My wife and I recently moved from one side of town to another; we’ve downsized. After living in the same house for 28 years, that move included an awful lot of stuff. As the comedian, the late George Carlin duly noted, accommodating “stuff” occupies a... Continue
Public Citizen
Despite the fact that the world is not like it at all, people prefer to live in a deterministic reality of fixed objects where clock time governs and events are predictable. Accordingly, our systems of logic - grammars of subject, object, and verb - assign... Continue
The modern corporation had its beginnings in maritime law. In an era when global trade and exploration were dependent upon sailing ships and the monarchy of European nations, merchant capitalism arose to fill a monetary gap that governments couldn’t muster and introduced the concept of... Continue
Some guys are assholes. I learned this very early on in life, and it’s still true. I’ve known some women who were assholes, but on balance, assholes tend to be men. So what exactly is an asshole? Assholes are mean people, highly aggressive, and frequently... Continue
For centuries, we in America have thought of ourselves as a nation of law and order. Between the two, law has maintained dominance while order has remained subordinate. That hierarchy now appears to be flipping. Democracy’s weakness is itself, which in their wisdom our founding... Continue
My last dream of the night, the early morning actually, is usually quite intense and often memorable. So it was recently. In my dream I found myself in a semi-industrial space chatting with two friendly fellows. I was drawn to their animated and boisterous energy... Continue
To many of us, witnessing the cruelty of people now in power is heartbreaking and discouraging, even to the point of serious depression and in some cases thoughts of suicide. Thoughtful people I know are asking themselves what to do. It’s never been easy to... Continue
Did you ever laugh so hard for so long that the next day your abs hurt? I have, and I miss it. Belly laughs seem to be in shorter supply these days. I don’t know if it’s the times or me that’s changed, but I’m... Continue
What is to become of us? Or rather, what is to become of those of us in modern civilization? This is an essential question, but it’s not being asked seriously as the rush into a world of Artificial Intelligence (AI) gathers increasing momentum. Some have... Continue
“The quality of mercy is not strained…it is twice blest. It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.” — Portia in Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice The subject of mercy is in the news lately, not the least of which because Episcopal Bishop Mariann... Continue