Straining over the blog..... More Tales from an Urbane Flâneur

Prosopagnosia

2021-10-31T17:04:00.002+01:00

There are a couple of things I'm thinking of these days and one of them is Prosopagnosia (or face blindness).

It's all about people not recognising faces and there are some big names who've suffered it, they include Oliver Sacks (who wrote a book about it) Stephen Fry, Comedian Paul Foot and seemingly the rather strange connection of US photo-realist artist Chuck Close.

I don't know if there are connections between sufferers (drug use?) or if it is more common amongst men or women but I can't help thinking that it tells us something about the human brain's operation.

Let's face it with several billion people in the world most with fairly 'standard' facial features it can seem pretty amazing that we can spot individuals visually - domestic animals often have keener senses of smells that humans but most of us are at least not conscious of detecting people by smell.

I recall about 25 years back on being required to meet a friend at HK Airport after not seeing him for some time anticipating spotting him being a challenge, it proved not to be the case but I do think about this and the point of losing this ability to differentiate as the years go by.

Cord Cutting - Netflix and more as US Media continues to evolve and reconsolidate

2021-08-12T11:44:00.001+01:00

It's some years since I was employed in the broadcast sector and even more since I took a bit of an academic focus but I retain more than a passing interest in what is happening as the big players face changes and new technologies alter viewer behaviour.

My last employer was Discovery Europe (nearly 9 years ago) and even then thoughts were around how the company could reach their audience without the use of a 'platform' (in the UK Sky), apart from the technology a key challenge was migrating viewers without alienating the present carriers.

The creation of new strategies has meant that the creation of the Discovery/Warner Media megalith makes a sort of sense to challenge the Disney, Prime Video and of course Netflix offerings, Discovery by itself was tending to be a little 'worthy' and the Warner element means a more rounded destination should emerge, there's even News there with CNN and a part interest in the UK's GB News (which may yet become a viable channel).

One of the things that has remained with me since studying Media is that although various governments choose to proclaim their dedication to Media Freedom and de-regulation what invariably comes to pass is 'Re-Regulation' and Freedom (as always) remains problematic in terms of how it's defined.

The USA has a longer history of a competitive and commercial market for Broadcasters and although there has been in the past a requirement for 'fairness' in commentary this has largely fallen by the wayside as marginal alternatives have provided cover for Fox News and others to deliver a more entertaining style of 'News' discourse.

While 'Cord Cutting' has been considered by some to be a method of freeing up the market and the viewer it appears now (thanks to Helen Back for signposting this excellent Netflix commentary ) is merely a way of the Media companies having more direct contact with the end viewer as the means of delivery to the home evolves into a 'utility' type business.

I will follow interest how the US market plays out as without a doubt it will impact on the UK business where the state sanctioned BBC and semi independent Channel 4 are both facing challenges from a Tory Government which appears uncomfortable with Broadcasters' criticism.

Key to the success of Media strategies is how they capture the eyeballs of Millenniums and Generation Z -so anything that ignores the likes of YouTube and Tik-Tok may find they become 'dinosaurs'.

What do you think ... ?

Flying?

2021-07-20T10:22:00.018+01:00

How is it that 'Staycation" which previously meant staying at home and having days out has come to be holidays anywhere within the UK?

Do we actually need (particularly at this time) to get into a cramped polluting metal can to be thrown through the air (after queuing up in a busy airport) to sit under the same sun we left behind? As Alain de Botton said in The Art of Travel (paraphrasing) the problem he had was when he went on holiday he took himself.

How do we measure a Tory politician's success?

2021-06-27T13:50:00.003+01:00

So Matt Hancock is no longer minister for Health in UK government and Sajid Javid is now the new Health Minister.

The MP for West Suffolk Mr. Hancock would seem to me (and many others) to have been a disastrous Minister of Health and without the successful vaccine rollout we'd be in a very poor position, this managed by Kate Bingham has gone well.

How much credit is due to Dame Kate Bingham (another member of the Conservative party's inner circle) is not clear but allegations around her behaviour seem to be less than many involved in the ruling party -perhaps she would make a better NHS England boss than the proven failure Dame Dido Harding?

