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At 04:04 AM 1/1/2007, Anders Sandberg wrote:<br><br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite="">
<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6222153.stm" eudora="autourl">
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6222153.stm</a><br><br>
French marchers say 'non' to 2007<br><br>
Hundreds of protestors in France have rung in the New Year by holding
a<br>
light-hearted march against it.<br><br>
Parodying the French readiness to say "non", the demonstrators
in the<br>
western city of Nantes waved banners reading: "No to 2007" and
"Now is<br>
better!"<br><br>
The marchers called on governments and the UN to stop time's "mad
race"<br>
and declare a moratorium on the future.</blockquote>
<dl>
<dd>"The name Fonacon comes from the group's title - Front
d'opposition à la nouvelle année and Comité d'Organistion National
(acronym "con", which means daft). The organisers, who prefer
to remain anonymous, say it is illogical that people should celebrate the
passing of time. The ending of a year is another step towards the grave
and therefore a tragedy, not a cause for joy.<br><br>
<dd>"The idea, which began in the village of Chauché, south of
Nantes last year, was launched nationally at a spoof 'terrorist' press
conference. The members of the anti-New Year front, including several
otherwise conventional local businessmen and women, dressed up in hoods
and masks."<br><br>
</dl>But it is not just the future I am learning. It is to also
about stopping aging and death! The irony is that while this may
seem like a anti-future(ist) trend, it may very well be transhumanist in
part. Please read on:
<dl>
<dd>"'It is about time that the passage of time ended,' said one of
the hooded organisers. 'We are fed up with getting older. Why should we
follow the fashion? The planet is getting older and warmer. Not us. Stop
this mad race towards death.'"<br><br>
</dl>Natasha<x-sigsep><p></x-sigsep>
<dl>
<dd><font size=2><a href="http://www.natasha.cc/">Natasha
</a><a href="http://www.natasha.cc/">Vita-More</a>
<dd>Design Media Artist - Futurist
<dd>PhD Candidate,
<a href="http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/researchcover/rcp.asp?pagetype=G&page=273">
Planetary Collegium </a>
<dd>Proactionary Principle Core Group,
<a href="http://www.extropy.org/">Extropy
</a><a href="http://www.extropy.org/">Institute</a>
<dd>Member, <a href="http://www.profuturists.com/">Association of
Professional Futurists</a>
<dd>Founder, <a href="http://www.transhumanist.biz/">Transhumanist Arts
& Culture</a> <br><br>
</font>
<dd><font face="Times New Roman, Times"><i>If you draw a circle in the
sand and study only what's inside the circle, then that is a
closed-system perspective. If you study what is inside the circle and
everything outside the circle, then that is an open system perspective. -
</i>Buckminster Fuller<br>
<br><br></font>
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