@gmsprof.bsky.social
Professor of classical Chinese literature at the University of Toronto, among other pursuits. 若復不為無益之事則安能悅有涯之生？“Without trivial pursuits, how can we enjoy a life that must end?”
This is one of the best political speeches I have heard in a long time. Mark Carney is not a firebrand, and his French is mediocre, but I wholeheartedly agree with everything he has to say here about Canadian values (currently under threat from US aggression)...
youtu.be/Qv6JIMtX8Qc?...
Mental health break with the #guqin #古琴...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=1b6Q...
The City Limits A. R. Ammons 1926–2001 When you consider the radiance, that it does not withhold itself but pours its abundance without selection into every nook and cranny not overhung or hidden; when you consider that birds’ bones make no awful noise against the light but lie low in the light as in a high testimony; when you consider the radiance, that it will look into the guiltiest swervings of the weaving heart and bear itself upon them, not flinching into disguise or darkening; when you consider the abundance of such resource as illuminates the glow-blue bodies and gold-skeined wings of flies swarming the dumped guts of a natural slaughter or the coil of shit and in no way winces from its storms of generosity; when you consider that air or vacuum, snow or shale, squid or wolf, rose or lichen, each is accepted into as much light as it will take, then the heart moves roomier, the man stands and looks about, the leaf does not increase itself above the grass, and the dark work of the deepest cells is of a tune with May bushes and fear lit by the breadth of such calmly turns to praise. From The Selected Poems: 1951-1977, Expanded Edition, W. W. Norton & Company, Inc. Copyright © 1986 by A. R. Ammons.
I found a break from the bleakness in this #poem: “The City Limits” by AR Ammons (1926–2001).
consider the radiance...
...each is accepted into as much light as it will take
#poetry #solace #light
Useful. Thanks!
02.03.2025 19:51 — 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Oops. That cocktail picture came out blurry. Here is a better version...
25.02.2025 03:50 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0BONUS FALLACY
And the prize for most widespread and profoundly damaging fallacy goes to...
21/20. Correlation Equals Causation
It does not.
20/20. Poisoning the Well
Presenting information in a way that is intended to discredit or undermine an argument, rather than addressing the argument itself.
19/20. Appeal to Consequences
Arguing that a statement is true or false based on its consequences, rather than its actual truth or falsity.
18/20. Shifting Burden of Proof
Shifting the burden of proof from one party to another, often unfairly.
17/20. Appeal to Ignorance
Assuming that because something has not been proven false, it must be true.
16/20. Appeal to Tradition
Arguing that a practice or belief is valid because it has been done a certain way for a long time.
15/20. Narrow Definition
Defining a term or concept so narrowly that it excludes counterexamples that actually exist.
14/20. Equivocation
Using ambiguous language to obscure or distort the meaning of an argument.
13/20. Bandwagon
Arguing that because many people believe something, it must be true.
12/20. Appeal to Emotion
Using emotional reactions rather than logic to persuade others.
11/20. Slippery Slope
Arguing that a particular action will inevitably lead to a series of negative consequences without providing evidence for these consequences.
10/20. False Analogy
Making an analogy between two things that are not sufficiently similar to support the conclusion being drawn.
9/20. False Dilemma
Presenting only two options when there are more options available.
8/20. Appeal to Authority
Using the opinion or position of an authority figure to support an argument.
7/20. Straw Man
Misrepresenting or exaggerating someone’s argument to make it easier to attack.
6/20. Ad Hominem
Attacking the person making the argument rather than addressing the argument itself.
5/20. Red Herring
Switching to another topic that is only superficially related.
4/20. Whataboutism
Pointing out that the person making the argument, or people admired by them, have done what they are arguing against.
3/20. Cherry Picking
Citing only the evidence that supports the argument, while ignoring evidence that undermines it.
2/20. Nitpicking
Disproving a minor point or piece of evidence, then claiming the entire argument is disproven.
1/20. Moving The Goal Posts
Redefining the terms of the argument as one progresses.
𝘈𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺, 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘪𝘭𝘭-𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦, 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧...
𝗧𝗼𝗽 𝟮𝟬 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗔𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗟𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗱 𝗪𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗧𝗿𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗪𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗻 #𝗔𝗿𝗴𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁
(which I have to guard against using myself)
👇🏼
Beautiful Sri Lankan woman dressed in funky clothes and boots, wearing a Betty Boop tie, holding a black carbon fibre violin, standing in a sunlit room on a snowy winter's day.
Somehow, Aparna Halpé always pulls together the best looks from wildly disparate elements. The woman has #style. You can come see her and @solidaridadtango.bsky.social play at Drom Taberna in Toronto, today at 3–5pm. Fantastic live #tango #music, food, and drink. Would love to see you there!
23.02.2025 16:53 — 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0The really stupid thing is that there are a ton of Canadians on all the US teams. 44% of NHL players across all teams are Canadian. Only 27% are USian. In the end, all pro sports leagues are just a bunch of corporations playing each other.
23.02.2025 15:49 — 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0
Oh crap. I responded to this email to jam the signal. Does that mean I'm hired?
23.02.2025 03:32 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
