the eye of Nova's mind

Capitalism was theorized and implemented before the advent of modern advertising. Advertising, which dawned around 1910 (at least in the US), demonstrated (as was proven years later) that ads circumvent higher cognitive functions--that is, brands are interpreted by the brain at a nonrational level. Thus, capitalism unthreads itself, because it is founded upon the assumption that consumers are rational actors.

Advertising, in my view, removes agency: it replaces all options with what appears to be all options. It presents a small, visible market as the market that is available to the consumer. The latter is actually full of vendors that do not have access to advertising as well as those who do. Those who have access to advertising--those who already have the capital to create ads that reach the wide consuming public--alter reality by substituting a market that is artificial, a market that exists only in the reach of popular media.

Boise State star marries, prays to end prejudice: Broncos running back received threats before interracial ceremony -- Look at that picture. The first time I did, I did a double take. Then I smiled.

District of Columbia to Pay $1 Million to Protesters -- Remember the feel of nationalism in 2002? Remember free-speech zones?

Lott: Get Out of D.C. While You Still Can

Workplace anger viewed differently by gender: Study: Antagonistic men admired, while women seen 'out of control'

The Matrix of Autism -- (thanks, dsgood)

European heat waves double in length since 1880 (thanks again, dsgood)

UI Spatial Cognition Research Explains Explorers' Limited Ability To Navigate (What can I say? dsgood is a fount of information.)

( And now for something completely different: twists whilst webcrawling )