If you have anger issues, this one is a great tool (h/t mindyourbusiness)
This week’s book:
Disclaimer: I’m not your Supervisor. These are my opinions after reading through these books a few times.
Picking up where I left off with Seneca’s letters to his friend and student, Lucilius Junior, an official in Sicily.
Last week’s article turned into a wall of text, so this week I am summarizing a part of the letter in italics and then responding in normal text.
On Philosophy, the Guide of Life
According to Seneca, true happiness can not be achieved without wisdom. In order to start learning and continuing to gain wisdom daily reflection is required.
I mostly agree with this, I enjoy learning and have read many texts on history, economics, and philosophy for the sole reason of self improvement, and this does make me happy.
Seneca then praises Lucilius for his improvement and says he can tell because Lucilius does not ask the same basic questions anymore. And while he acknowledges this, he still doesn’t have complete faith in Lucilius’s wisdom and cautions Lucilius to have the same attitude.
It is important for me to improve and feel a change in my attitude and reactions. I no longer struggle mightily with flash anger and overall I am in a better mood. It is also important to remember I still require study and am not perfect.
Seneca list things that philosophy is not: it is not a amusement to keep from getting bored, and it is not a tool to impress people with. Instead it orders your life and guides you towards correct decisions.
This is part of the reason I study the Stoics. Although when I am bored, reading Stoic quotes does help fill time in a better way than other diversions. I don’t know anyone that would be impressed with the amount of learning I have completed except maybe some of the Glib weirdos. It does help me keep my life in order and has helped me make (hopefully) correct decisions.
Seneca posits other’s objection to philosophy: How will philosophy help when fate and the gods determine what will happen? He responds that is exactly why you should study, so that when things happen outside of your control, you can deal with them appropriately. Because of this, he encourages Lucilius to keep the spark for learning alive and not let it get cold.
When I first really started seriously reading Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, and others, I was struggling with many things I had no control of. It was difficult for me to accept the fact I was stuck in the hospital and after release, I was stuck on the couch. Learning to not fight things outside of my control really kept me sane and helped me to look outside of myself and appreciate my wife for taking care of me for those 2 months. I have since kept studying and working to improve, it helps keep me straight as well as keeping my brain active.
This letter closes with another quote from Epicurus: “If you live according to nature, you will never be poor. If you live according to opinion, you will never be rich.” Seneca says that natural needs require little, but impressing other people’s opinions is limitless.
I currently have more than I naturally require, and I do not try too hard to impress others. I am guilty of trying to show off my truck sometimes, but that was not the driving force behind all of the work I put into her. I am the only person at work with an older car daily driver, it is a 2005 Saab with 200,000 miles. The paint has started peeling, but I am perfectly happy with it.
Seneca uses a road as a metaphor to determine if you are living naturally, or for opinions A natural journey should have an end, but false opinions have no stopping point. If you look to where you are trying to go can the goal can be stopped at a definite point, or are new more distant goals always appearing?
Using my vehicles again, if my car runs great, I am happy. I have no desire to work on it or change anything. My truck on the other hand runs, rides, and looks great. Once I got her to that point, I decided I don’t like the carpet, so I plan on vinyl flooring, as well as changing the interior color. I also want to put a new spray in bed liner, new headlights, maybe swap in leather seats, you get the idea. Because a reliable daily driver is a natural goal, my car is fine. But because the truck is a luxury/show off piece, there is no end in sight.
In the mood for some comedy this week.
I can’t believe I have never featured Tom Lehrer, he is one of my all time favorites.
The man was a genius, but there was something wrong with him.
My favorite dark love song:
whaddup doh’
Donno. I’ve been sorting through my desk and boxes, and found documentation regarding moving printers from a building that no longer exists to a building the agency moved out of in 2011 or so.
The irony being that had you been asked to produce those documents you very likely wouldn’t have known where to find them.
Fortunately, no one knew I had them, so I was able to put them in secure document disposal for shredding.
Outside of certain types of information specified by law, we are not required to retain anything for fifteen years.
Were those documents classified?
Not as far as I am aware.
So…speaking of comedy. I was happy to see this hasn’t been buried into the internet blackmore.
When it was okay to make fun of a President
This got me through a few night shift in the military
What changed? Are we not still allowed to make fun of Bush?
I guess there are quite a bit, like here and freedomtoons. Maybe it’s the more relegated to each teams corners of the internet that gets me.
To tie into the post. I seek out the simple things in life.
