Our own critical path

Ok, so we clearly don't want a technocracy or fascisms, but Bucky is right on a few things. The world is round and we understand there are finite resources, know-how and how-know are vital essential for change and we are stewards of the “spaceship earth”. From our discussions it is clear we think technology isn’t gonna save us and we want to allow for more cultural difference and bottom up development than Bucky. For this last bit of the book then, the question is - What is the critical path?

Critical Path, 30 years old, but quite topical...

Bucky may have been a wild story teller and might have cherry-picked which historical events to highlight, but then again, this story in today's paper sounds like it came straight from his book.

Read the article here: U.S. Identifies Vast Riches of Minerals in Afghanistan

Next week 8pm Tuesday night

Campers,

So, first of all, if you are online and want to join, please email me. I keep my email open for just such things. Tonight Melissa was online, but my Skype did not see her. Bad Skype! Glad you could join us, if late.

Readings:
Reading for Tuesday. June 15/100-178
Reading for Tuesday. June 22/179-252
Reading for Tuesday. June 29/253-346
Appendix I and II - as desired.

Tara was the most generous among us, allowing Bucky full license with history not as an "scientist-artist" but as a philosopher-bard. With varying degrees of latitude, we all seem to be finding some kind of sea legs on this ride of a book.

Happy reading,

Amber

Updated time this week: Thursday night 8pm

Alrighty then, we are set for Thursday at 8pm, Chicago time. If you and I are not connected as Skype friends, send me your handle or friend me at amberginsburg.

Topic: The wild historic ride as provided by Bucky Fuller, through the middle of chapter 3, page 100 in my St. Martin's Press version.

Until very very soon,

Amber

Oh Shit

Hey campers. You all know me. Well, I am about to be fully myself. I have double booked Tuesday. I have the final critique for my University of Chicago class on Tuesday from 6-10pm (potluck of course.) This timing is so out of the ordinary, I did not notice the boo-boo until this very moment.

So....let's do Wednesday night. Let me know if that is a conflict for anyone. If so, we will re-group and pick another time. So very many apologies for this lameness on our first date of the year.

All lameness on my part aside, what do you all think of Bucky. I think this book is a wild ride of assumptions, particularly about how the computer is going to save us and break down all cultural, political and natural barriers (remember de Certeau anyone?) and a curiously intriguing guide book fostering resource equality to all. Parts of the book read like Barbara Tuchman's A Distant Mirror and reminds me of the ever repeating tropes in history, while other bits are pure fantasy. When is the last time anyone wrote dolphin and whales are descendants from humans holding their breath?

Unlike more dispassionate books, this wild ride is oddly inspiring.

Amber

And so it begins

Dear Campers,

It is the first week of Camp and time for Buckminster Fuller's, Critical Path. The chapters to do not fall into tidy divisions for us, so let's read chapter 1, 2 and part of three up to about page 100, just over 1/4th, but a generous start.

Happy reading.

Amber