posted
  • place: Reykjavík, Iceland

to Björn Bjarnason

12 August 1995

To the Honorable Björn Bjarnason, Minister of Education and Culture

As I have noted that you have put up some home pages asking for input regarding education in Iceland, I am transmitting this formal letter to you via email. (I apologize for not writing in Icelandic, but I am not very good at it even though I have lived in Iceland for five years…)

I am writing this letter to urge your continued support of the Icelandic Academy of Art.

Following I will present some personal opinions concerning the future of the Academy as well as some concrete suggestions and proposals. These considerations are based in my experience in teaching at MHÍ for the past five years as well as numerous guest-teaching positions at other Universities and Academies in Scandinavia and the US. Currently I am serving as Chair of the US-Iceland Fulbright Educational Commission (until September 1995) and as (Founding) Director of the Electronic Media and Photography program at MHÍ. My opinions are not necessarily those of either MHÍ or the Fulbright Board.

I believe Iceland is at a crossroads where the choices, opportunities, and outcomes will be largely determined by how the issue of a national educational policy is developed. As the post of Minister of Education and Culture determines this policy, I believe it to be the most critical cabinet posting in the entire government.

It is important to the future of Iceland that attention be directed to the building-up of a competitive and well-considered program of education in the arts. The recent confirmation of intent as expressed by the Althingi and the government in support of the official formation of the Icelandic Academy must be followed up by concrete action concerning the financial, physical, and ideological future of the institution.
more “to Björn Bjarnason”

posted
  • place: Cedaredge, Colorado

HR 82

I started this post back in March, titling it gut punch from the Feds, but I never finished it. Here we are at the end of the year and that gut-punch—a fiscal one that drained the life out of me this whole year—has been pulled. And pulled retroactively, no less, to the end of 2023: good deal! And, as well it should have!

Since entering the Amurikan to workforce in 1975, I worked enough ‘quarters’ and payed into the system to qualify for Social Security (SocSec). Not a whole lot, but some. So when I was planning what my meager retirement finances would look like, I used the numbers that SocSec officially generated for me based on those earnings. As I lived overseas for a much of my adult life, I had acquired a small pension in Iceland, an even smaller one from Finland, and recently a few dollars from the state of Colorado: together these totaled a few hundred dollars. However, unbeknownst to me—okay, shitty due-diligence on my part—there was a law on the federal books called the Windfall Elimination Provision which dictated through bilateral agreements with, for example, Iceland and Finland, that my SocSec in the United States would be penalized by 60% of the total value of my other pensions. Suddenly I was confronted by the realization that my Social Security in the US would shrink by more than $400/mo. that’s a lot of money when the total was only $1000/mo to begin with and the total of all pensions is less than $1500/mo before taxes.

Because the law mainly applied to anyone receiving a pension in the US—several million people—the 118th Congress, after 20 years of wrangling, came to the conclusion that there were too many valuable constituents getting screwed by this ‘provision’—teachers, police, fire-fighters, other municipal workers, and folks like me with international pensions. I still don’t understand the original rationale for the initiation of the WEP in the 1970s, like any of us were really making a huge ‘windfall’ … ever, while working or now in ‘retirement’. Sheesh. H.R.82 – Social Security Fairness Act of 2023 was passed last week by the House and Senate, and signed into law by the President. It is retroactive to December 2023, right before I parted from the CGS and had to pull the trigger on my SocSec, so I should get all the withheld funds back.

On a side note, I want to recognize the Icelanders who run their pension system, how professional, quick, accurate, informed, friendly, and efficient they have been to work with. It took all of four minutes to get set up at their office in Reykjavík. Same with the Finns, a humane experience with their very funny sense of humor. To the contrary, as I was navigating this issue at the beginning, the woman in the Denver SocSec office, with whom I could only *fax* (!!!) was quite the nasty character. The offices have an armed Federal guard (oh, wait, that’s supposed to make me *feel safe*?), and the *fax* technology issue was simply incomprehensible (and completely unacceptable in 2024!).

