If he’s going to recognize the 700,000 Palestinians displaced during the creation of the Jewish state of Israel, I think he should also recognize the 7 million Hindus and Sikhs displaced during the creation of the Muslim state of Pakistan/Bangladesh.

Inspired by @nickriggle.bsky.social, I updated my website blurb around Swiftian eras! I also posted some material from my current project on the metaphysics of mystical experience; see related links in the website. shamik.net

Inspired by @nickriggle.bsky.social, I updated my website blurb around Swiftian eras! I also posted some material from my current project on the metaphysics of mystical experience; see related links in the website. shamik.net

A short essay about the current moment.

A short essay about the current moment.

Bloody hell the numbers coming out of Iran are staggering. It’s too early to know exactly what happened or what the final toll will be, but it’s not looking good 😢

The grad students at Berkeley are getting the hang of things around here 😂

Released on this day 57 years ago. And they said it would go over like a... 1972 Canadian Atlantic press

This woman is so badass I want to start smoking again in solidarity

My 16 yr old daughter just paid a mexican police officer $20 to leave us alone and not take us down the station… it’s been that kind of trip and we just got here 😅

My new baby!

This would be a good time for Qatar to exert its influence over Hamas and insist that it disarm and disband. Qatar is deeply invested in US higher education. I wish there was a campus movement demanding that we cut financial ties with Qatar unless it stops sponsoring violence.

Two months ago, my 15-year old daughter left our local temple at around 11pm. The street was quiet and dark. As she left the temple, two men followed her down the road shouting “fuck Israel” at her. (The temple does not fly an Israeli flag.) >>

Two months ago, my 15-year old daughter left our local temple at around 11pm. The street was quiet and dark. As she left the temple, two men followed her down the road shouting “fuck Israel” at her. (The temple does not fly an Israeli flag.) >>

Wow. Here’s hoping peace sticks this time.

This is Rabbi Rachel Timona from our previous temple back in Brooklyn, speaking last week at Rosh Hashana. We listened to it yesterday and I found it deeply moving and inspirational. If you only have a few minutes, listen from 8:30. 👇🏽 youtu.be/Q3oj6sjByjQ?...

Just as Goodman predicted! www.popsci.com/environment/...

Film club with the kids has reached a critical moment. I want to drop "Pink Floyd: Live in Pompeii" on them; they are not exactly thrilled and are threatening to reply with "Trolls: World Tour". It's a stand-off.

Bhangra night in SF

Today marks one year since I started sitting with the Quakers on Sunday mornings. Coincidentally, while writing out a sticky name tag on the way in I found that they had made me a permanent laminated label to use, just like the regulars. Which I suppose I am at this point? >>

Earth, Wind, and Fire!

No comment needed open.spotify.com/track/5n1P2I...

Uplifting group of women bringing a groove #NoKings

#NoKings Oakland, with my daughter Dylan fighting the power 👊🏽

I’m happy to have signed this open letter protesting the rise of fascism around the world and defending principles of democracy and intellectual freedom. Please consider supporting this global initiative - especially on the eve of Trump’s gratuitous military parade. stopreturnfascism.org

“Thought is a way of concealing truth.” -Alan Watts More great epigraph material :)

Sly Stone to Miles Davis: “Get your mother-fuckin ass out, don’t ever play that voodoo shit here” 😂 Legend ❤️

RIP 😥

Is Elon the Darth Vedar character who brings down the emperor from within?

It felt timely that at my kid’s middle school graduation today a bunch of diverse students lined up on stage to offer the same welcome greeting in the following languages: Amharic Arabic Bengali Cantonese French German Greek Hebrew Hungarian Italian Japanese Malay Mandarin 👇🏽

what did ya’ll think “globalize the intifada” meant? vibes? papers? essays?

Another thing from the meditation retreat: I think it was on day 3 that it dawned on me that Putnam’s model theoretic argument is *obviously* correct. I mean, duh. *Of course* representation isn’t a thing! 👇🏽

I recently completed my first silent meditation retreat. 5 days of uninterrupted mindfulness. It was absolutely incredible, both personally and philosophically. I hope to write about the experience at some point but here is one take-home: 👇🏽

Friday koan for you: Medicine and sickness correspond to each other. Whole earth is medicine. Where is your true self?

I saw the imax re-release of pink floyd live in pompeii. Good times. One thing that stood out is how integral Nick Mason and especially Richard Wright were to their sound back then. Wright in particular seemed to be conducting things.

Chat on what it's like to hear the sound of miles davis. Takes a bit of prompting, hang in there it gets interesting...🧵

Tell me this thing isn’t sentient

I have not attended "free palestine" protests (because I am not pro war) but I am very glad that UC Berkeley has largely avoided inventing or selectively enforcing bullshit standards to shut them down. Sadly, U Michigan now looks to have joined the ranks of those that do (link below).

I have not attended "free palestine" protests (I am not pro war) but I am very glad that UC Berkeley has largely avoided inventing or selectively enforcing bullshit standards to shut them down. Sadly, U Michigan now looks to have joined the ranks of those that do (link below).

The standing desk thing is so 2010

Hey @mikebenchcapon.bsky.social - was it you who posted a while back about listening to early Pink Floyd and finding it meh? Try Ummagumma, first 4 tracks. Live versions of the early stuff. I found it much more compelling than the studio versions. Maybe they were essentially a live act back then.

Leftists: Down with neoliberal economics! Trump: HAPPY NOW??

I’ve tried to deliver my 24-hour talk for years now but EVERY TIME they stop me at 60 minutes for q&a. Fascists.

“I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked” —Allen Ginsberg, trying to print a handout in the Berkeley philosophy department

Elowyn asked me a great question today over lunch: If you could be dropped into any three music concerts ever, which would they be? My answer, admittedly reflecting recent biases: -Pink Floyd "In The Flesh" tour 1977. Where they played Animals and Wish You Were Here. Peak Floyd, I think.

I have a film club with the kids and these are the films I showed them in March. All three selections landed well! I was particularly impressed by how open they were to 2001. Dylan loved the Hal sequence and Elowyn was transfixed by the apes.

Oakland street life (Watch to the end)

Little write up in the local paper www.dailycal.org/news/campus/...