you respect the one who got shot; I respect the shooter

I’m putting the mind-body dichotomy series on hold for a while in order to read some more on the subject. Currently I’m Kindling my way through Stephen Pinker’s How The Mind Works, which has astonished me and lost me a dozen times already. You’re all disappointed at not getting to hear my half-baked [...]

what would you say if I took those words away

Paper or Plastic
Short of a few phone calls with friends, I had no conversations on Saturday that weren’t transactional. Spending $7 on a takeout dinner doesn’t count as “human contact” in my book, any more than letting someone board the bus in front of you counts as “making a friend.” You’re pointing to [...]

bow down before the one you serve

When I wrote last Friday about where my desires come from, I used the example of Laughing Cow cheese. My desire for this cheese went from non-existent (before I tried it) to compulsory (after). I thought that was pretty extraordinary.
Some folks, commenting on my LiveJournal, observed that the manufacturers of Laughing Cow cheese [...]

you told me again you preferred handsome men

And Who Are You Supposed To Be?
How good was this past Sunday’s episode of Mad Men (“The Hobo and the Gypsy”)? So good that I don’t know if I want to go as Don Draper for Halloween anymore. That’s how good it was.
I probably will, anyway, as I’ve reached that point in my [...]

you know that I wouldn’t say something I didn’t mean

It took me a while to realize, even after I became a humorless atheist, that my thoughts and feelings come from somewhere.
Even if you don’t believe in a soul, or a consciousness separate from the biological processes of consciousness, you probably believe in some distinction between the “nobler” passions, like love and hope, and the [...]

night swimming deserves a quiet night

My latest post on Overthinking It compares The Demolished Man vs. Demolition Man – the 1951 Alfred Bester novel to the 1993 Sylvester Stallone action flick. They have more in common than a name, you know. (Serpico deserves some credit for inspiring the initial comparison: thanks Serp)
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Imagine the following two different [...]

you can’t always get what you want

A friend of mine recently brought up some repugnant treatment they’d received at the hands of someone close, a long time ago. When the villain reached out to them recently, this friend speculated if it’d be worth their time to forgive.*
I said, “Maybe, but not for the reasons you think.”
Even as a humorless atheist, [...]

but I don’t see any angels in the city

I love cities more than anything.
I love the density of city blocks – twenty-story buildings blotting out the sunlight. Crowds of students, tourists, people on business. Diners and narrow, ancient storefronts. Cabs passing green statues. Ten dollar sandwiches and eight dollar drinks. Bars open until four, clubs open until sunrise. [...]

last sunday morning, sunshine felt like rain

It’s been a pretty good seven days here in Boston.
The weather has finally turned around, giving us sunny mornings and temperate evenings. I’ve made an effort to get outside and be more sociable, making some new friends in the process. I switched up my exercise routine at the gym a bit, leading to [...]

revelations 21:4

“Did that guy just check you out?”
“Who?” I asked. It was a cool Saturday – high 60s, sunny, not much breeze – and we were lounging on a park bench in Boston’s Public Garden.
“That guy that just walked by.”
The gentleman in question: early fifties, Mediterranean complexion, expensive gray suit and a fat wristwatch. [...]