Prosperity Preachers, HBO's "Feel Terrible" Hit And Why Your Vacation May Worsen Climate Change

Why HBO's Chernobyl Is The Feel-Terrible Hit Everyone Needed
Like over six million viewers I have been completely engrossed in the storytelling of this startlingly accurate hit mini-series about the 80's era nuclear disaster. The lessons for today are profound and despite casting that oddly seems to avoid any actual Russian actors in lead roles, the five episode series is worth binge-watching to offer a bit of "benign masochism" (enjoyment of moments when our bodies believe we're in danger but our brains know we're not).

You Can Now Officially Go To Prison For Being An Asshole
A YouTube star filmed himself cruelly tricking a homeless man into eating Oreo's filled with toothpaste, and managed to get himself banned for social media for five years and sentenced to prison for 15 months. In a world where there often seems to be no consequences for immoral (but not necessarily illegal) behavior, it was nice to see someone getting a real world punishment for behaving like an asshole. 

Apple Launches Yet Another Unnecessarily Expensive Product 
You know you're in trouble when a room full of faithful evangelists collectively disapprove of your latest announcement. At WWDC this week, Apple unveiled its latest "expensive gadget nobody needs" according to one tech journalist. Alongside dongle-reliant laptops that lack standard USB ports, the entire event had several analysts asking why so many Apple products today seem designed to make life more difficult for a large segment of their customers. It's a fair question.

This Story About "Prosperity Preachers" Should Make You Angry
I have frequently written about the dangers of Manipulated Outrage, a trend that explains how some organizations and leaders are willfully trying to profit from your outrage. Yet there are some stories that deserve genuine outrage, and this is one of them. So-called "prosperity preachers" prey on the poor and desperate under the guise of faith in order to enrich themselves. Despite multiple exposé stories about them, they are still taking advantage of people and it should make all of us angry. 

Is Your Vacation The Real Cause of Climate Change?
I travel a lot, both for work and for joy. Yet I don't often consider the true cost of my travel. So this article was an eye-opening (and slightly disturbing) reminder that there is a real impact on the environment of the travel that I do and the choices I make. It's easy to look at others or government and blame them for not doing enough. It's harder to consider that you might be part of the problem.

New York Creates The Perfect Outlet For People's Anger
Yes, there are officially "public punching bags" in New York and it might be the best urban planning idea since they converted their phone booths into wi-fi hotspots. Some critics are panning this as a sad reflection of our always-angry society. I don't buy that. If people need to punch something, I say we let them. It's better they vent by throwing a punch at a bag than resorting to more violent alternatives