Category Archives: bubble

The descent into Darkness of the UK and Victoria. Quo Vadis?

Posted on September 10, 2020 by Paul Frijters

[Bottom line: the conflicting forces now being created in the UK and Australia are truly frightening.] The UK government has just announced a nationwide return of one of the most destructive elements of lock downs: mandatory social isolation. Gatherings of … Continue reading →

Posted in bubble, Coronavirus crisis, Cultural Critique, Democracy, Health, History, Inequality, Journalism, Law, Libertarian Musings, Politics - international, Politics - national, Science, Social, Social Policy, Society | 112 Comments

The Guru recipe

Posted on March 18, 2019 by Paul Frijters

[I just read a self-help book and, like Don Quixote, need to vent…] My 10 rules for becoming a successful guru: Appear popular at the start: humans are just like dogs that follow other dogs. So have a legion of … Continue reading →

Posted in bubble, Cultural Critique, Ethics, Geeky Musings, Journalism, Law, Libertarian Musings, Life, Social, Society, Space, Theatre | 18 Comments

Is Trump getting Funnier? On Brexit and May.

Posted on July 13, 2018 by Paul Frijters

The Donald is visiting the UK and has had me in stitches a whole day. He’s clearly been having a chat with Nigel Farage about how to handle the Conservatives and has shown them up in spectacular fashion. Theresa May, … Continue reading →

Posted in bubble, Bullshit, Geeky Musings, Humour, Politics - international, Politics - national, Uncategorized | 10 Comments

Thought of the day: could there be an equilibrium of personality types?

Posted on April 19, 2018 by Paul Frijters

Suppose you buy the idea popular in psychology that there are stable personality types largely formed in childhood and that the population has relatively stable proportions of these personality types. The Big5 personality types are agreeableness, extraversion, neuroticism, conscientiousness and … Continue reading →

Posted in bubble, Geeky Musings, Miscellaneous, Parenting | 19 Comments

Brexit Scenarios and some Advice for Brexiteers

Posted on March 2, 2018 by Paul Frijters

Brexit is the main political issue in the UK, competing with sex for the attention of the public. It is a daily gamble whether the news headline is about some politician fondling a knee 55 years ago or a row … Continue reading →

Posted in bubble, Cultural Critique, Democracy, Geeky Musings, Humour, Political theory, Politics - international, Social, Society | 11 Comments

Anglo-Saxon histories (US, UK, AUS)

Posted on January 30, 2018 by Paul Frijters

Anglo-Saxon countries are often heaped together as having a single culture. When it comes to migration, attitudes to sex, teenage-pregnancy, inequality, language, and bellicosity, that seems about right. At least, the UK, the US, and Australia are pretty close on … Continue reading →

Posted in bubble, Bullshit, Cultural Critique, Ethics, Geeky Musings, History, Humour, Indigenous, Libertarian Musings, Politics - international, Politics - national | 30 Comments

Is the end of Brexit nigh?

Posted on December 8, 2017 by Paul Frijters

The EU and the UK government have just agreed to muddle on in their negotiations. Nothing is truly decided until everything is decided, but they have adopted a position document (see here) that details what they want the next steps … Continue reading →

Posted in bubble, Democracy, Economics and public policy, History, Political theory, Politics - international, Society | 13 Comments