I was going to thank the politicians who made the repeal happen, but research into that made me nauseous. The Social Security Fairness Act was submitted to every Congress back to 2000! Duly noted: how, towards the final vote, most Republicans started to pile-on for a free ride of positive press after they had long-opposed passage. Pragmatic and corrupted power-seekers all, no kudos to any of them that I hope to receive my just payments—as I *should have* at the beginning. That modest increase will help cover ever-rising utility, medical, and food bills!

posted
  • place: Cedaredge, Colorado

Windigo thinking

Cripple Creek & Victor Gold Mine, Victor, Colorado, September ©2011 hopkins/neoscenes.
Cripple Creek & Victor Gold Mine, Victor, Colorado, September ©2011 hopkins/neoscenes.
The fear for me is far greater than just acknowledging the Windigo within. The fear for me is that the world has been turned inside out, the dark side made to seem light. Indulgent self-interest that our people once held to be monstrous is now celebrated as success. We are asked to admire what our people viewed as unforgivable. The consumption-driven mind-set masquerades as “quality of life” but eats us from within. It is as if we’ve been invited to a feast, but the table is laid with food that nourishes only emptiness, the black hole of the stomach that never fills. We have unleashed a monster.

Ecological economists argue for reforms that would ground economics in ecological principles and the constraints of thermodynamics. They urge the embrace of the radical notion that we must sustain natural capital and ecosystem services if we are to maintain quality of life. But governments still cling to the neoclassical fallacy that human consumption has no consequences. We continue to embrace economic systems that prescribe infinite growth on a finite planet, as if somehow the universe had repealed the laws of thermodynamics on our behalf. Perpetual growth is simply not compatible with natural law, and yet a leading economist like Lawrence Summers, of Harvard, the World Bank, and the U.S. National Economic Council, issues such statements as, “There are no limits to the carrying capacity of the earth that are likely to bind at any time in the foreseeable future. The idea that we should put limits on growth because of some natural limit is a profound error.” Our leaders willfully ignore the wisdom and the models of every other species on the planet—except of course those that have gone extinct. Windigo thinking.

Kimmerer, Robin Wall. Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants. New York: Milkweed Editions, 2013.
posted
  • place: Cedaredge, Colorado

Systems thinking and the narrative of climate change (excerpt)

The problem of climate change has become a part of the current global discussion, due to the Paris Accord. Current mainstream arguments focus on three specific components of the problem: (1) the disputability of global warming, (2) the relevance of anthropogenic contribution, and (3) the extent of the dangers associated to an increase of the global temperature. Key players appear to have difficulty moving the discussion past these three components of the problem, towards potential solutions. Instead, the discussion returns again and again to describing the problem, in greater and greater detail, with arguments stalling on various small pieces of the problem. Our inability to move past the problem to solutions is based in part on how the various critics frame the discussion. Critics on both sides of the issue are subject to a framing effect, where we house the problem mentally within the boundaries of the human economy. While opponents of climate change suffer from their own framing effect, this post focuses specifically on the proponents’ framing effect. Those who advocate for policies to limit climate change make four main assumptions that impact their thinking:

  • Those concerned about the climate place the environment either within the global human economy, as a subsystem, or externally, where it can be used at will, endlessly. As a corollary to this mindset, the problem of climate change is an anthropogenic problem caused by humans, with no real impact on our resource base, which is either external to the system and infinite, or internal and thus, not critical to our life support.
  • Because the human economy is more important than the environment, societal economic growth is an inviolate mandate for all countries. The assumption is that we can support economic growth while solving the problem of climate change.
  • Globally politicians have the will and options to create viable, effective actions that limit the temperature increase without harming economic growth.
  • We can use technology to find suitable solutions that will eventually handle, if not overcome, most of the problems. Moreover, added technology does not use added energy or environmental resources.

Unfortunately, these postulates are false.

Gonella, Francesco. “Systems Thinking and the Narrative of Climate Change – A Prosperous Way Down.” Blog. A Prosperous Way Down, July 23, 2017.
posted

what is happening? how is this happening?

