2021-06-29
Articles
“Smoke a fuckin’ fatty, ya fuckin’ Nazi”
What is nostalgia like, under such historical conditions? I fear any attempt at answering such a question, today, will necessarily come up short. Today this is how we experience nostalgia: we become anchored to an era, and when it dies, when it is subducted under the ground of time, and we are reminded of that every day in the way other people around us are now dressing and talking and being themselves, in some important sense we die too, and live out our days as ghosts.
Books
- Conversations with Cage: The curiosity, exploration and later devotional commitment to music is fascinating. I find the story of Schopenhauer accepting him as a student (after it was made clear he couldn’t pay) after pledging to devote good life to music very compelling. This seems to have had a profound and lasting impact in his life. There is something very powerful about a person you respect making a sacrifice for you as a commitment device. It brings to mind an apprenticeship style of relationship, something that is noticeably absent from professional work today. I experienced some of this as a baker when my bosses decided to take a chance and train me even though I had no experience. That they were willing to take on the risk of investing in me was very meaningful and cemented my loyalty and desire to do good work for them. This sort of personal exchange taking the place of something that in most cases would simply be transactional (fee for service in the case of Cage, matching qualifications and experience for me) has a deep psychological effect that confers a great deal more meaning to one’s work than would otherwise be the case. I have yet to find something similar since I’ve joined the white collars.
- Data Detectives by Tim Harford. A good set of principles for evaluating statistical claims (and really any other claims for that matter. I ordered a copy for my dad who is very much not a numbers guy as it provides a great non-mathy introduction to concepts like selection bias, the
Podcasts
- The Vanishing of Harry Pace, Radiolab’s latest mini-series. The real-life story of the most influential black man passing you’ve never heard. I read The Vanishing Half earlier this year and there were aspects of it I found interesting, but it didn’t move me. I find the real life version of a similar story more compelling. Only two of four parts are out so far; I’ll be interested to see where it goes from here.