Wrong things wrong
by Brutus, who blogs at The Spiral Staircase I tossed around in bed a few nights ago with insomnia. This happens a lot lately. As my mind wandered, it occurred to me that NBLers lob lots of accusations, judgments, and…
Like an Elevator When the Cable Breaks
According to Mark Twain, "civilization is the limitless multiplication of unnecessary necessities." It seems western civilization is just about done with the mindless multiplication of anything, much less unnecessary nonsense. It's too late for a fast collapse of the industrial…
Excerpts on Education
The blogosphere is rife with discussion of education, with a particular focus on higher education. In the spirit of beating a dead horse joining the fray, I've dredged up a few excerpts from Letters to a Young Academic, a book…
The Heirloom
The Heirloom is a riveting, fast-paced story about some of the characters caught up in a rapidly collapsing United States. This tale meets the plausibility test requisite of a any good novel. On that front, I find it far superior…
Quickening
In the United States, various states offer glimpses into the future of industrial economies. Wisconsin is filling the mainstream media outlets, but California really leads the way. In the latter state, the lights have gone out and the water has…
Missing the forest and the trees
by John Duffy Humans are creatures of myth. We invent stories to help us understand our surroundings, but we then become slaves to those stories, and to the false truths within. The real world, is the physical world; the sun,…
This time is different
Okay, I'm convinced. I've been wrong this entire time, but I'm willing to admit the error of my ways. It's time to move on. The industrial age will last forever, with no negative consequences for the living planet, including an…