I spoke to my father in the months leading to last November’s election. He lives in Pennsylvania, a state that could have gone either way. He was concerned about the outcome. I suggested speaking to people who might vote differently than him to influence them. He wouldn’t. He would only speak to people who were voting his way. It’s easier not to face conflict, let alone resolve it, at least[…] Keep reading →

I didn’t think of how small my building’s elevators were when I bought a sofa after moving into my current apartment. It didn’t fit. The deliverymen tried to bring it up the stairs too. They made the first landing, but couldn’t make the turn to go up the next flight. They had to take it back. I ended up paying a $300 restocking fee plus big tips for the deliverymen’s[…] Keep reading →

Environmentalists try to convince, lecture, and argue people into changing their behavior and legislators to changing laws. Argument provokes people to argue back more than to change. Non-environmentalists do it too. The other day at a cocktail party a guy kept arguing with me how the environment was fine. I couldn’t get us off the subject. A new way of thinking about it hit me: People will act when five[…] Keep reading →

Over the weekend I went to Washington Square Park to read, so I was there for a couple hours. It was a beautiful, sunny day. Bright and just hot enough that you’d want to avoid the sun but not so hot that you couldn’t stand it. A guy sat on a bench diagonally across from me with a cup of ice cream from a nearby store. Besides him, I would[…] Keep reading →

I’m no Shakespeare, but I think I express myself well with words. Despite everyone telling me to use it more, I don’t use social media that much. Someone shared the video below. I tried to describe it to someone. I said, “These two women were showing off their fat and it looked like. . .” And I found myself unable to find anything else in nature or my experience that[…] Keep reading →

Anyone who knows me knows how much I love spending time in nature and want to conserve it so it can regenerate. Still, even I considered the idea of giving rights to animals and nature weird and possibly counter productive. This article’s headline made me cringe at first, Streams and lakes have rights, a US county decided. Now they’re suing Florida: How can streams have rights? How can they sue?[…] Keep reading →

Do you have the same issue: I almost can’t stop eating until I’m full. My only way to keep from putting on fat is to eat only fresh vegetables, fruit, whole grains, nuts, and food, not doof. Luckily it’s delicious and affordable. I don’t remember eating at any restaurants that served only food, not doof. They seem to add salt, sugar, and fat to everything, even expensive places with reputations[…] Keep reading →