Is a general revolution imminent? Are the social, psychological, and cultural effects of social networking rendering the way we conduct our relationships or manage knowledge obsolete? Are domestic and global economic inequities reaching unbearably large extremes? Are the governing institutions capable of resolving current problems? Are the major problems of climate change, global health, and … Continue reading You Say You Want a Revolution
Another Goodfellow, Tennessee Whiskey, and Flyleece
Sam Goodfellow Art Thank you, Sam, for your visual contribution. I can think of no more concise and powerful summary of everything Mary Trump had to say about her deeply disturbed Uncle Donnie. A Tennessee Whiskey to Soothe Your Soul A while ago I pledged to not drink Kentucky bourbon in a post intended to … Continue reading Another Goodfellow, Tennessee Whiskey, and Flyleece
How I Voted and Why
When I retired, I looked forward to taking my citizenship duties more seriously by reading more carefully the Voter Information Guides. What follows here are the decisions I made on this year’s ballot and some effort to explain why I made the choices I did. The reason I did this was two-fold. First, I hope … Continue reading How I Voted and Why
Unity
In 1989 East Germans set aside their differences and protested openly and together against a totalitarian state. They were not deterred by the STASI (Staatssicherheitdienst), a police force that had a much larger number of police than Hitler had at his command. In the city of Leipzig, the most notable protests occurred on a … Continue reading Unity
Measuring Trump’s Covid Failure
One of the key takeaways from the revelations in Bob Woodward’s new book is that Trump is not as stupid as he makes himself out to be on television. After weeks of consulting with some of the best infectious disease experts in the world, he actually understood at a childish level how viruses are contracted … Continue reading Measuring Trump’s Covid Failure
Black Man in the Huddle
The 1960 Miller Buccaneers, and their bus driver. By telling the story of integration as experienced in that most vital of community institutions, the local high school, Professor Jacobus has made a great contribution to the historiography of civil rights. While much of the history of civil rights has understandably focused major political, religious, and … Continue reading Black Man in the Huddle
The Brewer’s Tale
And now for something completely different. For those of you who don’t know me well, I love beer. I spend much of my free time interfacing with the beer world - visiting breweries, reading beer books, listening to beer podcasts, and scoping out local bottle shops. While traveling, I always plan around what beer-related fare … Continue reading The Brewer’s Tale
A Culture of Conspiracy
We live in a conspiratorial world. Popular discourse is permeated by conspiracy theories which have become an inescapable part of the American political and media landscape. No longer is conspiracy the stuff of tinfoil hats and the “lunatic fringe” - conspiracy is mainstream. While more outlandish ideas like...
Sam Goodfellow Art
Namibia Landscape Namibia Landscape Namibia Landscape Fulton, MO MEgalomania No clothes, no comment Boris Johnson Bernie Sanders Mitch McConnell Donald Trump Vladimir Putin Rudy Giuliani Bill Barr AOC
The Dreamt Land
Near the end of Joe Talbot and Rob Richert’s wondrous The Last Black Man in San Francisco, the protagonist Jimmy Fails confronts a young female Silicone Rush immigrant in a Muni bus complaining to her mother about how much she hates living there. Fails: “You don’t get to hate San Francisco. You don’t get to … Continue reading The Dreamt Land