• Our analysis finds that at the end of 2010 the Top 50 private banks alone collectively managed more than $12.1 trillion in cross-­‐border invested assets for private clients, including their trusts and foundations. This is up from $5.4 trillion in 2005, representing an average annual growth rate of more than 16%.

• The three private banks handling the most assets offshore on behalf of the global super-­rich are UBS, Credit Suisse and Goldman Sachs. The top ten banks alone commanded over half the top fifty’s asset total – an increased share since 2005.

• The number of the global super‐rich who have amassed a $21 trillion offshore fortune is fewer than 10 million people. Of these, less than 100,000 people worldwide own $9.8 trillion of wealth held offshore.

• If this unreported $21-32 trillion, conservatively estimated, earned a modest rate of return of just 3%, and that income was taxed at just 30%, this would have generated income tax revenues of between $190-­‐280 bn – roughly twice the amount OECD countries spend on all overseas development assistance around the world. Inheritance, capital gains and other taxes would boost this figure considerably.

• For our focus subgroup of 139 mostly low-middle income countries, traditional data shows aggregate external debts of $4.1 tn at the end of 2010. But take their foreign reserves and unrecorded offshore private wealth into account, and the picture reverses: they had aggregate net debts of minus US$10.1-13.1 tn. In other words, these countries are big net creditors, not debtors. Unfortunately, their assets are held by a few wealthy individuals, while their debts are shouldered by their ordinary people through their governments.

Tax Justice Network

posted
  • place: Prescott, Arizona

the academic dance

In response to yet another call for papers at an academic conference on the fibreculture list (this, unsent as I thought it too in-your-face).

fibrecultists:

I’m making the contrary assumption that fibrecult is not merely an announcement list these days … I could be wrong, but …

3D printed goods, cryptocurrencies, digital sharing – just some of the disruptive online practices and technologies that are transforming and reshaping our economy. These innovative technologies have impacted the market, enabling new business models, evolving market conditions and transforming economic and social landscapes. However, the commodification and commercial adoption of these disruptive technologies has also raised concerns and questions in terms of access, control and sustainability. How can we develop these practices to not only support a digital commons, but also to support more equitable and sustainable worlds?

The three items at the beginning of the paragraph above could very well be replaced by practically any ‘communications/fill-in-the-blank-here’ technology of the last 150 years. A materialist approach to technology, one that is hypnotized by each new and glittering object, its form, even its ‘potential’, seems never to learn any principled lessons on what is going on through technological ‘innovation’ and how to deal with it across the techno-social system. It’s as though there is a constant expression of surprise on the face of critical academic thinkers, “Oh look at this new toy coming from the ‘clouds’ today.” I can’t count the number of conference announcements from the academic-cultural-industrial complex of the last 20 years that read the same as this one, with only the names of the currently in-vogue technologies changed.

If there are no readily available and powerful answers *already in place* and *operational as a lived practice* for the issues and questions suggested by the rest of the paragraph, then there is absolutely no hope that an academic discourse will have any effect on the processes being commented upon. The gathering becomes simply another career notch of sessions, papers, panel discussions, talks, after-parties, meals, meet-n-greets, and, literally, insider trading in the currencies of academic ‘success’ (or survival, in the contemporary world of add-junk-tified edutainment). I understand there is always the need to propagate good ideas, and there are younger people who have to hash these things out in the face of a lack of historical perspective in their education, but it begins to resemble a treadmill that in no way serves to solve the problems.

I have no issues with the actual empowered coming-together of people, regardless of the reason, but it seems there is an inexorable evolution of academia towards a point where it is simply bankrupt of ideas *and lived practices* to deal with the current world. Where are the TAZs supporting change?

posted

cash flow::energy flow

Since money and energy/resource flow in opposite directions, the use of monetary flows to make public policy and decisions regarding the future of a country is in reality looking at the world backwards. Frequently, sound economic advice in resource rich nations recommends the selling of raw resources and the importation of finished products. Yet under such even monetary trades, the resource-exporting country always loses, sending out far more wealth than they receive in finished products. Continuing uneven emergy trades at the expense of the developing countries of the world is a recipe for global instability because it keeps the majority of the world’s population in poverty while the west tries to live an unsustainable lifestyle.

