Communique 017, the last on Boston Free Radio, airs today!

Good morning, Unsettlers. Apologies for the lack of updates here! A few weeks back, The Unsettler became a twice-monthly podcast, rather than a weekly podcast, as there was simply too much research, art-making, and prep work to be done between communiques. As of August, The Unsettler will be on hiatus from regular broadcasting, doing DIY communiques as inspiration strikes and time allows.

Don’t fret! The backlog will stay available via SoundCloud and iTunes, even as the show moves away from live material.

Please tune in for our final BostonFreeRadio installment this evening at 6 p.m. ET to hear a great interview with candidate for Somerville Ward 3 Alderman, Ben Ewen-Campen that covers radical and progressive battles in and outside of local mainstream politics.

New schedule for live communiques, podcasts

Hello Unsettlers!

You may have noticed a lack of activity here, which is the result of other projects taking up a good portion of my time this month. I’m scaling back The Unsettler to accommodate these other creative outlets, and hoping to keep (improve, even) the quality of future installments of the NEU.

The 1st, 3rd, and occasional 5th Monday of each month, you’ll be able to catch The Unsettler on BostonFreeRadio.com at 5 p.m. ET; 2nd and 4th Mondays will be reruns. That means you can expect new podcast updates twice monthly on our SoundCloud and iTunes (leave a review and rating, if you have a moment).

Thanks for your support!
Eljasz

Communique 010: Live from the Middle of the Muff

Communique 010 is up now! Athena and Elias discuss seizing the memes of production, and the week in absurd bullshit.

Talking points: The one that went away; weld-done, Tungsten Notaro; professional segue derailer; soda pop-ulism; fruit goth; flavorblast the state; new musiiiiiic; indoor brocialists doin’ the dew; Pepe is dead/long live Pepe!; s/o to Matt Furie; Jay Babcock’s NEW’sletter; quis troll ipsos trolls; #BostonRally; the return of Hot Cops; Alton Sterling’s killers go free while a woman faces a year in prison for laughing at Jeff Sessions; I apologize (I don’t apologize); affordable housing struggles in JP/Rox and Somerville; Day of Deluge; more FKJ PhD/NEU crossover; what is late-stage capitalism?; a manual macaron; Democracy Now feat. Anthony Kiedis; everything is terrible.

Special thanks to musicians Ross Ingram (Magic Landing), Thick Shakes, Beware the Dangers of a Ghost Scorpion, Dan Gonzales, Chris and Horsewind.

New Mountain Dew – DEW.S.A (Mtn. Dew Kid)
Pepe the Frog creator kills off internet meme co-opted by white supremacists
(Elle Hunt, The Guardian)
Day of Deluge: Call Mayor Joe ALL DAY
Rally Boston to Stand Against Hate
Officers Won’t Be Charged in Black Man’s Shooting Death in Louisiana (Rebecca R. Ruiz, The New York Times)
Woman found guilty and faces year in jail for laughing at Jeff Sessions (Clark Mindock, The Independent)
Why the Phrase ‘Late Capitalism’ Is Suddenly Everywhere
 (Annie Lowrey, The Atlantic)

French election results: The maps and charts that explain how Macron beat Le Pen to become President (The Telegraph)
Focus shifts to Senate after House GOP passes health-care bill (The Washington Post)
Edward Crawford: Ferguson, Mo., Activist in Iconic Photo Found Dead From Gunshot Wound (Kirsten West Savali, The Root)
Mysterious death of New York judge was initially called a suicide. Now, police think it’s suspicious (Barbara Demick, The LA Times)
11 Things Every Anarchist Should Be Doing (Justin King, The Fifth Column)

Podcast crossover alert! Feminist Killjoys, PhD’s Episode 51 w/ yaboy Elias

Elias was humbled and excited to be a guest on the excellent Feminist Killjoys, PhD podcast for their 51st episode on Radical Politics 101! He talked with Raechel and Melody about anarchist theory and practice in 2017, and is looking forward to hearing their next installement of RP101 featuring an intro to socialism and communism. Check out Ep 51 of FKJPhD here!

PS – Communique 010 was recorded and will be posted ASAP! Thank you for your patience, comrades.

