263. BANGING THE DRUM FOR PHILOSOPHY - How Music Can Reveal What Is Hidden

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“It is one of the oldest questions in philosophy — to ask if the world we perceive is the world as it really is. If what we think we know about the world from our experiences is the truth about the world. In many ways the drums are a perfect instrument for showing us this. After all, their job in a song is to make explicit hidden time signature(s) the music is following. Reveal the ticking of an internal clock that has always been pulsing just beneath the perceptual surface.”

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260. CHRISTMAS SHOPPING - In Defence of Chainstores

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“This is not a defence of capitalism, nor a defence of the current order, but it is a defence of the notion that perhaps the proliferation of corporate chain-stores everywhere, which once made me mourn the quirky individuality of the independent high street, is not necessarily a bad thing.“

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259. WHY IS THERE SOMETHING RATHER THAN NOTHING? - My Social Media Avoidance Project

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“Why is there something rather than nothing?” Because the desire to make something can make us redefine the original “nothing” and see new potential in it we were previously blind to.

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215. IT’S OK TO END THINGS - On Saying No Under Capitalism

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““I’d prefer not to” - the catchphrase of Melville’s scrivener, Bartleby, is a slogan of privilege. And yet it shouldn’t be. “It’s ok to end things”. And yet for many under capitalism, ending some things are impossible.”

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212. A WASTE OF TIME? - How Ought We Spend Our Days?

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“the older I get, the more I am coming to realise that everything we do could be perceived as both a potential waste of time, or as precisely what time is there for: to fill it. The assumption that there is an objective “ought” about what we should do with our days is the mistake. “

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192. BAND PRAXIS - Punk and the Anarchist Squint

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Band Praxis - Punk and the Anarchist Squint by DaN McKee (taken from The Anarchism and Punk Book Project’s Book 2 - DIY or Die: Do it Yourself, Do it Together & Punk Anarchism)

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93. PUNK FETISH - The Unpunk Dismissal of Digital Downloads

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“punk’s rebellious spirit - punk’s philosophy - is one of questioning norms and facilitating creative expression of new modes of thought and alternative ways of living. Which brings me to my concern - punk, or at least punks of my generation or older, seem to have gotten stuck on a knee-jerk fetishisation of physical music which is blinding them to some of the merits of modern technology and digital expression.“

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- The Anarchism and Punk Book Project UPDATE -

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There’s been a lovely write-up HERE about what we’re trying to achieve with the anarchism and punk book project that I’d love you to check out - and remember, there’s still time to chip in for the crowdfunding to help keep costs down, pay translators, etc… https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/the-anarchism-and-punk-book-project

- The Anarchism and Punk Book Project -

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Hi all - I’m writing a chapter for an upcoming collection of books on Anarchism and Punk, coming out later this year on Active Distribution. In a bid to keep it both DIY and global we want to fund things like translation costs and contributor copies, as well as keep distribution costs low, through crowdfunding. If you’re able and interested in supporting the project - please check out the link: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/the-anarchism-and-punk-book-project

Many thanks for your support!

- DaN