Category: Culture

Aside from my hiking ambitions, another goal for this year has been to develop some critical software and programming skills, many of which involve aspects of computer security. This has led me down a rabbit-hole of YouTube videos about online privacy, and I have some reflections on the things I’ve learned. First of all, it’s […]

I can’t believe it’s July already, and that means it’s been 1.5 months since I returned from Nepal. I’ve had a lot of time to read some of the books I brought back from there as well as new books that I’ve bought since returning. What fascinates me about Buddhism is its rich textual history. […]

I’m reading a book called “Seven Types of Atheism” and it’s pretty interesting. The central premise is that many of the various atheistic views are actually religious in their approach to “truth” and “progress”, but if this sounds like some Christian apologetics text, it actually isn’t: it’s written by an atheist who seems tired of […]

During late high school and then college years, I went through a deep and sincere struggle with what I believed about the world. I had seen some convincing elements in Christianity, but I was also deeply troubled by literal interpretations of Genesis (among other books like Jonah), various aspects of Christian over-proof (dismissing challenging questions […]

I wish it was easier to disagree with people. My first reaction when I happen upon a disagreement with friends is to sweep it under the rug, to simply not say anything, or to leave a brief counter-point that summarizes my disagreement. Beyond that, disagreement is uncomfortable and awkward, and I wish it wasn’t. But […]

I was praying to the Christian God in a Buddhist temple when I felt like God revealed a part of my calling to me. He said that he would make me like a bridge between people. I don’t know the full significance of all that I heard there, but I’m eager to find out. It […]

I just spent about $500 on a new phone. I’m kind of excited for it, but I also kind of want to throw up. My first smart phone was around $330. It overheated a few times while hiking, and started acting up. Known motherboard issue. My second smart phone was also around $330. It worked […]

I occasionally hear people talk about housing and food as basic human rights, but there are some philosophical complications with this, not the least being the fact that we live in a world of specialization and that self sufficiency is largely impossible without some prior investment. The entire concept of human rights is complicated, but […]

I don’t have a background in finance, so there are a number of concepts about banking and currency that are way over my head, but the most interesting thing that I’ve started to pick up on over the past few years is that the topics of banking and currency are still being figured out: nobody […]