Blog

 

An aside about a disingenuous argument against veganism

animals-ethics
philosophy
I’m going to argue here that the ethical vegan faces difficulty justifying their views against the omnivore. However, one seemingly common argument by the omnivore does not…
Apr 25, 2025

 

Eggs for Vegans

animals-ethics
philosophy
What I will call the “radical vegan” position holds that it is in-principle immoral to eat animal products in all cases.  Animals are widely mistreated in the production of…
Mar 2, 2025

 

A New Series: Animal Rights

animals-ethics
ethics
philosophy
I’ve used this space for a number of different topics in the past from general philosophy, to cappuccino reviews, and even a covid diary. Over the next year I’d like to…
Feb 16, 2025

Cappuccino Review: Cafe Domestique

madison-cappuccino-reviews-2022
557 North St., Madison, WI 53704
Nov 23, 2022

Cappuccino Review: Mother Fool’s

madison-cappuccino-reviews-2022
1101 Williamson St, Madison, WI 53703
Sep 29, 2022

 

Flash cappuccino reviews in the west

madison-cappuccino-reviews-2022
I took a trip out west and ordered a traditional cappuccino everywhere I went.  Denver and Omaha win.  All out of 5 stars.
Aug 15, 2022

Cappuccino Review: Johnson Public House

madison-cappuccino-reviews-2022
908 E. Johnson St. Madison, WI 53703  
Jul 14, 2022

Reviewing Madison cappuccinos once more: Ledger Coffee

madison-cappuccino-reviews-2022
Back in 2008 and 2009, I set out to review as many cappuccinos in Madison as I could. Back then the “third wave” had most decidedly not hit Madison, and the only place that…
Jul 10, 2022

 

A public comment to the Madison City Council in support of the Raemisch Farm development

For context on the Raemisch Farm controversy see: https://madison.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/objection-to-f-35-noise-forces-city-council-supermajority-vote-on-farmland-…
Feb 20, 2022

 

Three Types of Politics: Interests, Ideas, and Grievances

philosophy
political-philosophy-in-2020
politics
The political system in a democratic society allows a diverse group of people to make collective decisions. Here I define politics as the content of deliberations and…
Jan 21, 2021

 

Covid Diary: Reflections at the start of Fall

covid-19
my-life
The long (or did it seem short?  I’m not entirely sure.) and seemingly hot (it MUST have been hotter than normal…) summer is almost over, and so I thought I should reflect a…
Sep 1, 2020

 

Covid Diary: and now, the entire logistic growth curve

One interesting and horrifying feature of the current phase of the Covid-19 epidemic in the US (“the end of the beginning”) is how our ability to track infections has…
Jul 16, 2020

 

Covid Diary: A trip to the grocery store, a trip to the future

Like a lot of people these days, I only go to the grocery store about every week and a half.  It is really the only thing I have been doing in public since all of this began…
Apr 17, 2020

 

Covid Diary: Denial

life
madison
I’ve been struck recently by how those who should know better seem to be in denial about our current situation.  I’m not talking about Trump.  He has become a non-entity at…
Apr 13, 2020

 

Why not President Sanders?

One important result of the Iowa Democratic Caucus is that Sanders appears to have a real possibility of winning the Democratic candidacy.  This has left some breathless. …
Feb 9, 2020

 

Coffee Review Group 2

It is quite striking that among the 1st group that I mentioned above, only Bradbury’s existed when I reviewed cappuccinos in 2008.  However this second group will contain…
Dec 22, 2019

 

How do you review a cappuccino?

