Ad Hoc #16. Liberating and With Responsibility

Ad Hoc #15. Our Emotions

E.O. Wilson (an American biologist) described in 2009 a key problem of modern society in one sentence: “We have Paleolithic emotions, medieval institutions, and godlike technology.” 

 

His idea is about different speeds of change:

• “Paleolithic emotions”: Our basic feelings and instincts come from a very old past, when humans lived in small groups. We still react quickly to danger, trust our own group more, compete for status, and often focus on the short term.
• “Medieval institutions”: Many of our large systems - government, law, bureaucracy, and other authorities - change slowly. They were not designed for today’s fast, global problems.
• “Godlike technology”: Modern technology gives humans huge power. We can change nature, spread information, and also cause harm on a very large scale.

Wilson’s main point is a mismatch: we have very powerful tools, but our instincts are old and our institutions may be too slow. This can be dangerous in a world where events spread quickly across countries and continents. For historians, this is interesting because it asks a historical question: when technology changes faster than society, how do institutions and culture adapt - and how long does it take?

 

Ad Hoc #14. Aunt Valeria

Addendum to the story of 'Anna from the North' (12-2021).

Anna loves smells. One that lingered in her mind was the smell of oil paint in Aunt Valeria’s studio - that magical place where art seemed to bloom amid a sea of flowers and light.

P.S.  Art: Jeanna Bauck, 'Bertha Wegmann Painting a Portrait' (late 1870s). On display at the National Museum in Helsinki: here. Information on Wikipedia about this painting: here.

Ad Hoc #13. What Problem Solved?

 

Ad Hoc #12. When Lightning Strikes

At the end of a rainbow one can find a pot of gold. (Dutch saying. I didn't check if this is a common saying in other countries too). 

What does one find at the end of a lightning strike? When the lightning discharges into sand we get "glass". It's official name is: fulgurite.

 

Ad Hoc #11. Somehow

"Capitalism is the extraordinary belief that the nastiest of men for the nastiest of motives will somehow work together for the benefit of all."

Ad Hoc #10. Trailing Palm Leaves

Vashti Bunyan's song 'I'd Like To Walk Around In Your Mind' (1970)

I'd like to walk around in your mind someday I'd like to walk all over the things you say to me (...)

I'd sit there in the sun of the things i like about you
I'd sing my songs and find out just what they mean to you

But most of all i'd like you to be unaware
Then i'd just wander away, trailing palm leaves behind me
So you don't even know i've been there

 

 

Ad Hoc #9. Jump

 

Ad Hoc #8. And You Hate The Fucking Lot

What a lovely song from Lola Young, 'Messy' (2024).  Song: here.

Lyrics:

You know I'm impatient
So why would you leave me waiting outside the station
When it was like minus four degrees? And I
I get what you're sayin'
I just really don't wanna hear it right now
Can you shut up for like once in your life?
Listen to me, I took your nice words of advice
About how you think I'm gonna die lucky if I turn thirty-three
Ok, so yeah, I smoke like a chimney
I'm not skinny and I pull a Britney every other week
But cut me some slack, who do you want me to be?
'Cause I'm too messy and then I'm too fucking clean
You told me get a job then you ask where the hell I've been
And I'm too perfect 'til I open my big mouth
I want to be me, is that not allowed?
And I'm too clever and then I'm too fucking dumb
You hate it when I cry unless it's that time of the month
And I'm too perfect 'til I show you that I'm not
A thousand people I could be for you and you hate the fucking lot
You hate the fucking lot
You hate the fucking lot
You hate, you hate

It's taking you ages
You still don't get the hint I'm not asking for pages
But one text or two would be nice and
Please don't pull those faces
When I've been out working my ass off all day
It's just one bottle of wine or two, but, hey
You can't even talk, you smoke weed just to help you sleep
Then why you out getting stoned at four o'clock
And then you come home to me?
And don't say hello 'cause I got high again
And forgot to fold my clothes

'Cause I'm too messy and then I'm too fucking clean
You told me get a job then you ask where the hell I've been
And I'm too perfect 'til I open my big mouth
I want to be me, is that not allowed?
And I'm too clever and then I'm too fucking dumb
You hate it when I cry unless it's that time of the month
And I'm too perfect 'til I show you that I'm not
A thousand people I could be for you and you hate the fucking lot
You hate the fucking lot
You hate the fucking lot

Oh, and I'm too messy and then I'm too fucking clean
You told me get a job then you ask where the hell I've been
And I'm too perfect 'til I open my big mouth
I want to be me, is that not allowed?
And I'm too clever and then I'm too fucking dumb
You hate it when I cry unless it's that time of the month
And I'm too perfect 'til I show you that I'm not
A thousand people I could be for you and you hate the fucking lot
You hate the fucking lot
You hate the fucking lot
You hate the fucking lot
You hate the fucking lot

P.S. More background information: here (wiki).

P.P.S. Art is from Juan Brufal. Title unknown. Year probably 2024.

Ad Hoc #7. Soft L