I wrote the other day in Why I love the heat, even when it’s 95F (35C) on the way to 102F (39C) about how the heat, while uncomfortable, gave me reason to grow, learn, and connect. Among other things, it connected me to the countless people around the world and back in time who live and lived in such conditions. I can learn from our grandparents and people in other[…] Keep reading →

I didn’t realize the media had covered the heat spell so much. I only knew people kept asking me about sleeping without air conditioning the past few days. Now that I looked up the news from a couple days ago, I see they were going nuts about a heat dome. All I know is that for the past three nights, I woke up sweating and had trouble falling asleep, even[…] Keep reading →

New York City is supposed to hit 102 F (39 C) today. So far it’s 95 F (35 C) and since my battery was drained and the rest of the week is forecast to be cloudy, I’m out in the park charging. The park is mostly empty. Here’s my view right now, showing a fraction the number you’d see when the temperature was lower. You can also tell I’m sitting[…] Keep reading →

Pollution destroys life, liberty, and property. Depletion violates the principle of leaving enough as good in common for others. Basic principles of how people can live together include protecting life, liberty, and property and leaving enough as good in common for others are among the most basic and necessary. The language looks like it comes from Thomas Jefferson, John Locke, and their Enlightenment peers. I would say their Enlightendigenous peers[…] Keep reading →

My building neighbors often have deliveries to their doors, which I presume happens all over New York City. Here are some recent deliveries, first, I think, coffee, pastry, and other doof: Next, unnecessary sundries: I know plenty of people who marvel at how convenient modernity has made life. I wouldn’t be surprised if I looked enough into my past if I found I liked the prospect of not having to[…] Keep reading →

It’s tragic what people throw away in our culture that rewards and values disposability. Across the street from my building I saw this apple tree being thrown away. It looks nearly dead, maybe past gone, but there are some hints of green if I look. I don’t know who bought it, but why bother watering a tree when you can just throw it away and buy a new one, right?[…] Keep reading →

Juneberries are just going out of season. I love their taste. I love the process of picking and eating them. I don’t know their nutritional value, but I understand that purple in the plant kingdom usually means lots of antioxidants and that berries in general are very healthy. [EDIT: I got lucky and found a couple pages on juneberry nutrition and it turns out they rank near the top of[…] Keep reading →

Regular readers know what a sidcha is and that my second daily habit that both became a sidcha and helped me conceive of the concept began with doing ten burpees a day. I think I started my burpee habit in early 2012. In time, that habit evolved into a twice-daily set of calisthenics. I agree that discipline equals freedom, so more than the sizeable gains of saving money, saving time,[…] Keep reading →

I only wish I’d disconnected sooner. Not needing something means more freedom, especially not needing something that hurts people. People often ask if everyone could live like me. If every American lived like me, we could reduce our electric grid to a tiny fraction of its present incarnation. Our national security would increase, as would our health, community, and safety. Wealth disparities would decrease among many other friendly social outcomes.[…] Keep reading →