“What is your favorite winter activity?”
Hey, hey, I’m a nonbeliever
U.S. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) made history in November when she became the first openly bisexual person elected to Congress, but she’s also recognized as being the only “nontheist” to serve in the 113th.
Jim’ll fix it
When I was 8 years old and living in England, I wrote a letter to Jimmy Savile asking if I could be on his TV show. His name may mean nothing to you, but imagine an English Mr. Rogers and you’ll have it just about right.
Death hanging overhead
When you read a headline containing the words “drone strike,” what does the story usually entail? From my experience, it usually describes a targeted attack in which a few militants are killed along with a handful of civilians.
Privilege check
New Year’s means lots of new beginnings: new school term, new political policies being signed or put into action, and new seasons of our favorite television programs. This new year marks the return of HBO’s hit show Girls. While many viewers are excited about the show’s second season, I’m not. And given friends’ reactions, along with the high level of negative Internet buzz, a large number of the show’s target audience aren’t, either.
Horrific tattoos
It’s hard to go very far in our city without seeing a tattoo. We have so many tattoos, in fact, that NBC News lists Portland in the top five most-tattooed cities in the U.S. Given the abundance of tattoo parlors in the city and all the awesome people running around with colorful bodies, it’s not a surprising label.
Parody and its discontents
With a Congressional fight over the debt ceiling looming once more, an idea for how to sidestep Republican opposition to raising it a second time has been making the rounds: Have the Treasury mint a $1 trillion platinum coin. Deposit it at the Fed. Pay some bills. Job done.
Portland, America
Having grown up in Portland, I tend to gravitate unintentionally toward spaces in other towns that remind me of home. While visiting another state, I usually end up stumbling upon a coffee shop or bar that feels somewhat familiar, perusing the local beer and wine selection or sipping a cup of coffee while reading the paper.
Appropriating cultural identity
If you’re familiar with the blogosphere in any way, shape or form, chances are you’re either a Tumblr user or you’ve stumbled upon the website at some point.
Sandy Hook: wrong priorities
Sandy Hook’s students are back in school, Clackamas Town Center reopened within the week, and the man responsible for the Aurora shootings is on trial. America seems to be recovering and moving on from last year’s mass shootings, but we still don’t seem to be learning from them.
Our moral imperative
Can a person be moral without being a member of a religion? I would say that yes, a person can be moral without being religious; the two are not mutually inclusive, but neither are they mutually exclusive.