The New Yorker anatomizes outdoor dining, without telling readers how to dine safely.
Wednesday, October 15, 2025
2:00PM Water Cooler 3/22/2021
~ Today’s Water Cooler ~
The Ancient Roots of “Doing Nothing”: Is Idleness a Form Of Resistance — Or Just an Indulgence for the Lucky Few?
The ethics of idleness.
The Bullshit Economy Part 2: Payday Loans 2.0, aka Early Paycheck Apps
Payday loans suck. Giving them a new name does not make them suck less.
Cabin Fever: Americans (of Means) Keen to Travel. How Many Will Play it Safe?
The travel genie is about to leave the bottle.
Covid Is Airborne (on Airplanes)
Border controls and quarantine in the United States, as contrasted to Vietnam and Japan
The End of Closed Democracy?
Corporate and financial capital still dominate, but politics no longer serves them alone, by putting the interests of the market first. Instead, power is having to listen to people everywhere.
New CDC Guidelines to Reopen Schools, Based on Outdated, Cherry-Picked, and Misinterpreted Data, Put Students, Teachers, and Communities at Risk
Pushing to reopen schools based on outdated science is poorly timed in face of coronavirus resurgence.
How Employers Punish Workers for Forming Unions
How employers play dirty tricks even after unions are voted in. The PRO Act, up for a Senate vote, would stop the worst practices.
2:00PM Water Cooler 3/19/2021
~ Today’s Water Cooler ~
We May Be Living in a Moment of Misplaced Optimism
The current bout of optimism looks too close to giddy for my comfort. And yours?
