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user-inactivated  ·  2332 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Pubski: November 8, 2017

Books

Varieties of Religious Experience by William James has kind of stopped being an interesting read. The dude is smart and he has points worth hearing, but he meanders and rambles for way too long. The thing is over four hundred pages, I bet it could have easily been condensed down to 100-150 if he'd just get to the point. Yes, I know they're collections of lectures and all the caveats that go with that, but still though. I think the thing that gets me the most though, is that he constantly uses anecdotes to support his arguments, which is cool for a guy like me and technically probably an okay thing for a scientist from the 1800s, but compared to Dataclysm that Dala's reading right now that I stole a glimpse or two from, it's just not up to modern snuff. I want some numbers and statistics. I want some studies. I don't want a quote from Grandpa who was suffering an episode of night terrors.

I'm doing a Secret Santa thing that involves books. The only clues I have for the person is they like history, biography, and reading The New York Times. I'm gonna head to one of the local book shops today and see what they have that I think might be interesting.

Panama/Paradise Papers

Remember last year's Panama Papers? Well, now they're followed up by a different company from a seemingly different country with a collection of leaked documents called The Paradise Papers. It strikes me as crazy that not many people seem to be talking about them (Unless you're The Guardian, then you're not shutting up about them). I got into a huge argument with someone yesterday about them because we were talking about this whole tax reform bill and I said maybe if companies like Apple paid their fair share this shit would be easier to figure out. Words were exchanged, I got called "a limp wristed liberal" and for some reason, for that insult, I will now hate Apple forever and ever for being a bunch of tax dodging fuck heads. Well that and the whole depriving our country of needed income for repairing roads, building schools, etc.

Holiday Shopping

I'm not gonna get much this year, but with the exception of two items I got already from big box stores because that's the only place they can be found, I think this year I'm gonna buy all local. I think it's the right thing to do.