Christmas Wish List

To aid you in selecting my Christmas gift I've compiled this helpful list of presents I'd like:

- An ancient treasure map, preferably crumpled.

- Detailed plans for a legendary bank heist with blueprint drawings and a motley but charming crew of talented criminals, one of whom will ultimately double-cross us.

- A villain's secret lair carved into the side of a mountain on a remote island. Extra credit for including a tank of hungry, man-eating sharks.

- A talking dog.

- A non-talking cat with a Twitter account.

- A cute mouse who not only talks but cooks delicious meals and sings catchy songs.

- A Blockbuster Video franchise.

- Elvis's greatest hits on cassette tape.

- A cylindrical audio-recording made by Thomas Edison, speaking to his lab assistant: "Theodore! Get your ass in here pronto!"

- A gift-card entitling me to purchase gasoline at 49 cents a gallon so I can pretend it's 1972.

- A time machine to transport me back to 2009 where I can buy Bitcoin at 10 cents a coin.

What's on your wish list?

Christmas Trees

Last year I broke with tradition and tried something new -- instead of buying a cut Christmas tree (which would die and end up in the trash) I purchased an uncut tree with roots wrapped in canvas. It looked the same during the holiday and nobody could tell any difference.

After the season ended, I planted the tree in our backyard. I didn't hold much hope for its survival 'cause I'm a bad gardener; plants usually die under my watch. Surprisingly, with no care, the tree lived! And is still growing.

It makes me feel good that I didn't kill another tree just for holiday decoration. Now I wonder why this isn't a more popular choice.

Joy

Downsides to being #trans are extensive. But an upside is the intense joy that can be found in small pleasures.

Art & History

The history of slavery and racial segregation in America has been downplayed and whitewashed. Which explains why, when I saw this picture, I was so shocked. The emotional impact of the scene feels like a blow to my chest.

The photograph was taken by Gordon Parks, a noted African-American artist. In 1956 Parks was commissioned by Life magazine to go to segregated Alabama and document racial tensions entrenched there. This is one of his several photographs from that trip.

I was born in 1957. It's hard to believe that racial segregation existed in our lifetime but it has in mine.

Hair Curlers

Believe it or not -- there are credible news reports (here) that young women in South Korea are wearing hair curlers IN PUBLIC. With no shame or remorse. In fact, to the contrary, they're doing it with a sense of gender pride and style. The most popular use is with bangs.

What do you think? Are you as aghast as older Koreans at this new trend?

Distractions

These days we see people so glued to to their phone-screens that they walk across traffic without looking and even drive that way. Talk about risky behavior. The phenomenon causes me to examine why humans act this way. Here's what I'm learning.

Distraction is a way to avoid existential anxiety. Kierkegaard wrote "anxiety is the dizziness of freedom."

Humans are ambivalent about being free. On one hand we claim "I want to be free" but when we are free, it feels metaphorically like we don't have gravity. As a result, many people attach balls and chains to their lives so they don't have to experience freedom. Focusing on phone 'gram/games when you should be attuned to your physical environment is a symptom of this modern ailment.

My suggestion -- resist! Be consciously aware of your life as it slides by. There's pleasure in paying attention. And wisdom, too.

Tea Cozy

Genius is rarely acknowledged in our lifetime.

For my birthday, I asked Robin for something she'd never heard of -- a tea cozy. At first she didn't know what it was so I explained: a cozy is an insulated cloth dome that covers your teapot while you're drinking and keeps the tea hot. Robin, without experience or evidence, disputed the efficacy of this ancient kitchen tool. And she mocked me for requesting one, saying the whole idea is silly. 

Well... it turns out I was right: a tea cozy DOES work, fabulously in fact. How? Science. Consult an engineer if you need convincing. Plus it's a handsome addition to any kitchen, don't ya think?