The Rise of the New Group-Think - Thoughts on a New York Times Piece

A Facebook friend posted this link.http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/15/opinion/sunday/the-rise-of-the-new-groupthink.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&smid=fb-share


This resonates with me. As someone who absolutely loves going off and creating, mentating, working, by myself, I got a lot out of the piece. I agree that the solo artist might not be ultimately as productive, in far-reaching, world-shaking efforts, as when he or she is involved in net-based, collaborative projects. Open source projects, in particular, benefit greatly via the group-think approach. Such projects are outside my own scope, however, and I prefer the epiphanies that solitude brings.

My preference for solitude is the cafe, where I can be among strangers, a human throng of activity, the random sights, sounds, and smells percolating in the background, provides an engine to my creativity. I am not bothered by commotion, but rather, the din is my vitamins. It's best if I know no one there, other than the casual "Hiya" of regulars and baristas, so I can concentrate. My solitude is mental versus physical.

Though introverted, during creative times, I appreciate and even like humans, even if I am not socially among them. Like the appreciation of good film acting, when not around the actors themselves, I appreciate the efforts and accomplishments, of my fellow hairless apes, even if I don't happen to be inhaling their dander at the moment.

The Ups and Downs of Being Retromingent

Being retromingent would make men's room defense easier yet a far more awkward experience for the pee-shy in line after a movie.

"Hi there."

"Hi."

"Gonna be a while?"

"Working on it."

"Take your time. It's not like I just had a 20 ounce Pepsi or anything."

"Whatever."

#Hippos

My advice to a friend whose parents thought Twilight sucked

Have them watch the worst half hour of "The Vampire Diaries" and it'll be more exciting than the entire Twilight series combined. Have them watch any 15 minutes of "True Blood" and you may just end up with a new baby sibling.