Modern humans have been on the planet for about 200,000 years. Civilization is only about 6,000 years old. We are still very much a product of that 194,000 years. We’ve adapted to our new surroundings surprisingly well given how rapidly our environment continues to change, yet we often and inevitably fail ourselves—or at least the version of ourselves we’re trying to be –because we are still subject to crushing biological law that has been part of our genetic makeup since before we were even the species we know ourselves to be today.
I’ve been fascinated with complicated surgeries and the surgeons who are capable of doing them since I was a kid — especially neurosurgeons, cardiovascular surgeons and transplant surgeons. I scour the internet for videos of brain surgery with some regularity. I enjoy watching them for the same reason I enjoy watching a symphony or a […]
I’ve been spread thin these past few months. I slipped away a bit from my intellectual pursuits. When that happens, I can always feel a part of myself being dragged away. It’s like watching someone you love drift off on a boat whilst standing on shore, belting out a tearful goodbye. There I go. This kind of stuff […]
I drive an old Jeep. I’ve had for it twelve or thirteen years now. Driving an old vehicle means that I take a lot of trips… to the mechanic and they start becoming more and more frequent. This last time had me at the breaking point. I wondered if I should just junk the thing […]
I was on my way to Vegas when I read the news that David Bowie had died. I was hurtling through the pitch black desert in the middle of the night, the outlines of the Joshua trees flashing out of my peripheral vision. I put my favorite record of his, Station to Station, on and spaced […]
I spent the better part of a weekend telling myself I was going to write something. I had this outline on Rasputin all ready to go. He’s a great historical figure and I feel he’s fantastically misunderstood. I had this whole thing mapped out about his life and brutal murder, how he lived at exactly the wrong place […]
It happens to me more than I’d care to admit. I’ll be walking down the street — usually down to the bike path I run on — I have a Bach violin concerto pumping in the headphones and sure as shit, I start to shed tears. I’ve learned my lesson. I usually wear sunglasses when […]
The NRA is one of the most powerful lobbying groups in Washington. They have over five million members and they are rabid. They don’t throw nearly as much money around as the Chamber of Commerce or something, but what they do have is something more valuable — influence. The NRA is well-organized, bipartisan and make […]
My social media feed went bonkers in the wake of the recent terror attacks around the world. There were the usual wackos talking about conspiracy theories, which are so easily dismissible that they hardly warrant discussion. Beyond the nonsense however, I found there was a common misunderstanding of what Islam is — who started it […]
I run a lot. I first took it up when I was forced to do it in the Air Force. Running has been a major part of my life since then. I look forward to my morning runs far more than I look forward to my mornings. When I’m running, I often think of how […]
Terrifying World 