Mar 16, 2017Argumentum ad Simplicitate“I’m a simple man…” “It’s really a simple matter of…” “…That settles it.” (Following a too-brief summary of one side of an argument.) I’ve encountered this “argument” (if you can call it that) frequently enough that I believe it worthy of advocating for recognition as a logical fallacy. …Politics7 min read
Nov 2, 2016Why Do Freelancers Charge Higher Rates?As a full-time freelance writer, editor, and designer, I regularly bump into resistence to the rates I (and other freelancers) charge. Why do we charge what we do for our services? Part of the premise of the question comes from a presumption that is, I think, common especially with businesses…Freelancing7 min read
May 24, 2016A Letter to Friends Looking to Break into a Part-Time Writing CareerDear friend who wrote to ask me for writing career advice: Thanks for writing. It’s always good to hear from you, and I am both humbled and honored that you would seek me out for advice. …Writing12 min read
May 10, 2016The Hope in a Trump-Clinton Presidential RaceGiven that all of his opponents have dropped out of the race, it now seems clear that Donald Trump will be the Republican Party nominee for President of the United States in the 2016 general elections. …2016 Election6 min read
Feb 1, 2015Taylor Swift Is the Tim Tebow of PopTaylor Swift as the latest exemplar of the “anti-celebrity.” No, not like that — I have no idea what she believes about Jesus, and she’s not vying to take his place as a vocal, public Christian. Rather, like Mr. Tebow, Ms. …4 min read
Dec 15, 2014Parenting “advice” and good intentions“Is your family coming to visit for Thanksgiving?” I was in a conversation with several others one Sunday when this question was asked. The question was an innocent one, but the receiver literally blanched when it was directed at him. …15 min read
Nov 25, 2014How Grand Juries WorkIn 2013, I was called to serve on a federal grand jury for one of the Arizona districts. This meant that I was called upon by the government to appear every other week for one year, unless circumstantially hindered, each time for a full day of hearing cases. As a…7 min read
Nov 21, 2014Getting Ready for Thanksgiving: Turkey EditionIf your household is like many (most?) American homes, you are starting to think of plans for Thanksgiving, which is next Thursday. Maybe you are going to a friend’s or family member’s home, and they are doing the heavy-lifting. …10 min read
Oct 16, 2014The city wants to read your sermons; why are you saying no?If you are (a) a Christian, and (b) on any social media platform, then you probably read that the city of Houston is demanding that pastors “hand over” transcripts of their sermons to city hall! Or something terrible-sounding like that. …7 min read
Oct 10, 2014Todd Gurley is a paid athleteThe University of Georgia suspended their star player this week: Todd Gurley, who had been considered a Heisman Trophy candidate at one point, was suspended indefinitely, which means he likely will never play college football again. What did Todd Gurley do? Was he caught robbing a local store? Did he…4 min read
