Don Hall 8/1/18 Don Hall 8/1/18

White Privilege: Finding Pragmatics Apart from Spiritual Dogma

The automatic response to a white guy rejecting this approach is that it makes me uncomfortable and that I’m fragile. I’m anything but uncomfortable with having conversations. I believe that dialogue rather simply being told to shut up and listen is the key to growth. That said, having a dialogue about sin with a religious zealot is a cul de sac from which there is no escape.

Don Hall 7/30/18 Don Hall 7/30/18

I Believe… [Things I Can Do Without]

…that, aside from venereal disease and being centipeded to someone who only eats Taco Bell, I can't think of almost anything I'd want less than a foldable smartphone.

Don Hall 7/28/18 Don Hall 7/28/18

Working on #5-7: Compassion is a Gift not a Transaction

You receive compassion by demonstrating it. That’s it. That’s the only way.

Don Hall 7/26/18 Don Hall 7/26/18

Body Shaming Confession

I have been guilty of body shaming, too.

Don Hall 7/23/18 Don Hall 7/23/18

I Believe... [WOLVERINES!]

...that Patrick Swayze wouldn't put up with this Russia bullshit.

Don Hall 7/22/18 Don Hall 7/22/18

Be Careful of Who You Pretend to Be

For the most part, all the world is, in fact, a stage.

Don Hall 7/20/18 Don Hall 7/20/18

When Is Insensitivity Something To Strive For? Answering Hannah Gadsby’s Question

In Nanette, Hannah Gadsby asks, “When is insensitivity something to strive for?”

It’s an interesting question considering that we’re currently in an epidemic of suicides and record numbers of adults medicating themselves for crippling anxiety.

Don Hall 7/17/18 Don Hall 7/17/18

Revisiting Culture Through a New Set of (political) Glasses

We were inspired by these stories. Stories that pitted the outcasts against the status quo and won. Did we realize that they were all cultural contributors to the continued stereotyping of minorities and the centuries long marginalization of women? Of course not — we were outcasts looking for heroes. We were white kids in Central Kansas.

Don Hall 7/16/18 Don Hall 7/16/18

I Believe… [Auto Insurance is a Scam]

…that the idea of insurance is a great one but the reality of getting your parked car hit by a drunk kid in his mom's truck with scam insurance and then having to negotiate the value of your car with your own insurance company that has determined the cosmetic damage is too costly to fix so fuck it, it's a total loss, we'll settle with you for a third of the resale value of the car is not so fucking great.

Don Hall 7/11/18 Don Hall 7/11/18

Managing a House for 50,000 People

"So, what do you do?"

It's a frequent question as the term "House Manager" is like "Events Consultant" — amorphous and ever-changing based upon the needs of the room and the client.

Don Hall 7/9/18 Don Hall 7/9/18

I Believe… ["Abolish ICE" at the Statue of Liberty is How We Should Be Resisting]

…that the protest of Therese Patricia Okoumou on the foot of the Statue of Liberty is an example of a strategic protest. The perfect symbolism, the perfect message, and it didn't require thousands of people staycationing for a couple of hours with clever signs.

Don Hall 7/7/18 Don Hall 7/7/18

(micro) Chips On The Shoulders of the Collective and The Increasing Problem of the Moral High Ground

I’m on the Blue Line, heading downtown to get to Millennium Park. I’m tired — it’s been a long week so far — so I’m standing amongst the other commuters, my shades still on, staring blankly toward the floor. I’m not really focusing on anything at all and I’m sort of just drifting into my brain when I hear:

“They’re legs.”

Don Hall 7/3/18 Don Hall 7/3/18

Screaming at Weeds Doesn't Make Them Disappear

It's as if our ancestors have been toiling away, trying to get rid of weeds in the yard and we woke up to more weeds and threw up our arms, fell to our knees (all set to strains of Barber's Adagio for Strings in G minor) and screamed "But WHYYYYYY?" when we saw that more weeds had sprouted up overnight.

Don Hall 7/2/18 Don Hall 7/2/18

I Believe… [The Hippie Enclave Will Protect Us From The Neo-Adolf]

…that America will never go the way of Nazi Germany if, for no other reason, Germany didn't have a one of the world's largest land masses completely inhabited by hippies and artists to push back. We have California. On the other hand, Hitler never had the fertile ground of regressive hate that is Florida.

Don Hall 6/25/18 Don Hall 6/25/18

I Believe… [Don't Underestimate the Machine]

...that the reason TrumpCo went ahead and treated immigrants at the border like animals in cages was to distract us while they tried to roll back Medicaid. Underestimating these assholes is exactly how they got in there in the first place.

Don Hall 6/24/18 Don Hall 6/24/18

No One Masturbates to C-SPAN But Maybe They Should

Don Hall 6/22/18 Don Hall 6/22/18

Chasing Our Tails: The Russian Hackers Knew Us Better Than We Thought

We laugh because dogs, while often more intelligent than we think, aren't as intelligent as we want them be nor as savvy as those fucking dogs in the movies.

Many dogs never get the urge to chase their tails and, if you've ever tried to teach one that does you understand the near impossibility of it. The dog that chases its tail is blind to the distinctions.

Why do dogs chase their tails, though?

Don Hall 6/20/18 Don Hall 6/20/18

My 600-pound Bowl of Cheesy Fear

Snickers Bar = 250 calories
Two Pop Tarts = 400 calories
A plate of Curly Fries = 600 calories
Wendy’s signature Apple Pecan Chicken Salad = 570 Calories

Christ - even Fast Food salads pack on the shit like duct taping clay to your ass.

Don Hall 6/18/18 Don Hall 6/18/18

I Believe… ["Unapologetic" is a Pass For Being an Asshole]

…that there is a razor's edge of difference between being "unapologetic" and being a narcissistic shitstain. Being confident in oneself and refusing to apologize for sucky behavior are not the same thing.

Don Hall 6/15/18 Don Hall 6/15/18

The Surveillance State Made Personal: Why Everyone Should Have a Body Camera