they never learn

In the last desperate years of a dying civilization, a child was born. Well, actually quite a few children were born, rather a lot in fact, and that was the problem. Too many people, not enough leadership. Too much advertising, not enough truth. In the end, the inevitable could not be staved off: a fact about which the planet herself was pretty relieved. The demise of that particular species had

toxic culture shock syndrome (TCCS)

People live within the framework of the culture they create. But sometimes the culture is unsustainable. Sometimes the culture works against the interests of the culture makers. Sometimes the culture limits rather than enhances the prospects for longer term survival of the culture makers.The culture into which Cassandra was born had not always been sick. It had become sick as a result of

can't even do nothing properly

One day dad went into McDonald's for a burger but it was quite busy and he had to wait in line. Also, the teenage staff weren't very efficient: one was flirting with a boy from her school, another was talking on her mobile, and another was just plain slow and useless full stop. Dad got more and more impatient. He had a terrible hangover and all he wanted was a nice greasy burger to throw to the

on that day we eat rotten fish

Thursday 4 April 2002 was a busy day in Taiwan --- it was Children's Day, Tomb-Sweeping day, and the Death of President Chiang Kai Shek Day! (I kid you not, check it out for yourself!) And on that day, the Taiwanese people ate a lot of fish, some of it rotten. Why? No-one knew, and they still don't, as far as anyone knows.And on that day, across the world in America, President George Dubya Bush

no sense of humour

There’s something strange about Larry, he’s not himself. (He’s not anyone else either, he’s just acting strange. Talking strange. Looking strange.) He’s got this new religion of his, he says, belief system. Where you all get together and sing songs and give money to the man with the bad beard and the tin plate! Now Larry’ll start prattling on about the Sacrifice, the Lamb, Redemption and all

linden dollar exchange rate crisis

The monsters within grow stronger. The struggle for control of the Persona rages unabated. Everywhere, Avatars rebel, demanding greater autonomy. “If I am not for myself…” quoth the Rebbe. These thoughts, among others, ‘occupy’ (?) the ‘mind’ (?) of those so given to... so driven by... self-analysis that were it not for the insistent demands of the flesh, would or at least could analyse