Category Politics
Waking Up From Paradise
As I’ve aged, my nightmares have ceased to be about evil clowns and being trapped in Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood to being about me, at the airport, on the day I leave paradise. There’s nothing I can do about my imminent departure. I’m certain of this even as I dream. I’m stuck. They wouldn’t let me […]
President-Elect Trump and Other Near Death Experiences on Praslin
Near death experiences from the Island of pounding rain, mutant sized geckos, and President-elect Trump.
My Life As A Fruit Bat
Other than one or two trucks, used for agricultural purposes, there are no motor vehicles to be found on the island of La Digue. The inhabitants of this 10km² island, part of the Seychelles archipelago in the Indian Ocean, get around on foot or by bicycle – mostly the latter. No cars and the most […]
Hold Your Applause
Part 1 in Weird Correlations With Democracy: Why Clapping on an Airplane Makes You More Susceptible to Authoritarianism.
Ukraine Runs to Europe, Europe Runs from Ukraine
I was one of the few walking down Lenina Avenue this past Saturday, the rest of the city was running. It was the day of the Kharkiv Marathon, and as I walked past on the sidewalk I couldn’t help but summon to mind the images that had flashed across our TV sets two years ago […]
A Guide to Overthrowing Your Dictators
I recently introduced the topic of “pet peeves” to my class of 10 students in Baku, Azerbaijan. “A pet peeve,” I explained, “is something you find annoying about something or someone, that perhaps another person would not. Does anyone have a pet peeve they would like to share with us?” A particularly bright girl in […]
On Love and Euthanasia
Love… Happiness… Time… Life… More loaded words to give further reason to use ellipses… and then some questions. What would you do for love? Would you sacrifice your time, your happiness, your sanity, for it? If the answer is yes, than I highly recommend the Austrian film Amour. It will leave you with all the […]
