The use of the Internet in political campaigns has been a dominant trend. Here are lessons from the past presidential election in how best to use this form of communication to get a clear message out in a campaign. Overall, the technology can only enhance the candidate and can not replace thier message.

 
Here is code for a small peer-to-peer application. It can be used for small networks to share files, and demonstrates that setting up a p2p system is fairly easy. The model of p2p allows for a new way of exchanging cultural works and should be a model for a new type of economic organization and free culture.

 
The intellectualis a person that is being disputed at the present time. They are either villified or considered too rare to make a positive contribution. The intellectual is still important, though, as someone who can help shape public vision by using a broad range of knowledge.

 
As part of a yearly tradition here are my predictions for the Academy Awards nominations. After the nominees are announced I will post my predictions for winners. I believe that this year's selection is the best one and the most likely to be correct.

Best Picture:
"Fahrenheit 9/11"
"Sideways"
"I Heart Huckabees"
"Primer"
"Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind"

Best Actor:
Kevin Kline "D'Lovely"
Jamie Foxx "Ray"
Zach Braff "Garden State"
Paul Giamatti "Sideways"
Liam Neeson "Kinsey"

Best Actress:
Catalina Sandino Moreno "Maria Full of Grace"
Isabelle Huppert "I Heart Huckabees"
Irma P. Hall "The Lady Killers"
Imelda Staunton "Vera Drake"
Nicole Kidman "Dogville"

Best Director:
Michael Moore "Fahrenheit 9/11"
Mike Leigh "Vera Drake"
Michel Gondry "Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind"
Shane Carruth "Primer"
Alexander Payne "Sideways"

Best Supporting Actor:
Ian Holm "Garden State"
Jamie Foxx "Collateral"
Peter O'Toole "Troy"
Owen Wilson "The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou"
Mos Def "The Woodsman"

Best Supporting Actress:
Kyra Sedgwick "The Woodsman"
Brenda Blethin "Beyond The Sea"
Eva Amurri "Saved!"
Tina Majorino "Napoleon Dynamite"
Bryce Howard "The Village"

Best Documentary:
"Tarnation"
"The Agronomist"
"Supersize Me"

Best Foreign Film:
"The Motorcycle Diaries"

Best Original Screenplay:
Mario Van Peebles "Badaaass"

Best Adapted Screenplay:
Mel Gibson "The Passion Of The Christ"

Best Costume:
"King Arthur"
"Troy"
"Alexander"

Best Special Effects:
"Sky Captain And The World Of Tomorrow"
"Troy"

Best Song:
Mick Jagger "Alfie"

 
Gilles Deleuze was a philosopher who was able to discuss a wide range of subjects. He wrote about the effects of capitalism as well as on other postmodern thinkers. Postmodern philosophy in general must take into account previous schools of thought, and Deleuze was skilled in this area of philosophical application and synthesis.

 
The modern age was marked by increased centralization and automation as well as an increased hierarchy that went with the increased quantity. In contrast, the Internet may help with a reversal of this process by decentralization and organization based on quality and reputation. The modern civilization built upon the modern age may be dissassembled for something unique.

 
The structure of the novel has been constant regardless of changes in other art forms. As movies use new editing and filming techniques to tell a story, it makes sesne that the written word can be manipulated in such a way as to convey a new narrative. There is therefore a need for a new literary movement.

 
The philosopher Gilles Deleuze developed a system of thought that looked at the aspects of becoming that were non-dialectical. His theories used such terms as deterritorialization that stressed an immanent reality that disrupted overarching concepts and structures. His work was truly unique and helpful to the everyday use of philosophy.

 
The post-election landscape is not necessarily strictly red and blue states. If viewed by red and blue counties one sees that large cities supported Kerry over Bush. Here is an argument that the urban areas should make themselves distinct and separate from the rurual areas in public life. The cities should be proud of their identity and their ability to promote their political goals.

