This post is part 2 in a series including Do you remember the helicopter scene in Goodfellas? Henry Hill has a busy day delivering lots of things including guns, cocaine, and food. He has to do family things, meet his mistress, cook dinner, and all sorts of other things. He’s getting everything done, taking cocaine for energy. If you ask him, he’d say he was being super productive. Only he’s[…] Keep reading →

For years, when I mention not shopping Amazon.com, people tell me (often lecture me) that it saves people money. They have no choice but to buy from there. I agree Amazon has displaced many alternatives, but I see tons of Amazon deliveries every day and when I see what’s delivered, it’s nearly always something that will be in a landfill within weeks, maybe months. In my building, I see how[…] Keep reading →

Sam Harris used to post on Twitter multiple times daily. Anyone who had quit social media could tell it wasn’t improving his life. He was responding to its engineered cues to drive using it. Its engineers refined the techniques its industry evolved to addict people. Doing something he didn’t value but felt he couldn’t stop led him to rationalize and justify after the fact. Doing so enough led him nearly[…] Keep reading →

I belong to Flight Free USA, which helps motivate people to avoid the wretched addiction of flying. I recommend joining and taking their pledge to avoid flying. You’ll be glad you did. I recommend reading the profiles of people who have pledged and found the joy, fun, and freedom of not flying. Their last newsletter inspired me to think of other initiatives to start that could improve people’s lives similarly[…] Keep reading →

Today hit 66F (19C) in New York. I took advantage of the sunshine to charge on the roof and was more than comfortable in shorts and a tank top. This was me today: You must know that the people who predicted the Earth would warm also predicted if we didn’t change wholesale immediately human population would collapse in our lifetime. That means you’re putting your life at risk. How are[…] Keep reading →

I forget it I posted this sidcha, though it’s not that challenging, at least not any more, though it was when I started it in January 2022. At first kicking the addiction was hard. Maybe it’s more of a habit. It’s not a restriction though it may seem that way if you haven’t lived it. The sidcha: I don’t eat when a screen is on. Or when I eat, I[…] Keep reading →

My story I disconnected from the electric grid for 8 months—in Manhattan became Ars Technica‘s top story the day it posted and the next. It also generated many questions and comments. I can’t answer them all, but I wanted to address the big ones, such as I’ll do my best to answer these questions, then return to the big picture of my goals in the experiment and reporting on it.[…] Keep reading →