Blog Entries

Eat, Drink, Be Merry and Ponder Universal Truth

I recently read a book by Dr. William Irvine called “On Desire: Why We Want What We Want.” I was engaged by the front half of the book, in particular the sections dealing with brain function and evolutionary biology. Overall. I did have some trouble with the tidy separation of emotion and intellect. I think the line is a lot blurrier than he suggests, though his underlying thesis is useful in explaining how the brain operates as much as an aggregation of specialized functions as a unified system.More >>

For Whom the Bottle Tolls

I got into a bunch of trouble once by noting that many successful 20th century writers were alcoholics. I’m not an expert on this subject by any means. And this concept certainly didn’t originate with me. I’d merely observed what others have observed over a lifetime of reading good writers (and mediocre writers) and many of their biographies. I don’t know if there are enough academic studies to verify the link between writers and excessive drinking, but I once read a book by a professor who took a whack at the subject. His name was Goodwin, and here’s a quote from a review of his book:More >>

In Defense of Free Markets

Winston Churchill, a favorite of mine, said, “… democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried.” I contend the same about free-market capitalism. More >>

The Dead

The Last Paragraph from “The Dead” by James Joyce Candidate for best piece of fiction in English, though it helps to read the whole novella.More >>

As to technical specifications, trust but verify.

There’s a reason why most scientific breakthroughs and spectacular fatal accidents are accomplished by people under 30. It’s because young people just don’t know enough not to take crazy risks. More >>