 
The use of blogs allows people to post their reading experience and open up the appreciation of various works of literature to a wider audience. Here is a short review and summation of a book that has relevance to the current situation of wartime.

 
A recent form of net art has been established that attempts to summarize the events of the day through pictures. It collects the most frequent photos from various news sites to form a ten picture by ten picture grid on a hourly basis. It also makes summaries on a yearly and decade-long basis.

 
There are many sites that give brief descriptions of the thought of various philosophers. Here is one that shows a sample of thinkers whose last name starts with F. One can easily get a general understanding of various lines of thought this way, that can help to cultivate personal knowledge.

 
Here is an interesting use of the principle of synergy that can be applied to social groupings. It describes the relation of the parts to the whole and vice versa. It also describes the necessary factors for a synergetic approach to group decision-making.

 
There are many online journals that have various articles that discuss theory. Bad Subjects has an incisive article that deals with the relation of difference and similarity within Hegel and Marx, especially in terms of determining consiousness as well as productive and unproductive labor. It shows that the same method can be used to understand Hegel's conception of immaterial reality with Marx's idea of material reality.

 
The Godel Incompleteness Theorem is one of the most revolutionary ideas in 20th century mathematics. It also has deep philosophical repercussions as well. Here is a basic explanation of the theorem that can be understood by those who are not experts in math.

 
Slavoj Zizek is a philosopher who has written about many subjects. Here is an article he wrote about the use of images that permeate and hide the void in film, especially those of Andrei Tarkovsky. He points to how this relates to the way the real is always hidden by the symbolic.

 
Slavoj Zizek is a philosopher who has written about many subjects. Here is an article he wrote about the use of images that permeate and hide the void in film, especially those of Andrei Tarkovsky. He points to how this relates to the way the real is always hidden by the symbolic.

 
There is a new book that discusses the effects of electronic networks on demoracy. This results in emergent behavior and new types of political organizing. Each chapter is posted on a blog that is open for comments.

 
The attack of Sept. 11th was an event that reintroduced the idea of the metanarrative that attempts to explain all of reality. This action benefits the neoconservative agenda and their promotion of endless war to gain U.S. hegemony. This article demonstrates how the media and the culture could be so easily realigned after the tragedy.

 
The question of a fair and effective economy has been a continuing issue. Here is an article that looks at the question of choice and power in an economic and political system. It attempts to look beyond liberal and conservative classifications.

 
In many cases, the studies of Marxism involves some deference to Hegelian principles. Here is a study of economic theory that is anti-Hegelian. It proposes that economic structures mediate between the individual and the society as any theory mediates between them.

 
It can be amazing the types of things one can find on the Internet. Here is a map of the town of Springfield from "The Simpsons". It is based on various geographical descriptions from episodes and compiled into a coherent plan. The longer the series has run, the more detailed the map.

 
Here is an interesting look at how chaos theory and critical theory intertwine. Both look at changes in structure and how some phenomenon cause other phenomenon. It shows the interdisciplinary aspect of chaos theory.

 
Here is an interesting essay on the interaction of synergy and complex social systems. It attempts to incorporate a large field in order to analyze social and political formations.

 
The Republican national convention is over, and there has been nothing but a reiteration of the status quo. The entire Bush campaign is dependent upon the generation of fear associated with Sept. 11th, but the outside protests of 500,000 have repudiated this connection. They have tried to offer an alternative reality where civilians are not strictly obedient to a commander-in-chief under militarism and can dissent peacefully without fear of oppression. The next stage is the debates where hopefully David Cobb or Ralph Nader can be included.

 
The Republican national convention will begin next week, and will attempt to portray the Bush regime as a great success. However, the protests in New York city have already begun. There has been enormous planning for over a year, and many groups will converge to denounce the Iraq war and the Patriot Act.

 
Here is an interesting mathematical paradox that has appeared on the Internet recently. It graphically shows how the paradox works, but does not reveal any possible solution.

