Undulating Ungulate

Make clicky on the picture for more information.

Filed by billy at 2:08 pm under culture,the moose
Comments Off

Over the past few days I reread my first novel, Eidolon. I hadn’t looked at it for maybe five years. Eidolon took several years and many drafts to get to its current state of abandonment. (Novels are never finished, only abandoned.)

Reading it was fascinating. Recognising every reference, every line, every piece which came from somewhere, was just a staggering ride through the kaleidoscope of my past self, now gone. More intimate and magical – and jarring – than a diary.

It needs a completely new first chapter. And about 10% of it cut. Other than that it holds up pretty well. Very little of the prose needs anything; some surface tweaking to situate conversations and dialogue better the main consideration. One the whole it is wild and mad and brilliant and uncomfortable and uncompromising.

Odd things to note: I had always felt description was a weakness in my writing. Perhaps I had overcompensated, because the description was dense and amazing. Some huge paragraphs. And the vision of how it would feel to be in a changed society, and both how close that is to what draws me in to burning, and how different; though I had not been to a burn when I wrote Eidolon, I was aware of it, and it influenced my thinking.

Most of what needs cutting is ranting the result of it being my first novel and putting in everything I had to say about anything. And while what I had to say was pretty sharp, it doesn’t always need to be said right there – yet more distance allowing me to kill some more darlings. In many ways it probably should have been a non-fiction book (or two). One on politics and economics, social organisation, technology and social change; and the other about consciousness.

I have since written about consciousness at length. A large part of what inspired the reread was realising I should pull out the stuff on politics, economics, technology, social organisation etc, and bash it into some sort of shape as ideological freeware. We have just about hit the technological substrate required for my ideas to be put into practice, and people may be readier for the vision now than a decade ago when it formed.

I may do some slashing and surface tinkering, then sling it online, maybe as a free pdf, maybe as a very cheap ebook (will probably comment more on that angle later; thoughts on the publishing game in general at the moment).

But yeah. It was awesome to revisit these characters, and this vision. So much of what I think, and the seeds of my later non-fiction books, are all there. Confronting the energy, passion, and rage of my earlier self was humbling, and revitalising.

Much as I loved it, I doubt I will read it again for a long long time. It is part of the process I went through to get here, now, and my attention needs to be here, now.

Filed by billy at 12:16 pm under reading,the moose
2 Comments

Seem to have emerged from a weird days-long funk wherein it was more or less impossible to function in any meaningful way. Had zero focus, motivation, or interest in anything whatsoever. Kind of all the outward signs of deep depression without actually feeling bad, just kind of disturbed as I observed myself running through very empty terrain.

Filed by billy at 12:51 pm under the moose
Comments Off

the future of war

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates bluntly told an audience of West Point cadets on Friday that it would be unwise for the United States to ever fight another war like Iraq or Afghanistan, and that the chances of carrying out a change of government in that fashion again were slim.

Stiglitz continues to talk economic sense, in this case how to reduce deficits, and also explains why it will continue to be ignored…

There’s only one problem: it wouldn’t benefit those at the top, or the corporate and other special interests that have come to dominate America’s policymaking. Its compelling logic is precisely why there is little chance that such a reasonable proposal would ever be adopted.

Wifi hacking dangers: “Like it or not, we are now living in a cyberpunk novel,”

The Last Ring Bearer: apocryphal revisionist history of Lord of the Rings.

Somehow missed that they think they have found a gas giant 4 x bigger than Jupiter way out at the edge of the solar system… introducing Tyche

Psyops moving into social media

It’s recently been revealed that the U.S. government contracted HBGary Federal for the development of software which could create multiple fake social media profiles to manipulate and sway public opinion on controversial issues by promoting propaganda. It could also be used as surveillance to find public opinions with points of view the powers-that-be didn’t like. It could then potentially have their “fake” people run smear campaigns against those “real” people. As disturbing as this is, it’s not really new for U.S. intelligence or private intelligence firms to do the dirty work behind closed doors

And hey, why not some total crazy:

DNA from William Burrough’s shit to be turned into bio art

In this project, a DNA sample from William S. Burroughs will be isolated, amplified and shot into the nuclei of some cells.

