What Makes Zagreus a Good Man?
Zagreus' character from Hades has been well-received by gamers. But what makes him a powerful warrior but also a good man?
Not All Pistachios
In a world where people suffer death by pistachio, we'd hear the same absurd defenses.
Hold Onto Enough Goodwill for 2021
2020 was terrible, and 2021 will likely still be awful. But it shouldn't keep us from finding small victories to help others (and ourselves).
Don't Lose to the Despair
A schooltime crush let me see early how fighting despair is always better than giving up to it.
The Widening Anxieties of Young Front-end Developers
A recent essay reminded me how the anxieties that pushed me to become a better developer are often drowning me instead.
Let Them Eat Cricket Cake
It's fun to imagine the future of widespread, sustainable eating could be eating crickets. In many different forms.
The Ambiguities as Nazi Germany Rose To Power
Nazi Germany is universally seen as bad now, but it happened much later than many today would have expected.
What A Steeled Soup Kitchen Manager can Teach about Giving
Sheltering in place made me realize how much I miss many people in my life. One of them a woman whose unyielding personality helps fuel her selfless work in a soup kitchen.
Don't Abdicate Work to the 'Heroes'
Giving thanks to others should not be an excuse to avoid your share of work in a pandemic.
We Are More Than Our Work
In a culture hyperfocused on productivity and economics, we should remember humans are more than their work. Especially when a pandemic takes it away.
Lessons from Nickel and Dimed
Nickel and Dimed is a must-read looking at the struggles the working poor face every day. These are the best lessons I pulled from it and don't want to forget, for my empathy's sake.
The Innate Danger of Moderates
If you think moderate positions are the 'high ground,' know that civil rights leaders thought it was a bigger threat than extremists.
My Plan to Escape the Numbers for 2020
In 2019 I focused on numbers for doing better in work and play. That focus caused most of my past year's regrets, and I plan to take a much different approach for 2020.
Tech and its Bias Against Women
It's hard to escape the dominant tech assumption that a woman-dominated isn't 'normal.'
The Culture Behind Climate Change
Climate change is complex and dangerous, but some of the key (and too often overlooked) drivers are our industrial cultures.
31 Benefits of Getting Away From Twitter
I've (mostly) left Twitter for over two weeks. The effects have ranged from good, amazing, and later on, horrible.
How to Not Respond to Something Painful Shared Online
If you're a white man or otherwise privileged person reading someone's painful lived experiences, don't respond in these ways.
The Thirst for Importance
A person's natural urge to feel important, as natural as hunger and thirst, shows itself in many ways.
Where Does Value Come From?
A persistent question is what metrics we use to define the value of a human life.
Nine Ways I (Try to) Act as a Tech Ally
I don't consider myself a tech ally, but have several ways I try to act as one.
Fundamental Attribution Coders
Many priviledged coders make a common mistake when thinking other coders should simply 'try harder.'
The Passive-Aggressive Perfectionist Fairy
It's the fairy tormenting almost every aspect of my existence.
God's Evil Problem
'The Problem of Evil' seems to be used more to justify the world's existing evil.
Three Lessons about Verbal Abuse
Verbal abuse shouldn't be dismissed as silly or unimportant. There's easy ways to recognize and handle it.
Death, Dogs, and Distance
Being so close to death is terrifying, but being far away from it is even worse.