“Othering” is a Business, and It is Destroying Us
How did we go from the ability to have balanced dialogue in the midst of disagreement to the point of not being able to disagree without intense arguing? How have we become increasingly desensitized to human suffering? Why do we actively separate and cut people out of our lives when we need connection and solidarity more than ever? In asking these questions and more, I’ve come to the realization that some of the most ancient and automatic tendencies of the human brain have been weaponized against us. This weaponization taps into our emotions and is used to keep us fighting for the very purpose of generating profits. Businesses and wealthy individuals are quite literally causing fractures and monumental disconnection in our society while making billions. Read on for my analysis and thoughts on how we might be able to reverse this phenomenon.
My True Enemies
Continuing with my thoughts about conflict and war, this month I’ve been thinking about what it means to have an enemy. We’re consistently told who our enemies are and why there are bad. This has me pondering who my true enemies are. View or read on for more.
What Does It Mean To Be Anti-War?
Today, I want to talk about the idea of war and what it means to be anti-war. As I write this on October 31st, 2023, of course there is the front and center conflict happening in Palestine along with the existing wars we already have going on. And, ever since I've known the true cost of war and learned more about the impacts and implications, I have considered myself anti-war. But, with all of this going on, I've been wondering: what does being anti-war actually mean to me?
Flat Earthism: Navigating Its Ascension, Societal Influence, & Constructive Dialogues
In my 40 years on this earth, I have not directly met a person who believed that the earth is flat. This changed several months ago where the idea was proposed to me during a dinner conversation.
An Intro to Speed Reading: Simple Steps to Increase Your Speed
One of my favorite things to do is learn and consume information. About a year ago I was given a book that had a small section in it about speed reading. In just one short exercise I could see that with minimal practice, one can improve their reading speed significantly. Since then I’ve read several books, taken a course, and researched speed reading quite a bit. I’ve over doubled my reading speed while maintaining comprehension of what I read and read more books this year than any in my life. Read on for my favorite tips on how to re-learn how to read, where you might be able to take in more information, or perhaps just save some time in your day.
The Lost Art of Thinking
It might be weird to see a title like this one. We think all the time, often too much. Have you ever tried meditation? It can be so difficult trying not to think even for a few minutes. But, mindless thinking and not being aware of or in control of our thoughts is a topic for another day. What I’m talking about here is the idea of dedicating time in your day for the sole purpose of thinking.
What is Right to Write About?
It’s been like this for me for a while. Get inspired, start writing, fall completely off for months; maybe years. I’ve gone through many different versions of writers block. It isn’t that I don’t have ideas. I do. I have lists and lists of thoughts on many different topics. For the past few months when I think about writing, the thing that has been holding me up is the state of the world.
Breath: The New Science of A Lost Art
I would say that I first truly started to pay attention to my breathing was when my good friend and roommate brought me to my first ever yoga class sometime around 2011 or 2012. Yoga is what led me to find awareness in my body, to literally seeing myself about to enter a fit of road rage and deciding I didn’t need to get mad about someone cutting me off in traffic; something I’ll never forget. From yoga I found meditation, where I learned to use breath to go even deeper into awareness of myself and the world around me. Those years were some of the most transformational times of my life.
Missing the Olloclip: Mobile Macro Photography Over the Years
I’ve been curious about photography since my grandfather showed me what I recall to be a Nikon camera when I was a child. I took a few photo classes as I got older, learned to develop film (film!) in a dark room which I very much enjoyed. The fascination reached its height in the early 2010’s when I got a Canon camera and several lenses.
Tech Trends for 2023
It’s been quite a while since I did one of these. And, just like reviewing some of my favorite music of the year, thinking about what I believe to be some of the top tech trends (or non-trends) of 2023 has been fun. I’m always curious to chat on just about any topic, so if there’s something you feel is a huge miss here or that you agree with and want to discuss, feel free to contact me via one of my social channels found on this site. On to the list.
Top Albums of 2022
I have done this on and off over the years and it has been fantastic to look back on some of my favorite music of the past (2012 was a great one to revisit!). While there was a lot of music made during COVID pandemic, I feel like this year gave us a lot of music that was created out of some of the feelings and emotions that COVID brought upon us and the subsequent feeling of freedom that came after restrictions began to loosen.
It’s Been a While (Again)
I haven’t checked, but I think I might have had three “It’s Been A While” posts on this blog since I started writing it in early 2012 (and before that on Tumblr I believe). I’ve written here and fell out of inspiration and come back many times, usually each time changing what I wrote about along with how I myself had changed.
What Do You Want?
This is a lighthearted post focused on politics
I don’t plan to talk about politics too much on this site but I do think politics is one place where we can find places to grow. Since the political world is so polarizing, i think it is likely that many of us have experienced a situation in which we got angry or distressed over someone else’s political point of view.
