- Beverly J Silver, Forces of Labor: Workers Movements and Globalization since 1870.
- Georgy Katsiaficas, The Subversion of Politics: European Autonomous Social Movements and the Decolonization of Everyday Life
- Laura Pulido, Black, Brown, Yellow and Left: Radical Activism in Los Angeles.
- Brent Hayes Edwards, The Practice of Diaspora
- Michelle Stephens, Black Empire: The Masculine Global Imaginary of Caribbean Intellectuals in the United States 1914-1962
- Elaine Brown, A Taste of Power
Sunday, December 31, 2006
I'm taking suggestions on which of these books I should read next. Any insight is appreciated.
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Finally finished the paper today, sitting in a friend's apartment and babysitting the aforementioned kitten, who kept using the back of the chair I was sitting in as a scratching post and is totally adorable. I watched her stalk and pounce on a stuffed mouse toy for several minutes.
It won't get posted here, because it needs a lot of work, and if i'd given myself more time to write it, it would have ordered and structured it much differently and worked in stuff from The Practices of Diaspora and Black, Brown, Yellow, and Left, but the problem with the whole three term papers a semester structure of graduate coursework is that you can never read everything even if you really, really want to.
An anonymous commenter over at nerds thinks I'm unhireable.
Anyway, I'll have the customary year-end post up tomorrow.
It won't get posted here, because it needs a lot of work, and if i'd given myself more time to write it, it would have ordered and structured it much differently and worked in stuff from The Practices of Diaspora and Black, Brown, Yellow, and Left, but the problem with the whole three term papers a semester structure of graduate coursework is that you can never read everything even if you really, really want to.
An anonymous commenter over at nerds thinks I'm unhireable.
I'm not going on the job market any time soon, so the point's moot, but initially I thought this was intended in worse faith than it seems to have been. Most of the anonymous commenters over at that site these days generally preface their remarks by referring to one of the bloggers as a sphincter and perhaps I led my fear of anonymous commenters, which dates back to when it was me they were after, get the best of me. Or perhaps the derisionI thought I sensed when I first read the comment is indeed there but the point stands anyway. This far my response to concerns about blogging and the job market has been to defer such meshuggas until I'm much closer to actually being on the job market, if that is indeed where I end up. But that was part of the impetus behind the pseudoanonymity as well. That and getting the opportunity to rechristen myself with a smartass sobriquet.Actually, there was an article in The chronicle of higher education about the danger of blogging for potential job applicants a couple months ago ("exposed in the blogosphere" http://chronicle.com/weekly/v52/i47/47b00702.htm). Being identified with a blog, especially if it contains personal information, can really hurt job applicants. Imagine reading weapon of class instruction (http://problemofleisure.blogspot.com/) and then seriously considering the author for a tenure-track professorship. there are universities where he might still be hired, but, generally, members of hiring committees might get turned off.
Anyway, I'll have the customary year-end post up tomorrow.
Friday, December 29, 2006
I just technorati'd myself for the first time in a while. It yielded some unexpected results:
First, my defense of the anti-minutemen has led one right wing blogger to tag me as a "retard " without in any way engaging or critiquing my argument. Feels like college again! (Also, dude, I don't drink.)
Also, in October, someone in Toronto wanted someone else in Toronto to hook up with me.
Um, I hear Toronto's nice. I guess I should be kinda flattered, right? And any way, being someone's ironic soulmate is way better than being disingenuously blockquoted as evidence of "liberal" fascism when I have never identified myself as liberal (too far right) and was making a much more nuanced argument about universities and "free speech" than I'm being given credit for.
First, my defense of the anti-minutemen has led one right wing blogger to tag me as a "retard " without in any way engaging or critiquing my argument. Feels like college again! (Also, dude, I don't drink.)
Also, in October, someone in Toronto wanted someone else in Toronto to hook up with me.
Um, I hear Toronto's nice. I guess I should be kinda flattered, right? And any way, being someone's ironic soulmate is way better than being disingenuously blockquoted as evidence of "liberal" fascism when I have never identified myself as liberal (too far right) and was making a much more nuanced argument about universities and "free speech" than I'm being given credit for.
So that Goodyear agreement, after two months on strike, will mean a two-tiered wage structure, with new hires making much, much less than folks there now - reminiscent of what we saw in the SoCal supermarket strike in 2004. That's bad.
