Or, on the writing of 100 posts and the consumption of a million contents.

It dawned on me recently that the last post here, Growth, degrowth, regrowth, didn’t actually focus on any of those topics. I had intended to write something witty in relation to the winter budget and tie it to the site, but flat out forgot. That is the pressure I am under here. Writing for numbers.

Accordingly, it has become apparent that a number of cutbacks are required to keep the good ship Hummels sailing. We will be required to jettison much of the dead weight. For many of you, this will mean a more sombre festive period than usual. However, it is our belief that these efficiency measures will keep the lights on for years to come.

Mr Hummels has weathered hard times before, there will be hard times again, but for now, be assured we are doing all we can to save who we can. This may not mean you.

Anyway. On the last post I had hoped to write about ‘Doppelgangers’ by Naomi Klein and I’m pleased to report that I have almost ‘read’ the whole thing. I say ‘read’ as I have listened, and not just listened… I have listened at almost double the pace. A revelation for anyone who feels the way I feel about slower paced non-fiction books. That, is not to say that Doppelgangers is slower paced, if anything it is zippy, informative, interesting and fun. Naomi’s squeaky voice (at x1.8 speed) is both comforting and engaging, and the yarn is still evolving. I still haven’t completed it however… Here it comes… Spotify.

Spotify is awful and it is truly in their playbook to offer a million free audiobooks and then stop you from listening to them. At least dirty Jeff is just dirty Jeff. If you have a ‘Spotify’ stamp on your bingo card then rejoice, it’s not going anywhere soon. Google’s folding Podcast app will probably force me to listen to my podcasts there too, deepening the unhappiness.

That was an unscripted departure, like two weeks off for Covid or a bereavement. I am supposed to be reviewing the 100 posts prior to this, or the coming of the new year or a hundred other things but I can’t find the notes, can’t feign the inspiration and can’t really be arsed. I have a full time job and that takes it out of you. See David Graeber’s ‘Bullshit Jobs’ which I recently also speed ‘read’. This wasn’t as good as Klein I’m afraid, especially on the weeks back from a long trip living a paradisaical life in Mexico. Saying this, I may have already mentioned this line of thinking before, I just don’t have the energy to go back and read my own work. There is no way to speed that up and I’d rather not suffer.

Clearly Naomi Klein writes better than I do and has read more than I have. She rocks! But then so might I if it were my job to do so. Thanks to David for this insight. Instead, my day job is concerned with helping people live better lives. Poor me. (Ed – Poor them.)

Other topics which I thought I’d discuss here were HBomberguy’s almost 4 hour watch on plagarism. If you like hours of worthwhile pedantry then you’ve found the right place. (Ed -Can pedantry be worthwhile?) The more discerning of you will have noticed that I fly close to the wind here. The wry humour, the good looks, the interesting takes… Does the world need another George Osbourne? (I can’t believe I’ve just made that joke about myself. That is particularly cruel). If anything, I’d gladly fall into the vein of Cody, Politics Joe presenter Ed, Blindboy. I’m an aspiring youtuber-cum-podcaster. Emphasis on the cum aspiring. (Ed-this is truly despicable stuff, is there anything worse?) However I have the self effacement to at least ask, does the world need another white 33 year old youtuber or podcaster? I don’t need to answer that.

At one point HBomberguy’s documentary throws up a shady figure. The figure of Tyler Hummel! He has emerged! Mr Hummels has emerged… And he’s writing culturally conservative blogs about popular culture!? Strange… That sounds awfully familiar…
Maybe Mr Hummels is mocking me again. Doing what I do from a distance, only better. Wrong, after some investigation (by HBomberguy obvs), it turns out it’s the wrong Mr Hummels. I’m just the spineless echo of someone else copied to get ahead. Poor me.

At least from Hbomberguy’s video essay, I’ve learnt that I’m at least not plagarising content, instead I’m just lazily plagurising life. Wrong – David Graeber’s Bullshit Jobs may be dull when listened to at double speed but it does teach some compassion to the self. I wonder if it’s ultimate message is a little individualistic in that sense? Who knows, not me as I have a full time (+) job, improving other peoples lives, not writing and thinking freely.

I think that this dual effect of imposter syndrome / doppelgangering the self is pretty interesting and probably explored by both Graeber and Klein at length however they were both going to fast to understand. Another reference I maybe missed during Klein’s interesting part on the body was Foucault. I’d have like to hear how biocapital and maybe necropolitics comes into play with the Doppelganger effect and diagonalism. Now who needs to read the book?! (Ed – Probably still me.)

You’ll notice that I’ve admitted there, that I am the editor. That will come as a huge revelation. It comes as I’ve become more and more enamoured with Private Eye. I think I may have subconciously modelled this publication on classic magazine culture (as well as obviously being a cutting edge lifestyle content machine), however it has taken some disposable income to realise which venerable publications apple tree I didn’t fall far from namely; Private Eye and National Lampoon. (Ed – He wishes, more like a blend of Match, Adults Only and Classic Rock; Rush special!)

As well as regressing to print media, I’ve recently taken a tumble into linear tele. The most joyous of which is series 9230 of Have I got News for You! Ian Hislop and Paul Merton are national institutions for a nation that barely exists anymore and whose institutions are crumbling. They fit in well. That is unkind but just reward for Paul Merton, whose quip to me 20 years ago cut me to the core. En route to his show in Edinburgh, I spotted Merton on the street and turned to my Dad, “That’s Paul Merton!”. I cried with glee!
“No it’s not – it just looks like him!” he turned and said cheekily. How dare he?! I bet he wishes he hadn’t said that now! My readers will have the last laugh!
To Ian Hislop I can only apologies.

With this turn to linear tv, I’m rightly concerned I’m a tory. It certainly seems like a moderate turn.
What would David Graeber have to say? Don’t ask me.
Two other strange linear TV experiences (I use the term loosely) have been Survivors and The Traitors which I’ve binged. The shear garbage level is extraordinary. I find myself rooting for people and empathising with other human beings. I’m not a tory then, but maybe light entertainment is ok? (Ed -Wrong, it’s not.)

So where does any of this leave me? What do we know? Who can we trust? What does it do to help reveal the identity of the being at the centre of the last 100 (ish) posts… Mr Hummels. Those who know me will know I’m close to a double of him. That’s the ironic part. If we were to appear together we’d be indistinguishable. Funny that we’re both so singular and yet separate. People will know too, that I grew up as the older brother of twin brothers. A strange position to be in. Stranger than the identity of being a twin, I’m distinct of that double. As is Mr Hummels. He goes it alone. He’s an archetype, not a doppelganger. And, he’s out there somewhere. Flying close to the sun. And am I a doppelganger of him? I’ll you decide…

(Ed – You’re not. You can’t even make a youtube video. You thought comparing yourself to George Osbourne was a disservice to you? Poor George.)