Gathering thoughts…
A world of little thoughts.
Have you ever known a gardener who tends a tree that bears no fruit? Most people measure a tree by what it gives. Sweetness in summer. Shade in heat. The quiet promise that patient hands will one day be repaid, that care, repeated through seasons, will eventually answer. But this gardener inherited a different tree.…
I have rejoined the Linking Your Thinking (LYT) cohort. Currently in Workshop 9, I am serving as a mentor, as well as enjoying updates the founder and host, Nick Milo, has created. An exercise from yesterday's first live super session (via Zoom, of course) included "STIRring knowledge" - Space, Time, Importance,…
I have spent an obnoxious amount of time asking myself, "what should I do with my life?" Not because there is anything necessarily "to do" or because I have an inherently unsatisfying or distressing life. In fact, it's quite the opposite. I have a cushy, work-from-home, tech-adjacent, golden-handcuffs, kind of job. Me…
"Stephen Wolfram proposed to let people choose their own Algorithm: the social platforms could still host your data and provide the interface, but the way the data is aggregated, sorted, and displayed to you would be customized by pluggable algorithms. If any entity were allowed to create and share an algorithm, they…
Why is it so hard to start working out again when I know it’s going to help me feel better? I know it’s going to have a positive impact but it’s still so hard to start
Don't know if one more writing and social media platform, which says it is not a social media platform, is worth the effort of writing. It is like having several notebooks in blank, or many books on the shelves that were never read. The objects are there, but their functions are ignored. Maybe because our brains,…
- andy warhol - tao lin - megan boyle - jordan castro - sheila heti i really want to eat some raisins right now what do all of these people have in common? their ratio of thoughtfulness to playfulness is just right they exude a level of wit&sillies that is just below the threshold required for actual laughter but that…
What you want and what you do Is what makes you you You want to be successful You gotta do what successful people do See people in the MRT using time to play their phone And they are people who utilises and read book And they consistently upgrade themselves Basic things like this but many people aren’t able to execute…
Skyggene gjør seg alltid større enn de er. Mørket tåler nesten ingenting. Det går i stykker av litt lys.
What if augmented reality (AR) went beyond simply projecting (virtual, simplified) models of objects into our existing world? AR should be a true expansion of our sensory inputs, enhancing how we experience reality. Scientific instruments already achieve this by allowing us to perceive phenomena beyond our natural…
Never hearing that you are loved, but having the fridge full of food —the Asian way. Never receiving an apology when they are wrong, but instead being asked if you are hungry or want some fruit —the Asian way. Being pushed to follow their dream life instead of yours, but receiving financial support —the Asian way.…
Professionalization is the psychological analogue of industrialization. If industrialization is the process by which a widget is standardized into a fungible unit of consumption, professionalization is the process by which a trade or craft is standardized into a fungible unit of production. Consider the development of…
Bias is a necessary component of human knowledge formation. Bias is commonly understood as a form of error, a deviation from truth, that ought to be corrected for. But what, exactly, is the process of deciding what is true and what is not? Your phone has advanced digital signal processing capabilities which allow you…
Então, voltei pra casa. Saí da internação graças a Deus, mas não posso mentir falando que não sinto saudades da comida. Muito boa a comida do hospital que eu fiquei e equipe fofa. Descansei bastante e espero que meu corpo me recompense com uma barriga sem líquido infeccioso e sem pontos sangrando. Um outro aspecto da…
This line from any James Bond movie seems to be a part of the franchise and has sustained over the last six decades. In fact, it's safe to say it's a part of Mr. Bond's identity. Therefore when I was recently gifted a bottle of vermouth, I wanted to experiment making martinis and I went down my own rabbit hole of why…
Sometimes I wonder what kind of life we all are actually living, are we truly happy with ourselves right now or it just a façade to just get by. Sometimes I wonder what we are truly afraid of, is it fear of rejection, fear of alienation by our peers or fear of showing weakness, because for me being vulnerable with…
We're taught to practice with only one colour. We're taught to choose only one niche to excel in life. Jack of all trades is master of none, right!? But, did you know the original version of this quote has another line? It says, "Jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one." It…
