I was late for the train and had to settle for one of the end seats in the passenger car where the passengers face each other. A man was sitting across from me and maneuvered politely as I nestled into the tight space. The man, wearing a bowler hat, wasn’
Pity the poor author who writes a book. Finally, there it is for the rest of the world to devour and enjoy—or at least skim at the airport while waiting for Group Q to board. But no, the world has other ideas. Saddened by this reality, I shuffled despondently
My previous post had a lot of fun visualizing the ridiculous size of the national debt and the violence done to the spacetime continuum as the "green stream" of dollar bills rips through the cosmos. To the layman, this seems mad. The economist, on the other hand, takes
When I applied for a software job at a well-known communications company, I wrote a little program that calculated the national debt. It was rather whimsical, a drawing of a billboard sign with the national debt racing ahead in real time. It worked, and I got the gig. Absorbed in
I wrote a blog a while back about the personality differences between the past and the future. Using the Five-Factor Model, I noted that they were quite different, their personalities radically divergent. This was a disconcerting realization: does this have to be so? Is it such a good thing for
Jordan Peterson during his 2017 Discovering Personalities lecture spoke about something that I found intriguing: …Let’s say I wanted to get to the podium, and there’s a footstool in my way right there. I look at this part of the environment. I’m going to have slightly more
People often ask me what my characters do when they are off-screen. I can honestly tell them that I simply do not know; I am entirely dependent on the visitation of my muse, Clio, an inspirational creature born in ancient times. She comes and goes on her own schedule, leaving
If an individual is immortal and no one else is, he faces the very serious problem of outliving everyone else. After a while, is it worth it to make new acquaintances? Could a person survive the inevitable pain of constant loss? I circumvented this problem when I designed my immortal
(This is the last of a four-part series.) I often find it easier to host a party than to attend one. First, I know all the guests, so there is no awkward small talk needed to learn about a person. Most importantly, I am forced to mingle. A host must
(This is the third of a four-part series.) If you have read the previous two essays and are feeling a bit more confident, it is time to put that newfound social competence to work and help your fellow partygoer. We aren’t born minglers; it’s something we pick up
(This is the second in a four part series) As I mentioned in my previous essay, my go-to method of “benevolent release” was to offer my conversational partner a drink. But does that really work? I would dutifully go and get the drink and return. That unfortunately puts me back
(Part one of four) Whenever I am at a cocktail party, I always find it awkward to leave a small clique of attendees. I know the purpose is to circulate or, as the technocrats label it, “mingle dynamics.” Everyone else is aware of this also; otherwise, the hostess will observe