I’ve come across the criteria I used back in the day to review cappuccinos.  These will have to be revised a bit.
Dec 21, 2019

 

So much spam

There are currently 1,213 comments waiting in my cue for the various posts in this blog.  I probably need to install some sort of spam-blocking system….
Dec 20, 2019

 

So much is half-written…

I’m surprised at how many unpublished posts I have hidden away in the dark reaches of this blog.  Most are half (or 1/10th!) written – more basic ideas than anything else. …
Dec 19, 2019

 

The everlasting desktop computer

Last night I ordered all of the parts to create a new, and very fast, desktop computer.  My current machine is about 8 years old, though it still plays many games just…
Dec 18, 2019

 

Coffee Review Group 1

One purpose of doing cappuccino reviews is to get out in the world and try some cappuccinos you might not otherwise encounter.  To that end, I’ll have to search out some…
Dec 17, 2019

 

A plateau in technological progress

It has been argued by quite a few authors (Gordon in The Rise and Fall of American Growth for one) that we have recently seen few of the profound technological change the…
Dec 16, 2019

 

Criterion for Inclusion

Starting with the coming Solstice, I will review ever coffee shop in the Madison area that offers a traditional (6 oz or similar) cappuccino.  When I did my first round of…
Dec 15, 2019

 

The benefits of a two party system

Anyone who complains about how a robust third party would make the American electoral system better need only look to the UK for a quick refutation. First-past-the-post…
Dec 14, 2019

 

Political Self-awareness

It is quite stunning sometimes how easily we are drawn into a partisan perspective, and how most of our media sources help us down that trap. The standard liberal message…
Dec 13, 2019

 

A post a day to ring in the ’20s

I have decided to revive this blog. I have thought about doing that many times before, but have often been too ambitious about what a post must look like; I have typically…
Dec 12, 2019

 

If I listen to WAMU instead of WPR…

…I can listen to Marketplace at 5:15!
Nov 4, 2019

 

Mitt Romney’s thoughts during the inauguration: or why do white men need safe spaces?

politics
In this post I channel an “ideal” Mitt Romney: an efficiency focused free-market advocate.  I imagine some of his thoughts around the time Trump said “carnage” during the…
Jan 22, 2017

 

Psychological disorder and the dream of Utopia

philosophy
The view of humanity that we get from the ancients (and by extension the Abrahamic religions) is both deeply deceptive and very influential.  If people are the creation of…
Jan 15, 2017

 

Progressive Federalism

politics
There are clearly two Americas, and one is holding the other back.  At least this is likely the view held today by many Progressives. To use the terminology of the famous…
Nov 9, 2016

 

What now? Progressives must speak to the working class, even the deplorables.

politics
Trump has won: the barbarians are inside the gate.  They will undoubtedly destroy much of what we have built.  And I did not sleep last night.  What does this mean for us…
Nov 9, 2016

 

Your local neighborhood drones…

politics
As autonomous vehicles and drones start to become a reality, various possible uses of the technology naturally come to mind. One of the most interesting possibilities is…
Nov 7, 2016

 

Must progressives be so boring?

politics
I’m going to make a bold prediction. Hillary Clinton will win the presidential election. I think we should move beyond this fact. Clinton is very competent but no…
Oct 21, 2016

 

Being a Democrat in Wisconsin: Winning from the center

wisconsin-politics
Wisconsin Democrats must begin to take more seriously the differences between their base and the political center of Wisconsin.  This is made more difficult by the fact that…
Jan 3, 2016

 

Collective Bargaining Rights and the Importance of a Strong Civil Service.

wisconsin-politics
Democrats should be less concerned about the exploitation of white-collar labor and more concerned about a strong non-partisan civil service.
Sep 8, 2015

 

Being a Democrat in Wisconsin: Putting the beast on a diet

wisconsin-politics
Democrats should embrace incremental agency budget cuts and increased efficiency as means of expanding the functions of government.
Aug 1, 2015

 

Being a Democrat in Wisconsin: Even Walker loves La Follette

wisconsin-politics
This is the first installment in a series of short essays I will be writing about Wisconsin politics.  State politics, I think, are under-appreciated by politicians…
Jul 15, 2015

Public Schools in Wisconsin from a Quantitative Perspective

madison
As part of his new budget proposal, Wisconsin Governor Walker has proposed the expansion of the school voucher program (Currently confined to Milwaukee and Racine) to a…
Feb 25, 2013