GUESS WHAT?

Communique 009 airs tomorrow, MAY DAY, at 5 p.m. ET on Boston Free Radio. Tune in to hear about recent events, May Day celebrations in and around Boston, and a little bit about the history of May Day. Below are some happenings to consider:

Un Dia Sin Inmigrantes – ALL DAY
Everywhere
“Unéte al Dia Sin Inmigrantes/Join the Day Without An Immigrant: www.lahuelga.com

El primero de mayo, Cosecha invita a los trabajadores que dejen los campos, la maquilas, los restaurantes y los hoteles para paralizar la economía y demostrar los millones de dólares que los inmigrantes contribuyen a este país cada día.

No vamos a trabajar. No vamos a la escuela. No vamos a comprar. Te uniras?
——————————————–
On May 1st, Cosecha invites workers to leave the fields, the factories, the restaurants, and hotels to paralyze the economy and demonstrate the millions of dollars that immigrants contribute daily.
We will not go to work. We will not go to school. We will not buy.

Will you join us? http://www.lahuelga.com/home

People’s School – 7:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Arlington Street Church, Boston, MA 02117
Led by the Boston Educators Circle in coordination with Dia Sin Inmigrantes, for youth ages 5-18 and their families. Click
HERE for the program.

Festival de Cosecha – Harvest Festival – 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Maverick Sq, Boston, MA 02128
“Join us May 1st to commemorate International Workers Day and participate in the 1st Cosecha/Harvest Festival! We need to continue to demonstrate our power with “A Day Without Immigrants” – by NOT going to work, NOT going to school, and NOT buying anything. INSTEAD come and learn about Cosecha, and participate as a community with music, dance, art and many other fun activities. We have to show this country that it cannot function without immigrants. This is just the beginning of our fight for permanent protection, dignity, and respect!

——————————–lahuelga.com——————————

¡Únete al 1ro de mayo para conmemorar el Día Internacional de los Trabajadores y participar en el Primer Festival de Cosecha Boston! Vamos a seguir demonstrando nuestro poder con “Un Día Sin Inmigrantes” NO iyendo a trabajar, NO iyendo a la escuela y NO comprando nada. PERO vengan y participen en el FESTIVAL para conocer más sobre Movimiento Cosecha y compartir en comunidad con musica, baile, arte, y muchas mas actividades divertidas. Tenemos que demostrarle a este país que no puede funcionar sin inmigrantes. ¡Esto es sólo el comienzo de la lucha para obtener protección permanente, dignidad, y respeto!”

#HereToStay Rally in Support of the Safe Communities Act – 11:45 a.m.
Steps of the MA State House, Downtown Boston, MA 02117

Workers and Students United for Sanctuary – Harvard Rally – 4:00-5:00 p.m.
Widener Library, Harvard Yard, Cambridge, MA

On May 1st, International Workers’ Day, we will stand together to call for clear commitments from Harvard to protect marginalized members of our community. This rally brings together labor organizations and student groups from across campus in Harvard Yard at 4 pm. The list of speakers is TBA. We will then head over together to the 5 pm city-wide rally at Boston Common to show our solidarity with the broader Boston labor, immigrant, and people of color community in our fight to protect those vulnerable among us and to protect our ability to organize. We have a long fight ahead to continue to build solidarity around these issues, and we will have a follow-up meeting in early May to discuss goals for the summer and for the next year.

Boston May Day Mass Mobilization – Resist the Racist Deportations! – 5:00-8:00 p.m.
Boston Common, Boston, MA 02108

Followed by March to Copley Square…

The government in Washington has launched a generalized assault on our lives, rights, and living conditions. From the racist attacks on Muslims, Migrants, and African Americans to attacks on our healthcare, women, and LBGTQ folks, to our environment and education — working and oppressed people are under fire. The inauguration of the Trump presidency has sharpened the already deplorable situation for undocumented people and migrants of color.

On International Workers Day, “May Day” we call on all progressives, defenders and extenders of democratic rights, anti-racists, anti-fascists, and everyone willing and able to take this struggle to the centers of power. Our oppressions and exploitations are connected, so too must be our liberation! An injury to one is an injury to all!