 
The growing crisis in the Sudan continues to escalate with little attention paid by the Bush administration. Possibly because of a lack of oil interest such as in Iraq and Venezuela. The various blogs, however, have been documenting the situation. This is a perfect example of the blog arena being at the forefront of world events and the general dialogue of what has just occurred.

 
The structure of the Internet allows for comparisons to other systems to understand it. These would include the model of the rhizome and the models put forth by cybernetics. This article demonstrates these analogies and how they correspond to the network that is the Internet.

 
The application of complex dynamics toward history creates a new perspective on world events. The book A Thousand Years of Nonlinear History encompasses this new framework in a very compelling way. It is a new and refreshing type of historical analysis.

 
The Democratic national convention is over, with some successes and some lukewarm results. The Republican convention is coming up and may include the factor of the largest protest mobilization since Chicago in 1968. There will definitely be vast blog coverage in the coming weeks.

 
The use of blogs allows for a certain amount of reflection and commentary on ideas, events, or texts. Here is a blog that has posts that are analyses of readings of Philosophical Investigations written by the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein. This is a case of philosophy being accessed by the general public in a direct and readable way.

 
There are many types of anarchism and libertarianism, and many of them have resources on the Web. Here is a centrist type of anarchism, while here are two blogs with differing opinions of libertarian ideas.

 
The format of blogs can be used in many new inventive ways. Here is a blog that is committed solely to film and is an exploration of new movie releases and cinema criticism. There is another site that is dedicated to esoteric and unusual films that are also well made.

 
The Green Party national convention was held in Milwaukee from June 23rd to the 27th. There was a great amount of discussion and political negotiation between those who supported David Cobb and those who wanted to endorse Ralph Nader and Peter Camejo. Cobb got the nomination in the second round of voting with California and New York leaning towards Nader. From my experience as a delegate from New York I found that there was a respect for the nomination, while at the same time party members were willing to work to get Nader on the ballot in the state and elsewhere. The following month, from July 6th to August 17th, is a time for getting signatures to get on the ballot for New York and will be a very busy time.

 
Here is an interesting application of the blog format. It presents the events of that day that occurred in alternate histories, or timelines that never happened. It allows one to see historical causality removed from the expectations we have of our own world history.

 
The death of Ronald Reagan marks the death of the oldest living president as well as a time to reevaluate his administration. He escalated the debt, was a devout Riga axiom disciple, and one of the most personable presidents in history. In fact, it could be argued that he won in 1984 on his personality rather than his policies. Many foreign policy decisions by Reagan in the 1980's, such as supporting Iraq and the Afghan mujahadeen, lead to this current Iraq war and the growth of al-Qaeda. It is up to history to decide on his worth.

 
In this time of the Patriot Act, civil liberties are more precious than ever. With legal protections being eroded, cities across the nation are passing resolutions that reaffirm the importance of the Bill of Rights. These efforts by everyday citizens is a reinvigoration of the true meaning of America that many have remembered this past Memorial Day. In contrast, the war in Iraq is a betrayal of America and what it is supposed to stand for.

 
Here is a great example of the online resources available on the Web. There are many books that have been presented entirely online and for free. This book in particular is a modern American classic.

 
Here is an interesting article written by the great philosopher Gilles Deleuze. It shows that identity is split within a structure of language between the subject that speaks and the subject that is spoken about. It shows how there exists multiplicities within something that appears unified.

 
Here is a case where distributed information in a network can be immediately useful. A person who cheated people out of computers was caught by the victims who were able to communicate and link to each other. This can be called an ad hoc community of purpose and is emergent behavior.

 
The use of grid computing such as Seti@home uses the unused memory of personal computers to make calculations like a supercomputer. This is a new method that employs the grid procedure of a network with peer to peer filesharing to make a better system that is more effective and distributed.

