. . . Telematic Embrace

[Richard Fiero]

pynchonoid wrote:
>review of:
>_Telematic Embrace
>. . .
>In the early 1960s, with the end of the Cold War still
>decades ahead, the Department of Defense's Advanced
>Research Project Agency envisioned a computerized
>communications network in which discrete packets of
>information could be sent by numerous paths . . .

The structure of SDS was very much like that network.  Also see 
various publications from RAND regarding cyberwarfare, 
networking, swarming, etc.

Terrance wrote:
>In the late 1960s, the Weathermen were the radical faction
>of the antiwar SDS  . . . privileged, white-bread college kids.

I can see that we're in for a deluge of anti-60's stuff.  I'd 
take a look at militant-Islam for help identifying the various types of actors.

jbor wrote:
>And, in fact, I think it's possible to read "the man" in this passage as a
>straight reference to Hector, Zoyd's "old buddy" and "longtime pursuer",
>rather than as "the Man", the allegorical epithet hippies in the 60s
>employed when speaking about authority in general (cf. the use of this term
>in the Watts essay, _GR_), which is how you seem to be reading it. Even if
>we do read it in this way, Hector, we shall soon enough see, isn't really
>"the Man" at all any more (if he ever was), and so there's an additional
>irony at work which undermines the "reliability" of Zoyd's reaction, a
>reaction which is being filtered through the narrative voice, to the news
>that Hector has resurfaced and is seeking him out.

Reading "The Man" for "the man" is perfectly legit here. 
However "The Man" is another way of saying "The Cop" . . . who 
can bust you. "The Man" also has the other connotation jbor 
uses but its roots derive from the parallel streams of 
hipsterese and labor union songs. I can't follow jbor's logic 
here since Hector certainly is "The Man" and is well-defined by 
his intended effect on Zoyd, his motivations and his methods.

Otto wrote:
>"Turn Off Your Mind: The Mystic Sixties and
>the Dark Side of the Age of Aquarius" by Gary Lachman.
>
>How did a decade of love and peace end in Altamont and the Manson Family
>bloodbath?
>
>In "Turn Off Your Mind: The Mystic Sixties and the Dark Side of the Age of
>Aquarius" - to be published June 23rd by The Disinformation Company -
>author Gary Lachman explores the sinister dalliance of rock's high rollers
>and a new wave of occultists, tying together John Lennon, Timothy Leary,
>Mick Jagger, Brian Wilson, Charles Manson, Anton LaVey, Jim Morrison, L.
>Ron Hubbard and many more American cultural icons.
>
>"A really well-researched, well-written book about the moment of destiny
>from which I for one was glad to escape alive" - Marianne Faithfull


Most confusing! The sixties surely had a strongly regressive 
conservative side as it did a progressive thrust but much of 
the above quote ignores time and confuses New Age with 
something else.  Jim Morrison was rediscovered in the late 80's 
by a covey of Gothic Chicks but prior to that was somebody some 
profit oriented radio stations played. It's not happening. 
Trade you a Billy Graham for a L. Ron Hubbard.