Category: Culture (Page 6 of 21)

The Fourth of July is, of course, the holiday most closely associated with the U.S. But most Americans use it as a specifically patriotic holiday. As leftists, what is our association with the Fourth of the July?

More broadly, we have complicated associations with other U.S. traditions, like ‘free speech‘ and the broader ‘rights of man.’ How about the Fourth? How do you think about it?

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As I get closer to age 40 (I’m about to turn 39), I’ve noticed that I get lots of ads for life insurance. Not just on social media – annoying enough – but also in the mail. I assume all this gets worse as you continue getting older? I’ve seen enough of it already, I think.

For those readers over about age 35, how’s this going for you? Do you get life insurance ads in the mail? Don’t you feel it’s a bit too early for all that?

And here we are at the end of the post. Sorry about the short Thursday post, everyone! I’ll be back next week, and hopefully with more profound thoughts.

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So, about a year ago, I wrote a blog post on an old RTS game called Age of Empires. The article was a reaction to a Current Affairs article on the same game. Along the way, I mentioned that I started playing a game called 0 A.D.

I’ve continued playing that game (you can play it for free here). And I must say it’s an enjoyable one! Maybe the politics still aren’t great. But the makers of the game show an admirable commitment to historical accuracy. And it’s just a ton of fun.

If anyone’s interested in playing, my lobby name is ‘thephilosopher.’ And if you want to watch me play (and lose), you can find a broadcast of one of my earliest games here. If you just want to get a sense for what the game is like, check out the youtube channels Tom 0ad and 0AD Newbie Rush!

Update: And here’s a broadcast of a more recent game I played!

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