Mr. K kept two documents in his desk drawer. One was a residence card that politely promised stability until 2030. The other was a passport that politely promised identity until 2031. He treated both like adults treat seatbelts: he knew they mattered, he hated thinking about why.
On good days, he almost forgot them. He went to work, bought bread, argued with a coffee machine that refused to understand the … Read the rest
Work, in the long view, is a moving target. For most of our species’ history we did not “have jobs”; we had tasks that followed daylight, seasons, and stomachs. Hunter-gatherer life combined bursts of high effort with long stretches of social time—mending, storytelling, tool care, childcare. Ethnographic estimates vary, but the pattern is consistent: subsistence came in pulses, not in 8-hour rectangles. The body we still carry—ultradian focus cycles, circadian … Read the rest
Content 18+ Humanity has always excelled at self-destruction. From inventing the wheel to turning it into a war chariot, we’ve demonstrated an uncanny knack for using our greatest achievements to dig our own graves. But of all our short-sighted triumphs, climate change might just be our masterpiece—a tragic symphony conducted by fossil fuels, ignorance, and the occasional reality TV star turned politician.
And in this great orchestra of self-sabotage, Donald … Read the rest
By Eric Le Roy
Content 16+ I get a lot of ‘creative’ and ‘analytical’ stories and essays from ChatGPT these days, which would be fine with me, except that they have my students’ signatures on them. So what should I think of all this? And what should I do?
First, some background. I am now an ESL (English as Second Language) tutor. I also write books and … Read the rest
Content 21+ In the vast expanse of human history, one concept has persisted as a pernicious toxin infecting the minds of the masses: hope. Like a seductive siren, it lulls individuals into a false sense of security, promising salvation and deliverance from the trials of existence. Yet, upon closer inspection, hope reveals itself to be nothing more than a mirage, a cruel deception that shackles humanity to a cycle of … Read the rest
