It is an utter failing in the discussions of race relations in America that so many consider achieving legal equality (if not equality in actual practice or systemic structure) for minorities should be the end of the problem of racism, instead of being the starting point and bare minimum in correcting centuries of crimes against […]
Reach
11/03/23 I have the weirdest itch in my fingers. I know, probably a weird way to start a journal, but after staring at a blank screen for 15 minutes, that was the best I could come up with. Who the hell even keeps a journal anymore? Apparently only middle aged men in therapy. Linda says […]
The Hierarchy of Social Media Consent
While there is a broad spectrum between “over eager reply guy” and “hey, here’s my dick”, most of the awkward, uncomfortable, or downright creepy interactions in social media occur due to a lack of obtaining consent in a meaningful way. And yes, this behavior can come from anyone, but given that the vast preponderance of […]
The Undeniable Common Sense of UBI
Are you familiar with the concept of “the velocity of money”? If not, stop right now, and go read this essay by billionaire Nick Hanauer called Want to grow the economy? Tax rich people like me. Go ahead, I’ll wait. Back? Good. It should be clear now that a higher velocity of cash (how many […]
Radical Vulnerability
There’s a well understood phenomenon that happens every year on Halloween: folks who are otherwise somewhat socially conservative suddenly feel free to dress in horrifying, controversial, revealing, or bawdy costumes. The holiday itself removes culpability for expressing yourself in this way, and thus, you feel free to push the boundaries of what might normally be […]
Luxury Bones
There are countless scars left on kids who grow up in poverty, and one of them is their relationship with food. When most meals at home are prepackaged or bulk food bought on a tight budget, food that really tastes good becomes a “treat”. Cakes on birthdays, a special trip to McDonald’s for a sundae, […]
Too Close
I have a tenuous relationship with alcohol, and handle it with the same established privilege of grey haired white guy writers everywhere. We don’t need an intervention. We know. We surf the edge, and we goddamn well know it. But in spite of our calculated nihilism (Hemingway and all), sometimes, as we’re stumbling through the […]
Fat
Sometimes I forget that I’m fat
until I’m faced with a photo
that reminds me of my mass
(and how can you have
this much mass,
and so little ass?)
That’s crass, I know, so
let me get back to the point
Aching joints aside, it’s easy
to hide behind my own nose
Looking out from up here
I can still see my toes,
so that’s good, right? […]
L’appel Du Vide
I’m sitting on a 14th floor balcony when it starts. A force, deep in my stomach, like gravity, pulling me towards the edge. I’m ten feet away from the railing, but the pull is so strong that I can almost feel the legs of my chair sliding across the concrete. I get up and walk […]
First Step, Next Step
When I was 23, I was living with my wife and infant in a shitty series of triplexes in Pinellas Park, a neighborhood which was filled with people as poor as myself, but which I recall fondly. While none of us had much, we shared camaraderie, music, and food regularly, and treated each other with […]