The Relentless Picnic

Coming soon to https://patreon.com/relentlesspicnic, starting on Wednesday, January 31st.

We report on some changes we're making to our Patreon page, make public some formerly-locked-up bonus content, and speak about the future of The Relentless Picnic — which is real, and is coming. We've missed you, friends. patreon.com/relentlesspicnic

"The eternity I detect in Nature I predicate of myself also. How many springs I have had this same experience! I am encouraged, for I recognize this steady persistency and recovery of Nature as a quality of myself." —Henry David Thoreau, Journal, 1856 CABIN is a series from The Relentless Picnic. It's one story told over 11 episodes. It's a story about solitude and isolation, community and loss, Henry David Thoreau and Ted Kaczynski—and it's told through audio recorded throughout 2019, 2020, and 2021. This is the final episode of CABIN. Support us at patreon.com/relentlesspicnic for access to a ton of bonus content. Our web site is relentlesspicnic.com SOURCES (Ep. 11): - Treat: Hotel Room Q&A pt. 3: More Q's, more A's, 8:09–11:26 (Aug. 2019), available to our Patreon supporters: bit.ly/3q1Jl24 ; - The journals of Henry David Thoreau (1837-1861): bit.ly/36Lxavm ; - "Anthony Bourdain on Vices, Humanity, and Foodies" by Khushbu Shah (Eater; Aug. 2014): bit.ly/3q4rtmY ; - season photo: "Untitled #2214" by Todd Hido, 1998.

"In the streets and in society I am almost invariably cheap and dissipated, my life is unspeakably mean. But alone in the distant woods or fields, even in a bleak and, to most, cheerless day, I come to myself, I once more feel myself grandly related, and that cold and solitude are friends of mine. I wish to get the Concord, the Massachusetts, the America, out of my head and be sane a part of every day." —Henry David Thoreau, Journal, 1855 This is the penultimate episode of CABIN, which will conclude with Ep. 11. Cabin is a series from The Relentless Picnic. It's one story told over 11 episodes. It's a story about solitude and isolation, community and loss, Henry David Thoreau and Ted Kaczynski—and it's told through audio recorded throughout 2019, 2020, and 2021. Support us at patreon.com/relentlesspicnic for access to a ton of bonus content. Our web site is relentlesspicnic.com SOURCES (Ep. 10): - "Deserter's Song" by Blackout Beach, 2011: spoti.fi/3IukcDJ ; - season photo: "Untitled #2214" by Todd Hido, 1998.

"It is in vain to dream of a wildness distant from ourselves. There is none such. It is the bog in our brain and bowels, the primitive vigor of Nature in us that inspires that dream. I shall never find in the wilds of Labrador any greater wildness than in some recess in Concord, i.e., than I import into it." —Henry David Thoreau, Journal, 1856 Cabin is a series from The Relentless Picnic. It's one story told over 11 episodes. It's a story about solitude and isolation, community and loss, Henry David Thoreau and Ted Kaczynski—and it's told through audio recorded throughout 2019, 2020, and 2021. Support us at patreon.com/relentlesspicnic for access to a ton of bonus content. Our web site is relentlesspicnic.com SOURCES (Ep. 9): - Jacques Ellul, The Technological Society (1954): amzn.to/3o2zdmy ; - An anonymous comment submitted to relentlesspicnic.com, Feb. 29, 2020 ; - Plato, Apology (40C-41C); - "The Last Frontier: Homesteaders on the margins of America" by Ted Conover (Harper's; Aug. 2019): bit.ly/3KyesLl ; - season photo: "Untitled #2214" by Todd Hido, 1998.

"So I agree with the anarcho-primitivists that the advent of civilization was a great disaster and that the Industrial Revolution was an even greater one. I further agree that a revolution against modernity, and against civilization in general, is necessary. But you can’t build an effective revolutionary movement out of soft-headed dreamers, lazies, and charlatans. You have to have tough-minded, realistic, practical people, and people of that kind don’t need the anarcho-primitivists’ mushy utopian myth." —T. Kaczynski, "The Truth About Primitive Life: A Critique of Anarcho-Primitivism," 2008. Cabin is a series from The Relentless Picnic. It's one story told over 11 episodes. It's a story about solitude and isolation, community and loss, Henry David Thoreau and Ted Kaczynski—and it's told through audio recorded throughout 2019, 2020, and 2021. Support us at patreon.com/relentlesspicnic for access to a ton of bonus content. Our web site is relentlesspicnic.com SOURCES (Ep. 8): - Pandora's Hope: Essays on the Reality of Science Studies, by Bruno Latour (1999): bit.ly/3qxCaxK ; - The Unabomber In His Own Words (2018), dir. Mick Grogan, on Netflix: bit.ly/2DbHkuh ; - Technological Slavery: The Collected Writings of Theodore J. Kaczynski, a.k.a. “The Unabomber”, ed. and introduction by David Skirbina, 2010: amzn.to/2STTFYH ; - Jacques Ellul, The Technological Society (1954): amzn.to/3o2zdmy ; - "Why the Future Doesn't Need Us" by Bill Joy, Wired (4/1/00): bit.ly/3hw5uQD ; - "Harvard and the Making of the Unabomber" by Alston Chase, Atlantic (June 2000): bit.ly/3mISjzh ; - "Eco-terrorists set fire to Vail Mountain 20 years ago, and the response showed how mutual aid could benefit mountain communities" by Randy Wyrick, Denver Post (10/27/18): dpo.st/3EKRHzF ; - season photo: "Untitled #2214" by Todd Hido, 1998.

