Don Hall 7/26/20 Don Hall 7/26/20

I Like to Watch: The Rock (1996)

But the sheer out-of-body beauty and over-the-top ridiculousness of 1996’s Nicholas Cage/Sean Connery spectacle The Rock is the pinnacle of machismo Michael Bay genius.

Don Hall 7/25/20 Don Hall 7/25/20

Being Against Things is Easy; Finding Reasons for Hope is the Challenge

Sitting in the 109 degree heat in the desert, contemplating my own mortality in the wake of climate change, civil unrest, the looming economic cesspool, and, oh yeah, a pandemic causes me to gaze hard into the abyss of my soul. I find it wanting of less to be against and more to be for.

Don Hall 7/22/20 Don Hall 7/22/20

Neither Left nor Right: Eventually Embracing Ethical Universalism

I, being the Traditional Liberal I am (maybe I should start a bowling league?), favor ethical universalism, that is the position that there is a universal ethic which applies to all people, regardless of culture, race, sex, religion, nationality, sexuality or other distinguishing feature, and all the time.

Don Hall 7/21/20 Don Hall 7/21/20

How Americans Learned to Despise Learning

For three generations the benefits of completing a high school education became less obvious. The best and most well-paying jobs required a college diploma and the halcyon days of graduating with solid grades in high school decayed year after year.

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

I Believe.. [DiAngelo’s Fragility]

…that Robin DiAngelo looked in the mirror, saw that she was deeply racist, and decided that she was looking into a mirror of society instead of just herself.

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

Ditch the Desktop and the Laptop and Switch to an iPad

Keep in mind, if I needed high-powered graphic design or video making technology, this set up would not do. When I recommend you ditch your computers for the iPad Pro, I advise from the perspective of my own specific workflow.

Don Hall 7/17/20 Don Hall 7/17/20

Training People to Expect Reward for Outrage

Sometime in corporate culture overseeing the idea of customer service, it was decided that the customer is always right and that very powerful framework has slowly infected all aspects of our culture.

Don Hall 7/15/20 Don Hall 7/15/20

Everyone Has Magically Transformed Into Lenny Bruce

Bruce was fighting for his right to say things that could be taken the wrong way at a contentious time in the country’s history. His often brilliant but off-color observations were shut down by a moralistic authority who deigned his language and ideas were unacceptable. Sound familiar?

Don Hall 7/14/20 Don Hall 7/14/20

A Society That Values Quantity of Life Over Quality of Living is Just Churning Out Chicken Farms of Humanity

The ethical dilemma is presented as thus for we myriad chickens.

Don Hall 7/13/20 Don Hall 7/13/20

I Believe… [We Are All Florida Man]

…that the United States has officially become the Florida of the world. Blindingly stupid, naked, snorting bath salts and screaming at each other about getting that ‘gator off my property.

Don Hall 7/9/20 Don Hall 7/9/20

I Like to Watch: Hamilton

I sat down and prepared myself to be blown away and embarrassed by my snobbery at the few songs I had heard and my natural inclination to be suspicious of hype.

I wasn’t wrong.

Don Hall 7/8/20 Don Hall 7/8/20

Competing Visions of the Future Society

Five blind men encounter an elephant. Each touches a part of the animal but, due to the limited exposure to each element, misidentifies what they are interpreting. The guy who touches the ear thinks they have stopped at a palm tree. The guy who grabs the trunk thinks it’s a python. And so on. Until the five confer with one another, they can’t know the bigger picture.

We are blind men and the pandemic is the elephant.

Don Hall 7/6/20 Don Hall 7/6/20

I Believe... [Choose Love But FUCK YOU!]

I believe… that when you post things like “Choose Love” and follow it up with a strident hatred for someone you disagree with, you have clearly demonstrated how completely full of shit you are.

Don Hall 7/4/20 Don Hall 7/4/20

The Speaking of the Truth of the American Experiment

While America is far from dead and the Grand Experiment in Liberal Democracy far from complete, Independence Day should be a celebration as well as a recalibration.

Don Hall 7/3/20 Don Hall 7/3/20

Trial by Instagram and the Cynical Wielding of New Power

In practice, this guy was almost a poster boy for the entire concept of allyship. He was the fucking Tom Cruise of white allies. There were two problems with Harrington that his work and effort could not overcome. He was white and his business had an Instagram account.

Don Hall 7/1/20 Don Hall 7/1/20

The Most Effective Question to Ask Yourself in Times of Political Upheaval

“What if I’m wrong?”

Don Hall 6/29/20 Don Hall 6/29/20

I Believe… [Gift-Wrapped Privilege]

I believe… that as a white man with privilege but no power, you can have it. I’ll even put it in one of those nice Amazon gift bags for you.

Don Hall 6/29/20 Don Hall 6/29/20

Squaring the Circle: Tips on Managing the Chaos

Maybe I am stupid. I’ve certainly been called worse by both political extremes since...well...as long as I can remember. If I am stupid, I’m definitely too dense to recognize it. Managing chaos, living in uncertain times, is just that. Managing and living.

Don Hall 6/25/20 Don Hall 6/25/20

The Extreme Costs of Making a Stupid Mistake

There is nothing bad about being wrong. Admitting it has, however, become the worst possible thing one can do in today's punishment over rehabilitation society.

Don Hall 6/24/20 Don Hall 6/24/20

While We’re at It, Can We Cancel These as Well?

I may be an older white guy in America so my grasp on the new methods are a bit slow. I think I get the whole cancel culture thing now.