Friday, May 27, 2011

Merleau-Ponty in New Plymouth


Once, years ago, I was in New Plymouth for a few days, and went into an interesting-looking record shop. I flicked through the bins and inspired, asked if they had anything by Merleau-Ponty. The guy said he didn't think they did, but he'd look up the catalogue.

I realised after a couple of minutes as he thumbed through the pages that I'd given him the wrong name.

"Sorry, my fault, I mean Carlo Ponti!" I said.


"Oh, OK," said the record store guy, and turned to the 'P' listings, but couldn't find anything, though he took ages, looking in several catalogues for me.

It wasn't till I'd got down the road I realised I'd actually meant to say Paolo Conte. But by then I didn't feel I could go back to the record shop and ask. Ever.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Supply and demand


The small guy's class has been doing an economics unit at school, as a consequence of which his teacher has allowed trading with a special classroom currency, in order to teach the kids supply and demand, saving and spending, theories of pricing, and so on. The small guy was regrettably loathe to trade any of the thousands of small pieces of plastic nonsense that litter carpets all over our house. Instead he has drawn a series of pictures which he will offer for sale. A characteristic example of his art-for-sale is reproduced above.

He is also considering offering to write customized stories with his friends' names inserted as heroes, in which they defeat a villain of their choice. (In order to prevent unpleasantness, I have specified that the villains are to be fictional only and bear no resemblance to any mutual acquaintance.)

Meanwhile, from the art of economics to the economics of art: artist and lecturer Roger Boyce has a few thoughts of his own on serious money and art in post-quake Christchurch.