One of my worst web habits is keeping tabs with interesting links open, session after session, instead of more actively using a tool like Pocket that stores them away, out of sight and (let’s be honest) out of mind. I remember at one point a few years ago I managed to reach 80+ tabs on a single Firefox session, collected over a period of a few months. I understand this behaviour as an early 21st century equivalent of the trappings of a newspaper hoarder.
Here I’ll I’ll be sharing the links that I have found interesting and perhaps not even read yet; making lighter the burden on my laptop’s RAM; cleaning up my virtual workspace-cum-playden; making a journal-style post to return to in the future and ponder on what I’d spend time and energy (=awareness) in my late ’20s, and maybe, hopefully, inspiring you to go down yet another rabbithole. You know you want to…
“Why do so many people seem to have difficulty following simple instructions?” — Straight Dope forum post from 2005 — A discussion on the psychology of below-average intelligence (by necessity half the population), disobedience, poorly designed systems and operating instructions and the widely held belief that we’re already smarter than the person giving us intstructions and that there’s no possible new information to be gained from the exchange.
See also: The Basic Laws of Stupidity
Note to Self — New York public radio (WNYC) podcast about the issues and challenges emerging from ubiquitous, pervasive and often indirectly transgressive social media and always-on Internet — I really like the choice of topics and episodes, but the host Manoush Zomorodi keeps rubbing me the wrong way — mostly her accent. I feel she’s acting more ditzy than she really is, something that I actually find annoying about the inflection of many American women. I’ve been trying for many years to put my finger on where this misophonia is coming from. Unsuccessfully. I hope you find her less grating than I do, because there’s some good stuff here, like the obligatory Black Mirror episode with Charlie Brooker.
Maybe I should get her book Bored and Brilliant, though I can safely say I won’t be getting the author-narrated audiobook this time.
Everything Change: An Anthology of Climate Fiction — “Twelve stories from our 2016 Climate Fiction Short Story Contest along with a foreword by science fiction legend and contest judge Kim Stanley Robinson and an interview with renowned climate fiction author Paolo Bacigalupi.”
I wrote a story for that contest myself called Syntopia, though it didn’t make it very far. Not sure if I’m proud of that story or not, but I’d sure like some feedback on it, so please do read it if you’re feeling like it!
Everything Change is free to download, read, and share, and I’m itching to do just that. Actually, I did just share it, didn’t I?!
How to Disagree on the Internet — Paul Graham piece from exactly 10 years ago that is obviously as relevant as ever.
What You Can’t Say — Another piece by Paul Graham from 2004 this time that is one of those texts that have this timelessly thought-provoking quality about them.
“If you could travel back in a time machine, one thing would be true no matter where you went: you’d have to watch what you said. Opinions we consider harmless could have gotten you in big trouble… What would someone coming back to visit us in a time machine have to be careful not to say?”
Joe Rogan and Jordan Peterson Have the Most Epic Conversation About Existence, Mythology, Political Correctness, and Free Speech — I’ve been obsessed with Dr. Peterson for some months now, and this was one of my entry points to his teachings and philosophy. I suggest you download to your phone/mp3 player using the likes of 4K Video Downloader, convert to audio and listen to it while taking a walk somewhere.
An Anthropologist on Mars: Seven Paradoxical Tales — It’s on Jordan Peterson’s 2017 recommended book list (“A list of great books that will benefit the reader immensely. Including books on Clinical Psychology, Neuroscience, Literature/philosophy, and more.”) The title is what attracted me.
Self Authoring — Self-reconciliation/discovery writing program co-developed by Dr. Peterson (I told you I’ve been obsessed) I’ve been following on and off. I’ve kept it on a tab to inspire the effort I’ve been avoiding to put on it, but which it certainly deserves. Time to get serious.
THE FURBY ORGAN, A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT MADE FROM FURBIES — A video that is equal parts genius and despicable, enviable and disturbing. One of the things I prefer leaving the jury out on whether I love hating or hate loving…