On Niall Ferguson’s new book Doom and three poems
Got the hardback version of the Ferguson book yesterday, which was mentioned in a previous blog. The book-flap begins with a boldface, large-font statement that “All disasters are at some level man-made.”
I suppose in some ways this is true because if humans don’t respect Mother Nature enough, they will suffer. M. Night Shyamalan had a movie in 2008 called The Happening that did not go down well with the public, but I thought was interesting. It was about nature taking revenge on humans.
On the back-cover in a squib, Francis Fukuyama, says Ferguson “catalogs the threats mankind has faced and the resourceful ways in which human societies have dealt with them.” Fukuyama had an interesting book in the early 1990s, really just a dissertation turned into a book about how he thought free-market capitalism had won out over any other socio-economic ideas. It was controversial at the time but seemed correct to me.
“Pun-employment” by yours truly
“Do you think long-term pun-employment has damaged your pun-chology and basic daily pun-cture?”
“Very pun-ssible.”
“Well, what do you now plan to do with your pun all day?”
“Just pun-t around. Pun-ever. But I try to give each day some pun-cture: three square meals, a bath, exercise.”
“Pun-oholic” by yours truly
“You are clearly pun-oholic. You should stop pun-mmediately and not pun-k ever again!”
“Okay, Dr. Pun, you win.”
“You seem angry, Mr. Pun-pelstilskin.”
“Not true. Not even once in pun million.”
“You may want to try meeting with Pun-ers Anonymous. It is located in PA, Pun-sburgh or Pun-adelphia.”
“Pun-xsutawney” by yours truly
Pun-xsutawney Phil. As you do, as you will.
Every day may quite be the same,
But you are still glad you came (repetition, no shame).
Break out of it into Spring.