We associate roundabouts with the British, but really, when you dive deep into it it’s surprising that Americans didn’t become the roundabout nation. After all, the first traffic circles, such as Columbus Circle (not to mention all manner of rotaries), were first developed and built … Continue readingGoing Round, and Round, and Round…
I have no idea what sparked this interest in me, but looking up what a materialistic person is, it seems that I’m one; at least I have most of Minimalism Made Simple’s 17 signs that you’re a materialistic person. But so what? What’s so bad … Continue readingMaterialist, Not Minimalist
You wouldn’t know it to look at this blog or my Twitter feed, but I’ve had a bit of a hard week, and while stewing in my own resentment, as I’m wont to do, I’ve been giving some thought to privilege in our society, and … Continue readingHold Fast the Dream
Quite a few things about new home construction, and indeed some of our ideas of what a single-family home should be like, bug me. For instance, I’ve noticed that ever since I was a kid in the 2000s traipsing about the wooden shells that were … Continue readingBuilding a Better House
As I touched upon in a previous post, it’s a bit odd we don’t have mile-high futuristic towers in our cities built by the richest companies in the world to show off their power, and just because humanity can. Well, I’m a science fiction writer … Continue readingA Short Story in the Urban Fabric?
Where are all the gleaming futuristic towers stretching like needles a mile or more into the sky like science fiction promised would be the Future, realized by the 21st century? The closest we’ve come to a real-life Coruscant, at least aesthetically, is places like Dubai; … Continue readingWhere’s My Mile-High Tower?
When driving home yesterday evening I had on this cool Youtube video (featuring the delightful song “Night Drive” by Timothy Drury and Corridor) that featured a gorgeous drive through what I’m pretty sure is Dubai. Which got me thinking about those gleaming Coruscant-esque cities blossoming … Continue readingGleaming Cities of the Eclipsed
The other day on the road, which was lined with garbage and litter, I saw groves of trees being cleared, leaving poor little raccoons homeless, to build “luxury housing”…but not luxury enough to keep any of the woods it seems. That arouses several thoughts in … Continue readingGermanic America’s Strange Dearth
Although sometimes overlooked, the major world religions, their genesis, their rise, their evolution, their rise to (and fall from) dominance, have always been crucial threads in the vast tapestry that is human history. Making for obvious what-if scenarios that are the fodder of alternate histories … Continue readingWorld Religions in Alternate Histories
Ah, makeovers: those times we change our physical appearance, through clothing, haircuts, hairstyles, cosmetics, accessories, procedures, even surgeries. All to get that most wholesome feeling of looking better, or at least different, becoming the best you you can be. Contrary to what some people who … Continue readingMakeovers: The Allure of Becoming a Brand New You