Sunday, January 23. 2022
 Has this silly COVID phase eliminated the necktie?
As an old-time fuddy-duddy I guess, I have always thought these were the only things in a man's wardrobe that would provide some color or interest.
JFK eliminated mens' hats by never wearing them, but hats were already going out at the time. Now we're at baseball caps instead of fedoras.
What about our male readers? Women love scarves, and a tie is sort-of the same idea. Nice private schools - and charter schools, still require semi-formal dress or uniforms. It works, from the outside in.
How often do your put on a tie? Church, work, theater, nice restaurant, etc?
Saturday, January 22. 2022
Was talking to a client yesterday and our conversation revolved around their mobile phone number, which indicated a South Jersey area code. They are in California. Another client is moving to California and has an NYC area code. Yet another is in Florida and has a North Jersey area code. I'm in NJ and have an NYC area code.
I imagine we're reaching a moment when location will be less discernible via area codes. This is an issue which began developing as people have switched from letter writing (street address/town/zip) to email (ISP provider, which can be anywhere).
The nature of my work allows me to find out a lot of online information easily, if I choose to. I'm not particularly nosy, so I don't. I have, on occasion, when the spirit drives me (I remember one of my jobs, at lunch, listening to people talk about ex-boyfriends or ex-girlfriends they did searches on. Creeped me out a bit, then I went and looked up one that afternoon, so who am I to judge?). To be honest, it's not that hard for anyone who puts their mind to it (or has the money to buy the data).
In some ways, the "anonymization" of life was one of the original draws of the internet. The classic New Yorker cartoon "on the internet, nobody knows you're a dog" was accurate, if not precise, at the time. It's absolutely NOT true today. It is this fact that keeps me working. In a panel discussion, I once pointed out to a college student, who said my company had "sold her data" (we do not, ever, sell data), I pointed out to her that many corporations do sell the data of their site visitors, but good corporations recognize the problems inherent in that behavor, so there are roles in my industry which exist precisely to keep that data safe - or as safe as it can be.
Maintaining a level of anonymity is important for the best parts of the internet to work as they were intended. Anonymity is often important to make meaningful commentary and points (Silence Dogood would approve). The fact the blockchain exists today is, in part, to solve some of these issues (the internet was not meant to be driven by advertising, but the lack of a good payments and anonymity system led to its development as one).
The days of knowing a location based on an area code may be coming to an end. In a lot of ways, that may be a good thing. Hopefully, the days of online anonymity will soon be back, though with some major revisions. It's hard to go back from where we are today. (Personal note - the EU's GPRA and California's CCPA do NOT provide you the protection you think they do, or that politicians have promoted)
Thursday, January 20. 2022
Wednesday, January 19. 2022
 I've not been contributing since about September, and I apologize for the long gap. I apologize only because it's rude to disappear without letting people know where you're going and I do my best to avoid being rude. In a nutshell, I've been overwhelmed at work, which is a good thing. After not working for many months, I managed to land a (much lower level) position which is working out very well for me and my long-term prospects have improved dramatically in the last few weeks. Of course, improved opportunity means additional responsibilities. Which means more time at a desk, at least in my current role. At my age (pushing 60), that's something many others cannot say. They're either at or near the pinnacle of your career, or winding it down. As I have done 4 other times in my life, I'm winding up again and feeling great.
One thing I do is try to go for a walk each day for at least an hour. Fresh air and exercise enables me to be nimble of body and mind. I'll listen to history podcasts while I walk, or just think. Recently, after a particularly difficult conversation with a friend who has gone full-on Woke, I chewed the mental cud and began to wonder where all this Wokism is headed.
It suddenly struck me what the essential problem of Wokism and Cancel Culture represent. In the name of creating and expanding opportunity, these people are limiting it severely. I wondered what history would look like if Woke and Cancel mindsets had been in place for a longer time than just the last decade or so. Not that we need another discussion on Wokism, but I felt this was a good mental exercise.
Continue reading "Ruminating on Woke History"
Thursday, January 13. 2022
Saturday, January 8. 2022
Thursday, January 6. 2022
Joshua Slocum's is a classic, but Capt. Johnson's is good too, from the 1930s: Westward Bound in the Schooner Yankee
Tuesday, January 4. 2022
It's a longer read, probably not of much interest to most but it is about politics. Rittenberg at Substack: On Utopian Thinking.
I have written about "Psycho-utopianism" (my term, I think). The Garden of Eden had just two people, one god - and a snake. Quote:
... we have seen that utopian thinking is characterized by the following features: failure of reality testing; implicit belief in the omnipotence of thoughts; tolerance of mutually contradictory thoughts. This collection of features will inevitably begin to seem familiar to teachers, psychologists, parents, anyone having to do with small children. For these are precisely the characteristics of infantile thought processes at a particular stage of development: the stage in which the infant mind conceives of itself as comprising the entire universe, and as absolutely perfect: the stage of infantile, omnipotent narcissism. Here, at last we have come upon Utopia! For it is to this lost, dimly remembered but never to be recaptured infantile bliss that the utopians long to return. In fact. such an infantile state is the only Utopia we humans ever have known or ever shall know.
Nobody ever promised us a rose garden.
A classic by Charles Perrow: Normal Accidents: Living with High-Risk Technologies
Accidents happen in all areas of life. Often, they are statistically-predictable.
Sunday, January 2. 2022
A happy flock of Robins descended on ye olde HQ and stripped all our our holly shrubs and trees of their berries. (Photo above is Robins eating old apples.)
Our church was half-full on Christmas Eve. I believe many people were there online (we stream our services). Covid fears.
A friend gave an ageing relative a voice recorder for an oral history. It's not exactly a present except that it is an opportunity for the relative to hand down a gift of the past. Inspired us to do that with my father in law - he's an Irish shanachie and can tell all of the old stories. My life stories would be dull...
