A Thousand Thanks

A thousand thanks! My novel Balls has now received over one thousand full downloads at Smaswords, the independent author site. It is available through this link if you still haven't had the chance to read it Balls, by Tommy Dakar.
They say that the average person reads no more than two thousand or so books in their life, so to think that over 1000 should have bothered to read Balls, without forgetting the thousands of downloads of my other works, is an honour, and I am touched. Not by the wand of economic success, naturally, as all my works in digital form are FREE.
Bit repetitive maybe, but once again my sincere gratitude to all my readers.

Some Good News

There will be a before and after of The First Global Economic Crisis. Like in the wake of most upheavals ( First World War, Wall Street Crash, Second World War, Fall of Communism), the world is never the same again.

Some have leapt to the far right, with parties such as Ukip and the French National Front leading the way. It is a road already travelled, and the destination is not worth revisiting.

Others have swung to the left, hoping that a revived version of socialism might be able to make some sense of the actual mess. Optimism as a last resort.

But where the change really lies is in the organisation of society as a whole. The digital world has opened up a new form of collaboration. The old hierarchical system is no longer pertinent because the militant bases can now operate on a far more democratic platform.

Decisions can be taken according to what every person involved in the process democratically chooses. The ‘leader’ is reduced to a mere spokesperson, the mouthpiece of the common will. The political agenda is designed by and for the voters, and put into effect by accredited party members.

In fact the term ‘political party’ will no doubt fall into disuse. The old way of having to choose between two or three job lots of policies, the take it or leave it option, has no place in the ‘new’ society. Without much fuss we can now decide on individual issues such as Education or International Cooperation, without having to swallow all the collateral nonsense that used to go with such packages.

It is a more open, more democratic way to participate in the running of a nation, an organisation, a global concept.

Many will not enjoy seeing the gradual erosion of their age old privileges, and the more radical will no doubt put up a fight.

But progress is relentless and inevitable. We are on the way to a new era of citizen participation, and the breaking up of monopolies and oligarchies. And that, as I  hope you will agree, is good news.

Pirates at bay.

Peter Sunde, co founder of Pirate Bay, has been arrested after 2 years on the run. He was sentenced to 8 months in jail and an enormous fine for file sharing.

As a writer and musician, I should be jumping for joy that this ‘pirate’ has been caught.

Not at all. Here in Spain a court has just ruled that file sharing is legal, and I totally agree. That the huge companies that for years have controlled the cultural market failed to do their homework, failed to see that the digital copy was going to destroy their business, is not my concern.

New ways to wrap culture in commerce are emerging, as was inevitable. Streaming, free digital copies with the ‘real’ product, signed copies etc. Business will survive.

In the meantime the distribution of music, video, literature and the like has gained enormously.

All my works are available in free digital format. I prefer the exposure to the meagre dollar or so that can be gleaned from such files. Not so hard copies, printed books or c.d.’s which have costs involved.

I use Pirate Bay. It is an excellent way to try out material that you are not too sure of without having to lay out 20 euros for the original product. If I am convinced, I often prefer to get my hands on the full enhanced product.

Free this man. Let the entertainment industry sort itself out and find ways of making money, but don’t punish this man for being bold and pushing the barriers of the digital world into the future.

La Justicia es ciega.

Condena de tres años de cárcel por un empujón durante una protesta.

Los exdirectivos de Caixa Penedés, condenados a dos años de cárcel para Ricard Pagès, exdirector de Caixa Penedès y de un año para cada uno de los tres principales miembros de su cúpula. Eluden la prisión al devolver 28,6 millones de euros.

A por ellos, oe.

Llegan las elecciones europeas y las encuestas nos traen la triste verdad. Ganarán los de siempre. Los desafectados, posiblemente mayoría, o se abstendrán o intentarán emitir un voto ‘útil’. Pero si vamos a romper de una vez con ese pasado político de engaño, desfachatez y arrogancia, si realmente estamos hartos de que la política sea un chollo para el club de los elegidos, hay que reaccionar.

Importa votar, aunque sea a un partido alternativo. Y más aún en elecciones europeas, porque es Bruselas, y no Madrid, el verdadero amo de España.

Pero por encima de todo está la dignidad. Debemos votar NO a la impunidad, NO a las mentiras consentidas, NO a la connivencia entre el poder y la ‘justicia’, entre el poder y las entidades corporativas, NO a unos políticos que creen que nuestro voto es un cheque en blanco.

Podría seguir pero creo que entendéis lo que quiero decir, y que lo expresaríais incluso con más vehemencia y con mejores argumentos.

¡A por ellos, joder!

Multita

La multa está de moda. Si montas en bici sin casco, si aparcas en doble fila, incluso si decides manifestarte, todo es castigable con una sanción económica. 200 euros, 500 euros, 1000 euros. Como si nada.

Pero si una persona es multada con 200 euros por exceso de velocidad, pero sus ingresos mensuales son los generosos 400 euros del salario social, entonces está multita, como la llamaría Aguirre, le supone el 50% de sus ingresos mensuales. Para un profesional que cobra 2000, esto se reduce al 10%, y si cobras como Emilio Botín, pues… calderilla.

Resulta que la tradicional y eterna injusticia social está garantizada y consagrada en este castigo administrativo. El que menos tiene, más paga. Una vez más los acaudalados se van de rositas.

¿Y nadie dice nada? No, hijo, no. Resignación o emigración. Y él que calla….

Honest to God

New Pope, new Word Of God. Now it seems that He is not a homophobe at all, or even a conservative. Now He’s a more sensitive, forgiving type.

About time too. It wasn’t that long ago that if you denied that the world was flat you would be met with a very, very warm welcome and whisked off to the realms of the Devil.

But now we know (thanks, Benedict)  that there is no Hell as such, and Purgatory is under revision too.

He’s a bit of a mess, this God character, as moody as the weather and totally unpredictable. Do the Faithful not find it odd that the Word Of God should be so open to interpretation after so many years?

Priests like to be called ‘Father’. I’m not surprised; you need to have a mind of a child to swallow such theological guff.

Before the stones start flying a quick word of advice: stick to your faith, if you feel you need it, but feed your Religion to the pigs.