Yes! Very true AND very funny. I disagree with a few sentences here and there, but I think the overall sentiment is spot on.

And, to be clear, I still think that college kids are coddled to a disturbing extent. But as a society we seem to have become weirdly obsessed with each and every mistake they make. It's probably because on the internet we forget just how young they are. When I see a group of college kids in real life, and especially when they're hanging out in groups, I'm just like, Christ, you little things are just so darn little! So, yeah - let's just leave 'em alone.

Excellent. I often feel clairvoyant, but it has nothing to do with magic. Rather, it’s about deep, human intuition. It started a few years ago, when I was teaching several yoga meditation classes per week. I started to feel like I could see what my students were thinking and feeling. It’s carnal, impossible to describe, but basically the body tells all the secrets and I had a front row seat, for an hour. And I could use my instruction as a way to pry in, to test my hypotheses. (This is why yoga is so feminine. It’s not because women are more flexible [although they are] -the benefits to body and mind are exactly the same for women and men. But men are more likely get severely freaked by this level of vulnerability. Penetration is a feminine desire and a masculine fear.)

Of course fortune-tellers have “a way in.” To doubt that is to doubt the full potential of human beings. Again, not magic, just something beyond ‘you said x, so now I know x.’ What’s actually going down is this: ‘when you say x, I know x, and y, and z.’

🔮

A lightbulb just illuminated above my head. Not because I found an answer. Far from it. But because I realized that answers are often impossible. And they might not even matter.

I don’t believe in playing Devil’s advocate. Nor do I believe in blind agreement. Or even, in many cases, the dangerous thing called “compromise.” But there’s yet another approach, although I can’t think of a word for it. (We need a word for it!) It involves looking inward, listening, and exploring the depths of complicated, unanswerable questions. With courage. The courage to admit that you’re lost. In the face of tragedy, we’re all lost. But that doesn’t mean we’re not capable of healing and growth. And, in fact, when we let go, we rise.

WOW. Rapturous. I’d give it an 11 if I could. This is eye-opening. Nourishment for the soul. A piece of writing that reaches out and hugs the reader.

Sleep is sacred! I enjoyed this article because it goes way beyond the obvious fact that sleep is profoundly important.

The extent to which society will steer you in the wrong direction never ceases to amaze me. It takes a lot of work to stay free.

Horrible title. Solid read. I love Nicholas Thompson’s writing. Yang is certainly fresh, but I have mixed feelings about a candidate with this many wild ideas:

>> “He generally favors the Green New Deal, but he wants to accomplish it by using geo-engineering and thorium nuclear reactors. There are other curveballs too: He’s in favor of ranked-choice voting, reducing pretrial bail, free marriage counseling, and term limits for Supreme Court justices. (He's against circumcision, though.)”

I was shocked to learn that Elizabeth Warren is *twelve times* richer than Yang.

I used to think I wanted a freedom dividend. Now I’m not sure it wouldn’t make me lazy. I’m also not sure if I hate myself for saying that, in more ways than one.

Wow. Many of these places in California - Pacifica, SF and Broad Beach - are very special to me. But the whole time that I was reading this, I was actually thinking about the barrier island in New Jersey (aka “The Jersey Shore”) where I grew up. The political debacle in Cali is a mess, but at least they’re talking about it. In Jersey, the conversations have yet to begin.

It’s so true that you shouldn’t scare people with too much information too fast about rising sea-levels. It’s counterproductive. But I often find it impossible to resist saying things like, “This is all going to be under water by 2050!!”

I’m not afraid of storms and flooding as much as civil unrest. Mother Nature problems are going to lead to economic problems which are going to lead to human survival problems.

This. Is. My. Jam. I can’t get enough of this. I read this three times in two days. (I had planned to write a much longer comment, but I can’t wait any longer to post.)

I keep books by Robin Wall Kimmerer, David Abram and EO Wilson by my side at all times. And The Overstory was one of my favorite novels of all time.

For most of 2019, I have been traveling across America’s forests, living in an RV on the back of my pickup truck, connecting with nature, with trees, and with my own wild self.

When among trees, alone, I have experienced a few profoundly spiritual moments of pure transcendence. Perhaps “epiphany” is the word, but it doesn’t feel strong enough. I have realized, quite simply: I am alive. I am life. I am simultaneously complete and perfect and yet I’m also just one thread in a very large tapestry or Tree of Life. And this Life is all around me, every day, in the dirt, the air, a puddle of water. The world teems with it. But also, it’s all dying. We’re all dying. And not in the good way that creates more life, but in the bad way, the Big Death. And yet, in some cosmic way, maybe it all isn’t so bad after all. I think, I hope.

