Michèle Bernstein wrote a Situationist trash novel. She did it, so she said, to give the S.I. financial support, and as a joke. If I had to make a choice, I would prefer this piece of writing over almost any other book, let alone theoretical writings of the S.I. Where the other Situationist writings are dry, pathos-laden and ridiculously unaware of their own overstatement, this novel has all the fresh ideas but adds an ill sense of humour, valorizing the trope of the bohèmian Parisian Libertine in as much as she satirizes it (apparently it was heavily influenced by Laclos' Liaisons Dangereuses, which had just been turned into a movie for the first time). In the best sense possible Michèle is Anti- de Beauvoir. Her characters are in no way rigid or fierce. No depressed clinging to the great idea, no clenched teeth. Although the plot is not unlike "She Came to Stay", which is a gruelling story about the failure of progressive ideas and repressed conventionality behind the veil of liberation, Bernstein's characters have no pretensions, and if they do they can be sure to be speared by her wits. For sure this book is also great for the way it has been translated. The Bernadette Corporation adopted this work of fiction as a structure around which they base their own activities as a highly reflective, super-contemporary artist collective in New York City. Their translation from French into English is almost naturally also a translation from the 1950's to the 2000's, barring the fact that we would have a lot of catching up to do if we wanted to be ahead of Michèle in 1958, anyway.

"FOR CLARIFICATION PURPOSES.
THIS GROUP IS PRO-CONTRACTOR.
WE CONVINCED THE KID THAT USED TO RUN IT TO GIVE IT TO GLEN AND I (ROB) BECAUSE THE GROUP HAD BECOME ALMOST 99% PRO CONTRACTOR. SORRY ABOUT THE NAME, BUT WE CANNOT CHANGE IT.
P.S.- DONT VOTE HILLARY '08. HA HA.

Glen and Rob have taken control of the group. We support the efforts of our contractors and understand that there has been a place for these men since the beginning of warfare. The main difference between the Contractors of today, and the Mercenaries of the past is that most contractors are guided to through their emplyoment by concience. They will not accept bids to do work for immoral reason. They serve the interests of democratic nations.

Blackwater, AEGIS (Executive Outcomes), Dyncorp, and MPRI are just some of the organizations known as "private security contractors" or "Private Military Corporations (PMCs) ". They are the new target of some members the liberal left and others who are uninformed about the key role that these companies play.

These men are called "mercenaries" in a very condescending way. It is suggested that these men are untrained, unproffesional, and merciless. Anyone who has that opinion has seen "Iraq for Sale" WAY to many times.

These men were once the best that the US military had to offer. Now they are the best the US military can hire. They come from a variety of backgrounds: (...)"

By some strange circumstance I was just remembered that I'm in charge of running this weblog. And happened to remember how to login: So I will write one or two lines before I go back to my usual activities. G-rad seems to be doing so incredibly good. Just skipping through some of the discussion forums, I get the impression that so many things are being discussed that I had wished to have talked about while I was a citizen of Grand Rapids, Division Ave. So now they seem quite far removed. We don't struggle with any of the issues that were part of my living experience there. Here we have luxury problems. I despair when I realize that the health food store on the corner is out of organic lemonade. I live now in a part of town that knows only ice cream shops and playgrounds. There is no question, hardly anyone owns a car. Not that this is the status quo in the country that I live in, quite the opposite is the case actually, and apparently I have maneuvered myself into becoming an inhabitant of a bubble-city.
So, while knowing how difficult it would be to raise my little one as easily and healthily if I still lived where I used to live in Grand Rapids, a place that I miss quite a bit from time to time, I will try to keep up on news from this precious place called GR and from now on refer to G-Rad as "Good News From Grand Rapids" and remain
yours truly,
Good News From Europe

http://www.storchennest.de/en/index_live-video.html

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This is my fassbinderesque dark and pixelated impression of the finissage-evening, right in front of Franz Biberkopf you can see Juliane Lorenz, Fassbinders late wife and the cutter for Berlin Alexanderplatz.

because the world is round it turns me on
because the wind is high it blows my mind