Re: nettime: The cult of Tron

[James Flint <flint@bigfoot.com>]

A reply to Carl G. and Matthew S.:

>the Guru of Nomadology, James Flint

Hum, too kind. This epithet a double-edged sword, methinks. 

>i like that, but dont forget about what pynchon said about the desert:
>"The desert is the city in disguise". 

Yeah, I'd forgotten that. Can you remind me where he says it? I don't know
how much it relates to my paper, though as usual for Pynchon it's pregnant
with meaning. I didn't want to define the desert so much as contrast two
different approaches (following Deleuze) for traversing it, mapping it. But
these approaches apply equally well, I would think, to urban activity.

It's interesting, too, that certain cities famous for gambling - according
to Baudrillard, a "desert form" - are so closely linked with the desert.
Las Vegas, Reno - here it is hard to tell where the desert ends and the
city begins. 

>In the American West, it's called "There's a new sheriff in town!" The
>movie "Heathers," ends with the high school girls' caste system intact,
>only with a presumably more benign leader.
>

Yes; and this movie itself is quite a sly comment look at the archetypal
American film structure that I was talking about. 

>Did you read Foucault's Pendulum? The historical conspiracy cooked up by
>the protagonists involved cathedrals designed to receiving and channel
>ley/telluric energy. Great concept.

I did read it, though a long time ago, and I'd forgotten that particular
aspect. Thanks for reminding me. 

regards, 

Jim


James Flint

vox: +44 (0) 171 837 7479
page: 01523 106401
flint@bigfoot.com
www.metamute.co.uk/jimf
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