Brown, M.T. & Ulgiati, S., 2011. Understanding the global economic crisis: A biophysical perspective. Ecological Modelling, 223(1), pp.4–13.

posted
  • place: Prescott, Arizona

arithmomorphic concepts

Analytical or arithmomorphic concepts are those which, like numbers, are discretely distinct, having no overlap with their ‘other.’ Dialectical concepts are not discretely distinct, but have a penumbra of overlap with their other. In Georgescu-Roegen‘s definition, dialectical concepts only partially overlap. Land is not sea and sea is not land. But a tidal salt marsh belongs to both. A dollar bill is money, a shirt is not money, but a credit card is in some ways money and in some ways not. In order to use logic and the law of contradiction to build a theoretical science, economists have favored the analytical concept and tried to exorcise dialectical overlap. But well-defined, self-identical, analytical concepts cannot capture evolutionary change. Nothing can evolve into its other if it at no stage overlaps with its other. Without admitting dialectical concepts, and a certain amount of contradiction, we cannot deal with change. (my emphasis!)

Daly, H.E. and Cobb, J.B., Jr., 1989. For the Common Good: Redirecting the Economy toward Community, the Environment, and a Sustainable Future. Beacon Press, Boston, MA.

posted

Economic Growth and Environmental Policy

We conclude that economic liberalization and other policies that promote gross national product growth are not substitutes for environmental policy. On the contrary, it may well be desirable that they are accompanied by stricter policy reforms. Of particular importance is the need for reforms that would improve the signals that are received by resource users. Environmental damages, including loss of ecological resilience, often occur abruptly. They are frequently not reversible. But abrupt changes can seldom be anticipated from systems of signals that are typically received by decision-makers in the world today. Moreover, the signals that do exist are often not observed, or are wrongly interpreted, or are not part of the incentive structure of societies. This is due to ignorance about the dynamic effects of changes in ecosystem variables (for example, thresholds, buffering capacity, and loss of resilience) and to the presence of institutional impediments, such as lack of well-defined property rights.

Arrow, K., Pimentel, D. & Costanza, R., 1995. Economic Growth, Carrying Capacity, and the Environment. Ecological Economics, 15(2), pp.91–95.

posted

a house?

we’ll see: if the price becomes ‘right’ … after a closer inspection and other steps. Great southern exposure to implement a solar gain retrofit. possibility to make a couple rental spaces. it will require, however, a stretch of my ‘regular’ imagination and imaginatory process to undertake. The fiscal stress of owning a house seems a bit intense, but with some good luck, it will work out even in the worst case scenario of, say, having it for a year and re-selling. we’ll see. Not sure if this will be a blogging target or whether I’ll be too damn busy to go online at all.

Meeting Todd this AM to go one level higher on the inspection curve, to do stress testing on the utilities, and check closer for termites and such. Much to be done!

posted

the truck is gone…

Well, parted ways with the old Tacoma today. Got a decent price — 50% of the original cost that I paid in 2002. Twelve years later, no expenditures for major repairs, great mileage (28-30 mpg), no accidents, 80,000 miles, and many fine road trips. An average cost-per-mile of right around $0.25/mile, and cost-per-month around $138/mo. Carbon cost totally and completely neglected along with extended costs of the extractives industries that supported it’s construction.

A bit sad to see it go, but two trucks are certainly not sustainable. The ‘new’ old truck, or ‘old’ new truck, depending on pov is quite the beast, a step up from 4- to 6-cylinders, 2.4 to 3.4 liters, 2- to 4-wheel drive, black to white color, 1995 to 2000. A modest set of potentials in all this power and such. At a cost. Twenty-two mpg on the highway, that will be determined in the next months of travel. It seems I may need a new clutch, but otherwise the engine seems okay. The body also in very good shape. I’ll put on Firestone air lifters asap, as the rear sags like the old one’s did before I happened on a pair of them and installed them one day. Incredible improvement. Add a new shell gasket and install the hardshelf that I made for the old truck’s rear. Made it possible to sleep (two people on occasion!) in the back without unloading absolutely everything and leaving it outside (in the cold/rain/solar radiation/critters, etc.). After that it’ll be ready for some western adventures. And so on.

