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First They Came for the Bureaucrats: Krebs and Taylor Are Critics, Not Criminals
Donald Trump is now using the federal government to go after people who hurt his feelings. On April 9th, he ordered formal investigations into two former officials, Chris Krebs and Miles Taylor, and as far as I can tell neither of them broke any actual laws. No, they did something much worse that mere criminal activity, at… Continue reading
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Odds Are Against Me: Dementia, Sobriety, and the Excuses I Made to Avoid a Friend
Just before midnight on New Year’s Eve, I heard that Gary had died from complications of early-onset dementia. Fireworks cracked through the night as the world welcomed 2025, but suddenly it all felt hollow. Gary Tyer was my friend. An artist and rock and roller through and through. He had a voice that could pull… Continue reading
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Surrender in Slow Motion: The Soft Collapse of American Democracy
Surrender in Slow Motion: The Soft Collapse of American Democracy TCS / March 28, 2025 An edited version of this essay was later published at CounterPunch It still feels a little paranoid to say it out loud, that the United States might be drifting toward something that looks a lot like Russia. Or Hungary. Or some unholy blend… Continue reading
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When People Tell Us Why They Voted for Donald Trump, We Should Listen
The day after the election, I scrolled through social media as friends and family turned their feeds into battlegrounds of frustration. Many were heartbroken, outraged. Some vowed to cut ties with anyone who voted for Trump, and a few labeled his supporters as irredeemable, unintelligent, sexist bigots. I understand the anger and I’m pissed off… Continue reading
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The Lonesome Death of Civil Discourse
Originally published at TCS Civil discourse didn’t die with a bang. It bled out slowly while most of us were busy yelling at each other online. I felt it this past summer on a family trip to Port Aransas, walking along the beach with my 11-year-old daughter. She pointed to a line of pickup trucks… Continue reading
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Fear and Loathing at Rockport Days Inn
First published at Trip Advisor and TCS It’s not every day that you find yourself effectively held hostage by a suspected mobster posing as a hotel owner, but when you do, you certainly have to tell the story. Besides, I promised him I’d write a review. I recently travelled to Rockport, TX for a fun… Continue reading
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Identity Politics: The New Fundamentalism
First published at TCS “There is nothing which I dread so much as a division of the republic into two great parties, each arranged under its leader, and concerting measures in opposition to each other. This, in my humble apprehension, is to be dreaded as the greatest political evil under our Constitution.”~ John Adams Whether… Continue reading
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The Death of the Political Middle Ground
I think that’s a wrap, folks. The good old days of friendly political discourse have disappeared quicker than the American middle class. Gone are the times when most of us could disagree and debate in a civil manner, regardless of which side of the aisle our preferred political heroes happened to sit. Now, we much… Continue reading
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The Sky is Still Firmly in Place Above Us
Originally published at The Chaos Section “But it grieves my heart, love, to see you tryin’ to be a part of a world that just don’t exist. It’s all just a dream, babe, a vacuum, a scheme, babe. That sucks you into feelin’ like this.” – Bob Dylan Don’t read this article. Seriously. Just deactivate your social media… Continue reading
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The GOP Primary Update: Big Dicks, High Heels, Strange Endorsements, Assaults and Denial
With what feels like 17 nationally televised debates a day, it can be hard to keep up with the chaotic race for the Republican nomination. So here’s everything you need to know in three paragraphs. Breaking: The African-American neurosurgeon and former candidate—known for his belief that the Egyptian pyramids were built by a biblical character to… Continue reading
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