Archive for the ‘Politics’ Category

Tuesday, December 13th, 2016

Da, Comrade.

by Warren

Traffic in a developing country is astounding and terrifying in equal measure. I saw this first-hand in Cairo in 2008, when I took a cab ride from Giza to the downtown area. For the first ten minutes, as ramshackle Peugots whizzed within an inch of my ride, I was a white-knuckled mess, cringing as every vehicle scraped by at top speed.

But at minute 11, my body just gave up. I involuntarily relaxed and numbly took in the spectacle in front of me, because I had no choice. I wish my brain would do that right now.

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Friday, November 25th, 2016

Well, this sucks (2016 edition)

by Warren

Originally I had a half-formed blog post looking back at election night. I picked away at it and couldn’t quite wrap my head around this disastrous calamity, and frankly I’m still not entirely convinced it’s real (or at leas that’s my waking thought each morning before grim reality sets in). But I figured I had to write something.

It’s been a few weeks, but Trump’s incoming administration is already a contradictory shitshow. I’m starting to think this is the New Abnormal: pointless lurching from policy to policy with no rhyme or reason, and the only theme tying it all together is existential danger.

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Saturday, July 18th, 2009

Some current.com goodness

by Warren

I’ve been digging around Current.com, partly to see if there’s any way I can make a buck or two for Freyburg Media, and partly because there’s some really good content on the site. Here’s a story about how Argentines have coped with their recession (something we’ll have to start doing soon)…

and here’s another report from Angola about China’s rising influence in the region.

Tuesday, July 14th, 2009

Stewart Brand on the importance of cities

by Warren

Stewart Brand made a name for himself with the Whole Earth Catalog and the “back to the land” movement (though always with the caveat of networked communication and other high-tech innovation), but he’s now changed his opinions, and says that cities actually help the environment by reducing population (less kids born in cities than in the countryside) and letting subsistence-framed land go back to its natural state.

Saturday, July 4th, 2009

More bon mots from Bruce Sterling

by Warren

This time from the Reboot conference.

Thursday, April 16th, 2009

New Trek reflects Obama era?

by Warren

Bit of a stretch, but the Times draws parallels between each Star Trek series and the political schema within which the series aired. The classic series was Johnson’s Great Society all the way, Obama is kind of like Spock, and the new Trek is an optimistic take on the current situation, etc, etc. Basically, it’s nerd bait for the rare dork (like myself) who loves politics, history, societal shifts AND warp drives and green chicks, but an interesting read nonetheless.

Wednesday, November 5th, 2008

‘Nuff said.

by Warren

Sunday, October 19th, 2008

Powell endorses Obama

by Warren

In a speech on Meet the Press worthy of Obama’s elecution, General Colin Powell explained that he feels Obama is not only a “transformational figure” but that Sarah Palin is not ready to be President of the United States (which is, after all, her job as VP) and that the Republican Party has swung too far to the right. Special mention should go to his addressing the insidious nature of calling Obama and Arab and Muslim. As Powell put it, it wouldn’t matter is he was, and if seeing Obama inspires some seven-year old Muslim American to someday become president, so much the better.

Thursday, October 2nd, 2008

The end of aviation?

by Warren

As fears of peak oil, resource wars and economic collapse dot the headlines, it’s a fair question whether aviation, which chews up an enormous amount of fuel and greenhouse gases, is still a viable form of transport. The New Republic has an interesting piece about how flying defines our economy, and how screwed we’ll be if aviation goes away.

Sunday, September 28th, 2008

What Sarah Palin says about America

by Warren

Matt Taibbi (who usually writes for Rolling Stone) has posted a cynical, angry and heartfelt screed on Smirking Chimp about what Sarah Palin’s candidacy says about middle-class America’s love of image over substance and blind consumerism over thoughtful discourse. It’s certainly biased and bile-filled, but it’s also exceptionally well written and not without some truth.

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