Baltimore - Some communists and some coffee

dc-cappuccino-reviews
Baltimore is quite similar to many other cities in the US.  It has a city core that has seen some successful development, where any yuppy can walk around feeling safe and…
Jan 15, 2012

Peregrine Espresso - As good as it gets in DC

dc-cappuccino-reviews
Peregrine Espresso
Nov 12, 2011

Pound Coffee now on Capitol Hill

dc-cappuccino-reviews
washington-d-c
Today I checked out Pound Coffee (621 Pennsylvania Ave SE, Washington, DC 20003), which recently moved to Capitol Hill from NOMA.  I hadn’t yet tried Pound at its previous…
Nov 7, 2011

Big Bear Cafe - Hip but Relaxed

dc-cappuccino-reviews
Big Bear Cafe
Aug 13, 2011

A trip to Chicago’s Intelligentsia Coffee

cappuccino
[caption id=“attachment_380” align=“alignright” width=“300” caption=“I knew there would be good coffee the moment I spied the fixies out front.”][/caption]
Jul 17, 2011

New Peregrine Espresso location on 14th st. NW

cappuccino
washington-d-c
[caption id=“attachment_376” align=“alignright” width=“300” caption=“Peregrine along 14th st. NW”][/caption]
Jun 17, 2011

Chinatown Coffee - at least it is hip

dc-cappuccino-reviews
Chinatown Coffee
Apr 10, 2011

Qualia Coffee - some local beans

dc-cappuccino-reviews
Qualia Coffee
Mar 10, 2011

Big Chair Coffee n’ Grill cappuccino review - a good machine is not enough

dc-cappuccino-reviews
Big Chair Coffee n’ Grill
Feb 15, 2011

Modern Times cappuccino review - unironically used typewriters

dc-cappuccino-reviews
Modern Times Coffeehouse
Jan 30, 2011

Northside Social cappuccino review - a Murky connection

dc-cappuccino-reviews
Northside Social - Coffee and Wine
Jan 20, 2011

 

A tour of DC cappuccinos

dc-cappuccino-reviews
A couple of years ago I started a project to try a cappuccino at every legitimate coffee house in Madison, WI.  I ended (only missing a few places) that project a few days…
Jan 13, 2011

 

Skinner vs Jacobs: a project

ethics
new-urbanism
philosophy
I admit, this has a horrible title.   But I wanted to get something written about a project that I would like to work a little more on…and creating good titles is not one of…
Oct 17, 2010

 

And back with ever more to do.

my-life
philosophy
work
After the rain, the night is quite cold.  At least that is a good sign that summer is  over.  I’ve gotten my flannel out, and hopefully I’ll be riding my bike again.  The…
Oct 2, 2010

 

What is the real purpose of a transit system?

ecocity
life
new-urbanism
washington-d-c
Some might answer the above question like an evolutionary biologist; the purpose of a transit system is to maintain its strength and grow.  This at least seems to be the…
May 4, 2010

 

Saving the DC Metro

ecocity
life
new-urbanism
washington-d-c
The DC area rapid transit rail system (called ‘the Metro’) is facing something of a budget crisis this year.  They need to close about a $180 million budget gap for the next…
Apr 25, 2010

A Psychological Interpretation of Hume’s Standard of Taste

philosophy
In Hume’s “Of the Standard of Taste”1, we are presented with a sometimes confusing picture of the aesthetic world. On one hand, Hume is quite explicit in saying that…
Mar 27, 2010

 

Social Justice and Transit Oriented Developments

ecocity
new-urbanism
As the automobile became the preferred method of travel in the United States during the 20th century, car oriented development became the dominant pattern of city design.…
Feb 28, 2010

 

Of being trapped

life
It is snowing here in Washington, DC.  It is snowing a lot.  There is something odd about the local response to the storm; there is a sense of panic.  For those who come…
Feb 6, 2010

 

