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Notes from the Underground by Fyodor Dostoyevsky My rating: 5 of 5 stars Disgusting Journey I emphathized with the character, but at some point it became revolting to read the ideations and machinations involving the character's mistreatment of others. One is left to wonder the meaning and purpose behind the character. Well written, short easily consumable chapters. View all my reviews

This Is Water: Some Thoughts, Delivered on a Significant Occasion, about Living a Compassionate Life by David Foster Wallace My rating: 5 of 5 stars Powerful stuff... One could quibble over the truths of this, about free will, about belief, about the psychology behind these ideas, and how Wallace’s tendencies and suicide matter, but it’s one hell of a great speech, very moving, and very insightful. View all my reviews

Anne Frank's Diary: The Graphic Novel by Ari Folman My rating: 5 of 5 stars Beautiful Rendition I read the original some years ago, and although important and impressive, this later version is more deeply affecting. It is not so much the graphics, although they are excellent, but their pairing with highlights from the diary, showcasing our great loss of this young woman’s light. View all my reviews

Weak Links by Peter Csermely My rating: 4 of 5 stars Many Great Ideas, A Bit Loose Most of this book is rich with ideas on networks, often highly theoretical, but the presentation and possibilities at times hit a a wrong or offensive chord. You may fee similarly, but I would still heartily recommend this book to any one lay reading in systems and networks. View all my reviews

Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language by Gretchen McCulloch My rating: 5 of 5 stars Insights Galore An enjoyable read, filled from beginning to end with insights, and for myself, providing some insights about generational differences, along with details about usage that I was only superficially familiar. View all my reviews

How To Live in Denmark 2017 Edition: A humorous guide for foreigners and their Danish friends by Kay Xander Mellish My rating: 4 of 5 stars Thoroughly enjoyable... View all my reviews

Seven Brief Lessons on Physics by Carlo Rovelli My rating: 4 of 5 stars For the scientifically literate, nothing groundbreaking, but the final chapter does bring up a couple of interesting points, about free will, and about the insights of physics that our general knowledge has yet to incorporate. An enjoyable read. View all my reviews

Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace My rating: 5 of 5 stars Fantastic writer, often disgusting material... A great writer, and a fascinating and engaging book, but as I finished, it seemed that the metaphor of the video tape, the one that leads to death, is this book. I was tempted to quit when I started to read how this was ‘bro-lit’, as well as thinking Of the uglIness of the settings and of the people, but was drawn back. I finish what I start. That said, there were many appealing aspects, those, and the quality of the writing make this worth the effort... View all my reviews

My responses in a NY Times comment section for the book, Coders: The Making of a New Tribe and the Remaking of the World by Clive Thompson : #1 - Link Although I've been a software developer for 15 years, and for longer alternating between a project manager, team lead, or analyst, mostly in finance, and now with a cancer center, I found it funny that you blame the people doing the coding for not seeing the harm it could cause. First, most scientific advancement has dark elements, and it is usually not the science but how it is used and sold by business people that is the problem. This leads to the second problem, in that it is not coding that is in itself problematic, but specifically how technology is harnessed to sell. It is normal and desirable to track users, to log actions, to collect telemetry, so as to monitor systems, respond to errors, and to develop new features, but that normal engineering practice has been used to surveil users for the purpose of selling. Blaming ...

#1 This is an example of exactly why I've hated these services, except when the employees actually benefit, is that the corporation takes most of the profit and drives down cost, turning workers into wage slaves and often breaking existing laws, while serving to make the lives of affluent people easier. At times, when I need a car for the airport I opt for car services over Lyft or taxis - I deleted Uber years ago - because the workers seem to get treated better, although I pay twice as much. Overall, I think we should be paying more for many things if we are to guarantee the welfare of the people doing the work. And it's not just that, we need to enforce labor laws, as well as tax the wealthy and corporations making profits off employees backs, those same investors that are giving little in terms of benefits. I am not a Luddite, it is simply that that services that allow employees to be used as 'task rabbits' are harmful to workers' lives. Although older, I w...

