Category Archives: Nihilism

On October 1, 2017, Rick and Morty blew off America. This is the date the third season finale aired, an episode in which the President of the United States (voiced by Keith David) enlists Rick Sanchez and his grandson Morty Smith (each voiced by Justin Roiland) for a mission the pair believes to be beneath them. And to be honest, it is. The Leader of the Free World brings the smartest man in the known universe and his grandson to the White House to hunt down some kind of annoying pest.

Instead, using Ricks inter-dimensional portal gun, they bounce around the planet solving world crises in a snap and giving the president credit in every instance. But the president knows they arent enacting these diplomatic triumphs in service of the greater good. He sees Rick's display of benevolence for what it is: an elaborately staged act to show him up and, to paraphrase the POTUS, be a d**k about it.

This story captures the essence of who Rick Sanchez is and why "Rick and Morty" fans love hanging out with him more than Morty often does. He's a character who sees the random, topsy-turvy madness of the universe and shrugs, takes a slug of booze and dives right into the fray knowing he'll figure out a way to triumph. He has no Prime Directive to keep him in check nor even the Time Lord's benevolent devotion to justice and doing what's right.

That much is clear when the third season finale's plot deteriorates into an elaborate, violent battle that reveals the White House to be a cross between a Bond villains tricked-out lair, the X-Men's Danger Room, and Thunderdome. Fortunately the situation resolves well, unlike other messes Rick and Morty leave in their wake.

Good thing, too, since that finale marked the start of a two-year hiatus that very well could have been permanent. Adult Swim hadnt announced a third season, and creators Dan Harmon and Roiland hadnt communicated anything about the series continuing. Fortunately the network soon announced the order of 70 additional episodes more than doubling the size of the series as a whole to be aired over an undisclosed number of seasons.

The first new Rick and Morty returns to Adult Swim this Sunday night, at last, and is very likely to be viewed by a larger audience than past seasons. But who can say with certainty?

While its been off the air, previously uninitiated viewers have discovered it on Hulu, and for those folks, watching just one might not be enough.

"Rick and Morty" is utterly bingeable, and a case can be made that this is the best way to experience it .Episodes range from between 22 and 24 minutes apiece, and although the plot has serialized elements its also the kind of series you can watch in just about any order youd like.

Harmon and Roiland hint that will change somewhat in this fourth season; enough action has transpired for the writers to revisit characters from past episodes that Rick has screwed over or offended deeply. There's quite a selection to choose from.

But as much as one may be tempted to allow the five Rick and Morty episodes set to debut over the coming weeks to stack up on their DVRs to gorge all at once, its just as likely (and recommended) that we watch them now and view them again some time later. Because as Rick might arrogantly observe, we need the excitement he offers, if only to help us make sense of our thoroughly disordered reality.

"Rick and Morty" is one of the few escapist series on TV that allows us to relax into the notion that most of what happens in life is out of our control, and the only thing we can do it organize our small corner of it to the utmost of our ability. What a simple and therapeutic concept.

For many people, the average animated series exists as a simple distraction, tapping into the plumbing within our consciousness where reserves of affection have been stored for cartoon silliness. (This assumes the viewer in question was indoctrinated into that grand tradition of being babysat by Nickelodeon and Disney Channel, or rising with the sun on Saturdays to watch hours of Looney Tunes.)

The Simpsons, Bobs Burgers, and Family Guy may have hauled the genre into the more adult climate of prime time, and South Park takes what animation can get away with a step further to brutally skewer culture and politics.

Rick and Morty sets its gaze beyond all this, inviting the viewer to ponder the gift and burden of genius and what people of gargantuan intellect owe to the rest of humanity, starting with those closest to them.

And thats just the crust of it.

Rick is a superior and admittedly unstable genius who lives with Morty, his daughter Beth (Sarah Chalke), his 17-year-old granddaughter Summer (Spencer Grammer), and the simpleton son-in-law he barely tolerates, Jerry (Chris Parnell). In the show's universe, the characters we're following are but one version of an infinite number of themselves. Earth Rick C-137 declares himself to be The Rickest Rick, and the rest of his kind treats him as such, which is to say with envy, disdain, and some version of aggression.

