Closing time
No, I’m not planning to close down this blog. But most of you know I’ve been dealing with Gerard’s death, plus managing open threads on his old blog so that the commenters can continue to go there and chat with … Continue reading →
Category Archives: Getting philosophical: life, love, the universe
The reasoning of the Democrats I know
I found that the following statement – embedded in an article by Walter Russell Mead, that focuses on a different issue – encapsulates the attitude of so many of the Democrat voters I know. Here it is: We live in … Continue reading →
‘Disinformation” and the search for truth: more Twitter files
I was about twelve years old when I first read Orwell’s masterpiece Nineteen Eighty-Four. It scared me more than anything I’d ever read. Did I understand every single bit of it? No, but I understood a surprising amount. And it … Continue reading →
The GOP: drawing the line on abortion
There was an interesting discussion in yesterday’s post on the election in Wisconsin, and how abortion law in the state may have influenced it. Here’s one of the comments, from “Frederick”: If it’s abortion to blame (for the victory of … Continue reading →
The death of Bob Lee
We still don’t know who stabbed Bob Lee to death in San Francisco, and we may never know. This article points out the empty words of the DA of the city who said, “We do not tolerate these horrific acts … Continue reading →
The Good Place
I finally got around to watching a Netflix series someone close to me had recommended: “The Good Place,” which premiered between 2016 and 2020. I don’t tend to watch much TV, but I felt the need for some distraction, and … Continue reading →
Facing old age
Glenn Reynolds observes: “Ozempic face” isn’t really a thing, it’s just the consequence of losing a lot of bodyfat. I’ve had a number of friends — and my dad — who lost a lot of weight post-40 and they all … Continue reading →
The kingdom where nobody dies
I am grieving, and I assume I’ll be doing that for a long time, probably to some extent for the rest of my life. I often get the urge to write and write and write about losing Gerard, but I … Continue reading →
Gerard Vanderleun’s obituary: on loss and memory
Here’s the link to Gerard’s obituary. It’s not particularly long, considering how much he did in his life. And of course, like most obituaries, it doesn’t really convey the person himself in all his complexity and energy and vitality. Gerard’s … Continue reading →
Chatbots Gone Wild – haven’t we already seen a movie about this?
Or maybe several movies? It’s not very reassuring: In a blog post Wednesday night, Bing said it was working to fix the confusing answers and aggressive tone exhibited by the bot, after tech outlets exposed that the bot gaslights and … Continue reading →
Rings are in the news
File under “things we don’t understand”: Astronomers have discovered an entirely new ring system within the solar system, and it’s located at such a great distance from its dwarf planet parent that it should be impossible. The ring surrounds Quaoar, … Continue reading →
Ivan Illych and history
[NOTE: Here’s a repeat of one of my earliest posts, written in my very first year of blogging: May, 2005. Back then I didn’t have all that many readers, so I thought I’d bring it out for another go-round.] I … Continue reading →