The Gubmint
Me awaiting fish and chips in Chicago
I'm for the return of city-states. This does NOT mean I'm for "limited government" but MANY small governments under a unifying blanket of Empire or common culture like Ancient Greece, the Ottoman empire, or Imperial China where villagers could go their entire lives without seeing anyone form the Imperial government. Spain is currently my most favored government—federal spending accounts for only 18%, the rest is local.
I've always been skeptical of religion but any venom I once had is now replaced by venom for the nation-state, economics, social sciences, financial advisors, corruption, parenting advice doling pediatricians—problems which I find more dangerous than anyone concerns about how religion was behind the Crusades and the Inquisition.
Religion was NOT behind the Nazi extermination campaigns, the Soviets doing doubly worse damage within their country, Rwanda, Kosovo, Armenia, Belgians in the Congo, Native Americans here in the U.S (not counting small pox, that could have been God)., the Irish potato famine (happened because of economists). You get my point.
I no longer mock religion. Anyone who does so is stomping an offending wood ant while a Panzer tank takes sim at his downward looking forehead. Nation-states and war are far more cruel now than religion—with justifications worse than "God wills it" (Watch The Kingdom to get the richer sense of how they used the phrase).
I've always been skeptical of religion but any venom I once had is now replaced by venom for the nation-state, economics, social sciences, financial advisors, corruption, parenting advice doling pediatricians—problems which I find more dangerous than anyone concerns about how religion was behind the Crusades and the Inquisition.
Religion was NOT behind the Nazi extermination campaigns, the Soviets doing doubly worse damage within their country, Rwanda, Kosovo, Armenia, Belgians in the Congo, Native Americans here in the U.S (not counting small pox, that could have been God)., the Irish potato famine (happened because of economists). You get my point.
I no longer mock religion. Anyone who does so is stomping an offending wood ant while a Panzer tank takes sim at his downward looking forehead. Nation-states and war are far more cruel now than religion—with justifications worse than "God wills it" (Watch The Kingdom to get the richer sense of how they used the phrase).
Too Early To Tell
I was watching Bill Maher on HBO InDemand. I don't enjoy it much but my baby needed food at the same time I was craving entertainment→funny that. Fast forwaded through most of it to the part where he asks his guests how they think things will turn out in Egypt. They glaced at each other a millisecond before one of them spoke louder than the others saying "I think it's too early to tell.:
The yeoman in me oh that is wise of them, of course, it was a stupid question of Bill to ask. Duh of course it is too early to tell. Dumb Bill. Now sitting here, several weeks after having seen this episode, it pops in my mind as the dumbest thing for anyone talking about real life to say. Sorry Bill, it was a pointless question→given the nature of life→but the response was not only dumb but harmful.
At the time, the yeoman in me thought these people were responding smartly, with wisdom. Saying too early to tell is like saying I don't know but I could and will know eventually.
But, under no circumstance, will you EVER know. Life isn't a game where it is sThe same is true in Egypt. Will it be soon enough to tell? I can barely tell what's happening in this country.
Web Suckiness
I love making money, but damned it all to hell if making money has become the dominant portion of the internet. I'm not anti-tech—obviously or I wouldn't be here now, I'm anti-stupid-tech.
The blog is at perfection when it's for gardener's sharing tips, for people traveling to update and share stories with families at home, NOT for personal soapbox to say whatever the hell you like—that's what a website is for, or even better, a diary.
The internet I love, unfortunately harder to find since Google credits links to a site as 'authority', are idiosyncratic, usually made by a single person. EtymOnline, KhanAcademy, MetaFilter (for pointing out parts of the web I love), YouTube (my one exception for corporateness), Nasim Taleb's Web Notebook, Wikipedia (a bastion of non-sellouts), Links.net, Golden Age Spanish Sonnets, Ze Frank's The Show, Gunther Anderson Liqueur Making, Ken Rockwell Photography How To's, Paul Graham's Essays, Kevin Kelly, Tim Ferriss's Blog, Richard Harter's World, Aaron Sloman–CogSci, JB Calvert's Everything Page, Seth Robert's Self Experimentation Blog,
The blog is at perfection when it's for gardener's sharing tips, for people traveling to update and share stories with families at home, NOT for personal soapbox to say whatever the hell you like—that's what a website is for, or even better, a diary.