Anyway, I lack the words to describe it all, but this article gets me one step closer. (So many new writers and authors to explore!! This is like Christmas!)

I want to know what other readers think. I know it’s heady stuff and I really won’t be hurt, even if the thought is, “This is lunatic.” I won’t even be surprised. I’m mostly just curious to know if any/all of these ideas can catch on.

And if this stuff really resonates with you, let’s meet. We’ll climb trees and stage a reading of Ness. This isn’t a drill. It’s an extinction event. We should all be screaming into the sky.

Extremely badass. I recently heard about this guy from my brother, who gave Patricio and his partner matching tattoos. Here’s a look: https://www.instagram.com/p/B4knJZSlGz4

I’d like to read more from Joanna Harper, who seems to be diving headlong into some really challenging ethical questions. Brave stuff all around.

This is a solid read, especially if you're interested in race and race relations.

The needle/Qtip test and the Lord of the Flies-style summer camp for pre-teen boys (aka Stanford Prison Experiment for kids!?) both cracked me up at first, but the results are truly fascinating. I was surprised to learn the extent to which “antagonism can emerge from arbitrary divisions."

For further reading on empathy, I highly recommend James Doty's book “Into the Magic Shop.” I was surprised that Doty’s work didn’t come up in this article because he too is at Stanford. Lots of people studying empathy these days!

I’m open to the idea that philosophical inquiry might be useful, but articles like this give me pause. I’d rather spend my time in the realm of intuition, spirituality, phenomenology, metaphysics.

Regardless, I did enjoy this, because it was short, expansive, and current. No prior knowledge required.

And the super-clear explanation about how the word “modern” is used in reference to various artistic fields was super helpful.

The first paragraph is breathtakingly good. I enjoyed There There, the book this was adapted from.

Addiction is such a deep and scary and personal topic for me. This is haunting.

Also, strangely enough, I recently heard about someone stepping on a mouse in a work setting and HR had to get involved because others were freaked. Not saying I support killing animals, but it’s all just very strange when the natural world accidentally infiltrates the conference room. We’re all humans, but at work we’re only supposed to be partially human.

Nail hits head in the last two paragraphs.

Humans are capable of such profound desperation and lunacy. This author is/was semi-relatable and semi-utterly-insane.

I've read this poem over a hundred times.

The ending is perfect, even though it is actually the opposite of perfect. "Frustrating" is not a strong enough word.

>> "our hands off our clothes on our tongues from"

Tongues from what!? Are we all going to die abruptly? Unexpectedly? Is that what this is all about?? Don't we all deserve, at least, a *period* at the end?!

Stay curious!

Nir Eyal is so full of hypocrisy it literally boggles the mind. His new book is a 100% reversal of his previous work, yet he refuses to disavow it. Seriously confusing. This guy needs a longer digital detox to organize his thoughts.

Or, there’s ad-free reading! ;)

Finally, the end of an era. An era of BS ;)

(FYI: Economist might require your email address in exchange for a few free reads. I was able to get this without paying, but I needed to create an account.)

Haha. I’m stoked that this is trending. Readup is developing a thing for super-tough food reviews. This one’s hilarious.

Sorry, Luger, but you’re too much fun to laugh at.

For techies, no matter how technical.

A very interesting analysis of the state of consumer tech. I’m 100% on board with the hypothesis. There is a time for owning and a time for sharing. *On the internet, own your shit.* (Otherwise, someone else does.)

I’ve never been able to explain why I’m stoked about being a non-Uber/Lyft user. This article gave words to my feelings. I own my way around. Literally, tangibly, I have fewer “dependencies” than most. It feels good.

Fascinating dichotomy:
>> “Worlds of scarcity are made out of things. Worlds of abundance are made out of dependencies.“

Thoughtfully written. Engaging.

>> “The choice between the climate-moralizers and the leisure-maximizers, for all their apparent differences, is a false one. At heart they are the same: young people for whom child-rearing, once the expected outcome of adulthood, has become one possible project among many.”

That’s basically exactly how I think about it. One project among many.

Yes! Down with the two-party stalemate! It’s time to fix this.

It just occurred to me that when I think about this problem it’s often in relation to the presidential nomination and election process. After reading this, I realize it’s not the executive branch that’s the main offender, it’s the legislative branch. Regardless, the solution starts there too, so let’s elect some more third party candidates!

