October 2007 | Page 3 of 8

Robot Cannon Kills 9, Wounds 14

October 20, 2007 / Klint Finley

We’re not used to thinking of them this way. But many advanced military weapons are essentially robotic — picking targets out automatically, slewing into position, and waiting only for a human to pull the trigger. Most of the time. Once in a while, though, these machines start firing mysteriously on their own. The South African National Defence Force “is probing whether a software glitch led to an antiaircraft cannon malfunction that killed nine soldiers and seriously injured 14 others during a shooting exercise on Friday.”

Full Story: Wired.

(via Robot Wisdom).

See: War in the Age of Intelligent Machines.

Stage play about Philip K. Dick opens this weekend in Seattle

October 19, 2007 / Klint Finley

philip k dick stage play

The west coast premier of 800 Words: The Transmigration of Philip K Dick is this weekend in Seattle.

Details

Pics

Psychic TV selling off rarities to raise cash

October 19, 2007 / Klint Finley

coum transmissions poster

Dear PTV fans,

Due to the recent tragic events of the death of Lady Jaye and canceled European tour that have befallen the PTV family, we are making a great effort to get organized and get caught up with all of the financial downfall both tragedies have caused. With this being said, the webshop at www.genesisp-orridge.com has added a slew of new items and have updated the inventory of all classic items, all of which are for sale immediately.

We are trying to liquidate our inventory of merchandise that was intended for tour, which we all know is now off. Also listed is rare, one-of-a-kind rarities from the archives of Genesis P-Orridge, things ranging from COUM Transmissions originals, Throbbing Gristle/ Industrial Records, classic PTV, to even Thee Majesty rarities.

One of our most popular tour items that has been added to the webshop is the Psychic Cross Rosary Necklace

We have a new batch of stuff we will be adding in weeks to come, but please look around the webshop for items for newly posted items with funds going to help pay for all the funeral expenses for Lady Jaye and deficit incurred by the band during the recent European deTour.

People have been inquiring as to where to make financial contributions for funeral expenses for Lady Jaye, all contribution for medical and funeral expenses can be sent via paypal to ptvorders@mindspring.com

Thanks for all your love and support.

The PTV Family

Psychic TV Shop.

Please as Punch: New painting by Jim Woodring

October 18, 2007 / Klint Finley

pleased as punch by jim woodring

Visit Woodring’s blog for larger image.

Timothy Leary, the Internet and Libertarianism

October 18, 2007 / Klint Finley

At the 1977 Libertarian Party Convention, mind-expansion advocate and LSD guru Timothy Leary gave a speech that few of us took very seriously. He spoke of something called the Internet, a network that would connect computers worldwide, allowing participants from around the globe to sign on and retrieve text, photographs, audio and video instantaneously, and to communicate in realtime with anyone in the whole world who also had a computer and a connection. He said that it would be the new revolution against the current social order and stifling status quo. He predicted it would be much, much bigger than drugs in its ability to overthrow the establishment. Whereas tuning in, turning on and dropping out had been of great interest to a somewhat narrow subset of the population, everyone would be able to use the Internet, in his own way, and thus the new revolution against the old order would transcend class, age, nationality and all other demographics. The bourgeois would have just as much interest and use for it as the so-called counterculture. And nothing would ever again be the same.

As I said, no one at the time really believed it.

lewrockwell.com: The Internet vs. the State

(via Reason)