Closing credits now commonly stretch for ten minutes. Early movies had closing credits of ten people. Why do we still have them? The typical answer is to credit the people who contributed, but that method seems ineffective: one name out of thousands is nearly invisible, it’s only visible while watching the movie, and they’re unsearchable. Meanwhile, every movie has a web page but those pages rarely list the full closing[…] Keep reading →
One of the great lessons I learned from my father was that when people talk about how they spend their time, they’re talking about priorities. As he put it, “When people say they don’t have time to do something, they mean they prioritized something else higher. People have time to do anything. The question is if what they put aside to do something.” Internalized over the years, the perspective seems[…] Keep reading →
Urban Dictionary has the best definitions for my name. I’m too lazy to look up if they make up awesome definitions for everyone, but check out yours in case they do to brighten your day. Here are the first few definitions of Josh: Josh – He is a fun loving guy really funny and can make anyone laugh.He is very quiet at first and seems shy but when you get[…] Keep reading →
In college I volunteered at a soup kitchen near campus, in the basement of the church with the big red doors on 114th and Broadway. I did it independently of the student groups that organized students to interact with the community beyond Columbia, but I volunteered more regularly than anyone else, so they invited me to the annual August retreat for the student organizers. On the way back from upstate[…] Keep reading →
I have a friend who says he can voluntarily let go of emotions he doesn’t want to hold on to anymore. I’ve let go of many things, but never in the moment from conscious intent. He sounds sincere, but frankly I doubt him. Like telling an angry person to calm down, suggesting someone let go of something is counterproductive advice. Trying to let go of something voluntarily focuses your mind[…] Keep reading →
I was helping a colleague install some software on an Apple computer a week or two ago. In the process we had to install a c compiler, which was Free Software. I don’t remember the details, but somehow Apple had set it up so he had to register with Apple to install the software. I’m sure there was a way around it, but Apple set it up that way. There’s[…] Keep reading →
What creates value? Do things have inherent value? Many parts of society value gold, money, status, and so on. But if you’re hungry enough, those things will lose their value relative to a modest apple. On the other hand, if your material needs are covered, a simple apple loses its value. Water and oxygen are necessary for life, but since they are nearly freely available at least to individuals reading[…] Keep reading →
Many people are quick to say they don’t judge. People seem to value not judging others. Come to think of it, I do. People all too commonly say they aren’t judgmental when someone else is judgmental about something they aren’t. For example, when one person says “Americans are too fat,” the other may say “Don’t be so judgmental” or, more mildly, “I’m not so judgmental.” It’s all too common because[…] Keep reading →
Some people like to give advice. Maybe everyone does, despite knowing how annoying it can be. Sometimes we think we can help so much or don’t think of the other person’s perspective enough that it feels worth it. We’re all used to our thoughts preparing the advice: hoping to avoid stepping on toes, to avoid insulting, and so on. The other person’s annoyance is often justified. That is, our advice[…] Keep reading →