Category Archives: Uncategorized
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 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
The Power of Gamblers
I was reading an article about the broken Pharma system – basically about how people like Martin Shkreli can jack up the prices of drugs by 5000% in order to make a fortune at the expense of the people who … Continue reading
Unlinking from Facebook
I’ve decided to unlink my blog from Facebook. I’ve never been very comfortable with knowing that my blog posts will appear on Facebook and I’m now listening to that discomfort. Tanya takes the view that if people don’t want to … Continue reading
What’s in a Voice?
In Feburary, 2008, I fell in love with Hope Davis. I’d never met her, never seen her, but I was entranced, seduced by her voice. I was listening to the book Divisadero, by Michael Ondaatje, and while I love Ondaatje’s … Continue reading
La casa de Robert Graves
Just outside the cute little town of Deià, with its lovely views of the sea and its many sandy-colored stone buildings, is a house in which the English poet and novelist Robert Graves lived for 52 years. On a sunny day, … Continue reading
English as the common language
One of the most wonderful experiences of my life happened many years ago when I was doing a big rock climb in Switzerland. My climbing partner and I met and chatted with two Swiss climbers on the route. They spoke … Continue reading
Wasting time on the Web
I spend far too much time reading interesting articles on the Web. The current moment can be so boring. I mean, nothing is happening, and my mind needs to be occupied. If left to itself my mind ruminates, which is never … Continue reading
Contented Boredom and Eating
“Rather, he found himself inhabiting the vast, empty plateau where most people live, between boredom and contentment.” – Beautiful Ruins, by Jess Walter In June I rode Ride the Rockies and Bicycle Tour of Colorado. One of my friends on … Continue reading