After giving away a great many books a few months ago, I’ve had the chance to stem the tide, reflect on what information is actually valuable to read, and take something of a break from buying so many books. Overall, I think this has worked, and I’m finally reaching the point at which I really […]
Facebook Friends
I have under 100 friends on Facebook, and have for some time, but the interesting thing about having so few friends is that it’s very easy to tell when somebody has removed you, since your friend count will go down quite visibly. Recently, somebody removed me, but for the life of me, I don’t know […]
Giving Up on the Straight Razor – Thoughts on Low-ROI Skills
Sometime in the early 2010s, I was introduced to the double-edged safety razor, which consists of a solid handle, razor head, and extremely cheap double-sided razor blades. The hype was real, and although it took me awhile to find the right brand of blades to work with my skin, the shave is absolutely superior to […]
Types of Possessions
Most of our possessions can be categorized based on several generic types. These types can tell us a lot about whether our possessions are working for us or against us. I’m sure one could come up with additional categories, but I think these account for the vast majority.
Poverty as a Pretense for Hoarding
This title might not be accurate, but I think it gets the message across. I realized the other day that the only reason I keep video games I don’t want to play is that I don’t want to pay for them again if I change my mind. When I bought my Switch, I made the […]
The Resolution of Inner Torment
The season I’m in is very unusual. On its surface, it’s a time for study and a time to prepare for a major career shift that could steer the course of the rest of my life. But under the surface, something much deeper is happening. Several times this past year, my jaw became sore during […]
Structural Demand and Exploitation
I don’t believe in grand conspiracies, but I do think that the various people in power employ similar tactics to maintain their power, and the collective effect of these tactics over millions of people can easily create an unofficial alliance of opinion. For example, it is rare for society to endorse a high savings rate. […]
Being Capable vs. Being a Tool
I’ve been watching a channel on YouTube that talks a lot about socialism, and although I don’t think anyone will ever convince me that socialism is a good thing, the guy who runs the channel has some pretty fascinating criticisms of ‘capitalism’, or at least, how this appears to function today. Several of his points […]
Self Investment and Career Path ROI
It frustrates me when people choose not to invest in themselves. It doesn’t frustrate me from a moral perspective, as if productivity or achievement was some weird moral obligation, but from the perspective of hoping people can realize more of their own potential. I gave up on cyber security years ago because I was afraid […]
Meta-Politics: Lifting Others Up
The other day, a friend made a long post on Facebook regarding women’s rights and and how trans rights have skewed several important issues regarding women. I was inclined to agree with what was being said, and was going to “like” it, but I was also too lazy to read the whole thing and as […]