Re: "The Small Stuff" book review

On Fri, 31 Jul 2026 09:59:26 -0700, dart200
<[email protected]> wrote:

>On 7/31/26 9:36 AM, Dude wrote:
>> On 7/31/2026 9:03 AM, Tara wrote:
>>> On Jul 31, 2026 at 11:56:48?AM EDT, "dart200"
>>> <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>
>>>> On 7/31/26 8:15 AM, Tara wrote:
>>>>> On Jul 31, 2026 at 10:53:13?AM EDT, "Noah Sombrero" <[email protected]> 
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> On Fri, 31 Jul 2026 14:12:02 -0000 (UTC), Tara <[email protected]>
>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> (I haven't read this book yet but I heard the author interviewed 
>>>>>>> on CBC this
>>>>>>> a.m and liked what he said).  Just another self-help book or one 
>>>>>>> of that ilk?
>>>>>>> Nah, I don't think so.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> The Small Stuff
>>>>>>> How to lead a more gratifying life
>>>>>>> -Ian Bogost -  Atlantic Columnist
>>>>>>>
>>>>>> In other words, why well off people are not happy.  So they pine for
>>>>>> the good old days, forgetting that they were not happy then either.
>>>>>
>>>>> Uhhh. No, not really what the book is about.
>>>>>
>>>>> why don't you read the book.
>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> "sleek, but soulless, design".  Of course that is not satisfying.  On
>>>>>> the other hand, if a person has a satisfying fulfilled life, it won't
>>>>>> matter what knickknacks one includes or not.  Who notices such things?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On the other hand, "automated self-checkout counters"?  Who puts up
>>>>>> with such emptiness?  As if people needed another way to avoid
>>>>>> interacting with each other.  But if you have plenty of human
>>>>>> interaction in your life, maybe those counters wouldn't matter so
>>>>>> much.  There it is, we are so isolated from each other in our cars,
>>>>>> and lockable houses that we need to interact with clerks in stores.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> How do we feel?  Lonely and bored.  Scared of each other, and out of
>>>>>> patience with ideas we don't want to listen to (from other people).
>>>>>> Simple, huh?
>>>>>
>>>>> His approach is more about being aware of the pleasure and 
>>>>> experience of
>>>>> holding and drinking a warm cup of coffee on a cold morning.  kind 
>>>>> of stuff
>>>>> like that.
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> it's called mindfulness and it's been written about by like a million
>>>> times by now
>>>
>>> no kidding
>>> Amazing insight.
>>>
>>>>
>>>> but in this case instead of actively cultivating mindfulness of what
>>>> he's still manually doing (which life still involves a lot of), it seems
>>>> he's bitching about being robbed of petty shit like manually flushing
>>>> toilets in public restrooms. or not having a pile of keys in ur pockets
>>>> instead of using the rfid in my watch. or paying for everything with
>>>> dirty ass money instead of just tapping my phone.
>>>
>>> read the book have ya
>>>>
>>>> it's like an even more retarded form of complaining that dishwashers and
>>>> washing machines have ruined taking care of households because we're not
>>>> spending a hours a day manually washing dishes and laundry anymore ?
>>>>
>>>> this is the kind bonehead that bitches that electric cars having "no
>>>> soul" cause they don't go vroom vroom when u hit the gas! like ok bro
>>>> ... is the small electric wine that goes along with the rocket ship
>>>> acceleration not enough for you to be mindful of? ?
>>>
>>> lightnen up.  you need it bad.
>>  >
>> Nick came here to get enlightened.
>>  >
>> <snip>
>
>dud came here to get enlightened, and yet none was to be found

And since he brought none with him, there was none to find.
-- 
Noah Sombrero mustachioed villain
Don't get political with me young man
or I'll tie you to a railroad track and
<<<talk>>> to <<<YOOooooo>>>
Who dares to talk to El Sombrero?
dares: Ned
does not dare: Julian  shrinks in horror and warns others away