Make it stop

 The laundromat I usually go to has a tendency to play awful daytime talk shows when I do the wash there. Not real edifying, but it doesn't affect me all that bad.

But they close relatively early, and have been closing even earlier during the quarantine. And I've been working the past couple of weeks, which is mostly good.

The thing is, I've had to go to a different laundromat the last two times I've done laundry. And this one has been playing the evening news. NBC I think. And please, give me the talk shows back. Those insult my intelligence in a less horrifying way.

What you see is what you see

Разговорное время

 My old wristwatch had a tendency to have its glass broken. This can be a big problem as far as it's working goes, as you might imagine. Especially if there's a chunk of the crystal blocking one or both arms. Even if the arms still go, it's ugly to look at.

I replaced it recently. The replacement arrived today. It's Russian. Feels pretty good on my wrist. One thing that seemed like an issue was that I didn't know how to set the time and the instruction booklet was―no big surprise, I guess―in Russian. But I found English instructions online, and it turns out to be pretty simple.

End of the day

 

Chopin's etudes are―at least sometimes―a good way to finish off the day. Individually they go by quite fast, everything being quick impressions. I was going to say that they avoid bombast, but given the above video I'd be making myself a liar. But it is in its way a peaceful peace.

Lay thine eyes upon it and thou shalt see that it is barren.

Maher's whole shtick―which some people purport not to get―is that he's a self-absorbed asshole, but one whose eyes are open to perceive something crucial about what's going on. Take it or leave it. At this point he must have lost count of how many times he's been cancelled. Enough times not to care anymore, which frees him up to say things on COVID-19, for example, rather at odds with the other leading political comics of the day.

Although I have to admit that like Howie, I prefer shoes without lace. Has nothing to do with germs, though. Laces just come untied and break all the time.
 

In theory

 According to Wikipedia, theory of mind is "the ability to attribute mental states such as beliefs, intents, desires, emotions and knowledge, among others, to oneself and to others." They also say it's "necessary to understanding that others have beliefs, desires, intentions, and perspectives that are different from one's own."

Well, I do understand that, so it's not like I entirely lack theory of mind. It could well be a little underdeveloped in me, though. That's probably one of the reasons I read a lot of reader-friendly psychology books. I'm always on the hunt for clues.

Of course having a well-developed TOM doesn't mean that it's going to be right. You've probably had the experience of having someone attribute a totally inaccurate motive to you.

A new man