This is something that came to my mind recently. Mostly because I had to make changes to my usual schedule to better accommodate engagement with other fellow creators and to be available for my client's work. It made me think that routines, as much as they're touted to be the key to success, don't make you a…
I struggled with mental health issues for many, many years. They have been compounded by a stubborn insistence on "figuring it out myself." Over the last few years, I have finally started making progress, and I'm mostly healthy, happy, and more understanding. Over the last few months, I've been diving back into…
There are many things you automatically do better at, if done a second time. For me, when writing a piece of software, I get it all wrong the first time. It may work, but I can see how the code could be written in a cleaner and more effective way. If I get the chance to do it over, the result is better, and it doesn’t…
i'm reading carl jung's memoir and his descriptions of himself as a little boy (born 1875) makes me think of Pip, who started out as 7 in Great Expectations (set in 1812 but published in 1860) i absolutely loved Pip even though i overall did not enjoy Great Expectations. Pip was so cute in the beginning and then…
I came across nicheless from a wonderful newsletter I am subscribed to called 'Read Something Great'. The newsletter, hosted on Substack, sends me a 'long read' (blogs/articles that are longform essays taking more than 10 minutes to read) and a 'short read'. Nicheless was mentioned on a 'short read' newsletter from…
It's a boy who discovers he's a wizard. A young woman who takes her sister's place in a faraway, dystopian death contest. For our people-obsessed brains, the twists and turns are built around people, not situations or events. None of it works without a compelling character to draw you into the story's world. There are…
Have you ever have conversations You think you wants to be ready before And you slight regretted you only get to think of what you think and should’ve said One minute after what you said. You can only be ready When you keep thinking about it When your mind is occupied about the thing You can’t let yourself caught off…
I was in Italy for a week and just got back to Cambridge, UK. Arriving at the train station and driving through the city to my apartment in an Uber was a nice experience. A city I visited for the first time only three months ago, which felt so foreign back then, now feels so familiar. I recognize the routes, can…
Consistency is hard, a daily grind, Each day a battle with the wandering mind. Blank pages taunt, the cursor baits. In hopes that habit finds its place. In this struggle, there’s much to learn, - couldn't come up with a line here, too tired - That growth lies not in flawless acts, But in how we respond to our own lax.…
Today, I met up with people from my CDTM class, an add-on study program in Munich. These are people I met just a year ago, and catching up with them, it's crazy to see how they’re all doing big things. In this circle, it seems almost normal - but it’s not. I believe a big part of this is being part of the CDTM program…
I picture existence as a film reel with infinite frames. All big bangs, everything that was and everything that will be, are captured on those frames. One flawless complete existence, Nature. Nature is intelligent and curious. It wants to know itself and experience every frame of that film, which is it. How does…
The first "fact" that I learnt in childhood was "the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Our day lies in these two extremes. The window of observation between these two extremes is underrated. As the sun swim towards the west, it paints the world around us in multiple strokes of extravagance. From the pesky…
My life has been rough lately. I am stressed, sleep-deprived, and unable to function well. This year is my second attempt at applying to grad school programs, and the journey has been anything but easy. I have to keep retaking the GRE, write multiple essays (even just for one school!), and conduct original…
i think that information consumption is the opposite of navel-gazing; being so afraid of navel-gazing, i went completely the other way, reading books to become aware of others but i think it's good to look both ways; 50-50? i don't know -- to the degree that it feels most enjoyable, maybe navel-gazing vs…
Day-4 of my 30 day atomic essay streak. This one's about how I used mindful repetition to teach myself meditation. For my essays so far, the concept of 'Mindful Repetition' has been the only anchor. If you're unfamiliar with it, then please read 'Essay 2: Mindful Repetition, Compounds.' I have been wanting to practice…
