Nearly fifty years ago I was looking through a book of early Peanuts cartoons while I waited for my violin lesson. One of the comics showed the simple pleasure of a cool breeze on a hot day. Since that day whenever I feel a cool … “simple pleasures – cool breeze”
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I often try to control circumstances in the hope that this will bring happiness and safety. I know this is foolish. Control circumstances is at best illusionary. Striving for happiness detracts from experiencing joy which is far better. Absolute security can only come from trusting … “Midlife Reset (Part III) ReThinking 10 Years Later”
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In part I shared several of the changes that had a high impact on my mid-life reset in 2011 after my wife passed. Ten years later I am even more confident that those were were worthwhile. In this post I am going to reflect on … “Midlife Reset (Part II) – Money”
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I recently talked with a student I mentored years ago about some mid-life course corrections he was considering. This prompted me to think about my mid-life transition in 2011-2012 as I grappled with losing Libby to cancer. The follow is a remembrance of what changed … “Midlife Reset (Part I)”
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TL;DR Treating others as valuable by taking the time to really listen and to be present in the moment is one of the most impactful practices anyone can engage in. Not thinking about what’s next. Not thinking about how to respond, but giving people our whole attention. A friend … “Respectful Presence”
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I use feedly to subscribe to around 100 RSS feeds which generates around 400 messages a day. I scan the subject lines, open those that look interesting, and save in Evernote those that I might want to reference at a later time. In the past … “Favorite Blogs”
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Top The following are set to automatically get downloaded and put at the beginning of my listening queue: Up First: 15 minutes of news Monday-Saturday from NPR. Gives me a sense of what’s happening in the world without spending hours doom scrolling. Tim Ferris: Tim … “Favorite Podcasts”
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TL;DR Life as a digital nomad requires you to minimize stuff so that you can increase the possibility of new experiences. For many people, the increased opportunities far outweighs the nomadic life “tax”. A digital nomad lifestyle is a great way to figure out your … “A “Digital Nomad” Experiment”
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Several items on my personal gear list were used by the whole family, and thus, this page was born. I have excluded our furniture. We keep only those items that are useful and/or are enjoyed which allows our family to focus on doing things that … “Family Gear 2022”
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If you listen to popular culture and the ads which “inform” us about acceptable conduction you would be inclined to believe that there are numerous specialized products and activities that we must engaged in for the sake of properness. I ran a series of experiments … “Personal Care Heresies”
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TL;DR Effective contact tracing combined with quarantining individuals at risk is highly effective with the least impact to most people’s lives. COVID vaccines are highly effective. If you over 30 you should get one. For healthy people under 30, COVID has had very low mortality … “COVID”
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TL;DR Contempt is extremely corrosive and will destroy relationships and society if not countered. Rather than encouraging people to repair a breach, contempt encourage people to separate, widening the gap. The solution is to truly listen to people you disagree with, looking for how you … “Against Contempt”
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Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler. Aphorism attributed to Albert Einstein In the face of an ever accelerated and complex world, I have found seeking simplicity to be a shelter. Rather than getting caught up in, and reacting to our fast moving … “Simplicity”
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I purchased a Boy album as soon as it was available at my local record store and became a real fan after U2 played the Agora in April 1981. At the time I couldn’t have told you why I liked U2… just that their music … “In Appreciation of Bono”
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Last month I heard a story on NPR’s marketplace show about how policies concerning bourbon illustrate the long standing urban-rural divide in our country. It was an interesting piece, but not one I expected would have any impact on my life. A month later some … “You never know when a NPR marketplace story will be useful”
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Several items on my personal gear list were used by the whole family, and thus, this page was born. I have excluded our furniture. We keep only those items that are useful and/or are enjoyed which allows our family to focus on doing things that … “Family Gear 2021”
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A friend recently asked if I could watch only one movie, what would it be. This is an incredibly hard question. In the end, my answer was the documentary Weapons of the Spirit, a story of the town Le Chambon that sheltered around 5,000 jews … “Favorite Movies”
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