Like a petulant child I have returned home

Interesting news from what once described as the "ontological frontline" but which has recently made a move into folk psychology due to the fact that what has been traditionally studied "just isn't philosophy". The University in question has appointed it's new V.C. Keeping in mind who wanted the position, those of you interested might find it worth looking at the publications of our new leader.

Spot the moron

I am worried....

Has anyone else noticed the similarities between the names of "ghd" (the expensive hair straighteners currently advertised on TV) and "ghb" (the date rape drug)? I'm not sure why anyone would want to give hair straighteners a name that is so closely attached to attacks on women who have had their drinks spiked in nightclubs; especially since I would imagine that approximately 95% of women using ghds would be those going to said places.

I have some sort of shaky conspiracy theory forming in my mind.....

Observed by popbitch:

Is George Bush's negligence at all to blame
for the Hurricane Katrina debacle? Not if
you ask one of Bush's richest religious
conservative backers, the Rev Pat Robertson.
According to Robertson, it's all the fault
of... lesbians.

"This is the second time in a row that God has
invoked a disaster shortly before lesbian
Ellen Degeneres hosted the Emmy Awards," said
Pat. "Is it any surprise that the Almighty
chose to strike at Miss Degeneres' hometown?
... God already allows one awards show to
promote the homosexual agenda. But clearly
He will not tolerate such sinful behavior to
spread beyond the Tonys."

The loon also claims that it's no coincidence
that the Iraq insurgency started in September
2003. It's because Ellen's TV talk show
started that month.

Robertson tried to get elected President
in 1988. He said he'd only stand against
George Bush Snr if three million people
signed up to back his bid. Rather
disturbingly, they did.


Of course it's quite rational to blame anyone except those with whom the blame lies.

A brief and unusual deviance into the the world of sport:


Northern Ireland 1 - England 0


Brilliant.

Does anyone know where to get a full translation of Deleuze's Abecedaire (with Claire Parnet)? I know that there's a transcript on the Pli Deleuze website but it's not a full translation. If anyone knows where I can get it then I can turn it into a subtitle file and attach it to the avi which I can rip from my DVD.

Also some shameless advertising.

Pli (Volume 16) Deleuze and Aesthetics is available. It has been for a while but I didn't think to advertise it on here.

Things to look forward to:

(nb: these are US release dates)

8th September The O.C. - Season 3 Premiere

21st September Lost - Season 2 Premiere

25th September Desperate Housewives - Season 2 Premiere



Say what you want about American but they are making the best TV series right now; I can't see anything like these being made in England.

Also to look forward to: I've got the first three seasons of the Sopranos and Season 4 of 24 to keep me occupied when I get home. Someone won't be reading as much Levinas as they should be :-)

MMORPG Update: China's new laws imposing time restrictions on games.

Everyone is calling online gaming an addiction, which I guess in a sense it is; this is why I tend to avoid most computer games as I could quite happily play for hours and never get any work done. The only time I'm allowed to play a game is when I've finished a major piece of work. Then I get the Gamecube out and, if I'm very very lucky, I can play the latest Zelda (next one postponed until April :-( ) or I go to Game and buy a game and bring it back within the 10 day moneyback guarantee period; within that period I play for a week solid, saving the world from whatever danger threatens it. These games, though, are not MMORPGs, so when its over its over and I can return to reality.

Anyhow, I'm concerned about the necessity to place restrictions on games while not imposing restrictions on other legal and addictive substances, i.e. alcohol (although maybe there are restrictions in China, I don't know much about it). Surely the world is much safer with a lot of people sat in a cafe battling eachother than with a lot of drunkards smashing things to bits. I say safer though in a physical sense; not that the apathy of millions of teenagers when it comes to (so-called) reality isn't itself a problem. But then isn't the reality of the game a reality in itself? That is something I need to think about more....

I have no doubt that playing such games is fun; I'm sure it's more fun to have to battle lots of monsters to get money and items than doing my job and going to Tescos. But rather than play them now I'm waiting for my retirement. At least it's something to look forward to. By the time I'm 70 I hope we'll have suits that we can wear and plug into mass player systems. We can, as gods, run about our virtual worlds; a better option, I think, than drinking tea with the ungrateful kids who visit every so often and going to the local bingo club once a week.

A recent email informed me that I had applied to take part in a Channel 4 documentary about teenagers and sex. Normally one would think such a thing was spam but they did have my home telephone number and the email was from a proper production company. I think that someone may have thought it funny to fill in an application form with my name and phone number.... I even went so far as to phone the usual suspect and have a rant but he just laughed at me and said it wasn't him. He found it funny anyway.

So I emailled the guy back and said that I was not a teenager and that I did not have particularly strong opinions about teenagers and sex; which I don't. Teenagers can have all the sex they want as long as they do it away from me. Also I would prefer that they stay away from me for the entirety of their 8 year existence as teenagers; it's not that I have a problem with teenagers I just would rather not see any.