Sunday, September 13, 2015
great essay on decoherence and US democracy
Vox begins the discussion of polarization, the consequences for decision making, and likely outcomes. I recommend following the links to the background essays as well.
I land on the side of the discussion that fears the rise of a strong-man phase of government. The miserable performance of Congress, due to the intransigence of the Tea Party-dominated Republicans installed by gerrymandering, is leading to a hunger for a strong leader, particularly on the Right (as ironic as that might be, it fits with their Strong Father bent and favoritism of the military). The rise of Trump is clear evidence for this. Given that we face increasing levels of crisis, if for no other reasons than climate change, the rise of ISIS, and likely proliferation of nukes, drones and other technical means of unconventional warfare, the general public is increasing likely to demand someone who can deliver results with a "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!" style. This does not bode well for democracy nor Democrats, the less organized party.
I land on the side of the discussion that fears the rise of a strong-man phase of government. The miserable performance of Congress, due to the intransigence of the Tea Party-dominated Republicans installed by gerrymandering, is leading to a hunger for a strong leader, particularly on the Right (as ironic as that might be, it fits with their Strong Father bent and favoritism of the military). The rise of Trump is clear evidence for this. Given that we face increasing levels of crisis, if for no other reasons than climate change, the rise of ISIS, and likely proliferation of nukes, drones and other technical means of unconventional warfare, the general public is increasing likely to demand someone who can deliver results with a "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!" style. This does not bode well for democracy nor Democrats, the less organized party.
The Rugby Player documentary
This documentary is uplifting and breaks stereotypes. It shows the lives of Mark Bingham, September 11 hero, gay rugby player, Cal booster, heavy metal fan, fraternity member, and his mother. I highly recommend it! KQED broadcast it last night.
trailer and official site
trailer and official site
Saturday, September 12, 2015
ostentatious toy
laser-based no-touch turntable offers superb fidelity, no wear and no pop and click artifacts
$14k (taking donations now via PayPal :-) )
$14k (taking donations now via PayPal :-) )
Friday, September 11, 2015
Laurie Anderson (no relation): another woman's wisdom in interview
here in the Guardian and she directed Heart of a Dog, a movie out late next month.
Angela Davis: broadening and deepening the questions
In this short LA Times op-ed/interview you can see her savvy and smarts illuminate things beyond the frame of the (sympathetic) questions and show how her thinking is evolving...
hat tip to Howard...
hat tip to Howard...
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