#1 The facts behind this idea are persuasive, but the biggest resistance will come from business interests determined to destroy the possibility, medical device manufacturers, pharmaceuticals, insurers, hospitals, and the AMA. Then there is the distrust of government held by many, sown by the same business interests. Although overall costs would be lowered, conservative media would gladly push 'testimonials', created and supported by industry groups, attesting to the increased costs on middle Americans. It is possible that most Americans would be for universal health care (UHC?) in some form, but there will be a barrage of propaganda, along with historically business-tilted laws and courts, that would make this a tough proposition. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/29/opinion/medicare-for-all-cost.html#commentsContainer&permid=100227199 #2 Although costs to business would be reduced from health care, and from the HR costs of managing benefits, businesses would lose th...

#1 Over the years - yes I am a somewhat jaded older worker - the idea of being a good highly productive employee has really turned. I am still highly productive, creating quality software products for people, or leading people to positive outcomes, but I am much more aware that companies don't matter. Few corporations have a mission that is worth devoting one's energies to. They are just business entities that don't deserve our commitment. I am much more likely to ask, how good is that employer, and how good is that employer for me. After 25 years in the financial sector, I took a role with a major cancer center, and part of the reason behind that was its high rating as an employer. Compared to finance, which is harmful to our collective welfare, my new employer devotes resources to human development and provides a better quality of life, besides having a mission one does not feel ashamed about. Sadly, the US will never be a country concerned about human welfare - at ...

Infinite Resignation: On Pessimism by Eugene Thacker My rating: 5 of 5 stars Although the first half of the book, devoted to ideas of philosophical pessimism was overly long - so many seemingly repeated ideas - it redeemed itself repeatedly with shots of brilliant laugh-out-loud dark humor. The second half, comprised of mini-biographies of great 'pessimist' philosophers, was straightforward providing background and insight, but again, accompanied with a sharp wit. View all my reviews

Actually, humans are the nuisance species, although worse than a mere nuisance. Humans have so encroached, in fact, destroyed, much of the world's habitat, that you oddly think of animals as nuisances when they encroach on your little patch of environmental destruction, e.g., your lawn. Americans aren't doing much of anything to stop the harm to the planet, considering it elected the destructor in chief, continue to guzzle gas, and build even bigger houses... https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/01/travel/vietnam-wildlife-species-ecotravel-tourism.html?comments#permid=31337971:31339191:31343387

#1 Some of us have a different form of affliction, the opposite of what you describe, I code. Unlike your problem, it is based on an intense focus. The upside is that it pays well, and I tend to think of it as rewarding. There was a time that my work role was more of a team lead or project manager but wrote code as part of my work. At some point, the pull of solving problems and developing solutions was so at odds with my need to reach out to others, I had to choose, code or lead. I chose to code. I won't claim to only focus since there are times that once I finish a block of some work, or get involved with something like a forum post, that I make a quick run through my social pages and news feed. To your point though, I still read books but tend to do it in a Pomodoro-style rotation, spending 20 to 25 minutes on each item. No longer can I find the intensity to read into the late hours, engrossed. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/23/business/cell-phone-addiction.html?comments#...

Some of us have a different form of affliction, the opposite of what you describe, I code. Unlike your problem, it is based on an intense focus. The upside is that it pays well, and I tend to think of it as rewarding. There was a time that my work role was more of a team lead or project manager but wrote code as part of my work. At some point, the pull of solving problems and developing solutions was so at odds with my need to reach out to others, I had to choose, code or lead. I chose to code. I won't claim to only focus since there are times that once I finish a block of some work, or get involved with something like a forum post, that I make a quick run through my social pages and news feed. To your point though, I still read books but tend to do it in a Pomodoro-style rotation, spending 20 to 25 minutes on each item. No longer can I find the intensity to read into the late hours, engrossed. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/23/business/cell-phone-addiction.html?comments#permi...

I've never been a sports fan, and for the past 30-plus years, fitness-oriented, even getting certified as a personal trainer at one point. On the other hand, I grew up playing, informally as a boy, many sports, and I can still enjoy watching almost anything, even the barbaric. That said, being a fan is not particularly healthy, but if you insist on being a follower and watcher, one could choose something not harmful to its participants, or even better, something that is life-enhancing for the payers, and maybe for yourself, if you decided to be a participant. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/29/magazine/i-quit-watching-football-because-it-harms-players-can-i-still-keep-up-with-my-team.html#commentsContainer&permid=30377551

#1 I've read Educated by Westover, so one immediately realizes that, of course, institutions saved her, although the people she left behind would strongly disagree. Westover's isolated Mormon parents hated all manner of organization, even the Mormon church itself, not just the government and medicine, and Tara had to leave that backward culture, to embrace education and academia, to finally grow. Nothing has changed. We still see the people of that world as backward, and the only way forward as leaving it behind. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/01/opinion/vance-westover-trump.html?comments#permid=30426296 #2 @Terry McKenna - I can empathize, since I have a similar story, my father died when I was 12, my sister 10, back in 1972, left with a stay-at-home mother with little real-world skill. We received Social Security and VA benefits until we were 21 or so, eventually curtailed by Reagan, but they kept the family middle class - my mother still worked 50+ hours per week, f...

