To Read Franz Kafka (1883-1924) To read Kafka is to be immersed in a world of psychologic rather than in a world of logic, reasonableness and cause and effect. The word Kafkaesque, which has become common parlance, depicts humanity in an alternate reality in which a person is gripped by a labyrinth of repressive, incomprehensible … Continue reading Reading Kafka
Freedom of Speech
More Notes on Story
In terms of navigating and understanding the world we live in, few things are more important than the idea of story. Through the mechanism of story we piece together what we perceive as reality in terms of cause and effect. We are therefore part of a bigger story. Story telling thus can give a supremely … Continue reading More Notes on Story
Music and Me
For the longest time music has had the profoundest effect on me. Though quasi orgasmic in its effect some respects, I would more liken the effect of music on me to be more like a trip. It was only after I actually began to use drugs as an adult that I very quickly realized that … Continue reading Music and Me
THE TRUMP EXPERIENCE
Donald Trump's disastrous destructive four years of US presidency, undoubtedly the worst POTUS in history and a cautionary tale for all leaders, is but the latest part of what makes up many decades of his toxic career. Its a career screened by a showman's capacity to obscure what actually went on. To himself and to … Continue reading THE TRUMP EXPERIENCE
A Short Essay on Writing Essays
Essays can be on any subject. They can argue any point, give information, tell a story, try to solve a problem, or convince a reader about a certain viewpoint. In fact essays sometimes do many or all of the above things at the same time. In this short essay I will try to talk about … Continue reading A Short Essay on Writing Essays
A Modest Proposal Regarding Eating Animals *
*This is a talk I gave a few years ago on World Vegetarian Day. I am not a climatologist. Neither am I a nutritionist. I write fiction. And, occasionally I have the pleasure of giving talks on world vegetarian day. Vegetarianism is something close to my heart and I was chuffed when asked to speak. … Continue reading A Modest Proposal Regarding Eating Animals *
Facebook and Wasting Time.
Facebook is like the Hotel California. You can never leave. Rather than leaving or deleting, a number of events made me ‘discontinue’ my Facebook account. 1. The politicization of Facebook. Facebook was originally designed as a social media platform, somewhere folks of all stripes can connect. Mark Zukerberg also saw huge potential down the line … Continue reading Facebook and Wasting Time.
The Extremely Cool Marcel Proust
There are few extraordinarily gifted people people out there who can also be described as really good people. They exist of course, but Marcel Proust, a true artistic genius, was one of them. Kind, sensitive, thoughtful to a fault, a good and faithful friend and an extraordinarily generous man with his time and … Continue reading The Extremely Cool Marcel Proust
THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH ( I Mean Really )
EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE HEARD OF ALEXANDER GERSHENKRON ALEXANDER GERSHENKRON (1904-1978) was a Harvard Professor of Economics from the late 1940's to the 1970's. He was known particularly as a historian of economics and among other things postulated the 'Backwardness Theory'. His paper Economic Backwardness in Historical Perspective (1962) was and is to the best of my knowledge, … Continue reading THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH ( I Mean Really )
Charlie Hebdo Ate My Puppy
which is clearly not the case. Here is a picture of my ten week old puppy and she is zipping round our rented cottage like a pixie on amphetamines. Charlie never so much as laid a tooth on the little creature. To accuse him of doing such a thing (as I implied in the title) … Continue reading Charlie Hebdo Ate My Puppy
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