NOTICE BOARD

This is the Notice Board for those working at The Three Benches. The notices pinned to this board will come and go and go and come and at times be torn down by The Workers.

NOTICE ONE:

4th of February 2025 at 09:38

‘Confusion is unavoidable and at times should be embraced.’ (Confucius / Kǒngzǐ)

Late last night while still at work on The Shop Floor, we were confronted with some confusion. This Confusion stated... And we quote...

“The event has been initially conceived by suggestion of Bill Drummond and takes place with the knowledge and agreement of Bill Drummond.”

We on The Shop Floor knew nothing of this event, and as the Bill Drummond has been ‘retired’ from all active activities within The Penkiln Burn Universe, we have been left to go through his filing cabinets for clarification. What follows is the evidence that we could find that might explain the Confusion.

30th of October 2024 at 14:53

Dear Penkiln Burn, 

My name is Vassilis Galanos and I am co-organising an event and exhibition at the University of Stirling, occasioned by the 40 years since 1984 where a local artist will exhibit his library-artwork of 1984 copies of Orwell's 1984. Did you know about that project? (question 1)

As a fan of the book 2023 and practicing Discordian, I managed to get consensus from my team that Bill Drummond would make an excellent guest for our events surrounding the exhibition, especially since the book 2023 proved to be very prophetic as to the internet tech giants rearrangements with the introduction of generative AI tools and the recent scandal with 23andMe. Fascinating, isn't it? (question 2)

I find it hard to find an electronic address for Bill Drummond to contact him directly. And therefore, wonder if you have any clue as to how to approach him, based on his relationship to the Kingdom of Fishers and the Fishers of Kingdoms. Do you have his contact? (question 3). 

Any help will be tremendously appreciated. Do you have questions that I can answer? (question 4)

Warm wishes

Vassilis

30th of October 2024 at 15:42

Dear Doctor Vassilis Galanos,

Thank you for your email and the four questions contained within it.

The answers to your questions in order are…

One:
I was not aware.

Two:
Have not read 2023*

Three:
I am Bill Drummond

Four:
Why are anniversaries celebrated?

Yours,

Bill Drummond

*Although being one half of the then Justified Ancients of Mu Mu, who in turn were the authors of 2023, I have never read the book. Thus have no memory of what is in it. As in once I have been involved with the writing of anything I then have a tendency to delete the information from my head in the hope it makes more space for further information.

 

30th of October 2024 at 16:26

Dear Bill,

Thank you for your quick response, your three answers and your question. 

To answer Four:

Because circularity seems cool.

A few more questions:

Would you be willing/available to come to Stirling for an event based on 1984 in February 2025?

If yes, do you have tariffs of sorts for such invited interventions?

If positive to the first question, and given that all relevant information from/about the book 2023 is deleted, would you be interested in a conversation about George Orwell, Jura, Robert(a) Anton Wilson, the significance of the number 23, computers and big tech giants after the year 2023, and other relevant topics with an introduction by me about Bill Drummond, the KLF, the K Foundation, the JAMs, and other information units that may be lost in the process? 

Did you know that Sondra London is an excellent painter? 

As ever,

Vassilis

31st of October 2024 at 15:56

Dear Vassilis,

As you might guess, I have very little memory of what I was doing last week let alone several decades ago. And even less interest. Or at least the capacity to talk about what I was doing several decades ago with any sort of understanding or conviction.

My suggestion would be that you use a random method to choose a willing student who can be a stand in for me. They can do whatever 'research' they feel their AI provider of choice comes up with. And after giving their presentation can do a Q&A chaired by yourself.

This would be both cheaper and more accurate. And maybe even more of a creative approach. And maybe it would work as a rehearsal as to how all of these things might happen in the future.

Yours,

Bill Drummond

Post Script:
The following was the response to various earlier request for me to write a memoir

https://www.penkilnburn.com/home/the-life-model/

4th of November 2024 at 10:19

Hi Bill,

Thank you for the suggestion. Should I proceed with this plan, would you grant me permission to present this as a performance of yours, e.g. write your name on an event pamphlet and then announce someone performs the old Chinese Room argument based on your material? And accompany that with elements of this present conversation to contextualise the issues of memory present both in 1984 and your mentioning of information deletion as to 2023? I may draw a connection between the Life Model and large language models in this case.... 

As ever,

V

4th of November 2024 at 11:46

Afterwords (almost) Vassilis,

This is all good by me. 

And look forward to finding out how this evolves. 

Yours,

Bill Drummond

4th of November 2024 at 11:51

Thank you, Bill! Will keep you posted. 

V.

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