The Digital Dispatch

From NOEBIE.net

Democratic Left Fall 2012 Issue

· ·

The Fall 2012 Issue of Democratic Left, the quarterly publication of the Democratic Socialists of America, is now available for download and reading online.

Democratic Left, Fall 2012 (PDF Version)

Democratic Left, Summer 2012 (Online Viewing Table of Contents)

In This Issue

  • Labor in the Labyrinth – by Chris Maisano
  • Can the Unions Survive? Can the Left Have a Voice? – by Nelson Lichtenstein
  • Triple Jeopardy: Women Lose Public Sector Services, Jobs, and Union Rights – by Mimi Abramovitz
  • We Can Do Better: Organizing for Single-Payer in the Age of ACA – by Michael Lighty
  • Book Review, Bread and Roses – or Dust and Ashes? John Nichols, Uprising: How Wisconsin Renewed the Politics of Protest, From Madison to Wall Street – reviewed by Maurice Isserman
  • Book Review, The Gripes of Wrath: Frank Bardacke, Trampling Out the Vintage: Cesar Chavez and the Two Souls of the United Farm Workers – reviewed by Duane E. Campbell
  • “Democracy Endangered: DSA’s Strategy for the 2012 Elections and Beyond” – by The National Political Committee of Democratic Socialists of America

Industrial Worker September 2012

· ·

The September 2012 issue of Industrial Worker from the IWW is now available.

The Industrial Worker is the official (English language) newspaper of the Industrial Workers of the World. It is published ten times a year, and printed by GCIU/Teamsters union labor. The editor is elected by the membership via a rank and file vote for a two year term of office.

I’ll be posting a link to the online version of each new issue as if becomes available. You can always find the most recent issue by clicking on the image of the newspaper in the right sidebar of this Weblog.

Solidarity With The Chicago Teachers

· ·

The Chicago Teachers Union is currently on the front lines of a fight to defend public education. You can show your support by making a contribution to their Solidarity Fund. Every dollar helps.

If you care about the future of public education in America, take a few minutes to read The Schools Chicago’s Students Deserve – a new study from the CTU which argues in favor of proven educational reforms to dramatically improve the education of more than 400,000 students in this district of 675 schools.

 

Download the Executive Summary

Dowload the Full Report

Contribute to the Solidarity Fund

American Labor History Timeline

· ·

The American Prospect magazine’s Website has posted an interactive timeline depicting a brief history of the Labor Movement in the U.S. adapted from If Labor Dies, Whats Next? – a Harold Meyerson piece that appears in the September/October issue.

The timeline includes such notable moments as the founding of the Knights of Labor, the Pullman Strike of 1894 (shown above), the Triangle Fire, the founding of the IWW and more. It’s basic information that every American ought to know, but relatively few do.

See the interactive timeline: A Brief History of American Labor.

What I’m Reading: The S Word

· ·

From the publisher:

Tom Paine was enamored of early socialists, Horace Greeley employed Karl Marx as a correspondent, and Helen Keller was an avowed socialist. The “S” Word gives Americans back a crucial aspect of their past and makes a forthright case for socialist ideas today.

Learn More:

Hits From the Basement: The ‘S’ Word [Abandon All Despair Ye Who Enter Here]

Belieber in Bike Helmet

· ·

caro-bike-helmet-1

Here’s a scan from the latest roll of Kodak BW400CN.

This was one of my first shots with a portrait lens (a Canon FD 135mm 1:3.5 purchased through eBay).

The subject said “the background is all blurry,” and I said “it’s supposed to be.”

Everybody’s a critic.

Droplets

· ·

droplets 2 of 3

In 1973, my mother gave me a Canon FTb 35mm camera. It was my introduction to seeing things differently. I had little idea of what I was doing, but learned enough from trial and error (and chats with other photographers) to eventually get fairly good at taking candid shots at family gatherings, pictures of local buildings, landscapes and such. I didn’t have a flash, so I learned to use available light, and was drawn toward films that could be “pushed” (Kodak Tri-X for black and white prints and Ektachrome slide film for color). To this day even with a digital point and shoot camera I nearly always turn the flash off and shoot with the light that’s there.

Eventually the old FTb sat collecting dust, having been abandoned in favor of cheap film cameras that were easier to carry, and then digital cameras as that technology arrived. A few years ago I sent it in for cleaning and light meter repair, but even after that, it sat in the attic or on a closet shelf, patiently awaiting the day when someone would again be delighted with what it can do.

I’m a smarter photographer now, meaning that I understand a lot more about composition, light, lens, film and exposure. I believe that I’m finally able to begin exploring with my old FTb in a manner that befits its capabilities. I’m also ready to grow with it beyond the single 50MM lens and available light.

I’ll be posting some scans here from time to time. The first roll of 24 (Kodak BW400CN) turned out alright, with about a third of the shots being decent enough to share. You can find them (along with any future black and white scans) on this Flickr set. Please be kind in your criticism, as I’m still learning. Also, yes – I am aware that my scanner platen needs to be cleaned. 🙂

The photo above is one of a series I took last evening of raindrops on various windows in our house. I’m fairly pleased with three of them, which might eventually become a triptych of some sort.

I would be interested in feedback, particularly from other film photographers. Pointers to interesting images and websites would also be welcome.

The great depression-era photojournalist Dorothea Lange once said “The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera.” I hope to learn a great bit more about how to see during the last decades of my life.