It’s sometimes said that Tolkien had no “magical system” underlying LOTR. This post makes a good argument that there is one, albeit more subtle than most.
It’s sometimes said that Tolkien had no “magical system” underlying LOTR. This post makes a good argument that there is one, albeit more subtle than most.
Take Kent Rollins’ two ingredient biscuit recipe, add a half cup of raisins and two teaspoon of cinnamon (maybe some powdered sugar icing if you’re into that) and you have cinnamon raisin biscuits better than Hardee’s had back in the day.
At the heart of Microsoft’s decision lies an uncomfortable truth about modern corporate governance: human lives have been reduced to variables in an optimization equation.
For those counting headcount reductions as merely statistics, remember this: Behind each of the 6,000 is a person who until yesterday believed they were valued members of one of the world’s most successful companies. People with families, mortgages, healthcare needs, and career aspirations.
The question that should haunt every corporate boardroom but rarely does: If a company at the pinnacle of capitalism, with virtually unlimited resources, treats human capital as its most dispensable asset, what hope exists for workers across the broader economy?
As one employee, a 14-year Microsoft veteran, posted on LinkedIn after receiving notice: “I helped build systems I was told would make all our jobs better. Instead, they made my job irrelevant.”
The algorithm of sacrifice demands efficiency above all else. And in the church of shareholder value, human capital has become the preferred offering.
The computer used to mean the world to me. The computer was a portal to the world I wished to be in. Times change, and I no longer wish to be in contact with much of the world that’s in my computer.
I feel this. The internet of 1995 to 2010 changed my life. It opened up the world to me in wonderful ways. I loved blogging. And even though Twitter killed blogs, early Twitter was a lot of fun. I made some good online friends and we had fantastic conversations. And while everything has changed, I’m thankful for my great little circle here on micro.blog.
To my surprise, it doesn’t look like I’ve ever urged you to listen to John Lithgow’s reading of The Monkey’s Paw. Allow me to urge you now.
“Way over yonder in the minor key” by Billy Bragg. Written by Woody Guthrie. 🎵
Dog vomit slime mold has appeared in our garden and, let me tell you, it is aptly named. I’ll spare you the picture.
This is awesome: “Metallica’s ‘Enter Sandman’ at Sold-Out Virginia Tech Concert Sparks Seismic Activity” 🎵
We’re living in the age of Trickster—and The Emerald podcast has re-issued an episode on that subject that is worth your time. As discussed in the episode, when Trickster is not ritually recognized as a necessary renewing force, he shows up in more destructive ways. The repressed returns as symptom.