“It is coercion of the strongest kind, because it appears in the guise of a self-evident necessity and is thus not even recognized as a coercive force.” Ludwik Fleck, “Genesis & Development of a Scientific Fact” I started 2017 with a post about making this a “no bullshit” year. Seing it out with a … Continue reading ‘No Bullshit’ 2017 is almost over: Time to ring in #racistinrecovery 2018
Category: call to action
It’s been busy around here. Thanksgiving is in the rear-view mirror. Before that though, my faithful seven-year-old computer went kerflooey. Never mind that I had writing deadlines. Thankfully, I have an understanding editor. And over at the library, we are moving to reduced-service status for the next year or so while we get a new … Continue reading Real Apologies Matter: A brief stroll through Sexual Predator Apology Land
This morning, Sweetheart came in and sat at the at the edge of the bed. “There’s coffee downstairs. And it happened after we went to bed last night, but there’s fresh hell,” he said. I sat up. More quickly than I usually do first thing in the morning. “Fifty people were killed and more … Continue reading NRA helps ‘lone wolf’ Las Vegas shooter kill, injure hundreds at concert: how is this ‘not terrorism?’
I am a lucky person. On weekday mornings, my alarm clock is Sweetheart coming through the bedroom door and handing me a cup of hot coffee. The ritual dates back to the early days of our relationship. Since January 20, there's been a new component. He hands me coffee. My line after "Thank you" is: "What fresh … Continue reading American ‘Greatness’ in action: Best celebrity gossip site & worst quiz ever
There is a lot of talk on social media about not letting the barrage of crazy shit coming out of the White House overwhelm us into paralysis. The best of these messages came from my pal Flo, who I will quote here: "The important thing for all of us to remember is that … Continue reading Use your words: Wise words from Flo and a letter to a Republican Senator
Ever been told to be careful about that sour expression on your face because “It might freeze like that?” The truth is actually simpler and more complicated, and I offer up as Exhibits A (male) & B (female) our current mess of a president and one of his "counselors." … Continue reading Kill ’em with kindness: Donald Trump, Kellyanne Conway and the ‘Old People Hypothesis’
2016 is in the rear-view mirror. Last night, we attended a New Year’s Eve party at a house we’ve been lucky enough to be invited to for the past several Dec. 31sts. The host (a guy about my age) remarked that, “We’re old enough that the people who influenced us are starting to die off.” The observation was … Continue reading Strange rites of passage and no bullshit: Welcome, 2017!
In summer of 2008, I took an Ethics of Information class. Our final project was a paper on the topic of our choice. I wanted to look at what I saw as the New Third World - the way on-line information about us could and was possibly already being used to exploit us, make our … Continue reading ‘Big Brother meets the digital Third World’ or ‘I wrote a paper in 2008. Check it out.’
This morning, I woke up to the Facebook village and Twittesphere going nuts over what happened when Vice-President Elect Mike Pence went to see "Hamilton" last night. My first thought was "Geez! If I'd known becoming vice president would have helped me get 'Hamilton' tickets, I would have applied for the job." But who am I kidding? … Continue reading Two post-election vignettes: ‘Hamilton’ cast makes most of ‘Carpe Diem’ moment; Ephemeral display lets librarian do the same
Fifty days ago, I made an election display at the library. There’s so much crazy flying around and libraries are supposed to be safe havens. I wanted my display to do two things: Provide a way to give people access to digestible and genuine information about the candidates. Remind us all that at least this … Continue reading One display, one playlist, one eighth-grade groper & one heart-to-heart across voting lines: a 2016 presidential election word buffet
the sentence factory 