Tractor Wheels

An almost poetic post in the manner of a nursery rhyme, but arising from a deepening sense of gloom. We are but livestock to be moved without warning or explanation from field to field, with no sense of our affinities and loyalties to our companions. It is as though those  in charge have read "Animal Farm" and are so fearful that the animals have to be controlled in a thousand small ways - no humour, no online access to an increasing number of potentially useful websites, so many meaningless boxes to tick that do not reflect the reality of life on the farm.

Milk Production

Milk production refers to the process of gathering and reporting information about how we in the farming community use our time and how effective we are. However, rather than being a tool for us, we are enslaved by the process. Things happen that would not have happened just as a consequence of  this process being in place. It is a beautiful example of quantum theory in action. Events in the material world change to fit in with the systems in place to record them. If something is not recorded then it did not happen. As a poor shepherd caring for sheep and trying to help the woollen industry, I am coerced into the process of milk production. Every bit of information comes at a cost.

Ship Design Deconstructed

Firstly, apologies for the appallingly contrived pun on attention deficit disorder - my mind just wanted to go there, but fortunately my body went somewhere else thanks to Dualism.

Apologies also to Bob Dylan for the pun on "Forever Young". To remind everyone, it was Carl Jung who wrote about "archetypes". Sorry!

Introduction

At one time, I was fortunate enough to study but not necessarily understand "Moral and Social Philosophy". I had an old scanner, long after I had finished these studies, with which I wanted to upload my c.v. to my computer. The OCR function read "moral" as "floral", and I long thought that would have been such a fragrant subject to study. In a sense, it is perhaps also a nice metaphor for all the changes in the NHS - re-arranging the flowers in the vase, making sure the brightest blooms catch the eye, and trying hard to look great even if the water has become stagnant. Hence my stories from Septford, recounting actual experiences from the NHS in an allegorical manner, with due respect to George Orwell who also changed his name. I claim no other similarities.

Farmchair Filosophy grew out of Septford as a self-indulgent opportunity to have fun with words and ideas unfettered from reality. As far as I am aware, there have been no documents unearthed about Helena Haycartes! Helena Jans was actually the wife of Rene Descartes. He was most famous for "I think therefore I am" (hence Helena's rant about his being the big "I am") and for Cartesian Dualism - not about living a double life, but drawing the distinction between mind and body.

Helena's comment about her husband being "nothing" refers to the philosophical doctrine of existenial nihilism, which I will not attempt to explain because I know nothing.

I am happy for you to post comments and questions which I will do my best to answer if it helps to maximise your enjoyment of my ramblings and ponder dippings.