1. One thing I would recommend to any fellow sufferers from depression or related problems is not to be ashamed to occasionally take off ‘psych days’ to try to recoup yourself, especially if your job is a source of strain and unhappiness (which, I may be cynical, but I think most jobs these days are). … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: Psych Days, Recreation, ‘The Living Shadow’, and an Interesting Fact
Thoughts
Thoughts on ‘Flatland’
You have almost certainly never read a novel like Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions by Edwin A. Abbott (under the name ‘A. Square’). It depicts a two-dimensional world, and the narrator’s experience of being granted visions of other dimensions. About two-thirds of the book consists in simply describing the nature and some of the … Continue reading Thoughts on ‘Flatland’
Thought of the Day: Contraceptive Charity
A...certain company I am familiar with strikes me as one of the more absurd examples of spending a lot of money on really useless junk. For instance, a couple weeks back they brought in football star Tom Brady to give a half-hour interview / pep-talk. All told, booking him must have cost the company a … Continue reading Thought of the Day: Contraceptive Charity
Sunday Thoughts; A Paradox of Faith
There is a paradox inherent in the act of faith. On the one hand, belief in God involves us in innumerable logical difficulties, especially involving the nature of time and free will and their relation to eternity. Just as a simple example based on today's readings, it seems revolting to our feelings that we should … Continue reading Sunday Thoughts; A Paradox of Faith
Friday Flotsam: Of Glory, The Chastisement of Wickedness, and Monopolies
1. Today, of course, is the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima, which comes this year amidst a tumult of, shall we say, significant events. If you haven’t done so already, be sure to pray the Rosary and make some kind of special obeisance. 2. Boethius reaches the conclusion that to be good is to … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: Of Glory, The Chastisement of Wickedness, and Monopolies
A Quick Word on Caricature
It was while I was thinking over Lady and the Tramp that I came up with the following thoughts. Of course, one aspect everyone remembers about that film are the two wicked Siamese cats who torment Lady, complete with a gleeful song about themselves. And it's standard practice today to cringe over them a little … Continue reading A Quick Word on Caricature
Some Key Points of Our Country
Reading and thinking about history lately, it seems to me that a lot of Americans seem to gloss over certain key points about our country. We have a tendency either to forget the very peculiar circumstances of our own history and the consequent effects it must have had on our national development and mindset, or … Continue reading Some Key Points of Our Country
Kaiju Appreciations; Zigra
My latest appreciation video is up at last. This was kind of a tricky one. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFum3UHzhCY I haven't done a full survey, but at the moment I want to call Gamera vs. Zigra the worst kaiju film to come out of either Toho or Daiei (well, Gamera Supermonster might top it from being mostly just … Continue reading Kaiju Appreciations; Zigra
Friday Flotsam: Political Mobs and Some Other Stuff
1. Is it just me, or do most motivational speeches sound exactly the same? “I had something I wanted to do, and I worked hard every single day, and I’m committed, and I have my teammates' backs,” etc. It is as if they are all made to pattern, formed by the same teacher or following … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: Political Mobs and Some Other Stuff
Motivation and Warm-Ups
Honestly, I didn’t want to write this post. I was tired and distracted and generally couldn’t think of anything I wanted to say. Then I happened to see my team lead at work promising “great motivation!” at a company rally later this week. (side note: my company is one of those that prides itself on … Continue reading Motivation and Warm-Ups
Serpent's Den 