But it also means he and Morty have buried versions of themselves in the Smith familys backyard, a necessity after destroying their original home and leaving one version of their loved ones behind for a saner place.

A person could tumble down the tubes into all kinds of theories in these episodes, or simply tune in to laugh their heads off, but the singular allure of Rick and Morty, particular in 2019 (and 2018, when it won the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program) is its comforting sense of nihilism.

Rick Sanchezs entire outlook is predicated on the idea that he is an actor with a significant power to impact dimensions that tend toward chaos. He reminds his grandson Morty, a 14-year-old boy who is all heart, anxiety, and self-doubt (the things Rick lacks, in other words) of this on a regular basis. He also reminds Morty that he doesnt care about him or his sister or anyone, really. Except he does, on a level he describes as irrational.

The President describes Ricky as a living god, which is pretty close to getting it right. But gods are secure in their place in the universe, even the ones prone to petty emotions like anger and jealousy.

Rick, in his loneliest moments, is profoundly depressed, and that's why he's never too far from alcohol or some other altering substance, all of which makes him belch uncontrollably and sport a cascade of greenish goo on his lower lip.

Morty and the rest of the Smiths, meanwhile, keep Rick human by reminding him that they actually matter and, by extension, so do the rest of the universes lesser beings. Morty is the avatar for average goodness, but also sheer averageness.

There's a relief in watching Rick play the game of existence like a man counting the dominoes as they fall, constantly getting better at playing with it while also facing his weaknesses. As a multi-dimensional traveler aware of infinite timelines and possibilities, he excels at predicting causality, the crux of the shows funniest twists. Most predictable for him, and us, is what Morty wants a well-meaning nice guy, who also happens to be a horny teenager prone to that affliction known as a hero complex.

And even though we often want Morty to win in his battles of will with Rick, the central moral of the story shows the hellish result of good intentions while positing that they're worth the effort anyway. Rick plays the hero most often to satisfy his own ego, to save his own skin, for profit or purely for the fun of it. Morty gets dragged along to tether Rick to what remains of his humanity or draw incoming fire. Theyre the mascots for our understanding of how a corrupt and greed-driven world works.

Rick and Morty is ultimately an optimistic, hopeful series, however, precisely the kind of medicine the audience needs. The best episode are the ones in which Rick allows the worst to almost happen, then makes a last-minute move to correct the downward tumble either to preserve some dimensional equilibrium or wring some payback out of the hide of someone who richly deserves it.

Rick is the best and worst hero a world leader could call upon, acting with a confidence in the endless possibility the universe can offer, while demonstrating a potent level of snobbery when estimating, often correctly, the ways that its denizens underutilize or utterly waste that possibility. To him, every world in every dimension is stupid and wonderful and full of danger and delight.

Rick understands the pure pointlessness of existence in any dimension, in any time, on any planet and therefore behaves as if nothing matters and everything matters. That kind of freedom can't be contained by any government, organization or societal structure, and knowing it fuels the ethos of "Rick and Morty" makes the show damn inspiring.

Remember, however, that Rick and Morty also are cartoons that can escape their mistakes with a portal gun, and nihilism is mainly soothing in theory. We can draw philosophical inspiration and embrace the swirl of disorder. But do proceed with caution.

Check out the Season 4 opening sequence below:

"Rick and Morty" premieres Sunday, Nov. 10 at 11:30 p.m. ET on Adult Swim.

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Finally Rick and Morty is back with the inspiring nihilism we crave - Salon

Friedrich Nietzsche was a sickly guy definitely not an athlete, and not someone we would usually associate with sports. However, he has more advice to help athletes in his books than he has consonants in his name.

In order to get some motivation from Coach Nietzsche, lets take a quick detour and learn about the history of his ideas. It all started with Nietzsches critique of Christianity. As Nietzsche saw it, religion specifically prayer makes people think of their lives on Earth as inconsequential in comparison to what happensinheaven.People canbe so focused on praying and looking to God for meaning that they stop giving any thought to their everyday lives on Earth. But as Christianity loses ground in the modern world, people are no longer focusing on God the way they used to. Nietzsche went so far as to declare, God is dead. This doesnt mean that people have stopped believing in God. It means that when most people make a decision, they no longer look toward their faith or a set of moral principles connected to religion.