The internet I love, unfortunately harder to find since Google credits links to a site as 'authority', are idiosyncratic, usually made by a single person. EtymOnline, KhanAcademy, MetaFilter (for pointing out parts of the web I love), YouTube (my one exception for corporateness), Nasim Taleb's Web Notebook, Wikipedia (a bastion of non-sellouts), Links.net, Golden Age Spanish Sonnets, Ze Frank's The Show, Gunther Anderson Liqueur Making, Ken Rockwell Photography How To's, Paul Graham's Essays, Kevin Kelly, Tim Ferriss's Blog, Richard Harter's World, Aaron Sloman–CogSci, JB Calvert's Everything Page, Seth Robert's Self Experimentation Blog,
Independent Doctorate In Plant Tinkering
Baby Care—The Lazy Dad Edition
I got my first baby, a girl, on January 13 2011—she's pushing two months now.
I mentioned above I think parenting advice is one of the new evils better considered instead of religion. New parents are the most worrisome, anxious bunch of people. P.T. Barnum would be rich again with us folk. Knowing we're a lot of suckers, knowing the profits to be made, I don't trust anyone or anything where there's a dollar sign involved or second-order people who 'learned' parenting from another dollar sign like "Happiest Baby On The Block" (fourth trimester my ass) or good ol' Dr. Sears—they just can't get away from S names can they Dr. Spock?
That said, here is my experience, after applying abovesaid attitude with personal inventiveness. First, tools I love.
Baby tools
The Nuk baby bottle
The boppy pillow
An exercise mat—this is actually my sometimes bed at night—read below
White noise on an iPod with iPod Speakers.
The K'tan carrier—simple, portable, effective
The miracle blanket—not just hooey
A pacifier
Dunstan baby language
My wife also swears by this:
The Bosu
I mentioned above I think parenting advice is one of the new evils better considered instead of religion. New parents are the most worrisome, anxious bunch of people. P.T. Barnum would be rich again with us folk. Knowing we're a lot of suckers, knowing the profits to be made, I don't trust anyone or anything where there's a dollar sign involved or second-order people who 'learned' parenting from another dollar sign like "Happiest Baby On The Block" (fourth trimester my ass) or good ol' Dr. Sears—they just can't get away from S names can they Dr. Spock?
That said, here is my experience, after applying abovesaid attitude with personal inventiveness. First, tools I love.
Baby tools
The Nuk baby bottle
The boppy pillow
An exercise mat—this is actually my sometimes bed at night—read below
White noise on an iPod with iPod Speakers.
The K'tan carrier—simple, portable, effective
The miracle blanket—not just hooey
A pacifier
Dunstan baby language
My wife also swears by this:
The Bosu
Burping "Baby"
SIDEBAR: I know quotes are annoying here but more annoying to me are when people, most often women (no offense), say "the baby is kicking" or "it is what baby wants"—as though baby were a name. Damn it give your kid some dignity and refer by name not "baby?. You don't say the adult is talking to me do you?
It's unclear thinking to say you burp the baby as though we have control over it—I wish. The typical routine is feeding with multiple burpings during the feeding or one long, energy intensive burping session by throwing the kid of the leg or shoulder what patting or tapping the back. Energy intensive...not good.
My experience: I don't listen to bombastic blowhards charging 18 something dollars for books on their child rearing wisdom, if I don't see it with my eyes then it's a mother goose story isn't it?
I lay Hannah on the boppy pillow, use the Nuk bottle, and feed in one long session with few interruptions. Afterwards, she's usually peaceful for a short while, then she starts to fuss or make 'eh' sounds. She's got a burp, spitup, or nothing coming. Here's the trick: do nothing. I do nothing until it's clear she's in distress and could use a hand. This comes when her face clenches with effort or pain—not sure which on account of her ignorance. Then I lift her back up into an upright sitting position with one hand, gently rock at times, and gak comes the burp. I lie her down, rinse, repeat as needed.
Sometimes she's still hungry, which is usually indicated by her saying "neh". Sometimes this is complicated as she may just want to suck on something. I can sometimes tell when I hear bubbly or airy sounds, that she needs more time to burp or crying out the gas before resuming feeding as it will end up as spitup--usually (I avoid absolutes when I'm not being an idiot or conversing for entertainment).
The nuk's beauty comes in during the feeding session which can last up to an hour. The flow rate is so controlled, I can lie her on the boppy, sit on the couch, use one arm to hold the bottle, and read The Iliad in my other hand. NICE. There are some who may think I'm less of a Dad for not attending to every precious darling angel moment my kid suckles nipple shaped silicone—anyone who holds such an opinion as a behavioral mandate is no friend of mine.