 
Here is an application of emergent phenomenon in democracy. It proposes a base of given principles that are entered into voluntarily, and allow for expansion and revisions in government in the spirit of open source. In some respects this is similar to the relation of the principles of the Constitution and Bill of Rights that provide a base for federal and state laws that have been passed in the United States.

 
In this time of war it is imperative that citizens are able to see those who have died return home. That is why these pictures are important and must be released to the press. Our president has not attended one funeral for a soldier since the war began, and it illustrates his disregard for the long-term damage this war has wrought.

 
Here is a simulation of the current year's national budget. One has the ability to increase or decrease various categories of federal spending as well as changing tax cuts. This gives citizens a chance to see if they could create a better budget than the current administration.

 
The upcoming presidential election is going to involve huge amounts of money. This site offers a way to determine who contributed to what campaign. It is a tool to see who in your community donated money and what amount they gave. It is a form of transparency that helps the democratic process.

 
There has been an increasing chorus of experts and former advisors to President Bush who have spoken out and criticized the intentions to go to war with Iraq. Chalmers Johnson is one of them and comes from a conservative perspective that adds legitimacy to his observations. It is an overall critique of the expansion of U.S. military influence across the world and in Iraq in particular.

 
Within emergent behavior there is the formation of swarm intelligence. This is the creation of an overall cognition that arises from interacting parts. The phenomenon is greater than the sum of the various parts. It can be found in nature as well as the Internet.

 
Here is an interesting use of the blog technique. Instead of compiling news and links to various elements on the Web, this blog offers a space to post problems or solutions to problems. Links can be made to problems that need to be addresed or solutions to previously posted problems. Overall, it is a continuation and extension of the public discourse.

 
Easter is soon approaching, and one is reminded of the "The Passion" as well as other movies depicting the life and death of Jesus. In actuality the Mel Gibson movie is quite mediocre compared to "King Of Kings", "The Greatest Story Ever Told", "The Last Temptation of Christ", and "Godspell" in terms of a cinematic work. Here is a collection of critiques of "The Passion" which allows for an opening of debate that religious fundementalism would wish to suppress.

 
In the postmodern era, there is the need for a new classification of people in general within society and economics. This is the multitude, which is more autonomous than the public and more organized than the masses. It is a new organizing principle of people that allows for individualism and collective action to coexist.

 
The tragic events of March 11th in Madrid revealed something about how different people mourn. In the United States people were angry and wanted revenge, while depending on television for their news and trusting in the motives of the present administration. In Spain, however, crowds gathered with signs calling for peace and a new government was voted in. This article explores the differences in public space and private space between the two countries.

 
The power of corporations are all-pervasive. For citizens it is important to be aware of how these multinationals are structured in order to do something about this centralization of economic power. This site is a way to visualize how these companies are interrelated and how much influence they have.

 
Here is an interesting review of a recent book by William Gibson. The article is written by the eminent postmodern philosopher Fredric Jameson. It discusses the prevailing pull between the emergence of style and the commodification of culture that is a theme in the book.

 
One of the future goals of a new economy is to create more leisure and a stable source of income. The increased automation of factories will eventually lead to a new evaluation of how to administer wages, and a need to create a basic guaranteed income. It will be the realization of what the future was supposed to be.

 
Taxation is an enduring issue. Here is a new idea that applies peer to peer principles to tax collecting. It proposes that a percentage of income tax can be collected by private agencies or used in ways specified by the taxpayer. It is a direct way to connect people's wishes with the need to fund the infrastructure.

 
Here is a wonderful interview with notable theorist Manuel De Landa. His use of systems and complexity theory has placed a new interpretation to the postmodern philosophy of Gilles Deleuze.

 
Here is an interesting article about the ability of black holes to hold information as well as matter. It proposes that the universe is made up of matter that can be broken down into a binary code of information, and that the size of a black hole's event horizon determines its ability to retain information.