Hancock as well as breaking his own rules has broken ministerial codes and until the affair he was having was revealed was labelled by Tory Chief Johnson as 'F**king Hopeless' - to me it was rather odd to find that as his clinch with adviser he appointed was revealed he finally got the PM's full backing.

What I have wondered since the virus became an issue in the UK is why we've chosen not to see what works in in other countries and how we can learn - anyone know?

As throughout this awful Tory reign (not only under Johnson but far worse with him) Politics has taken precedence over health and the state of the economy - I think Johnson has chose Javid to run the Health portfolio for Political reasons rather than capability - Hunt and Gove both ruled out but he may regret getting the ex-chancellor back in the tent - time will tell, my personal thoughts are that the pay and status of Health workers needs to be improved across the board.

Freebies?

2021-05-06T13:21:00.005+01:00

I suppose I first got a taste for 'Free Gifts' as a child, I loved the enticements of the new comics, an Iron transfer for a T-Shirt a gizmo that did something - it wasn't too long before I recognised the game for what it was and continued to play it.

At University the banks wanted us as customers, later in work come Christmas bottles of wine appeared the game was the same and we continued to play it - was it corruption ? In hindsight yes.

I was using my DHL umbrella this morning - last offerings to me were made at Discovery and the 'kindness' was on the wane - generally customised (branded) items of low value and served a purpose - a calendar is there every day for a year, a pen subliminally sends a message.

So what do we have with the UK Conservative government - these offers, a holiday and the redecorating of a flat for the PM - this is not branding this is buying favours.

If it is tolerated we will as a country be the poorer and our world standing will diminish whatever the polls and election results say.

Reaching 200

2021-04-14T12:28:00.003+01:00

Social Media is quite a thing, lots of famous people (and not so famous) have thousands of followers, I am hovering around 200 people on twitter, this is as a result of friends, local people and people who have similar views (I think) to me politically.

It is not a big deal for me and I'm often surprised by tweets that do get retweeted or liked - I suppose it's when there's some sort of resonance (I guess it's what I do to).

For me the habit of sending a photo out each day on twitter started about six or seven years ago and it remains the main thing that keeps me engaged but since the last 2 or 3 years I also find political (Local, National and International) can be engaging ands sometimes it will make me a little angry, the action of tweeting or retweeting can help dissipate those feelings somewhat.

As well as a few friends I have a cousin who is in Spain and is passionately anti Brexit and I think anti-this Tory government, it is nice to keep in touch with him via twitter.

My next thoughts are to start regular uploads to YouTube, I've been inspired by Naomi SexyCyborg Wu (in China) and Merumo in Japan., I like the idea of a big theme in bite sized episodes (as Merumo has done with a history of the sex industry).

The other area I'm drawn to is Art and here I like the style of the late Robert Hughes (famed for Shock of the New').

I'm not motivated by income or fame but think that the discipline and goal could be good for me and hopefully I will produce something that engages - watch this space!

Photography & Selfies

2021-04-07T12:37:00.004+01:00

I was intrigued to watch a youtube video that critiqued the way that China/Japan (and Korea) have embraced the art of the selfie and it brought to mind my own first experiences of visiting the far eat (early 80's) .

I went to Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong (with a couple of trips into China) and was told that particularly in China Photography was viewed with suspicion by many and this applied especially to those of an older age group, many it seemed considered that the was the possibility of the spirit being caught.

Now many in Japan, China and South Korea have really taken photography to their hearts and tourists from the Far East are noticeable in how they wish to have photo's of themselves in picturesque locations.

It seems that there are cameras and 'apps' designed specifically to make the most of the market for selfies which help improve one's appearance.

Although it seems the aspect of selfies is pronounced in Asia the phenomenon is pretty strong in the West too and I suppose it says something about the way connections are now made and maintained - I am not sure if the use will escalate but it's something interesting that I intend to keep an eye on.

Perhaps part of the reason for the full on attitude of the 'East' with selfies is the accelerated uptake there - indications that the rapid adoption of all photography is still challenging and with time these countries could become more like 'we' in countries that have had longer to familiarise ourselves with portrayals of ourselves.

Lessons from History

2021-04-02T15:20:00.004+01:00

...well of course there are countless ones- and if we don't learn from what's gone before we're cursed to repeat mistakes.

I am thinking here though about what I picked up and directions I might be taken from a short-ish session on a History of Japanese Woodcut Printing (Ukiyo-e) run (on Zoom of course by City Lit.

