Welcome!
Photo by Thomas Lipke on Unsplash
Our lives are unique adventures - unique because each of us brings to the present moment a highly individual personal history, and an adventure because this present moment is largely unknown territory, a place where we have not yet been. What we will experience is only predictable to a limited degree.
Often, adventures are more rewarding if they are shared. So, the focus of this website is the adventures in my non-professional life, including forays into in psychology, anthropology, philosophy, science, music, art, food, and a number of other things.
The site is regrettably lean at this point, as it is in the early stages of development. Much more than you presently see here is close to publication.
About this website ^
My professional articles, formerly here, are being reviewed and republished on a new website devoted to evidence-based trauma psychotherapy:
Companion to this website is a Facebook community to which you are also invited:
Trauma and Dissociation Education and Advocacy
You are invited to visit both, to learn more about psychological trauma, psychotherapy, and related matters.
~ Tom C.
Recent additions ^
AI (artificial intelligence): Introduction and best-practices ^ AI is here, now, whether you see it or not. AI’s already evident power, likely to increase rapidly, is seriously changing our relationships to our environment and each other. Affordable personal computers - and smartphones - have been history-changing technologies, but most authorities expect AI to be much more impactful. None of us can afford to be ignorant of AI, what it is, what it is doing, and what it is likely to do in the future. (…more)
Air pollution risk and mitigation ^ “Air pollution represents a significant and underappreciated health risk for adults aged 65 and older. This population faces disproportionately higher vulnerability to air quality-related health impacts due to age-related physiological changes, increased prevalence of chronic conditions, and reduced ability to compensate for environmental stressors¹. The most dangerous pollutants for older adults are fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and ozone, which are associated with increased cardiovascular disease, respiratory illness, cognitive decline, and premature mortality²,³. Effective monitoring through the Air Quality Index (AQI) and targeted indoor air quality improvements using HEPA filtration can significantly reduce health risks in this vulnerable population.” ([…Air pollution risk and mitigation)
Macular degeneration ^ Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is “the leading cause of irreversible blindness among older individuals in many parts of the world.” It is also significantly genetic in origin. Without considering of genetic factors, which definitely increase risk substantially, one person in about 10 (or more) develops AMD. Drink significant amount of decaffeinated instant coffee and your risk is increased 7-fold, according to a major recent study. Regular coffee, on the other hand, well may be protective. (…more)
Walnut milk (OR…cashew milk) ^ After making cashew milk and loving it, I wondered if a walnut milk was possible. It was! I found a few recipes, and adapted them to make my own. Walnut milk is easily made, more nutritious than any other nut milks (it has substantial omega-3 fatty acids), and is delicious as well. One cup of walnut milk a day gives you your day’s ration of walnuts, if you are consuming them for the omega-3s, as I do. (…more)
Problem-solving: An introduction ^ When we solve a problem in daily life we usually do it quickly and without much thought. However, when the consequences of a decision are serious, a casual approach risks disaster. The alternative is to go forward more slowly, using methods we can expect to help us get better results - methods validated by the experience of other people faced with critical decisions. These methods are well known and can be learned fairly easily. The whole process can be worked out with pencil and paper, but often it is convenient to use a computer-managed spreadsheet. Here, we will describe the process in detail, and give examples of how to use it. (…more)
Chromebook Laptops - A tutorial for beginners ^ Chromebooks are Google’s design for a unique and unusually affordable laptop computer that is ideal for students and most other computer users. Small, lightweight, and easily carried in a backpack or large purse, they have most of the functionality of a larger “PC”-type laptop. Their operating system is well-designed and significantly easier to learn and use than those found on standard personal computers. {: .lead} (…more)
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page author: Tom Cloyd | reviewed 2025-03-25:0850 Pacific Time (USA)