Category Archives: history

wigan pier, the machine

Posted on 2011/05/17 by dermot

From “The Road to Wigan Pier” by George Orwell, 1937: “To begin with, there is the frightful debauchery of taste that has already been effected by a century of mechanisation. This is almost too obvious and too generally admitted to … Continue reading →

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fission chips

Posted on 2011/02/15 by dermot

This starts slow, then really hits it’s stride in the 1950s: James Howard Kunstler has called Suburbia “the greatest mis-allocation of wealth in the history of the human race”. Well, second greatest, at any rate.

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reagan’s snarl

Posted on 2011/02/07 by dermot

John Dolan shows his mettle again. Essential reading for an understanding of the political condition of modern America, through memories of Ronald’s time as Governor of California: Reagan’s Cheshire Snarl Reagan … managed to destroy everything that was best about … Continue reading →

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greeks bearing lego

Posted on 2010/12/15 by dermot

A reconstruction of the 2,000 year old Greek Astronomical computer the Antikythera Mechanism, built out of lego! Via brothers-brick. More Lego-mania … Simpsons busts! Strange, how some things stay off your radar screen. For example, two fantasy books by Lewis Carrol, … Continue reading →

Posted in computer, history, lego, literature | 1 Comment

prester john k

Posted on 2010/11/12 by dermot

See, the Clever People have always been a little prone to magical thinking. And if you think it’s different today… The Strange Tale of “Prester John”: In 1145, the Syrian bishop Hugo of Jabala brought Pope Eugene III the news … Continue reading →

Posted in animation, history, maps, mindfuck, mysteries | 3 Comments

old masters & ‘cameras’

Posted on 2010/11/11 by dermot

“I’m ready for my close-up, Mister Vermeer…” (the girl in the red hat, 1665). Here’s a documentary that’s well worth your time. You’ll never look at an Old Master painting in the same way again – but in a good … Continue reading →

Posted in art, history, mindfuck | 1 Comment

(s)election 2010

Posted on 2010/11/04 by dermot

The joys of unfamiliar history! Silbury Hill: Dmitri Orlov: Survey of Unlikely Voters There are those who call themselves conservatives, and who are in fact not conservatives at all but free market liberals. There are those who call themselves libertarians, … Continue reading →

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titanic, nomadic!

Posted on 2010/10/30 by dermot

Via Neatorama, an amusing prequel to “The Birds”. Even funnier if you’ve synchronistically watched the original the previous evening. A cool fact was revealed while listening to a radio show from Belfast yesterday: a companion ship to the “Titanic” still … Continue reading →

Posted in cinema, history | Comments Off