madison moving day madness magnifies mucked-up mid-town milieu

Soundtrack in my head: The Primitives, "Really Stupid" hpgruesen / Pixabay During the month of August, and particularly August 14-16, U-Haul and other trucking rental companies unleash thousands of trucks on the streets of Madison, Wisconsin--driven by people without licenses to be truck drivers.  Yes, it's Madison Moving Day. Does chaos result?  Yes and no. … Continue reading madison moving day madness magnifies mucked-up mid-town milieu

Lyft and Uber: 20% tech, 80% talk, and 100% invasive species

Soundtrack in my head: They Might Be Giants, "Don't Let's Start" vainodesositis / Pixabay How would you feel if a new company set up shop in your town and immediately proceeded to start breaking the city's laws? And when threatened with enforcement of such laws declared that your laws were outdated and needed to be … Continue reading Lyft and Uber: 20% tech, 80% talk, and 100% invasive species

Union Cab made a worker’s paradise and filled a parking lot with big yellow taxis

About five months ago I started a new job at Union Cab of Madison.  As a graduate student, I sought a job with flexible hours that I could enjoy and take some pride in. So when I found out that Union Cab was hiring, I jumped at the chance to drive one of their big … Continue reading Union Cab made a worker’s paradise and filled a parking lot with big yellow taxis

a message about justice found underneath the couch, wrapped in cellophane

Soundtrack in my head: The Alarm, "The Stand" I received my Bachelor's in Political Science many moons ago, and for most of the period since then, I have struggled with my feelings about politics, social justice, and political activism. This inner struggle has only intensified since I became a Bahá'í. To document the evolution of … Continue reading a message about justice found underneath the couch, wrapped in cellophane

what a difference a year makes with the weather–or does it?

A tale of two views of the same street, but different weather, a year apart: This time last year, we had May weather in March, including some 80°F days.  This year, still a lot of snow on the ground, with our most recent snowfall on Sunday.  So this means global warming's over, right?  (Ba-bump, crash). … Continue reading what a difference a year makes with the weather–or does it?

funny, i don’t remember “Indian Summer” being this creepy

Soundtrack in my head: Beat Happening, "Indian Summer" I don't know what it is about this fall's "Indian Summer" but there's something about it that seems, well...strange. Brief spells of summer-like weather in October or even November aren't unusual.  Perhaps it's because this year's Indian Summer is so cloudy as to be gloomy.  Might it … Continue reading funny, i don’t remember “Indian Summer” being this creepy