Our old faith and our old set of morals were limiting but comforting. In todays world, as religion becomes less central to our lives, we have to come up with new morals, which isnt easy. A lot of the ideas our society was founded upon are not relevant anymore, and that creates problems.

Losing a moral structure results in nihilism, or the belief that life is meaningless. People often think of nihilism as a bad thing a synonym for destruction. But according to Nietzsche, nihilism is much more complicated. Nietzsche described two forms of nihilism. First, theres passive nihilism. A passive nihilist says, Why bother? Whats the point? A passive nihilist thinks humans can never really believe in anything, so its not even worth trying to put together a structure of morals. This is the kind of thinking that makes people want to sit around and do nothing. It can make people lose any sense of themselves or their purpose. Understandably, passive nihilism can be viewed as something negative.

However, in Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Nietzsche countered this with the idea of active nihilism: because God is dead and we have lost our old values, we need to replace them with new values. As we construct new values, we need to remember the importance of ourselves as human beings on Earth. For too long when weve thought about morals, weve disregarded the fact that we are living, breathing earthly beings, because we have been so focused on religion. So, what better way to keep ourselves rooted in our existence on Earth than with physical challenges?

Nietzsche believed that every person has an inner energy. This energy acts as a motor and pushes the individual tokeep going further and further. Nietzsche called this energy the will to power. He wrote, In my eyes, life is the instinct to believe, to last. Life is the accumulation of force, of power: where there is a deficit of drive and passion, there is decline. It is exactly this kind of power that we express when we practice a sport. Exercise triggers active nihilism. It is thanks to this power that humans will be able to build a new system of values and morals.

When you get stressed before a competition or an exam, youre often tempted to back off and hide from the challenge ahead. This is an example of passive nihilism the feeling of detachment and hopelessness that makes you want to stay home, away from anything meaningful. Facing a challenge head-on is a way to remind yourself of your inner power, to remind yourself that you are alive.

Nietzsche also said that you need to not only keep your motor running but also challenge it so it develops and grows stronger. By constantly training this inner energy, you can reach what Nietzsche called a superhuman state. For Nietzsche, a superhuman isnt a perfect person or a person with amazing genes. A superhuman is an ideal to aim for the strongest and best form of a human. By striving to be a superhuman, you push yourself further than you knew was possible. When you work to overcome your fears, when you push yourself past your comfort zone and out of your habits, you liberate the power inside yourself. By constantly growing your internal energy, you can keep finding new sources of joy in your life and be free to celebrate things that are truly important and useful like pleasure, hard work, courage, and strength. These values dont come from God but from us, humans. We should celebrate the collapse of our old morals because we have the incredible opportunity to rebuild them. We have to use our active nihilism and let go of laziness, indifference, and passive nihilism in order to win at life.

As you wait on the marathon starting line and passive nihilism tries to knock you down, dont let it. Youre stronger than that. Youve made it to the starting line; the hardest part is over. Now its time to make your dream come true. Play that movie in your head one more time and then go become the superhuman you have always wanted to be.

Excerpted from When You Kant Figure It Out, Ask a Philosopher by Marie Robert with permission from the author and publisher.

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How to Stop Avoiding Challenges and Get Everything You Want in Life - Thrive Global

"Theyre usually racist, homophobic, and transphobic, dont believe in vaccines or climate change, and are mostly also the parents of Gen Z children."

Posted on November 14, 2019, at 12:52 p.m. ET

An iconic Karen movie, Reality Bites.

There's been much ado about how Gen Z and millennials are slagging off baby boomers with the quip "OK boomer."

Turns out there's another generational feud brewing.

Gen Z has taken to calling Gen X once a mere bystander in the generational wars the "Karen generation," as in Karen, the middle-aged white mom who is always asking for the manager and wondering why kids are so obsessed with their identities.

Karens are generally "privileged from the system the boomers set up for them and [are] now acting entitled and working against Gen Z," explained Julia, a 23-year-old in Norway. "Theyre usually racist, homophobic, and transphobic, dont believe in vaccines or climate change, and are mostly also the parents of Gen Z children."

