From John 4:4-12
Homily 7 on the First Epistle of John (Augustine).
Archive for the ‘Culture’ Category
“It was like something from a movie”
In the first decade of the 21st century, humanity has arrived at the terrible fact that nothing, it seems, is as unreal to a human – as reality. Foretold by philosophers like Baudrillard and Virilio, the effect of the Simulacra, the real unreal and the theory of Dromology, the effects of speed on our perception of the Real, the pan human effect was expected.
Some Notes on Extremism and Political Causality
Following the massacre in Norway on the 22nd July 2011, a deluge of information has hit the general public. Nothing, it seems, has been left without careful scrutiny. As opposing factions don war paints in an effort to turn the event in their favor, reports of every conceivable fact reach an expecting audience. An audience that in spite of being historically over priviledged on the account of information is insatiable in its greed for it.
The Curated Society
Filed under: Art / Culture / Featured / Pop-culture / Technology / Theory
May 1, 2011Digital media is a sadistic construct. The ease with which one can start a blog or some other online presence with the sole idea of regurgitating concepts and works of others has not been the creative breakthrough hailed by social media prophets. In fact, it serves few other purposes than diluting content.
Sven Harry Karlsson – Art’s nemesis
Sven Harry Karlsson’s Art Museum in Vasaparken in Stockholm is a disaster on many levels. Yet the full scope of the atrocity has to be understood in terms of art imbecilism, deplorable populism and myopic political behaviour.
Software bloat killed Moore’s Law
Filed under: Culture / Technology / Theory
February 20, 2011If physics has Albert Einstein and the theory of relativity, then computer sciences have Alan Turing and Moore’s law. While not out of place to assuming that the reader is familiar with Turing, it may be a bit more of a stretch to assume that he is familiar with Moore’s law. Moore’s law states that: [...]
Social Media Kindergarten
Filed under: Crowdfunding / Culture / Featured / Pop-culture / Theory
February 19, 2011Social media is an appealing and well-geared toy to the online crowds, because the online crowds in fact not only behave like children, but strive to be children. The losing rhethoric of the free and open has cut culture adrift from innovation and as the once promising platform for joint innovation grows bigger, the downward spiral becomes ever evident.
Modern Ruin – Covenant
Covenant, the Swedish electronica-futurepop outfit – a world wide success – and all but unknown in their native land, have recently released their first album after a four year hiatus.
The Crisis in Egypt Is Not Taking Place
1n 1991, Jean Baudrillard, philosopher, enfant terrible of Academia and pan optic wizard of the Modern, claimed that the “War in Iraq Is Not Taking Place”. He was, quite understandably, instantly misunderstood and misinterpreted. It would, however, take another two decades for Baudrillard’s seemingly eccentric claim to be not only proven, but accepted as the Modus Operandi of all modern warfare.
The Virtues of Attention
Taste the concept: to apply one self to something (note the choice of words; “one”, “self”). A conversation, a book, a thought. To stroll, haste, or force one’s way down an avenue of one’s own choosing. Uninterrupted and on target. Without consulting the vast information maelstrom of the Internet, without chatting to anyone on your messenger contact list. Not meditating, but focusing on a thought hard enough to be able to conceive something original.
A brief note on Swedish neutrality
The Swedish neutrality principle is every now and then subject to political debate. Few, in fact, know why Sweden chose neutrality in the first place.
From Wikileaks to Wikigossip
With the batch of documents Wikileaks released on the 28th of November 2010, the organisation continues to affirm that the only value it contributes to the global community is that of an unpaid, seedy-looking journalist with a chip on his shoulder and an ineffectual axe to grind. While slightly amusing, the dispatches, officially counting as well over 250 000 documents – reveal nothing of substantial worth but instead go a long way towards refashioning Wikileaks into a global gossip column, prime source for second rate news on kooky third world leaders and other largely politically irrelevant diplomatic chit chat.
The Future: A self-mutilating digital collective
Filed under: Culture / Featured / Pop-culture / Theory
November 16, 2010In a decade or so from now, providing that we’ll still be around – and in recognizable form, things will look very different. There’s a good chance we’ll look back on the 2010′s as a time where not much made sense, and as a time when most of us lost some remaining sense of space and historical context. This is a time when we’re beset with global challenges and questions that we urgently need to find answers to – and also, a time when we’re more distracted, incoherent and unprepared than ever before.
Counterintelligence and the Zero problem
Earlier this year, an F.B.I operation on U.S soil resulted in the successful apprehension of ten Russian individuals suspected of espionage and money laundering. The press, being the press, heralded the event as a return of the Cold War. While certainly a media rethoric, presumably on behalf of journalists waxing poetic with Graham Greene-editorials in mind, the arrest does raise interesting issues regarding the state of our Global Stage.
Ekman’s Triptych and the case of the infirm critic
Filed under: Culture / Featured / Pop-culture
October 23, 2010Cullbergbaletten’s autumnal offering, “Ekman’s Triptych”, under the creative wand of choreographer Alexander Ekman is one brainy, luminous, sizzling piece of work. Rather then proceed onto the obvious route of contemporary artists and gun for either shock value or political correctness, Ekman utilizes the gifted members of the dance company to visually challenge his audience with the question: “What is entertainment?”.
Simian technology for the young
The Swedish Media Council, and Council member Linus Feldt will have believe that they’re reducing the harmful effects of the media and empower children in their media use. What they in fact are doing, is rather akin to producing human droids. Here’s why.
The Closing of the American Mind
A map of banned, or “challenged” – though contested is a better word for it, books in the U.S.A from 2007 – 2010.
Generation Blah
Filed under: Culture
September 1, 2010Generation shifts – are inescapable. Every lot of individuals, born within a certain time frame, will have to suffer the liberation and identity of the generation succeeding their own.
Julian Assange – A Robespierre for Our Time
History, will teach us nothing – is the title of a once performed pop song. Hope as one might that it be not so, the events surrounding the numerous Wikileaks-affairs, unfortunately once again confirm the title rather than dispel it. A brief essay covering the ebb and tide of The Global Media Mascot of 2010, Julian Assange.
Tea on the Blue Sofa – Natasha Illum Berg
A short summary – and unfortunately – quite a few questions regarding Natasha Illum Berg’s novel, “Tea on the Blue Sofa”.