Category Archives: Culture

Maybe the Algorithms are Working Against Us

Posted on October 27, 2018 by Barry Pomeroy

Most news, internet search, and social media platforms have optimized their offerings to suit what their viewers most frequently choose to see. That makes sense in terms of ad dollars, for they want to have a targetable demographic, but as … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Education, Internet, Media, News, Politics, Social Media, Teaching | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Maybe the Algorithms are Working Against Us

The Saltpeter Mines of Northern Atacama, Chile

Posted on October 10, 2018 by Barry Pomeroy

Saltpeter, or nitrate, was a major export of Chile until artificial production began in Germany in the thirties. Then, like much of the world staggering as a result of the global depression, Chile suffered from the loss of nearly fifty … Continue reading →

Posted in Activism, Culture, Development, History, Politics, Post-Apocalyptic, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Saltpeter Mines of Northern Atacama, Chile

Consumer Misery in Steve Cutts’ “Happiness”

Posted on September 15, 2018 by Barry Pomeroy

The terrible truth that Steve Cutts reveals in his short animated film “Happiness” is that consumerism entices but does not lead to happiness. His rats are surrounded by consumer messages that promise that they—even the main rat character—will be happy … Continue reading →

Posted in Activism, Culture | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Consumer Misery in Steve Cutts’ “Happiness”

Tolerance, Ethics and Conjoined Twins

Posted on March 8, 2018 by Barry Pomeroy

On CBC radio’s The Current this morning, Anna Maria Tremonti interviewed a doctor who was responsible for the multiple surgeries that separated conjoined twins at MassGeneral Hospital for Children in Boston. The story was mostly concerned with the ethical implications … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, News of the World, Superstition | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Tolerance, Ethics and Conjoined Twins

Living in the City: Boxes

Posted on March 4, 2018 by Barry Pomeroy

Although he would at times forget the scampering and rustling that marked people amongst the monoliths, like the worms in a graveyard or rats in a sinking ship, at moments he would look up to see the lit windows of … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture | Tagged , | Comments Off on Living in the City: Boxes

Preface to my Novel about Colonizing Mars

Posted on February 26, 2018 by Barry Pomeroy

I first thought about the lone colonist of Mars by the chance association between two very different and, some would say, antithetical ideas. I designed a university course on the changing perception of Mars in literature over the past two … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Mars, Solitude, Writing | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Preface to my Novel about Colonizing Mars

Yard Sale Culture

Posted on February 10, 2018 by Barry Pomeroy

Sometimes he felt as though he’d wandered into a world where everyone’s life had been spilled out like a gut-shot man, as if their sentiment and possessions were stacked in boxes at a planet-wide yard sale. He thought of what … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Environmentalism | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Yard Sale Culture

The Flat Earth Experience

Posted on December 31, 2017 by Barry Pomeroy

In his The Time Machine Weena tries to throw herself in the fire because she has never seen flames before. She doesn’t know that it will burn her and that she should exercise care. She is a figure of profound … Continue reading →

Posted in Astronomy, Culture, Supernatural, Teaching | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on The Flat Earth Experience

Serendipity and Other People’s Hard Work: Contributing to Intellectual Society

Posted on December 27, 2017 by Barry Pomeroy

Many years ago, when I used to build computers from found parts, installing hard drives was much more of an ordeal. You needed to look up the serial number of the hard drive in a database—if you were lucky enough … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Internet, Mars, Teaching | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Serendipity and Other People’s Hard Work: Contributing to Intellectual Society

Toys for Big Boys: Manboys and Manplay

Posted on December 24, 2017 by Barry Pomeroy

When a local motorcycle and skidoo shop adopted the name “Toys for Big Boys” I would have thought it would mean death for their business. I would have guessed that the overgrown baby that is the man who loves to … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Environmentalism | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Toys for Big Boys: Manboys and Manplay