Category Archives: Addiction

How cute and adorable the garbage from doof dealers

on February 20, 2026 in Addiction, Doof

I used to be unable to resist craving for sweets and savory treats. Now I’m free from the doof industry’s deliberate strategy to addict people, or at least mostly so. Walking along Seventh Avenue, I saw this revolting sight: a trash can overflowing with pink boxes designed to look adorable and appealing. They say the name of the store creating this garbage: “Crumbl”. I see the store around. They make[…] Keep reading →

On open email on Scott Galloway’s “Resist and Unsubscribe” initiative

on February 7, 2026 in Addiction, Choosing/Decision-Making, PollutionAndDepletion

A friend of mine who is also friends with Scott Galloway emailed me about Galloway’s initiative to influence politics by changing consumer behavior. The initiative aims to lead people to stop doing business with companies that influence politics he and his followers disagree with. Context Galloway calls it “Resist and Unsubscribe.” Our mutual friend’s email included screen shots of his cancelling his accounts with Amazon, X, and ChatGPT. He included[…] Keep reading →

Another time garbage nearly brought me to tears

on January 27, 2026 in Addiction, Doof, Habits, PollutionAndDepletion, SIDCHAs

Two days ago I posted My first time since starting not finding litter in Washington Square Park, because over six inches of snow covered it. Since I committed to picking up at least three pieces per day until three days pass when I can’t find three pieces to pick up, I wondered if the snow would make it possible. I also offered to take any bets that people would litter.[…] Keep reading →

My first time since starting not finding litter in Washington Square Park, because over six inches of snow covered it.

on January 25, 2026 in Addiction, Doof, Habits, PollutionAndDepletion, SIDCHAs

I’ve committed to picking up at least three pieces of litter from the northwest corner of Washington Square Park since it became overrun with fentanyl, meth, and all that results from it during the pandemic. I decided I’d keep up the sidcha until three days passed in which I couldn’t trivially find three pieces of litter, as I wrote three years ago in On when I should stop picking up[…] Keep reading →

There will always be something just beyond our grasp we crave. Or we can learn to stop craving.

on January 20, 2026 in Addiction, Choosing/Decision-Making, Freedom

Artificial intelligence is just the latest instance of a technology that, by polluting and depleting, deprive people of life, liberty, and property without due process of law. People think of the perks it might bring them despite violating the Constitution. So they convince themselves that it will actually benefit those it hurts. They can’t say exactly how, but they think if we just use more of it, it will somehow[…] Keep reading →

How do we know the people living here when Europeans arrived were indigenous?

on December 1, 2025 in Addiction, Awareness, Freedom

First I have to make as clear as possible: I oppose imperialism, colonialism, and outcomes they produce such as slavery, racism, genocide, and the coercive, often violent and deadly destruction of cultures, including indigenous ones. That opposition contributes significantly to my work, since living unsustainably drives all those results. In light of that connection, since I know no one even trying to live sustainably, which is necessary to lead others[…] Keep reading →

Top 2025 Christmas Gifts … or landfill within a week?

on November 26, 2025 in Addiction, Tips

Below shows the results if you search Amazon for “Top 2025 Christmas gifts.” I will bet over 95 percent of them will be in landfills, bottoms of drawers never to be used again, or some equivalent by the end of January. I’m pretty live-and-let-live about what makes people happy (though not when it hurts someone else without consent), but I couldn’t find one item there whose existence made the world[…] Keep reading →

My first time doing a NY Times crossword puzzle

on November 22, 2025 in Addiction, Habits

Last week I was working at the library. I ran out of scrap paper. They have a bunch. On the other side of a sheet was something they provide every day: the New York Times crossword puzzle. It was a couple days old when I got it, hence it being scrap. I was about to use the back side, which was the side I wanted. I scanned a few clues[…] Keep reading →

My short conversation with a guy injecting heroin into his neck in broad daylight, steps from my front door

on November 20, 2025 in Addiction, Relationships, Stories

I walked past this fire truck the other day. It was bright daylight, not nighttime, like when I took this picture. I saw a guy standing about where the “18” is on the truck’s bumper, facing toward the truck, doing something with some stuff on the bumper, keeping it hidden, looking at himself in the reflection on the chrome on the grill. He was focused on what he was doing[…] Keep reading →

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