In a field of garbage, when you stoop to retrieve an aluminum can with your lips, you taste a little of what once was in there. EEEE remembers makeshift boots made of tape, and animals darting away. He remembers plastic bags full of alum, the lightest metal, and tracking out of the waste to […]
Boston, D.C.
“Come work in the call centre with me,” says the Indian boy. “Saying that because you’re drunk,” I tell him. “Not at all.” He chugs his beer. “Why does a broke boy come to India?” “Have you ever been to Brandon, Manitoba? Ever experienced being the worst student in Brandon, Manitoba?” […]
Journey’s End
Some of you will know exactly what I mean by this, but when you set out to write and push an idea, you have no idea what you’re really doing. You just put words on a page and stuff comes out. The first draft is so trash. The second draft is make or break, either […]
Born in the USA – Revisited
Voted for the savior when I turned a man He kicked my ass and killed my plans Ended up a slave that’s been beat too much But I stay with that guy even when he’s covering up Born in the USA Born in the USA Born in the USA Saw a nation dying hard, […]
Pickle
((I was asked about this story by a few people, reread it, and felt – as usual – that I didn’t even remember writing it! But here it is again, a strange story about a man and a woman, and a baby)) —————————————————————————————————————————————– Anne wasn’t hit by a bus. She was standing still, staring […]
This Isn’t About the Death of a Kid
No, it’s about something much more important. This cartoon was run in the latest edition of Charlie Hebdo, the satirical magazine that was targeted by terrorists in January of this year: That’s right, it’s a drawing of Alan Kurdi drowned in the waves as he and his family attempted to flee the most dangerous country […]
The Un-Facts of Life: Slipping on the Statistical Banana Peel
We eat an average of 100 bananas a year, per person. Over a typical lifespan, that means we eat 8,000 bananas. The average banana is about 8 inches long, so that’s basically a length of bananas that is almost exactly 1 mile long. Almost 1 mile exactly. And that is where this starts. With 1 […]
Doc Lewin’s 20 Rules for Corporate Dominance: The Rules for Bosses
The Rules for Bosses 1. Tidings of Joy Never ask for anything from a subordinate until the last minute. Be sure to make most of your requests are at the end of the day, or, even better, last thing on a Friday. Be sure to use the word “subordinate” a few times during the conversation, […]