The session which the leader (Carol Wilhide-Justin) stressed was a personal one but it pointed way beyond the artisan craft into Colonialism in Asia (European and Asian) and some possible perspectives into the hegemony of the 'West '.

So I have some interest in Printmaking from many years back including a brief introductory course about 8 years ago I am also interested in Japan and the Japanese.

Well a quick summary of the facts we were given:

The Art originated in China and is usually (in it's classical form) connected to the hardwood from Wild Cherry trees.

There's a nice summary of the art here.

.What I hadn't realised though is :

Japan has a long connection with the Dutch who were trading with the Japanese prior to USA and France.

That Japan literacy was in 19th century was about double the rate of European (at around 80%) and what was said to be the first novel was produced there too (The Tale of Kenji), The Japanese excelled at illustrated books and a clear line can be seen to present day Magna books.

It is interesting that this first novel was written by a woman and there are some quite interesting non-conforming female figures coming out of China and Japan at present (For Japan the Social Historian/Journalist Youtube's Merumo Think Tank and from Shenzen, South China the iconoclastic and gender busting Cyber Punk Naomi Wu).

A couple of more specific points are now knowing that the registration mechanics are the 'Kagi Corner' and following a question it is noted that up to 25 separate blocks (and therefore colours) could be used.

Missing Tuesday

2021-03-31T10:35:00.001+01:00

Amazingly the last 11 weeks or so I 've been part of a group learning about Political Philosophy (a zoom class from City Lit).

I like Philosophy ‘excursions’ but also the breaks from them, a few weeks of not scratching my head is welcome – this week a class on Leonardo Da Vinci (3 of 3) and also yesterday a talk on Japanese Woodcut (which was very good too - more about this later).

Talking with a friend from my long ago school days on the subject of ‘Populism’ being a vehicle of both the Left and Right he suggested that Xenophobia is part of the Populist mix and that this is present too in some of the Corbyn support that remains within Labour (this would perhaps rule out U.S. Democrat/Socialist Bernie Sanders as he is more sharing of the fight & glory and is welcoming of people from other countries).

The last week we were focused on Feminism and my contribution in a small group discussion was to seek to understand how much Simone de Beauvoir was talking from her own rather privileged lived ‘bourgeoise’ experience (of course no conclusions were made but possibility of plenty of debate) – I’ve attached the summary we were given ahead of the class showing some thinkers.

(Not so ) Smart Meters?

2021-03-27T13:36:00.002+01:00

We had our Smart meters fitted without too much fuss this week - Ovo engineer managed it well and they have been flexible with the work.

We got wo meters one Gas (outside) and an Electric one under the stairs to replace existing - promise is that I won't need to send off two readings each month .

I am a little disappointed that they seem to have been designed with rather limited ‘ambition’, when I was at BT Broadcast services we looked at providing support to some solutions for the remote metering (12+ years ago ) and it seemed the scope then was greater .

I can imagine some potential for clever stuff, being hooked up to thermostats and weather forecasts etcetera but perhaps that is in Smart Meter 3.0)?

Relation in one of his more recent Government ministerial jobs was involved with the Smart Meter rollout project and don't think he yet has one.

I was told though by the installer that at least now compatibility ensures mean a change of supplier does not mean a different meter as it once did.

A friend of mine has had the meters installed at properties he rents out (saves him reading the meters), he's chosen not to have one in his home as he seems to think he'd like to avoid a cut off at some point in the future, I would think knowing him he has given it some thought?

I don't know if I believe the 21 million installed figure and have been given a meter that shows what we're spending, I don't really want to watch this while I can afford the bills!

It's never really over

2021-03-21T12:49:00.001+01:00

In communication with a friend about knowing people who have succumbed to Covid virus, a local busker who I was on nodding acquaintance with got (and died) he was late 50’s and probably underlying health conditions also watched Michael Rosen (mid 70’s) speaking about his time in hospital (an RSA talk) and it seems he still has plenty of ongoing issues (not sure if this is the ‘long Covid’?)

The point of where the numbers impact the majority of people know a death is I guess some way off and perhaps these will be in what might be described as ‘marginal groups’.

Political Philosophy

Getting towards the end of class (CityLit via Zoom) on Philosophy ....

