LOST!

What: Ambition.
When: Somewhere between the ages of 10 and 17.
Reward: Fulfillment of moral agency.

If found, please return to Miss Laura J. McLeod.

Sifneos

Stable personality trait/constricted imaginal processes/concrete, realistic, logical thinking often to the exclusion of emotional responses to problems/lacks empathy in general/superadjusted to reality/cold or distant.

Check.

Libertarian Paternalism and Choice Architecture

The Atlantic (Monthly). Although it has been around for over 150 years, I'm fairly certain it is my new favourite magazine. The article on The Neuroscience of Identity was particularly fetching and touched briefly on Thaler and Sunstein's concept of "libertarian paternalism". They have co-written a book called Nudge that centers on this kind of thinking, which essentially asserts that based on the design of a decision (choice architecture), we can be "nudged" towards making better choices for ourselves with the unobtrusive help and guidance of a positive default decision or context. This principle may just seem like a synonym for common sense, but let's face it, not all of us are privy to common sense these days, and a "nudge" sure might help. Not only can libertarian paternalism be used in our daily personal lives, but also in government policy making, work environments, administration, and just about any situation that involves choice. Read more here.

Sweat and Bruises at Girl Talk

The show last night was fabulous. The "concert" (I use this term loosely as it felt like more of a dance party) was reminiscent of something from the film It's All Gone Pete Tong. I haven't the faintest clue how Gregg Gillis does it almost every night; I have a feeling it may involve copious amounts of cocaine. Regardless, I loved every sweaty, hair-pulling, elbow-in-the-face, smelly moment of it. Here is a brief video, photos should follow shortly. Sorry about the shakiness of the video but in that crowd, it was near impossible to do much better.

I tried to sweep it under the rug

Autumn warmth brought about this unearthly idealized sense of the world where intricate idiosyncrasies were forgotten or embraced, and in those fleeting moments, clarity stared me straight in the eyes, then smiled.