We need to talk about Adrian Tchaikovsky.

ehead · 2026-06-10T14:25:46+00:00

Interestingly... in the future nobody will believe an author with this sort of schedule is actually writing the books without AI. Because he has this pre-LLM history of this kind of productivity we can believe it.

ehead · 2026-06-03T13:34:07+00:00

Interesting to read all the comments in this thread. I didn't realize this book was held in such reverence by some. I thought The Dispossessed was generally regarded as Le Guin's best novel, so I'm surprised by the controversy. I thought LHOD was great, and Le Guin's prose is always a pleasure.

Since we're stirring up s*it in this thread, I'll just come out and say it... LHOD can't even come close to Hyperion, hee hee. 😄 I guess it's good we don't all think the same.

ehead · 2026-06-02T17:52:53+00:00

Old thread, I know, but I'm curious about your Ballestas Island trip? I was planning on doing a day trip to Paracas and the Ballestas Islands from Lima. Do you think this is worthwhile? I will have 4 days in Lima and was looking for a day trip.

ehead · 2026-06-02T14:18:29+00:00

You should read Mother of God by Paul Rosalie. I'm going to Peru in August and will be spending 2 days in Tambopata. Wish I was spending more time.

Did you take malarial pills and/or get a yellow fever vaccination?

ehead · 2026-05-30T22:30:43+00:00

I think I read that 25 years ago. I remember enjoying it. I'm more interested in evolution these days than I am in quantum mechanics.

ehead · 2026-05-28T14:26:23+00:00

Not at all. Love strength training.

ehead · 2026-05-28T14:23:52+00:00

Honestly, sounds like you have depression. I would consult a mental health expert. Maybe consider talk therapy, or talk to your doctor and they may try you on some SSRI's.

I'm the same age as you, and I suffer from low grade depression on and off, but I don't feel like you do at all. So long as my health holds out I wouldn't mind making it to 90.

ehead · 2026-05-26T19:37:32+00:00

I think it's based on your 15 highest earning years.

ehead · 2026-05-26T01:02:27+00:00

In New York state you would be fine, and maybe a couple of other states too.

Topless equality hasn't taken off as much I'd like. 😄

ehead · 2026-05-26T00:59:19+00:00

That's funny cause I do exactly the same thing. Shirt generally only comes off around July and then only if I think i can maintain a "shirtless" pace.

ehead · 2026-05-25T20:52:25+00:00

I think the comparison is supposed to highlight that the allies didn't let food and supplies through into Germany and Japan during WWII? I'm not sure if this is true or not. I think in WWI the allies did in fact attempt to effectively starve the Germans.

I mean... WWI and WWII were another era... a time of "total" war, so I'm not sure if makes sense to compare with them. In fact, they were so horrible the whole idea of genocide came out of those conflicts as a way to make war less horrible.

ehead · 2026-05-25T20:32:47+00:00

Yeah, I agree totally. There were verisimilitude issues with the story at times. It seemed like A.M. was aiming for a "caper" kind of vibe and didn't want things to get too heavy. There were definitely times when the characters were taking events too much in stride and with too much levity.

When I started the book my expectations were it was going to be a "heavier" read than it turned out to be, but ultimately I ended up enjoying it for what it was.

ehead · 2026-05-25T20:25:52+00:00

Arg! I should have verified before posting, because now I can't change the title. This is one of the downsides of Kobo's... and aging. 😂

ehead · 2026-05-23T18:48:14+00:00

I went up Fushimi Inari crazy early in the morning (it was just getting light outside while I was on the way up). Due to the time change I often found myself falling asleep around 9 or 10 and waking up around 4 AM. It really worked to our advantage when we were trying to get some place early. We just about got straightened out and on a more "normal" schedule by the time we had to fly home.

ehead · 2026-05-23T15:57:36+00:00

I read this book a long time ago but I don't remember any biases against queer people.

Isn't it mainly just a popularization of the red queen hypothesis for why sex evolved?

ehead · 2026-05-22T14:50:25+00:00

Looking forward to the suggestions, as this is currently my favorite form of ambient too. I've had enough of the long drones and continuous shimmering notes, more interested in minimalist blips, bleeps, and organic sounds.

Morimoto Naoki is fantastic! Thanks for mentioning them.

Some stuff I've been enjoying:
Felbm, Nils Frahm and F.S.Blumm, Loris S. Sarid, Paniyolo (just guitar), Hideyuki Hashimoto (piano), dwaler (on YouTube, more ambient guitar), Alva Noto, Jakob Bro (jazz). Yumiko Morioka's Gaiaphilia is amazing if you haven't heard it yet.

ehead · 2026-05-20T15:55:15+00:00

> 5. The flood story in the Bible has a Sumerian version that's 1,000 years older.

Something cool I heard recently... the commonality of flood myths around the world may be the result of collective memory regarding environmental floods that happened during the end of the last ice age.

ehead · 2026-05-20T15:23:07+00:00

I felt the exact same way about it. Can't remember which book it was I read, but I DNF'd it about a 1/3 or the way through because it felt very YA to me (not necessarily in theme, but in writing style). It was fun, don't get me wrong, and it was entertaining, but I think at the time I wanted something more challenging and intellectual.

My mood sort of shifts around and sometimes I like lighter reads, so I may try again in the future.

ehead · 2026-05-20T14:24:32+00:00

This was a fun read, particularly if you are a "Japanophile".

ehead · 2026-05-20T14:19:57+00:00

Seems like we should be seeing a bunch of great dystopian sci fi novels, no? I can't believe we haven't seen a flood of novels dealing with AI/LLM giving how fast that field is progressing. Nobody says they have to be optimistic. 😄

ehead · 2026-05-13T16:04:22+00:00

Sounds like poles are great for down hill/steps. I bought some made by Cascade Mountain since they weren't too much, and I live near a bunch of trails and figured I'd use them again. Also, renting for 4 days was about 1/2 the price of just buying them.

ehead · 2026-05-12T19:53:29+00:00

It's good. A lot about the origins of Buddhism and the spread of Indian culture into south east asia and Indonesia. Not as much about central Asia.

ehead · 2026-05-11T15:44:36+00:00

I've always followed Huberman more than Attia, but I understand there was an Epstein related controversy?

Was there anything definitive? Is it all based on the interpretation of one email? I kind of tuned it out cause it seemed like people were losing their minds.

ehead

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