The exercise mat comes in handy when my sleepiness contradicts any ability to sit upright. I, again, prop her on the boppy pillow at the head of the mat, lie next to her with bottle in hand, place my head on the pillow gazing at her profile, then commence feeding. Sleepiness addressed, familial scene worth painting, and laxity embraced. Babies are easy.
It's unclear thinking to say you burp the baby as though we have control over it—I wish. The typical routine is feeding with multiple burpings during the feeding or one long, energy intensive burping session by throwing the kid of the leg or shoulder what patting or tapping the back. Energy intensive...not good.
My experience: I don't listen to bombastic blowhards charging 18 something dollars for books on their child rearing wisdom, if I don't see it with my eyes then it's a mother goose story isn't it?
I lay Hannah on the boppy pillow, use the Nuk bottle, and feed in one long session with few interruptions. Afterwards, she's usually peaceful for a short while, then she starts to fuss or make 'eh' sounds. She's got a burp, spitup, or nothing coming. Here's the trick: do nothing. I do nothing until it's clear she's in distress and could use a hand. This comes when her face clenches with effort or pain—not sure which on account of her ignorance. Then I lift her back up into an upright sitting position with one hand, gently rock at times, and gak comes the burp. I lie her down, rinse, repeat as needed.
Sometimes she's still hungry, which is usually indicated by her saying "neh". Sometimes this is complicated as she may just want to suck on something. I can sometimes tell when I hear bubbly or airy sounds, that she needs more time to burp or crying out the gas before resuming feeding as it will end up as spitup--usually (I avoid absolutes when I'm not being an idiot or conversing for entertainment).
The nuk's beauty comes in during the feeding session which can last up to an hour. The flow rate is so controlled, I can lie her on the boppy, sit on the couch, use one arm to hold the bottle, and read The Iliad in my other hand. NICE. There are some who may think I'm less of a Dad for not attending to every precious darling angel moment my kid suckles nipple shaped silicone—anyone who holds such an opinion as a behavioral mandate is no friend of mine.
The exercise mat comes in handy when my sleepiness contradicts any ability to sit upright. I, again, prop her on the boppy pillow at the head of the mat, lie next to her with bottle in hand, place my head on the pillow gazing at her profile, then commence feeding. Sleepiness addressed, familial scene worth painting, and laxity embraced. Babies are easy.
Counter Emoterrorism Tactics
During my first week with Hannah, a week unfortunately, unbeautifully devoid of the calm, enduring love I feel for my wife, I called her an emotional terrorist. Later I understood my venomful, love abyss was due to exhaustion.
This is my first counter emoterrorism tactic: sleep. I cried one night confessing to my love of my love abyss for Hannah. Fully expecting another night of waking every two hours, Hannah was nursing then, I woke instead at 5:23 AM. It was the first time I had 5 hours of sleep in 8 days. My love had taken the full load of Hannah's care that night. Of course I jumped out of bed commanding my love to bed on account of my overdue shift. Later that day, after days of despair and elation, I felt warm love for her. My first time.
That's the second counter emoterrorism tactic: love. When I'm feeling love for Hannah, each cry makes me love her more not annoyed in the least. It's an antifragile emotion. Each problem makes the love grow. Elizabeth, my love, seems to be THE antifragile mom to me in my life. I can handle anything from Hannah with love.
The third one: deepening the bond. I found the wearing Hannah in the Baby K'Tan was a new bonding feeling. I felt her pressed against me as though i were pregnant. I sat down and got up as a pregnant women. I could walk around, doing chores, all the while feeling her warmth, breathing, occasional grunts, seeing her round face, and KNEW she was okay. I found myself rubbing her on the back unconcsciously. She became a part of me.
This is my first counter emoterrorism tactic: sleep. I cried one night confessing to my love of my love abyss for Hannah. Fully expecting another night of waking every two hours, Hannah was nursing then, I woke instead at 5:23 AM. It was the first time I had 5 hours of sleep in 8 days. My love had taken the full load of Hannah's care that night. Of course I jumped out of bed commanding my love to bed on account of my overdue shift. Later that day, after days of despair and elation, I felt warm love for her. My first time.
That's the second counter emoterrorism tactic: love. When I'm feeling love for Hannah, each cry makes me love her more not annoyed in the least. It's an antifragile emotion. Each problem makes the love grow. Elizabeth, my love, seems to be THE antifragile mom to me in my life. I can handle anything from Hannah with love.
