a directory of my writing
(this is not comprehensive)
longform writing: http://alfredmacdonald.substack.com
casual writing and useful lists: http://alfredmacdonald.medium.com (you are here)
(2015-present) a compilation of the best fitness links on the internet https://alfredmacdonald.substack.com/p/a-compilation-of-the-best-fitness EGEG
(2015-present) things that puff my jigglies, master list https://alfredmacdonald.substack.com/p/things-that-puff-my-jigglies-master (mirror: http://simp.ly/p/DPwmw3) EGEG
(2011-present) directory of meaningful neologisms, not all of which are mine https://app.simplenote.com/p/65HV1w EGEG
(entries tagged EGEG are evergreen-evergrowing — ideally continually relevant and probably never complete. I don’t provide changelogs. if you care about this use an archive or screenshot.)
(2022) falsehood-minimalism is not honesty absolutism https://alfredmacdonald.substack.com/p/falsehood-minimalism-is-not-honesty or https://tinyurl.com/whatimeanbyfalsehoodminimalism
(2022) on the flimsy difference between vaccine mandates and drug prohibition https://app.simplenote.com/p/JyW7KJ
(2022) children https://app.simplenote.com/p/wzRtFQ EGEG
(2022) vibecamp and its consequences https://alfredmacdonald.substack.com/p/vibecamp-and-its-consequences and a mirror at https://app.simplenote.com/p/gFJ10x
(supplemental provocateuring: https://imgur.com/a/LT58iZL)
(2022) technoyogi bullshit and cure-by-rubricism https://alfredmacdonald.substack.com/p/technoyogi-bullshit-and-cure-by-rubricism
(2021–2022) two writings which may be entertaining to read in contrast: the case for mental tenancy (“living in your head”) as a love language (http://simp.ly/p/shvNm9), and a gonzo diary entry of partying after a rationalist meetup (http://simp.ly/p/sWZl46)
(2021) an abbreviated argument for memory/awareness as it relates to existence https://app.simplenote.com/p/hQnp5D
(2020) “this is so decisively and categorically not a game” http://facebook.com/1441668545/posts/10225483219574344 (informal)
(2020) the failure of libertarianism for free speech, heterodoxy, and truthseeking http://otter.ai/u/Ad6aduJ4oPH3YjDzf2i8MS7jXgU (the writing here is an autogenerated transcript. this is not a written essay but rather an hour-long lecture dictated while walking with weighted clothing. still, I think this provokes enough thought to put here)
(2020) problems with counting productivity hours http://facebook.com/1441668545/posts/10225564014634170 (informal)
(2020) How Too Much Freedom Can Make You Less Free Overall https://facebook.com/1441668545/posts/10223889388729569 (an essay by collation of chat messages)
(2016) Lawful Society Bias https://alfredmacdonald.com/2016/06/28/lawful-society-bias/
(2016) On a girl burning alive https://alfredmacdonald.com/2016/06/19/1000-words-on-a-girl-burning-alive/
(2015) Birth control’s role in widespread androgen deficiency in women and its implications for the field of psychology https://www.reddit.com/r/steroids/comments/3rqvg1/birth_controls_role_in_widespread_androgen/ (I can only partially endorse this and would heavily revise the wording if I were to write it now (2022).)
(2015) How [male birth control] works and what this means for [men]
https://www.reddit.com/r/MensRights/comments/35arm7/psa_how_birth_control_works_and_what_this_means/ (The same caveat about endorsement and revision mentioned above applies here.)
(2015) The types of manipulation on vote-based forums https://www.reddit.com/r/TheoryOfReddit/comments/36wwr6/the_types_of_manipulation_on_votebased_forums/ (There was no bet — I was just really invested in my prediction and misremembered.)
(2015) 5 Easy Ways To Nab A Significant Other By Eating Only Peanut Butter https://thoughtcatalog.com/alfred-macdonald/2015/06/5-easy-ways-to-nab-a-significant-other-by-eating-only-peanut-butter/ (This is anti-clickbait, as an antijoke is to a joke. It’s intentionally written to make the reader uncomfortable.)
(2014) If You Wouldn’t Fuck A Grapefruit For Money, I Don’t Know What’s Wrong With You https://alfredmacdonald.com/2014/12/28/if-you-wouldnt-fuck-a-grapefruit-for-money-i-dont-know-whats-wrong-with-you/
(2014) Here’s Every Gory Detail You’ve Ever Wanted To Know About Anal Sex https://thoughtcatalog.com/alfred-macdonald/2014/01/heres-every-gory-detail-youve-ever-wanted-to-know-about-anal-sex/ (There is some background to this essay. This was written specifically with the intention of going viral, and at 1.2M views I succeeded here. A marketing firm I worked for had a “we may fire you if your social media looks bad” policy, and marketing struck me as one of the most dishonest environments I’d been in. I wrote this to cancel myself and prevent myself from giving into any temptation to work for a place that fostered dishonesty.)
(2013) Dismantling Officiality https://alfredmacdonald.com/2013/04/19/dismantling-officiality/
(2012) Dissecting the Frog: on Sarcastic Paraphrase https://alfredmacdonald.com/2012/12/26/dissecting-the-frog-on-sarcastic-paraphrase/
(2012) Gaslighting: what it isn’t https://alfredmacdonald.com/2012/11/07/gaslighting-what-it-isnt/
(2012) Theactrivism https://alfredmacdonald.com/2012/12/17/theactrivism/
(2012) Trauma as Trivialization https://alfredmacdonald.com/2012/10/22/trauma-as-trivialization/
(2012) “PR Disaster” https://alfredmacdonald.com/2012/07/18/pr-disaster/
(2011) Hierarchy Myopia https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/hierarchy-myopia
(2011) Believability in “Realism”: Why Spongebob Out-Reals Fallout 3 https://www.gamedeveloper.com/art/believability-in-quot-realism-quot-why-spongebob-out-reals-fallout-3
sometimes I reuse my own passages in articles that address similar subject matter, such as integrating passages about the fertility crisis from the vibecamp essay into my children document. this is because I’m not interested in rewriting something for the sake of novelty when I’ve said it right the first time. some people take issue with this, but if you prioritize truthseeking you shouldn’t.
