How Difficult Is It To Find An Aristotelian Friend?
The term 'Aristotelian' is new to me, but it's fun to say. Almost as fun to say as "Francisco."
I was unfamiliar with his definition of friendship, and I hope to read more about it later directly from the source. Friendship has been a frequent conversation topic for me recently, largely concerning the third type mentioned here, "friendship based on virtue". Give this a read and let's discuss.
Learning From The Feynman Technique
I'll be honest, I had not heard of Mr. Feynman before but I guarantee you now I'll be learning as much as I can about him after reading this tidy little post about him. Here's a quote I really loved, which is from a biography written about Mr. Feynman by a Mr. James Gleick:
He opened a fresh notebook. On the title page he wrote: NOTEBOOK OF THINGS I DON’T KNOW ABOUT. For the first but not last time he reorganized his knowledge. He worked for weeks at disassembling each branch of physics, oiling the parts, and putting them back together, looking all the while for the raw edges and inconsistencies. He tried to find the essential kernels of each subject.
I'm gonna go buy a fresh notebook right meow.
I'm putting this in the "timeless" category not because of the politics but because of the perspective. Dig it.
Thanks to Brian E. for sharing this on Facebook a few weeks ago.
20 Albums To Begin A Journey into Jazz
I was cooking dinner last week and decided that I wanted Amanda and Baby Morris to have some good jams on in the background. I basically Googled "how to get into jazz" and this is an article that came up. I've been working my way through this list (using Spotify) and I've really been enjoying it. I've heard a lot of these names before, but I liked having specific album recommendations to go along with the names. If you think jazz is elevator music, this list will change your mind.
History of the whole world according to Bill Wurtz
This video is ridiculous and wonderful. It's 20 minutes, so it's a bit of a time investment but it's hilarious and I've watched it twice this week. I know sometimes I get really wrapped up in current events and it's tempting to think that whatever is happening is unique and possibly the end of the world. Summarizing all of history in 20 minutes means you have to zoom way out to see what still matters. It's actually refreshing (and humbling) to see small our individual experiences really are.
The Life of John Prine, the Mark Twain of American Songwriting
I love John Prine and you should too. You should read this while sitting on a porch somewhere, preferably with a cold, cheap beer in hand.
I'm not a stoic. I am interested in the philosophy though. I'll probably be sharing several links related to this over time, and I'm sure I'll eventually get around to reading the Enchiridion; but for now, I'll just share a couple of links that communicate the general idea. Some bold claims in this one. And the title is misleading (you should not think you're prepared to adopt this philosophy after reading a few paragraphs about it from a blogger).
The Only Thing You Need to Get Good At
Disagree with the title, otherwise good. References the article above, but thought I'd share it too in case the first one piqued your interest.
Fred Rogers testifies before the Senate Subcommittee on Communications
I'm not including this to comment on the current administration's rumored defunding of public broadcasting, but I think that's probably the reason it was shared enough to show up on my Facebook feed. Regardless of that, this is a great man speaking honestly about his concern that media targeted at children isn't concerned enough about the children's wellbeing. I love that, and I also love that he cared enough to devote most of his life to creating content that encouraged and empowered children.
An excellent article by my friend Ed Eubanks. Once you read this, you'll notice an involuntary smirk creeping over your face every time you choose to dive into the comments section on a "controversial" Facebook post. It also includes several links if you'd like to learn more about logical fallacies.