Plastic Problem: Disposable Razors

August 12, 2019.Reading time 8 minutes.

Summary I recently purchased a razor that uses a replaceable metal blade The objective was to reduce a repeated plastic purchase, disposable plastic razor blades My first shave with the new razor went well, it has a safety design, so I did not cut/nick my face The shave was similar in result to a disposable […]

Reusable Water Bottle

August 9, 2019.Reading time 3 minutes.

This is the beginning of a series of posts on what I and others are doing to reduce plastic waste. A reusable water bottle is something many people are aware of, and already practicing, but it is a good place to start and there are a few points worth making. I am mostly water, and […]

Travel lessons: low expectations, the unexpected, the flow

February 4, 2019.Reading time 3 minutes.

On my SE Asian adventure, I traveled from place to place alone. But for the India and Nepal portion, I traveled with a group. Why the difference, and the contrast between the two experiences, I will discuss in another blog. The group leader on the India/Nepal trip would remind us every morning, and sometimes more […]

What I learned in SE Asia, India, and Nepal

January 15, 2019.Reading time 18 minutes.

A trip to developing Asian countries is an opportunity to have gratitude for the privilege of being born in a developed country, and for reflection on what modernity has pushed aside. Modernity, with its focus on progress, and all things new, has pushed aside tradition, ancient ways of living, non-secular ritual, and the primacy of […]

[WIP] The UNITED States of America

December 22, 2018.Reading time 11 minutes.

A work in progress essay, comments welcome while I am working on it. Nationhood in a time of globalization Introduction A quick survey of history might suggest there is an inevitable progression from the individual, to the family unit, the village, the city-state, and finally to the nation-state. Extrapolation might suggest a global-state to be […]

WOMAN OF ASIA: VIDEO MONTAGE

December 22, 2018.Reading time less than 1 minute.

Some of the beautiful Asian women that crossed the path of my camera during recent trip to SE Asia, India, and Nepal.

Generations – The Role of Family in Developing Countries

December 19, 2018.Reading time 5 minutes.

At the risk of sounding demeaning, traveling through developing countries is like traveling back in time. Issues developed countries have long ago blown through seem new and fresh. One example is the strength of the extended family and the reverence with which old people are held. This was a constant theme during my travels over […]

Flickr Picture Albums from Recent Trip to ASEAN, India, and Nepal

December 18, 2018.Reading time less than 1 minute.

Flickr picture links: Favs from Asia 2018 (smaller collection than Best of Asia) Best of Asia 2018 Portrait of ASEAN food 2018 Nepal 2018 India 2018 Thailand 2018 Laos 2018 Cambodia 2018 Vietnam 2018 Myanmar 2018 Inle Lake 2018 (Myanmar) Mandalay 2018 (Myanmar) Bagan 2018 (Myanmar) Yangon 2018 (Myanmar) Hoi An 2018 (Vietnam) […]

Communism sucks – no really. But that’s the easy part.

December 15, 2018.Reading time 4 minutes.

Go to Google and type in the phrase “popularity of communism with youth” and you will get numerous results discussing the popularity of communism and/or socialism among millennials. Anarchist “woke” conversations also emphasize the evils of capitalism. If climate change does not destroy the world, then the next generation of revolutionaries might. Communism usually comes […]

Manicured Mansions and the Biodegradable Imperative

December 11, 2018.Reading time 4 minutes.

To travel through the developing world of Asia, is to travel through dust, mud, trash, the constant burning of wood, and unkept landscapes – Social media moments aside. To be fair, tourism routes do not always intersect the (upper) middle class suburbs and malls emerging in some developing countries, but I believe it is reasonable […]