The stereotype, Julia said, is that Gen X fundamentally doesn't understand the causes that Gen Z cares about. Gen X'ers also have a tendency to "stand their ground and act like everybody else is wrong and theyre always right."

"Especially in Norway, where the strike for climate change is going strong, you see parents mocking Greta Thunberg and the other young adults participating because they themselves are not willing to change how they live their lives," she added.

Julia is one of many young people who have tweeted about Gen X's new moniker.

It's started bubbling up as Gen Z began to sort out who is a boomer and who is Gen X.

This timing makes sense: Gen X is now approaching middle age. Gen X'ers are generally the parents of Gen Z, which gives teens extra motivation to rebel against them.

According to the Social Security Administration, the name "Karen" also happened to spike in popularity around the early 1960s. Gen X'ers are those born between 1961 and 1981.

This all came out recently in the comments of a TikTok about intergenerational fighting.

The TikTok concluded that Gen X wasn't going after anyone, but the comments heartily disagreed.

"Gen X are just out here yelling at fast food and retail employees," said one person.

"But Gen X is kind of the Karen generation if I'm being honest," said another.

"Gen X is full of Karens... they're not saving anyone," commented Hailee Wong, 17, from San Diego.

The problem, Hailee said, is that Gen X applies its trademark nihilism to issues Gen Z cares deeply about.

"They're generally our parents, the ones who invalidate the LGBT community or (basically any) issues in the world today," she said.

She added, "Yes, baby boomers are invalidating people and starting trouble, but Gen X is part of the problem as well. They follow their parents, whereas millennials and Gen Z has seen how detrimental the mindset of generations before them has been and tries to incite change."

This is all, of course, based on stereotypes, and generational feuding has been around as long as humans have.

The other sticky thing is that "Karen" has a gender bias. While the label can be applied to anyone, the image is generally of a shrill woman. Julia agreed that the stereotype is sexist, and she wishes it were more gender-neutral.

"Its so normal to use female names if you want to create a nagging narrative, as men are never seen as such," said Julia.

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Gen Z Is Calling Gen X The "Karen Generation" - BuzzFeed News

A Pew Study found that 60% of Americans believe that they are being continuously tracked by companies and the government, 69% mistrust the companies doing the tracking, 80% believe that advertisers and social media sites are collecting worrisome data, 79% think the companies lie about breaches, and 80% believe that nothing they do will make a difference.

Among Black people, the stats are (justifiably) grimmer: 73% of Black users worry about law-enforcement abuse of their data (it's only 56% of white Americans).

This may seem like bad news, but there's a silver lining. For decades, privacy activists have struggled to convince people to care about online surveillance -- thanks to inaction, people can't help but care, because they are being harmed in ways large and small on the regular.

This is the Peak Indifference moment, when denialism threatens to slide into nihilism ("OK, OK, I believe your story about declining rhino populations, but since there's only one left, why don't we find out what he tastes like?"). It's the moment when an activist's job changes from convincing people that there's a problem to convincing them that it's not too late to do something about it.

It means that there is a public appetite for change, and that lawmakers and regulators who propose meaningful privacy rules will find support for it -- and that businesses that offer privacy-friendly tools will find markets for them.

Whats next? There are some moves in the right direction. Googles deal with Ascension has already sparked a federal probe. The California attorney general has been investigating Facebook for privacy violations. Activists are working to stop facial recognition from being used by both the public and private sectors. Some Democrats have introduced legislation that would give the Federal Trade Commission power to fine tech companies up to 4% of their annual revenue for privacy violations, which is a much bigger amount than current fines. Others have proposed a new federal agency to deal with digital privacy. So theres more attention being paid to privacy than ever before. Still, its true that the average consumer cant do a lot about personal data being collected, and itll be a while before that really changes.

Most Americans think theyre being constantly trackedand that theres nothing they can do [MIT Tech Review]

Americans and Privacy: Concerned, Confused and Feeling Lack of Control Over Their Personal Information [Brooke Auxier, Lee Rainie, Monica Anderson, Andrew Perrin, Madhu Kumar and Erica Turner/Pew]

(via /.)

An Australian woman's creepy, violent ex-boyfriend hacked her phone using stalkerware, then used that, along with her car's VIN number, to hack the remote control app for her car (possibly Landrover's Incontrol app), which allowed him to track her location, stop and start her car, and adjust the car's temperature.

