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Latest Musing Pet Peeves: Absurd Sci Fi Films Division             Settle into my seat on a flight from Heathrow to JFK. Scan through movie options. Banshees of Inn... continue Books Fire & Flood Buy from Amazon Deep Past Buy from Amazon more info Articles by Category endangered animals rapid climate change global deforestation fragging Books The Ragged Edge of the World Winds of Change Buy from Amazon more info Afterword to the softbound edition. The Octopus and the Orangutan more info The Future In Plain Sight more info The Parrot's Lament more info Silent Partners more info Affluence and Discontent more info The Alms Race more info Apes, Men, & Language more info

thealmsrace The Alms Race examines the sorry history of aid projects in Africa as a way to explore the charitable impulse. It asks the question, why do voluntary aid organizations perpetually repeat projects that fail to help the poor, and finds that the answer is that those projects are magically transformed into successes when viewed in terms of the benefits they bring to the donors. The book argues that the basic purpose of voluntary aid abroad is to extend the boundaries of the consumer society. This book set the stage for Affluence and Discontent. contact Eugene Linden

Short Take Summer Evenings in July   I go out to my porch, drink in hand, as the gloaming fades. I sit on a very comfortable rocking chair, given -- maybe loaned; it’s unclear -- by a friend. My cat, Noodles, joins me, settling on the couch facing me. He tends to his grooming, and I wait for the fireflies to appear. There are less every year and this is disquieting on an otherwise perfect night. I want them to be fruitful and multiply -- if possible by the millions. That would be a sign that, perhaps, all is well. It’s warm, and to my west is a wall of green, dominated by a very tall Linden. Hello, fellow Linden! As the warm air stills around me, emotions rise. I feel – I’m sure the Germans have a long word for it, but I’m too lazy to search on google – I feel… Something deep and strong; something like love for the world. It gives me hope for another day. read more

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