Category: Society

Essays about society, religion and politics

Steam Dating App 3

The Gamification of Dating Apps

Dating sucks. While being in a relationship can be one of the most rewarding experiences in life, the dating game can be frustrating and heartbreaking. Just finding a prospective date can be a major...

John Green Paper Towels 1

Paper Towels vs Hand Dryers

I don’t like hand dryers in public restrooms. They’re loud; they’re slow; and they make me feel like my just-cleaned hands are dirty all over again. Supposedly hand dryers are better for the environment,...

Olympic Currency Signs 2

The Olympic Costs of Hosting the Olympics

Hosting the Olympic Games is one of the biggest honors a city (and country) can have. The World Cup is just as prestigious, especially in soccer-obsessed countries. But hosting the Olympics or World Cup...

Borg License Plate 1

The Benevolent Borg Collective

The greatest enemy on Star Trek: The Next Generation is the Borg. For those of you who aren’t into Star Trek, the Borg are a hive mind made up of species from around the...

Pixelated Ionic Doric and Corinthian Orders 1

Architectural Detail and 3D Printing

Why doesn’t my local grocery store look like the Cathedral of Notre Dame? Or the Sagrada Familia? It sounds like a silly question. The great cathedrals of Europe took centuries to construct and untold...

Monopoly Houses with Teardown 4

The Ups and Downs of Teardown Houses

Real estate is expensive in Dallas, so the trend is to replace small old houses with bigger, newer ones. These teardown houses are a controversial subject in the Metroplex. From a preservationist standpoint, they...

Fifty States of Gay Horizontal 2

#lovewins: Fifty States of Gay

I was driving in my car when the DJ came on the radio to announce the news. In the landmark case of Obergefell vs. Hodges, the US Supreme Court has ruled that state and...

Greenville Avenue Sign 1

Valet Parking on Lower Greenville

Looking for parking is always a stressful proposition, especially in Dallas. My adopted hometown is a car-centric city with scattered pockets of walkability. These little pockets are usually centered around bars and nightlife, with...

Texan Question Mark 6

What Does It Mean to Be a Texan?

I had a discussion (argument) with a good friend about what it means to be a Texan. I said that, after 7+ years of living in Dallas, I felt I could call myself a...

Scottish Flag 1

American Musings on Scottish Independence

On Thursday, September 18, 2014, Scotland will vote on whether to declare independence from the United Kingdom. As an American of English, Scottish and Irish ancestry, I have been following the debate. I’ve never...