 
The Academy Awards have passed, and there is now a three-way tie for most nominations won. Along with Ben Hur and Titanic, The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King won all 11 nominations. I had suspected that best makeup, best costumes, best score, and best director would be won but that other films would garner the other technical awards offered. Usually a sweep of the Oscars by one film overshadows the accomplishments of the other nominees, but Mystic River was able to get the best actor and best supporting actor. Overall, of the 9 predictions I made, I got 4 right.

 
In many of the protest movements, there is great participation by young people. However, the legal authorities attempt to suppress civil disobedience and that means that these young people can be arrested. This article looks into the possible responsibilities of adults toward children in the protest situation.

 
The current mode of thinking about the economy limits human action to that of strict conditions within a free market. It has been proposed that a new area or field called a catallaxy be used to examine the more complex interrelations of human beings. These relationships move beyond the confinements of economic behavior and can allow for people to fully understand how society functions in higher dimensions.

 
It is very useful to have relevant information on marijuana. This uses the format of the blog to post positive articles about the effects of marijuana. It includes things on history, medical uses, and legal ramifications.

 
The increasing power of corporations is augmented by the ability of these large economic organizations to merge with each other. A new term has appeared, that of the oligopoly. Being able to monitor corporate behavior and trends makes it possible to offer solutions to their dominance.

 
The Oscars are on February 29th. Here are my predictions for the winners in the major categories. The Academy awards are always a chance to remember the history of film and its many achievements.

Best Picture:
Mystic River

Best Actor:
Bill Murray, "Lost In Translation"

Best Actress:
Charlize Theron, "Monster"

Best Supporting Actor:
Tim Robbins, "Mystic River"

Best Supporting Actress:
Patricia Clarkson, "Pieces Of April"

Best Director:
Peter Jackson, "Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King"

Best Foreign Film:
The Barbarian Invasions

Best Animated Film:
The Triplets Of Bellville

Best Documentary:
Capturing The Friedmans

 
One of the most influential movements in film was the French New Wave. In the 1960's directors such as Godard and Truffaut pioneered new methods of style. They began as writers for the magazine Cahiers Du Cinema, and the publication itself explored the theory of movie narrative. The foundation of theory is vital to understanding the composition of films and can complement the experience of watching movies.

 
Though this is an article written before the invasion of Iraq, it still is relevant. Noam Chomsky describes the unilateral attempt to wage war preemptively. It is a policy that guarantees United States hegemony over the rest of the world, while also a disdain for international law and sovereignty rights of other nations. This policy has become more overt as there has been no discovery of weapons of mass destruction.

 
In light of the upcoming election, there is a need to acknowledge that the current system favors the two major parties. Despite the merits of other third parties, the winner-take-all situation becomes an obstacle. With instant runoff voting, a voter ranks his choices in such a way as to make sure that his second choices are counted if the preliminary vote of first choices do not have a majority.

 
In response to the growing power of the G7 countries, the 7 most developed nations, there is a movement of underdeveloped nations. These nations are referred to as the G22 and are lead by Brazil. Especially in Latin America, the need to oppose corporate dominance is crucial to their own national existence and prosperity.

 
The corporate structure of economics strives for the short-term and can be defined as suicidal in its tendencies. On the other hand, small-scale enterprises that are part of the local community sustain life and can be a better long-term model. This paradigm shift can be the best remedy for corporate corruption and scandal.

 
This is an insightful examination of the role of technology in surveillance. It describes that there will be a point in this development that would internalize the act of control that is part of being able to observe. From then onward, control will be complete and eternal.

 
These are amazing uses for chalk, as well as an ingenious application of artistic perspective. Once in a while something like this shows up on the Internet and must be promulgated as much as possible.

 
These are amazing applications of chalk, as well as an ingeneous use of perspective. Once in a while things like this show up on the Internet, and they should be promulgated as much as possible.

