Distractions

[jrising]

It's tough to tear one's eyes from the world, which appears to have accelerated its frantic move toward hell (climate change, oil shortages, ID barrages, and an imminent draft). With Claudia away (2 weeks), my solution is to bury myself in work and reading.

I recently put together a syllabus for a course in Human Systems Dynamics, and I'm looking for feedback or additional pointers. Read the PDF and reply! A syllabus for an Artificial Intelligence Workshop is on the way.

Like one LJ friend, I recently started my first Philip K. Dick (Do Androids...?). The first few days I tried to read single chapters only between studying my other two current books: a pre-mammoths-and-angels version of The Way Things Work (I've been curious), and my Handbook of Hypnotic Suggestions and Metaphors (with which it looks like I'll be able to do about anything). Damn SciFi for being so much more engaging than the books I should be reading. I should be done by tomorrow.

Comments

Re: Uh, at the risk of freaking you out further

[jrising.livejournal.com]

I'm actually very pleased that my journal is getting some action-- it just makes me want to impove the quality & quantity of my posts.

Would your speaker happen to be one of the authors of The Fourth Turning (http://www.fourthturning.com)? That is one of the main theses of this book, and I think it's absolutely fascinating (and I included it in the HSD syllabus!). The question is whether we are headed toward world war or revolution.

I'll need to think more about compulsory civil service. I like aspects of it, but it seems to assume a connection between the liberties of a people and the interests of their government, which makes me very wary. I think that a better model for natural public service is something like Participatory Economics (parecon), in which everyone has a more complete, rounded role in society, simultaneously being both manager and trash collector.