Not even a $5 coffee?
Buy Nothing Day — Nov. 24 — stands as a protest against consumerism
Anthony Augustine

Tony Hawk—www.adbusters.org/metas/eco/bnd — Buy Nothing Day was begun by Vancouver artist Ted Dave as a small protest against consumerism, but it’s grown into a worldwide campaign thanks to Adbusters and the thousands of DIY activists staging events in their cities. At the core of BND is the idea that our society is far too concerned with the endless pursuit of consumerism and has become far too materialistic. Many critics have argued that simply not buying anything for one day does nothing because people will just buy more the day before or the day after, and that may be true. Nevertheless, the fact that people are talking about some of the issues surrounding BND probably means it’s successful. Participate by not participating on November 24. (For more info BND see our News section on page 11.)

Bushisms— www.slate.com/id/76886 — The recent midterm elections in the U.S. were a strong indication that the tide of public opinion is shifting against the Republicans and their quest for domination in the Middle East. Bush will have to serve his last two years as a lame-duck president with control of neither the House nor the Senate, so it will be interesting to see what direction he takes. The former governor of Texas will have to battle to get anything done, so you can bet he’ll have to make more media appearances to push his agenda. Not known as the slickest public speaker, Bush has frequently bumbled and stumbled his way through press conferences and appearances. With the quagmire in Iraq, the North Korean nuke situation, the faltering U.S. economy and the country running a huge deficit to finance unprecedented military spending, you can bet this list of quotes will be updated often before the 43rd president leaves office.

Detroit Electronic Music Festival Archives— www.demf.com — After years of financial struggle, spotty weather and disillusionment, the Detroit Electronic Music Festival was a smashing success this past May. Under the direction of one of North America’s premier production companies, Paxahau, DEMF not only had one of the best electronic lineups ever assembled in North America but also ran with military precision. Crammed in over three days and spread out over four stages, the shear amount of talent that was assembled was mind-boggling at times. At one point on the first day, all four stages had acts performing that would be headliners any other place. Luckily the folks at Paxahau recorded the entire weekend and have made most of the sets available online. Highlights include shows by Adam Marshall, Derrick Carter, Krikor, Ark, Kooky Scientist, and Pascal Feos, who rocked a sweaty afternoon crowd for over three hours in the underground tent and at one point had a 65-year-old woman out of her motorized wheelchair with her hands in the air in a moment that perfectly encapsulated what that weekend was all about.

Anthony Augustine is a freelance music and pop culture writer who spends way too much time in front of the computer. He also hosts a weekly two-hour electronic music program on CKUW 95.9 FM Got a site you think he should see? E-mail him at anthony.alloneword@gmail.com.