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This site is full of ideas. Some of them might make you cringe. They may not align with your worldview, perspectives, or experiences. That’s a great thing.

Quick thoughts: COVID edition

What behaviors in the United States would change if we kept a live, running death toll on the screen of every news station? Would we create a universal 20mph speed limit on all roads? Ban mountain climbing? Make everyone go inside during lightning? Make everyone stay home forever? The parallels between coronavirus reporting and man-made climate change reporting are notably similar. I wonder why… I’m amazed no one has yet claimed that CBD oil cures coronavirus. It sure seems to be the cure for every other problem… I hope the government was tracking who was buying all of that…

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Perspective: the missing ingredient of the pandemic

I once had a political science professor ask our class what percent of the United States is urbanized. The guesses ranged from 20-60%. The closest person in the class? Me. I guessed 5% of the land was developed and urbanized. The answer now, in 2020? 3%, according to the last available data (2010 US Census). That’s 106,000 square miles of urban area in 3,797,000 square miles of the continental United States. Did you guess right? Were you close? People lose perspective because they think in terms of their own experience and surroundings. Especially if you live in or around…

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Get busy living, or get busy dying

This is what Morgan Freeman’s character says in Shawshank Redemption, and it couldn’t apply more to the way we’re approaching this pandemic. America was founded on taking risks. Starting with the Founders, who gave up their lives, their savings, friends, and comfort, this country has always been about fearlessly forging ahead and creating. And building. The westward expansion was a journey into the unknown for many. But it was about the pursuit of a new life. A better life. And people were willing to risk their lives to do it. The coronavirus is here, and America has decided to…

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A marketing idea for Democrats

Normally, the Democrats vastly outsmart Republicans when it comes to marketing. (Although, even on a bad day, Democrats are miles ahead of the worst marketing department in the history of marketing.) But when it comes to defeating President Trump, I think they’ve gone about it all wrong. Unfortunately, the Democrats have positioned themselves against not only Donald Trump, but the entire country. The way the Democrats have handled the last three years has put them against not only Donald Trump, but jobs, America’s success, and uniting the country against the virus. As Trump took steps to create jobs –…

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One step closer to complete digitization of humanity

As computers started to become more useful, and therefore more ubiquitous in society, we started slowly handing ourselves over to them. It wasn’t obvious, at first. We used them as tools to help us think through complex problems. Then, with the advent of word processing tools, we started recording our thoughts in documents that could be saved, digitally, forever. Things started moving pretty quickly after that. Computers could do more, and not just for businesses. People started buying personal computers to do graphics, taxes, and writing emails. We really picked up speed when smartphones started emerging. As Nokias and…

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If we save even just one life…

“If can save even one life, it was worth it.” This isn’t a new statement or idea, but we’ve been hearing it a lot lately as some public officials discuss how we need to address the coronavirus pandemic. Andrew Cuomo, the Governor of New York, has been saying this as the case and death toll expand in New York. It’s his justification for every step he takes. And because no one wants to look heartless or careless, no one will address the concept. But I will. This idea is, in fact, a horrible way to address public policy of…

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Why are “young people” so important to Democrats?

On Tuesday, March 31st, Obama weighed in on the Trump administrations rolling back of vehicle fuel standards: Obama equated the coronavirus pandemic to climate change, and most detractors targeted that part of the message. The unintended irony of Obama’s message was that both coronavirus decisions and suggested climate change actions are both on future predictions based on data models that have yet been correct. But what stood out to me about his post was his emphasis on young people. “All of us, especially young people, have to demand better of our government… and vote this Fall.” It’s not at…

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The great irony of pandemic death modeling

It’s amazing to me how glued we are to each statement some “expert” makes about the coronavirus death toll… as if it is fact. They say it could be 2.2 million, and we report it in all caps: 2.2 MILLION COULD DIE FROM THE VIRUS! Then they say 220,000, and it gets reported as if it has already happened. But let’s not forget something about the reliability of data models: they are only as good as the input data, and no one can factor in everything. Take every economic forecast, every weather prediction, every sports betting line, every stock…

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We’re forgetting what federalism is all about

One of the most disappointing aspects of the way we’re handling this pandemic is our general disavowal of federalism. The concept is that beyond the one, over-arching government body, there are multiple, smaller levels of government for each state, county, city, and town. And those people closest to those areas are better equipped to govern those areas than the federal government. Right now, we’re letting the federal government implement a one-size-fits-all approach to the entire country. But there are several problems. What’s happening in New York is not happening in Montana. The measures that New York, and New York…

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That something “could” happen is not news

This is not a new phenomenon, but it’s definitely growing more irritating as we endure coronavirus coverage. Sometimes it appears more than half of the headlines or television news stories are what “could” happen. Coronavirus could cause brain damage. Millions could die from coronavirus. We could run out of masks. Hospitals could be overrun. The virus could be deadly to young people. The economy could remain shut down until there’s a vaccine. Coronavirus could make men between the ages of 26 and 32 bowlegged. None of this is news because none of it is fact. Predictions aren’t fact. Predictions…

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