Written

A water drop and ripples

Oh, it’s just a Department of Justice cover-up.

By Justin Katz | January 31, 2022 |

I notice, here and there around social media, that the Trump derangement inexplicably continues.  He truly is the face on the screen for a daily two-minute hate.  One wonders about the degree to which it’s a deliberate decoy from news like this: A new court filing by special counsel John Durham reveals that Department of…

Luca Signorelli, The Preaching of the Antichrist

Don’t Ivy League professors understand the power of ideas implicitly?

By Justin Katz | January 31, 2022 |

Brown sociology professor Hilary LevyFriedman presents us with an interesting philosophical and sociological question: Like, seriously: “Not a single kid has died in a mass reading, yet they’re banning books instead of guns.” As far as I can tell, the quoted text is an uncited retweet of BlackKnight10k, whose deep insight has had a healthy…

A water drop and ripples

Some moments are just the right blend of soreness and satisfaction.

By Justin Katz | January 29, 2022 |

We just got in from the whole family shoveling snow, with some drifts up to three-and-a-half feet.  Here’s the recovery formula: Six ounces of mid-roast Starbucks espresso out of the machine Mix in a shot (or so…) of Mister Katz’s Rock & Rye whisky Put on Miles Davis Kind of Blue Light a candle Choose to…

A water drop and ripples

I’ve come to an uncomfortable conclusion about existence.

By Justin Katz | January 29, 2022 |

As I’ve been finishing off some chores while catching up with podcasts during the blizzard, a thought that’s been forming for a while struck home very clearly. In general, we’ve got two approaches to understanding our existence: top-down and bottom-up.  Top down is more concerned with meaning and teleological understandings of purpose.  From this approach,…

A wave engulfs a lighthouse

Letting racial wounds heal is a choice we have to make.

By Justin Katz | January 29, 2022 |

Going through links I’d flagged for comment, I came across a Fox News article by Danielle Wallace after Winsome Sears — “the first Black woman elected to statewide office in Virginia’s history” — won her campaign for lieutenant governor: [She] attributed her victory to voters being sick of seeing Black and White people pitted against…

Photo of a raised fist with BLM on the wrist.

The systemic racism calls are coming from inside the house.

By Justin Katz | January 28, 2022 |

Having recently fallen into an argument about the overlaps between history, housing, and racism, I couldn’t do otherwise than take note of a GoLocalProv article headlined, “Black Homeownership in RI Is as Low as It Was in the 1960s.” In Rhode Island, just 6% of homes are owned by Black households. And, becoming a new…

A water drop and ripples

Who is the target of the nurses union’s videos?

By Justin Katz | January 28, 2022 |

The stories of the Rhode Island nurses featured in videos that their union is producing to promote COVID vaccination are compelling, but I have to wonder what their real purpose is. If the designers sat down for even a short meeting and gave real thought to who it is that isn’t getting vaccinated, I don’t see…

A stage with empty tables

I miss the atmosphere of debate.

By Justin Katz | January 28, 2022 |

The topic of the podcast was tangential to my point with this post, but listening to Jordan Peterson speak with infrastructure academic Rick Geddes and writer and Democrat messaging consultant Gregg Hurwitz recently made me wish Westerners could get back to working together. Lately, I find that the people with whom I come into disagreement…

A water drop and ripples

By Justin Katz | January 28, 2022 |

Isn’t it curious how things that aren’t this are decried when Republicans are in office, but things that are this are not decried when Democrats are in control? Besty Woodruff Swan and Daniel Lippman broke the details this week of a new Capitol Police initiative that involves deep dives into the speech, background, and lifestyle…

A water drop and ripples

History will marvel that we allowed this guy to occupy the White House.

By Justin Katz | January 28, 2022 |

We’re thoroughly within one of those episodes in history that future generations read about and wonder how anything so foolish could have been tolerated. Remember when Republicans complained it was inappropriate for President Obama to use Marines to hold his umbrella?  Remember when Democrats scrutinized President Trump’s descent down a potentially slippery ramp to discern…