Author Archives: kazisiddiqui
Graph: Clashing Dialogue
A graph of clashing character voices from Derek Banas’ writing series part 4:
A Leftist’s Guide to Natural and Artificial Values
Note: This post is mainly addressed to leftists. A value is an idea that remains static across various opportunities to choose an action. Humans have two broad categories of values. We naturally value wealth. Valuing wealth is the result of a selection effect. Most of the planning we do is about how to finance ourContinue reading “A Leftist’s Guide to Natural and Artificial Values”
What is To Be Done: Human Edition
I have written extensively on this blog on how to create a more egalitarian society, and thereby avert the crisis of authoritarianism rising all across the globe. The issue is that we’re talking about humans here. Humans are never going to do any of it. So I’m going to propose an alternative course of actionContinue reading “What is To Be Done: Human Edition”
Sništaldi, the Teaching
Draft 1: Very rough state. Sandhi is all over the place. Not even sure the patient matches the class prefix in every case. Disconnected mutterings of the mad hermit Saunmo (Whiny Dog, but saun “whiny” has esoteric connotations). Although often dismissed as the ravings of a lunatic, these sayings have a cult following within theContinue reading “Sništaldi, the Teaching”
Structural Dialectics
Draft 8: Fiddling with the semantics. Draft 7: Increased the simulation periods. Some writing changes. Draft 6: Updated the simulation and all the charts. PS. Fixed the broken charts. Draft 5: Still finding inconsistencies introduced during the rewrite. Draft 4: Fixed syntactic inconsistencies. Draft 3: Editing and expanding. Decided to remove the tables. Draft 2:Continue reading “Structural Dialectics”
Translation: রুম্ ঝুম্ ঝুম্ ঝুম্ রুম্ ঝুম্ ঝুম্
রুম্ ঝুম্ ঝুম্ ঝুম্ রুম্ ঝুম্ ঝুম্Rumjhumjhumjhum rumjhumjhum রুম্ ঝুম্ ঝুম্ ঝুম্ রুম্ ঝুম্ ঝুম্Rumjhumjhumjhum rumjhumjhum খেজুর পাতার নূপুর বাজায়ে কে যায়।Striking ankle bells of palm leaves, who dances by? ওড়না তাহার ঘূর্ণি হাওয়ায় দোলেScarf twirling in the tornado, কুসুম ছড়ায় পথের বালুকায়।।Her blossoms are scattered over the sandy path. তার ভুরুর ধনুক বেঁকে ওঠেContinue reading “Translation: রুম্ ঝুম্ ঝুম্ ঝুম্ রুম্ ঝুম্ ঝুম্”
Translation: রাঙামাটির পথে লো
রাঙামাটির পথে লো মাদল বাজে,On the red clay path, oh, the drum beats বাজে বাঁশের বাঁশি,The bamboo flute calls বাঁশি বাজে বুকের মাঝে লো,The flute plays in my breast, oh মন লাগে না কাজে লো,Can’t work, oh রইতে নারি ঘরে ওলো প্রাণ হলো উদাসী লো।।Can’t stay home, oh, heart wanders, oh. মাদলীয়ার তালে তালে অঙ্গContinue reading “Translation: রাঙামাটির পথে লো”
Mind training
A while back, I offered some suggestions for a daily training regimen to improve the mind as an alternative to Buddhist meditation. After a little experimentation, I’m ready to try one. Pills: Omega-3, Magnesium supplements, Citicoline, Lion’s Mane extract. (Indians eat turmeric with every meal. It’s sometimes recommended as a supplement.) Android apps: Dominion byContinue reading “Mind training”
Contemporary fascism is an outgrowth of capitalism
Poverty expert Jason Hickel says the living standards of the poorest of the poor are rising while the living standards of people who are slightly wealthier are falling. In the past, the right wanted to maintain civilized standards of behavior (which was always a lie). The left wanted to radically restructure society to create universalContinue reading “Contemporary fascism is an outgrowth of capitalism”
