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Enter Byzantium
We’re entering the Byzantium era of the American empire We’re entering the Byzantine era of the American empire 1945-1991 Republic – Superpower with a conscience. – Cold War theatrics. – Pretend rules mattered. 1991-2024: Empire – Global sheriff, no oversight. – Power trip, overreach. – Cracks show, ignored them. 2024- : Hellenistic/Byzantium Era – Shift…
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The Fix Is In, Man: How Tech Gurus Screw the Circuit (and Themselves)
Dig it, daddy-o: Man, dig this: progress. It’s a word like “love” or “freedom,” tossed around like loose change in a hobo’s pocket. But the essay, it’s got its eyes peeled. See, it’s hip to the racket: progress, it ain’t some benevolent Santa, it’s more like a greasy carny barker, hawking shiny gadgets while palming…
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Paradox of (digital) Literacy
The human story is riddled with irony, and the rise of technology presents a particularly potent example. We celebrate progress, touting innovation and advancement as hallmarks of a superior society. Yet, upon closer examination, this narrative unravels, revealing a darker undercurrent: a pattern of exploiting periods of upheaval to consolidate power and rig the system…
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The Paradoxical Dance of Libertarians and Public Choice Theory
Introduction: In the murky depths of political discourse, libertarians and public choice theory engage in a twisted tango of unrequited affection and bitter irony. As we delve into this murky realm, we uncover the tangled web of contradictions that bind these strange bedfellows. Public choice theory, a cold and clinical analysis of political machinations, reveals…
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The Naked Lunch of Attention
Music, once a virus of the soul, a sonic worm burrowing into the meat of consciousness, has been lobotomized by the Soft Machine. Chopped into bite-sized dopamine nuggets, it’s pumped into the veins of the masses through the IV drip of the Attention Economy. Music, once a tangible fix, now a digitized roach motel for…
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Dark Forest Theory of Music
The Paradox of Music as a Cixin Good: Navigating the Predatory Landscape of Attention Economy In the digital age, music has undergone a profound transformation, evolving from a tangible product into a complex entity deeply embedded within the fabric of the attention economy. However, as music becomes increasingly abundant and easily accessible, it has also…
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Trancefication of the 3 minute song is
The Tik Tokification of Trance: American Primitive, Prog, and Doom in the Age of the Short Attention Span The airwaves crackle with a new kind of static. Not the white noise of analog decay, but the jittery pulse of dopamine hits,the rapid-fire succession of meme-able moments. Attention spans shrink, morphing into goldfish blinks as TikTok dictates the rhythm of…
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Bad Takes
Every time I choose to feel bad about the Russian leader I remember that he was Larry Summers choice
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The Criminal
Knox, that crusty old codger, knew the game better than most. Crime fiction, see, it’s a delicate dance, a tightrope walk over a pit of reader expectations. Toss in some random schmuck as the culprit, some dusty hobo fresh off the freight train, and the whole damn house of cards comes tumbling down. Readers, they…
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the future ain’t written yet, just scrawled on a napkin in a dimly lit bar.
Man, the future’s a greasy carnival mirror, funhouse reflections of ourselves stretched and warped by the latest tech snake oil. Each new rung on the ladder, shiny and promising, but harboring more shadows than a back alley at midnight. Politicians, greasy-palmed and power-hungry, latch onto it first, sniffing out another trough to feed at. Winners…
Got any album or book recommendations?