Limits to Growth (again)

Read these. Do it now. You can skim read them as long as you grok the conclusions.

http://physics.ucsd.edu/do-the-math/2011/09/discovering-limits-to-growth/
http://cassandralegacy.blogspot.com/2011/09/cassandra-and-limits-to-growth.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limits_to_growth

If it's still TL;DR. then here's the precis.

1) We live in a closed system although it is one with a very high solar energy input.
2) Thus there are finite resources and finite limits on by-products such as pollution.
3) Growth in resource usage is exponential, human thought models things linearly.
4) There are delays in feedback.
5) Thus there is a lag in between our perception and the current resource usage and any actions we might take to mitigate it.
6) This lag is the source of the instability which makes overshoot and catastrophic collapse inevitable.

The thing that makes our current growth an existential threat is the fraction of planetary resources that are being controlled by humans at this point. There aren't really spare resources to provide a cushion to a shock.

Now for the tinfoil hat problem.

Imagine that there are some wealthy and/or politically influential people out there who understand this existential threat. If they wanted themselves and their descendants (ie their genes) to survive the instability what would they do? And would the policies and actions they take with this goal increase or decrease the threat? These people are not just in the West. 
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Old Records outselling new records (in USA)
Takeaway quote: It could also be that the kind of people who still bother to buy music at all (either as physical CDs or legal downloads) are older, and thus skew away from buying new releases in favour of familiar favourites.

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So farewell then, Lol Coxhill. 'A true national treasure and a top geezer.' - John Lewis, Time Out 
http://blissout.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/rip-lol-coxhill.html

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Mammoth compilation of un-released tracks from electronicexplorations.org Some good stuff on here and he's one of the good guys so worth contributing £5.00 to keep the website and podcasts coming.

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10 Science Fiction Novels You Pretend to Have Read (And Why You Should Actually Read Them)
That's a pretty good list. And I'll claim to have read 7 of them.

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Perhaps us Brits should all move to the west coast of Eire. At least then it will be supposed to rain all the time.  Galway was a lovely town when I last visited with just a gentle drizzle the whole time.
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Keep Calm Until The Bass Drops

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Kindle-only book releases? What's wrong with dead trees?
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I know someone who knows someone who has a weekend ticket available at list price for Bloc 2012 if you left it too late.

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The Guardian (post)Subgenreifies 2012 music. Genius take out quote: "if you refuse to come up with your own name for the music you're making, eejits like us will have (to [sic]) do it for you."

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Here we go again. M/C parking charges in Westminster. Then Camden, Islington, Hackney, etc, etc.

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My ticket for Bloc2012 has just turned up. Excited, and just a little nervous about this.

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[from: Google Plus Public Activity Feed for Julian Bond]

Yum. Affogato made from two shots of Veluto Nero expresso from the Algerian coffee stores and a couple of big scoops of Tesco Finest Madagascar Vanilla ice cream.
http://www.algcoffee.co.uk/scripts/prodView.asp?idProduct=30

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[from: Google Plus Public Activity Feed for Julian Bond]

Just a link really so I can go back and find it again in August come the first anniversary of the London Riots.

"The question on people's lips is 'why are these people rioting', but perhaps the question should be 'why wouldn't they'?"

"Politicians can't see any political message to be drawn from the eruption into the public consciousness of thousands of people around the country with so little stake in society, so little to loose, so little to do with a long hot summer and no EMA, no spending money, no youth centres to do anything in that they're willing to risk jail time for the thrill of a firebomb and a new TV."
http://dominjapanround4.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/atari-teenage-riot.html
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Like-d for this piece of genius. "it's really only the eyeballs and the tips of our fingers that play a role in the pursuit of pleasure - as far as the Internet's concerned, the rest of us is just meat."

http://www.factmag.com/2012/06/21/polysick-digital-native/

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[from: Google Plus Public Activity Feed for Julian Bond]

It's World Gin Day tomorrow. http://www.facebook.com/GinDay
So I had to finish my bottle of No.171 Portobello Road today. All I can say is that it's a good honest drop of gin and makes a damn fine Martini. And at a very reasonable price as well.
http://portobellostarbar.co.uk/portobelloroadgin/ Recommended.

Next on the list (and ready for June 9) is a gift bottle of Greenall's Berkeley Square. Looking forward to it.

Nods to http://www.facebook.com/pages/Donald-Cox-the-Sweaty-Fox/41859412935 "Gimme some gin!"

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[from: Google Plus Public Activity Feed for Julian Bond]

Try and define the Oughties via its music
Top 100 albums
Search https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=Albums+of+the+Decade
Mainstream http://www.nme.com/list/albums-of-the-decade/158049
Mainstream http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/series/albums-of-the-decade
American http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-best-albums-of-the-2000s-20110718
IDM http://www.discogs.com/lists/FACT-100-best-Albums-of-the-Decade/7757
IDM http://www.residentadvisor.net/feature.aspx?1144
Pitchfork Readers  http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/7710-the-top-200-albums-of-the-2000s-20-1/
List of Lists http://www.metacritic.com/feature/best-albums-of-the-decade-a-roundup-of-critic-lists

Kid A - Radiohead, Is This It? - The Strokes, Funeral - Arcade Fire. Not sure why I find that vaguely depressing. ;)

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[from: Google Plus Public Activity Feed for Julian Bond]

Stuff, nonsense and found rubbish
Total contrast to the previous post. The very worst the UK has to offer along with some whimsy.

What it is. http://shitlondon.co.uk/
A guide to the very cheapest in Iceland, Aldi, Lidl, Tesco Value http://www.shitefood.co.uk/
Retro Stuff http://found0bjects.blogspot.co.uk/
Biscuits http://www.nicecupofteaandasitdown.com/
Greasy Spoons http://russelldavies.typepad.com/eggbaconchipsandbeans/
Not yer average foody blog http://lukehoney.typepad.com/
Hipster Heaven. Site has several other guides. This one is Dalston and environs http://somesuchguide.tumblr.com/post/12842625911/stoke-newington-dalston-and-borders

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[from: Google Plus Public Activity Feed for Julian Bond]

The very best of West End-Central London

I've been meaning to do this for a while. Here's some of the very finest shops, cafes and stuff in Central London.

Cheese http://www.paxtonandwhitfield.co.uk/
Cigars http://www.jjfox.co.uk/
Wine and Spirits http://www.gerrys.uk.com/
Coffee http://www.algcoffee.co.uk
Chocolate http://www.paulayoung.co.uk/
Chocolate http://www.williamcurley.co.uk/engine/shop/index.html
Delicatessan http://www.icamisa.co.uk/
Chillout cafe http://www.candidarts.com/sections/galleryandcafepages/candid_cafe.htm
Burgers http://www.byronhamburgers.com/
Pub to rest your feet in Camden http://www.lock-tavern.com/
Indian Veggy Food. Especially weekday lunch all you can eat buffet https://plus.google.com/108536873882938167549/about
Indian Sweets http://www.ambalafoods.com/

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[from: Google Plus Public Activity Feed for Julian Bond]