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
A short list of children’s books
My kid loves to read books. Perhaps 'read' is the not the right word, as he is not quite two and a half years old and as yet unable to really read. He knows some letters, though, and he has amassed quite a collection of children's books already. I have tried, so far in vain, … Continue reading A short list of children’s books
Coronavirus 5: the pandemic university
This past Friday was the last day of classes at my university, though no one has set foot in a classroom here since March 13, when the University of Windsor Senate unanimously passed the Emergency Academic Plan. This waived a number of bylaw provisions that govern how faculty are supposed to teach classes, and we … Continue reading Coronavirus 5: the pandemic university
Coronavirus 4: path dependence
This morning we ventured to the grocery store for some essentials. I say 'we' but my partner and toddler went to the empty playground nearby while I went to do the shopping. Inside, the supermarket had put in place a limit on the number of people who could enter the store at once, both to … Continue reading Coronavirus 4: path dependence
Coronavirus 3: lockdown
Things have escalated quickly with the coronavirus pandemic, and it seems the pace of events is outstripping our ability to follow them. At the same time, things are grinding to a halt as local lockdowns expand into restrictions on national and global mobility and social distancing means many people are spending a lot of time … Continue reading Coronavirus 3: lockdown
Coronavirus 2
Following up from my last post, the American Association of Geographers has now cancelled its annual meeting in Denver, scheduled for April 6-10. This was the right call, and over 60 percent of respondents to the AAG's one-question survey a few days ago survey said they were cancelling or discouraged from attending. Now across the … Continue reading Coronavirus 2