 
These are amazing applications of chalk, as well as an ingeneous use of perspective. Once in a while things like this show up on the Internet, and they should be promulgated as much as possible.

 
These are amazing applications of chalk, as well as an ingeneous use of perspective. Once in a while things like this show up on the Internet, and they should be promulgated as much as possible.

 
These are amazing applications of chalk, as well as an ingeneous use of perspective. Once in a while things like this show up on the Internet, and they should be promulgated as much as possible.

 
These are amazing applications of chalk, as well as an ingeneous use of perspective. Once in a while things like this show up on the Internet, and they should be promulgated as much as possible.

 
Decentralized power can be expressed through a distributed economic infrastructure. There are many benefits to this, and it can help strengthen communities as well as stabilize a national economy. With the rise of the network as a model of organization, there is a new approach to fulfilling economic needs.

 
Here is a new project for observing asteroids in space. The sheer numbers and the required manpower means that new organizational methods must be used. The same process for computing radio signals from outer space can be applied in this endeavor.

 
Here is an interesting online application. It mixes the form of one established website with the content of another. It provides an interesting display of how a message is shaped by presentation as well as its writing.

 
Even though it is weeks after Christmas, here is an interesting article that looks at the symbolism of Santa Claus. Specifically, it demonstrates how the figure of this character can be related to shamans of ancient Northern Europe who collected psychoactive mushrooms.

 
On the eve of the Iowa caucus, there is a four-way tie with Dean, Kerry, Edwards, and Gephardt. This means that Dennis Kucinich has a good chance of being in fifth place, which signifies that his progressive campaign still has a chance to survive the primary season. It is vital that this message continues in order to revive the progressive base that the Democrats need in order to win the general election.

 
Diplomatic matters require the resolution of international disputes. It can be a precarious endeavor, but here is a proposition that argues for a mathematical quantification of civil wars. It is a method that allows for the possibility of treaties and peace between warring factions in a fair and reasonable way.

 
In the increasing flow of information, there is the formation of a type of control based on content and a standardized narrative. The response to such a situation is tactical media that creates some sort of autonomy in this age of total information control. It is the taking apart of the system to create alternative realities as a method of liberation.

 
One of the unfortunate side-effects of modern development is urban sprawl. It requires a dependence on cars and results in the decay of the urban center. There is alternatives to the current situation, and they place an emphasis on mixed use environments and everything in walking distance. These are solutions to the alienating aspects of the modern city and suburbs.

 
Here is an interesting source of input from other countries on the 2004 election. The argument is that since the United States is the sole superpower, the next election affects other nations to such a large degree that their opinion matters.

 
The Oscars are coming up earlier this year, so here is my predictions for the nomiantions:

Best Picture:
The Last Samurai
The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King
Mystic River
American Splendor
Elephant

Best Actor:
Ken Watanabe, "The Last Samurai"
Sean Penn, "Mystic River"
Anthony Hopkins, "The Human Stain"
Bill Murray, "Lost In Translation"
Ben Kingsley, "House Of Sand And Fog"

Best Actress:
Nicole Kidman, "Cold Mountain"
Charlize Theron, "Monster"
Gwyneth Paltrow, "Sylvia"

Best Supporting Actor:
Tim Robbins, "Mystic River"
Eugene Levy, "A Mighty Wind"
Albert Finney, "Big Fish"

Best Supporting Actress:
Patricia Clarkson, "Pieces of April"

Best Director:
Clint Eastwood, "Mystic River"
Christopher Guest, "A Mighty Wind"
Gus Van Sant, "Elephant"
Tim Burton, "Big Fish"
Peter Jackson, "The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King"

Best Foreign Movie:
The Barbarian Invasions

 
The installment of many dictators in the 20th century was due in part to the United States and its suspicion of anything resembling communism. Here is a visual aid in examining the "friendly" oppressive regimes in the world as a side effect of the Cold War and other foreign policy issues.