I am not certain that ‘Populism’ belongs to the left or the right, as you can imagine when a group of people who give themselves the highfalutin’ ambition to look at something that incorporates philosophy in it they’ll spend quite a bit of time trying to define a term which they’ll then feel even less sure about.

Most of the group I am part of on a Tuesday evening see Trump as the embodiment of Populism and I would tend to describe the group as largely towards the left - Recep Tayyip Erdogan is another who gets a regular namecheck, I can see that Corbyn (actually both of them!) could be described as sharing some Populism characteristics but Boris Johnson far more so. I guess a positive spin could be that Populism has tendencies of re-invigorating the debates on live issues and removing some power from those bogeymen, the non-democratically accountable elites but on the downside it seems too often to become entangled with Xenophobia and dismisses dissenters as non-combatants in whatever the particular skirmish under consideration is.

Next week is the final ‘Political’ session and we’re majoring on Feminism as a non-combatant and a minority (on the course) I will be mainly in listening mode – I like the approach that course teacher Chris Horner has used; being open to discussion but having a framework that has caught some of the big themes.

The Grandeur that can seduce us

2021-03-17T11:07:00.001+01:00

Very interesting to hear of James Hanley - there's a great BBC Radio drama production of 'Writing the Century' about him which you can listen to on BBC Sounds at present.

The production captures a sort of struggling British bohemianism here attached to a genteel aristocratic poverty that continues to this day.

Oddly there's a sort of connection for me on that Hanley's only son was at ITN at part of the same time as me- Liam Hanley is pretty much the focus of the drama and as well as a journalist he was an artist - I don't recall him but will check with others to see if they do.

Impression I have is that James Hanley appears to have valued his own writing struggle, seems he felt that his work was formed from a struggle and that as something of an autodidact he perhaps was burdened by a chip on his shoulder - anyway I recommend the Radio play and will try and find one of his books to read.

Is It Fair?

2021-03-14T13:28:00.002+01:00

One of the things you often hear from an agitated Child is ' THAT'S NOT FAIR', it's something youngsters latch on to.

And I'm not too sure when we stop bawling it out - is it a sign of more maturity, or a realisation that fairness is not always in our own short term condition?

In the developed world we are in a position where we can in many situations reflect on what's fair, should we abide by the rules and queue or can we use some advantage to circumvent our wait?

What message do we get from our political leaders, can we anticipate UK PM saying that it's not fair that during ongoing pandemics some of the richest parts of society have actually flourished and he thinks that those people who can help those at the bottom of the pile should do so?

Signs are I think worrying for UK's freedoms and the inappropriate actions of the Police yesterday does not make me feel confident in the further powers that the Public Order Act (1986) amendments grant the Police I would not wish to be alarmist but many indications from the dominant and unchecked Conservative Governments' actions are centralising and restrictive - hopefully there are people in all parties (and none) who will resist - Ian Dunt as is often the case puts the context of the changes that many see as part of ongoing culture wars.

Reminders of Memento Mori and Mortality

2021-03-12T15:41:00.002+01:00

So for Londoners the anniversary of Pandemic and various Lockdown seems to be on or around now.

I wonder if Johnson's Government have taken a view that while many of the population have not been directly impacted by multiple deaths they are still able to dictate an agenda and their response has been 'in the National Interest' ?

Well I am certainly far more conscious, in the last 12 months of mortality and have lost friends and relations over the year not necessarily from Covid but memorials and services were not as they would normally have been and it feels as if there may have been contributory Pandemic factors in there as well.

What does this mean - does it make the profiting by some seem immoral, are we who have so far not been ill duty bound to acknowledge the imbalance of those who have suffered mentally or physically from the onslaught?

Some Tory Ministers have signalled regret but none (that I'm aware of) have felt able to say that they should have done better and that they regret that the Health service has not been funded as it should have been.

I personally have felt uncomfortable with the appearance of so many 'Union Jack' bedecked home offices, and I am pleased to see that these are no longer so common.

Post Truth Politics

2021-03-11T16:31:00.003+01:00

I have been on a weekly Philosophy/Politics course for the last couple of months and the topic we were taught and able to discuss this week was 'Populism'.

Ahead of the session I did a little independent research of my own, finding that the concept was something that had surfaced in the USA pre 20th Century and its reoccurrence was a sign of 'elites' becoming disconnected from the populace .

