Base and Superstructure

Alienation, autonomy, and ideology

Category: Culture (Page 8 of 23)

These are posts on culture from the blog Base and Superstructure. Mostly the focus is on American culture. But there might be a few posts on broader, international issues.

life insurance

Life Insurance and Hitting Age 40

May 26, 2022 /

As I get closer to age 40 (I’m about to turn 39), I’ve noticed that I get lots of ads for life insurance. Not just on social media – annoying enough – but also in the mail. I assume all this gets worse as you continue getting older? I’ve seen enough of it already, I think.

For those readers over about age 35, how’s this going for you? Do you get life insurance ads in the mail? Don’t you feel it’s a bit too early for all that?

And here we are at the end of the post. Sorry about the short Thursday post, everyone! I’ll be back next week, and hopefully with more profound thoughts.

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0ad empires ascendant

0 A.D. Empires Ascendant

May 19, 2022 /

So, about a year ago, I wrote a blog post on an old RTS game called Age of Empires. The article was a reaction to a Current Affairs article on the same game. Along the way, I mentioned that I started playing a game called 0 A.D.

I’ve continued playing that game (you can play it for free here). And I must say it’s an enjoyable one! Maybe the politics still aren’t great. But the makers of the game show an admirable commitment to historical accuracy. And it’s just a ton of fun.

If anyone’s interested in playing, my lobby name is ‘thephilosopher.’ And if you want to watch me play (and lose), you can find a broadcast of one of my earliest games here. If you just want to get a sense for what the game is like, check out the youtube channels Tom 0ad and 0AD Newbie Rush!

Update: And here’s a broadcast of a more recent game I played!

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Is the Pandemic Over Yet?

May 5, 2022 /

Readers might have the idea that I started this post with a sarcastic or rhetorical question. And yet it’s not. I find the question a really difficult one to answer. Mulling over that very question is one reason it’s taken me four months to write a post on COVID after my January post on Omicron.

Plus, Omicron – or some version of it – remains with us.

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Childhood and the Internet

April 11, 2022 /

childhood the internet

I remember the first time I heard about Facebook. I worked for the Indiana University Bookstore in my senior year of college. The job paid minimum wage ($5.15 at the time), but it was the easiest job in the world. I walked about 10 minutes from my apartment to the middle of the IU campus and lounged around for 4-8 hours. Those were the days?

Anyway, one day someone at work told me about Facebook. I thought she said ‘Face Party’ and didn’t think much of it. A few months later, I had an account and used it all the time. 17 years later – but who’s counting? – I think I’ve seen enough to reflect a bit on social media, its impact on my own life, and its impact on the lives of those younger than me.

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