Thursday, September 24, 2015
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Sunday, September 13, 2015
great essay on decoherence and US democracy
Vox begins the discussion of polarization, the consequences for decision making, and likely outcomes. I recommend following the links to the background essays as well.
I land on the side of the discussion that fears the rise of a strong-man phase of government. The miserable performance of Congress, due to the intransigence of the Tea Party-dominated Republicans installed by gerrymandering, is leading to a hunger for a strong leader, particularly on the Right (as ironic as that might be, it fits with their Strong Father bent and favoritism of the military). The rise of Trump is clear evidence for this. Given that we face increasing levels of crisis, if for no other reasons than climate change, the rise of ISIS, and likely proliferation of nukes, drones and other technical means of unconventional warfare, the general public is increasing likely to demand someone who can deliver results with a "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!" style. This does not bode well for democracy nor Democrats, the less organized party.
I land on the side of the discussion that fears the rise of a strong-man phase of government. The miserable performance of Congress, due to the intransigence of the Tea Party-dominated Republicans installed by gerrymandering, is leading to a hunger for a strong leader, particularly on the Right (as ironic as that might be, it fits with their Strong Father bent and favoritism of the military). The rise of Trump is clear evidence for this. Given that we face increasing levels of crisis, if for no other reasons than climate change, the rise of ISIS, and likely proliferation of nukes, drones and other technical means of unconventional warfare, the general public is increasing likely to demand someone who can deliver results with a "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!" style. This does not bode well for democracy nor Democrats, the less organized party.
The Rugby Player documentary
This documentary is uplifting and breaks stereotypes. It shows the lives of Mark Bingham, September 11 hero, gay rugby player, Cal booster, heavy metal fan, fraternity member, and his mother. I highly recommend it! KQED broadcast it last night.
trailer and official site
trailer and official site
Saturday, September 12, 2015
ostentatious toy
laser-based no-touch turntable offers superb fidelity, no wear and no pop and click artifacts
$14k (taking donations now via PayPal :-) )
$14k (taking donations now via PayPal :-) )
Friday, September 11, 2015
Laurie Anderson (no relation): another woman's wisdom in interview
here in the Guardian and she directed Heart of a Dog, a movie out late next month.
Angela Davis: broadening and deepening the questions
In this short LA Times op-ed/interview you can see her savvy and smarts illuminate things beyond the frame of the (sympathetic) questions and show how her thinking is evolving...
hat tip to Howard...
hat tip to Howard...
Thursday, September 10, 2015
Sunday, September 6, 2015
I'm looking forward to the Tower Records documentary!
Spent a lot of money there over the years and found a lot of reading material and new music...
All Things Must Pass: the Rise and Fall of Tower Records premieres in US theaters October 16
https://www.facebook.com/towerrecordsdoc
All Things Must Pass: the Rise and Fall of Tower Records premieres in US theaters October 16
https://www.facebook.com/towerrecordsdoc
Elaine Brown slams Nelson's Black Panther film
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/07/03/ex-black-panther-leader-elaine-brown-slams-stanley-nelson-s-condemnable-documentary.html
My own mixed feelings about the Black Panthers aside, Brown does a good job of dissecting the film.
My own mixed feelings about the Black Panthers aside, Brown does a good job of dissecting the film.
dinner last night
We had a good time last night visiting with high school friends and their spouses, David and Bebe and Mike and Avril. It turns out Avril and Sara had seen each other at a work conference - small world. Mike is a sustainability consultant and keeps Starbucks, et all, on the up and up. Nice to see him after forty years and to meet his wife and, as usual, fun to visit with David and Bebe. Life is good...
data-driven health
My fitness band showed me that I experience too little REM and deep sleep, so, prompted by Sara, I returned to using my CPAP machine. The results are good - I am more rested and stats have improved.
The meditation timer app I use, Insight Timer, shows that missing meditation sessions has reduced my average daily meditation time to 22 minutes over the last four months. In response, I try to sit 2-3 times a day for 20 minutes per session.
My weight-tracking shows I've lost ten pounds over the last three months, but that this requires serious diligence and effort, beyond what I expected. In particular, I severely reduce carbs and exercise regularly, lifting weights and walking on the treadmill. These days I experience performance highs and exercise endorphins and a strong feeling of something missing when I don't exercise. My cardio capacity and physical strength both are near life-time peaks, based on two hour workouts most days.
Some life-long friends who are triathletes organized a thirty mile annual bike ride last year, so I am rehabilitating my bike to see if my knees will allow my participation. At any rate, I look forward to the get-together later this month.
The meditation timer app I use, Insight Timer, shows that missing meditation sessions has reduced my average daily meditation time to 22 minutes over the last four months. In response, I try to sit 2-3 times a day for 20 minutes per session.
My weight-tracking shows I've lost ten pounds over the last three months, but that this requires serious diligence and effort, beyond what I expected. In particular, I severely reduce carbs and exercise regularly, lifting weights and walking on the treadmill. These days I experience performance highs and exercise endorphins and a strong feeling of something missing when I don't exercise. My cardio capacity and physical strength both are near life-time peaks, based on two hour workouts most days.
Some life-long friends who are triathletes organized a thirty mile annual bike ride last year, so I am rehabilitating my bike to see if my knees will allow my participation. At any rate, I look forward to the get-together later this month.
Saturday, September 5, 2015
Michael Manring at Bass Player LIVE! 2013
solos at 0 and 47 minutes; the rest is QnA, with the best at 58 min until the end
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