A Defense of the Demandingness Objection against Utilitarianism Author’s note: I came across this paper I wrote for Normative Ethics and rewrote for Pense, the Edinburgh Uni PhilSoc journal, a few weeks ago. And I like it a lot. I admire what I think I remember of my time thinking up this thesis – a… Continue reading The Impotence of “The Impotence of the Demandingness Objection” Objection
Author: admin
Notes from the First Lockdown (April – May 2020)
Author’s note: During the start of the pandemic and the first lockdown, all my devices had conveniently broken and I spent April and May entirely off grid reading, cooking, and journalling. I eventually tore the pages out of that journal, but I kept the pages stored safely and 3 years later reading back I find… Continue reading Notes from the First Lockdown (April – May 2020)
HKSJ: February 2023 Music Update
A Playlist Offering: Here’s a random collection of recommendations if anybody’s looking for new music! At the top is Vienna by Billy Joel, a song that I think captures my sentiments with this edition of Having Known Such Joy. Tiny Desks: As always my usual way of finding new music is through NPR’s Tiny Desk… Continue reading HKSJ: February 2023 Music Update
My Listen-Through of the Rolling Stone Top 500 Albums
Last updated on 23 February 2023. Last listened to #451: ‘First Take’ by Roberta Flack Ranked Spreadsheet: http://www.nathanzou.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Rolling-Stones-Top-500.xlsx Favorite Albums So Far:
On the Never-ending Road
There is a romantic idealism towards vagabonding, bumming around, moving along trodden and untread roads in perpetuity. I want to say we have all dreamt of it at times, but I can’t say with any certainty that’s true. I am, after all, one of the people who dreams this dream and am consequently perhaps a… Continue reading On the Never-ending Road
Babylon
Review of Babylon (2022) dir. Damien Chazelle ★★★★☆ Watched on January 26th, 2023. !!Spoilers Below!! Babylon is ambitious and indulgent and fantastic for so much of its 3 hour 9 minute runtime and then Chazelle absolutely fucks the ending in nearly every conceivable way. And then I couldn’t stop thinking about the movie and I’ve… Continue reading Babylon
The Motorcycle Diaries
Review of The Motorcycle Diaries by Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara Originally published on Goodreads on January 27th, 2023. ★★★★★ Guevara is a fantastic writer – there’s no doubt that his charisma was not solely a live quality. The diaries begin in anticipation and excitement and end in the weight of knowledge and the world on his… Continue reading The Motorcycle Diaries
Books of 2022
Occasionally this year I wrote Goodreads reviews that were less of a formality and had a bit more substance. There’s only a few (The Voices of Marrakesh, East of Eden, Into the Wild, Lolly Willowes) so I’ve linked them here. You can read some brief thoughts on the first half of the year’s reading (1-14)… Continue reading Books of 2022
Lolly Willowes
Review of Lolly Willowes by Sylvia Townsend Warner Originally published on Goodreads on December 30th, 2022 ★★★★★ Lolly Willowes is delicious and near sadistic in its espousal of freedom from society, family, religion – or in a word, obligation. This is a book for the burdened to be reminded that burdens are not always noble… Continue reading Lolly Willowes
Into the Wild
Review of Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer Originally published on Goodreads on December 22nd, 2022 ★★★★★ I admire good profile writing, but good profile writers have a tendency to have us love and root for the profilee, even when they’re not so purely saintly. I say this first because McCandless’ story appeals to me.… Continue reading Into the Wild