Hope in the Time of Cholera [politics] Hope in the Time of Cholera [politics]
With the recent double-swearing in of Jesus as president, the world seems back on track. In just a few days, it has been remarkable the amount of progress accomplished just by undoing the regressive executive orders of the last eight years… As the resident contrarian around here, I was challenged...
Hope in the Time of Cholera [politics] »
Demise of Formalism [N8's Advice and Consent] Demise of Formalism [N8's Advice and Consent]
After the first several years of exclamatory Woah-Is-Me articles, transparently tinged with vouyeristic jealousy, I thought older Americans were mostly done bemoaning the sexual morality of the young, specifically the move away from formal dating toward group dating and hooking up. Nope. The NYTimes...
Demise of Formalism [N8's Advice and Consent] »
Marriage, Kids, Old Age, and Death Minus Two Of Those [social science] Marriage, Kids, Old Age, and Death Minus Two Of Those [social science]
If you saw Y’s recent post concerning his decision to be fruitful and multiply — a decision that seems to have resulted in his subsequent decision to get hitched — you are invited to reflect on his thinking with me. The decision to have children, while deeply personal, is heavily influenced...
Marriage, Kids, Old Age, and Death Minus Two Of Those [social science] »
Speaking of rats… [psychology] Speaking of rats… [psychology]
Operant conditioning of any mammal requires that you provide a reward for certain behavior. If you want a dog to sit on command, you give the command and reward compliance. If you do that enough times, you can shift the reward ratio away from a 1 to 1 reward and into a schedule of rewards. Maybe you...
Speaking of rats… [psychology] »
Sabbatical [politics] Sabbatical [politics]
I’ve been on GP sabbatical for the last week, and I’m not back with you just yet. Still mentally checked-out. Just came by the office to get my metaphorical keys. (Do you have people who do that when they’re supposed to be on vacation, come by the office just to “check on something”?...
Sabbatical [politics] »
NCAA Pride [sins] NCAA Pride [sins]
Now that Lent’s over, we can all go back to our favorite sins. Throughout the year, I try to maintain a relatively even spread of the Seven Deadlies, which I think makes for a well-rounded person. For example, yesterday I celebrated Easter by binging on dollops pf peanut butter and honey on top...
NCAA Pride [sins] »
3 Steps To Lead Your Lover From WoW [video games] 3 Steps To Lead Your Lover From WoW [video games]
Yahoo recently published a list of “Seven Ways To Win Back Your Gaming Spouse.” I’ve seen lists like these before for the same purported purpose. With suggestions like “fake a power outage,” I can only conclude that someone thinks the very act of writing this list of...
3 Steps To Lead Your Lover From WoW [video games] »
Priorities [econ] Priorities [econ]
The amount of LOL Kitteh talk has triggered an issue related to the care and feeding of kittens across the nation. Discretionary income is just that: discretionary. People should spend their money on whatever they like. That’s how capitalism works. Still, it baffles me that Americans are willing...
Priorities [econ] »
4 Simple Tips For Dreamscape Combat [public service announcement] 4 Simple Tips For Dreamscape Combat [public service announcement]
After watching Paprika last night, I thought our readership might find a few general tips for surviving combat in a Dreamscape useful. [Besides Paprika, the other sources contemplated as reference material on combat in dreamscapes and other existential war-zones included, inter alia: The Cell, the Nightmare...
4 Simple Tips For Dreamscape Combat [public service announcement] »
Distraction [random] Distraction [random]
Presently, I’m on assignment in Cajun Country Louisiana, eating as many crawfish and frog legs as possible — the eyes, ears, and digestive system on the ground here, on location, for The Prospectus this week. When I travel, like most people — and geek-people in particular — I...
Distraction [random] »

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