A new commitment: sharing highlights of my upcoming book here

After three days of New York’s Climate Week 2026, it’s hit me like a ton of bricks two things: 1. From sharing the ideas of my upcoming book, I’ve done enough reps that people’s reactions suggest I’m communicating effectively. 2. From hearing people on stage,…

If you carry your cell phone 24/7 “just in case” or “for emergencies”, why not fentanyl?

I hope you’ll allow me to be bold and direct about a delusion people keep spouting. People have lost the ability to spend time without their phones. Actually, I’m writing this post about apps on the phone that have addicted people to them. Apps include…

Some notes from Climate Week NYC day 1

My main result came from talking to people. Some were in groups, looking insular, probably preparing to present. Nearly all who were on their own were focused on their phones or computers. The introduction I worked out was, “Everyone is on their phones and computers,…

This week’s selected media, September 20, 2026: Shadowlands, Silkwood, “It’s Only a Penis”

This week I finished: Silkwood, directed by Mick Nichols starring Meryl Streep: I saw the dvd at the library so borrowed it. I had seen the title in my recent posts about nuclear disasters. It even mentioned Hanford as a place that the plutonium processed…

Why saying “I’m going to meditate” is like saying “I’m going to play ball.”

Since I meditate daily and organize a group that meets regularly in person in Manhattan, I end up talking about meditation a fair amount. It turns out that people can mean many different things when they say meditation. To meditate can mean to sit and…

If slaves didn’t have a choice in being enslaved, did owners? Then do we to do what we do that harms others?

Recalling the plot from my post The Scale and Pollution and Depletion’s Effects on People: Here, now, not future projections (read the post for context) that shows how many more deaths our system today is causing than past atrocities, in particular, the Atlantic Slave Trade:…

A reader’s thoughtful comment on artificial intelligence

A reader wrote a long response to my recent posts on AI. They said they couldn’t get the comments section to work, so emailed it to me. After removing identifying parts, I’m sharing the whole thing since it shows some difference in this community, as…

Rich people eating in garbage

Prince Street Pizza is one of New York City’s highest rated pizzas. They literally have customers eat off their garbage cans. And yes, literally, not figuratively. Here are its customers eating their pizza off their garbage cans. (More pictures below) My point is not to…

Why do people consider Judeo-Christian religion and culture European?

I keep hearing people refer to Christianity and Judaism as European religions, or religions that Europe spread to the world. People also refer to diseases like smallpox and mumps as European. If we’re talking about continents, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were born and lived in…

Visiting the 9/11 Museum

Writing my post on September 11 the other day, How I have responded to September 11: Service, prompted me to look up the 9/11 Museum. I’ve walked past the two pools/fountains and looked into them since they’re not far from my home and sometimes life…