Author Archives: Alec
Redisplaying the original blog posts
Originally, before I decided to focus this website on cycling and hiking, it was a blog named Contributing to the Problem. Then I decided to change its focus to cycling and hiking, and made it a website with static pages … Continue reading
More Choice, Less Satisfaction
We were watching Netflix a few days ago, and we couldn’t find the movie we wanted to see. But apart from that movie, there were so many choices of movie or TV series. It was overwhelming. Add in Amazon and all … Continue reading
A Whirlwind of Inactivity
I haven’t been doing very much, because my life has been a whirlwind of inactivity. There are many things I’ve convinced myself I should be doing. I should ride my bike, lift weights, learn French, learn web software development, write, create art, … Continue reading
A technology service Uber alles?
So what is Uber? Europe’s top court is trying to figure that out so European countries can decide how to regulate the company. Uber claims it’s an app, “an intermediary providing a technology service in exchange for a fee”. Taxi drivers … Continue reading
A Sea of Grass
After my last post about the Earth and Sun, I thought I’d post something I’d previously written about the scale of the Universe. As I said, this stuff fascinates me and boggles my mind. I love the feeling of utter … Continue reading
An Awe Full Hot Day
On a hot day, one of the things I sometimes think about is how much energy the Sun is putting out. I can’t conceive of this much light and heat from man-made sources. The Sun has been doing this for over 4 … Continue reading
On The Road Again
It’s hot in Arizona. It’s too hot to ride. It’s time to get out of the heat. It’s also time for a change. Much as I like the cycling around here, it gets boring to keep repeating the same few rides. … Continue reading
American Exceptionalism – How We File Our Taxes
American politicians love to throw about the words “American Exceptionalism” and to use them as a weapon against other politicians who dare to claim that perhaps America can learn from other countries. Which is sad. It’s always sad to see the government … Continue reading
AI and Immortality
I’m sitting around in Bali, feeling bored (1). So it seems an appropriate time to finish writing this article, which I started a while back then put aside. In the last few months I’ve been reading a lot about Artificial Intelligence … Continue reading
You’ve Got to be Somewhere
“I can’t learn the piano. It will take 5 years before I’m any good.” “I can’t learn French. It will take 5 years before I’ll be able to speak it well.” Well, as they say, 5 years will pass, and … Continue reading