The Trolley Problem For those of you who haven’t heard of it, it’s a thought experiment that has people grabbling with an ethical issue. And no one has solved it to the majority’s satisfaction. In a nutshell: You are standing at a lever in a train yard. The lever lets you change the track to…

I’m not ever sure how to start this article. I know what I want to say and yet, it’s hard to get down into words. I used to hang out in the Self-Help section of bookstores. I was constantly looking for answers. How to live my life. How to think. How to deal with people.…

As everyone knows, the western states of the U.S. have been besieged with wildfires. Even though they are not raging in Seattle, as I look out my window (Sept 13 2020) It looks like someone had a heyday with a feather duster in a house that has been closed for half a century. I can…

Sometime back in 1997, I did a bit at the Comedy Underground in Seattle that involved me ending up lying on the floor with both of my legs thrust up to the ceiling. There I am, talking to the audience in that undignified position, and there was silence. Everyone just stared at me. I did…

We are living, in some ways, the worst of times, and in some ways the best. I’m speaking of the United States seemingly intent on destroying itself out of fear, frustration, and the need to be right. I could talk more about that, but there is something else to think about. Something that’s been plaguing…

Wednesday afternoon I was on a Zoom Open House with the Harold Remis Film School. This is a comedy film school attached to The Second City in Chicago and I’m trying to figure out what to do next. During the question and answer session, someone, who was in the middle of a gender transition, asked…

“…And these children that you spit on as they try to change their worlds are immune to your consultations. They’re quite aware of what they’re going through…” – David Bowie Every day I get on Crackbook to try and feel connected, and there are hundreds of posts admonishing us to wear our masks, to stay…

A line of young men lay prone in the tall grass. A couple of them have binoculars into which they peer intently. One of the young men looks behind them carefully before trying to take the binoculars away from the guy beside him. All of their attention is focused on the group gathered on the…

Hidden Violence. Violence that might not seem like violence. Violence that might seem righteous. I’ve been thinking about this a lot. Okay, I’ve been obsessed with it, mainly because I’ve seen so much of it. Interesting Times There is an old Chinese curse, “May you live in interesting times.” I think that applies to the…

“I like wearing all black. Wearing all black looks rich.” Said “Jill”, a student in one of the improv classes I was taking. Over the course of 8 weeks, other students in the class tried to interest Jill in other colors or patterns. I’d often hear: “You would so pretty in mauve!” “I can see…

“Our social tools are not an improvement to modern society; they are a challenge to it.” ― Clay Shirky I’ve started looking at my Crackbook feed again. It’s a cycle for me. I look at the feed. Then, someone PISSES ME OFF! Then I say fuck it, it’s all a bunch of crap! I ignore…