The privacy-focused web browser Brave has finally launched a 1.0 version, bringing it officially out of beta.

A number of popular health-related websites in the UK are reported to be actively sharing sensitive user data with dozens of third parties, including Google and Facebook, but also various adtech firms and data brokers.

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Majority of Americans know they're under constant surveillance, don't trust the companies doing it, and feel helpless to stop it - Boing Boing

Disney+ officially landed on November 12, and with it its latest exercise in brand-extension. The Mandalorian is a new live-action series set in the Star Wars universe. But is it a worthy expansion of the Star Wars universe? Critics didnt get a chance to evaluate the show ahead of time, but theyve been checking it out since it premiere, and the reviews are in.

As of this writing The Mandalorian has a MetaCritic score of 68 based on 21 reviews counted thus far: 16 positive, 5 mixed, none outright negative. Over on Rotten Tomatoes, which classifies reviews as simply positive or negative as opposed to MCs sliding scale of 0-100, the series is rated 87% fresh based on 62 reviews counted: 54 fresh and 8 rotten. Theres no RT critics consensus as yet, which is understandable since critics only have the first episode to go on. The rest of the series will be rolled out periodically one episode at a time over the coming weeks.

Created by Jon Favreau, famous for launching Disneys Marvel brand as the director of Iron Man (2008), the show is being compared to Spaghetti Westerns with their epic sweep ans casual nihilism. The charm of the show is setting the action outside the usual Rebel Alliance vs. Empire conflict weve seen so many times before, which makes it more intriguing and sustainable as a continuing series.

And while the shows title bounty hunter is played by Pedro Pascal (Game of Thrones, Narcos), Werner Herzog is receiving praise. Known for directing films like Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972), Grizzly Man (2005) and Encounters at the End of the World (2008), Herzog gets the finest scene of the pilot and embodies slimy galactic profiteering.

But critics also note that without a backstory yet for its title character, the show rings a bit hollow. It isnt bad. It also isnt good. Its not much of anything. But perhaps The Mandalorian will win more people over with the rest of its eight-episode season, whose diectors include Rick Famuyiwa (Dope, Confirmation), Bryce Dallas Howard (Call Me Crazy) and even Taika Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok, Jojo Rabbit). Check out some of the reviews below, and join the discussion on this and more with your fellow TV fans here in our forums.

Katie Rife (The A.V. Club): The epic sweep and casual nihilism of Spaghetti Westerns are evident from the opening scenes of Chapter One: both the windswept ice plains and the indifferent reactions of the cantina patrons to the Mandalorian chopping a dude in half are straight out of one of an Italian B-Western So while The Mandalorians debut is pretty thin, its also got a lot of wide open spaces to expand into.

Melanie McFarland (Salon): Mainly, the charm of The Mandalorian is in its relative removal from Resistance-centered adventures bound to frequent reminders of Jedi and light saber battles. Placing the action in the outer reaches of civilization lends more of a spaghetti-Western-meets-ronin-samurai vibe to the narrative, and this feels like a more intriguing and sustainable fuel for the longterm.

Emily Todd VanDerWerff (Vox): The Mandalorian, Disney+s big-ticket original series, set in the Star Wars universe, isnt bad. It also isnt good. Its not much of anything, truth be told. Its a brand extension, a flag planted in a new corner of a Star Wars universe that feels a lot like old corners of the Star Wars universe.

Sonia Saraiya (Vanity Fair): Without a backstory or facial expressions, how do you build an audience rapport with a character? In the pilot, The Mandalorian has one idea: General space-Western badassery But sans history, motivation, or facial expressions it rings a bit hollow, lacking the achingly human element of the Star Wars universe. The finest scene is Herzogs, who embodies slimy galactic profiteering with an arrogant, nasally performance that I couldnt get enough of.

Be sure to make your Golden Globe predictions so that Hollywood insiders can see how their TV shows and performers are faring in our odds. You can keep changing your predictions until nominations are announced. And join in the fierce debate over the 2020 Golden Globes taking place right now with Hollywood insiders in our TV forums. Read more Gold Derby entertainment news.

