"Walter Benjamin's Blog"

My article, "Walter Benjamin's Blog," was just published on The Brutalitarian, Brute Press' online theory center. It's available under CC license in pdf, html, and odf format.

If you've paid attention to any of my posts here about the future of literature, production and consumption in the digital age, or Internet and Information theory, you may find this essay interesting. It is a summation of my thought regarding all of these, compiled into a (fairly) well-organized article. I think some parts are pretty entertaining. In addition, I do feel that the conclusions I draw about the future of literature and digital reproduction should be taken to heart by many involved in the affore mentioned. In other words, the article is not just rants or musings, but a contribution (I hope) to theory on the subject.

It's very serious! But, it's also not written expressly for people with a Master's degree in philosophy, so [you] can read it too!

I'm also pretty excited about it, and happy that it's complete. So you might here me echo it's existence through my various internet channels. Just fair warning.

Google Darfur

If you haven't heard about the Darfur layers for Google Earth that was released in conjunction with the Holocaust Memorial Museum, then now you have.

Layers are the things that pop up all the information linked to little icons on the map, so if you turn all of them on you can see Benny's Gas Station in Omaha, and other wonderful places of interest. Darfur is just much more pertinent.

I'm always a fan of information provided in a readily accessible format. Far too often pertinent news is buried amongst crap. This is not only info that is easy to see, and very important, but it is also current. (The Holocaust Museum also has an overlay of the Holocaust itself, which is similar in interest and importance but obviously not as current.)

So if you are a Google Earther you should check this out, and if you are not, then first you should check out Google Earth, and then check out the Darfur layers.

I think what stood out to me most was how big the area is, and how widespread the destruction is. Also, how the displaced persons camps are completely surrounded by sites of attack and devastation, so there is literally no place to go for these people.

But check it out for yourself.