RIP Jean Baudrillard

I only heard today that Jean Baudrillard died yesterday. He was one of the most influential thinkers I've encountered and I wrote reams on him in college. So long and thanks for the simulacra.

Catching Bird Flu on the Internet...

My earlier post on peace-keeping chickens has shown up on a bird flu aggregator. It's an ill wind that a Google Adsense entrepeneur doesn't make an aggregator out of to make a killing on modern paranoia. And I'll bet that they make an avian killing on this one. It's dripping with the paraphenalia of paranoia: face masks for your kids, supplements, and, um, DVDs. Which reminds me of a joke I just made up:
Why did the chicken cross the road?
Well it couldn't because the road was full of people who were statistically more likely to die from road traffic accidents than bird flu.
Boom boom. Buck boock.

Father's Terribly Morbid Sense of Humour Rubs off on Son...

My son's favourite motif in his drawings at the moment. Should I be worried? Only that he's going to turn out like me, but that's a good thing. Yes it is. Quiet down the back.


I especially love this:
"Rest In Quiet"?

I find this really reassuring: the guy is smiling the whole way through his life, right up to the end. You're born, you live, then you die. So why worry?

So don't worry. Just keep smiling and waving.