A little greenhouse Xopher has going in the mudroom. Wasn’t planned. Just things here and there he wanted to keep alive.
X’s Menagerie
Btown
We survived the infamous, nefarious, notorious Burlington, Vermont, after dark!
Carolina Wren
On the left is a Carolina Wren. A new one for us this year. Hope he’s not caught unawares by Vermont winter.
I feel such a sense of peace today. Or call it ennui or bummed or lazy or uninspired or unenergetic – or call it peaceful.
It’s a judgment.
Book Corner 2022.54
by Sam Harris
Sam Harris’ Making Sense is my podcast discovery of the year. He talks about the coolest shit, has the most awesome “slow talker” delivery, puts no time limit on his rambling introductory monologues or interviews… and always makes me laugh by timing how long it takes him in any podcast to ask his guest, whosoever the guest may be, “Ever tried psychedelics?” and/or “Do you do meditation?” You know he has to be a real quality thinker and talker for me to put up with smugness about meditation, and envy of psychedelic use.
This book is a transcript of a bunch of his podcast interviews. The topics include consciousness, a bit of current events circa 2017, AI, and tangential general psychology. It was all interesting. I have no jump-out quotes to share, though.
New Beefier Tree Stand
New expensive beefy tree stand! We turned our backs and the tree fell down again.
My Menagerie
I’m really taking this to heart.
Look at the magnitude of the problem I’m trying to “fix.” Justifiable grieving and a lifelong depression? You cannot fix this. However much of yourself you pour into it will never, ever be enough. There is in fact very, very little that I control in this world beyond the reach of my little fingers. You can only make the best of whatever is within that tiny little reach.
So, what am I willing to do? Decide what I can and am willing to do for this person. Do it, and make peace with it.
Too Much Eggnog
Good advice from my brother:
If there’s something you don’t want to do, but you feel you should, but you really don’t want to, but you feel you really have to…
either, a) Don’t do it. And make peace with that. or,
b) Do it. And make peace with that.
Do not: Do it, and still feel bad about it!
Because that’s what I do, because it never feels like enough, but it will never be enough.
Teeswater Hot, Teeswater Cold
I made a second Teeswater hat. I have enough yarn to make another half a hat. I have half a mind to have half a hat.
No not really, two is enough. Too bad only the second one really shows off that streak of blue.
Book Corner 2022.53
by Cal Newport
Go a month without apps and phones, then bring things back gradually to see what you really need. Use apps only for certain purposes and at certain times. He says he’s not into hacks because they don’t work; you need to really go without, and then go minimalist; but I don’t see how his advice differs from hacks. I don’t think I came away with any new insight. I already use apps only for targeted purposes and particular times. Oh! I did like the metaphor of Facebook and its ilk being like a slot machine – pull the lever, what will I get? How many likes, loves, comments? Cherry, cherry… mule. But that wasn’t even his metaphor; someone said it on 60 Minutes.
Self-Decorated