Acquiring doesn't feel nearly as good as the thinking and planning that goes into deferred purchases. If all your purchasing is short-term, then you will need a continual refresh on your consumption, and even then, it will often be met with a feeling of loss, as people often overestimate how much pleasure they will derive from something. With items like vacations and purchases, the planning and thinking will give you most of the pleasure, without the downside of the quick rush. As for pleasure, enjoying the peace and serenity of space and clean can certainly be greater than the enjoyment of purchases. Also, with purchases, there are the downsides of clutter and regret, for bad purchases. I've never watch Ms. Kond's video, but it is not rocket science; keeping things clean does not take much: - Don't buy what you don't need, and in this case, love. - Generally, upgrade your items with better, rather than accumulating more items - Make regular purges, giving away o...

#1 Honestly, the most important aspect is not purchasing bad items in the first place, but eventually, even well thought out purchases need replacement. For decades, I've followed the rule that one person's junk is another's treasure, particularly considering our very unequal world in NYC, at one time using Freecycle to give away items, eventually finding it easier to use Craigslist. For the most part, it has worked out well but depends on the item, but almost always, there are takers. If it is electronics, there are often way too many people, so I follow a triage system. First, the ad, always with a good description and picture, requires specifying they supply a reason they need this item. It is not to be lurid or cruel, but if I am giving away an old computer, I need to know that it is going to a good cause. Yes, I could be fooled, but I try to be discerning, children, poor, disabled, etc. If there is no reason, it gets ignored. If it is simply for selfish reasons - ...

Research in gender at least as far back as the 80's, where I remember reading about it, would have shown that men who were more mixed in their gender role outlook, having an even mix of feminine and masculine qualities were happier, more likely to be satisfied socially and sexually, and more attractive to women as compared to traditional men. Although the concept has gotten bad press, as when the press described Michael Jackson's non-sexual persona as androgynous, thereby smearing men with balanced sex roles, it is still a better option for men and for women. Little has changed since then, except that traditional male orientation has been found to be in many ways harmful. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/19/opinion/sunday/toxic-masculinity.html?comments#permid=30249130 Granted, we have a moderately traditional culture so many of the expectation will not go away any time soon, if ever, but the bad impulses can be tamed. We need to create a better variant, something that reje...

#1 Like many of the commenters here, I have been working out, primarily aerobically, for over 30 years, so feel get a certain amount of 'feel good' emotions from reading this, but almost immediately wanted to say, yes, but strength training helps with the quality of life and maintaining function. Sincerely, I have a strong bias against the world of strength training, being so gender-lopsided, too much inhabited by traditional men, but my aerobic work, when I am not including strength training into my routine, includes activities that require power and strength, the cross country ski machine and the rowing machine, respectively. In the end, we likely get some benefits more from aerobic activity, and some aspects better from strength training, but in the end, both matter if one wants to maintain long-term well-being. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/12/well/move/is-aerobic-exercise-the-key-to-successful-aging.html?comments#permid=29715193 #2 Why do so many people have ...

Article: https://www.treehugger.com/economics/tech-replacing-liberal-arts.html #1 The death of the humanities and the social sciences in our current social environment is partially overblown but also disheartening. The idea that education is for making money in a career is a decrepit, poor attitude. Greater to have the ability to learn what one loves, what one enjoys, and what will help the world. I have had different majors and interests, covering computers, social sciences, finance, and medicine, and have worked in technology for over 25 years. That said, although I enjoy my work and sometimes code on my own time, it is much more rewarding to visit museums and the arts, take long walks and workout, and spend time with friends. My feeling is, and I think this is supported by the US's level of conservatism and inequality, that the focus on earnings is a result of Republican politics driving people down to the lowest common denominator. Yes, technology can help the world but...