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The Mandalorian reviews: Is the latest Star Wars story epic or not much of anything? - Gold Derby

Beginning with the time of the Enlightenment, we have become increasingly uncomfortable with a living God.

Fascinated by our discoveries of the laws of nature and the building up of the edifice of natural sciences, we have relegated God to the basement of ignorance and even bigotry.

We have decreed the world to be rational and deterministic, and we have placed ourselves in the position of masters of the universe. Some philosophers have declared God to be obsolete, and we proceeded to reorganize our society as a purely secular, humanistic endeavor.

And then, the cracks have started to show up: nihilism, communism, fascism, imperialism, consumerism, to name just a few, proved that rationality is not enough to combat the passions.

At the same time, modern physics has put a serious question mark on determinism as well as on the very idea that creation can exist objectively and independently of an observer. Evolutionism, despite the remarkable successes in our understanding of genetics, is also beginning to show its limitations in explaining the incredible complexity of even a single living cell.

Through all these cracks, we begin to discern, once more, the presence of a long-suffering, enormously patient God. A loving Father who does not abandon his children even when they stray away for centuries. A creator who does not merely seek the survival of the fittest, but has a place inhis heart for misfits as well.

We have no reason to be ashamed of such a Father, but rather should focus our lives on knowinghim and emulatinghis way of being.

He does not mind if we are curious and use our gift of reason to penetrate some of the mysteries of creation, as long as we do not forget to love one another and build up one another, rather than tearing each other apart in the struggle to impose our own viewpoint.

God is right here, near every one of us.

The real question is, how come we have allowed ourselves to be so ignorant in what should matter most, our very connection to eternal life. We have strayed long enough.

Its time to go home.

The Rev. Costin Popescu is pastor of Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Newburyport.

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In the Spirit: Where is God? | Religion - The Daily News of Newburyport

With Olivia Colman as the now settled monarch, this third series of The Crown follows the 13 years from 1964 to the Silver Jubilee and there is much ground to cover. Helena Bonham Carter is on excellent form as Princess Margaret, while Colman gives the Queen some much-needed emotionality amid continuing power-grabbing crises.From Sunday 17 November, Netflix

From Destinys Child to Queen B, Beyonc Knowles has been a fixture of pop stardom ever since her golden-voiced debut in the early 1990s. This three-part pod from the makers of Serial talks to key figures, such as her father and childhood friends, about her rapid rise to fame and now massive fortune.Podcast

Dan Harmon and Justin Roilands chaotic animation about a deranged genius scientist and his shy grandsons missions around the universe returns for its much-anticipated fourth series. Expect the usual dose of nihilism, crude gags and intergalactic violence.Wednesday 20 November, 10pm, E4

Built in 1985 as a shining new testament to Margaret Thatchers mass market deregulation, Londons Broadgate complex now houses 28 international banks and has weathered multiple recessions as well as the looming uncertainty of Brexit. This documentary takes an in-depth look at the staff who keep Broadgate running, as well as the changing face of our economy.Tuesday 19 November, 9pm, Channel 4

Reggie Yates is in one of Chinas fastest growing cities, Shenzhen, for the start of his new series travelling around the country. Home to hundreds of startup-founding expats, he explores the citys tech novelties including an instant translation earpiece and a sci-fi flying motorcycle.Sunday 17 November, 9pm, BBC Two

HG Wellss dystopian tale of 19th-century Martian invasion gets an ornate visual update in this BBC adaptation, starring a stoic Rafe Spall as journalist George and bright-eyed Eleanor Tomlinson as his lover Amy. Packed with cinematic special effects, this unfolding sinister drama is sure to be a crowdpleaser for the darkening nights to come.Sunday 17 November, 9pm, BBC One

A must-see for Dolly fans, this anthology series pairs Partons classic country tearjerkers with episodic stories inspired by her music. Expect everything from gun-slinging westerns to wartime romances, family dramas and revenge comedies, with Parton on hand as our trusty, guitar-toting narrator.From Friday 22 November, Netflix

Freudian psychology and Sherlock Holmes-style murder mystery combine in this involved take on Frank Talliss Liebermann novels. The titular Liebermann is a trainee doctor roped into helping stern detective Oskar Rheinhardt solve the citys more cerebral murders. With a 90-minute opening episode, its a long, wordy ride through the unconscious.Monday 18 November, BBC Two, 9pm

Ready the insects as Ant and Dec return to the Aussie jungle for another year of public-voted celebrity trauma. Caitlyn Jenner, Ian Wright, Nadine Coyle and Jacqueline Jossa are now confirmed among the lineup; expect all present in the jungle to be facing their fears and dining on some questionable meal choices.