The third one: deepening the bond. I found the wearing Hannah in the Baby K'Tan was a new bonding feeling. I felt her pressed against me as though i were pregnant. I sat down and got up as a pregnant women. I could walk around, doing chores, all the while feeling her warmth, breathing, occasional grunts, seeing her round face, and KNEW she was okay. I found myself rubbing her on the back unconcsciously. She became a part of me.
Learning To Love Spanish
Currently I'm looking for poets, writers, musicians who can inspire me with the language. In spite of Univision seeming to be the equivalent of learning English from Fox News, I persist because it's easy language exposure—but it's still soul killing to this Spanish language learner.
My current favorites are:
I'd love to hear of quirky sites in Spanish such as the ones I've listed as my favorites in English . Or just great sites in Spanish that get me beyond the corporate wall. I feel like someone trying to learn English but stuck with the Huffington Post, Reddit, Google, Wikipedia—too many writers paid to write not enough writers writing hoping to get paid. If I'm to study a language I'd rather learn it from the song writer than a businessman. Language has to be an end in itself not 'a tool'—the most terrible analogy.
Some discoveries:
Poesias
My current favorites are:
- Federico Garcia Lorca
- Pablo Neruda
- Miguel De Unamuno
- Ramon Gomez De La Serna
- Lope De Vega
- Pedro Calderon
- Shakira (oh come on!)
- Ozomatli (just listen to Cuando Canto)
- Zion (viva reggaeton y perreo)
- Teresa Aburto Uribe
I'd love to hear of quirky sites in Spanish such as the ones I've listed as my favorites in English . Or just great sites in Spanish that get me beyond the corporate wall. I feel like someone trying to learn English but stuck with the Huffington Post, Reddit, Google, Wikipedia—too many writers paid to write not enough writers writing hoping to get paid. If I'm to study a language I'd rather learn it from the song writer than a businessman. Language has to be an end in itself not 'a tool'—the most terrible analogy.
Some discoveries:
Poesias
I'm A Living Travel Phrasebook To China
That's about how good my Chinese is. I'm avoiding it currently as I focus on Spansih, but DAMN, what an awesome language. The flavor of the language is like crispy, Kung Pao chicken. Little meaty bits, well crisped say all.
Long time no see. 好九不见。Hao jiu bu jian. A chinese-ism we Americans picked up from our 'imported' railway workers from Canton. To an American mind like mine it feels like never ending poetry of the Marlowe sort "There I will make thee a bed of flowers, and a kirtle, embroidered all with leaves of myrtle".
Long time no see. 好九不见。Hao jiu bu jian. A chinese-ism we Americans picked up from our 'imported' railway workers from Canton. To an American mind like mine it feels like never ending poetry of the Marlowe sort "There I will make thee a bed of flowers, and a kirtle, embroidered all with leaves of myrtle".
A Second Passport
I've pondered what it would take to get a second citizenship (proving Sephardic Jew ancestry to get Spain citizenship which is near impossible, buying a house in some no-name Caribbean island, and somehow Malaysia comes up a lot).
Absent that, in a different language, I'll like different things. In English, though I love a good line, I don't relate with prosaic beauty in literature. I enjoy SOME english poetry like Christopher Marlowe and Poe but, even then, I can't quiet my silent nag saying "Why am I reading poetry?" It seems, in English, I'm a partial philistine, given more to technical manuals and science.
Not so in Spanish. I like poetry like Pablo Neruda's line "Porqué rodondo sin ruedas, volando sin alás ni plumas. Or attempting to read Love in the Time Of Cholera in Gabriel Garcia Marquez and learning gold cyanide is "cianoro de oro"–que bonita!
In Chinese, I LIKE the blathering personal blogs I disdain in English, in Chinese it takes less of a self-pitying flavor for me. News reports seem drier but less profane and pointless. It has 'to the point' crispness as I like in English, but some of the poetic elements in Spanish. I LOVE Chinese Rap–particularly some Shanghainese dialect rap like at ShanghaiNing.
Absent that, in a different language, I'll like different things. In English, though I love a good line, I don't relate with prosaic beauty in literature. I enjoy SOME english poetry like Christopher Marlowe and Poe but, even then, I can't quiet my silent nag saying "Why am I reading poetry?" It seems, in English, I'm a partial philistine, given more to technical manuals and science.
