Why Wasn’t I Consulted?

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An excellent article by Paul Ford: When it arrived the web seemed to fill all of those niches at once. The web was surprisingly good at emulating a TV, a newspaper, a book, or a radio. Which meant that people expected it to answer the questions of each medium, and with the promise of advertising revenue as … Read more

The twelve clichés of Xmas

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The media re-gifts cliche holiday stories Isn’t it remarkable how every December there are always 10 Most Dangerous Toys to stay away from? And that there is always a War on Christmas flaring up somewhere? Unfortunately, ’tis the season for the media to put its collective brain on layaway and re-gift the same tired old … Read more

In honor of Pearl Harbor Day, Chanakuh, and my 20th anniversary

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A Chinese man and his Jewish friend are walking along one day when the Jewish man suddenly slugs the Chinese man in the mouth. “What was that for?” the Chinese man asks. “That was for Pearl Harbor!” “Pearl Harbor? That was the Japanese. I’m Chinese.” “Chinese, Japanese, what’s the difference?” They continue walking in silence, … Read more

Tea and Crackers

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An excellent article on the Tea Party http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/17390/210904 A hall full of elderly white people in Medicare-paid scooters, railing against government spending and imagining themselves revolutionaries as they cheer on the vice-presidential puppet hand-picked by the GOP establishment. If there exists a better snapshot of everything the Tea Party represents, I can’t imagine it. which … Read more

Urban planning gone bad

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The Somerville DIF seemed to have missed the point.  You don’t make an area vibrant by taking locally owned business by eminent domain and replacing them with parking garages. From today’s Boston Globe Coming into Union Square down Prospect Street, you can’t miss Ricky’s Flower Market. Offering flowers and tomatoes all summer and Christmas trees … Read more