It’s a common refrain that conservatism is for the rich, by the rich and all about preserving the rich – everyone else be damned. Yet, at the same time, I’ve heard many commentators describe the Tea Party members – conservatives – as poor, uneducated, NASCAR loving rubes. They say that Rush Limbaugh, Matt Drudge, Sean Hannity, and others like them are simply taking advantage of the fears and prejudices of these simpleton, rural red-staters. (The funny thing about that claim is the implication that Limbaugh, Drudge, Hannity, and others are all secretly liberals – like the rest of us…
How can you support a cause and a group that hates your cause?
This is just a sign of where we are as a country right now. How can liberals, who actively (and rightfully) support rights for gays and fair treatment of women, also support the kind of militant Islam where gays are tortured or thrown off buildings and women are subject to Sharia Law (which essentially places women under the complete control of their men)? It sure seems like those to ideas are at odds. The phrase “religion of peace” is often associated with Islam. But when I just searched the phrase, I came up with this site. There’s no disputing…
When tofu is the foundation of your marketing
There are a lot of reasons to go vegetarian, or vegan. None of them appeal to me, but people are free to choose the paths they choose. That said, I’m not sure of the appeal. When tofu is the best tool in your marketing toolbox, I’m not sure how much success you’ll have getting people to eat tofu as an alternative to meat. I’ve seen tofu as a part of all sorts of dishes, and it always looks the same to me. It looks like the plastic explosives you see in action movies. Always cleanly sliced into cubes with…
Celebrate success
Look at the successful people in the news or even the successful people in your life. Who’s jealous and resentful? Who believes those people lied, cheated or stole their way to success? Who believes they got lucky? Who wishes they were in that position? On the flip side, who congratulates the successful? Who works to find out how the successful achieved what they did so that maybe they can apply some of those same lessons to their own lives? Who sees inspiration in the successes of others? Who wants to work hard not to strip down the successful, but…
Sports help kids solve their own problems
Yesterday, I wrote about how organized youth sports contribute to childhood obesity. But they also hurt our kids in other ways. When kids organically assemble in the backyard to play games, there are rarely adults around. (Or, if they’re around, they’re not really paying attention.) And when kids are left to their own devices, they have to self-organized, and self-police. They create the games, which means also creating and enforcing the rules. When there are questions or disputes, there are no adults around to mediate. It’s up to the kids to police themselves. In absence of adults, they’ll have…
Sorry for the early texts… Facebook made me do it
Thanks to sites like Facebook, we no longer think about the people closest to us and make sure we remember their birthdays. Now, we just wait for Facebook to remind us of who’s birthday it is so we can all receive thoughtless birthday wishes from our 500 closest friends. I’ve always taken pride in reserving the mental space to remember the birthdays of people I really care about. As Valentine’s Day levels the playing field for those not thoughtful enough to acknowledge that special someone without having to be told, Facebook cheapens real, remembered birthday wishes by piling on…
How can such brilliant tech people be such poor problem-solvers on the road?
Yesterday, I was running through the crosswalk of a four-way intersection. The four-way intersection crosses a single-lane road with a two-lane road. I was crossing the single-lane road, against traffic. There were only two cars in view; both in the right lane coming toward me. They had a green light. Right when I started to cross, the lead car slowed down and put its right blinker on to turn right. He was going to turn in front of me, but waited for me to clear the crosswalk before he went. He came to a stop as he waited for…
From the museum of false premises
We don’t send people off to war to die. We send people off to war, only reluctantly, and when provoked, to win the war. We do our best to equip them with the skill and tools necessary to win the war with as few casualties as possible. We do our best to keep them safe and out of harms way. People do die in war. Civilians. Soldiers. People die. But the goal is to win as quickly and cleanly as possible. Those who use the phrase “send people off to die,” are trying to set the narrative away from…
Do they make bunk beds with king size beds?
If not, they should.
Change lanes with purpose
It’s a staple of Seattle driving. As normal as breathing. You’re on a two or three lane highway. In front of you is one lane with about 10 or 12 cars all going exactly the speed limit or a little under. Next to it (on either side, because people in Seattle don’t know about the whole “slow traffic keep right” thing), is a lane that is wide open. The only car you can see is past the lead car of the line of cars. If you’re an experienced Pacific Northwest driver, you hit the gas and try to get…