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Fight Club: I liked it the first time years ago, but watching a second time when you already know the end reveal? Elevates it from good to great. So many brilliant details in the screenplay. What else in life is better the second time?
Life
Derek Sivers.
Unconventional thinking on life, business, and creativity.
Recent essays
30 of 82Prepare your “no” and keep it handy
Someone asks you to do something, and you feel that pressure to answer immediately. You avoid confrontation, and say OK. I felt the pain of this, over and over again. Then I finally figured out a solution that’s worked wonderfully for years. I saved it on my c…
My life was changed by four sentences in four books
Last week someone asked why I prefer books. My immediate answer was that I love their quiet, non-commercial nature. No ads. No hype. Just quiet wisdom with deep rewards for a focused mind. single sentence deep inside a book. Island by Aldous Huxley This is a n…
Geography is four-dimensional: https://sive.rs/4d
Geography is four-dimensional: sive.rs/4d
Geography is four-dimensional
Forty years ago, a family moved from India to Canada, and raised their children with “Indian values”. When those children visited India last year, the locals laughed at their outdated beliefs. What their family had said were facts were just a perspective from…
1993 communal internet shaped me: https://sive.rs/netizen
1993 communal internet shaped me: sive.rs/netizen
Netizen
I can relate to the original meaning of this old term that means to be good citizen of the internet. Wikipedia says a “netizen” is someone who actively contributes to the development of the internet, not for personal gain or profit, but to make the internet a…
I’m not autistic, but my heroes are.
I’m not autistic, but my heroes are.
Since we moved from city to rural land, to a house where the bathroom and kitchen are outside, my boy observed: “This year there are way more full moons.”
Since we moved from city to rural land, to a house where the bathroom and kitchen are outside, my boy observed: “This year there are way more full moons.”
My favorite LLM prompt: “List the top cities in {COUNTRY}, and anthropomorphize each one, listing the good-natured stereotypes and jokes that other people in {COUNTRY} say about people in this city.”
My favorite LLM prompt: “List the top cities in {COUNTRY}, and anthropomorphize each one, listing the good-natured stereotypes and jokes that other people in {COUNTRY} say about people in this city.”
Good book on cultural psychology: Tribal. Great insights and examples of how change happens on the personal, cultural, and institutional level. My notes at https://sive.rs/book/Tribal
Good book on cultural psychology: Tribal. Great insights and examples of how change happens on the personal, cultural, and institutional level. My notes at sive.rs/book/Tribal
Fascinating book: Nineteen Ways of Looking at Consciousness - https://sive.rs/book/Conscious19 - uses one true story, 19 times, of the laughing brain patient - https://sive.rs/u12 - in the format of Nineteen Ways of Looking at Wang Wei - https://sive.rs/book/WangWei - to explore the subject.
Fascinating book: Nineteen Ways of Looking at Consciousness - sive.rs/book/Conscious19 - uses one true story, 19 times, of the laughing brain patient - sive.rs/u12 - in the format of Nineteen Ways of Looking at Wang Wei - sive.rs/book/WangWei - to explore the…
Great book: Elephant in the Brain: https://sive.rs/book/BrainMotives You have hidden motives and subconscious incentives. Two reasons for doing anything: a good reason and the real reason. Instititutions do this too: wasteful because they’re serving hidden purposes no one acknowledges. Great insights throughout.
Great book: Elephant in the Brain: sive.rs/book/BrainMotives You have hidden motives and subconscious incentives. Two reasons for doing anything: a good reason and the real reason. Instititutions do this too: wasteful because they’re serving hidden purposes no…
Travelling While Black - by Nanjala Nyabola
summary: Thoughts on human rights, race, gender, travel, inequality, tribe, home, visas, poverty, Kenya, Africa, and Bessie Head. recommend: 3/10 my notes: First requirements before consider going somewhere: I only ask for a clean and safe hotel, an easy visa…
Tribal - by Michael Morris
summary: I love cultural psychology. Great insights here, and examples of how change happens, on the personal level, cultural level, and even institutional level. American, but lived in Hong Kong for years and I appreciated his example of Singapore. recommend:…
Nineteen Ways of Looking at Consciousness - by Patrick House
summary: Using the story of Anna - the patient who laughed when the surgeon stimulated parts of her brain - the author looks at the subject of consciousness from 19 different angles, writing in slightly different styles. He used the format of another book I ha…
Elephant in the Brain - by Kevin Simler and Robin Hanson
summary: You have hidden motives and subconscious incentives. Two reasons for doing anything: a good reason and the real reason. Instititutions do this too: wasteful because they’re serving hidden purposes no one acknowledges. Great insights throughout. recomm…
People of India! My OCI + Airtel + HDFC has culminated in a massive achievement and rite of initiation. I have made my first UPI payment. I’m now unstoppable.
People of India! My OCI + Airtel + HDFC has culminated in a massive achievement and rite of initiation. I have made my first UPI payment. I’m now unstoppable.
China in Ten Words - by Yu Hua 余华
summary: Famous fiction author. I loved the movie from his book “To Live”. Memoir of growing up in China filtered through ten topics. Sometimes it’s cultural insights, but sometimes just his personal stories. Deep insights on “copycat” and “bamboozle”. Note th…
“Purpose” and “passion” are words we use when we’re not working.
“Purpose” and “passion” are words we use when we’re not working.
I was inconsiderate but now I’m everywhere
When I was in the music business, there was a record producer who lived in New Jersey, but refused to come into New York City. Anyone that wanted to meet with him had to drive all the way down to his little town. I thought, “What’s his problem? Is he lazy or s…
I was inconsiderate but now I’m everywhere: https://sive.rs/socials
I was inconsiderate but now I’m everywhere: sive.rs/socials
I love people. I love when they’re not around.
I love people. I love when they’re not around.
Great book: “You’re Not Listening” by Kate Murphy. My notes: https://sive.rs/book/NotListening
Great book: “You’re Not Listening” by Kate Murphy. My notes: sive.rs/book/NotListening
About my book notes
At sive.rs/book I have a collection of my notes from the 420+ books I’ve read since 2007. That’s all my notes are. I’m not summarizing the book. I’m just saving ideas for myself, for later reflection. It helps me remember what I learned from it. I kept these n…
I highly recommend the book "Factfulness" by Hans Roling. My notes: https://sive.rs/book/Factfulness
I highly recommend the book "Factfulness" by Hans Roling. My notes: sive.rs/book/Factfulness
Maintenance of Everything, part one - by Stewart Brand
summary: Because I loved his book “How Buildings Learn”, I expected a more philosophical look at maintenance, but it’s mostly a deep dive into a few specific examples of boats, guns, and cars. recommend: 3/10 my notes: “Maintenance” means the whole grand proce…
Offline 23 hours a day
Last month, I moved into my new home in the woods. There’s no internet and no phone service here. It’s so productive. Media silence creates a vacuum, which your own thoughts expand to fill. in here. My writing, coding, and learning fills the time and space. Pr…
I’ve been offline 23 hours a day: https://sive.rs/off23
I’ve been offline 23 hours a day: sive.rs/off23
Got my own ActivityPub server running at https://sive.rs/d though still super basic and testing
Got my own ActivityPub server running at sive.rs/d though still super basic and testing