I am still processing the events of Wednesday, January 6, and will be for some time. We came, I believe, perilously close to witnessing the execution of many members of Congress by a raucous mob that had made its way to Capitol Hill from a rally where they heard soon-to-be-former-President Donald Trump give an incendiary … Continue reading The Capitol riot
Coronavirus 10: close encounters of the bird kind
Here in Windsor, and soon across most of Ontario, we find ourselves in the grip of a 4-week lockdown. I find it useful to think back to the initial constraints imposed as the pandemic spread in early 2020 and governments responded. Reeling from the enormity of that first lockdown in mid-March, including the abrupt move … Continue reading Coronavirus 10: close encounters of the bird kind
Reckoning
Just about a year ago, the governor of Kentucky, Republican incumbent Matt Bevin, found himself about 5000 votes shy of re-election against challenger Andy Beshear, a moderate Democrat and son of former governor Steve Beshear. Bevin, a brash businessman known for big talk and inheriting his family's wealth, had never held public office but decided … Continue reading Reckoning
Coronavirus 9: an ounce of prevention
In November 1686, King Louis XIV underwent a successful operation to relieve the immense discomfort of an anal fistula. This was, for the time, no small feat given that part of his prior treatment included the use of red hot irons and he was just as likely to have died from the surgical procedure than … Continue reading Coronavirus 9: an ounce of prevention
Listening
Things are pretty bleak. It has been a very long six months of coronavirus restrictions and adjusting to a new normal. Those who think we will return to the previous normal once this is all over should abandon that notion. In fact, if you can imagine what "over" would even mean with regard to covid-19, … Continue reading Listening
Coronavirus 8: masking up and throwing down
The pandemic has introduced me to a guilty pleasure that I must confess: I really enjoy watching videos of people freaking out about having to wear a mask or other protective face covering in public places and when shopping. It is equal parts educational and deeply disturbing to watch someone simply lose. their. shit. when … Continue reading Coronavirus 8: masking up and throwing down
The Confederacy, revisited
Just about three years ago, I wrote a post here about the debates over removing Confederate monuments in the US, primarily but not only in the South. In that piece, I provided multiple examples to make my point, which was this: The debate over whether to remove these monuments and memorials must be, I think, … Continue reading The Confederacy, revisited
Burning down the house
Police departments across the US are out of control. They often operate without effective civilian oversight or accountability. They are stocked to the gills with military equipment. Policing drains huge amounts from the public purse, compounded by millions wasted on lawsuits for misconduct. Most officers don't live in the communities they police, and present themselves … Continue reading Burning down the house
Coronavirus 7: perfect, beautiful, nasty
This is a short post, and it is merely to state this: I genuinely don't think the current President of the United States knows the difference between positive and negative when it comes to the results of medical tests. I think people around him have probably patiently explained this to him multiple times, to no … Continue reading Coronavirus 7: perfect, beautiful, nasty
Coronavirus 6: distance decay
There is an important but perhaps underused concept in geography known as distance decay. While this emerges most directly from Waldo Tobler's "first law of geography," it is easy enough to understand without ever having read the academic research behind it. Tobler's first law states that "everything is related to everything else, but near things … Continue reading Coronavirus 6: distance decay
