shm notes & posts

Hills

Countries should have a population cap of 100 million people

24 January 202324 January 2023

In which I layout the case for countries having a population cap. Open for musings on geopolitics and sociology that no one asked for.

Lately I’ve been pondering the limits of democracy, particularly it’s scalability. Democracy and implicit obligations of governmental institutions lead me to believe that countries should be capped at 100 million people. When this threshold is reached, countries would split into multiple countries along appropriate geographic and cultural lines. This process would be beneficial for a number of reasons. We know that companies that are too big are dangerous, so why not countries? There are a number of legitimate arguments for and against it, so let’s get into it! . As populations grow, representation becomes more difficult and less accurate Cultural...

Finance Travel

Communism under capitalism [Cuba part 2]

1 December 202229 January 2023

In which I talk about Cuban economics. Open for my take on communism and its relationship to capitalism.

In order to evaluate the true efficacy of communism, it would require a controlled environment with little outside influence. Cuba would make an excellent case study were it not for its overbearing neighbor to the north. The United States’s embargo has a ripple effect (primarily via the Helms-Burton Act) which effectively prevents Cuba from trading freely on an international stage. International trade is a necessity for all nations’ current way of life. We should all commend how well Cuba has adapted to life under draconian policies that overstep the powers that any one nation should have. Looking for the touristy...

Travel

A panorama of Havana [Cuba part 1]

1 December 202223 December 2024

In which I detail my trip to Cuba. Open for Cuba in the eyes of a tourist.

Though my preferences and history trend towards solo-travel, I cannot do everything on my own. The week prior to Thanksgiving, I had the opportunity to attend the REMIX CAPITALISM tour hosted by Bravely Go’s founder Kara Perez in the beautiful country of Cuba. This tour was jam-packed with enough information, sights, and conversations for a whole saga, but I will condense down to two posts. This post is about the more touristy parts of my trip. Looking for the economic parts of my Cuban trip? Check out Cuba part two. . First impressions Maybe it’s because Cuba reminds me of...

Travel

There’s no place like Rome

18 September 2022

In which I recount my summer trip to Rome. Open for good times and begrudging respect for Italians and their food.

Full disclosure: I was biased against Rome from the start because of their attempts to colonize my homeland of Ethiopia. That said, the city pleasantly surprised me. It wouldn’t be the worst thing to return to Rome, perhaps in addition to other Italian cities. Though I only spent five days in the city, it felt satisfactory without being tiring. A family friend also did a lot of the heavy lifting when it came to planning activities. Plus, I’m definitely a “one activity per day” type of person, with the rest of the time being for relaxation/wandering. So getting into the...

Poems Reflections

All aboard and into the void!

18 August 202224 January 2023

In which I talk about the void we all know and often hate. Open for a poem and quick thoughts about social media.

As an elder (12 years strong) tweeter, there are few things I am more familiar with than shouting into the void. On most social media I post and share content that makes me appreciate, think, and laugh about life. My websites also serve as my own carved out section of the void. That said, Twitter is the premier website for unsolicited opinions. A recent encounter inspired me to write a poem I think applies to most of the internet. It was one of those tangential argument threads where one stranger asked another, "did anyone even ask you?" As if the...

Travel

A time in Turkey

21 June 202219 August 2022

In which I detail a week-long trip to Turkey from May 2019. Open for my take on some Turkish delights and sights.

Turkey was my first international trip as an adult that I took after losing my precious airline benefits. It was awesome travelling as a working adult! No more hostels! ~Exotic~ destinations! Enough mobility to run around! In order to make the most of my trip I booked a tour package with Tours Turkey for May 2019 that included the following: admission/tours in sights, solo hotel accommodations for 8 nights, internal Turkish flights, daily (MASSIVE) breakfast and lunch, airport pick-up and drop-off, and someone to ask all my burning questions to! For all of that I paid only $1200 USD, which is money...

Travel

One month as a Lisboeta

24 May 202219 January 2023

In which I detail my efforts cosplaying as a Lisboeta. Open for observations, insights, and struggles on adjusting to life in Lisboa.

Time flies when you upend your life, let me tell you. For the last month I’ve lived, worked, and navigated Lisbon, primarily in the neighborhood of Alfama, where I live. It still feels insane to say that. Even though I don’t feel like I know enough about Lisbon to have been here a whole month, I’ve learned quite a bit. . Accessible? More like ascend-the-hills Now this one is partially on my landlord for not informing me. In order to get to my apartment from the car-accessible main roads, I need to climb NINE flights of stairs. Eight flights of stair are...

Travel

An overnight layover in Dubai

22 May 202119 August 2022

In which I spend an overnight 15 hour layover in Dubai. Open for fun observations and cool views.

On my way to Ethiopia, I had an overnight 15 hour layover in Dubai. While long layovers aren't ideal, we make do with what we have when traveling! Naturally, I ventured out of the airport and into the city for a quick look at what this city has to offer. There are plenty of tours and recommendations for a layover, but the unfortunate timing of my 15 hour layover (7 pm - 10 am) meant that they were not options this time. One notable exception was 24/7 personal guided tours, which is something to consider for multiple travelers as it...

Reflections

What is “potential” but bulls**t rooted in external expectations

20 April 202129 October 2021

In which I lament a childhood full of “potential.” Open for a condensed therapy lesson and what is probably too much angst.

My therapist introduced me to this TED talk about the necessity of gamification in reframing challenges, and the example of the toddler who fails at walking but tries anyway reminded me of an interaction I had with my niece. She took her sweet time walking, and I remembered jokingly yelling at her, "You are a bipedal organism! You can do this!" while trying to kind of force her to walk. Given her age, she did not understand me, but if she had I can only imagine how demoralizing this kind of talk would be. Failure is a natural part of...

Hills

Christmas should be in February

3 March 202129 October 2021

In which I successfully argue the case for Christmas being in February. Open for great points to a useless position.

Now that the holidays have wrapped up and the majority of people have given up on their new year's resolution, it's time for the grind/depression/draught of holidays that lasts pretty much until one of the many bank holidays in May around the world. It's kind of a terrible time of year. There's little to look forward to, and pretty much all of winter is during this draught. With that being said, the new hill I've decided to die on is that Christmas should be in February, and there's a good amount of data to back it up. 1. February is...

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