i read this book over a decade ago

been a dad for 2.5 years now

it’s the framework that i rely on the most for guiding my behavior as a parent

v grateful to @bryan_caplan for writing it main argument i took from it:

1. having kids is generally good

good for the kids themselves, for you personally, for other family members (grandparents, siblings, etc.), and for the world (if that’s your thing)

So, uh, news item: I had a kid!

It’s going GREAT SO FAR (thx for wondering). Baby boy, healthy, born a few months ago. I’m currently taking all forms of well-wishes and friendly advice :)

Below: a long-running thread of things that have surprised me about babies/parenting/etc 1. Biggest surprise so far is how hard it was to bond with baby during the first month. I think I was naively imagining he’d be something like a pet, in that he’s have basic mammalian bonding instincts, e.g., appreciating touch and cuddling. BUT NO

LINDY LINKS THREAD — posts I find myself still thinking about at least a year after reading them 1. Too Late for the Pebbles to Vote (2016) status451.com/2016/08/09/too…

@maradydd’s three-part meditation on information silos, preference falsification, and sociopathy. Conceptually dense and beautifully written.

GOING CRITICAL — a 🆕 interactive essay!

How to prevent disease, control nuclear reactions, and encourage the spread of ideas. All with playable simulations.

meltingasphalt.com/interactive/go… A little context on the medium, to set the stage:

What's the most important thing that has ever happened?

A thread about transitions. Suppose you're telling the history of the entire universe, from the Big Bang until today, and you can choose to highlight only ONE event. One major before/after moment. What would it be?