“The Hard (Irreducible?) Problem of Human Consciousness” There is nothing about the physics of the material world (quarks, electrons, photons, atoms, etc.), and specifically, the intricate structure of the brain, that gives the slightest clue as to the mechanism of consciousness. –Dr. Eben Alexander, “Proof of Heaven” (2012); p. 154 Parsing Alexander’s claims of encountering...Read More
Onto Fiscal Cliff #2 (and #3, and #4, and . . . ???) Statistician Nate Silver has advanced an interesting explanation for ever more frequent (and seemingly more acute) attacks of political gridlock nationally — the just-averted Fiscal Cliff fiasco serving as Exhibit A. Namely, politicians on both sides of the aisle have conspired to...Read More
Ouch! My 8 year-old daughter’s mantra lately seems to be “it’s not F-A-I-I-R-R-R!!” So, I chided her that she has WAY more stuff than I ever had, when I was her age. To which she retorted, “Yeah, but the stuff I have hadn’t even been invented when you were a kid.” See, “i.Everything?” “i.World?” “i.Giveup”...Read More
(The Term, Not the Type of Deal) In a post earlier this year titled, “Halftime at the Housing Recovery,” I posited that one sign that the housing market has fully recovered is that the percentage of lender-mediated sales (foreclosures and short sales) returns to pre-bust levels (5% or less). Want another sign? The term, “traditional...Read More
Products vs. Services Like a lot of people, I’m sure, I have a drawer-full of coupons — for restaurants, haircuts, and even a massage — that are set to expire unused Monday (Dec. 31). The explanation? The lines have been too long. It’s not a deal if you can’t take advantage of it . ....Read More
