Matthew's Blog
Thinking-Spots
People need a place to think, their own “thinking-spot.” Here’s one of my thinking-spots, about a ten-minute drive from my home, on the shores of Lake Washington, in a city called Kirkland. (It’s not my best thinking-spot—I want to keep that one a secret!) It has all...
Twitter As A Mob
mob: A disorderly or riotous crowd, a rabble.—Oxford English Dictionary When you use Twitter, you are part of a digital mob. For the moment you may be in a friendly part of your Twitter mob, surrounded by your digital friends, moving with them, and supporting each...
How Do Corporate Pseudo-Ethics (Ψethics) Relate to Human Ethics?
I recently blogged about how much I appreciated one aspect of the design of the aluminum can, and in this blog (Aluminum Cans, EHRs, and Incidental Design) I mentioned Alcoa and Reynolds Metals. Corporations are embedded into our lives, and determine much of the...
My Favorite June Post
My favorite blog post I wrote in June post was On Love and Happiness in which I quote George Sand: “Il n’y a qu’un bonheur dans la vie, c’est d’aimer et d’être aimé.”English translation: “There is only one happiness in life: to love and be loved.”– George Sand In this...
Aluminum Cans, EHRs, and Incidental Design
My wife, who uses a straw when drinking sodas, pointed out to me the central hole in the aluminum can’s tab can be used to stabilize her straw. But was the second, more central hole in the tab of the aluminum soda can designed specifically to hold a straw? No, per...
Mealybug Haiku
Withering petals, Thrips, weevils, and mealybugs Will eat well this week. There is a relationship between black and white photography and haiku. The limitations of these two artistic forms enhance creative expression rather than restrict it.
Accepting Decisions vs. Respecting Decisions
Here’s one of the Oxford English Dictionary's definitions of accept: To endure (an event, situation, or person) with patience or resignation; to tolerate, submit to; to come to terms with. And here’s one of their definitions of respect: transitive. In favourable...
Playing With The Tools Of The Craft
As adults, we underestimate the value of play. It’s important to resist this bias. For example, one of the most valuable tools for a writer is editing (which happens to be one of the skills I most need to develop), so next to my keyboard I have Stet! Dreyer’s...
Philosophy of Mind—Intellectually Out Of My Reach?
Since the beginning of this year, in preparation for a philosophy course through Oxford University’s Continuing Education Program I will be taking this fall, I’ve been reading the textbook Philosophy of Mind. As a physician and writer, why am I spending the time and...