Category: Media
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Quote of the Day
No comments on Quote of the DayA study during the pandemic found that people who started gardening, crafting or woodworking for just a half-hour a day reported greater life satisfaction;
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Some things I’m thinking about
In which I’m thinking about how Marx defined the employers vs employees, and “rethinking” BMI again.
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The Locked Room, or Dieting Serial Killer
Murder mysteries are fun, right?
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Twenty-First Night of September
Do you remember The twenty-first night of September? Love was changing the minds of pretenders While chasing the clouds away
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USA: Useful podcasts
The “How to Win” podcast did a special 4-part series on the Project 2025 Republican plan for a second Trump presidency. I just listened to the episode on climate, but there are also episodes on abortion, education, and LGBT+ rights. Each has a rough transcript along with audio. Overall I don’t want what Trump and […]
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On Tyranny wrap-up
As you are probably aware, I just read and posted responses to all 20 chapters of the book On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century, by Timothy Snyder. Snyder is is an American historian specializing in the history of Central and Eastern Europe, the Soviet Union, and the Holocaust. He is the Richard C. […]
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As a US citizen…
I called both my US Senators to urge them to support censoring Senator Vance for trying to incite violence on his own constituents in Springfield, Ohio.
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20 Be as courageous as you can
If none of us is prepared to die for freedom, then all of us will die under tyranny. (From On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder.) Yes, that’s chapter 20 in full.
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19 Be a patriot
Set a good example of what America means for the generations to come. They will need it. Something tells me that some of the people at the US Democratic National Convention has read this book. (I’m imagining “Be the patriotism you want to see in the world!” signs.) The chapter proper starts with what isn’t […]
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18 Be calm when the unthinkable arrives
For tyrants, the lesson of the Reichstag fire is that one moment of shock enables an eternity of submission. For us, the lesson is that our natural fear and grief must not enable the destruction of our institutions. Courage does not mean not fearing, or not grieving. It does mean recognizing and resisting terror management […]
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17 Listen for dangerous words
Be alert to the use of the words extremism and terrorism. Be alive to the fatal notions of emergency and exception. Be angry about the treacherous use of patriotic vocabulary. – From On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder When politicians use terms like vermin or illegals to refer to people they don’t like, it shows who […]
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16 Learn from peers in other countries
In this chapter, Timothy Snyder notes that in 2016, US journalists blithely stated things like, “Trump talks about a Muslim ban but he would be stopped by” Congress not passing it, or the Constitution, or the courts, or other guardrails. In 2017, new president Trump did it anyway. Snyder points out that there was one […]
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15 Contribute to good causes
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, […]
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14 Establish a private life
Nastier rulers will use what they know about you to push you around. Scrub your computer of malware on a regular basis. Remember that email is skywriting. Consider using alternative forms of the internet, or simply using it less. Have personal exchanges in person. For the same reason, resolve any legal trouble. Tyrants seek the […]
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13 Practice corporeal politics
For resistance to succeed, two boundaries must be crossed. First, ideas about change must engage people of various backgrounds who do not agree about everything. Second, people must find themselves in places that are not their homes, and among groups who were not previously their friends. Protest can be organized through social media, but nothing […]
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12 Make eye contact and small talk
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 […]
Living ~400lbs 