Machinology

Cambridge is the academic Disneyland. It is screaming for its Ballard to write Super-Cambridge that maps the perverse libidinal economies (connected to the monetary economies) which circulate here.

One of the fascinating points, or lines in Cambridge is the so called reality checkpoint.

It has got a long history, partly documented already on Wikipedia as well but it captures so well on an affective level as well the fine divisions found in Cambridge. After crossing Parker’s Piece, heading towards the centre, you are warned of the approaching bubble disconnected from the real world (again: Academic Disneyland). Quite often the original 1970s context for reality checkpoint pointed towards the difference between Cambridge undergrads and the “normal people” of Cambridge, but as apt is the fact that it apparently was first scratched on the lamp post by CCAT — now Anglia Ruskin — student(s).

And I always add that the other university might have their Nobel Prize winners etc. ARU heritage comes with Pink Floyd members (David Gilmour and Syd Barrett studied at our predecessor).

Oh, would that be the day if we had a “David Gilmour chair in sonic media”, or a “Syd Barrett chair in experimental media studies.”