Using my vehicles again, if my car runs great, I am happy.
I like it when my daily driver runs. I do not like when electronics issues creep up.
Next week will be a test of Stoicism.
Paul Pelosi getting hit in the head with a hammer. They both look really high.
https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/watch-paul-pelosi-hammer-attack-bodycam-video-released
Well now the question why hide that? That actually looks pretty clear
It’s the lead up that destroys the narrative. Hardly a hostage situation there, now was it?
Guy looks like he has Pelosi by the wrist no? Don’t get me wrong here, the whole situation looks weird.
Weird, in San Francisco?
Looks like both are holding the hammer and the guy is trying pry Pelosi’s hand off of it. Was Pelosi already hit before the police arrived?
I heard a knock but never did the officers identify themselves, so the “knock and announce” narrative is missing the second half.
Yeah, its pretty unusual for a hostage taker to allow their hostage to answer the door when the police knock.
No pants and the goofy expression raise some questions.
I thought DePape was the one running around in his underwear – apparently not.
DePape’s lawyers were trying to keep it from being released. Not the government. Because it is pretty damn clear DePape is guilty of assault, at the very least.
Was he yelling “palomino”?
Geronimo
Alluding to this.
I can’t imagine anything like this occurring in Studio whatever-the-fuck-it-is-8c? today.
Even back then it was the rare gasp of something actually funny.
Ope! Stepped on a joke.
Maybe more obscure than I assumed.
Thanks! I’ve been wanting to see that. Looks like the Pelosis were getting some house painting done. I saw blue tape on all the windows. I wonder if DePape or any of his buddies were hired to paint.
Also DePape is screwed. That looks really bad. He was going to go away anyway, but I see why his lawyer didn’t want that footage released.
They certainly act as if they know one another.
Pelosi has a drink in his left hand that you see just as DePape pulls back for the swing. Very fricking odd, the whole damn thing.
Stoicism has been very tested by work. I am, once again, considering a job change for my sanity. It is within my power to make that change instead of sitting like a toad on a hot plate. I have been dealing with crazy issues since the company I work for was bought 4 years ago.
I don’t know about your circumstance, but my stress levels have been much lower since I accepted the change in role. I had been seriously burnt out, now I’m just mildly dissatisfied.
I could deal with that. I do need to do something this year.
Best wishes.
I don’t know if I can be as helpful in your search as you were to me, but if you need help, you know how to get a hold of me. I’ll do what I can.
You’re starting an OnlyFans?
Lehrer’s good. Amigo the Devil taking up the torch lately. They call the genre, Murder Folk…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=098uIBHp_tc
He had to have been Eric Idle’s muse.
I impulse purchased two of his albums a few years ago. I liked them, but after awhile it all became the same song to my ear. I prefer the Nick Cave style of murder balladeering. Plus PJ Harvey as well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzmMB8dTwGs
Agreed and Amigo’s not lasting long in my regular rotation. But I’m going to see him live this Tuesday. Seems like a fun dude.
Steven Lynch isn’t too shabby either.
I find Lehrer overrated. He’s Stuff White Boomers Like.
Seneca list things that philosophy is not: it is not a amusement to keep from getting bored, and it is not a tool to impress people with. Instead it orders your life and guides you towards correct decisions.
I’ve run into this a lot, particularly with libertarians and Christians (lol). Yes, you can quote Rothbard or Scripture. You know the jargon and wear the symbols, but why the hell do you need to keep on about it? Philosophy is personal. It isn’t crossfit!
Thanks, Ron. Gonna keep my mouth shit and my brain engaged!
mouth shit
To each his own, who am I to judge. I will studiously and stoically ignore your pre-version.
Don’t kink shame!
Do you think maybe I type cuss words too fucking often?
Overuse does diminish the impact.
It’s a bad habit.
Pater Dean told me to never curse at work, as cursing is what people do when they can’t think of a real word, so cursing makes you look stupid. I would agree that a good ass-chewing is improved if it is delivered in calm, measured tones using real words in full sentences.
I cursed on a business call today. I did apologize.
But around the office? Fuck fuckety fuck.
words of curse
Actual footage of Tundra.
Shucks. Here’s the footage. Premature pasting ruins a … ‘joke’
Still funny.
I can’t even imagine how much fun those dudes had making these episodes.
Oh, but Crossfit is for the world. It is for us all. Let me send you my newsletter.
You’d get even better results if you were vegan.
