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Never Forget, Never Again, and their weaponization
Hills

Never Forget, Never Again, and their weaponization

In which I discuss the propaganda of Never Forgetting Again. Open for thoughts on civic duty, social identity, and historical justice.

Discernment is one of the hardest skills to teach and to learn. Within every field and sub-field lies another method of discernment which constantly evolves. It’s with that understanding that I want to dive into what Never Again means, how we use it, and how it’s weaponized. . where to begin Where there is an atrocity, there is context. This context usually doesn’t matter to the victims, but is an absolute necessity when it comes to avoiding repeating mistakes. In Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Paulo Freire notes the tendency for the oppressed to become oppressors instead of seeking liberation. While I...
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Weddings’ and marriages’ place in community building
Reflections

Weddings’ and marriages’ place in community building

In which I discuss the pomp and circumstance of weddings. Open to see my evolution of opinion on why weddings actually matter.

I have the great fortune of being invited to some weddings this summer, so naturally marriage is on my mind. In particular, ideas of what marriage means and why we bother keep popping up. There's a lot of baggage and societal expectation around this particular commitment, and my feelings have evolved a surprising amount on it. . my background and baggage When I was religious, I had a very traditional view of marriage. I was also fourteen and had never been involved with another person romantically. As I shed much of the dogma, I found myself in an atheistic camp...
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FYI Fragment II: behind OMG, comfort numbers, and fake intelligence
fragments

FYI Fragment II: behind OMG, comfort numbers, and fake intelligence

In which I present more fragmented thoughts. Open for musings on the phrase “oh my god”, comfort numbers, and fake intelligence.

Time for another assortment of rants and rambles! Today we have a breakdown of why "oh my god" is probably OK with a Christian god, what good numbers really are, and a couple of rants about AI. . anti-"oh my god" people need to understand vanity In a world of unprecedented access to our own images, we’ve managed to distort what vanity actually is. An IG reel (no one will ever make me download tiktok) from a Christian influencer questioned and criticized her own use of the term “oh my god” as it “takes the name of the lord in...
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Exploring and evolving past (especially American) fascism
Reflections

Exploring and evolving past (especially American) fascism

In which I present my own breakdown on fascism and what we can do. Open to depress and then revitalize your spirits!

The passage of time gives many people space to believe that the past could never be repeated, but callbacks are inevitable. Even our genes can lie dormant for a few generations and re-emerge without warning. Modern medicine has commuted the death sentences of some congenital diseases, and now my hope is that different ideologies can do the same with deadly imperialism. Growing up in the center of an empire made it clear how banal evil really is. Every period of history has people debating on what to have for dinner, whether it be under feast, famine, or fire. Under every...
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Planning and packing for after the end of the world [Ushuaia and Antarctica]
Travel

Planning and packing for after the end of the world [Ushuaia and Antarctica]

In which I pack and plan for Antarctica and Ushuaia. Open for packing lists and planning tips!

My path to Antarctica also included a brief stint in Ushuaia, though the climates are not overly different. This journey ventured through a number of situations, the most extreme of which were entirely foreign to me. This post concerns just the planning and packing portions of this arduous and amazing journey. It is also the last of the posts about this once in a lifetime trip! . the literal path to Ushuaia Most ships to Antartica depart from Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. If Antarctica is other-worldly, it makes sense that Ushuaia is nicknamed "The End of the World" (El...
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Antarctica: an expedition beyond the end of the world
Travel

Antarctica: an expedition beyond the end of the world

In which I expedition to Antarctica! Open for one of the coolest trips ever.

Before this trip, I had never spent more than a few hours on any sort of boat. To be honest, I have a bit of a environmental opposition to cruise ships, but there is truly no other way to see Antarctica as a tourist. After comparing several trips, I chose this one to cross off the seventh continent primarily because of the Southern Lights. Funnily enough, the expedition leader immediately discarded upon embarkation because the real schedule maker or breaker was mother nature herself. the first of many revelations of this trip! . Days at sea As much as I...
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Three days at the end of the world in Ushuaia
Travel

Three days at the end of the world in Ushuaia

In which I venture to the end of the world, aka Ushuaia. Open for details on a quick pit stop en route to Antarctica.

En route to Antarctica and in an abundance of caution, I spent three days in Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. Since these days were meant as the buffer before the boat, my main concerns were not missing the boat or my flight. Any fun was icing on the cake. The Patagonia region is gorgeous with brand-inducing hikes, but I knew my limits (and fears) so I kept my itinerary simple. . Neighborhood and lodging The Main Street of Ushuaia lives up to its name. City-dwellers may find it underwhelming, but it has loads of restaurants, stores with hiking gear, travel...
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fyi fragment I: work-life balance, healthy conflict & other fun finds
fragments

fyi fragment I: work-life balance, healthy conflict & other fun finds

Most of the time when I write something for my site, I make sure to flesh it out pretty well. I want my posts to...
Most of the time when I write something for my site, I make sure to flesh it out pretty well. I want my posts to more substantive and less tangential—but truth be told, that's not how I think. I have a lot of tangents that aren't robust enough for a post but are still ideas that I want to put out into the world. So now I've decided that I'll start doing that, in batches of two to three. If I can't have twitter I guess I'll make my own 😤 . the meaning of work-life balance (WLB) At some...
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Manifestations of class and capital warfare
Hills

Manifestations of class and capital warfare

In which I discuss how capital evolved how we fight but not what we fight over. Open for connections between capitalism and everything we know, hate, and love.

This post will sit somewhere between reflection and analysis. It’s also half-baked because the path was more the result of a stream of consciousness rather than written around a central theme. Provoked by the tweet below, I want people to know that most undue prejudices are simply markers for class in one way or another. Even most positive biases are markers for class. Class is truly the last divider of us all, and it has to be in the system that we live in. Capitalism needs people to value money above all else, and it enforces this pedestal by putting...
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One man’s return to Greece after half a century
Travel

One man’s return to Greece after half a century

In which I recount taking my dad to his alma mater in Greece after 52 years. Open for a chronicle of the best father-daughter trip you’ve ever seen.

A fun fact about my dad is that his Doctor title comes from studying veterinary medicine in Greece. He graduated in 1972 (during the junta) and hasn’t been back since, until this year. For his 75th birthday, I decided to treat him to a trip to Greece, primarily in Thessaloniki (where he went to school) and Lesvos. . Choosing the island Anyone doing research on Greece knows there are many, many options to choose from when visiting the Greek islands. Knowing that my father likes beaches, olive oil, and ouzo, I decided on Lesvos. I got a few weird looks...
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Recent Posts

Never Forget, Never Again, and their weaponization

Weddings’ and marriages’ place in community building

FYI Fragment II: behind OMG, comfort numbers, and fake intelligence

Exploring and evolving past (especially American) fascism

Planning and packing for after the end of the world [Ushuaia and Antarctica]

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