Category Archives: Miscellaneous

A dash for the deserts? What the solar revolution could lead to.

Posted on August 22, 2018 by Paul Frijters

One of the best pieces of scientific news the last decades has been the spectacular improvements in solar energy generation. The current world price was set in 2017 when the Dubai government bought a large future solar contract for 7.3 … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Climate Change, Environment, Geeky Musings, Innovation, Miscellaneous, Politics - international, Science | 32 Comments

Is there now more psychological violence?

Posted on May 2, 2018 by Paul Frijters

In all ways that we measure these things, physical violence has reduced in Western countries in the last 70 years, particularly mainland Western Europe. What about psychological violence though? Psychological violence, ie the inflicting of mental pain, takes many forms. … Continue reading →

Posted in Cultural Critique, Education, Ethics, Health, History, Humour, Inequality, Libertarian Musings, Life, Media, Miscellaneous, Parenting, Personal, Philosophy, Public and Private Goods, regulation, Religion, Social, Society | 13 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

Let’s have another World War!

Posted on November 6, 2017 by Paul Frijters

Sometimes, it feels like 1910 all over again. Then, a confident Germany was the up-and-coming industrial power house, fearing an even more up-and-coming Russia, with the UK and France desperately holding on to their colonial empires. Now, a confident China … Continue reading →

Posted in Bullshit, Business, Climate Change, Cultural Critique, Death and taxes, Democracy, Economics and public policy, Employment, Environment, Ethics, Geeky Musings, Gender, History, Humour, Immigration and refugees, Indigenous, Inequality, Information, Innovation, Intellectual Monopoly Privileges, Journalism, Media, Miscellaneous, Music, Philosophy, Political theory, Politics - international, Politics - national, Public and Private Goods, Race and indigenous, regulation, Religion, Science, Social, Social Policy, Society, Sport-general, Theatre, Travel | 5 Comments

The #MeToo moment: another disaster for the Democrats?

Posted on October 30, 2017 by Paul Frijters

The #MeToo flood of stories of women who feel abused by men – ranging from lurid stares to straightforward rape – seems like a disaster to me for the Democrats. Not because of the stories themselves, but because of how … Continue reading →

Posted in bubble, Bullshit, Cultural Critique, Gender, Health, Humour, Information, IT and Internet, Law, Libertarian Musings, Life, Media, Miscellaneous, Philosophy, Religion, Social | 19 Comments

Is Catholicism in rude health? 2017 edition

Posted on September 14, 2017 by Paul Frijters

Looking at the newspapers you’d think Catholicism is having a hard time with philandering priests and cover-ups of their doings being found out on a weekly basis. In Australia, the royal commission has uncovered a lot of systematically covered-up child … Continue reading →

Posted in Art and Architecture, Bullshit, Cultural Critique, Dance, Death and taxes, Ethics, Geeky Musings, History, Humour, Libertarian Musings, Miscellaneous, Politics - international, Religion, Society, WOW! - Amazing | 9 Comments

Some Game of Thrones Season 8 speculation

Posted on September 2, 2017 by Paul Frijters

Let me indulge, purely for entertainment value, in some fan-speculation on what we will see on-screen after the Long Night is over and the final 6 episodes Of Game of Thrones are run in 2019. Let me first talk about … Continue reading →

Posted in Art and Architecture, bubble, Bullshit, Climate Change, Cultural Critique, Dance, Death and taxes, Democracy, Economics and public policy, Education, Employment, Environment, Ethics, Films and TV, Food, Geeky Musings, Gender, Health, History, Humour, Immigration and refugees, Indigenous, Inequality, Information, IT and Internet, Journalism, Law, Libertarian Musings, Life, Literature, Media, Medical, Metablogging, Miscellaneous, Music, Parenting, Personal, Philosophy, Political theory, Politics - international, Print media, Products, Public and Private Goods, Race and indigenous, regulation, Religion, Review, Science, Social, Social Policy, Society, Space, Sport-general, Startup, Terror, Theatre, Travel, Uncategorised, Uncategorized, WOW! - Amazing | 2 Comments