Cas Mudde gives (I think) a good contextualisation here.

Populism at large currently seems to be mainly of the 'Right' variety but it is not always the case and some have labelled Bernie Sanders as a Populist (although this is disputed as much of what he has said is factual).

The two party system in the USA is it seems is prone to a Populist demagogue becoming leader of either party - Donald Trump was by many accounts an embodiment of Populism dismissing other leaders as corrupt and identifying himself with the populace.

Even after an attempted Coup in Washington Trump retains support from many in his (Republican) party and the message that he sends out of being undermined by Liberals, East and West coast elites as well as the Media - this theme continues to resonate with those who consider they are dispossessed and side-lined.

If you were seeking to replicate a 'Trump' type Government in the UK Boris Johnson would seem to be a good vehicle for hijacking the Conservative party, much of what he has done to the UK is far from traditional Conservative and so far it appears his leadership has been Anti-business but perhaps pro Capital?

In the UK corruption is perceived to be on the rise and debate stifled ( contracts are awarded to those linked to the ruling party without open tendering processes) .

Much of what the UK news has been reporting on the Government has been giving a positive spin even though it has soon turned out that what they have said are untruths and lies.

Although there are in existence strong 'Codes of Conduct' for government ministers the present situation in Westminster (Once known as 'The Mother of all Parliaments) seems to be showing that these are not enforceable (or rather the expectation is that the British PM is the enforcer and if he chooses not to enforce them - or breaks them himself then there are no consequences to him), other Ministers could I suppose take a stand ( perhaps Michael Gove for example) but it seems unlikely in the current environment.

The Democratic countries of the west (if we can describe them this way) rely on institutions beyond Government to ensure dissent is allowed , the rule of law ensuring a degree of 'fairness' and permitting exchange of views on various aspect of life.

I hope that it in a few months the British public become better informed and trust is rebuilt!

ShowBiz for the Ugly

2021-03-07T14:14:00.000+01:00

I don't know if others recall the revelations that were aired when Professor Anthony Clare had his radio programme 'In the Psychiatrists Chair' ?

How I'd like to be able to listen in on a conversation between the Professor (or an equivalent), I fear some big issues would be revealed -

What Trauma did Boris Johnson's upbringing create?

Why did Gavin Williamson think keeping a spider was a good idea?

What causes Priti Patel to be so hard on immigrants to the UK?

Has Michael Gove come to terms with being an adopted child?

What went wrong for Robert Jenrick?

I ask these questions as I think back on George Michael commenting on his choosing to be a performer - Tories I think more than politicians of the left have a desire of belonging being outsiders and perhaps thinking that the way of acceptance is Money and/or important friends.

many of these people have had the benefit of Education lesser mortals would envy and know something of morality but what went wrong?

The challenge of a term like 'Creative Destruction'

2021-03-03T12:48:00.000+01:00

There's something about connecting two words that at first appear in opposition to one another.

Currently a peripheral look at Political Philosophy is taking an evening each week and it's great (via London's City Lit) to be introduced to some analyses of what's informing government and big business thought .

The term Creative Destruction much loved by Apple & Google types for a while 'de rigueur; for leaders in the high tech sector to name check the man credited with the phrase (Joseph Schumpeter 1883- 1950) - I am now going to have in the back of my mind the search for two almost opposing words to make a term that describes the world we find ourselves in.

[What was it about Austria and more specifically Vienna in first part of the 20th Century]

Personal Influences

These days I sometimes notice how my behaviours remind me so much of my own dad’s – amongst other things an example:

he used to plan a job, get prepared and then diverted -when he came back to it again he’d go and get more bits and pieces – this can be positive during lockdowns as I’ve invariably got things I didn’t realise I had.

Green and Political Matters

2021-02-28T15:02:00.000+01:00

A good RSA call earlier in the week on the topic of the Green Economy.

Speaker was Per Espen Stoknes and title was How to Create Healthy Green Growth (another book I think) - I liked the upbeat presentation and Per came over as a very likable person - Why is that folks from Nordic countries generally have such well balanced approaches and are so capable in non-native languages?