A brief update from Adam, Erikk, and Nick on three very important fronts. First, news on the upcoming conclusion to our CABIN series. Second, on relentlesspicnic.com/store Third, on the continued existence of patreon.com/relentlesspicnic, the live shows we've been doing for our Patreon supporters, and the show we've got coming up on Monday, December 6th, 2021. Register here: crowdcast.io/e/digupthehatchet We're not gone. And we're thankful for you.

“‘Oh!’ say the technophiles, ‘Science is going to fix all that! We will conquer famine, eliminate psychological suffering, make everybody healthy and happy!’ Yeah, sure. The technophiles are hopelessly naive (or self-deceiving) in their understanding of social problems. Thus it will take a long and difficult period of trial and error for the technophiles to work the bugs out of their Brave New World (if they ever do). In the mean time there will be great suffering.” —T. Kaczynski, Industrial Society and Its Future (1995). Cabin is the new season from The Relentless Picnic. It's one story told over multiple episodes. It's a story about solitude and isolation, community and loss, Henry David Thoreau and Ted Kaczynski—and it's told through audio recorded throughout 2019 and 2020. Support us at patreon.com/relentlesspicnic for access to a ton of bonus content. Our web site is relentlesspicnic.com SOURCES (Ep. 7): - The Unabomber In His Own Words (2018), dir. Mick Grogan, on Netflix: bit.ly/2DbHkuh ; - Technological Slavery: The Collected Writings of Theodore J. Kaczynski, a.k.a. “The Unabomber”, ed. and introduction by David Skirbina, 2010: amzn.to/2STTFYH ; - Walden; or, Life in the Woods, by H.D. Thoreau (1854): bit.ly/35RyPPQ ; - Patrick Conley: bit.ly/3pGdIIL ; - Ken Baumann: bit.ly/2WUmHK1 ; - Jacques Ellul, The Technological Society (1954): amzn.to/3o2zdmy ; - Eric Hoffer, The True Believer (1951): amzn.to/34TDrFl ; - The History of Violence in America, eds. H.D. Graham & T.R. Gurr (1969): amzn.to/3rCmGsl ; - Chester C. Tan, Chinese Political Thought in the Twentieth Century (1971): amzn.to/3aUNCgQ ; - L. Sprague de Camp, The Ancient Engineers (1963): amzn.to/3o8lavW ; - “Why the Future Doesn’t Need Us,” by Bill Joy (WIRED, Apr., 2000): bit.ly/3hw5uQD ; - season photo: "Untitled #2214" by Todd Hido, 1998.

“It may be objected that primitive man is physically less secure than modern man, as is shown by his shorter life expectancy; hence modern man suffers from less, not more than the amount of insecurity that is normal for human beings. But psychological security does not closely correspond with physical security. It is true that primitive man is powerless against some of the things that threaten him; disease for example. But he can accept the risk of disease stoically. It is part of the nature of things, it is no one’s fault, unless it is the fault of some imaginary, impersonal demon. But threats to the modern individual tend to be MAN-MADE.” —T. Kaczynski, Industrial Society and Its Future (1995). Cabin is the new season from The Relentless Picnic. It's one story told over multiple episodes. It's a story about solitude and isolation, community and loss, Henry David Thoreau and Ted Kaczynski—and it's told through audio recorded throughout 2019 and 2020. Support us at patreon.com/relentlesspicnic for access to a ton of bonus content. Our web site is relentlesspicnic.com SOURCES (Ep. 6): - The Unabomber In His Own Words (2018), dir. Mick Grogan, on Netflix: bit.ly/2DbHkuh ; - Technological Slavery: The Collected Writings of Theodore J. Kaczynski, a.k.a. “The Unabomber”, ed. and introduction by David Skirbina, 2010: amzn.to/2STTFYH ; - Discourse on the Origin and Basis of Inequality Among Men (a.k.a. the “Second Discourse”), Jean-Jacques Rousseau, 1755 ; - Walden; or, Life in the Woods, by H.D. Thoreau (1854): bit.ly/35RyPPQ ; - “Walking,” by H.D. Thoreau (1862): bit.ly/35P4Dor ; - season photo: "Untitled #2214" by Todd Hido, 1998.

“The Industrial Revolution and its consequences have been a disaster for the human race. The continued development of technology will worsen the situation. There is no way of reforming or modifying the system so as to prevent it from depriving people of dignity and autonomy. If the system breaks down the consequences will still be very painful. But the bigger the system grows the more disastrous the results of its breakdown will be, so if it is to break down it had best break down sooner rather than later. We therefore advocate a revolution against the industrial system. This revolution may or may not make use of violence; it may be sudden or it may be a relatively gradual process spanning a few decades. This is not to be a POLITICAL revolution. Its object will be to overthrow not governments but the economic and technological basis of the present society.” —T. Kaczynski, Industrial Society and Its Future, 1995. Cabin is the new season from The Relentless Picnic. It's one story told over multiple episodes. It's a story about solitude and isolation, community and loss, Henry David Thoreau and Ted Kaczynski—and it's told through audio recorded throughout 2019 and 2020. Support us at patreon.com/relentlesspicnic for access to a ton of bonus content. Our web site is relentlesspicnic.com . SOURCES (Ep. 5): - The Unabomber In His Own Words (2018), dir. Mick Grogan, on Netflix: bit.ly/2DbHkuh ; - Technological Slavery: The Collected Writings of Theodore J. Kaczysnki, a.k.a. “The Unabomber”, ed. and introduction by David Skirbina, 2010: amzn.to/2STTFYH ; - Discourse on the Origin and Basis of Inequality Among Men (a.k.a. the “Second Discourse”), Jean-Jacques Rousseau, 1755 ; - season photo: "Untitled #2214" by Todd Hido, 1998.