Three Chinese Curses
May you live in interesting times. Mission accomplished. I'm there, as we all are. As we always have been, during two million years of the human experience. May you attract the attention of the government. I'm there, as I have…
A Day in the Life: Further Adventures at the Mud Hut
People keep asking me what my days are like. How do I spend a typical day? Now that I'm retired from the academic life -- or rather, now that I've departed the academy in disgust and despair -- I no…
What We Leave Behind
Like most people, I've long been interested in the notion of my legacy. Will anything I produce outlast me on this planet? Has my teaching inspired critical thought, appreciation for the natural world, or empathy for humans and other animals?…
Rollercoaster redux
To his imperial credit, Barack Obama did manage to calm the stock markets for a year. But his promises of oversight and transparency are being overwhelmed by his actions. It’s obvious the banksters will not be regulated on Obama's watch…
Warning shots
How many do you need? I still keep hearing, "If things get bad, I'll move to …." And then fill in the blank with your favorite fantasy or nightmare, including these and many more: "my sister-in-law's property in Kansas" "Mexico"…
What works, maybe: individual options
Like global climate change, peak oil represents a predicament, not a problem. There is no politically viable solution to either of these great challenges. Political solutions require economic growth, forever, and therefore no significant sacrifice on the behalf of the…
Surveying the Field and Charting a Course
It's all the rage to talk about a double-dip in the industrial economy. That would be an economic trend in the shape of a W. I think an M is far more likely. The assumption of never-ending growth underlies all…