On Bank Robbery
What is the robbing of a bank compared to the founding of a new bank? — Bertholdt Brecht What is the brutality of Trump’s racist and sexist outbursts compared to the brutality and violence of today’s global capitalism? — Slavoj Zizek
By Made Things
We join ourselves to the living world by the artifacts of art and science – by made things. We are always going to be at least somewhat at fault, because we are ignorant, fallible and small. The living world is larger and more complex than our works. — Wendell Berry I am an advocate…
In Support of Popular Culture
I anticipate our discussion tonight on the role of popular culture, according to the work of Theodor Adorno. Adorno lived in the mid 20th century and was of the opinion that pop culture was exploitative, depriving it’s consumers of genuine aesthetic enjoyment. Even worse the externalized consequences, — a less than healthy, robust and…
No Agreement On The Basics
This morning I was at an impasse. I had no definite inclination to write. That is rare. There is always something of import, either a local personal item of interest, something I care about or perhaps one of the political and social inanities of the Trump administration that begs for comment. I had no…
The Mission
The sky is bright with morning. Soon I will leave Louisville. The reason for our presence here has been accomplished. We welcomed a new family member into the World. The World is much bigger than our family and we are part of it. There are many generations before us. We are their representatives, their…
And Freedom, Oh Freedom…
It’s unseasonably cold this morning. The sky is gray, underbellies of clouds glow pink at the point where the sun is soon to rise. I am at a Holiday Inn in Louisville, Kentucky. I have more to say about the topic of freedom, as instinct says that I left the matter unfinished. The topic…
Life
I selected a lot of dark material as subject for my blog posts. I am compelled to write about what interests me at the time set aside for writing. I write primarily for myself, to discover more clearly what lies at the root of the kid, the adult, that lives within. We have one…
Atrocity Smiles
To designate a hellis not, of course, to tell us anythingabout how to extract people from that hell,how to moderate hell’s flames. Still, it seems a good in itself to acknowledge,to have enlarged, one’s senseof how much sufferingcaused by human wickednessthere is in the world we share with others.Someone who is perennially surprisedthat depravity…
Queen of Hearts, -Your Best Bet
We attempted to discuss the topic: How Are We Free? The topic is perennially compelling. A sense of agency is what it means to be a self. To the extent that one is a self, one feels his or her own agency, — one believes that one is free. I recognize that I’ve prejudiced…
When I Was Young
Received good news this morning around 5:30AM. Our granddaughter was born. We plan to travel to Louisville on Wednesday. She surprised all of us by coming just a bit earlier than expected. Life is nothing but surprise after surprise. Another argument for living simply, in a uncomplicated fashion. One must always be able to…
