Monthly Archives: January 2006

No Noble Savage

Posted on January 12, 2006 by Dave Pollard

A number of readers have scolded me for romanticizing gatherer-hunter cultures. In response to that, I guess I would have to start by saying “romanticizing compared to what”? It would be hard to outdo modern, civilized humans for sheer, unbridled … Continue reading →

Posted in Collapse Watch | 17 Comments

The Myth of Leadership and the Domestication of America

Posted on January 11, 2006 by Dave Pollard

OK, I expect this article will be controversial. Please understand I love Americans, I just hate your leaders. And I am very sympathetic with the plight of politically, socially and economically disenfranchised Americans, and this article is an expression of … Continue reading →

Posted in Our Culture / Ourselves | 17 Comments

What to Do When You’re Stuck

Posted on January 10, 2006 by Dave Pollard

I‘ve quoted this before, from TH White’s Once and Future King, when Merlyn is trying to help young Arthur (Wart) cope with sadness and frustration: “The best thing for being sad,” replied Merlyn, beginning to puff and blow, “is to … Continue reading →

Posted in Our Culture / Ourselves | 8 Comments

Mulroney’s Revenge: The Breakup of Canada

Posted on January 9, 2006 by Dave Pollard

A combination of the incompetence and arrogance of the governing Liberal party, the unprincipled ambition of the Conservative and Bloc parties, and the fatal flaws in the Canadian electoral system, is conspiring to threaten the continued existence of Canada as … Continue reading →

Posted in How the World Really Works | 15 Comments

Encouraging the Young, by Margaret Atwood

Posted on January 9, 2006 by Dave Pollard

If you have any aspiration to be a successful essayist, or newspaper columnist, or if you think your writing is good enough that the legacy media should be begging you to enrich their pages with your prose, read this excerpt … Continue reading →

Posted in Our Culture / Ourselves | 4 Comments

To Be Of Use

Posted on January 8, 2006 by Dave Pollard

Dave Smith has come to the same point I have in his thinking about business and entrepreneurship, but he got there by a completely different route. Whereas Dave’s background is conservative (his father was an evangelical minister), my background is … Continue reading →

Posted in Working Smarter | Comments Off on To Be Of Use

Links for the Week – Jan. 7/05 – The Tech & Politics Edition

Posted on January 7, 2006 by Dave Pollard

Some interesting new technologies, and some new insights into politics, highlight this week’s list: Technology For Sale By Owner: At last, a challenge emerges to the North America Wide MLS monopoly and the ludicrous (in today’s inflated housing market) flat … Continue reading →

Posted in How the World Really Works | 3 Comments

Knowing When to Quit

Posted on January 6, 2006 by Dave Pollard

There are a lot of ‘self-help’ books out there that will tell you what to do. But there aren’t many that will tell you when to quit. Who would buy such a book, or write such a book? Wouldn’t that … Continue reading →

Posted in Working Smarter | 5 Comments

Predicting the Future: A Contest and Exercise in Gathering Collective Wisdom

Posted on January 5, 2006 by Dave Pollard

When I was younger, we used to make predictions each New Year’s Day on what would happen in the next year, seal them in an envelope and open them when we got together the next New Year’s Day. Now we … Continue reading →

Posted in How the World Really Works | Comments Off on Predicting the Future: A Contest and Exercise in Gathering Collective Wisdom

Blinded by Science: What’s Your Dangerous Idea?

Posted on January 4, 2006 by Dave Pollard

Each year, the Edge Foundation asks its members a challenging question, and posts the answers. A couple of years ago, the question “What is Your Law?” provoked some memorable principles and ideas that have since spread. So when I learned, … Continue reading →

Posted in Our Culture / Ourselves | 25 Comments