This week America arrived at the secret police stage of its fascist descent, and that should horrify us all. Yet all I can think about it that not nearly enough people are paying attention. In the past month we’ve seen two major episodes that signal alarm: First there were the
What does a functioning democracy actually look like? Consider Aaron Sorkin’s The West Wing, a liberal fantasy about an American president and his staff of mostly white male idealists who always care about doing the right thing and always do their darnedest to make it happen. In the context of
In 2004 a promising United States Senate candidate from Illinois reintroduced America to the idea of hope. This skinny guy with the funny name stood on stage at the Democratic National Convention and delivered a keynote address like he was dictating it into the history books. If you watched that
Most afternoons in the Elysian Valley, or Frogtown as some locals call it, you’ll probably catch a lady selling bowls of Mexican street corn at the intersection of Ripple and Newell. The nasally honk of her dime-store bicycle horn beckons like a siren song. It’s a welcome interlude to the
Sunday was Father’s Day. On Monday I cut myself shaving. Again. These two things are related but I won’t say exactly how just yet. First, there are a few items that I need to get off my chest. To start I’ll admit there’s a lot I don’t know about my
Life is nothing if not a series of terrific detours. At least mine has been. But the unifying thread, the signpost that’s always been there no matter how far or wide I’ve ventured off the beaten path, is that I have some ability with words. That is to say, I
Well hello there friend! If you’re viewing my site for the first time in awhile you may notice a few changes around here, both in terms of layout and content. If this is your very first visit, welcome, and ignore my previous statement. The blog has always been this slick and