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I am currently reading Forever Peace, by Joe Haldeman. It is science-fiction, centered on an interface technology, surgically installed in the brain, that enables users to communicate mentally with machines and with each other. An effect of this technology is that users who “jack in” together are able to know each other fully. There are […]
I am a cyclist, but I do not own, nor have I ever ridden, an e-bike. I find the e-bike concept and technology to be interesting, but e-bikes do not align with my cycling goals. Perhaps when I am older, it will make sense for me. An ad from REI popped up on FB, suggesting […]
I debate with myself about whether “progress” is a real phenomenon or an illusion. As much as our culture may seem to progress, it is at least partly nailed down by human nature, which is genetic and does not change, except at the much slower pace of evolution. The competing forces of cultural progress and […]
I have been listening to the Revolutions podcast, lately learning about Mexican history in regard to the Mexican Revolution. I’ve just gotten through a segment about the Porfiriato, a 35 year period of rule by Porfirio Diaz which has been characterized as a de factor dictatorship. When I read about this classification, I immediately thought […]
When Russia invaded Ukraine, it seemed a foregone conclusion that Russia would have its way. A Goliath pushing around a little nation. However, Ukraine’s resistance has been surprisingly effective, and Russia is revealing the limits of its power. Russia rebounded after the cold war, and it again considered a “super power” in the world. Russia […]
My understanding of Taiwan has been fairly simple. My understanding was that, during China’s communist revolution, those fighting against communism were pushed back so far that they retreated to the island of Taiwan, and they have been at stalemate ever since. China claims Taiwan as part of their territory, and they coerce other nations not […]
I’ve been experimenting with grow lights. I have been growing peppers for several years, and each year is an improvement over the way I had done things previously. This year, I decided to start the pepper species that are not capsicum annuum very early, since they seem to need a longer growing season. Then, almost […]
Here’s a glimpse into just how cynical I am. Among the new COVID-19* cases coming in, most of which are of the Delta variant, only a small portion involve vaccinated individuals. Additionally, the cases among vaccinated individuals are mostly proving to be mild and not life-threatening. Thus, the COVID-19 deaths we are seeing are somewhere […]
The Justice Department, under the direction of the NRA’s boy, President Donald Trump, has moved to reclassify bump stocks as machine guns. I should begin by saying that I do not own any bump stock, and I have never fired a weapon equipped with one. I think they are a silly toy, and I have […]
I am building a workbench using mortise & tenon joints. Somehow, this is the first time I’ve attempted to do so, despite owning a mortiser and a tenonning jig for two decades. I’m finding that they are both well suited to fairly flat tenons, one width of the chisel, or up to two if the […]