Late, very Late Capitalism, actually, sheer bondage before total collapse.

the old truck, Prescott, Arizona, April 2014

It’s a Toyota Tacoma: it keeps on running! If you are worried about cosmetics, well, this one has a few minor scratches and dings and could use a paint job, but if you want a reliable vehicle, the Tacoma is legendary as an economical, hard-working, and long-running vehicle.

Second owner — for the last 12 years/80K miles, 90% highway miles — well taken care of, never abused, all regular maintenance, 3K oil changes; burns no oil between changes; recent front-end alignment and front brake rebuild

Brand new windshield, oil change and full check-up this week

2.4 Liter 4-cylinder engine; 5-speed manual transmission: EXCELLENT GAS MILEAGE!! — documented average over the last 12 years between 28-30 mpg on the highway.

AC is COLD, Heater is HOT!

Tires excellent: General Grabber All Terrains on rear, good spare, and matched front (Big O SXP G/T OWLs)

New shocks all around (Bilsteins in front, Gabriel Pro Guards on rear); Firestone RiteRide adjustable air lifters on rear — they level and improve handling with full loads.

Fiberglass Vista camper shell (drilled for Thule roof rack) — great for camping!

Spray-in Inyati bed liner

Car has been in Arizona/California for its whole life … no rust

Serious buyers only, please! NO TRADES!

do NOT contact me with unsolicited services or offers

posted
  • place: Prescott, Arizona

The Agrarian Standard

The way of industrialism is the way of the machine. To the industrial mind, a machine is not merely an instrument for doing work or amusing ourselves or making war; it is an explanation of the world and of life. Because industrialism cannot understand living things except as machines, and can grant them no value that is not utilitarian, it conceives of farming and forestry as forms of mining; it cannot use the land without abusing it.

Industrialism prescribes an economy that is placeless and displacing. It does not distinguish one place from another. It applies its methods and technologies indiscriminately in the American East and the American West, in the United States and in India. It thus continues the economy of colonialism. The shift of colonial power from European monarchy to global corporation is perhaps the dominant theme of modern history. All along, it has been the same story of the gathering of an exploitive economic power into the hands of a few people who are alien to the places and the people they exploit. Such an economy is bound to destroy locally adapted agrarian economies everywhere it goes, simply because it is too ignorant not to do so. And it has succeeded precisely to the extent that it has been able to inculcate the same ignorance in workers and consumers.

Berry, W., 2002. The Agrarian Standard, Orion.

posted

ThirdWorld Internet Express

Prescott, Arizona 13 April 2001-04-13

ThirdWorld Internet Express
Dept 255
Denver, Colorado 80271-0255

To whom it may concern:

Enclosed is a final payment for service on the account that I cancelled as of 31 March 2001. The statement I received for 01 Jan – 31 March was incorrect in that it had the amount of 19.95 for March which I was not apprised of before 10 March. I have enclosed a check for USD 15 to cover January – March at the rate of USD 5/month that I was on for the preceeding five years.

I cancelled the account 1) you unilaterally raised my rates by 400% for the month of March (something you happened to mention in an email dated 10 March), and 2) you seemed unable since the middle of last year to deal with the direct debit billing procedure that we used for the preceeding 6 years of service.

Sorry to say it, but I think your customer relations have gone to hell, and I understand it is a result of take-overs and employees not being treated well. And when that happens, the customer gets treated poorly, and in my case, after being a customer all this time, I had to say forget it!

