This article explores how ancient Feng Shui principles, traditionally used for harmonizing spaces, can inform modern environmental risk mitigation. It examines Feng Shui's considerations of water flow, landforms, wind patterns, soil stability, and their relation to flood risk, landslides, and storm damage. The article connects traditional Feng Shui insights with contemporary practices like using hazard maps, soil testing, and resilient building techniques. Ultimately, it advocates for a holistic approach to site selection and building design that integrates ancient wisdom with modern scientific data to enhance safety and reduce environmental risks. The author suggests using this combined approach to avoid high-risk areas and build more resilient structures.

Feng Shui & Environmental Risk Mitigation

This text presents an appendix from The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, specifically focusing on Indo-European roots. It explains how to use the dictionary and its online resources, including an app and blog. The appendix itself offers a detailed exploration of numerous Indo-European roots and their derivations in English, tracing words back to their origins in various ancient languages. Information on the dictionary's Usage Panel and links to related societies are also included. Finally, it lists other American Heritage Dictionary products.

Indo-European Roots Appendix

The Eclipse of the Thou

Schopenhauer's essay on genius contrasts the vast majority of humanity, whose intellect serves only basic needs, with the rare few who possess genius. Genius, he argues, involves a dual intellect: one serving the will, the other objectively observing and mirroring the world, resulting in creative works. This second intellect operates independently of the will, often leading to a solitary life and a lack of worldly success, but providing profound inner fulfillment. Ultimately, genius's impact on the world is significant, though often only appreciated posthumously.

Schopenhauer on Genius - the podcast

This blog post presents a humorous fictional narrative where a macrobiotic fast-food chain, MacroDonald's, coincidentally shares its name with the universe itself, which was created when a being named Macrotosh sneezed. A subsequent lawsuit for trademark infringement ensues, leading to bizarre events involving quantum physics and cosmic entities. The story culminates in a settlement where every galaxy contains a MacroDonald's, blending the mundane and the cosmic. The author playfully explores themes of creation, corporate absurdity, and the interconnectedness of all things.

MacroDonald's: A Cosmic Copyright Comedy (podcast)

Tao Te Ching: An AI World Interpretation

This document presents a proposed thesis on David Beckwith's Theory of Social Triangularity. The theory models social relationships using geometric representations: solid lines for direct friendships and dotted lines for indirect connections ("friends of friends"). It explores how these relationships, particularly the indirect ones, impact trust, information flow, and community formation, both offline and within social media platforms. The thesis also discusses the theory's implications for social network analysis, platform design, and ethical considerations surrounding privacy in online environments. Finally, it suggests avenues for future research into relationship dynamics and cross-cultural variations.

Beckwith's Theory of Social Triangularity

David Beckwith's essay, "Love the Prompts," argues that in our digital age, prompts—unlike the questions of the past—represent open doors to creative possibilities. He suggests that embracing prompts fosters deeper understanding and creativity by encouraging exploration rather than simply seeking quick answers. Beckwith advocates for an open mind when engaging with prompts, likening them to seeds that can blossom into various creative endeavors. He adapts Rilke's advice to "live the questions" to our current context, urging readers to "learn to love the prompts" for their generative power. The essay celebrates the potential of prompts to inspire and guide us toward new ideas.

Love the Prompts

Progarchives.com is a website dedicated to progressive rock music, featuring user ratings and rankings of albums across various subgenres. The site uses a weighted average algorithm incorporating member and collaborator reviews to determine album rankings. Extensive filtering options allow users to refine searches by genre, recording type, year, country, and rating criteria. A substantial list of top-rated albums is displayed, showcasing diverse artists and styles within the progressive rock genre. The website is supported by banner ads and encourages donations to maintain its ad-free status.

Progarchives Top Progressive Rock Albums

The essay analyzes the pejorative use of "woke," arguing that those who use it to criticize others often unintentionally reveal their opposition to truthfulness, compassion, justice, and moral courage. The author traces the term's evolution from its origins in African American vernacular to its current usage as a weapon against social justice and moral progress. This linguistic inversion, the essay contends, inadvertently transforms the insult "woke" into a badge of honor for those committed to ethical behavior and rational thought. The author concludes that observing what opponents stigmatize can be a way to identify truth and virtue. Ultimately, the essay explores the complex interplay of language, morality, and social dynamics.

The Inversion of Woke: a podcast

Renaissance Man in the Age of the Re-Engroovenation.

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