Poetry, Prose & Philosophy from Life
1— “And that’s the way it is.” A totally emo hedge-fund manager, a dead Syrian boy and the Pope walk into a bar… I wish there was some obvious punch line or humor that could be drawn from these seemingly unrelated topics, but I fail to see any at this point. But, maybe that … Continue reading Je Suis Martin Shkreli
When I think about my life and what I am, I can’t say with any certainty or rationality that I had any input in being who I am. I did not choose my parents, place and time of birth, race, gender, class and any opportunities or lack thereof. My life, my birth and, subsequently, my … Continue reading I Could Have Been a Nazi…
1— Introduction If we wanted to successfully advance practices that serve the means of reducing violence, it would be prudent to first understand what violence is and, a fortiori, what causes it to be. And, any theory that must adequately explicate a concept must be inclusive of multiple modes of it’s existence, in addition to multiple … Continue reading A Theory of Violence
Lets say you are at a potluck party and shortly after everybody finishes indulging, somebody unexpectedly farts— loud and odorously repugnant. At that moment, as everybody repulses and withdraws, they all point and gesture to the guilty culprit. The accused turns red with guilt and shame and vacates to the kitchen. However, I feel it … Continue reading Who Farted? …and Other Ethical Dilemmas
The recent media attention has centered around incidents of perceived law enforcement abuse that have become a catalyst for riots stretching across three continents. Incidents, such as these, have been a constant reality and potentiality in poor urban areas for a long time and the recent attention is the product of switching the collective focus … Continue reading A Police Badge is a Hollow Void of Nothingness
Before I go into depth explaining why I didn't vote this year, I think it would be helpful to explain why I did vote in the previous elections. I am 35 years old and I have voted in every single election since I was 18 years old, and even participated in Kid Vote when I … Continue reading Why I Didn’t Vote
A couple months ago I was sitting in a coffee shop in Palo Alto reading and in the booth next to me was congressional candidate Ro Khanna. He was there with a woman, of whom I do not know, and it seemed as though he was trying to convince her that his campaign was the … Continue reading Meditations on Futility (Elections)
This painting reminds me of a joke: You can determine how racist a white person is by the volume they say the words “black people” while among other white people at a social gathering. For example, they could be referencing some anecdotal story that happened earlier in their day and when they say “black people” … Continue reading Pigeon qua Pigeon
Several weeks ago I was at work and we were all talking and socializing after work, it was late and we were deciding what to do for dinner. Everybody involved in this conversation was white, except one person, of who was African American. The African American co-worker made a work related comment about some ideas … Continue reading My Experiments in Racism, part 1
Nothing's Sacred 