Seguido por Desfile a Copley Square…

El gobierno de Washington ha lanzado un asalto generalizado contra nuestras vidas, derechos y condiciones de vida. Desde los ataques racistas contra los musulmanes, los migrantes y los afroamericanos, hasta los ataques contra nuestra salud, las mujeres y la gente LBGTQ, e incluyendo nuestro medio ambiente y nuestra educación — los trabajadores y los oprimidos están bajo fuego. La inauguración de la presidencia de Trump ha agudizado la ya deplorable situación para los indocumentados y los migrantes de color.

En el Día Internacional de los Trabajadores, “Día de Mayo” hacemos un llamamiento a todos los progresistas, defensores y extensionistas de los derechos democráticos, a los anti-racistas, a los anti-fascistas, y a todos los que quieran y puedan llevar esta lucha a los centros de poder. ¡Nuestras opresiones y explotaciones están conectadas, así también debe ser nuestra liberación! ¡Una herida para uno es una herida para todos!

Many, many more Massachusetts May Day events are listed here, as well. Happy May Day!

Communique 008: Happy Belated Inhalants Day!

Aaand we’re back! Elias and Athena bring you another weekly roundup of late capitalist fuckery as the masses clamber for fully automated luxury queer space communism. Download or stream Communique 008 on SoundCloud or iTunes!

Talking points: Post-Patriots; Back from the Brink; Narcy Narc; Running Far, Slowly, for Free; .8 of a host does 0% research; internshit; sway (not power); floor sweepings in the Nazi cola; Raytheon–whatta crazy feelin’; Trump: war profiteer; when a Father of All Bombs and a Mother of All Bombs love each other very much; energy chunks; vote for Ben Ewen-Campen; shocking developments; libertarian municipalism; Make AntiFa Sexy Again?!; who’s in their lane; Happy Belated Inhalants Day; Happy Slight Dehydration Day; the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising; small acts of resistance; Athena’s upcoming show; Bill O’Reilly got fired!; more like Henry Dolt, amiright?; s/o to Chapo; nuke volleyball; the Alex Jones meat sweats; don’t get directions from Trump; will Mass get a non-racist flag?!; let’s take down Casey Affleck next.

Related Links:
Sorry, Pepsi Haters, But Social Justice Needs Capitalism (Samuel Hammond, LiberalCurrents.com)
Donald Trump personally profited from missile-maker Raytheon’s stock jump after his Syria attack (Tom Boggioni, RawStory)
Trump’s For-Profit Presidency Takes Ugly Turn as He Makes Money by Attacking Syria (Hrafnkell Haraldsson, PoliticusUSA)
US drops ‘largest non-nuclear bomb’ in Afghanistan area populated by Isis members (Tom Batchelor, Will Worley, Mythili Sampathkumar, The Independent)
Father of All Bombs (Wikipedia)
Ben Ewen-Campen for Ward 3 Alderman, Somerville
Prospects for Social Democracy in the US: Insights From a Syndicalist in Sweden (Enrique Guerrero-López, Adam Weaver, Truthout)
IGDCAST: Louise Rosealma on Berkeley and It’s Implications
4/20 Is Bourgeoisie Bullshit, Proletariats Don’t Smoke Pot We Do Inhalants! (William Todd, Clash)
Remembering the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising (Marcus Barnett, Jacobin)
Bill O’Reilly’s publisher stands by him after Fox sacking (Danuta Kean, The Guardian)
Chapo Trap House – Episode 100: Chapo Goes to College
Alex Jones’ first day in court went just great (Sam Barsanti, A/V Club)
Activity Spotted at North Korea Nuclear Test Site: Volleyball (William J. Broad, The New York Times)
Changing views may lead to re-examination of state seal (Andy Metzger, The Lowell Sun)
“All Star” By Smash Mouth But All Instruments Are Bill O’Reilly Saying His Name

Communique 007: In the Pocket of Big Parpo

Download/stream here, or find it on iTunes!

Elias and Athena with the week in bullshit: tone-deaf ads, war-mongering politicians, confusion in the White House, and more.

