There are 495 blog posts for you to enjoy.
Encarnación - A Small City That is Very Pleasant to Visit
August 25, 2026
Encarnación, Paraguay - the city proper has about 84,000 people in its urban area, about 107,000 in its administrative district, and roughly 173,000 in the metropolitan/urban agglomeration. This was my fifth visit to Encarnación. That's about 4 1/2 months total. I guess you could say I like this town. It's a very pleasant place.
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The Wisdom Behind the Joke: Groucho Marx and the Power of Turning Off the TV
August 21, 2026
"I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book."
--Groucho Marx (from Tele-Views, circa 1950)
In true Groucho Marx fashion, this quote delivers a punchline wrapped in wit and spiked with subtle critique. At first glance, it seems like a mere gag - a clever jab at televisions rise in the 1950s. But beneath the humor lies something deeper: a reminder about the value of mindful consumption and the enduring richness of the written word.
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Bring Back the Bar: Why I'm Sticking with Firefox (and You Might Want to, Too)
August 14, 2026
There's a quiet extinction happening on the web, and unless you're paying attention, you
might miss it.
I'm talking about the death of browser diversity, and with it, the death of choice. Not
just under-the-hood engine choice, but something far more personal: the menu bar across the top of your browser
window.
Yeah, that one. The old-school, tried-and-true File | Edit | View | Tools | Help menu. The one that
didn't hide behind a meaningless hamburger icon or vanish into some weird sidebar.
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Walking Thoughts: Arequipa, Arequipe, Birds, and Bread
August 7, 2026
I walk a lot.
At least twice a day, usually three times. Not for exercise exactly, though that's a bonus,
but because walking does something useful to the mind. It loosens the bolts. It lets thoughts drift without demanding they arrive anywhere on time.
These walks are when I'm not thinking about my books. Which is precisely when the best
thoughts tend to show up.
One walk recently meandered to birds.
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The Cognitive Benefits of Daydreaming
July 31, 2026
You get ideas from daydreaming. You get ideas from being bored. You get ideas all the time. The only difference between writers and other people is we notice when we do it.
--Neil Gaiman
From "Where do you get your ideas?" 1997
Daydreaming activates the brain's default mode network (DMN), which is associated with introspection
and self-referential thought. Engaging in positive constructive daydreaming (PCD) can lead to increased creativity and
better problem - solving skills. Studies have shown that individuals who allow their minds to wander during undemanding
tasks often experience a boost in creative thinking upon returning to focused activities.
Reference: Psychology Today
Reference: PMC
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