This Labor Day, it isn’t the best of times or the worst of times, it’s simply the only times we have

Vintage clocks and gears layered with records and papers beside a glowing circuit board

Whatever you personally believe about the state of the world or our prospects for the future, humans simply don’t get to choose. You are here and will remain here until you aren’t whether you like it or not. “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” Charles Dickens began his immortal A… Continue reading This Labor Day, it isn’t the best of times or the worst of times, it’s simply the only times we have

The quality of life canard and the irresistible appeal of nostalgia

Retro 1980s gadgets, cassette tapes, games, and memorabilia on a table

Though some might claim otherwise, I was there and few would really want to go back to a time when our lives were shorter, far less convenient, far less mobile, and far more of a pain in the ass in almost every measurable way. Over the past several weeks, more than one person has mentioned… Continue reading The quality of life canard and the irresistible appeal of nostalgia

Rosie the three-legged dragon and the three days of night, part two

Rosie the Three-Legged Dragon Seeking Shelter

Rosie, Carlitos, and her human servants have abandoned her beloved lair for reasons she couldn’t possibly explain and set off into the unknown, a thing that can be feared and loathed by dogs, dragons, and humans alike. This is part two of an ongoing adventure. Read the first part here... Dogs are famous or should… Continue reading Rosie the three-legged dragon and the three days of night, part two

Living like a local: Reminisces and observations about my recent trip to India, part two

When people ask what’s different about India, the sheer number of people is astounding.  Boasting a population of over 1.4 billion and still undergoing massive economic development, hotels, restaurants, and service businesses tend to feature at least twice if not three times the number of employees as in the United States and automation is barely… Continue reading Living like a local: Reminisces and observations about my recent trip to India, part two

It does not convert: A few reminisces and observations on my recent trip to India, part one

A cow in Chennai

A negotiation over the price of sea shells reveals that value is in the eye of the beholder and as a colleague brilliantly put it when comparing the US to India in general:  It doesn’t convert and we can be both different and the same. “Be honest. How bad does it smell there?”  The question… Continue reading It does not convert: A few reminisces and observations on my recent trip to India, part one

Reminder: Democrats have called for massive disruption for decades and can’t possibly be taken seriously now

To combat climate change, there was almost no part of your life Democrats and their progressives allies didn’t want to disrupt, from the car you drive to the house you live in to the food you eat, but somehow, this was all good and great, the height of enlightened thinking and if you weren’t completely… Continue reading Reminder: Democrats have called for massive disruption for decades and can’t possibly be taken seriously now

The miracle and madness of travel in the modern age

This will likely be my last post for several weeks, not because I am abandoning this project, far from it.  Instead, I will be undertaking a hopefully epic journey that is only possible in the modern world, covering some 25,000 miles in less than a month. This will likely be my last post for several… Continue reading The miracle and madness of travel in the modern age