A Journal for Walking Over Fallen Fences

I have an article published in Issue #5 of the Journal of Aesthetics and Protest. I called it “Spreading Self-Authority.” It was an account of the M.Y.Manifesto Workshop held at the South Central Farms.

Link to Article:

http://joaap.org/5/articles/dunnerstick/dunnerstick.htm

Press Release:

Issue #5 of the Journal of Aesthetics & Protest
now available!!!

Issue #5 release! On Speech and talking

To order a copy, contact editors(at)joaap.org .
Copies will be mailed in early September 2007.
Online version is available at http://www.joaap.org/5/index2.htm
journal website at http://www.joaap.org

Our fifth print issue is a 122 page book edited by Cara Baldwin, Marc Herbst and Christina Ulke. It was designed by Jessica Fleischmann and contains a section of color photos!

From the forward:
“Arguably, today the act of social networking is commodified more visibly and materially than ever before…This commodification shoudn’t hinder us to work in relationship to one another and in a social and political context. Social memory with a sense of history and political demands seems to have undergone an accelerated and profound erasure. This rapid memory loss is facilitated by media consolidation and the plundering of public education programs to fund global mercenary actions.”

With this issue, we look at how cultural production (in art, music, speech, writing, interventions, video, and everyday life) attempt to create culturally based alternatives to oppression and war. Within the context of community and grassroots movements creating meaning for their participants and for broader society, again The Journal looks for ways to create counter-narratives and progressive social movements from the bottom up. From the bottom up- often meaning from a position of people having to do-it-themselves (outside traditional governmental or cultural institutions). This act involves trying to remember shared history, discuss potentially shared values, perform immediately shared ideals, and publicly debate or interrupt suspect truths, and on how it is to be together.

This issue is a collection of transcripts, performance transcripts, speeches, analytical essays, campaign critiques, interviews, email conversations and projects. We are not only presenting critical theory, we are also present to you documents and voices for you to critically investigate.

Articles and Contributions by: Paige Sarlin, Fred Dewey, Stevphen Shukaitis, Emily Roysdon, The Yes Men, Karla Diaz, BLW, Ashley Hunt, Lex Bhagat, Kirsten Forkert, Tiosha Bojorquez Chapela, Jen Hofer, Jason del Gandio, Evan Holloway, Tom McKenzie, Christina Ulke, David Burns, Christine Wertheim, Matias Viegner, Stacy Kranitz, Sesshu Foster, Cara Baldwin, Arturo Romo, Jes Cannon, Matt Dunnerstick, Christopher Russell, Mark Tribe, Jason Flores-Williams, Marc Herbst, Olga Koumoundouros, Rodney McMillian, Renee Coloumbe, Lucas Michael and Daniel Hernandez.

“Trust in Allah, but Tie Your Camel” is one of my favorite sayings from the Arabic world.

Meaning: Take the leap, but cover yourself practically.

“All Hat and No Saddle” is one of my favorite sayings from Texas, deriving from rodeo riders.

Meaning: A person talks like a winner, but has nothing to back it up.

August 6th marks the 62nd anniversary of “Little Boy” dropping on Hiroshima. The US government officially maintains usage of the atomic bomb to end the war early and thus prevent more lives from being lost. Historians generally regard the bombings as a means for the US to demonstrate itself as a global power and to end the war before Russia could start fighting in the Pacific, thus denying Russia from Post-War claims (as in Europe).

How do the major offices of USA and Japan mark this day? What does it mean for the dropper and the recipient?

For starters, Japanese defense Minister Fumio Kyuma had to resign in July amid a public outcry that occurred when he suggested that the bombings may have been justified.

The Mayor of Hiroshima, Tadatoshi Akiba, released the following statement yesterday:

“The government of Japan, the world’s only A-bombed nation, is duty-bound to humbly learn the philosophy of the hibakusha along with the facts of the atomic bombings and to spread this knowledge through the world. At the same time, to abide by international law and fulfill its good-faith obligation to press for nuclear weapons abolition, the Japanese government should take pride in and protect, as is, the Peace Constitution, while clearly saying “No,” to obsolete and mistaken US policies.”

George W Bush (43rd US president and B.A. History, Yale 1968) once made the following comment as part of a 2002 speech to the Japanese assembly:

“For a century and a half now, America and Japan have formed one of the great and enduring alliances of modern times.”

The White House did not release an official statement to mark the 62nd anniversary. But differing from Japan, Bush has come forth and said it is the rights of the US and a few other select countries to use nuclear weapons.

City of Hiroshima Peace Declaration (English): http://www.city.hiroshima.jp/shimin/heiwa/pd/pd2007e.html

Bush to the Diet: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/02/20020218-2.html

The Lion, King of the Jungle, calls all the animals in the jungle and announces he will hold a contest.  He will select them at random to tell a joke to the Turtle.  If the Turtle laughs, the animal lives; if the Turtle does not laugh, the Lion eats the animal.

Come joke day, all the animals gather around in fear and curiosity.  The Lion selects the Monkey to be first.

Now the Monkey was known as the funniest animal in the land.  True to form, the Monkey tells a joke that makes all the creatures teary-eyed with laughter… all except the Turtle, who sits there dumbfounded.  The Lion gobbles up the Monkey in one bite.

Next, the Lion chooses the Turkey.  Turkey tells a joke so awful that nobody makes  a sound… except for the Turtle, who spins around on its shell bawling.

The Turtle is screaming “I get it!  I get it!  The Monkey’s joke!”