Talking points: Technical difficulties, “that’s too high,” there’s no such thing as a free information, 3 Infinite Jests’ worth of documents, the black pants-ers?, the Pepsi® blues, highly irregular products, Big Parpo, 6th-grader-birthday-size soda, the most orange of the Grey Champions, Right Hand Bansquantch, Steve the shitty dungeonmaster, Post-Nunes, why does anyone believe in anything?, V for Vagina Dentata, BORED–NEXT!, Somerville People’s Protection Units, extremely dense, don’t be a tankie, foreign policy negging, a different kind of shitty, what’s your favorite anti-North Korea military exercise name?

Relevant Links:
Fellowship of Reconciliation
Pepsi Pulls Controversial Kendall Jenner Ad (The Daily Beast)
How Devin Nunes is Threatening the Constitution (David Corn, Mother Jones)
Steve Bannon Believes The Apocalypse Is Coming And War Is Inevitable (Paul Blumenthal, JM Rieger, Huffington Post)
Syria’s war: a 5-minute history (Max Fisher, Johnny Harris, Vox)
Trump’s Options for North Korea Include Placing Nukes in South Korea (, ,

Playlist:
Talking Heads – Don’t Worry About the Government
Parquet Courts – Careers in Combat
Television Personalities – How I Learned to Love the Bomb

Aaaand the ad, as promised:

Communique 006: Marky Mark & the Dunkies Bunch

Communique 006: Marky Mark & the Dunkies Bunch

Elias goes deep with writer, storyteller, and musician Thom Dunn on Hollywood commercialization of tragedy and the militarization of local police forces in the years since the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. Is there room for reflection in the culture industry, or is it all toxic schlock? How can the stories we tell make the world a better place? Can Mark Wahlberg just fuck off already?

Talking points: Brother West on militarized policing, a different kind of reading, Sean Boo-urns, stories are about people–they’re people!, reading our Miranda July Rights, reflection in the mainstream, obscuring the lesson, whom does optimism benefit?, Darth Vader police chic, cooks with AR-15s, state vs capital: a lover’s spat, a very American Hustle, talking tragedy profiteers and merchandising, Thom and Elias are friendly dummies, what kind of lefty are you?, toxic schlock, Heavyweights with SWAT LARPing, we believe the children are our dystopian future, fun in a bleak way.

Relevant links:
Thom Dunn on the WWW, Twitter, and Facebook
The Unsettler on Twitter and Facebook
Review – Patriots Day (Sean Burns, North Shore Movies)
Was the police response to the Boston bombing really appropriate? (Radley Balko, The Washington Post)
Does ‘Boston Strong’ Mean Anything Anymore? (Kyle Scott Clauss, Boston Magazine)
Marathon Bombings Play Finds A ‘Finish Line’ Beyond The Tragedy (Jeremy D. Goodwin, wbur.org)
Lawyers raising questions about Watertown home searches following Marathon bombings, shootout (Jaclyn Reiss, Boston.com)
Tactical-Life advertising piece using the Marathon Bombings to promote the LenCo BearCat Armored Vehicle

Communique 005: Feel Your Eatings (Hot Commodities)

Art by Nikki McClure

Communique 005 is up for streaming and downloading!

This week, Elias sits down with Kristina, an activist and friend of the show, to talk about food, culture, and politics. We touch on the commodification of sustenance, the non-profit industrial complex, and more!

Talking points: Eat yr feelings/feel yr eatings, holy macaroni, hot commodities, vedgelord shitposting, kraft nopalitos and cheese, tradition®, contradict-heads, deadwhiteguyism, if I can’t eat potato chips it’s not my revolution, subversive mending, the revolution will not be broadcast, Phil Collins–if you’re reading this–we’ve got baked goods for you, #philcollins, shitting the pantsuit, 100 years gulag for the Metro, STOP: hammer (& sickle) time–break it down, ar-archives, drain the Cambridge swamp.

Playlist:
tUnE-yArDs – Water Fountain

Relevant links and graphics:
No Gluten Required
Cook Food Every Day, Edited by Kristina
What Trump Did for the Communist Party USA in the Boston Metro
Email Kristina here
Email us here
Three points of leftist unity: