusserian bent to that journal, and that someone affiliated it with it later went to jail for a knee-capping. I'm fascinated by the Italian stuff, and by its circulation in other contexts. And circulations into Italy too, though that's even harder to know about given my Italian. Martin Glaberman, for instance, was in touch with Feruccio Gambino for a while, and I know the James/Dunayevskaya "American Worker" pamphlet circulated in Italy at one point. Wish I knew more about the responses and all that. Anyway, I gush. Sorry. Do you know Dario Fo at all, the playwright? Or Balestini? Literary and cinematic presentations of stuff like this - especially ones that have genuine aesthetic merits of their own - have to be among my favorite things that one does not put directly into the body. best, Nate Kear Kadraig,

I know more about the Krigatte Krosse than Kaader-Keinhof. There’s a really great Chumbawamba song about Ulrike Meinhof, someonce commented that if she was still alive she’d probably have turned out as something good like a Green MP, to which the Chumbas crooned “who wants to be a Green MP?”

Good Morning Night is a great film! It’s one of my all time favorites. There’s a film I really want to see about Radio Alice, written by the Wu Ming folks, called Working Slowly (Lavorare Con Lentezza). It unfortunately doesn’t have English subtitles and il mio italiano sucks.

You’re in Ireland, right? Did you ever run across a journal there called Ripening of the Time? I have an issue (lovely old mimeographed aesthetic) from back in the day singing the praises of the Red Brigades and the GAP (I forget what it stands for, I think Armed Proletarian Group or something like that). I heard off an email list once that there was an Althusserian bent to that journal, and that someone affiliated it with it later went to jail for a knee-capping. I’m fascinated by the Italian stuff, and by its circulation in other contexts. And circulations into Italy too, though that’s even harder to know about given my Italian. Martin Glaberman, for instance, was in touch with Feruccio Gambino for a while, and I know the James/Dunayevskaya “American Worker” pamphlet circulated in Italy at one point. Wish I knew more about the responses and all that. Anyway, I gush. Sorry.

Do you know Dario Fo at all, the playwright? Or Balestini? Literary and cinematic presentations of stuff like this - especially ones that have genuine aesthetic merits of their own - have to be among my favorite things that one does not put directly into the body.

best,
Nate

]]> by: Padraig http://whatinthehell.blogsome.com/2006/02/27/is-optimism-of-the-act/#comment-452 Wed, 01 Mar 2006 17:29:41 +0000 http://whatinthehell.blogsome.com/2006/02/27/is-optimism-of-the-act/#comment-452 <b><i>Or</i> should that perhaps be, following Josef C at Bartleby &amp; Ko, a Kolossal Mistake, Kate?</b> Or should that perhaps be, following Josef C at Bartleby & Ko, a Kolossal Mistake, Kate?

]]> by: Padraig http://whatinthehell.blogsome.com/2006/02/27/is-optimism-of-the-act/#comment-451 Wed, 01 Mar 2006 17:25:01 +0000 http://whatinthehell.blogsome.com/2006/02/27/is-optimism-of-the-act/#comment-451 Yes, the same: here http://www.filmforum.com/films/weather/weathernytimes.html while de Antonio has a brief write-up on his <i>Underground</i> here http://www.viennale.at//css/common_institution2.css Yes, there's a huge literature on the Red Brigades, Baader Meinhof and the other post-war 60s/70s terror groups. Another film, from two years ago, that I've recently seen is <i>Goodmorning, Night</i> (Buongiorno, Notte), directed by Italian Marco Bellocchio, a psychological study of Red Brigade terrorism, a re-evocation of the <i>anni di piombo</i> (Years of Lead), between 1978 and 1980, when 91 "enemies of the state" – including the president of the Christian Democrat party, Aldo Moro – were murdered by Red Brigade Terrorists. Of course, yes, a gargantuan Error ... Yes, the same: here http://www.filmforum.com/films/weather/weathernytimes.html

while de Antonio has a brief write-up on his Underground here
http://www.viennale.at//css/common_institution2.css

Yes, there’s a huge literature on the Red Brigades, Baader Meinhof and the other post-war 60s/70s terror groups. Another film, from two years ago, that I’ve recently seen is Goodmorning, Night (Buongiorno, Notte), directed by Italian Marco Bellocchio, a psychological study of Red Brigade terrorism, a re-evocation of the anni di piombo (Years of Lead), between 1978 and 1980, when 91 “enemies of the state” – including the president of the Christian Democrat party, Aldo Moro – were murdered by Red Brigade Terrorists.

