19 Aug On hipster racism more generally (from 1957 to today)
I stumbled across the Norman Mailler piece in Dissent from 1957, the White Negro. It's a great read and makes a wonderful addition to put this gem into perspective: ...
11 Aug On American Politics
I'm listening to the live coverage of the announcement by Gov. Mitt Romney of his running mate, Paul Ryan of Wisconsin. It's accidental, really - i've taken up listening to NPR every morning since moving to DC to fill the empty space of silence that...
02 Aug Why archives?
At the researcher's entrance to the National Archives, there are two large statues. The one on the left is of a woman with a large book opened in her lap. In her left hand are several sheets of paper. Is she tearing them out? Is...
10 Jul Against Rudeness
I've moved back to the south end of Seattle recently. Columbia City, more specifically. It's been a rather harsh relearning of the ways that racism permeates public transportation. I've always thought that riding the bus is something of an equalizer, but in the past two...
05 May Branding Aid
"Aid is working - Tell the world how" is how the Grand Challenges in Global Health page starts (If you're wondering who is behind Grand Challenges, you don't have to look farther than BMGF). It's an invitation to explain to people that global health and...