Of all the toys we showed Klara at the store, she was the most excited about a little football. And it wasn’t even the European kind of football. It was one of those American footballs. She was so happy to see it and laughed so loudly that people from neighboring aisles came running to see what was causing this joy. 

So if you are active on Facebook, remember, it is your (second, third, etc) job. You work but aren’t getting paid through no fault of your own but because Zuckerberg is exploiting you.

What’s especially distasteful are these gushy biopics and articles that glorify Zuckerberg without ever mentioning that his entire business model is “steal people’s labor.” It’s like people think the dirty bastard is doing them a favor by robbing them. 

The most effective way of expropriating people’s labor completely for free is Facebook. Not only is Zuckerberg growing incredibly rich on stolen labor but, in order to facilitate the expropriation, he is promoting the idea that writing, photography, and building networks of human connections are not really work, especially if you enjoy these pursuits. 

Even those who shun Facebook will have to pay the price of Facebook’s philosophy of labor going mainstream. This is why I advocate ditching Facebook and Instagram in favor of platforms that do compensate workers for their labor. Even if compensation is not great, at least the idea that writing is work will be preserved. And the hateful philosophy of “if you like doing it, you shouldn’t get paid” will not be perpetuated.

Ecstatic Syrian civilians have been shaving off their beards, burning their burqas, smoking and dancing in the streets after being freed from Isis. The jubilant celebrations were seen in the Syrian city of Manbij on Friday, where militants have been driven out after months of fighting by US-backed rebel groups.

How can anybody possibly say that this is not a good thing and helping these folks experience liberation is a less worthy goal than pushing them into Europe where they will forever be stuck in ghettos, turning to burqas, beards and ISIS-like preachers out of anger and resentment?

I had to buy a new kettle and started reading reviews on Amazon. Within 30 minutes I was descending to the very depths of insanity and catching myself in the weird state of caring passionately whether there was a tiny plastic part inside a kettle that would emit noxious substances and kill us all. 

When I realized that I was getting peer-pressured into a total incapacity to find a kettle that would not pose mortal danger, I managed to snap out of it and finally buy a kettle.

The red marks countries that have no laws against domestic violence. In Russia, between 12,000 and 14,000 women are killed each year in incidents of domestic violence. 

Brendan Dassey from Making a Murderer has had his conviction overturned. 

We now have Netflix-inspired justice and reality TV elections. 

All of these failed hiring attempts remind me of my sad personal life before I met N. And these memories put me in a vile mood.

On the positive side, after a trip to another country with Klara, I no longer see every outing with her to the library, the supermarket or the coffee-shop as a complex and heroic endeavor. Everything now seems extremely easy compared to delayed and canceled flights, hotels, motels, luggage, unfamiliar surroundings, scary Montreal drivers, and weird Canadian diapers. (Seriously, Canadians, are you aware that your diapers suck?)

On the negative side, Klara is now very bored at home. Try as I might, I cannot provide the same number of new impressions, fun things to see, people to meet, views to explore. I understand how she feels because even N and I suffer from sensory deprivation here. Imagine how a rapidly developing brain must feel.