And in UK politics there have been reports that the BBC are actively avoiding calling out PM Johnson’s lies and I am afraid that I’m of the school of ‘Justice delayed is justice denied’ in terms of a report on the Tory Government's handling of Covid -19.

When I learn that Matt Hancock is now denying that there was a shortage of PPE I do scratch my head in wonder (but it is good to see that the UK flag is no longer in every ministers 'home office').

Heroes

2021-02-25T12:31:00.001+01:00

The conditions we're in has given me the opportunity to watch 'Films' (albeit on DVD) the most recent 'Classic' we watched was Gaslight and a great reminder of where the bandied about term Gaslighting comes from.

The film was not the greatest transfer and it was decidedly short on explosions and CGI but it packs a punch and the man who wrote the play it was developed from was Patrick Hamilton who wrote a few great novels and plays (Rope made a film by another Hollywood great, Hitchcock) - I read a biography of Hamilton some time ago, he was it seems not a happy soul a heavy drinker (reminds me of Patricia Highsmith who I've read a recent biography of and it's back to Hitchcock again).

Anyway I'm straying from the point two of the other films we've watched are the ' Classic' Sunset Boulevard and Fedora both from the Director/Writer Billy Wilder (a hero for sure) who I've recently read a biography of (Nobody's Perfect) and the fictionalised re-telling of the making of Fedora 'Mr Wilder & Me' by Jonathan Coe (possible another hero- for me a great contemporary writer).

So I'll try and get back to my point - as you find out more about your heroes, inevitably there's a reveal that they're not perfect, the things you like about them are part of them - for Wilder I liked that he'd escaped Austria/Germany ahead of WW2, worked as a Gigolo ( rather disappointingly I discovered that here the term was more a dancing partner to wealthy women) was a collector of Modern art (and something of an artist himself) he stood with John Houston against McCarthyism and made great films of various genres (from Film Noir Double indemnity to the iconic Rom-Com The Apartment) but he was human, he recognised he was a guilty party in the failure of his first marriage .

So it's important to cut ourselves some slack when we try to be our own heroes and realise that we are none of us without fault.

What's the big issue? (or issues)

2021-02-23T14:11:00.004+01:00

Yesterday I was on an RSA 'Zoom' call about ‘Supercommunities’ – I thought at first it was a bit slow but reflecting on it today I realise that it had real value, it was about the 'Nuts & Bolts' , the mechanics that are needed to make the bigger plans work. Seems these days the regular stuff is belittled in favour of flashes and bangs but if we don't keep an eye out for what makes things happen the whole circus can fall apart - perhaps there's an element of that with Brexit happening, taking for granted the mechanics means that when they start to struggle we are wrong footed.

I’m intrigued by how much of a pull Winston Churchill’s character with some sections of the English –remains, some say as well as a wartime leader I get the impression he was a difficult man heavily dependent on Alcohol who felt rejected by the British electorate at the Ballot box after WW2?

Was he a racist? Almost definitely even by the mores of his own time but seems it is sacrilege to say this and to consider that as a country we should look critically at the collective past.

My reflections following 2020’s Museums Association ‘virtual’ conference – BLM was very much a live issue and the cultural implications were being looked at by the sector of course – personally sympathies were with those who I heard saying that context was all – we need to explain the histories of those benefactors who benefited from Slave trade (and indentured labour too) but not deny their existence.

Not expecting to go back to the previous Normal

2021-02-19T23:32:00.003+01:00

On a recent Zoom call looking at how images of materials and lessons can be delivered it was very informative on some of the challenges educational establishments are facing, seems that both Zoom and Teams have their own strengths and advantages. For me having seen and used the two I find that from my limited knowledge Zoom handles 'breakouts' well and it feels quite intimate but of course there are inherent delays in all these applications causing some talking over one another - always good to mute when you're not talking and if you're not needing to be seen then bandwidth should be surrendered.

Gather Zoom is not so secure but has some areas of advantage for people who are located in China.

I was quite heartened by the commitment educationalists are showing and I must say it angers me to hear the Education Minister (Gavin Williamson who continues to deserve the Frank Spencer nickname) indulging in ‘Culture Wars’ agenda rather than supporting Teachers & Students in the crisis but I suppose it’s what we might expect.

The Woman presenting made the statement that she was ‘Not expecting to go back to the previous Normal’ and for me it’s probably worth keeping in mind across the board.

