Earth Day: Vandana Shiva and Maude Barlow

I just wanted to draw your attention to a very inspiring talk by two amazing human beings: Vandana Shiva and Maude Barlow. This is a Democracy Now Earth Day special. In the discussion they both claim that the only way humans will survive is for us to recognize the intrinsic worth of the nonhuman world. They speak about this in terms of the rights of nature. I spent a number of years reading the philosophical literature on this issue, and despite what many foolish academics have argued, the idea of recognizing the intrinsic worth of the natural world is key to moving past the current silliness that environmentalism has become. Rather than this being a strange and foreign view, as many Westerners seem to believe, Vandana Shiva notes that this is actually the dominant view among non-industrial people around the world. Anyhow, check out the video clip and post your thoughts below. http://www.democracynow.org/2011/4/22/earth_day_special_vandana_shiva_and

Firefox 4 on OS X--No PDF Support!!!

Thought I would just post some quick thoughts on the new Firefox 4. I installed it today on my Macbook Pro i7 in OS X (10.6.7). I made sure I didn't write over my Firefox 3 install. It was a lot of fiddling to install all my addons. My first impressions are that it's definitely snappier. However, I ran into a couple of very serious problems within minutes that make Firefox 4 a nonstarter for now for serious Mac users.

Domain Registry of Canada SCAM

The letter starts out with the words "As a courtesy to domain name holders...". If you got a letter in the mail that looks like this one I posted do not pay these crooks. Shred it. This is obviously a scam to try to get your to switch from your current domain registrar, in my case it was GoDaddy, to this company at hugely inflated prices. The document has the look of a Canadian Government document, designed to fool the unsuspecting person. If you don't look carefully you may be fooled by this document into thinking that you are about to lose your domain name unless you fork over some exorbitant sum of money. The scam is widely reported all over the internet. What's surprising is that such a business is permitted to operate without government shutting it down. The government is apparently aware of it Competition Bureau.

Never Use Toilet Paper Again: Save a Fortune & Live More Hygienically

You probably use $50 in toilet paper a year, even if you buy the cheap stuff! Times that by the number of people in your family and it can add up fast. I recently installed a bidet on two of my toilets and it's so much better than wiping with paper. I ordered mine from Hydrojet for $25 plus shipping to Canada, which was around $5 USPS. I'm happy with this brand so far and recommend it. It took all of 5 minutes to install. I can't believe I didn't think of this 30 years ago; I would have saved $1500 in toilet paper if I had! So no more carrying big bundles of toilet paper home from the store; no more storing the stuff. It's way more civilized, cleaner and hygienic. Finally, I can count myself among those who isn't wiping his butt on the trees of the world. Brilliant.

Troubleshooting Air Video and/or StreamToMe Connection on OS X

Screen Shot Of Culprit

I thought I'd post a quick suggestion for anyone trying to figure out why they are having problems connecting an iOS device to Air Video or StreamToMe with the servers running in OS X. For me Air Video would not connect using the default settings but would only work with "Enable access from internet" set, which seemed strange. I know it wasn't my network because I have another Mac that streams video just fine using bonjour and the default settings. StreamToMe on the other hand couldn't find the running server on my iPad. So I knew something was wrong with my network setup.

Wabi-Sabi & the Reverence for Imperfection

Perfectionism is, at the very least, a recipe for discontent--one I'm all too familiar with. I spent more years than I care to admit as a doctorate student trying to perfect a dissertation and in the process making myself, and those around me, crazy. Perhaps this is why I find the concept of Wabi-Sabi so refreshing. It feels  like a home-coming.

I like to contrast Wabi-sabi with perfectionism, even if that's not the best contrast. It's important to notice that perfectionism isn't just an attribute of individuals, but also of cultures. Looking around the Modern West, I see obsessive perfectionism right at the heart of our collective identity. We pride ourselves in it and look down on more "relaxed" cultures, even if it's no longer fashionable to call them "primitive". To say that the Modern West has something to prove is an understatement. We've stepped in to fill the job of the old Christian God, and we're collectively scrambling to bone up for the job, for which we are a bit under-qualified. Perhaps this is part of the reason we're so obsessed with all things productivity related.

Brew the Best Cup of Loose Tea Ever, Effortlessly

I'm a serious tea junkie and what better time to cozy up to a mug of tea than the winter. I only really drink loose tea. These days my favourite teas are Japanese Green Tea (usually Bancha), Tulsi Tea (Organic India), and Sage Leaf Tea. I do occasionally brew Camomile and Mint. I usually use organic leaves, but if the Green Tea is Japanese I will make exceptions.

I've been brewing tea for a long time. I don't drink coffee because I can't handle the caffeine. Even decaf is too much. Besides I love tea. I went through a Yerba Mate stage. I loved it, but ultimately I found my body didn't take to the stuff.

I've brewed tea in all sorts of ways. My favourite ways up until recently were to brew it 1) in a bodum, 2) in a Japanese cast tea pot, or 3) brew it in a glass mug with a stainless strainer (the kind you buy at Japanese shops). Forget about tea balls, etc. because loose tea needs to be able to float freely.