Category Archives: Politics
Twitter and Tear Gas
The brutal murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer on May 25, 2020 sparked widespread protest across the US. In Seattle, where I live, demonstrations centered in an area called Capitol Hill. For nearly a month protesters occupied … Continue reading
Invisible Women
I strongly recommend Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men to half the people of the world – the male half. Women may not need to read this book as much because they are, unfortunately, living it. … Continue reading
US Supreme Court continues its attack on voting rights
In this post I’m taking a break from book reviews and making one of my occasional forays into reviewing decisions by the US Supreme Court. (Disclaimer: I’m not a lawyer and I don’t have any formal legal training. The opinions … Continue reading
Amend: The Fight for America
I can’t remember ever reviewing a television show before, let alone recommending one, but I guess there’s a first time for everything. Amend: The Fight for America is a six-part Netflix documentary hosted by Will Smith. It’s about the on-going … Continue reading
The Sum of Us
In the 1920’s and 30’s, towns and cities across the United States built large, beautiful public swimming pools for their communities. Montgomery, Alabama was one such town. Its Oak Park pool was one of the largest in the region. It … Continue reading
Notes on An Insurrection
I usually post book reviews on this blog, but the books about Wednesday’s armed insurrection by a mob of violent white supremacists at the US Capitol, instigated by Donald Trump, have not yet been written. I’m not going to wait. … Continue reading
Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents
Reading, and writing about what I read, helped me stay sane this awful year. I’m glad to wrap up 2020 with Isabel Wilkerson’s acclaimed book Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents. Caste: The Origins of Our DiscontentsBy Isabel WilkersonRandom House, … Continue reading
21 Lessons for the 21st Century
Humans are storytellers. We tell stories to understand our place in the world and to give our lives purpose and meaning. Shared stories help bind us together into communities, tribes, nations and civilizations. We understand stories better than facts. 21 … Continue reading
Election Reflection: A Narrow Escape
What a relief! Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have been elected President and Vice President. Although the last few votes are still being counted in a couple of states, and there will still be some legal challenges, it’s clear they … Continue reading
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