John Hopkins

posted

Pósturinn

18.11.92
Reykjavík

To Whom it May Concern:

Regarding the recent postal rate increase, the following points should be considered as illustrations of the completely unreasonable position taken by the Postal Authorities:

The main changes that have lead to increases of up to 250% in some categories are the following:

The elimination of the category “Prent” which allowed the economic posting of printed material including, most importantly, books.

The elimination of the category “Smápakkar” which was the most economic rate for sending small gifts up to 2000 gm.

The elimination of the distinction between postal rates to Scandinavia and rates to greater Europe.

Where previously surface “bref” post went by air to all of Scandinavia and Europe, now there will be sea rates.

The rates that have increased most, then, relate to the combined impact of the first two changes with the third change. That is, for example:

Sending a 1000gm book to Norway by air previously cost ISK 325, the cost now is ISK 585, an increase of 80%!

Sending a 2000gm “smápakkar” to Finland by sea previously cost ISK 310, the cost now is ISK 570, an increase of 83%!

Other rates have increased accordingly, for example:

Sending a 2000gm “smápakkar” to the USA by sea previously cost ISK 310, the cost now is ISK 1100, an increase of 254%, the same for a 2000gm book would give the same effective rate increase of 254%!

Moreover:

“Innanlands” rates have increased up to 42%. (50gm +14%, 100gm +42%, 250gm +38%, 500gm +16%, 1000gm +5%, 2000gm +6%)

“Póstkort” air rates are up by 63% to the USA and and 16% to Europe.

By instituting the rate increase before Christmas without giving good warning, the immediate burden will fall upon citizens sending gifts to family and friends overseas. After that, the cost burden will begin to become clear for businesses and other organizations. This rate increase will have the effect of increasing inflationary costs throughout the economy with the primary burden on the ordinary citizen and those who are exporting books, the primary form of Icelandic culture, and other materials to fellow Scandinavians. The effect will be negative on the exchange of culture.

I believe my calculations are correct, but I suggest that you make your own calculations regarding the effect on your budget. I urge you to look closely into this problem and take effective action on behalf of the members of your organization.

Thank you,

John Hopkins
Professor, MHÍ.

posted

Ríkisútvarpið, innheimtudeild

31.3.92
Hólmgarði 24
108 Reykjavík
s.34591

Ríkisútvarpið, innheimtudeild
Efstaleiti 1
150 Reykjavík

Gentlemen;

When I first received a bill from you about a month ago, I had no idea what it was, and so, threw it away, thinking it was a lottery advertisement. A friend explained what the bill was for when I received the second one. However, I do not understand why I am being taxed for a service that I neither have used nor will use. I recall that someone from your office visited my apartment a number of months ago, asking if I had a television, which I do not and have not for ten years, I even invited them in to see for themselves (something I have found out that I am not required to do by law). Evidently they saw the stereo amplifier that I have. Yes, there is a radio in it, but the radio has not worked for a number of years, and even if it did, I am not interested in listening to public media. As my friend explained the law to me, this tax is imposed on those who use the service of radio/television as evidenced by them having radios and televisions. Since I have neither, the law exempts me from this tax.

I am a guest-professor here, and have lived here for a short time, renting the apartment that I live in. I would ask that you please correct your records, and if you are interested in inspecting my broken radio, please give me a call.

Thank you,

John Hopkins,
Professor of Photography.

posted
  • place: Reykjavík, Iceland

word-dialogue-Light-revolution-action

I would like to dedicate this work, in retrospect, to Dan and Stephanie Gaetke, friends who contributed to the book, and who died on July 17th, 1996 when TWA Flight 800 exploded and crashed off of Long Island on its way to Paris. [ed: as of the day I found out of their passing from Leslee.]

This is the title of a 300-page photocopy edition (of 55) that was produced from visual and sonic work sent in from around 80 artists and others from 30 countries. The introductory essay describes the intent. The Museum of Modern Art in NYC just happens to groove on this kind of stuff for their Library collection, so they just acquired a copy for that very musty purpose of Archiving-the-Objects that are spawned from life/art. An earlier form of the essay grew out of a performance I did way back in 1989 entitled Antithesis/Dialogue. Included with the book is a 90-minute audio cassette of sonic material.

