Big Talk:

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https://www.972mag.com/leaving-gaza-rafah-checkpoint/

https://www.972mag.com/gaza-death-war-journalism/

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Little Talk:

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How Much Web-Surfing Does A Man Require?

My current answer:

2-4 quick peeks, 1-2 slow porings.

in terms of time (maybe):

quick peek #1: pre-dawn / morning

slow poring #1 / quick peek #2: late morning / day

quick peek #3: pre-dusk / evening

slow poring #2 / quick peek #4: late evening / night

in terms of function (maybe):

quick peek #1: after waking up

slow poring #1 / quick peek #2: after doing something

quick peek #3: after doing more things

slow poring #2 / quick peek #4: after doing all the things

https://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/06/this-is-why-ill-never-be-adult.html

One reason why "all the things" became a meme, maybe, is that it does supply some missing lack to the language: "do all the things" sounds a bit different, and a bit better, than "do everything".

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Next post: August 29, 2024

Big Talk:

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https://www.972mag.com/netanyahu-prolonging-war-new-normal/

I guess I try to reject any analysis that suggests that the Israelis are "monsters", or that the Palestinians are "animals".

To the extent that the Israeli actions seem monstrous, I would blame the technology, rather than blaming the Israelis. To the extent that Hamas's actions seem inhuman, I would blame the nihilism that comes from fighting a foe that seems omnipotent and invincible.

I guess I do find it useful to look to the Sri Lankan Civil War for an analogy. Because I like Sinhalese, and I like Tamils. And I regret they find it difficult, like everyone else, to forge a just peace.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lankan_Civil_War

https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/percy-s-spirit-and-kandy-s-spiritualism-140180

https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/sri-lanka-superfan-uncle-percy-percy-abeysekara-dies-aged-87-1406261

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_War_(song)

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Little Talk:

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https://www.google.com/books/edition/C_S_Lewis_A_Life/9Z-sjP6E8lsC

https://irishpapist.blogspot.com/2018/04/the-forgotten-irishness-of-c.html

An excerpt from Alister McGrath's biography of CS Lewis that made me chuckle (page 94):

"Lewis makes curiously little reference to the momentous events of 1920-1923, in which Ireland was convulsed by political turmoil. The political struggle for Irish independence, given new energy by the Great War, had erupted into violence in 1919 . . . Violence spread to the northern cities of Londonderry and Belfast. The Protestant community felt under threat . . .

. . . Finally, the British government agreed to the creation of the Irish Free State on December 6 1922 . . . the parliament of Northern Ireland requested that it be allowed to become part of the United Kingdom again. Ireland was now partitioned.

Lewis seems to have been curiously indifferent to and disengaged from these developments, despite their momentous implications for his family and friends in Ireland. According to Lewis's diary entry for the critical date of 6 December 1922, the big question on his mind was not Irish independence, nor the political future of Belfast, nor the safety of his father, but whether the word breakfast was to be understood as "a cup of tea at eight or a roast of beef at eleven."

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How Much Diet Does A Man Require?

My current answer:

square diet: 3 meals and 2 snacks. Perhaps 7-9-12-4-7:

morning tea: 7 / 7:30, give or take a few hours

breakfast: 9 / 9:30, give or take a few hours

lunch: 12 / 12:30, give or take a few hours

afternoon tea: 4 / 4:30, give or take a few hours

dinner: 7 / 7:30, give or take a few hours

An alternative, perhaps, is 9-12-4-7-9: an evening snack instead of morning tea.

spare diet: 3 meals. Perhaps 9-12-6:

breakfast: 9 / 9:30, give or take a few hours

lunch: 12 / 12:30, give or take a few hours

dinner: 6 / 6:30, give or take a few hours

air diet: 2 meals. Perhaps 11-5:

brunch: 11 / 11:30, give or take a few hours

high tea: 5 / 5:30, give or take a few hours

I lack the discipline to follow an air diet, I think. A spare diet seems ok.

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How Much Cardio Does A Man Require?

My current answer:

absolute min: 1 unit

comfortable min: 2 units

comfortable default: 3-5 units

comfortable max: 8 units

absolute max: 16 units

1 unit: perhaps 12 or 16 minutes.

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How Much Logging Off Does A Man Require?

My current answer:

peak logging off: 10 & 5

mid logging off: 6 & 3

min logging off: 2 & 1

10 & 5:

log on: 7:30 - 8:30

log off: 8:30 - 6:30

log on: 6:30 - 7:30

log off: 7:30 - 12:30

log on: 12:30 - 1:30

8 & 4:

log on: 7:30 - 9:30

log off: 9:30 - 5:30

log on: 5:30 - 7:30

log off: 7:30 - 11:30

log on: 11:30 - 1:30

6 & 3:

log on: 7:30 - 10:30

log off: 10:30 - 4:30

log on: 4:30 - 7:30

log off: 7:30 - 10:30

log on: 10:30 - 1:30

4 & 2:

log on: 7:30 -  11:30

log off: 11:30 - 3:30

log on: 3:30 - 7:30

log off: 7:30 - 9:30

log on: 9:30 - 1:30

2 & 1:

log on: 7:30 - 12:30

log off: 12:30 - 2:30

log on: 2:30 - 7:30

log off: 7:30 - 8:30

log on: 8: 30 - 1:30

in the morning:

before 7:30: Never log off, never plead guilty, never surrender!

7:30 - 8:15: Consider the possibility of maybe logging off, someday

8:15 - 8:30: Start trying to log off

8:30 - 9: Continue trying to log off

9 - 9:30: Finish trying to log off

9:30 - 10: Logging off: stoppage time

10 - 10:30: Logging off: penalty kicks

after 10:30: Log Off II: This Time It's Personal

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How Much Web-Surfing Does A Man Require?

My current answer:

2 or 3 quick peeks, 1 or 2 slow porings.

Scholarship is the slow poring of hard words, sometimes.

times for quick peeks at the web (maybe):

1. after getting up

2. while out and about

3. while working

4. while exercising

5. while resting

times for slow poring over the web (maybe)

1. before falling asleep

2. after exercising

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How Much Free Breakfast Buffet Does A Man Require?

My current answer:

plate 1: fruit, salad and / or savory

plate 2: sweet and / or coffee

For a South Indian breakfast buffet, the options seem to me to be:

plate 1:

A. paratha, sundal, curds, pickle + fruit

B. vada, idly, pongal + fruit

C. masala dosa + fruit

D. bread omelette + fruit

E. nothing + fruit

plate 2:

A. pastry + coffee

B. cake + coffee

C. pudding + coffee

D. biscuits + coffee

E. nothing + coffee

Somewhat to my surprise, there does not seem to be a Wikipedia entry for "sundal":

https://elitefoods.blogspot.com/2010/05/poom-paruppu-sundal.html

https://www.indianhealthyrecipes.com/chana-sundal-recipe/

The wise heads will tap their foreheads and say that there's no such thing as a free breakfast buffet. But we who are not wise must first learn to beware of hotels bearing free breakfast buffets. But then learn not to look a gift breakfast buffet in the mouth.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=st21dIMaGMs

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Next post: July 29, 2024