Of course, yes, a gargantuan Error …

]]> by: Nate http://whatinthehell.blogsome.com/2006/02/27/is-optimism-of-the-act/#comment-450 Tue, 28 Feb 2006 21:08:36 +0000 http://whatinthehell.blogsome.com/2006/02/27/is-optimism-of-the-act/#comment-450 hi Padraig, I'm not familiar with "Underground", I'll have to see it. Thanks for the reference. The one I saw came out sometime after 2000, as I saw it in a theater in Chicago, and was called "Weather Underground". A bit of googling has me convinced that it's this one - http://www.upstatefilms.org/weather/main.html . From what I know of the WU, which is little, and of that whole mode of political organization and action, I sympathize with the feelings of desperation and impatience but think it's all a colossal mistake. (There's some stuff been written about the Red Brigades and clandestiny and its effects on movements that I can try to dig up if you're interested.) As a result I've not read up on this stuff a lot. take care, Nate hi Padraig,
I’m not familiar with “Underground”, I’ll have to see it. Thanks for the reference. The one I saw came out sometime after 2000, as I saw it in a theater in Chicago, and was called “Weather Underground”. A bit of googling has me convinced that it’s this one - http://www.upstatefilms.org/weather/main.html . From what I know of the WU, which is little, and of that whole mode of political organization and action, I sympathize with the feelings of desperation and impatience but think it’s all a colossal mistake. (There’s some stuff been written about the Red Brigades and clandestiny and its effects on movements that I can try to dig up if you’re interested.) As a result I’ve not read up on this stuff a lot.
take care,
Nate

]]> by: Padraig http://whatinthehell.blogsome.com/2006/02/27/is-optimism-of-the-act/#comment-449 Tue, 28 Feb 2006 19:54:10 +0000 http://whatinthehell.blogsome.com/2006/02/27/is-optimism-of-the-act/#comment-449 "It’s the same with the Weather Underground documentary" I'm assuming you are referring to the recent revisionist-gliberal one, as opposed to Emile de'Antonio's superb 1976 "Underground", filmed while they were still active? “It’s the same with the Weather Underground documentary”

I’m assuming you are referring to the recent revisionist-gliberal one, as opposed to Emile de’Antonio’s superb 1976 “Underground”, filmed while they were still active?

]]> by: Nate http://whatinthehell.blogsome.com/2006/02/27/is-optimism-of-the-act/#comment-448 Tue, 28 Feb 2006 14:13:56 +0000 http://whatinthehell.blogsome.com/2006/02/27/is-optimism-of-the-act/#comment-448 hi Quinlan, My wife and I have been watching Buffy and Angel too. I can't remember where are in Angel, we get them via netflix. I think we're at the end of season 4 or 5 in Buffy. It's a good time. We watch them with Spanish subtitles on, to make it educational and shit. (For instance, if I'm ever attacked by a vampire in a Spanish speaking location, I will now be able to cry out for help.) I occasionally watch them dubbed in Spanish with Spanish subtitles on, if I had more free time I'd do that a lot more often. One thing I've noticed is that the subtitles and the dubbing differ from each other pretty regularly - not in the general sense or meaning, but in the specific wording. It's interesting, and keeps me on my toes mentally when I watch. take care, Nate ps- re: the work=hell episode, I liked that the primary difference between the portrayal of hell and the portrayal of the 'normal' world is that in the normal world people have weekends and evenings free. I thought that was kind of poignant, and true to how I feel much of the time. hi Quinlan,
My wife and I have been watching Buffy and Angel too. I can’t remember where are in Angel, we get them via netflix. I think we’re at the end of season 4 or 5 in Buffy. It’s a good time. We watch them with Spanish subtitles on, to make it educational and shit. (For instance, if I’m ever attacked by a vampire in a Spanish speaking location, I will now be able to cry out for help.) I occasionally watch them dubbed in Spanish with Spanish subtitles on, if I had more free time I’d do that a lot more often. One thing I’ve noticed is that the subtitles and the dubbing differ from each other pretty regularly - not in the general sense or meaning, but in the specific wording. It’s interesting, and keeps me on my toes mentally when I watch.
take care,
Nate

ps- re: the work=hell episode, I liked that the primary difference between the portrayal of hell and the portrayal of the ‘normal’ world is that in the normal world people have weekends and evenings free. I thought that was kind of poignant, and true to how I feel much of the time.

]]> by: Quinlan Vos http://whatinthehell.blogsome.com/2006/02/27/is-optimism-of-the-act/#comment-446 Tue, 28 Feb 2006 10:07:30 +0000 http://whatinthehell.blogsome.com/2006/02/27/is-optimism-of-the-act/#comment-446 I rather liked this post. I especially liked your reference to Buffy, it fits really well and is apt. I like how hell in Buffy is a capitalist factory. I am in the midst of watching every episode of Buffy and Angel on DVD. I just finished season 5 of Buffy and season 2 of Angel and am now starting on season 6 and season 3. In fact, that's what I was just doing for the past 7 hours or so...man that really sucks away the time. I rather liked this post. I especially liked your reference to Buffy, it fits really well and is apt. I like how hell in Buffy is a capitalist factory.
I am in the midst of watching every episode of Buffy and Angel on DVD. I just finished season 5 of Buffy and season 2 of Angel and am now starting on season 6 and season 3. In fact, that’s what I was just doing for the past 7 hours or so…man that really sucks away the time.

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