I just posted The first warm day of the year means overflowing doof garbage, of course, which showed how Americans celebrate spring: polluting and depleting, funding the production of garbage, and driving themselves to obesity. We also celebrate winter by killing trees. I hope the picture below is the last Christmas Pagan tree of the season. It goes to show you how many trees we kill in our pagan rituals[…] Keep reading →

In Monday’s post, Today’s blizzard, February 2026, I wrote how the blizzard led to another day when I could find no litter in Washington Square Park. As usual, even with over a foot of snow, I found plenty of litter and garbage elsewhere, but at least not in the park, which is like my back yard. That post shows several beautiful pictures of my neighborhood covered in virginal snow. In[…] Keep reading →

I’ve done a lot of Spodek Method commitments. I’ve loved them all, at least I don’t remember disliking any, but haven’t recorded many of them here, but liked posting My Spodek Method commitment to make water ice from snow: A photo essay last month. I did another one over the weekend and took a few pictures to share. The memories of nature stemmed from Wissahickon Creek and the park around[…] Keep reading →

I don’t have anything against rats, but they represent a loss of biodiversity and a failure of our society. They thrive on our waste. This island used to be covered with countless species of mammals, birds, and probably reptiles and amphibians, on top of plants and fungi. Now we have mostly rats. No beavers, coyotes, bears, egrets, swans, butterflies, and what used to live here, plus fish, mollusks, dolphins, and[…] Keep reading →

Here is a video showing a bunch of trees people bought to celebrate the birth of their lord and savior, in a tradition unrelated to that birth, borrowed from paganism. Instead of celebrating birth, they are actual death. Apparently people believe we have too many trees and forests. I love tradition. We don’t keep alive every tradition ever. People used to practice infanticide. Should we keep practicing it for tradition?[…] Keep reading →

First, I grew up in Philadelphia, and in Philadelphia, we have something called “water ice.” It’s like cheese steaks in that it’s local. I didn’t know it wasn’t universal until I moved away. Elsewhere they call something like it Italian ice, but we don’t. Here’s an article on it from USA Today: What is Philly-style water ice? We explain how it’s made and where to get it. On to the[…] Keep reading →

Before the Holocene, our immediate-return egalitarian ancestors lived in environments in which each person could access their material needs. People who were hungry could, on their own, climb a tree, dig up a root, or hunt an animal. For needs like safety from predators, they’d have to cooperate with others, but they had the freedom and responsibility to make those relationships work. By contrast, living in dominance hierarchies mean that[…] Keep reading →

I finished a few papers, books, and videos by Bjorn Lomborg lately, as well as books that refer to or rely on his work, like Superabundance and The Moral Case for Fossil Fuels. I follow up most books and movies I finish and find meaningful by reading and watching reviews, commentaries, criticisms (positive, negative, and other), and more. My criticism of Lomborg’s work stands independent of the accuracy of his[…] Keep reading →

I talk about this effect a lot in person because it keeps amazing me, not that it’s particularly insightful, but I love nature and this effect is part of it. If the temperature drops below 50F (10C) in September, I shiver and can barely stand it. I have to bundle up. Then in December it drops below freezing and 50F feels warm. I’m commenting on it now because we’re in[…] Keep reading →