There is no escaping the past in Andrew Haighs riveting domestic drama. Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenay are bleakly brilliant as Kate and Geoff Mercer, living in rural Norfolk and planning a big 45th-anniversary party; but a letter from Switzerland raises the ghost of Geoffs long-lost love in a searchingly intelligent, sad and truthful tale.Wednesday 20 November, 1.55am, Channel 4

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This weeks best home entertainment: from The Crown to I'm a Celebrity - The Guardian

Album:Vanishing Lands

Artist:Dog In The Snow

Label:Bella Union

Genre:Alternative

If Kate Bush has been an angelic spirit expatriated into our world, maybe Helen Brown is a demon from the same realm. The singers second album, Vanishing Lands, released under the moniker Dog In The Snow, boasts some of Bushs dramatic flair. But Brown actually from Brighton with Scottish and Thai heritage is a different beast, combining Nietzsche-esque nihilism, urban worldbuilding, and her own grim sense of terror. The battering beat, jittery guitar lines and hard-angle synth changes that form the intense Dual Terror feel like a late-night drive down a foggy motorway. Another highlight comes in the ornate art pop of This Only City, which finds Brown isolated within the four walls of her own metropolitan dwelling, writhing under neon street lights. Not every track works as well: Icaria is sludgy to the point of being difficult to absorb. Still, this is a daring record from a lost hellhound in human form, dropped into an urban dystopia to remind us all that were doomed.

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Dog in the Snow: Vanishing Lands review A daring record from a lost hellhound - Irish Times

Late as ever, Ive only just finished Michel Houellebecqs Serotonin in its English translation by Shaun Whiteside which I hesitate to write about on the basis that I should do my best to keep it from decent readers on account of its dispiriting but graphic sex, including paedophilia and bestiality. Impurity doesnt even begin to cover it.

But as ever, he well and truly set the cat among the pigeons, anticipating the gilets jaunes protests in a fashion that would seem downright uncanny if it werent that the novelist has form in identifying social and spiritual signs of the times. The novel is about the nihilism of its narrator, but one contributory cause of his depression is the despair of French dairy farmers whose livelihoods count as nothing against the EU dogma of free trade.

Another is that he is incapable of stable marriage: he does not propose to the most appealing of his girlfriends lest domesticity should ruin her career, the totem of males of his age. She leaves him after he engages in yet another fleeting relationship and, when he eventually finds her, she has had a child by the only means available to her, a passing sexual encounter with a near stranger.

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It comes as a surprise to learn that Michel Houellebecq has never been baptised - The Tablet

This episode is a wide-ranging interview with Andy Greenberg, author of Sandworm: A New Era of Cyberwar and the Hunt for the Kremlins Most Dangerous Hackers. The book contains plenty of original reporting, served up with journalistic flair. It digs deep into some of the most startling and destructive cyberattacks of recent years, from two dangerous attacks on Ukraines power grid, to the multibillion-dollar NotPetya, and then to a sophisticated but largely failed effort to bring down the Seoul Olympics and pin the blame on North Korea. Apart from sophisticated coding and irresponsibly indiscriminate targeting, all these episodes have one thing in common. They are all the work of Russia's GRU.

Andy persuasively sets out the attribution and then asks what kind of corporate culture supports such adventurism and whether there is a strategic vision behind the GRUs attacks. The interview convinced me at least that the GRU is pursuing a strategy of muscular nihilism "our system doesn't work, but yours too is based on fragile illusions." It's a kind of global cyber intifada, with all the dangers and all the self-defeating tactics of the original intifadas. Don't disagree until you've listened!

Download the 286th Episode (mp3).

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Read more from the original source:

The Cyberlaw Podcast: Sandworm and the GRU's Global Intifada - Lawfare