P L E A S E, S U P P O R T S W A N S
Much has been changing in and around Swans headquarters; despite this we've managed to keep publishing amidst all the mayhem, and while one of our editors cleans and paints, the other keeps up the writing. A couple of issues recently caught the attention of the latter -- Gilles d'Aymery -- including Jeff Bezos's curious purchase of The Washington Post in the midst of a dying newspaper industry; the ongoing Edward Snowden saga, the NSA mess, and the death of privacy; to Swans different points of view, such as those of the much respected Manuel García, Jr., on privacy, and more. Dying along with newspapers is the book industry, and as Karen Moller reports, even the world of self-publishing is riddled with censorship, and her experience with Author House was not only shocking but irrational. As for Manuel, he writes from Oakland, California, where he is surrounded by earthquake faults, pondering his epitaph, and offering some advice that we would all be well served to adopt: Have Fun and Be Kind. There are many celebrity charities that could make the world a better place by heeding such advice rather than masking their agendas with a veil of philanthropy, and Michael Barker exposes just a few who follow this elitist trend.
Turning to culture, Raju Peddada presents Part I of the his recollections of family and road trips, and Peter Byrne pens a short story that suggests there's more to a man than his name. David Francis's poem is a somber glimpse of a middle-aged couple going somewhere, nowhere; and Guido Monte's multilingual words describe pain and human indifference, with a wonderful drawing by Nicola Spacca. We close with a letter from our libertarian friend on the Snowden affair and the new privacy-less system he calls "americanism."
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Gilles d'Aymery: Blips #137
A few selected issues that landed on our stressed-out Editor's desk, from Jeff Bezos's purchase of The Washington Post in the midst of a dying newspaper industry; the ongoing Edward Snowden saga, the NSA mess, and the death of privacy; to the different points of view on Swans on the latter, and more. More...
Karen Moller: The New Mullahs In The Publishing World
Author Karen Moller's shocking and irrational experience with censorship with the self-publishing company Author House. More...
Manuel García, Jr.: The Volcano Behind Oakland
The Round Top volcano behind Oakland is a remnant of San Andreas Fault extension. More...
Michael Barker: Cancerous-Celebrity-Charity
Capitalism in action: from Lance Armstrong to Peter Ackerman. More...
Raju Peddada: The Exit Of Evocation - 278B for Kitchener-Waterloo - Part I
Part I of the author's recollections of family and road trips. More...
Peter Byrne: Name Of The Father
A short story about the passing down of a father's rather unusual name. More...
David Francis: November 2009, USA
A somber poem of a middle-aged couple going somewhere, nowhere. More...
Guido Monte: Sfogo/Rant
Words about pain and human indifference, by Guido Monte (translated by Adele Ward) More...
A view from our libertarian follower on the Snowden affair and the new, privacy-less system he calls americanism. More...
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