reflections of a pragmatic optimist, lover of freedom

Month: October 2014

Postrel vs. Thiel and Stephenson on The Future

A very interesting and relevant Virginia Postrel piece — on grand, ambitious projects, cultural confidence, and the future — via Instapundit.

Related: Technology Stalled in 1970: Peter Thiel says he’s trying to get entrepreneurs to go after bigger problems than the ones Silicon Valley is chasing.

Repairs

Dealing with years of ignored water damage, in the course of replacing an exterior door on our “new” old house, has me reflecting on the deferred (but never decreasing!) cost of neglect. In particular, it brings to mind Bill Whittle’s classic “Sanctuary” essay, which is always a worthy read.

Check your houses’ essential structures and foundations, folks — both literally and metaphorically — and make needed repairs while the sun is shining. As Bill rightly pointed out, it’s far, far better to face reality — however unpleasant said reality may be — than to close your eyes and let things get even worse.

Thankfully, in this case it’s not termites.

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