Author Archives: Harry Katz
Agnostic: A Spirited Manifesto
Agnostic: A Spirited Manifesto By Lesley Hazleton Riverhead Books, New York, 2016 Lesley Hazleton does not like the word “the”. At least not when it’s used in discussing matters of religion, faith, or spirituality, such as the meaning of life, … Continue reading
Vibrator People
The Amtrak Cascades from Seattle to Portland slowed to a hissing stop alongside a BNSF freight train somewhere in open country south of Olympia, Washington. Through my rain-streaked window I saw this message painted on the side of the adjacent … Continue reading
Supreme Court puts Obama’s Clean Power Plan on hold
On February 9, the Supreme Court issued a “stay” blocking implementation of the Obama Administration’s Clean Power Plan rules that aim to cut CO2 emissions from the nation’s power plants until challenges to the regulations can be heard by the … Continue reading
Big World Small Planet
Are we doomed? Have we messed up the Earth beyond all hope? News reports about the environment would sure make you think so. From CO2 emissions to deforestation to species extinction; you name it, it seems like humans are totally … Continue reading
The Court and The World
The Court and the World is about the increasing interplay between the Supreme Court of the United States and the people, laws and courts of foreign countries. And it’s written by an extremely well-qualified expert, Stephen Breyer, Associate Justice of … Continue reading
Unsolicited reflections on 2015
Back at the beginning of last year, I wrote a post Cautious Optimism for 2015. My overall point was about focusing on long term trends as a remedy for becoming overwhelmed by the incessant drumbeat of bad news. Was I … Continue reading
Maps and journeys
I unearthed this cache of old road maps the other day while doing a major cleanup of my office. I’d completely forgotten about them and I was pleasantly surprised by the number of places I’ve visited over the years. As … Continue reading
Wish You Were Here
40 years ago today Pink Floyd released Wish You Were Here. It’s one of my favorite albums. I still vividly remember the first time I heard it. I was walking through school after class one afternoon when the opening synthesizers … Continue reading
Mindset
Everyone knows there are two kinds of people in the world: those who divide the world into two kinds of people and those who do not. Well Carol Dweck, a professor of psychology at Stanford, is clearly one of the … Continue reading
Data and Goliath
Data and Goliath: The Hidden Battles to Collect Your Data and Control Your WorldBy Bruce SchneierW. W. Norton & Company, New York, 2015 Whether you know it or not, whether you like it or not, you’re being watched. Everywhere. All … Continue reading
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