What a wild week. On Monday I looked at a collection of over 5,000 books and on Friday I paid $14,000 for it. I am going to move them to storage on Sunday so I am completing this update on Saturday. I have an employee gone on vacation for two weeks and another new hire is in one day this next week and then working closely with me beginning the week after that, so August may just be as tiring as July was.
I tried to take some time in the beginning of the week to relax, but there is so much to do…
Onward.
What I Did This Week
Hosted the Solidarity Study Group discussion on Emergent Strategy by adrienne maree brown
Excellent group discussion that wandered into how to live a meaningful life and how to effectively make change. Also a reflection on how to be clear on our own sphere of influence without unnecessarily limiting our own reach. Great folks. Pictured is the plum cake I made with fresh whipped cream (not pictured) for our group to enjoy.
I’m sorry to say that this group will likely be ending prematurely as I did not consider my kid’s soccer schedule which will be taking up my evenings. Will discuss with the group.
What I Listened To
“Well Read” is Hard to Define. But Real. on the Book Riot Podcast
Uggh. I reflected previously on this discussion and how their attempt was inadequate. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one. The hosts tried to explain their position and stood behind their previous podcast on the subject. I did not find it convincing, but rather a rehashing of the arguments they were making. I couldn’t finish…
How to Change Your Habits with Charles Duhigg on The Drive with Peter Attia
This is long form podcasting at it’s best. Attia is all about health and living well. Duhigg has written books including a smash hit on habits. Great reminders about doing the things to make my life good. Biggest takeaway is the idea of creating new CUES that trigger the habits in your life. Follow the good habits with an immediate external reward (like a mostly healthy smoothy) and build the intrinsic reward of recognizing that good feeling and that improved health. Eventually feeling good after the tough thing becomes enough of a motivator that anticipation of the tough thing is a good feeling. Basically, we need to train ourselves like dogs. We are mammals that respond to such trickery, or should I say training. We can use it for good. Nice!
AI Literacy for Small Business on The How of Business
This is a great podcast for business owners. I hate how non-political it is, but always find it enlightening. This is a very mainstream approach to business and I was curious as to how the host would come to the AI reality facing us. Basically, this one expert guest discussed how to make the best use of AI. It’s happening. The questions is how will we engage, because we WILL engage. Can we engage on our own terms instead of just being run over by billionaires as they game yet another system?
The Left Must Retreat with Slovoj Zizek on How to Academy on YouTube
Wanting a break from the podcast feed, I listened to some things on the Tube, including this. Zizek is clear eyed and always reminds me that there are some people who think much deeper than most of us. Not sure (and don’t care) if I agree with him. Just helps me think more on what I think of things…
Your D&D Party is Too Big on the Sci Show with Hank Green on YouTube
Title drew me in as I am dealing with this problem specifically, but the show was about group size in general. Hank Green is the nerd I would be if just a few elements of my material conditions changed. Good stuff.
D&D and Politics with Brennan Lee Mulligan on Adam Conover’s YouTube Channel
This was interesting and fun to listen to while I did the dishes and cooked food. Reminders of the generosity of the theater community hits hard as our local Dell’Arte school (I attended) just can’t hold on any longer. There were other problems, but also it’s just hard for creative folks to just keep giving their lives to the craft and generally exist in poverty. At it’s base, theater (and all art) is a gift and if we don’t have a basic level of valuing life, theater has to compete in this dumb capitalist game it doesn’t belong in. Ready to be done with the technofeudal lords (bastard children of the neoliberal capitalist garbage) before they even get started in earnest.
When Is It Genocide? on the Ezra Klein Show
Oh, you were so close Ezra. Klein says that when South Africa accused Israel of genocide before the International Court of justice, he thought it was wrong to do so. Then he explains why so many have used the word and are working to stop it.
But he doesn’t quite get to using the word itself. And he won’t.
Instead, he uses the interesting technique of inviting an expert in the field to explain definitionally what genocide is and how it is actually prosecuted in the real world (not just bandied about on the internet). This is some brilliant liberal bullshit. Klein can hide behind this expert (Phillippe Sands, who was great and right on by the way) who shares a nuanced view which ends with what Klein was looking for the whole time. This is the idea that “it doesn’t matter what we call it — it is horrendous and needs to stop.” This is the balancing act that Klein needs to walk. To paraphrase: “I don’t call it genocide but I call it wrong and call for the end to the violence.” Might as well add “…on all sides.” Nothing has changed.
Perhaps this is all we can expect from Klein and liberals like him. Principled resistance to genocide (and fascism for that matter) is just too much. Unfortunately, that is what the moment calls for — naming it and standing against it. I don’t think Klein would agree.
I am reminded of Madley’s book An American Genocide which methodically lays out the case for using the term to describe what happened in California 171 years after it started — genocide. We have the opportunity to call it out in the moment and to stop it in Gaza now, especially since we are paying for it now as we were in 1846 to 1873.
If liberals say the word they might need to do something about it.
Here’s How We Help Young Men — A Lost Boys Special on the Prof G Podcast
Couldn’t finish this. They were talking to Andrew Yang. They all came off as entitled elite know it alls.
What I Watched
Game Changer Season Finale on Dropout TV
A debate to see who will be the “president” of Dropout. Fun as always.
Several TTRPG Game Introductions on The Tube…
In between all this business I fantasize about playing Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, Daggerheart and Draw Steel (oh, and pétanque). Alas, I missed the one group I am in as they played on Friday night. I had a great time talking to folks about books (while I worked), but would have liked to play with friends at that time instead.
More next week!
Solomon Everta 