Not so in Spanish. I like poetry like Pablo Neruda's line "Porqué rodondo sin ruedas, volando sin alás ni plumas. Or attempting to read Love in the Time Of Cholera in Gabriel Garcia Marquez and learning gold cyanide is "cianoro de oro"–que bonita!
In Chinese, I LIKE the blathering personal blogs I disdain in English, in Chinese it takes less of a self-pitying flavor for me. News reports seem drier but less profane and pointless. It has 'to the point' crispness as I like in English, but some of the poetic elements in Spanish. I LOVE Chinese Rap–particularly some Shanghainese dialect rap like at ShanghaiNing.
Do Not Decide
I avoid feeling regret if I can. It seems the only regret I can't shake is doing my major in Communications instead of Physics, Studio Arts, or Comp. Sci. It seems many of my regrets stem from making a decision or conversing when feeling either: exhaustion, anger, thirsty, hungry, or anxious.
No decisions is the easy part. I found it more difficult to avoid taking seriously the diabolical thoughts I had during this time and not converting them into words for conversation. I find it hard to sit with my love, thinking these thoughts, her talking to me, but not saying anything in return for fear of what I'll say. I've learned to pay in awkward silence the cost to avoid relationship damage from saying mean things.
Thirst may surprise some. I find my upper chest muscles get tight when I'm thirsty. Drinking a glass of water I feel tension in those muscles as well as around my temporal lobe relax instantly.
No decisions is the easy part. I found it more difficult to avoid taking seriously the diabolical thoughts I had during this time and not converting them into words for conversation. I find it hard to sit with my love, thinking these thoughts, her talking to me, but not saying anything in return for fear of what I'll say. I've learned to pay in awkward silence the cost to avoid relationship damage from saying mean things.
Thirst may surprise some. I find my upper chest muscles get tight when I'm thirsty. Drinking a glass of water I feel tension in those muscles as well as around my temporal lobe relax instantly.
Deadwood
It's violent, it's ugly, but what beautiful language!
I wasn't the sort to care for prose or a good line until I read Cultural Amnesia by Clive James—a guy who loves language so much he bears with difficulty art which rehashes instead of pushing language such as Harry Potter, The Da Vinci Code. There are no new phrases or concepts presented. An example I remember of his was of Beatrix Potter referring to a character in her book as "hopelessly volatile".
That line alone made me appreciate what it meant to play with language in literature or television or movies. Some literature is so dense however it's impossible to find the gem. I prefer the sort which plods along ordinarily so the beauty comes out sharp in a single line.
Deadwood is full a beautiful language moments for me—first I've experienced it in a television show in a gorgeous way. How I Met Your Mother has given me such moments but only superficially like "slap bet".
I wasn't the sort to care for prose or a good line until I read Cultural Amnesia by Clive James—a guy who loves language so much he bears with difficulty art which rehashes instead of pushing language such as Harry Potter, The Da Vinci Code. There are no new phrases or concepts presented. An example I remember of his was of Beatrix Potter referring to a character in her book as "hopelessly volatile".
That line alone made me appreciate what it meant to play with language in literature or television or movies. Some literature is so dense however it's impossible to find the gem. I prefer the sort which plods along ordinarily so the beauty comes out sharp in a single line.
Deadwood is full a beautiful language moments for me—first I've experienced it in a television show in a gorgeous way. How I Met Your Mother has given me such moments but only superficially like "slap bet".
- Anti-meridian constitutional
- I don't trust you as far as I can throw you, but I like the way you lie.
- He has a mean way of being happy
- Announcing your plans is a good way of hearing God laugh
- God bless you Mr. Swearengen. Not likely but my prospects have just improved.
Unbeauty
I live, currently, in San Antonio. There are parts, many parts, I find ugly. But tell I this to some particular others and they disagree—not heartily but any disagreement with my view of things is shocking enough to report (I take my newsworthiness standard by CNN's example of reporting Charlie Sheen's snorting habits.)
Let's agree on unbeauty. We can disagree on ugliness or beauty, but certainly we less likely to defend unbeauty. Otherwise known as meh.
Let's agree on unbeauty. We can disagree on ugliness or beauty, but certainly we less likely to defend unbeauty. Otherwise known as meh.
Notes For Further Bits
Unbeauty
Watered Ice
Household Management
Prayer Cynics
Parental SuperstitionJacques Brel
Spanish Accent
Infant Back Training For Adults
Watered Ice
Household Management
Prayer Cynics
Parental SuperstitionJacques Brel
Spanish Accent
Infant Back Training For Adults