And trans.
transfat?
Most seem to be, yes.
You also have to get rid of your TV as well.
my TV aint botherin no one
And go to Burning Man – that’s the trifecta.
This is a great one for the pursuit of happiness.
“This letter closes with another quote from Epicurus: “If you live according to nature, you will never be poor. If you live according to opinion, you will never be rich.” Seneca says that natural needs require little, but impressing other people’s opinions is limitless.”
By the way all of Lehrer’s songs are public domain. He released all of them when he was 92.
So, it looks like Pelosi has the hammer in hand. DePape has one hand on the handle of the hammer and the other hand on Pelosi’s wrist.
They both answer the door looking stupid.
DePape succeeds in pulling hammer away from Pelosi and then takes a full swing at Pelosi.
Looks like attempted murder. But, who knows what was happening behind that door before it was opened.
No matter what was going on before that, DePape took a swing and hit Pelosi right in front of the cops. Once the cops show up, he should have dropped the hammer and aggression. He definitely assaulted Paul Pelosi.
To me it looks like Pelosi was relaxing, pants off as men do. And here comes a freak he somehow knows and hilarity ensues. Chances are even the trial won’t clear up what was going on there.
Depends on what DePape is charged with. If it’s just assault, then really no need to go into what happened before he swung the hammer. If it’s also kidnapping or unlawful imprisonment or some such, well, the door is wide open for the defense to argue about what happened before.
They’ll do a deal, though. This ain’t going to trial.
Yeah, this whole thing served its purpose – whatever that was.
Okay. Now FOX news has footage of the security cam where DePape broke in through a window.
https://twitter.com/greg_price11/status/1619027835003486210?s=20&t=BI_-vfaBbMXwMb2rRSce6w
So he broke in, and assaulted Pelosi.
The 911 call is bizarre.
Everything about it is bizarre. But it is San Fransisco.
DePape crashes through a door with a hammer.
Pelosi calls 911 and calmly says that a guy is in the house and wants to wait for Nancy to come home.
When asked, DePape calmly gives his name to 911.
WTF was going on there.
This is awesome!
https://twitter.com/Super70sSports/status/1618966742222671874
why?
Because pretty much everything about MM is.
Oooh yeaaaah!
You know, there is a perfectly good door you could have used instead of going through the wall.
Wait a minute, are MM and the KoolAid pitcher the same guy?
You aren’t alone in wondering.
It’s really pretty simple
Macho Man: Oooh yeaaaah!
KoolAid Man: Ohhh yeaaaah!
Actual war criminal proposes war tribunals and has her war-mongering idiocy pointed out by Rand Paul. Nuland and the rest of the committee ignore it and continue reading from their scripts.
He says something about the war going on forever. He’s right. There is no reason for our corrupt ruling class and defense contractors to end it. They miss Afghanistan and Iraq, it’s time for another forever war. Is there anyone from any country trying to negotiate a cease fire? Not that I’m aware of.
His point is that promising to hold Nuremburg Trials for the Russians means that there can never be a diplomatic solution. It’s now a war that will only end with unconditional surrender of one side or the other. It’s lunacy to do this to the country with the largest nuclear arsenal in the world.
I guess there’s no point of negotiating if one of the requirements is one side hand over their leader to be hanged.
“Until they leave Crimea…”
They know as well as anyone else that Russia will not leave Crimea without nuking someone in the process.
Ceding any conquered territory is a nonstarter from the Russian perspective. Franky, it is also insulting. That cunte Nuland knows this. Everyone knows this. The cuntes in charge are going to create an international crisis over a war that 1) is none of our business because it does not involve and ally and 2) did not have to happen if the west/NATO listened to Russia concerns and actually negotiated and did so in good faith.
Then there’s the whole matter of the lease.
None of this shit had to happen.
one the one hand I am not stoic and mostly dislike my life. On the other hand the weather is horrible and I am in a warm apartment with a fairly pricey scotch. I cannot imagine being homeless in this weather
I am starting to believe that is you have a small warm room of your own and access to a bathroom and some food it takes out a huge problem in winter
There are homeless camps in NH’s two biggest cities. Somehow they make it through NH winters.
here they often go in the sewers warmish and no wind
There are homeless camps in frickin’ Anchorage. Somehow they make it through Alaska winters. (Although in Anchorage they probably really aren’t any worse than NH.)
Have we ruled out the possibility that they are migratory bums?
