Against Common Sense
I have been looking for a term to describe words which have universal emotional association but wildly divergent denotations. So far, the best I have come up with is "ambiguities,"…
A Working Definition of “Greed”
After messing around in the crypto-trading world for a few weeks, I've begun to emotionally grasp the truth behind the phrase "scared money don't make money." One of the more…
On Investing and Shorting
If January's story of Reddit Robin Hoods and hedge funds has taught us anything, it is how unbelievably powerful economics have been in shaping and steering the course of superficially…
An Autopsy of COVID-Science
This morning, Google prompted me with this story: "Oh interesting," I thought. Maybe, in spite of the Danish mask study and Ivor Cummins' research on anti-COVID measures generally, they found…
On Critical Race Theory
I think it's worth saying a word about "systemic racism," now that recent politics has brought critical race-theory into the public eye. The concept of systemic racism is a creation…
Can There Be a Science of Beauty?
Over the last decade or so, a slough of recent research, articles, and arguments have attempted to quantify the subject of beauty, to understand what it means for something to…
Morale as Commons
Imagine you're walking down a street somewhere. It's an unfamiliar area and you don't know who lives there. But while walking, you happen to pass a car, and on the…
Blue on Black: Musing on the Songwriting Process
I have a confession that I suspect will offend a sizeable portion of my audience: I never really liked Five Finger Death Punch. I should be clear: I love the…
Debating Christianity
Next Saturday (June 20), I'll be debating with Myles and SuperLutheran over at The Godcast. No doubt, we will rehash episode 119, where they attempted to take down Holy Nihilism…
On “Consumerism”
What's so bad about consumption? Everyone needs to eat to survive. In my own experience, everyone seems to like having nice things. Yet it is increasingly accepted as a kind…