Monthly Archives: February 2011

The Trouble with Energy Efficiency

(“The Effency Dilemma” by David Owen, The New Yorker, 12/20-27/2010) Save the environment by driving a Prius, right?  Surprisingly, not as much as people think.  With the greater fuel efficiency, owners feel justified in driving more, such as 10 miles … Continue reading

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Augustus Caesar

I recently read in Susan Bauer’s book, The History of the Ancient World, the story of how Octavian became Augustus Caesar and what happened later.  Augustus is familiar to me from the PBS series I, Claudius, where he is depicted … Continue reading

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The Huffington Post

Early this month, the big financial news was AOL was buying the Huffington Post.  “What the heck is the Huffington Post?” you ask. I had never heard of it, either.  Turns out, it is a pretty good online newspaper.  It … Continue reading

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The Origin of Consciousness, II

The previous posting on the book The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind describes how author Julian Jaynes explains consciousness as the imaginary space we create within our minds to run various scenarios involving our own … Continue reading

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The Origin of Consciousness

This consciousness that is myself, that is everything and nothing at all, is a secret theater of silent monologues, a mansion of all moods, disappointments, and discoveries.  A kingdom where we alone rein, commanding and questioning.  A hidden hermitage where … Continue reading

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More Windows 7

Remember about five years ago when everyone was concerned about Microsoft being a monopoly?  (How quickly perceptions change.)  The complaint was that Microsoft bundled many useful functions with the operating system that you got whether you wanted them or not, … Continue reading

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Horst Wessel Lied

I recently listened to a group of recordings of World War II songs I had gotten years ago on a CD.  One of them was Horst Wessel Lied, a title I had never heard of, but I recognized the tune … Continue reading

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