Wow, it turns out that CS Lewis wrote about me. The phenomenon he describes in “The Inner Ring” is the driving force of my whole life.

When I was very young, I did things I’m not super proud of to get in the ring. Nothing major but still not very beautiful. Now I have other methods but it’s still the same desire to get into, or rather, to be The Ring. 

Well, at least I’m self-aware.

The first thing I did this morning was learn a new Spanish word: “guasap.” I figured out what it was from the context. Somebody was complaining that guasap destroyed her movie-going experience. Can you guess what it is?

Just on a practical level, why is kneeling in this culture a form of protest or disrespect? I thought that kneeling was an expression of submission and powerlessness. The faithful kneel before God. Gentlemen kneel before ladies. When a guy gets on one knee to propose, he’s clearly not protesting anything, right? I’m just not getting it. If you remain seated for the anthem, ok, that’s disrespect. But taking a knee?

Can somebody explain?

Rachel Maddow announced today that South Africa is the only country that voluntarily gave up nuclear weapons. For somebody who denounces Russian propagandists so much, she surely does a good job pushing Russia’s lies on her show. 

All of these Russian revelations stink to high heaven. 

And no, I don’t think she does anything in bad faith. She’s just a convenient fool. Who do you think feeds her all the stuff she talks about on her show every night? It’s the same people she is so eagerly denouncing.

Traditionally, psychoanalytic clients had sessions 4 times a week for 45 minutes. However, it’s important to remember that Freud’s clients didn’t work 40+hours a week and \ or raise kids and do all the household chores with no servants.

The world has changed, and working folks today can’t sustain this rhythm. I know somebody – it’s not me because I could never afford it – who started doing 2 sessions a week and almost exploded because it was too fast and too much. Four times a week would have killed her for sure. 

A serious, experienced analyst today will match your rhythm and will see you once a week or once every two weeks, whatever suits you best.

What I hate about literatures of endangered languages is that they really overdo the folksy thing. After a millionth novel set in a bucolic countryside where everybody dances barefoot over a freshly picked crop of the eminently local whatevers and exchanges hoary tales of hamlet wisdom, one begins to wonder if nobody who speaks the language has ever gotten off the pumpkin cart and discovered the wonders of electricity and these newfangled devices called shoes. 

Saizarbitoria doesnt follow this unfortunate trend. He writes in Basque with such easy, unapologetic freedom that you’d think the world hegemony of this language is an incontrovertible fact. And I love it.

I’m rushed so I’m not sure I’m reading this right. Are the Democrats refusing to make a deal on the Dreamers? They want to keep them hanging because making a deal with Trump would [attempt very unsuccessfully to] prevent more of these sad situations from happening? 

This is one issue where the rank hypocrisy of the Democrats makes me want to not vote for them ever. These are 800,000 people whose tragic situation could be resolved already. And this opportunity is going to be squandered for what crucial gain, exactly? What’s the enormous upside that will make this sacrifice worth it?

Let’s hope I misunderstood and the Democrats make the deal already.

You know what’s amazing? Basque literature. Of course, I’m reading it in translation but oh, wow. Out of this world. I’m in the middle of an 800- page novel by Ramon Saizarbitoria and obviously I’m not ready for a review because I’m not done but he’s literally a genius. Incredible writing. 

Now I want to drop everything and go read nothing but Basque literature.

In the official Russian discourse, the word “nationalist” stands for “indescribably evil.” So in the news reports of the past week it’s been “Spanish nationalists vs Catalonians.” It really sounds like mean Spanish nationalists are trying to separate from Catalonia.

I hope everybody understands why the Kremlin detests the very nationalism it’s so eagerly sponsoring in other countries. 

The FBI is busy investigating pig kidnapping. No, I mean real pigs.

It’s embarrassing to see people engage in this kind of ridiculous discussions. 

“Misunderstanding a new kind of gender dysphoria.” Also known as the dark side of consumerism.

Since there’s at will firing anyway, I guess we shouldn’t care about this case that will decide if workplace discrimination against transgender people is legal? I still care, though, and I believe it should definitely be against the law.

The Post-mass shooting checklist. Brilliant.

An insight into the marshmallow test that’s actually interesting. 

This is probably the creepiest family I’ve seen in ages. That poor little girl. 

Real feminism is happening in India.

How to stay productive when you fly. 

Loved this article by an environmental journalist.

I‘m stunned by how weak and pathetic some academics are.