Throughout history there have been some really terrible ideas. Some have been harmless and silly: our founding fathers making powdered wigs made from horse hair an essential fashion choice for leading a fledgling nation, hot tub buffets, professional bowling, and the invention and brief popularity of the Unimotorcycle come to mind. Many of these really … Read more
If corporations are people, as the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in one of its shadier, more dangerous, rulings, more than a decade ago, then: How come I can’t hug Exxon Mobil? How come Boeing never sends me birthday presents? How come The Keebler Elves never show up at my house to borrow … Read more
Rigid thought patterns, unshakeable norms, traditions that shrug off any and all questions. Welcome to Orthodoxy Nation, folks. You’re in for an angry ride. ORTHODOXY – noun – authorized or generally accepted theory, doctrine, or practice. The definition of “Orthodoxy” doesn’t do justice to the reality of the modern world, where it dwells and reproduces … Read more
Parking has gotten all kinds of strange lately. It was kind of strange to begin with. Why we’ve let people tell us that temporarily resting our cars on asphalt needs to cost money is beyond me. Why we all comply with the idea that a resting car must be nestled between two similarly-colored paint lines … Read more
Ok, we understand that we need to change this, but how? With the aid of hindsight, I can’t believe we didn’t see this one coming. Police brutality wasn’t invented a few years ago. Black American anger didn’t just begin to simmer a few weeks ago. This isn’t ALL a Covid thing, but that certainly hasn’t … Read more
Ever since this website began, we felt a strong reluctance to open up posts to commenters. Let’s just say we’ve seen situations where commentability didn’t work out so well. While there are many people who post very thoughtful and intelligent comments, some websites seem to be magnets for commenters who have a loose association with … Read more
We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity right now to reform/re-form our society, to tweak it for the better. It’s a chance that probably won’t come again. So, let’s take advantage of this. Some ideas: 1) We can let people out of prisons. Just open the doors and let them go. It will save their lives and … Read more
One aspect of the response to the coronavirus that is increasingly obvious is that rich people don’t give a damn about poor people’s lives. I understand the desire to protect your portfolio, but is that really more important than human lives? Human lives? That’s what we’re talking about here. I get all of the counter-arguments … Read more
Subtitle: Despite the fact that it might sound like I’m pooh-poohing the whole coronavirus hysteria, I really just wish to draw attention to our species’ fear of the unknown. They, the ubiquitous, hard to define and evil they, are always trying to scare us. Some of what they use is real. Other times they try … Read more
Posting a nasty shout-out on Facebook will not stop Burger King from relocating to Ireland to avoid paying taxes. Putting an anti-Republican bumper sticker on your Saab will not in any way make Senator Ted Cruz change his position on women’s reproductive rights. Shaving “Down with Starbucks” into your head will not convince the commissioners … Read more