It'll eventually mean a plant closing and the loss of 1,100 union jobs - many through UAW/GM style retirement buyouts. The union did ensure that the plant will stay open at least until the end of 2007, but this is a three year contract and that gives workers little leverage to keep Goodyear from shutting down the plant during the last two years of the agreement, when the union's still operating under a no strike clause.
On the plus side, the contract means Goodyear invests $500 million in its U.S. plants, which will hopefully stem job hemorrhaging somewhat. It means a billion dollar health care fund for retirees, which is good. But as far as I can tell, the contract doesn't increase the power workers have relative to the company's HR offices or executives and doesn't do much to grow the movement or make up for the eventual loss of 1,100 members from USW ranks. Still, this is not a defeat. But it's also far from a resounding victory. Oy.
Meanwhile: will there be a New Year's wildcat at foxwoods?
And Alcoa and the UAW settle in Cleveland, ending an 8 week old strike
It'll eventually mean a plant closing and the loss of 1,100 union jobs - many through UAW/GM style retirement buyouts. The union did ensure that the plant will stay open at least until the end of 2007, but this is a three year contract and that gives workers little leverage to keep Goodyear from shutting down the plant during the last two years of the agreement, when the union's still operating under a no strike clause.
On the plus side, the contract means Goodyear invests $500 million in its U.S. plants, which will hopefully stem job hemorrhaging somewhat. It means a billion dollar health care fund for retirees, which is good. But as far as I can tell, the contract doesn't increase the power workers have relative to the company's HR offices or executives and doesn't do much to grow the movement or make up for the eventual loss of 1,100 members from USW ranks. Still, this is not a defeat. But it's also far from a resounding victory. Oy.
Meanwhile: will there be a New Year's wildcat at foxwoods?
And Alcoa and the UAW settle in Cleveland, ending an 8 week old strike
The contract calls for annual wage increases and introduces a company match to Alcoa's 401(k) plan. The new contract resolves issues over a wage and benefits package and health care, Alcoa said. The agreement also begins a new attendance policy and limits the overtime available to workers.
Thursday, December 28, 2006
In February of 2006, workers at the restaurant wholesaler EZ-Supply in Northern Brooklyn and LIC, Queens, voted to join the Industrial Workers of the World.
Over nine months later, the company agreed to a contract with the union.
Two days ago, the company 'reneged' on the agreement and issued threats to workers based on their immigration status.
Today, the union served the company with a federal complaint over unpaid back wages and overtime.
This evening, the company responded by firing "all union workers." To find out more and get involved, go here.
Over nine months later, the company agreed to a contract with the union.
Two days ago, the company 'reneged' on the agreement and issued threats to workers based on their immigration status.
Today, the union served the company with a federal complaint over unpaid back wages and overtime.
This evening, the company responded by firing "all union workers." To find out more and get involved, go here.
three things. maybe four.
1. If you have not yet watched the Westerberg SNL clip of "Can't Hardly Wait," please do, because it's easily the best Westerberg/Replacements live performance I've ever seen, and the band is amazing, and the song is amazing. I'll shut up about that now.
2. I am almost done with the paper. I am cat sitting for a friend. The cat is awesome and today chased around the laser from a laser pen keychain and sat in a cheese hamper.
3. Yesterday in the mail I got The Wren's Secaucus and Nas's Hip Hop is Dead and I listened to them on the walk over to see the cat this morning. Secaucus lived up to expectations, which is pretty impressive given that i'd been trying to track down a copy, at times obsessively, for over three years before Wind-Up finally reissued it. It's very different from the Meadowlands and far less bleak, but the songwriting is just as staggering. The Nas album is equal parts paean and polemic and he namedrops Positive K, Tone Loc, and Kriss Kross. It's not bad.
2. I am almost done with the paper. I am cat sitting for a friend. The cat is awesome and today chased around the laser from a laser pen keychain and sat in a cheese hamper.
3. Yesterday in the mail I got The Wren's Secaucus and Nas's Hip Hop is Dead and I listened to them on the walk over to see the cat this morning. Secaucus lived up to expectations, which is pretty impressive given that i'd been trying to track down a copy, at times obsessively, for over three years before Wind-Up finally reissued it. It's very different from the Meadowlands and far less bleak, but the songwriting is just as staggering. The Nas album is equal parts paean and polemic and he namedrops Positive K, Tone Loc, and Kriss Kross. It's not bad.
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
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