Notices by neil 🍄 (neil@social.coop), page 60

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Chomsky makes a good point about a contradiction in neoclassical economics: if the market functions best on the principle of rational actors, why is so advertising so dedicated to triggering our irrational desires?

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Good sign for a book is when you go to bed actively looking forward to reading it - Perdido Street Station you are smashing it.

Short video from Stir to Action on municipal socialism.

https://hooktube.com/watch?v=XJSXCtN0vQg

"The video was inspired by CURA’s Municipal Socialism in the 21st Century even in June 2018, and highlights the latest concepts in the movement, summarising why it is growing, and explains some of its main concerns."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJSXCtN0vQg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJSXCtN0vQg

(Well. Not exactly Lenin all by himself. But Lenin as leader of the Bolsheviks.)

Interesting how things spiral. The narodniks bomb the tsar. The new tsar (son of the old) hangs narodniks. One is Lenin's older brother. Lenin overthrows the tsar.

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A really great long-form article (and accompanying visualisation) looking at the life of an Amazon Echo. In terms of extraction of resources, human labour, and data that goes into making, running, and disposing of such a device, and the social, environmental, economic and political consequences. https://anatomyof.ai

Final episode of Century of the Self. The culmination of psychoanalysis and public relations inserting themselves into politics, with Clinton and Blair basing most of their policies on feelings-based focus groups of swing voters. Selfish desires trumping feelings of altruism, denigration of welfare, individualism over society. The populace treated as needy consumers, not engaged citizens.

Really good documentary by Adam Curtis. Entertaining and informative.

Final episode of Century of the Self. The culmination of psychoanalysis and public relations inserting themselves into politics, with Clinton and Blair basing most of their policies on feelings-based focus groups of swing voters. Selfish desires trumping feelings of altruism, denigration of welfare, individualism over society. The populace treated as needy consumers, not engaged citizens.…

Enjoying the London Design Festival this weekend. I like design, although I prefer that which is applied to social purposes, not so much the purely aesthetic or the luxurious. The Creative Unions exhibition at Central St Martins is a little bit more political, and the PlasticScene is about creative uses of waste plastic.

@nev Wow. Brushing twice a day and flossing, feeling like quite the eligible bachelor right now.

@mike_hales Thanks again for the great reference (this is what I love about online communities!)

I haven't heard of Raymond Williams, I have just heard of Herbert Marcuse through Century of the Self and was interested to learn more, and it looks like Williams has some relation in ideas. I would also definitely like to check out some of his writings on technology that are mentioned, I find that area very interesting.

So much to learn. (A very positive problem to have)

@mike_hales The trail is OK but a bit laborious to search for a particular post. If I remember correcrly searching by a query term is deliberately not implemented as it's a potential vector for abuse (don't quote me on that but I'm sure I remember reading it once..). Searching through your own posts wouldn't have that problem though.