#1 On the flip side, I was recently hired by a major medical center, and as part of orientation, I sat with a group of 10 or so 20-somethings. I am 58. Without leadership, when others can't decide, I usually step in, comfortable with the risk of failure, and in this case, it worked out well. By the end of the two days, I was thanked for being their leader through the various activities, but I commented, and I think they understood, I am more of a democratic leader, accepting input while directing our efforts. I was also thanked for my kindness, which seemed odd, but they explained that many older people deride them. I was quite surprised but realized later I had decided in my youth not to be one of 'those', cranky older sticks-in-the-mud, those that see the difference in youth as a flaw. I hope never to mistake those changes as bad, only recognizing that it is simply a different time, the same as when I was their age. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/13/well/mind/age-agi...

#1 I've always scored highly on tests of empathy, and think of myself as a compassionate person, but I am also very rational. I have a tendency to distrust most appeals for money, knowing that many charities are not of the highest quality and that play on people's emotions with maudlin appeals. For my spouse and I, our interests in giving are tempered as suggested. We've chosen a handful of charities to which we give regularly, and then a smaller number to which we give annually, or as needed. The last being those that deal with catastrophes and crises. My criteria for charities is, one, that they deal with issues we deem important, and two, that they are highly-rated by Charity Navigator. The latter helps filter out charities that over-advertise, spend too much on administration, or are not transparent and auditable. That said, we are not significant donors. My spouse works as a researcher of high net worth individuals, those likely to give in the millions, not in the ...

This article deals with a very narrow kind of insomnia, but insomnia has different causes, only one of which is likely related to creativity: A mixture of habit and need for sleep Excessive work and demands Life stresses Mental health issues Inclination, i.e., night owls Like many of us, I've had a variety of sleep styles over the years. In high school, I went to bed late, was chronically late to school, and would sleep into the afternoon on weekends. In my late twenties, driven to complete college while working a job that required hours from 4 AM, I often only slept 3 hours a night, but having to wake up that early eventually stuck my body clock to an early riser. B-school made the same kinds of demand, although now I was an early riser who often stayed up until 3 AM to finish projects. By then, I learned to just go with my needs, to go to bed when I felt like it, and to not force myself to do something I was incapable of, and rather than struggle to simply work until th...

Aspects of education tie to political outlook and sentiment as well. I read of a recent study that showed students choosing a vocational program, as opposed to an academic, became relatively more conscientiousness. It has long been known that education correlates with openness, and considering that openness is one of the better personality predictors for liberalness. As well, the converse predicts conservatism, as does conscientiousness predict a conservative lean. One can see that the concrete agenda pushed by conservatives can tilt the playing field of the populace. Yes, there is a little bit of o correlation-causation circularity, but one can examine the value of curiosity, of openness, and see that much can be gained from exploring the unknown, and even the frivolous. Learning the practical is not likely to yield greater human growth, but more likely to lead us down the road to a kind of intellectual and economic serfdom, where knowledge only matters if it makes money. There are va...

I was describing the gist of this article to my spouse, reading out to her a specific passage, then tried to summarize by saying "Would you still read writers that are no longer politically correct?". In truth, some of these authors' ideas a far from what we mean by, or is used as in insult as, politically correct. But then I realized the aptness of the term politically correct, regarding the appropriateness of modern belief. That said, in many ways, we hardly realize the people behind the words. I certainly did not realize the vapidness of Ayn Rand when I was reading her novels as a teen. I thoroughly enjoyed V.S. Naipuls Literary Occasions. unaware of him as a person. A more recent irritating author is David Foster Wallace, his Infinite Jest wonderfully written, line after unending line. I will finish it, but I have put it down once before when I found out more about him. Then again, how many of us would turn our noses up at people if we knew of their pasts or their...

#1 The ability to work remotely has both enhanced and deprived us of our personal time. In many ways, the pleasure of working from home can be wonderful, as does the ability to leave early to attend to children and then finishing up afterward remotely. Even working from home while sick can be nice if one's concern is to avoid making others sick or to hasten recovery for other types of illnesses. That said, there does come a time when one really needs to turn off work completely if one needs to recover. I've had a few of those instances, where I grew progressively worse unless I just went to sleep and took a few days. Even then, there are many people that feel obligated to keep working, tied to their cell phones and some sense of duty. In the worst case, I am reminded of a person at a financial institution, and that person's father, a board member, had passed away. They were still taking calls during his wake, and this as not someone callous and uncaring. It was obvious...