Monthly Archives: March 2012

Wild Shots in the Dark

A man hears a noise in his yard, grabs a rifle, steps outside and sees someone running away in the dark. The man fires four times and kills 19-year-old Daniel Moore. You’ve never heard of Daniel Moore. He was white. He was walking home from a friend’s house one evening where he had been playing […]

Headline News From the After Life

In the 1998 Japanese film “After Life,” the recently deceased arrive at a celestial way station (it looks like a social services bureaucracy), where they are assigned caseworkers who help them find a moment in their lives that they can relive for all eternity. At one point, the caseworkers complain about how boring and predictable […]

Dr. Strangelove Will See You Now

How sacred is your life? How much should be spent to insure your health? With the continuing debate over President Obama’s health care reform, the questions are worth considering. Personally, my life isn’t as sacred as it used to be. A few months after Obama’s health care reform passed, my insurance carrier dropped me because […]

Failing With ‘Fluffy’ Words

Portland public schools are still looking for a bridge to the 21st Century. Or some magic guidelines to show them the way. Or a white paper. Or another study on “welcoming, warm learning environments.” A lot of school districts are apparently looking for the same thing. “All you have to do is a Google search,” said […]