During intense work phases, I often find myself deprioritizing social interactions to maintain focus and minimize distractions. While solitude often boosts my productivity and I enjoy my own company, I also realize how much I like to engage with open and inspiring people - they energize me. The last two days, I hosted…
The road behind is lined with trees that are tall enough to puncture clouds and obstruct birds. Some people of the world call it a single-lane road, but most know that it is more a passageway, a corridor through which we're expected to move heavy-duty vehicles with big fat asses through. And you best hope that there…
I am writing this blog post to commemorate what it meant to me to be publicly appreciated for my work. It made me feel absolutely awesome. It made me want to cry. It made me feel so grateful for being where I am in life at the moment. Thank you, Rachit, because I now know the impact of appreciation. It can lift you up…
my writing process is... weird. this week, i knew i had to write a pretty important proposal for station, so i told myself that i would start early. but monday passed... tuesday passed... wednesday passed and there i was on thursday night taking my shower getting ready to go to bed telling myself that i'd wake up…
Digitalization has become an epoch: a legend of our time, promising leverage, access, and a cure for systemic inequities. Policymakers and companies alike present it as a universal solution: once technology is introduced, progress will follow. And in many cases, it has; making industries more efficient, records more…
I've recently been feeling like the effects of pandemic burnout were at once stronger and more severe than I ever considered. That's besides the plain fact of contracting Covid twice along the way. Shit has been rough. Sleep overtakes me even after God doses of espresso and cold brew. Fresh air can help, but sometimes…
Doesn't it feel good to check off a task, meet a goal, or get to your destination? That feeling is equal for small or large steps. For your new journaling habit, you need to start small. A small start means it's doable, less intimidating. It takes less time and fits into your schedule. You still see results. When…
I have a lot of complicated feelings about speculative design as a practice. Its heralded to be this radical tool for guiding us in dreaming about the futures that we want to live in, therefore making us believe that what we can dream, we can create. While there is truth to this, much of the design fiction and…
- Continued from part I America is a dream in a different way. It’s been over 7 years since I moved here. Looking at my life now, I’ve done pretty well for myself. I have a stable job, a solid group of friends, a long term home for the first time in this country. I’m lucky enough to not grapple with visas and have…
Sometimes when I look at something that I have written, I can't believe I thought of these words. These words, they just come to me. I have to put pen on paper and give it form. I feel like a messenger at times. The universe or some cosmic force whispering to me. Sometimes these words don't feel like mine. I never…
We're following the leader wherever he may go. Aren't we familiar with the famous song from Peter Pan where the kids follow whoever is first with reckless abandon? We had no issue playing this version of Simon Says when we were younger. And yet, why do we make being a follower of Christ so hard? We overcomplicate…
What will forever haunt me about the Tyre Nichols murder is that he was calling for his mother during the last moments he was beaten to death. For all intents and purposes he died scared and alone, with no one to hold is hand and tell him he is loved. I know exactly what it's like to be alone, in the dark, scared, and…
(The following is a role playing diary written from the perspective of my Project Zomboid character) Days became easier once I got a working car, tools, weapons and a nice place far in the woods. I'm busy every day, yet sometimes I enjoy little moments like this more than before the outbreak. I was drowning in a badly…
Acabei de assistir"secretária" Que filme incrível. E o jeito que acaba, deixa tudo melhor. Um convite para todas as mulheres que se sentem fora da norma. Sustentar o prazer é difícil! É uma dor, para você e para os outros. Como se fosse um band aid arrancado de vez. Hoje uma colega de trabalho veio almoçar em casa. O…
https://winnielim.org/journal/where-i-can-take-off-my-mask/ This one feels so like my life except I didn't have that social medium to share things up until now. Really thinking of making this place my own. Hope I can stay consistent with it.
i just did a yoga session https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2D1WYgUeuM i thought about karl the whole time. who is karl? karl is a white haired old man we met at a port in greece everyone was freaking out!! because a flotilla came and dragged everyone's anchor karl was cool as a motherfucker. he stood there pitying…
