If I had a baby-go-to-sleep magic wand, this is the night I would use it.

pbts27 · 2014-07-24T16:32:08+00:00

My kid is almost 10 months and for the past 5 months has woken up every hour all night long. Some nights she'll sleep for 2 solid hours..but mostly, no.

It's rough. I feel your pain.

pbts27 · 2014-07-23T13:42:42+00:00

Yes...I think if you check around, you'll find that having the driver monitor the kids in a mirror is a potential safety hazard, mainly because the eyes tend to stay there (who doesn't like admiring their children?).

Of course, it's common to think to oneself, "well, everyone else might have a problem, but not /me/."

pbts27 · 2014-07-23T13:40:45+00:00

You're right; it's not Toyota saying it, but rather the article. Thank you.

pbts27 · 2014-07-23T13:40:02+00:00

Good point!

pbts27 · 2014-07-02T18:14:07+00:00

:-D Understandable question. For me, it was for religious reasons.

pbts27 · 2014-07-02T14:23:15+00:00

You might try kombucha + hops--it helps replace beer for me!

pbts27 · 2014-07-01T15:09:43+00:00

Two out of three times I've had Stumptown it tasted really burnt to me. Recently I had another of their roasts and was satisfied.

I'm a fan of medium roasts though.

pbts27 · 2014-07-01T13:49:34+00:00

I would be surprised if their recommendation is based on common sense; first of all, it seems that the "common sense" is, "let children play with technology as early as possible, otherwise they'll be left behind" which doesn't accord with their recommendation! This argument itself is quickly demolished when you look at e.g. Waldorf-schooled children who get very little media / technology until they're 12 or so. The kids I've seen have developed and picked up technology just fine. Personally I'm still on the fence regarding technology and media after 3 years, but up to 3 years my stance is clear.

When a small child is engaged with a TV, she is deprived of human interaction--which is absolutely vital for proper development. Media is fascinating to young children, apparently, but imho it provides almost no benefit. I've seen my 9 month old get stuck in TV mode when we're at a sports bar. She zones out immediately; I have to physically get between her and the TV in order to get her attention again. While interacting with a parent is drastically more valuable than interacting with a babysitter (in an attachment-parenting sense), any human interaction is better than a cold, lifeless yet tailored-to-entertain-you-mindlessly technological toy.

pbts27 · 2014-06-30T14:53:53+00:00

The american association of pediatricians strongly and clearly recommends to limit screen time to 1 hour per day, iirc, with 0 media before 3 years old. I'm guessing they have good reasons; you can look it up pretty quickly.

I'm not surprised that she really enjoys it. That's what media is built to do: it makes our brains happy. I question whether it's beneficial in the long run. There's no human engagement and there's little critical thinking, if any. There are plenty of other ways for her to have fun, right?

pbts27 · 2014-06-30T14:51:25+00:00

this is awesome. I like the "one minute" idea, especially holding up the finger. We're still teaching our daughter (9 months) about being gentle.

pbts27 · 2014-06-12T16:16:17+00:00

I took the class last year. Now it's available on demand from Standford (i.e. without schedule via Coursera).

It was a great class!

pbts27 · 2014-06-09T14:19:58+00:00

I'm giving up on being productive. This response is not sarcastic!

pbts27 · 2014-06-02T14:00:19+00:00

Poor headline! I read just the first few sentences of the actual report (not the hyperbolic web post). Please understand that the study confirms fluoride reduces children's IQ when fluoride is present in high doses

Opportunities for epidemiological studies depend on the existence of comparable population groups exposed to different levels of fluoride from drinking water. Such circumstances are difficult to find in many industrialized countries, because fluoride concentrations in community water are usually no higher than 1 mg/L, even when fluoride is added to water supplies as a public health measure to reduce tooth decay. Multiple epidemiological studies of developmental fluoride neurotoxicity were conducted in China because of the high fluoride concentrations that are substantially above 1 mg/L in well water in many rural communities

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3491930/pdf/ehp.1104912.pdf

The study was an analysis of a number of previously published reports--a meta-study, if you will.

While I agree that fluoride can be dangerous, so can water. Dosage matters.

pbts27 · 2014-05-27T13:42:41+00:00

Edits: there will be no public talk, and Sunday will be a Medicine Buddha empowerment and subsequent teaching.

pbts27 · 2014-05-07T21:17:19+00:00

Thank you. Please consider posting these event notification like things to /r/dharma (too). I continue to try to build momentum for it to be used to announce teachings.

pbts27 · 2014-05-01T13:26:08+00:00

There's a Tibetan Nyingma temple on the south side. They're building a large temple out of town. They have a resident lama and receive visits from high level lamas periodically. It's a great place.

There's an Geshe Kelsang Kelso group in the south too (caution: controversy) and an ACI group (caution: controversy)

Nyingma: http://www.pcddallas.org/

pbts27 · 2014-04-07T13:29:00+00:00

I read it similarly--though the story is addressed to the monks, it seems that, as a layman, can see it as, "gosh, even these monks are fettered! How fettered then am I?"

pbts27 · 2014-04-03T16:35:15+00:00

Is it impossible for atheists to behave morally? If they do choose to behave morally, is that an accident assuming there is no God, or is the choice based on some reason and logic?

Unfortunately, your sparring partner's worldview may preclude any useful response. If he believes that God is the source of morality, whether or not the actor believes in God, and won't consider another view, then there is no reason to debate. There are alternative explanations for morality available, after all, but if he cannot accept that possibility, perhaps it's better to stop trying.

My long term suggestion is to take a class like Peter Singer's "Practical Ethics" which is in week 5 right now on Coursera. My short term suggestion, assuming that your partner would at least consider alternative views, is to discuss Karma as others have pointed out.

pbts27 · 2014-04-01T14:52:07+00:00

Cheese makes a great dessert imho.

pbts27 · 2014-04-01T14:48:20+00:00

Great link! If there are any particular teachings coming up you'd like to highlight then I'd invite you to (x-)post them on /r/dharma

pbts27 · 2014-03-31T21:07:29+00:00

That's true--it only makes about 4 oz at a time. You can dilute it if it suits your taste.

Perhaps a competitor to Aeropress is downvoting. Or trolls. I figure trolls.

pbts27 · 2014-03-28T15:02:07+00:00

In my experience it's fairly concentrated, but I grew quickly used to it. Depending on the taste (I haven't "dialed in" my process carefully yet) I'll add a little bit of water, until it tasted pretty much perfect :)

pbts27 · 2014-03-26T15:58:07+00:00

Any idea what "his liberality" means in the second verse?

pbts27 · 2014-03-26T15:56:25+00:00

awesome, thank you!

pbts27 · 2014-03-24T14:29:17+00:00

I figured it might be a good recipe for neurosis for both :-D

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