Living ~400lbs

Be active in organizations, political or not, that express your own view of life. Pick a charity or two and set up autopay. Then you will have made a free choice that supports civil society and helps others to do good. Some groups I have automatic donations to are local NPR and college radio stations, […]

Why? It reinforces that you live in a society of people, not potential enemies.  It’s a small step to help build relationships in your community. Finally, it keeps you aware of how others react. If neighbors shun you (or your ethnic group or religious group or, well, fill in the blank) that’s a sign things […]

To abandon facts is to abandon freedom. If nothing is true, then no one can criticize power, because there is no basis upon which to do so. If nothing is true, then all is spectacle. The biggest wallet pays for the most blinding lights. – From On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century (p. […]

Avoid pronouncing the phrases everyone else does. Think up your own way of speaking, even if only to convey that thing you think everyone is saying. Make an effort to separate yourself from the internet. Read books – From On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century (p. 59) by Timothy Snyder. Snyder starts this […]

When Winston Churchill became prime minister in May 1940, Great Britain was alone. The British had won no meaningful battles and had no important allies. They had entered the war to support Poland, a cause that seemed lost. Nazi Germany and its Soviet ally dominated the continent. The Soviet Union had invaded Finland in November […]