new gear
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Why is it that people who play their music too loudly (in their car in the alley behind your building, for example, or in the apartment next door) always play crappy music?
New next-door neighbors moved in yesterday. They look like adults, but I’ve been treated to what sounds like MTV pop/r&b all afternoon. Just once I’d like to hear a car drive by blasting Liz Phair, the Pixies, say, or the Clash.
Okay, how do I deal with this? “Hi, I’m your neighbor. Would you turn that shit down?” No, that won’t work. “Hi, I’m your neighbor. You know, you’re obviously so clueless about apartment living we’ll probably be able to hear you having sex.” Nope. “Hi, you voted for Bush, didn’t you?” Nah. “Hi. Ever hear of the social contract?” Uh-unh.
Suggestions?
The 2005 meeting of the American Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies will take place in Las Vegas, baby! The calls for papers are available online. I’ll be chairing the SHARP panel:
ìThe Fate of Script in an Age of Printî
It is generally acknowledged that the technology of print facilitated many important cultural transformations during the eighteenth century. However, manuscript practices clearly did not disappear with the advent of print. This panel invites scholars from all fields to interrogate the boundary between the cultures of manuscript and print in the eighteenth century and to investigate the ways in which their histories might be said to overlap. Materials of interest might include but are not limited to commonplace books, diaries, graffiti, letters, marginalia, recipes, record keeping, and shorthand. Papers are welcome from those working in a variety of languages and in a variety of national traditions.
Proposals from non-SHARP members are welcome with the understanding that they must become members of SHARP if their paper is accepted and they agree to present. Please send one page abstracts for this panel to williamsgh@umkc.edu by September 15, 2004.
I’ve given voices (mp3, 2.2M) to Matt’s cicadas . This sound file is licensed under a Creative Commons license.
Jason J. provides links to some interesting readings for a summer seminar titled “The Future of the Page.”