An attempt to capture what it means to have the opportunity to live in one of the world’s most awe-inspiring cities — Anthony Bourdain had an uncanny ability to portray the essence of a place. His introductory monologues were so freaking inspiring and something I’ll forever attempt to emulate. How the hell can you capture the energy of a city in words? They’re such unique, ever-changing, and living expressions of society, culture…

With a litany of domestic issues, an empty economic ideology, and sanction-happy foreign policy, are we witnessing the beginning of the end? — America thinks it is immune to the cycle of empires. A so-called democracy and ‘dynamic’ free-market economy was thought to be able to evolve, roll with the punches, and continue to ‘benevolently’ control every corner of the globe. The fall of the Berlin Wall was thought to mark ‘the end…

Some thoughts on the upcoming completion of my eighth year without meat and my fifth year vegan — Veganism has come so far the paradigm has completely shifted. When my mom was plant-based well over a decade ago, it was difficult to find a vegan option; these days, they’re almost impossible to avoid. Every company is getting on board, most cynically but some for the right reasons. For…

Navigating divided, rural America and a case study in media manipulation — It had been three years. Three years since I’d stood on the shores of Lake Superior, staring at the ruler-straight, blue horizon in the distance, feet on round, smooth stones, numbing in the clear water. …

While corporate profits reach record levels, the poor continue to bear the brunt of the economic hardship and get the blame — There are a litany of pernicious economic myths that we’ve internalized as citizens of the modern neoliberal world. …

More are coming in September, and there’s zero chance they’ll be the momentum-shifter Democrats are praying for — Democrats are clutching at straws. All indications are pointing to them getting an even worse slaughtering than the 2010 midterms, where they lost sixty-three seats and control of the House, six Senate seats, and six governorships, while Republicans won full power in the key states of Florida, Georgia, Ohio, Texas…

A short essay on my love-hate relationship with Starbucks — I have a confession; I like Starbucks. But it’s more than a little embarrassing for me to be anywhere — especially abroad — strutting down the street holding a Big-Gulp-sized supercharged caffeine beverage. I try to cover that world-famous logo with my hand and fight the urge to explain to…

Reminiscing on my time in the industry — As with most of my thoughts and theories, this probably came from Anthony Bourdain; I believe everyone should have to work in the restaurant industry for a bit. There’s a humility that comes from pouring people pints, cleaning tables, making lattes, doing dishes, flipping burgers, dunking fries, taking orders, and…

Boris is out and Dutch farmers go hog wild — the continent with no leadership or direction is about to drop off a cliff — Everybody knows Europe is screwed. Inflation is out of control and there’s a cost of living crisis rippling across the continent and the planet at large. EU governments are debating freaking rationing while Germany’s largest residential landlord already said they’d reduce heat in many apartments at night.