"To future historians, nothing will explain our behaviour, except a mass outbreak of ergotism caused by contaminated rye?... The Unabomber had been right about everything! Well, not all of it. The Unabomber stuff he had gotten wrong. But that stuff about the Industrial Revolution had been right on the money." —Patricia Lockwood, "The Communal Mind." … Continue reading The Communal Mind by Patricia Lockwood
Category: articles
The ‘H’ in ‘Jesus H. Christ’ — Grammarphobia
"The most likely suggestion is that it comes from a monogram made of the first three letters of the Greek name for Jesus. In Greek, “Jesus” is ΙΗΣΟΥΣ in uppercase letters and Ἰησοῦς in lower. The first three letters (iota, eta, and sigma) form a monogram, or graphic symbol, written as either IHS or IHC … Continue reading The ‘H’ in ‘Jesus H. Christ’ — Grammarphobia
O! Small-Bany! —Elisa Albert
Elisa Albert writes about her adopted hometown, Albany, NY. Disaffected stream-of-consciousness reflections that are funny, if you like your commentary a little dark. Not for everyone, but what is? Part 1: Spring Part 2: Winter Part 3: Summer Don't feel the need to be chronological; start with Summer.
If You Want to Be Happy, Spend Your Bonus On Your Coworkers | Jeremiah Stanghini
"How would you react if your company made a slight change to your bonuses this year. Instead of receiving your usual 1% or 10% bonus, depending on your industry, what if your boss said you had to donate that money to a charity or that you had to spend that money on your fellow coworkers? … Continue reading If You Want to Be Happy, Spend Your Bonus On Your Coworkers | Jeremiah Stanghini
How to Teach Yourself Hard Things
Identify what you don’t understand (maybe the most important one) Have confidence in your knowledge Ask questions Do research ...Taking a bit of extra time to take a piece of knowledge that you’re pretty sure of (“there are 65535 ports, Wikipedia said so”) and make it totally ironclad (“that’s because the port field in the … Continue reading How to Teach Yourself Hard Things
Why I Use Old Hardware
"My 11-year-old laptop can compile the Linux kernel from scratch in 20 minutes, and it can play 1080p video in real-time. That’s all I need! Many users cannot afford high-end computer hardware, and most have better things to spend their money on. And you know, I work hard for my money, too - if I … Continue reading Why I Use Old Hardware
Walgreens Tests New Smart Coolers
"Walgreens is piloting a new line of “smart coolers”—fridges equipped with cameras that scan shoppers’ faces and make inferences on their age and gender. On January 14, the company announced its first trial at a store in Chicago in January, and plans to equip stores in New York and San Francisco with the tech.Demographic information … Continue reading Walgreens Tests New Smart Coolers
Google’s Sidewalk Labs Plans to Package and Sell Location Data on Millions of Cellphones
"We audit their practices to ensure they are complying with industry codes of conduct,” said Bowden. “No Google data is used. This extensive audit process includes regular reporting, interviews, and evaluation to ensure vendors meet specified requirements around consent, opt-out, and privacy protections." —Ava Kofman, "Google’s Sidewalk Labs Plans to Package and Sell Location Data … Continue reading Google’s Sidewalk Labs Plans to Package and Sell Location Data on Millions of Cellphones
Why People Ghost — and How to Get Over It
"If a friendship feels like too much work, maybe it is. The good ones shouldn’t feel like a chore on your to-do list, or that one side is doing all the communicating). Sometimes the best course is to let someone go, even if you were once close. Growing apart can be a friendship’s natural evolution; … Continue reading Why People Ghost — and How to Get Over It
You’re Probably Using the Wrong Dictionary
"I don’t want you to conclude that it’s just a matter of aesthetics. Yes, Webster’s [1913] definitions are prettier. But they are also better. In fact they’re so much better that to use another dictionary is to keep yourself forever at arm’s length from the actual language.Recall that the New Oxford, for the word 'fustian,' … Continue reading You’re Probably Using the Wrong Dictionary
Protecting Your Online Privacy is Tough—But Here’s a Start
"Algorithms make decisions based on statistical correlations. If you happen to not be a typical individual, showing unusual characteristics, there is a chance that an algorithm will misinterpret your behavior. It may make a mistake regarding your employment, your loan, or your right to cross the border. As long as those statistical correlations remain true, … Continue reading Protecting Your Online Privacy is Tough—But Here’s a Start
The Radical Simplicity of Walking
"...travel on foot is slow. It is the speed that most of the human race experienced life for thousands of years, right up until the last couple of hundred years. In the time span you have available for your adventure, you will see the fewest places if you decide to walk. But the places that … Continue reading The Radical Simplicity of Walking
Politeness Theory, Negative Face
"Negative face was defined as 'the want of every 'competent adult member' that his actions be unimpeded by others', or 'the basic claim to territories, personal preserves, rights to non-distraction—i.e. the freedom of action and freedom from imposition'. Whereas positive face involves a desire for connection with others, negative face needs include autonomy and independence." … Continue reading Politeness Theory, Negative Face
Why I Live in a Shed – Dark Mountain
"I could tell her about all the things I wanted to do with my wild and precious life. How I wanted to go exploring. To see with my own eyes all the wonders of the world. To ride camels and climb mountains, test myself against the elements, find my own limitations, make my own mistakes. … Continue reading Why I Live in a Shed – Dark Mountain
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