One might have put these words in a circle. That is, they form a cycle of active life: the active evolutionary life of the individual as a member of the human collective. As this is the title appearing on the invitations for this project, the assumption is that the works following somehow arise from the vital operation of this cycle. This book and cassette is about all five of these words — as they relate to carnate be-ing and do-ing and to spiritual development. Your reading of these Words constitutes a definite Action stimulated by Light, leading, perhaps, first to Dialogue, then on to Revolution!

The historical energy behind this project evolved primarily from the writings of Martin Buber and Paolo Freire, and also in part from: Yuri Olesha, J.M.G. LeClezio, Allan Sekula, Thomas Mann, Hermann Hesse, Lucy Lippard, André Malraux, The Bible, Amiri Baraka, Eugen Herrigel, L.S. Vygotsky, Fela Anikulapokute, Samuel Beckett, William Blake, Victor Burgin, Roland Barthes, Henry Miller, John Heartfield, August Sanders, Albrecht Dürer, Guy Debord, Amadeo Modigliani, Alpha Blondy, Edvard Munch, Snorri Sturlisson, John Coltrane, Bob Marley, John Lennon, Henri Lartigue, David Hockney, Tacitus, Miles Davis, Henry Fox-Talbot, Christian Boltanski, Stan Brakhage, Bruce Elder, Wassily Kandinsky, Simone Weil, Robert Frank, among many others. Energies in the present moment emanate from all of you who are in active contact with one another, sharing your creative spirits.

As an individual human, it is impossible for my contacts to span all human categories, but I feel that this project did cross over some boundaries. The idea of categories that control who-interacts-with-whom-in-life has always been a disagreeable concept to me. Why don’t scientists talk with artists, artists with workers, workers with non-workers — in fact, why do these categories exist at all? And of course, what about the most oppressive categories — those based on physical appearance, gender, genetic history, economic power, or intelligence — which limit free dialogue among the people in the world? I would not venture to explain here why human culture and behavior is what it is other than to observe we are a species on the brink of Something that we do not fully comprehend. We must, in the words of Martin Buber and without regard to artificial social categories, “enter into dialogue, into a genuine dialogue with one another” ! Direct, un-Media-ted contact! In concept this book&cassette works at creating a truly border-less community space wherein free dialogue might take place. But this kind of project is not an end in itself. The inherent success relies on a continuance, a continuity of living dialogue.

The way that Life is defined, created, and shared is a temporal and cultural reality. This cultural reality must be constantly confronted and critically examined so that both the culture and Life might evolve. By bringing our critical Life energies into productive, honest, and consistent Dialogue with the members of our community, we act as catalysts for cultural change and Living (spiritual) (r)evolution. We must begin to take responsibility for our human rights and obligations through this open contact with each other.

Dialogue stimulates genesis in the Language of Life — it is a revolutionary art itself when in critical juxtaposition to silence. Dialogue, as pure expression of heart and soul, is the core of all meaningful activism. Even as the literal and visual icons of culture carry dynamic social values, so Dialogue actively carries and transmits the social and spiritual consciousness. Dialogue is critical at all times — each coming day brings a new imperative for communication. It is essential that we be involved in this living Dialogue, this Logos, in order to catalyze Life on through the Modern Void of Spiritless Commodification, on to a higher plane of Being.

As with the first book project, there is a very special thanks to my partner, Magga Björg Jónsdóttir, for her expansive patience in listening to me complain about responses to my various mailings, and for her good loving. I would then thank those who had the time and energy to submit works for this project, as well as those who had the monetary capital to subscribe. It would have been my wish to simply distribute free copies to all contributors, but I neither had the capital to do this myself, nor wished to take the time and energy to find someone who did. Whatever, it is my hope that this book that you are reading has fallen into your hands at THE auspicious moment of your open-ness. Thank you, and Enjoy!

John Hopkins, 29 December 1991

there are 4 copies of the book left. If you are interested, I would pass one along to you for a cost of U$D200.00 plus postage via PayPal.