Politics Featured Burning Man and the W-Word Burning Man’s DEI initiative runs counter to its culture. The principle of Radical Inclusion was the vector through which the alien ideology was introduced.
relationships Secrets and Conspiracies in Social Networks Most people will say honesty is the best policy. Then come the questions. “Well what about...” and they will describe some situation in which they would prefer to be less than truthful. Usually the lie is one of omission. This withholding of information perhaps seems less bad than saying something
The Trouble With Boundaries It’s pretty common to hear people talk about the importance of “good boundaries.” That’s unfortunate because, while good boundaries are certainly better than bad ones, the metaphor of the boundary itself carries with it some baggage we would do well to avoid. We really can do better! Read
communication Featured Be Honest! You won’t believe what happens next. Lots of people think that because they know the words "radical" and "honesty" they know what "radical honesty" means. But radical honesty is not what you think.
communication Featured Conflict and Contact Conflict arises from differences, and differences are unavoidable. How we navigate those conflicts is crucial. Here are some ideas...
relationships Featured Levels of Intimacy Texting is the primary way people screw up their relationships at the start. Why, and what to do about it?
Eliminate or Reduce Marijuana Convictions Under Prop. 64 Prop. 64 Clear Your Record helps you eliminate or reduce marijuana convictions under California’s new law.I created this web site with lawyer-friend David Pullman. It helps people eliminate or reduce marijuana convictions under California’s newly passed Prop 64. If you have a past conviction for marijuana or
Clinton's Adaptive Corruption — Not That Bad! The point isn’t that the massive amounts of money corporations have donated to Hillary directly influenced her votes. > You will not find that I ever changed a view or a vote because of any donation that I ever received. — Hillary Clinton Out and out bribery — I don’t
Hillary Attack Backfires The more misleading attack ads that Hillary’s Super PAC runs, the more money Sanders has to refute them [http://usuncut.com/news/sanders-raises-1-4-million-after-clinton-attacks/]. In systems theory it’s called a balancing feedback loop; it blunts the effect of the ads. In addition, the attack ads contribute to two narratives.
Guns Are a Distraction From the Sanders Revolution With Sanders posing a real threat [http://time.com/4174283/hillary-clinton-bernie-sanders/] in Iowa and New Hampshire, Clinton is now going on the offensive, attacking him for his voting record on guns. It’s a sign of desperation. Let’s keep things in perspective. The crucial choice in the 2016 presidential
Bernie Can't Win: The Myth [http://www.freespeechnow.org/wp-content/uploads/20441352032_2784b388fb_h.jpg] Sanders addressing rally. Photo: Benjamin Kerensa [https://www.flickr.com/photos/bkerensa/]As I follow the 2016 presidential election one phrase I’ve been seeing crop up recently is “Bernie can’t win.” To be honest, I’m finding it
broadband Minimizing surveillance over broadband networks This post describes how you can defeat the surveillance employed by AT&T, Comcast, and other service providers, while taking advantage of faster connection speeds they may offer in your area. In some parts of the US you don’t have much choice in service providers. Here’s more
Mad As Hell Mad As Hell is a new film about The Young Turks, or more precisely, about its founder Cenk Uygur. I went to a preview screening last night in San Francisco. To be honest, I have not followed TYT’s trajectory very closely. I have occasionally seen clips of Uygur savaging
Sex, Integrity and Truth When I was invited to participate in a private online conversation about integrity in an open-sexuality community, I was a bit dubious. It’s a charged topic, and I strongly believe healing, connection and insight require a more direct, in-person approach. Online interactions often create more misunderstanding, not less. After
Deida's New-Age Misogyny Here is a post from a fb friend, quoting David Deida. My response follows. It’s not just about David Deida, though, it’s all the talk about “the masculine” and “the feminine.” He just happens to the be one of the primary proponents of this way of thinking. There
NSA Surveillance I’ve been meaning to write about the NSA surveillance program for some time now. Finally, prompted by the October 26 demonstration in Washington, D.C. [https://rally.stopwatching.us/], I’m getting around to it. Who has been following the continuing controversy? I have the impression that many Americans
Newt Gingrich: Poster Boy for Polyamory? Newt Gingrich seems like an unusual poster boy for polyamory. Of course, he was quick to distance himself from the allegations by his ex-wife that he had asked her for an “open relationship.” What else could he do, embroiled as he is in a contest to be the least disliked
Toward a Diversity of Tactics I attended the debate a few weeks ago, sponsored by Occupy Oakland’s Events Committee, between advocates of non-violence and advocates of a “diversity of tactics.” It was held in the First Unitarian Church of Oakland, and the pews were packed, with people lining the walls. What follow are my
Are you a pacifist? “Are you a pacifist?” begins the leaflet [http://sfist.com/2011/11/01/yucky_anti-violence_leaflet_handed.php] passed out at Occupy Oakland, “YOU hold the cock of the Empire in your supple hands.” Definitely an attention grabbing introduction to a screed that goes on to criticize non-violence and seeks
Getting to Know Your Neighbors No one knows for sure what people do in the voting booth. Our votes are anonymous. However, donations to candidates and political parties are a matter of public record. And now you can easily view them, thanks to the Fundrace 2008 mashup put together by the folks at the Huffington
Reality-based Community Faces the Facts An October 17,2004 New York Times Magazine article by writer Ron Suskind quoted an unnamed aide to George W. Bush: > The aide said that guys like me were “in what we call the reality-based community,” which he defined as people who “believe that solutions emerge from your judicious
Hijacking the Political Process -- Just for Fun! Well, the Democrats passed their spending bill which will fund the Iraq war through August, 2008 — although, don’t bet there won’t be requests for more money. Contemplate that as you wrestle with your Form 1040. That’s where your money is going. Also, despite his threats, don’t
300 and Others Another foray into film reviews 300 Aficionados of impaling, dismemberment and decapitation were regaled recently with the release of "300," a film about the battle of Thermopylae. While there is no dearth of violence in the media these days, this graphic novel adaptation cannot fail to elicit a
Iran: An Invitation I’ve been thinking a lot about the administration’s plans for Iran. Am I the only one? I mentioned it to a number of people over the weekend, and got very disturbing responses. Some people had absolutely no idea what I was talking about. Some people didn’t understand
