Doughnut Economics

Out today doing the chores that make my life so exciting. And fulfilling.

Trip to the dump; Harvester Market for 1 pound of Land O' Lakes american cheese off the block; Dunkin Donuts.

Listening to the U2 Sirius XM station.

I always liked U2. Now I love them. I have been listening to nothing else for a week or two.

Got a buddy to whom U2 is what the Allman Brothers are to me. He has seen them in concert many times, including in Dublin. Fucking Dublin, man. We used to fantasize about me and him going to Dublin to catch them live.

Never happened. Bummer.

As I was driving around, a new show started at 1:00 featuring a guy named John Kelly. He played some funky music that I dug, then brought in a guest for a discussion. Kate Raworth who recently wrote a book titled Doughnut Economics. The Edge joined the conversation. Insiders just call him Edge. He just calls me Joe.

The title has nothing to do with food.

The book suggests that a new theory of economics is urgently needed because the one we have lived by for thousands of years is not dealing with the pressing issues of our time - climate change, extreme inequality and the super rich, financial crisis, and more.

Fascinating stuff, but my main point is I was listening to a rock 'n roll station and this conversation pops up.

U2 are eclectic. Informed. Activists. Humanists. They are always pushing to innovate musically, but they are also actively involved in trying to contribute to solving the world's biggest problems.

I will check the book out. Could be over my head; could be boring to me. Could prove to be interesting. I might learn something.

I would not even know the book existed if I wasn't listening to U2.

That is the way the world is supposed to work, baby. Constant exposure to new ideas to stimulate you and make you think and make your life interesting.