http://paulaitken.com the website of paul aitken, guitarist - improviser - scholar Sun, 22 Jun 2008 13:52:52 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en A couple of months ago I posted about Žižek: The Lecture!, which took place at the University of Leeds.  Video of both the lecture and an interview conducted by Diane Myers prior to the event are up at SubalternStudies. http://paulaitken.com/2008/06/22/zizek-update/ Oh "Earth Hour", how quaint.  It puts me in mind of "Buy Nothing Day", a similar guilt-assuaging activity for those whom Žižek calls "liberal communists".  As far as I can tell, it provided the opportunity for those who otherwise have no idea how to address things like the climate crises, ... http://paulaitken.com/2008/03/30/bandaid/ This past few months I have been lucky enough to be among the organisers for Slavoj Žižek's visit to the University of Leeds on Tuesday 18 March. We got over 550 people out to see one of the most interesting and provocative intellectuals alive today. It was a ... http://paulaitken.com/2008/03/23/zizek-lecture/ Will Merrin posted a fascinating essay at Media Studies 2.o back in September, which I have only just now got around to reading.  He addresses the social networking user through Roger Caillois’s 1935 essay "Mimicry and Legendary Psychasthenia".  Merrin critiques the social networking profile and points out a beef I've had for a ... http://paulaitken.com/2008/03/09/cool-essay-myspace-and-legendary-psychasthenia/ For a while I was thinking that I wouldn't bother posting my MA online. Really, after the defense, and what with the evolution of my thought since I started the PhD, I figured it old news.  But, I've decided to let it out of the dusty confines of my hard ... http://paulaitken.com/2008/03/08/putting-it-out-there/ I am a Master! I successfully defended my MA thesis Online Music Communities: Challenging Sexism, Capitalism, and Authority in Popular Music a week-and-a-half ago. The defence was rigorous and lengthy, but instructive as a result. I think I will take some time away from it before I look ... http://paulaitken.com/2007/10/06/master-of-puppets-is-pulling-your-strings/ One of the great things about my involvement in music, both as a practitioner and as an academic, is that every year I am fortunate enough to be introduced to new music. Recently, when this happens I also find myself readdressing my musical history, in particular, favourite artists from ... http://paulaitken.com/2007/05/15/reba/ My web host decided to upgrade their servers without telling anyone first and as a result I was without my primary email account for the last five days. Honestly, I had to start rerouting to people to my (gasp!) gmail account, an account that I was trying to hold in ... http://paulaitken.com/2007/05/11/teh-broken-interwebs/ I read today that the Turkish court has banned Turkish Internet users from accessing YouTube. The reason is that recently there has been a “virtual war” of sorts between Greeks and Turks who are using YouTube to post videos that insult each other’s cultures. The offending video reportedly ... http://paulaitken.com/2007/03/07/youturkey/ My friend and mentor Jacqueline Warwick has just released a much-anticpated book on "Girl Group" culture in the 1960s.  All those great artists who history has traditionally dealt a bad hand are addressed here.  And damned good music to boot! Warwick, Jacqueline.  Girl Groups, Girl Culture:  Popular Music and Identity in ... http://paulaitken.com/2007/02/17/new-book/