We have many mechanisms in place to protect our privacy. Some people care less about this and some people have taken this to tremendous extremes. Of course, many want unambiguous rules about privacy, but there is a lot of room for nuance. So, we ask the question about whether or not we need privacy and share some of the reasons people have given. The short answer is: until we can trust each other, we need privacy.  https://patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcast Links and References:  - https://www.scu.edu/ethics/focus-areas/internet-ethics/resources/why-we-care-about-privacy/ - https://www.privacyguides.org/en/basics/why-privacy-matters/ - https://www.teamim.com/insights/why-privacy-matters-even-if-you-have-nothing-to-hide 

Creating content can be very effortful. Particularly when that creating entails a lot of writing. And in pursuit of that endeavor, writers sometimes find themselves stuck and unable to produce ideas to further their writing task. What is going on behaviorally and psychologically? We'll discuss some of the research behind writer's block and what you can do to get over the block. Do you have any tricks to overcome writer's block?  Recommendations - Abraham: A Short Stay in Hell (Steven Peck: https://www.strandbooks.com/a-short-stay-in-hell-9780983748427.html) - Shane: The Pleasures of the Damned by Charles Bukowski (https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-pleasures-of-the-damned-charles-bukowski?variant=32130591162402) Holidays (9/16/2026): - Ann Bradstreet Day - National Guacamole Day - Trail of Tears Commemoration Day - National GED Day - International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer - National Cinnamon Raison Bread Day - National Collect Rocks Day - National Day of Prayer and Remembrance for the Victims of Hurricane Katrina - National Play-Doh Day - National Rehabilitation Day - National Stay Away from Seattle Day - National Stepfamily Day - National Tattoo Story Day - Teenager Workout Day - Working Parents Day - Wrinkled Raincoat Day - World Barber Day Links and References:  - https://centerforfiction.org/writing-tools/the-truth-about-writers-block/ - https://girlspring.com/4-ways-to-combat-writers-block/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22638809757&gbraid=0AAAAADRYq5RcbP7MWvHMjjH7eQosNAYwC&gclid=Cj0KCQjwv4XUBhDBARIsAE6bQUSaMqun3ksA9P5BQfl2c-2ajwULeR_gv3rCLRMQhPcIEN-r7zMv9xsaAlYAEALw_wcB - https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7965145/ - https://writers.com/writers-block-what-causes-writers-block-and-how-to-overcome-it - https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.2190/69g4-6ycm-n11h-eeew - https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psychology-yesterday/202001/a-brief-history-of-writers-block - https://www.laurenpalphreyman.com/post/4-types-of-writer-s-block-and-how-to-combat-them - https://escholarship.org/uc/item/50t6h6kd - https://www.mentalfloss.com/literature/authors/10-cases-extreme-writers-block - https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1311997/ - https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2277565/ - https://www.emerald.com/et/article-abstract/59/6/605/91658/A-phenomenological-research-study-on-writer-s?redirectedFrom=fulltext

Conditions that differ from "normal," sometimes called disability, don't preclude people with those conditions from being able to do regular vocational activities, and may even give them an advantage. Many employers have found financial and cultural benefits to hiring people with disabilities, people with disabilities have demonstrated their ability to thrive an be unique and meaningful contributions, and some activities are performed more economically. efficiently, or competenty by  people with disabilities. We give some concrete examples. Recommendations - Abraham: Recursion (Blake Crouch; https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42046112-recursion) - Shane: The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52180399-the-only-good-indians)  Holidays (17 December 2025): - Clean Air Day - International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers - National Maple Syrup Day - Pan American Aviation Day - Wright Brothers Day - Christmas Bird Count Week - Cookie Exchange Week - Hanukkah - Human Rights Week - Saturnalia Links and References:  - https://rockfordisability.com/2023/01/13/10-perks-of-being-a-disabled-person/ - https://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/observations/the-case-for-disabled-astronauts/ - https://eri-wi.org/fact-sheet-employers/#:~:text=The%20Business%20Benefits%20of%20Hiring%20People%20with%20Disabilities&text=Businesses%20that%20hire%20and%20support,resilience%2C%20boosting%20overall%20team%20productivity.&text=With%20unemployment%20rates%20among%20people,who%20are%20ready%20to%20contribute.&text=Employers%20may%20qualify%20for%20tax,offset%20accommodation%20and%20accessibility%20costs.&text=Higher%20employee%20retention%20reduces%20turnover,investment%20outweighs%20the%20initial%20costs.&text=Businesses%20that%20reflect%20their%20customer,a%20wide%20range%20of%20needs. - https://hbr.org/2023/07/disability-as-a-source-of-competitive-advantage - https://disabilityrightsflorida.org/blog/entry/5_reasons_to_hire_people_with_disabilities - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29392591/  - https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/work-opportunity-tax-credit - https://www.london.edu/faculty-and-research/research/research-highlights/disability-as-a-source-of-competitive-advantage  - https://www.physicianleaders.org/articles/disability-as-a-source-of-competitive-advantage