This hits a soft spot for me because each of these three bookstores played a very important role in my life.

There were some toxic energies at the place I used to work at in SoHo, but it was walking distance from McNally Jackson, so I often escaped there. It was my secret sneakaway spot, my safe haven, for excessively long "lunches" and later afternoon "coffee" breaks. I'm certain that that store had a medicinal effect on me, lowering my blood-pressure a few notches.

Spoonbill, in Williamsburg, was walking distance from my apartment. When I quit that job and became a full-time entrepreneur, it was at Spoonbill that I realized, "Holy shit. I'm actually *allowed* to spend all day in bookstores now! What a pleasure! Sometimes I Spoonbill'd so hard and long that I only took a quick break in the middle of the day to wolf down some dumplings at nearby Vanessa's.

And The Strand - my god, The Strand. My jaw dropped the first time I went up to the top floor. Such a source for inspiration. The energy there is crazy, especially on weekends - it feels like a sporting event. So much fun.

Even though I don't buy books on Amazon, there's no doubt in my mind that I "took" more than I "gave" to each of these three places. And now, thanks to this article, I feel a little bad about it.

I like the idea of the reading room/reading club. I can see that catching on. More and more people are going to want "analog" spaces where they can disconnect from the internet and connect with each other and with their own creativity. Currently, there is nature - the Great Outdoors! - but sometimes nature is too hot or cold or wet or bright or itchy or whatever.

Yet there is a dark side to this "reading room" concept though. Let us not forget that reading rooms already exist: they're called libraries. And so in some ways the concept of "paid, premium reading spaces" is a bit disturbing - it's an indication that the "haves" are soon to find yet another way to distance themselves from the "have-nots."

Wow. This piece offers a powerful combo of inspiration and futility. So much to think about.

Part of me hates myself for believing that we’re on the verge of a great Enlightenment. Yet part of me thinks there’s nothing more important than nurturing that little seed.

I can’t stop thinking about the word “Whole.” I see it everywhere now.

Sometimes I wonder if >10% of my total online time is spent reading about innovations in produce. This little ditty is both fun and interesting. What's more important than knowing all about what we put in our bodies?

Also, Dana Goodyear (who also wrote the one about Cooper, the photographer at the ends of the Earth) is one of my new favorites.

These conversations are always tricky because "policy" and "reality" don't often line up.

The system shouldn't be so complex that it's hard to figure out whether or not the rich are paying their fair share.

One of the most inspiring things I’ve ever read in my life.

I love New Yorker profiles in general, but this one feels extremely personal to me. I’ve been getting very passionate about photography recently. I feel a very strong sense of recognition and respect for this man and his work.

Getting to LA to see the Atlas just became one of the most important to-dos in my life.

So much to discuss. First: *everyone read this!!*

A beautiful meditation on karma and the way that life (not individual lives, but big picture “Life”) inevitably doubles back on itself. We’re all spinning on one Great Big Wheel.

A person continuing to talk on and on after others have left is a bit unbelievable to me. But there’s also something cinematic about it. Reminds me of the last scene in Blue Jasmine.
Nothing is sadder than a lonely person talking to themselves. I can’t keep thinking about that, it’s too dark. Also, the only thing scarier than turning into your parents is turning into your weird old aunt/uncle.

Critique: Meg has zero personality and Billy is *too* sucky. It made me not care about his ending. And what’s her ending??

Anyway, I love in fiction when writers do an abrupt zoom ahead. Like: “He/she doesn’t know this yet, but this is what’s going to happen eventually.” That’s a Jennifer Egan signature move. It’s surreal to see an entire life reduced to a sentence like that. It reminds me how quickly our real lives turn into expendable stories. And it makes unbearable things seem just a bit more bearable. Because, well... *time.*

I THINK ABOUT THIS TOPIC ALWAYS.

I love writing personal essays and non-fiction. As long as I don’t die too young, I’m pretty sure I’ll eventually want to publish a memoir or two. Most of the best stuff I’ve written hasn’t seen the light of day because it would be excruciatingly painful and embarrassing to some people I know, in addition to some people I haven’t known in ages.

So, if you know me and you get a manuscript in the mail, take some deep breaths before diving in. And maybe have a nice bottle of something on hand. ;)

Nobody should censor themselves for the sake of protecting others. Then we’re all heading straight to hell in a hand basket. But at the same time, nobody should be surprised by shit they see written about them, named or unnamed.

Giving loved ones a first look (without promising to make changes) is clearly the way to go.