Category Archives: Uncategorized

The Blog has moved

Posted on February 26, 2017 by Alec

This website is now dedicated to pages about cycling, hiking, and anything else I decide to write about. The blog part of it has moved to http://firstworldproblems.blog  

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More Choice, Less Satisfaction

Posted on December 6, 2016 by Alec

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 →

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A technology service Uber alles?

Posted on November 29, 2016 by Alec

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 →

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The Power of Gamblers

Posted on February 9, 2016 by Alec

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 →

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Unlinking from Facebook

Posted on January 1, 2016 by Alec

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 →

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What’s in a Voice?

Posted on December 17, 2015 by Alec

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 →

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La casa de Robert Graves

Posted on July 8, 2015 by Alec

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 →

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English as the common language

Posted on June 18, 2015 by Alec

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 →

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Wasting time on the Web

Posted on August 1, 2014 by Alec

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 →

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Contented Boredom and Eating

Posted on July 3, 2014 by Alec

“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 →

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