Recording Surface

The New York Times has an article on Bobby Fischer and the lessons we are supposed to learn from his life. (more…)

It’s not just (neo)liberalism that increasingly insists on the primacy of ethics. Anarchism also seems more and more to talk about an “ethical orientation,” to use a phrase from Simon Critchley’s recent book, Infinitely Demanding. (more…)

As if U.S. electoral politics didn’t depress me enough, I somehow found myself reading the entire New Republic article on presidential candidate Ron Paul, a fave of large chunks of the antiwar movement. (more…)

I’m reading, finally, Retort’s Afflicted Powers, and I’m impressed with their handling of “how, strategically and politically, the US state [has] responded to” September 11. (more…)

In his essay “Deleuze and Democratic Politics,” from the collection Radical Democracy: Politics Between Obstinacy and Laclau Abundance and Lack, Paul Patton writes: (more…)

Paolo Virno’s latest book, Jokes and Innovative Action, has been translated and will be released by trailblazing indie label Semiotext(e) next month. Gerald Raunig has a review. (more…)

Oh, yeah, and greetings from the new year to you all. I won’t command you to be happy, but I do hope 2008 is pleasurable and safe for you. I also hope this space will be more utilized this year than last.

ADDENDUM: And I will finish the redesign of the site I started last year. I’m noticing now that my super-cool banner — which, if you couldn’t guess, is a closeup of vinyl grooves — only appears about half the time, which makes the whole enterprise look ridiculous.

I’m sure there’s a theme in here somewhere. (more…)