Quality of Life | Unexpected Leisure

May 7, 2011

The Role of Stuff and How It’s Changing

One of the schools of thought that came out of this community was the Veridian Design Movement that was active near the turn of our century. They were concerned with how we ought to consider living and our environment in the 21st Century. Read more [...]

March 18, 2011

What’s Behind the Current Unemployment?

Contrary to what one might think, capitalism is not about the creation of jobs. That is not its purpose. It's purpose is to make money for people who own businesses. If some of that money finds its way to workers and other forms of overhead, fine. But the mutant capitalism embraced by today's financial elite worships at the altar of efficiency and maximizing profits in a way that has not been seen since the Bad Old Days before workers began to secure their rights to a decent share for their labor. Read more [...]

March 13, 2011

Ramen: The Starving Student’s Staff of Life

My preparation was pretty artless, frankly. I liked the noodles more than the soup, so I tended to just throw in a packet of seasoning and mix it in with the cooked, drained noodles. It was adequate. Today the styles and flavors of ramen and its allied products have proliferated beyond belief, especially if you chance to wander into a large Asian supermarket. Read more [...]

March 7, 2011

What if Education Isn’t the Answer?

Today's New York Times OpEd section features a typically thoughtful piece by Paul Krugman that challenges a truism that I have held for many years, in spite of evidence all around me that it might not reflect reality. Read more [...]