When I was in first grade , we lived in a small house in St. Paul. My parents converted the tiny attic into a bedroom for me. One night I had a very vivid and scary dream. (I don’t remember, but perhaps I had a cold and maybe my parents…

Kansas City Chiefs Fan, Disc Jockey, Navy Man — I’m not sure exactly when he died. I could find out, I suppose; but it’s not important. It was somewhere between the Christmas and New Year Holidays, and I was too busy partying to visit, or even call to check on him — too my deep regret. I think Hickey would have understood. Partying was at the top of his list of priorities. He was my wingman for almost the entire year of 2022.

What values, principles and social norms should we foster as we build our future society? — I’ve been writing about this idea for the framework of a new (not quite) utopian civilization for several years now. I’ve listed reasons for taking steps towards a more democratic and locally focused society. …

Let’s leave them a better world I saw a little kid the other day, with a t-shirt that said, “I will change the world”. At first I thought it was really cool, and I still do. But I also realized that the meme on her shirt represents a point of view that has become pervasive lately…

Being homeless in Waikiki it often feels like I’m invisible. To some people, I think I’m (almost) literally invisible. They walk by with their eyes straight ahead pretending not to see. But not everyone. Children in particular, always look. Usually they look shy or maybe a little frightened, and after…

Is the world spiraling towards authoritarianism and oligarchy or is it possible for the people to take civilization into their own hands? The End Times, The Sixth World, The New Age, The Shift, The Tribulation, The Age of Aquarius, The Singularity, The Apocalypse, The New World Order; you can probably think of a few more phrases that have been used to describe the period of time we’re living in. I saw a…

Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. — Arthur C. Clarke If you could travel back in time (a magical act in itself) and show your smartphone to someone — anyone from 50 years ago, most of them would recognize it as advanced technology — really amazing technology, but…

As I gradually came to on a park bench next to the Ala Wai canal, I became vaguely aware of jazz music. I continued to doze. The cool jazz was replaced by what sounded like an educational radio program; you know, the kind you might hear on NPR. I touched…