The only reason they stay that way is because we put up with it — “Do you get skim milk because you’re trying to be sexy?” I wasn’t sure I heard it right the first time she told me. My coworker was pulling on her coat, looking awkward and uncomfortable as I handed her drink over the counter. She was only a teenager, a minor…

We’re missing some context when we only see numbers. — Social safety nets are incredibly important in modern society. If we are to judge the effectiveness of our governments and how our communities are functioning, we need to take a look at how we treat those who are struggling the most. We need to think about the cost of living…

I’m a coffee lover and a former barista. Mea culpa. — We’ve all got guilty pleasures. Vices and temptations, things that we know are bad for us, but we can’t help loving anyway. For me, that vice is caffeine. I’ve been drinking tea since I was three years old. It was something of a family tradition, and I stumbled upon the…

The system failing isn’t inspirational — A ten-year-old kid sells lemonade every day out in front of his house. He’s working hard, filling his jar full of cash from his neighbors. He’s got it crammed close to the lid with nickels and dimes, and after a week’s work, it seems like so much money! He runs…

How could I say no? — I’ve never understood the fuss around engagement rings. Particularly diamonds, which I honestly find a bit boring. How big they are, how shiny, what the cut is, what kind of setting…I care about these things only because, as a jeweler, I want to make something pretty for my client. I…

It isn’t just climate change, it’s poison in the water — It’s impossible to build an oil pipeline that never leaks. That’s my assumption at least, just going off of the data we have so far. To my knowledge, there has never been a pipeline that hasn’t leaked at least once. …

Don’t fall for false advertising — We’re coming up on the winter holidays now, and we’ll soon be buried in charity advertisements. On top of the non-profits looking to win support while the spirit of generosity is high, every big business with a charity wing is going to be all over the news. We’ll see depictions…

Illegal mining operations can be extremely hazardous — I’ve never been particularly fond of gold. I’ve always had a preference for silver, both to wear and to work with. During my time in college learning the arts of metalworking, I relished every chance to work with sterling. Reticulating silver makes a beautiful texture. …

At this point, I’m feeling pretty grim about it — When I was a child, I had a little jar in the kitchen of my family’s apartment. It was usually about a third of the way full of quarters, dimes, and nickels. It wasn’t a swear jar, nor was it for allowance or anything like that. I had set it…