We revisited this post from 2017 the day after the 2020 elections and found it to be every bit as relevant now, as this quote from the linked article suggests: “As we head into a more difficult and divisive period in American political and social history, a reinvigoration of these ideas represents a much-needed remedy. Read More
All posts by jmp
Getting High is Energy Intensive
According to an article in the March 8, 2017 edition of Energize Weekly, it takes a formidable amount of energy to get high. Lessons learned from the burgeoning marijuana industry: The paradigm of marijuana legalization across the country will have profound impacts and consequences on power operations and electricity consumption. Following the election of November 2016, Read More
Cornhuskers Hunt Deere
Thinking about systems that come to serve themselves rather than their customers can uncover a lot of egregious examples. Here’s the latest assault on the family farmer by Big Ag: Kyle Schwarting is a 36 year old farmer in Nebraska who likes to take care of things himself. He’s self-reliant and doesn’t take kindly to Read More
Money For Nothing
‘It’s an incredibly simple idea: universal basic income – a monthly allowance of enough to pay for your basic needs: food, shelter, education.’ The rapid development of technology such as artificial intelligence and robotics may someday soon make large swaths of the human workforce obsolete. There may not be corresponding growth in job opportunities elsewhere Read More
A Brief History of Gender Equity in Theatre
How long has gender equity in theatre been an issue? Maybe forever. If you think we’ve moved closer to parity the past few years, we have. But not far enough and not nearly fast enough. If you’d like to gain a little perspective about the subject, you can get it here
Reclaiming a Healthy Economy
Wall Street has come to rely not on interest from loans for its profits but on short-term trading, at the expense of almost everything else. The damage done in the name of capitalism and meritocracy to our current economic circumstances can be traced to the wealth-making wizardry of Wall Street on steroids. Imagine methamphetamines as Read More
A Radical Solution to a Pervasive Problem
Homelessness in America is pervasive. Not a city anywhere in the country is free of the pain. The specter of people living on the streets is heart-wrenching. It’s also very expensive. Maybe society has a compelling self-interest in addressing the problem. Maybe it’s time to admit that homelessness is a healthcare problem. Political leadership in Read More
Who Knew What When?
Another major oil & gas company knew nearly two decades ago that climate change was an issue that needed to be addressed, and the sooner the better. What it did next may not surprise you. Read about it here
Politics in Theatre
Intelligence is the third in Arena Stage’s Power Plays initiative—a ten-year plan to commission twenty-five plays, one for each decade of American history, about power and politics. Deputy Artistic Director Seema Sueko told me that the initiative was the result of Artistic Director Molly Smith “having her ears, eyes, and heart open to the heartbeat of Read More
Batteries Technology in Energy Systems
Batteries can play an increasingly important role in energy distribution and storage, particularly in distributed generation systems. However, the emerging market is full of hurdles as well as opportunities. It’s a complex subject that should be examined by everyone with an interest in climate change mitigation and renewable energy. You can read an extensive article Read More