You'd never know that there was an energy crisis in South St. Louis, based on the extravagant use of Christmas lighting. My family and I walked through one neighborhood that pushed the envelope even further than the usual level of extravagance, drawing dozens of cars. The tradition is apparently to…
As a writer, I've discovered over the years that surroundings contribute. I can't begin to explain how, but the space you inhabit in which to create matters. I rearranged my own office several times before I finally got it "right" to produce work. So I thought it cool to discover…
Not all social positions are equally defensible. Thus, a good journalist will call out injustice and bigotry, rather than simply nodding his or her head out of "respect" for all opinions that an interviewee cares to serve up. That's the thought I was thinking as I watched Jon Stewart conducting…
The story is famous and might be just a bit apocryphal, how Galileo turned his new telescope on the sky and offered to show many important people what he had found. They refused to look, afraid to compromise the world view that bound them to their place and time. Afraid,…
I've spoken to several conversative lawyers who argue that people should more carefully read their contracts, including their fine print. "They shouldn't sign up for loans that they can't afford--it's their own fault." But what if we are fully aware that millions consumers don't have the math and reading skills…