Hi. I feel some obligation to apologize for my lack of posting here over the past three months (!).
Challenging Events happened in the last two months of 2023. Things settled down. (Let us not forget, though, that stability is an illusion.)
Now that my adrenal glands aren’t squirting out large volumes of adrenaline, I’m starting again. Getting started is often the hardest part. (What should I write about? Do I have anything to say that hasn’t already been said? Am I sending signals or simply generating noise? Am I making useful contributions? etc.)
My goal today is simply to post something. (Prior to the onset of Challenging Events, I was crafting a post brimming with self-righteous outrage about my patient’s inability to get a prescription for generic nicotine gum filled. That post is forthcoming.) Hang in there with me as I crack my knuckles to reacclimate myself to writing posts again:
I’ve moved to a different newsletter service. If you’re reading this in your e-mail, that means you’re already subscribed to my newsletter. (I hope you don’t mind that I migrated your e-mail address over to Buttondown without telling you.) If you’re reading this on RSS or on my website and would prefer to receive posts in your e-mail, please feel free to sign up here. (If you do use RSS, I use and recommend CommaFeed.)
I don’t use any social media platforms anymore. One of the unintended benefits of Challenging Events is that I stopped using Twitter/X because I didn’t have the will or energy to. Twitter/X may have stopped using me, too: As of this writing, I am not able to log in to Twitter/X. Oh well (and good riddance).
The Omnivore app has helped me read more. Instapaper was letting me down and Pocket had too many bells and whistles for my taste. The Omnivore web and mobile apps are visually appealing, easy to navigate, and a pleasure to use. (The ability of Omnivore to sync with Logseq is also wonderful.)
The Friends of Big Bear Valley live eagle cam is worth your time. Big Bear Bald Eagle Live Nest – Cam 1 is the live webcam; the channel has video summaries of the eagle pair.
I am still trying to learn how to play Go (well). I first learned how to play Go literally decades ago and remain a perpetual student. The Way to Go tutorial (…) is pretty good.
Lunar New Year is nearly upon us. The Year of the Dragon starts on the new moon on February 10th. I wish you, fine reader, good health, safety, and prosperity.
Maria Yang, MD 