Introduction

 Welcome to my new blog!

There will be three general themes.

First, I left facebook because I truly hated the inability to create any kind of nuance in any discussion of anything that mattered. Memes and black-and-white thinking ruled, to the determent of reasoned, respectful conversation in which contrary viewpoints were welcome - in which areas of gray mattered.  So, I hope to write pieces intended to persuade, but am perfectly happy for disagreement as long as it is in the gray spirit!

Second, the last several years, I have also become starkly aware that our gray matter sucks. That is, our brains are really poor at many things including, but certainly not limited to, weighing evidence, weighing risk, understanding our own biases, making rational decisions and  hundreds of other of cognitive biases. Beyond that, our memories suck too—they are chock-full of inaccuracies and confabulations. So when people say, "I don't see how people can vote for Trump"—I do. It's because  our gray matter sucks.  And that is also why people vote for Bernie Sanders.  In both of these assertions, I am being facetious—but certainly our brains can lead us to candidates such as Trump and Sanders—candidates lacking shades of gray. 

Third,  I have often been deeply frustrated with the young and their lack of knowledge or disrespect for history and for the wisdom of us older folks - our gray matter of wisdom accompanied by our lovely gray hair. That said, this is age-old complaint about the younger generation and like it or not, Dylan had it right, and I should probably shut-up.

Come mothers and fathers throughout the land
And don't criticize what you can't understand
Your sons and your daughters are beyond your command
Your old road is rapidly agin'
Please get out of the new one if you can't lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin'

But, dammit, I might write about it from time to time anyway, cause I really hate the stupid "Ok, boomers" refrain - and it epitomizes why I am deeply frustrated with the young.