LATEST BLOG POSTS

This week I finished: “Some People Can’t See Mental Images. The Consequences Are Profound,” by Larissa MacFarquhar in the New Yorker: A few years ago I learned that most people, when they imagine something visual, actually visual something, as if they were seeing it. By contrast, when I imagine seeing something, I don’t see anything. I just imagine it. Apparently nobody knew of this distinction until recent decades and only[…] Keep reading →

My building has a little garden in front with a low wall people can sit on. Isn’t it nice to provide space for people to take a load off? I’m sure most of them don’t, but plenty leave their garbage in our little garden. Here are some pictures from a typical morning. The “Rite-a-way” box is rat poison I don’t like that the superintendent puts there, but with all the[…] Keep reading →

Following up July’s post on The social cost of gratuitous plunder and destruction of life, liberty, and property, here are more examples of people flouting the US Constitution’s claim to protect citizens from being deprived of life, liberty, and property. Pollution and depletion aren’t victimless crimes. They hurt everyone. Let’s start with the venue I did the last post American Bar, again blasting the outdoors with air conditioning nobody benefits[…] Keep reading →

Most people who call themselves environmentalists are on the political left. I talk to a lot of them. I also talk to people on the right and in other directions. I learn from all of them. I decided to compile them for reference. Some blog posts (I’m sure I missed a few): Podcast episodes:

I’ve run in six marathons and watched several others, but never before volunteered until Sunday. Wow! It was almost unfair the access. I was right in the middle of Columbus Circle where the runners make their final turn back into Central Park before the several hundred yards to the finish Check out the videos below to see the top finishers. The runners may go past too fast to see in[…] Keep reading →

I wrote in August about a couple personal bests in my lifting practice, Two personal bests in a week: Freedom, and last month about the risk of injury in exploring your physical limits. Why form is important in lifting weights, especially Turkish Get-Ups. First, the personal best on the bench press, or more accurately floor press, since I don’t have a bench. My last personal best was to do three[…] Keep reading →

How often does something break that you know could be fixed, but you don’t know how and there are no places to fix it? I remember repair stores all over the place, but the field doesn’t exist any more. We all know about planned obsolescence and how products are designed to break. Now we feel we have to throw things away and replace them (after avoiding buying things when possible,[…] Keep reading →

This week I finished: Sophie Scholl: The Final Days, directed by Marc Rothemund, starring Julia Jentsch: This movie was nominated for an Oscar for best foreign language movie in 2005. I confess I only learned of the White Rose movement, and two of its key members, Hans and Sophie Scholl, this year. I recommend learning more about them, especially if you’re interested in learning what leads people to oppose a[…] Keep reading →

I found Dr. Trasande quoted in a Washington Post article The health risks from plastics almost nobody knows about: Phthalates, chemicals found in plastics, are linked to an array of problems, especially in pregnancy. He said, “Endocrine-disrupting chemicals are one of the biggest global health threats of our time … And 2 percent of us know about it—but 99 percent of us are affected by it.” The article said that he[…] Keep reading →