I love video games. They allow me to connect with friends, talk on a headset, strategize to eliminate the opposition, and so on. But there’s trouble in paradise. A recently adopted business model involving microtransactions mixes poorly with video gamers. Microtransactions are small online financial transactions. They’re useful to some industries, but in the world […]
Microtransactions and the Video Game Industry Read More »
Two of my regular readers have noticed my absence from these pages and wonder what’s going on. The answer is that I lost one of my three faithful readers. For any writer that is bad. The fact that the reader was my oldest son makes the loss a tragedy beyond comprehension. The death of my
The Unwanted Journey: Part 1 Read More »
“Did you watch the chairs?” my wife Kim asked. I gave what I assume was a puzzled look. “Why would I watch the chairs?” I asked. “Are they going somewhere?” Kim held up a bowl of fruit. “I said, ‘Did you wash the cherries?’” she rolled her eyes. “I am so tired of repeating myself.
Hearing Aids and a Glass of Merlot Read More »
In Honor of Black History Month After last week’s horrific mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, it’s tempting to romanticize the past and imagine that obtaining an education was once not as dangerous of a proposition as it is now. However, the young people who led the charge to desegregate
Battleground Schools: The Little Rock Nine and the Fight for Desegregation Read More »
As a Denver Bronco fan since 1965, I have a long dislike of the Boston/New England Patriots. In the sixties, the Broncos were inept and quarterbacks like Boston’s Babe Parilli carved up the Denver defense like deli meat. So I was naturally glad to see Philadelphia eke out a win in Super Bowl LII. The
Patriot Fans Should Enjoy Their Success Read More »
I teach a college course called United States History Since 1945. It’s a fun class because the students and I get to reflect on U.S. social, political, economic, and military history of the last seventy odd years. It’s one of those classes where I can show the hilarious episode of I Love Lucy called “Job
Heir to Springsteen: Eric Church and the American Psyche Read More »