Tag soapbox
A friend once quipped that if she were writing a book, we’d be able to identify the villain because they didn’t like Jane Austen. That’s me, the villain! College was the first time I had the unsettling realization that most… Continue Reading →
It’s a cozy fiction cliché to set the story in a quirky village where gossip travels faster than light and a small number of villagers miraculously pull off a full calendar of summer festivals and holiday extravaganzas as well as… Continue Reading →
A layoff in 2002, well before the Affordable Care Act, forced me into my first experience buying individual health insurance. The Blue Shield PPO I ended up with cost $350/month with a modest deductible. I was a healthy 20-something with… Continue Reading →
Amid the visibly destructive frontal attacks on the rule of law as well as our most valuable institutions, there’s a quieter yet equally destructive attack on our data. The US government has traditionally kept databases separate, with information about citizens… Continue Reading →
When President Obama was elected in 2008, it felt like the beginning of a new era. There was good reason for hope and optimism — we had elected a President who was inspirational, thoughtful, and highly capable. His years ushered… Continue Reading →
This quotation from President Truman goes to show there’s nothing new about today’s political divisions. Truman presided over the country from the end of WWII until 1953. Continuing FDR’s legacy, he championed progressive New Deal reforms and successfully brought Democrats… Continue Reading →
Imagine you’ve had a friendly relationship with your next door neighbor for generations — almost as long as you’ve lived there. They are the best neighbors you could ask for! You visit each other often to share backyard harvests and… Continue Reading →
There was a time when I had friends with very different political beliefs. Of course! It would be narrow-minded and dogmatic to exclude people simply because we vote differently. Right? And this worked because, in theory, we all wanted people… Continue Reading →