Category: Uncategorized
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Time and Temperaments
I’ve long struggled to understand how Thomas Jefferson could declare all men are created equal, how he could condemn slavery as a slaveowner himself, and simultaneously have a relationship with at least one of his slaves. The contradictions between conviction and behavior seems impossibly hypocritical and alien for an otherwise brilliant man. But we ourselves… Read more
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Be Careful What You Wish For
I started out using the simplest of coffeemakers – a mug filled with hot water and instant coffee. Experimenting with different amounts of sugar and creamer revealed the right balance, and thereafter I’d do it by eye and feel. You get to know the weight of the ingredients and the color of the coffee after… Read more
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What I Would Tell My Grandchilden
I would tell them they will be disappointed, that they will someday see the world in its entirety and be appalled that humanity wastes so much energy on conflict and greed, so much time fighting ignorance and apathy. You get to a certain age and level of awareness and it’s “Oh, goodness, what a mess.”… Read more
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United Republic Work
A series written for UnitedRepublic.org in 2012. Author Page How Congress Can Get Its Mojo Back (796 words) Why We Fight (687 words) How to Stop the Fundraising Hamster Wheel (795 words) Why Your Education Costs More Than Health Care (980 words) Profit-Driven Prisons: Path to Prison Labor? (1019 words) Extraction of America (906 words)… Read more
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How Congress Can Get Its Mojo Back
[One of a series written for UnitedRepublic.org in 2012. Original article here.] Dear Congress: I grew up watching politics the way most guys watch sports. I learned about the different teams, the players, the coaches, the history of the game. As I approach the big 5-0, I’ve seen how the game has changed over the… Read more
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How to Stop The Fund-Raising Hamster Wheel
[One of series written for UnitedRepublic.org in 2012. Original article here.] You know there’s too much money in politics. You know business showers money on congressional representatives who vote their way. You may not realize that congressional representatives deliberately play coy on certain issues, delaying resolution for the purpose of raising more funds. Much has… Read more
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Getting Things Done – the United Republic Edition
[One of series written for UnitedRepublic.org in 2012. Original article.] The entire reason for United Republic’s existence is made plain on its front page – we are here to Get Money Out of Politics. The primary source of money in politics is corporate lobbying at all levels of government – local, state and federal. Combating… Read more
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The Extraction of America
[One of series written for UnitedRepublic.org in 2012. Original article.] Let’s get one thing out of the way now – I’m not writing to preach to the converted. Those of you who have read Dylan Ratigan’s Greedy Bastards, who understand the VICI principles, who recognize we are being extracted and how it’s happening – I’m… Read more
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Every Night is Open Mic Night
Ellen posted a comment and for some reason I can’t post a reply comment (inbox me if you’ve had the same problem). Will work on geting that sorted, but meantime I’m responding here. I was actually hesitant about doing a blog because I’ve got to produce a lot of paid work to meet expenses. I’m… Read more
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Reading Minds
Reading is the closest we can get to reading someone’s mind. This transcends time and technology. Four hundred years ago Galileo shared his excitement about seeing the moons of Jupiter, giddy over a telescope he had just carefully built and improved over earlier models. When I read what he wrote, I was in the same… Read more