What is the process? –

1: Take a glob of William S. Burroughs’ preserved shit
2: Isolate the DNA with a kit
3: Make, many, many copies of the DNA we extract
4: Soak the DNA in gold dust
5: Load the DNA dust into a genegun (a modified air pistol)
6: Fire the DNA dust into a mix of fresh sperm, blood and shit
7: Call the genetically modified mix of blood, shit, and sperm a living bioart, a new media paint, a living cut-up literary device and/or a mutant sculpture.

Maybe he would approve.

Filed by billy at 11:34 am under culture,politics,sunday mutants,technology,the moose,the world
Comments Off

Screening went pretty well. A decent turnout, nice things were said. All a bit of a blur, like hosting a very short party. Cheers to those who came and apologies for my frazzledness.

Was quite pleasant to see it on a proper cinema screen. Showing it at the burn was fun but the conditions were not ideal.

As it was, I was abundantly aware of every flaw, but still caught up in it and enjoying it. And it turns out the sound mix is really not optimised for a massive cinema sound system. So much bass and low end noise that wasn’t there on the speakers we were mixing on :/ Still learning. Should be fine on DVD through a regular system.

Overall, though, people seemed to think we got it, somehow evoking the spirit of the burn, which was the point, really, the challenge and the art of it; which, creatively, is pretty satisfying for my first whack at a new medium, and trying to capture something as specific, nebulous and beyond words as a burn.

Filed by billy at 2:54 pm under culture,the moose
2 Comments

“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too.

All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favour all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way.

Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it.

Boldness has genius, magic and power in it.

Begin it now.”

- Goethe

In my own language and writings, this sentiment appears as “the way appears as you walk it.” Funny how sometimes we need to be reminded of what we already know.

Filed by billy at 1:54 pm under quotes,the moose
3 Comments

Come along to the off-paddock premiere screening of Combust in Unity, the documentary about Kiwiburn that Paul and I have been making for the last short eternity. (Yes. It is finally done and out in the world.) Screenings in other centres may or may not follow. DVD release is in the works.

Saturday, February 19 · 5:00pm – 6:30pm at the NZ Film Archive.

(Corner of Ghuznee St and Taranaki St)

This will likely be your only chance to see it on the big screen in Wellington. If you know someone who needs to be there, tell them!

If you haven’t yet seen the trailer, it is here http://www.youtube.com/wat ch?v=yE9H4wf2Obc

(Also also, if you’ve never been to the Film Archive before, tickets are only $8,or $6 concession!)

Filed by billy at 11:36 am under culture,new zealand,the moose
3 Comments

Back from the paddock. Have mostly caught up on sleep.

Once again, Kiwiburn was amazing, awesome, wonderful, intense, powerful, challenging, etc. And full of people who are amazing, awesome, wonderful, etc.

It’s funny, I was particularly ambivalent about going this year – mostly I went to screen the doco, in situ – but I came away wanting to still be in the paddock way more than any previous year. The quality of the people, the quality of the interactions, and the energy of the place, is just flat out better. Strangers from all over the country and the world come together in spontaneous community. It is a strange and beautiful phenomenon. All these people are still in my heart and mind.

The doco screened twice, in appropriately DIY paddock conditions, once in a torrential downpour, and once after the temple burn. It was fascinating to observe the audience responding to the film, as the screenings were very different. It seemed to go down pretty well, which was nice.

Filed by billy at 4:02 pm under culture,new zealand,the moose,utopia
1 Comment

unexpectedly bailing to kiwiburn, as of now. better late than never.

Filed by billy at 2:58 pm under new zealand,the moose
3 Comments

Okay, so once again I am culling a bunch of books from my collection. The list is below the cut. All sorts, some quality literary fiction, some random junk, some SF/fantasy, and an eclectic slather of non-fiction

How it works: if you want something, make an offer. (Email best: wisdomofthedancingmoose (at) gmail) If it is better than what a 2nd hand dealer would give (pretty easily done), and no one else bids higher, you get it.

(more…)

Filed by billy at 1:54 pm under reading,the moose  Tagged books for sale
5 Comments