Long-form analysis on tabletop RPGs, video games, sports, politics, and culture
My thoughts on various social issues, which can cover a wide variety of topics.
Making Sense of COVID-19, Part Two Click Here for Part One In Part One I described the physical realities of the pandemic. A new coronavirus led to more than 1.2 million American deaths, with the highest risks for the elderly and those with health problems. Early on, emergency hospital protections made sense, but when restrictions … Read more
Making Sense of COVID-19, Part One Click Here for Part Two I can still remember when I stopped trusting what either side was saying. It wasn’t a single news story that did it, either. I watched two people I respect come to totally different conclusions from what seemed like the same facts. One saw COVID … Read more
The Golden Age of TV? Darker is Not Deeper: The Hidden Toll of TV’s “Mature” Storytelling I recently came across a Wikipedia article that says we’ve just experienced an extraordinary moment in modern broadcasting. In its entry on the “Golden Age of Television (2000s–2023),” the era is described as: “…having such a number of high-quality … Read more
George Washington’s Presidency and Legacy Read Part One This is part two of my series on George Washington. To understand the American founding, we have to stop looking at George Washington as two completely different people. We tend to split him into a double portrait: on one side the marble saint of democratic liberty and … Read more
Is Donald Trump a Fascist? Yes and No Yes it’s a provocative question, and it can sound inflammatory. But instead of asking if the United States is a fascist state—which it is not—a better question is whether Donald Trump, based on his words, actions, and use of power, has behaved in ways that match key … Read more