Currently reading Nudge.

It's about the ways that we respond to suggestion, and how those who design environments ("choice architects") have to be aware of that.

Nudge's suggestion is that we can't tell people what to do ("authoritarianism" or "big government" if you're American) nor just leave them to decide (since people left to themselves make poor decisions).  Instead Thaler and Sunstein advocate "Liberal Paternalism"

I have just finished the chapter on Temptation, which suggests we have a cold state (clear thinking, rational) and a hot state (tempestuous and aroused).  The planner in us (the cold state) tries to manage the doer (the hot state) by reducing the choices that we are exposed to.  An extreme example of this is the clocky alarm clock which reduces our temptation to over-snooze by running away to random part of the bedroom.

This is the marvellous Rowan Williams (can we find a loophole in Ecclesiastical Law that would allow him to become Moderator of the Church of Scotland, indefinitely if possible) on moratoria and why you need them for conversation.  This is from Simon Mayo on Five Live, the 16th December if you're after the podcast.

In reference to probable election of Mary Glasspool as Bishop Suffragen of Los Angeles, Williams begins by saying that the reaction in many parts of the Anglican communion will be very troubled…:

Williams: Partly, of course because we have asked the Church in America, very specifically, again and again, to slow the pace of change, so that we can actually talk these things through together.  The problem is that if one bit of our family goes ahead too fast with certain issues and assumes everyone’s going to go in the same direction sooner or later then it has the effect of shutting down real discussion, open discussion in other parts of the Church family.  And I don’t think that’s good for us.

Later…

Mayo: She [Mary Glasspool] says, and I quote, “You don’t get a headline which says ‘Well qualified priest elected Bishop suffragen of the diocese of Los Angeles.  You don’t get Fabulous Preacher or great joyful person elected.  What you get is Lesbian Priest.  Do you accept that that’s a source of profound irritation.