Tales of cyber-neurosis
August 28, 2012 Leave a comment
Interesting news from New Zealand, where a long-term study of the inhabitants of Dunedin has revealed that people who smoke a lot of dope in high school may fail to achieve their full potential as adults, thus finally providing a scientific rationale for the otherwise inexplicable observation that stoners do not rule the world.
August 27, 2012 Leave a comment
Back in 2009 we ran a piece marking the 40th anniversary of the first moon landing, which noted wistfully that the vision of widespread space travel promised by the Apollo program had never been realised. We returned to this theme on the 50th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin’s maiden space flight, by which time our regret had expanded to cover the passing of the whole concept of progress through rational planning.
The news that Neil Armstrong has passed away is another reminder of how much the world has moved on since the days when flying to the moon was the peak of human aspiration. In a few more years an era in which there exist living men who have walked on another celestial body will have passed completely, with no sign that it will ever be repeated, a thought which I find almost unbearably sad.
Of course the Space Race of the 50s and 60s was driven by Cold War tensions, and it’s hard to argue that the threat of global thermonuclear destruction that hung over that period was a price worth paying for the dreams of space exploration. Nevertheless, I think our culture has lost something important since then; the sense that we could go ever onward and upward, replaced by the generally gloomy feeling that our best days as a species are already behind us.
All hope is not lost though; we’re still sending robots to other planets, and the information they send back may inspire another wave of space enthusiasm. I might yet make it to Mars after all…
August 18, 2012 Leave a comment
Now here’s a cause we can support without any hesitation. Regular readers will know that here at SLS we tend to think that “insulting Christianity” is the sort of thing that should be rewarded by a medal rather than a jail sentence, but even people who take a dimmer view of such activity would surely agree that two years in a labour camp sounds a bit harsh.
August 16, 2012 Leave a comment
We’ve had an extended summer break this year, which I might post about at some point, but what’s stirred me from silence today is a feeling that I should pass some sort of comment on the Wikileaks/Assange/Ecuador situation.
But what can I say? The whole thing has become a complete mess, a veritable train-wreck of competing left principles that seems to force one to choose between excusing US imperialism or apologising for sexual assault.
It’s a false dichotomy though; it’s perfectly possible to support the fight for free information represented by Wikileaks while at the same time believing that individuals should be prepared to take responsibility for their personal actions.
It’s hard to see much positive in all this, but perhaps when the smoke clears the movement will take on board the lesson that mass collective action is much preferable to personality-focused politics, because nothing undermines a campaign like a figurehead who turns out to be a serious liability.
July 5, 2012 Leave a comment
I’ve been pretty lax on the blog front of late, which I had been ascribing to simple idleness, but my new theory is that I’m just being slowed down by having to wade through that damn Higgs Field every day.
Anyway, what’s been happening? Spanish flair did win Euro 2012, as I (almost) predicted, though it triumphed over Italian artistry rather than Teutonic efficiency, the Germans having lost their way in the semi-final. For a while after that game it seemed like they might cave in on the Eurobond question too, but no such luck.
In other news, the reading public have twisted a dagger into the heart of aspiring authors everywhere by enthusiastically embracing a volume of reworked Twilight fan-fic, making it the fastest selling paperback ever in the UK, despite it being, by all accounts, very poorly written, not particularly transgressive, and certainly not psychologically sophisticated.
Discouraged by this turn of events I have abandoned my plans to spend the next few months working on my own literary masterpiece, in favour of my usual summer routine of getting stoned in the park (assuming the rain ever stops), with a suitable soundtrack. There may not be many more posts this month…
June 23, 2012 Leave a comment
I’ve not had much time for blogging recently, because, among other distractions, I’ve been spending my evenings drinking beer and watching the football on TV.
I had been hoping that last night’s match between Greece and Germany would provide me with a handy metaphor for a post on how the downtrodden masses can, through organisation and unity, overcome seemingly impossible odds, but sadly the cold efficiency of the Germans saw them run out comfortable winners.
Things are looking a little more hopeful on the political field though. The left may not have won in last week’s rerun election in Greece, but it appears they have done well enough to force Angela Merkel to accept some softening of the austerity programme imposed on the country.
On current form it looks like the Germans might end up facing Spain in the final; perhaps Iberian flair will make that match a better symbol for the future course of European protest.
June 12, 2012 Leave a comment
Since my last attempt at predicting the outcome of a major football tournament turned out rather poorly, I decided to wait until the first round of matches in Euro 2012 was complete before hazarding any forecast. I’m sure that Spain will pick up after their slow start, the Ukrainians and the Russians are looking useful, and even England seem to be less woeful than we had been led to believe, but I’m going to play it safe and tip Germany for the title.
In other European news, the Spanish banks have been bailed out, which may or may not be enough to stabilize the Eurozone, at least temporarily. All eyes are on Greece though, which returns to the polls this weekend after the last election failed to produce a clear winner. If the electorate hold their nerve, and vote for the anti-austerity left, then the whole future of European economic policy will be up in the air. What will happen next is a lot harder to predict than a game of football, but again it’s safe to say that the Germans will have a major influence on the outcome.
June 2, 2012 Leave a comment
I know that at least a million other bloggers will be posting this link today, but I’m hardly going to let the occasion go by without taking the chance to simultaneously state my republican sympathies and revisit my punk rock youth.
Second Life Shrink 
