Chapter 7 Finished…All But…

November 17, 2011 Leave a comment

According to the radio it’s raining; it’s sunny outside. I was meant to go to a meeting last night; my mobile phone didn’t ring to say my lift was near. Chapter 7 was close to being finished; the computer packed up and I had to rebuild it. Fortunately I had backups.

There’s a pattern here. I’m very clear about the incongruity between writing this and publishing on the Internet and the need to remove industrial civilization, which is why there is now a decent chunk in the latest chapter about this, including a section called The End of The Internet. This is a big one – the whole chapter is, and I am nervous about releasing the 30-odd thousand words to the wider world because it has sections that if and when enacted will take down huge chunks of the industrial infrastructure of death. This is a good thing – it’s still a scary thought, though.

The chapter will be released by the end of the year, including a couple of important essays by people who really know what they are talking about, and if nothing else it should provide food for thought (and people, based on the last section) for those who think that there is such thing as a “healthy” economy and neutral technology. The technology for writing and distributing this book is just a tool – we would be a hell of a lot better off without it.

Filed under Writing

Not Gathering Moss, Honest

November 1, 2011 Leave a comment

So October ends and November begins. An evening of ‘Guising through the streets of our village (well, wife and children did, I stayed in with a friend waiting for the many knocks on the door to indicate a new group of suitably attired children replete with bad jokes and the occasional song) ends a busy month writing, along with all the other things I get up to in my life as an economic non-entity. The garden has been tidied but we still have some chard and spinach growing well, as well as cabbages and cauliflowers being lazily grazed by the late slugs. The potatoes were killed off by an early frost and only time will tell if they got enough energy from the leaves to become edible – I fear not.

The writing, while not being visibly stupendous has been steady and productive. Chapter 7 nears completion, although the end of year deadline may suffer due to all sorts of new undermining ideas emerging. You may also have noticed Chapter 4 being published on the Book page, which should provide some serious spadework for those who have never been involved in activism before, or who have only ever carried out symbolic actions. During editing I was delighted to stumble upon a host of essays by CrimethInc. which slotted perfectly into the chapter (with kind permission), avoiding the need to once again chase up the original essayist who, for whatever reason, stopped communicating after I sent the book text along. I might be persuaded to reveal who, in person, on receipt of comestible gifts.

Chapter 5 is next up for publication which, looking at the dates, will be along during the second week in November. I’m looking forward to the chance to reveal the Anonymous Hivemind essay to the world. Now it’s time to write about the end of the Internet and what it could mean to Undermin…….

Filed under General Thoughts, Writing