"CARDIAC" - geddit? Not my most forced backronym ever, but close. So, why do we get stuck in describing problems - like, I dunno, the imminent collapse of the ecosystems that make human civilisation possible, to choose an example entirely at random - endlessly, rather talking about the solutions? Blah blah, yes, belling the cat.... Continue Reading →
President Lincoln was assassinated in early 1865, while watching a play. His wife was with him at the time. It led to the macabre joke in the title above, which "means" roughly "yes, let's pretend not to talk about the horrific things that we both know have happened, and let's make idle chitchat." Or that's... Continue Reading →
Take it as a given that elephants don't tap dance. (They are super smart, and we are a horrible horrible species, busy exterminating them, but you knew thtis). Elephants don't even jump - because, why would they need to? And the elephants, if you don't know me, are one of my favourite metaphors for big,... Continue Reading →
If you are Really Damn Old you may recognise the song lyric reference in the first half of the title. "Whatever," as the young people used to say. "How Groups Zombify" - HGZ, as we will call it, (but which could also stand for Hypocrites Going Zealous?) is a key question. For me, anyway. Not... Continue Reading →
I asked my brilliant friend Marc Roberts if there were a cartoon in this blog post, and this is what he came up with. It is in the latest issue of Ethical Consumer Magazine, and it is genius, I am sure you agree. The problem is that the reality is EVEN WORSE THAN THIS, because... Continue Reading →
Boff. There is that line in the film "Bull Durham" - let me google that for me - "The world is made for people who aren't cursed with self-awareness." Stuff has been going on of late (I have reasons for being elliptical) that got me into a more (lopy) ruminative mood than usual. And thinking... Continue Reading →
I don't do enough Looting of the Ivory Tower (though see here). I really should be doing a minimum of one article looted per day. I'd be less likely to flunk Chomsky's mirror test. Hey ho. Really, enough about me. This article below is absolutely superb. If you're looking for a history of European Union... Continue Reading →
So I have a list of 42 books I am supposed to read before ("buying others" - yeah, good luck with that). And I absolutely have not read two Jack Reacher novels in the midst of this. Absolutely not. Now it is over to book 8, (there's no particular order, btw). It is a 2009... Continue Reading →
"Our Dumb Century" by the folks at The Onion is a staggering satirical achievement. Lots more to say, but this fits my current mood (see the Cher, incentive structures and our inevitable doom post etc)
(or should that be nihilogism of the decade?) There's this and this bit of an interview with the late Mark Fisher. "Now we are faced with nihiliberalism rather than neoliberalism. The phrases justifying neoliberalism are mechanistically repeated, but there’s no real conviction in it anymore." Hat-tip to @Dant_Lane for bringing this to my attention. Basically,... Continue Reading →
marchudson.net 