Diplomacy with Foreign Minds
In this post, I’m rambling aloud about the human “parliamentary mind” and speculate about the intelligence of other arguably-sentient creatures. The Parliamentary Mind “Some years ago, there was a lovely philosopher of science and journalist in Italy named Giulio Giorello, and he did an interview with me. And I don’t know if he wrote it more »
More Mulling
Chris Matthews on “Up Late with Alex Baldwin” Something he said spoke to some half-ideas I began fielding in “Mulling Over“, when I was citing “What is Your Water Talent“. “You know when a small business guy is elected President, because he’s used to doing it all himself. Reagan was a corporate person, he more »
Oakeshott on Conversation and Play
I thought about shifting into pooling more New Age thought but the character of the movement kinda repulses me in some way. Perhaps that’s another reason to dig into it? Any, an unexpected detour prompted by a new Daily Dish essay. Another quote-heavy post, I’m more interested in reading than writing right now. A Californian whom more »
A Survey of the Dark Enlightenment
Tomorrow: Quotes from Oakeshott. I’ve also been posting about some UpWing stuff in a private fb group, so I might compile some of that together if it’s not too absolutely boring and trite. We’ll see. — The other day I was tinkering around in my garage and I decided to build a new ideology. more »
October 02013
So ends the month of October. Fogbanking: An Overview August-October 2013 August (started writing mid-month): 4 posts, ~5,600 words, post to revisit: Kludge. September: 8 posts, ~11,400 words, post to revisit: Developing Organizations (I talked about TIMN, which uses some vocabulary that I use and abuse pretty frequently. My definition of ‘tribe’ has expanded from this more »
“Beginnings”
For ages they had been without heads. Headless they lived, and headless they died. How long they had thus flourished none of them knew. Then something began to change. It happened over unremembered generations. The signs of a transfiguring were being writ ever more deeply into them. As their breed moved forward, they began crossing boundaries more »
Two Books on Incomprehensible Man-Made Systems
Two books: One I’m reading and one I just heard of. Their essences below, no detailed notes yet. Normal Accidents “Normal” Accidents: What Perrow calls System Accidents. Normal Accidents have two characteristics: The complex interaction of multiple discrete failures that are not in operational sequence. Opaque processes: due to that complexity, the systems are more »
Mulling Over
More only-vaguely-connected notes on things I’ve done and things I’ve considered. I’m kind of wandering in the desert right now, I expect to find a direction again soon. This one may be especially incoherent or especially uninteresting, I could certainly see that complaint. I. (Notes and Lists) I scribble notes. In college my desk was more »
In-Flight Notes
It’s becoming a ritual: writing on my work laptop as I fly home to New York every week, armed with Feedly (via over-expensive in-flight wifi) and free liquor. This particular post is probably derivative of some earlier thoughts I’ve expressed (this time more concisely!), and also borrows vocabulary liberally from recent reads/experiences. I. Even more »
On Choking Your Enemies to Death
Some free writing that came out strangely focused. No idea what set me off. I wish I could credit the standup comedian who suggested this idea I’m elaborating on. I honestly can’t find the video again (I think it’s an old special), but I remembered this idea. I will edit this with the source if/when more »