From the Moleskine

My Moleskine accompanies me everywhere, for the purpose of catching those elusive thoughts that bombard one’s consciousness and may or may not be worthy of elaboration. I have shared these musings on my blog, From the Moleskine, each week for many years. Originally a Google blog, I moved it to this website when my third book was released. In The Weekly will be recent reflections I seek to record and to share with readers. Described here are other headings, also updated weekly.

Dokusan: In Japan, dokusan is a private meeting of a Zen student with his master. For background, readers must see my book, Conjuring Archangel: Chronicle of a Journey on the Path, because the conjuring continues.

In the Courtyard: As my collaborator on the blog, my friend Anna reports under this heading from her frequent forays to the village. We often meet in the courtyard for croissants and hazelnut coffee from the French bakery.

The Carriage Lamp: Evocative of those bygone, romantic days of horses and carriages, Anna and I, Sherlockians both, will on occasion include original poems, either hers or mine. The most recent will be at the top.

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The Weekly

Cracks in the foundation

We think of concrete as a very strong and long-lasting material, indispensable to building sturdy structures, from bridges to apartment houses. Over years, however, it may be subject to degrading by many sources, chiefly water; and those structures relying on its strength are in growing danger - the concrete cracks. As in the building industry analogously in civilization: foundations crack. From our vantage point today, these cracks are accelerating. Is collapse pending?

While I ascribe to the bromide that there is nothing new under the sun, surely it is equally true that every reiteration of a thing is distinct in some way. Today the chief distinction is in population numbers, growing every instant. Dangers to civilization grow out of this fact, and the quickening pace of these dangers lies squarely with cyber technology. In some respects it can be argued that to provide even the most basic social services to billions of people computers have been necessary. The worldwide web has in fact been a boon in the ease of communication and international trade, albeit at the same time causing considerable economic disruption. But in the so-called social media, we clearly observe the rising flood of murky waters that ever more swiftly erode the concrete foundations of modern civilization. These dangers are without equal in human history.

Among the most consequential of these cracks, observe the phenomenon of the “influencer.” Any adolescent child sufficiently savvy may make a video of themselves doing nothing in particular - jumping up and down perhaps and gyrating in a manner prejudicial to the skeleton. Post the video and it catches on with millions of other adolescents, i.e. it “goes viral.” Adoring fans send money, sponsors are attracted. Other juveniles are inspired to follow this easy path to wealth, and suddenly countless puerile billionaires are born. Just what the world needs?! See evidence of more crumbling in the deepening roots of the culture war. Despite efforts by the right to torch progressive movements on the left the only result has been to further geographical segregation: Israelis and Palestinians leaving the Middle East, brown people being driven out of northern countries, women fleeing red states for blue. In the end? No more nations, only tribal territories. Tribal life is savage, and those who feel nostalgic for it have not read War Before Civilization. Read it before it’s too late. Yes, ours is in the process of collapsing.

Heart