Well, I’m pretty sure some “migrate” in from the bush communities, but I don’t think too many are migrating up from Outside.
Hah! Vagrant snowbirds.
I know they make it somehow I just wouldn’t want to be one
I thought Europe was supposed to freeze to death this winter. Or is that just the unvaxed?
this is the first actual winter day here it was very arm till now
https://twitter.com/MAstronomers/status/1618762077996257282/photo/1
Seeing as how I will be 66 in the not too distant future, this post leaves me feeling quite weird.
what makes 66 special? It is not 69
You should repeat this experiment.
Best I can do on short notice
Sputnik 1
SpaceX Falcon Heavy
The real changes in the last 66 years are mostly consumer goods.
Here’s mine:
1967: https://simeonemuseum.org/collection/1967-ford-gt40-mk-iv/
2023: https://www.ford.com/performance/gt/mk-iv/
TVs.
I remember when my family went across the street to our neighbors to watch the Wizard of Oz on TV. They had a massive 19 inch color TV. We still had a small black and white TV.
Absolutely.
I just bought a new TV this week. Replaced a 2014 Samsung 55″ with a Sony 65″. Spent less than I did in 2014.
My mom was anti TV, so we went from no TV to a small B&W. Going to friend’s houses was a real treat!
I would guess the biggest change is in computer processing, in particular the size of the device and the speed.
I hate computers.
Poor little set up line, sitting there all so lonely and unappreciated.
At my first engineering job, the company rolled out the firsts PCs (Intel 8088s) to engineering. One PC per two-person cubicle. Email was a learning experience. One of my coworkers was slow to learn the lesson that he needed to log off the PC if he left his desk. His account sent multiple obscene emails to our boss before he learned his lesson. Fortunately, the boss was a practical joker who had just been elevated from engineer to manager. But he lost his sense of humor after a couple of nasty emails.
First job has one PC per 4 engineers. I ended up using the clean room PC’s most of the time. Also had the big old financial and factory traveler printouts on green and white dot matrix printers.
I don’t miss that.
My first job, there were PCs around, but not even the secretaries all had them. The brand new lawyer next to me had a modem on his desk – the kind you put a telephone handset on. Pretty sure that was one of handful of modems in the entire law firm of 300+ lawyers.
Wow. That’s some heavy perspective right there.
So, where is my fusion powered flying car? All I got was a time sucking phone.
Damn. That’s really amazing.
My brother enjoys telling his Gen Z co-workers tales of the past.
One of the biggies is that our grandmother rode a horse to school.
“My grandmother rode my grandfather to school each day!”
“…Wait, what?”
So that’s why you’re half centaur.
Aaargh! I should have gone with the pun on “Quarterhorse”.
Dammit.
Can’t win ‘em all.
This would have worked too.
https://www.beamdistilling.com/our-brands/old-grand-dad-bourbon
Sputnik was launched 66 years ago.
See above
It burned up in the atmosphere a long time ago.
So the follow up picture could be a pile of ash.
It’s official, we get to Mars in 2035.
Tennis for two – first video game, 1958
Horizon Forbidden West, 2022
This is an interesting 180:
https://www.rand.org/pubs/perspectives/PEA2510-1.html
Hasn’t RAND been full-on war forever?
The best hope for a negotiated end to the Ukraine conflict is the GOP’s desire to go to war with China instead.
It’s batshit crazy, but there it is.
I don’t think the GOP wants to go to war with China. They are making too much money off China now. What I suspect they want to do is use the threat of war to squeeze more out of their Chinese paymasters. Also, put together some new defense contracts to “prepare” and/or sell weapons to Taiwan.
My baseline assumption these days is that everything Our Masters do is for personal profit.
That would be the optimistic view.
I’m lacking that characteristic at the moment.
“clarifying plans for future support to Ukraine, making commitments to Ukraine’s security, issuing assurances regarding the country’s neutrality, and setting conditions for sanctions relief for Russia.”
They get the big bucks for this.
All those other wars we could win (militarily at least) and if we didn’t win them, so what?
Daily Quordle 368
5️⃣7️⃣
6️⃣4️⃣
Sad to say that’s my best score in about a week.
Daily Quordle 368
4️⃣7️⃣
6️⃣5️⃣
Ronna’s still Ronna-ing.
The GOPe and the LP were separated at birth.
Twins
I would’ve been greatly disappointed by anything else.
Great! She’s done a bang up job lately, what with all the wins and unification of the party and whatnot.