A Thinking Reed

  • Economics for community

    As I mentioned previously, Daly and Cobb’s central concern is that the abstractions of economics leave out aspects of reality that are crucial to understanding the world and shaping the economy in a way that nourishes community and is sustainable in the long run. Following A.N. Whitehead, they refer to the phenomenon of treating an…

  • Back

    We had big fun in Los Angeles. One of the highlights was our friends taking us to this Tiki bar on Sunset Blvd. to enjoy some fruity cocktails in an atmosphere redolent of the high tide of mid 20th-century Tiki culture. I enjoy LA in that “nice place to visit, wouldn’t want to live there”…

  • Checking in

    Still on vacation – currently staying with some friends outside of the City of Angels. Boy, the California livin’ seems easy when the sun’s shining and the breeze is blowing. A little warm for my blood, but there you are. Tomorrow we fly back to Boston and then have exactly one week to pack before…

  • Economics as if people (and other living things) mattered

    I’m in Indianapolis visiting family, and one of the things I like to do whenever I’m here is make a trip to Half Price Books. Yesterday I picked up a copy of For the Common Good: Redirecting the Economy toward Community, the Environment, and a Sustainable Future by World Bank economist Herman Daly and process…

  • Vacay

    I’m heading out of town to visit family and friends for the next week. Posting will be light but not necessarily non-existent. And since I may not get to it next week, here’s a bonus Friday Metal: Killswitch Engage – “The Arms of Sorrow”

  • Animals in a war zone

    Fascinating article by conservationist Lawrence Anthony about his efforts to protect zoo animals (and others) in Baghdad during the war. It’s an interesting question for the ethics of war: has anyone ever considered animals as potential “collateral damage”?

  • Friday metal – Anthrax, “Safe Home”

    I may be in the minority of Anthrax fans in that I actually think the John Bush-era stuff holds up better than the “classic” lineup with Joey Belladonna. Not that I don’t like the Belladonna stuff, mind you. This is from the last album they did with Bush before embarking on an (IMO) ill-advised reunion…

  • Progs for Paul?

    The rather odd premise of this Reason article is that libertarian “constitutionalist” GOP candidate Ron Paul may have appeal to disaffected progressives. Now, this may be true in the broad sense that progressives will likely find themselves agreeing with Paul on the war, the PATRIOT Act, the war on drugs, etc. but what is the…

  • Creatures of the Same God

    I’m excited to see that Anglican theologian Andrew Linzey is publishing a new book by this name. It looks like it will build on his earlier work on animal theology and develop it in some new ways. Unfortunately, I don’t see any indication that it will be available here in the US upon publication, and…

  • Competition for thee but not for me

    Grist has a discussion of the recent FTC objections to the proposed Whole Foods/Wild Oats merger and points out that the government has been curiously indifferent to what seems to be the more serious issue of big agribusiness consolidation and market concentration. Slate also ran a piece criticizing the government’s opposition to the Whole Foods/Wild…