Archive
America’s Hollow Paradises
Think back to your favorite vacation. Wouldn’t it be delightful if that trip never ended? Imagine moving to that fantastic destination town, finding a job and a house, and living the dream. Even if you had to wait tables or stock store shelves, who needs a desk job...
We Still Need Black History Month
America’s racial disparity won’t disappear if we simply ignore it.
The Election Moves On
Before the Iowa caucuses were mercifully laid to rest, I predicted that the surging Donald Trump — he of what George H.W. Bush called "the Big Mo" — would win the Republican contest handily. Bernie Sanders, I believed, would be confounded by the complexity of the...
Drowning the Oil Industry
With oil cheaper than bottled water, the average American driver saved $540 at the pump last year. But oil prices are also battering Alaska’s economy, rattling the stock market, and leaving thousands of workers in states like North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Texas jobless....
Let’s End Torture in U.S. Prisons
Solitary confinement is exactly what it sounds like. A prisoner is kept in a small cell — usually 6 feet by 10 — alone, for 23 hours a day. For one hour a day, he or she may be taken into a small cage outside, with the opportunity to walk in circles before being taken...
It’s Not All in Your Head
We often hear about public health crises related to poor diet, lack of exercise, and smoking. But what about chronic stress? Canadian physician Gabor Maté studies the mind-body connection. He argues that chronic stress plays a big role in the development of disease....
The Sanders Sensation
When I crossed paths with a Democratic campaign consultant in Austin last March, I suggested he come to the local International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers hall to hear Bernie Sanders speak. The Vermont senator, I added, was pondering a presidential run. “You...
A Cannonball in the Oil Market
In OtherWords: January 27, 2016
This week in OtherWords, Donald Kaul weighs in on the Iowa caucuses and I point out that Donald Trump is pandering to the ethanol industry ahead of the first real electoral contest of his White House bid. If you haven’t already subscribed, please ensure that you don’t...
I’m Skipping the Oscars
For two years in a row, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences — the organization behind the Oscars — failed to nominate a single actor or actress of color in the lead and supporting acting categories. Not one. Meanwhile, though women earned...