Ethical parameters of brain-reading technology

2021-02-18T18:01:00.003+01:00

As we thunder along in what some would say is a Technically Deterministic future it seems that there are real dangers that we might fail to recognise moral and economic issues until after it becomes significant.

Yesterday I was able to witness a discussion that highlighted what issues could become significant in a few years as research around the human brain's activity then Brain reading Technology will bring new fields of data into the world of AI/I.T.

As the brain becomes better understood and more precise monitoring around abnormalities that may cause fits (amongst other things) is used to improve lives a 'genie' is released that allows data about specific brains to become available the parameters should be set on what is legitimate for health professionals and commercial interests to know - Gene technology has perhaps provided some of the overall concepts we need to judge on - a 'Google' or other technical behemoth should not be allowed free reign.

Ahead of the RSA talk I was able to view a performance that captured some of the tension of the issues - have a look

Here's some more information on the issues.

Philosophy Today (well actually yesterday)

2021-02-17T16:49:00.007+01:00

For a few years now (7 or so?) I've pursued perhaps somewhat laconically a probing brief into the world of Philosophy - it's a big old world and I might have started rather late but it does offer me some insights and areas of specific interest.

[In fact on further reflection and at the risk of ridicule, I realise that engagement started around the Alain de Botton talks I first attended probably about 15 years ago}

The main place (but not only) that I have been able to take classes is London's City Lit, it has been an adventure and good to be able to experience different teachers and approaches.

What I have specifically liked of late is the introduction of themes like Art, Freud, Guilt and now Politics.

I do find myself wondering if earlier engagement would have benefited me (and others) at times it feels like there's the sort of 'excitement' from discussion and thinking about the ideas that Chemistry and Electrical experimental kits once gave me, and the great thing is that many 'Philosophical' experiments are 'thought experiments' that you need no equipment for save a comfortable chair.

What I am enjoying even mediated via Zoom are the exchanges with other participating students and follow ups from our course leader who is enthusiastic and wide ranging in his influences.

My next aim is to find out more on Ayn Rand who seems influential amongst the 'Right' thinkers and also to float the idea of Universal Basic Income as a trojan horse for the left - more as it happens

Oh Laurie

2021-02-16T12:46:00.002+01:00

British Library has been obliged by circumstances to make their recent 'Classic Album Sundays' Home of the Brave a virtual event.

The recent talk (yesterday) with Laurie Anderson was (for me) fascinating, although Laurie has not been immune to the passage of time the twinkle remains and she continues to be both thoughtful and playful .

Recollections of John Peel asking for thousands of copies of 'Oh Superman' and driving her into the arms of Warner Brothers and talk of how she came to work with (amongst others) Nile Rodgers were close to spellbinding.

One of the areas of her life I would like to have found more about was her family , Laurie seemed to have had rather a 'hothouse' childhood recalling her mother sending her off to school with the word 'Win' as her instruction - more on Laurie here.

Of course Laurie mentioned her late husband Lou Reed who she confessed that she had thought of as a 'Brit' before she knew him.

A talk with Laurie would be incomplete without her playing the 'techie' and chroma key and vocal gymnastics were there tio be enjoyed - I'll be going back to the concert VHS to remind myself of her creativity and now have some extra understanding of the 'choreography' and deployment of her percussive mechanisms.

Broke my Porridge Bowl

2021-02-15T13:38:00.001+01:00

Well the signs of change brought about by 11 very odd months are undoubtedly mixed and it'll take some time before we're sure which are embedded and which more transitory, perhaps some of the things we've made the effort for will be preserved?

Plenty of people still carrying their takeaway coffees (not me), Cash economy just about gone I've not withdrawn any money since last March (if not before), main cash transactions being with Window cleaner and I've pretty much stopped watching the TV News (for a mixture of reasons - main one being it makes my overall mood worse) .

The way accidents happen means inevitably we'll lose things we are attached too and so it was the other day my Quaker Oats Porridge bowl (also used for Soup) came crashing to the ground and broke into something more, I estimate than 100 pieces - well I couldn't find an exact replacement so I've gone upmarket and am putting more faith in something that perhaps reflects 'worth' - will see what it's like when it (they arrive) - but if you know where I can get the Quaker bowl do let me know. (email ealingtim@gmail.com)