The changes in human culture and technology over the past few centuries have been unique to both human history and world history.  Previously humans used tools and lived in small groups with shared language for tens of thousands of years -- but so have other species.  We then developed agriculture and domesticated lands, plants, and animals about ( Read more... )

Feels like the week is going by slowlyThis morning I want to go on a walk and then lift weights.  Might be another slow work day -- it seems lots of people are on vacation with families so the workflow has slowed WAY DOWN.  It will probably pick up abruptly when people return after the 4th ( Read more... )

Sure, I can meditate for 20 minutes per day, but I need the gamification to motivate me to actually do it.

Tomorrow I'm restarting the game at 21 minutes, increasing one minute per day until I can't make myself do it, at which point I'll cut the time in half the next day.

As my relationship to vegetarianism continues to struggle and evolve, so does my relationship to political partisanship ( Read more... )

I'm such a political junkie, I often enjoy fantasizing about how I'd vote in an election where I don't live ( Read more... )

Despite being skeptical of what has become yet another billionaire's vanity media shop (after a long history of independent journalism), I wanted to read more of what The Atlantic has to offer, so I bought a subscription, and I'm finding so much bullshit. I don't mean stuff I disagree with, I mean stuff that is poorly argued. I subscribe to the ( Read more... )

Over at the New York Times website, the top of the page shows seven news stories, five of their headlines or blurbs mention "Trump".  I thought after the impeachment trial ended on Saturday we'd have one more day of Trump headlines on Sunday, but now it is Monday and the Times can't stop reporting on Trump yet.

The Washington Post does better, ( Read more... )

Revisiting some top Battlestar Galactica episodes today.

As I rewatch Pegasus (2x10), I'm trying to put each of the ships on the D&D alignment scale.  Pegasus is Lawful Evil?  Galactica is Chaotic Good?

Reading about the music for the series.  I'm back to deconstructing music as I listen to it, pulling it apart into the constituent tracks and loops, ( Read more... )

Nothing I read, do, or say is going to affect the outcome.  Reading the daily horse-race stories, looking at the polls, looking at the statistical models ... writing in my journal ... none of it is going to affect the outcome.  I've requested my mail-in ballot, I know who I'm going to vote for, but it doesn't matter in Maryland, we're not a swing ( Read more... )

Moving through all those triggers ( Read more... )