Yes, the old guy has COVID but it has not been bad other than the quarantine his residence requires. I assume omicron because he is triple-vaxed. Picked it up in some pub or restaurant. Can't keep a good man down.
Our wild and crazy NY Eve event was supper at a Thai place. I had 2 glasses of cheap Chardonnay with some max-hot Pad Thai with shrimp.
Taking advantage of the slow week, we got our boat fully-registered and legal at the DMV. They were nice. We were already registered as a US Vessel by the Coast Guard, but needed that too. Paperwork.
Ever tried building Legos 8 1/2 level? Not easy.
Our Christmas gifts were mostly tickets - Met Opera, Carnegie Hall, NYC Ballet. Oh - boutique hotel rooms too. Nice. I was afraid that my wife would give me a new iphone, but luckily she didn't. Have I mentioned that I love visiting NYC?
I saw in the Orvis Christmas catalog fly rods costing $1500. Fly-fishing is a beautiful hobby but I do not need that.
Bulldog and I need to plan a Maggie's urban hike for 2022. This planning will be tough because we have already covered so much interesting territory, in rain and shine, over the years. We'll also plan a family+friends mountain hike - everybody wants to do Breakneck Ridge again (except Mrs. BD who has never loved rock scrambling)
Friday, December 31. 2021
Monday, December 27. 2021
A semi-long read by an expert on disgust: How Disgust Explains Everything
Sunday, December 26. 2021
Are CDs obsolete? Are books obsolete?
I use both. I also have a turntable for old vinyl records.
Saturday, December 25. 2021
A Merry Christmas and a happy holiday season to all of our readers and to all of our contributors, with thanks for being part of our humble Yankee enterprise
(No innocent trees were murdered for this card to compensate for murdering our Christmas tree)
I've been to a bunch of parties and some fancy parties this season, and heard some great music too, but the best was a neighborhood caroling get-together Friday night - adults and kids. Good food and drinks with around an hour of singing practice around the piano (divvying up the voices of the wise men, the soloist for O Holy Night, etc), then out tramping around and driving around in the dark to our target audiences. Shut-ins, an old friend and WW 2 Navy vet with Alzheimer's, guys on the job, friendly families. Mrs. BD feels that this neighborhood event is the most Christmassy thing we ever do.
I can guarantee that none of the kids who participate will ever forget it. Maybe they will pass it on when they grow up. Hope so. Fine traditions of family, friends, community, and faith do matter because they become embedded in our souls like little candlelights, lighting our dark corners through our entire lives.
O holy Child of Bethlehem
Descend to us, we pray.
Cast out our sin and enter in
Be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell,
O come to us, abide with us
Our Lord Emmanuel.
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
Thursday, December 23. 2021
I enjoy a nice party despite my natural shyness. The festivities began this week in my neck of the woods. I was at a fairly good one Friday night, and two last night. Some nights one has to party-hop, which I think is rude to do but also rude not to show up when invited. Not my fault that I am so popular... Yes, they had the traditional soft-boiled quail eggs on toasts with caviar on top. Dynamite.
I got this snapshot last night at a hot party before I was overwhelmed by lonely, hot, nubile females. Saturnalia, Bacchanalia, Holiday Season - whatever you call it. A good female/satyr ratio as you can see.
Christmastime is as secular or religious as one chooses. Seems quite secular to many. For me, both.
Tuesday, December 21. 2021
Good story.
I wonder how he supports his life.
Saturday, December 18. 2021
 A Field and Stream Classic short story: The Road to Tinkhamtown by Corey Ford.
A tearjerker: A man and a dog.
Thursday, December 16. 2021
Wednesday, December 15. 2021
I have never seen his movies, but most people have. Call me what you will, I just do not want those images in my brain.
This is good: Brutal and Unreformed—Sam Peckinpah’s ‘Straw Dogs’ at 50
Friday, December 10. 2021
Via Schneiderman (altho I doubt the provenance - too many typos)
Monday, December 6. 2021
Last time we checked (I do not know how we did it), our readership was 60/40% men/women. Also, but not relevant to the topic, our average age of readership was 45. I have no idea about how to get such stats now and it doesn't matter.
Let's say you are a guy, and you know your wife "needs" a Prada bag. Get her one. She can exchange it if she doesn't like it. Ha - reader reminds me that they are free in San Francisco. Cool.
Readers know from past postings that we prefer tickets and trips for presents (with the very rare exceptions of my birthday car and her birthday boat - no more of that is likely cuz her new bedroom fireplace is last on that list). Opening presents is mainly for kids except for diamonds and gold.
One thing anybody might like as a present is a hiking trip. Montana is great, so is Sedona or the Dolomites. Or just the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Backroads has tons of good hiking or biking tours ($), but we really got a kick out of our Wilderness Scotland Outer Hebrides trip. Small (10) group from all over the world, energetic people but not kids, superb Scots guide, semi-rustic places to stay. Kippers and Haggis for breakfast. Bring rain gear.
Carpe diem. Life is short.
Sunday, December 5. 2021
Via NYROB, a new, beautifully edited volume of Robert Frost’s letters finds him at the height of his artistic powers while suffering a series of losses almost unimaginable to the fortunate among us.
Tuesday, November 30. 2021
From Jeffrey Polet's Negotiating “The Captive Mind” on American campuses:
Intellectual terror, Milosz avers, is a principle central to the ideological project.
I was not familiar with Milosz' 1953 The Captive Mind, but should have been.
Sunday, November 28. 2021
Detective Montalbano. It's a cool police series, based in Sicily. The series began in 1999 and is still going on.
The subtitles are good, or it's good practice for your Italian with some Sicilian dialect.
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