Finding the neutral perspective on environmentalism

ethics
philosophy
There is a group of people who generally think that we are ruining the planet.  Actually, there are a lot of people who have such a belief; however, there is more divergence…
Jan 22, 2010

 

Mayorga Coffee moves from Silver Spring to Takoma

life
new-urbanism
washington-d-c
I was getting a little worried about the Silver Spring - Takoma Park coffee scene when I saw that Mayorga in Silver Spring, Savory in Takoma Park and the Drifting Nomad in…
Jan 2, 2010

 

At least I did a few things

life
I suppose I’ll do the required new year post; reflection at the end of a decade seems to be the proper thing to do.  Unlike many people, I’m not so impressed by this most…
Dec 31, 2009

 

Activism and truth

ethics
philosophy
I simply don’t trust activists. The reason for this is probably quite clear; activists have stopped searching for truth (whatever sort of thing that might be) and simply…
Dec 4, 2009

 

And we have a winner…I guess

cappuccino
life
So, I have been in DC for a few months and after a good amount of research (both on the webs and in person) I feel confident that I know the best place for espresso (and…
Nov 1, 2009

 

How do we deny someone a good?

ethics
philosophy
David Chalmers has coined the term “hard problem” to describe the issue of consciousness; science has had great success solving “easy” problems related to the functional…
Oct 14, 2009

 

The difference between trains and buses

ecocity
ethics
life
new-urbanism
philosophy
Some people feel buses are the answer to all our mass transit needs.  They will, of course, admit that big expensive commuter rail systems are more pleasant than a fleet of…
Sep 19, 2009

The front of Froth House; there is also a nice patio in the back

Cappuccino Review # 13 - Froth House

madison-cappuccino-reviews
Froth House
Sep 4, 2009

You really have to search for the part with the coffee.

Cappuccino Review #14 - Escape Java Joint

madison-cappuccino-reviews
Escape Java Joint
Sep 4, 2009

 

Why should we construct transit systems?

ecocity
new-urbanism
One common complaint raised about car-oriented transit is that it is fixated on ‘flow’.  Conventional road projects are generally designed to move vehicles, with less…
Aug 23, 2009

 

A thought about E-books as I travel across the country

psychology
I will be moving very soon, and this has me thinking about how books can be a total drag…in the quite literal sense.  My wife and I both have a considerable collection of…
Aug 9, 2009

 

Madison to DC by rail

life
my-life
I recently had to take a trip to Washington D.C from Madison, WI in order to look for a new apartment. My wife and I decided to try out the Amtrak route that runs from…
Jul 31, 2009

 

Silver Spring - a pedestrian’s nightmare

life
new-urbanism
washington-d-c
Last week I visited the Washington DC area for the first time.  I might have some more comments about my experience in the future but I want to start out with some comments…
Jul 5, 2009

Outside seating along W. Washington for Electric Earth Cafe.

Cappuccino Review #11 - Electric Earth Cafe

madison-cappuccino-reviews
Electric Earth Cafe
Jun 28, 2009

Sort of easy to miss along Regent street

Cappuccino Review # 12 - Indie Coffee

madison-cappuccino-reviews
Indie Coffee
Jun 28, 2009

A trip to Middleton Hills - An example of new urbanism

ecocity
life
madison
Last weekend, Taryn and I went on a little bike ride in the country; it was quite nice.  Rural Wisconsin is full of lovely….
May 29, 2009

 

What it is like to be a right brain.

psychology
A couple weeks ago I was in the car headed out of town and I was able to listen to this episode of Fresh Air (NPR) featuring Jill Bolte Taylor, a neuroanatomist,  describe…
May 28, 2009

This picture was taken from the outdoor seating.

Cappuccino Review #10 - Michelangelo’s Coffee House

madison-cappuccino-reviews
Michelangelo’s Coffee House
May 25, 2009

As with most coffee shops on State, Steep & Brew has outdoor seating

Cappuccino Review #9 - Steep and Brew

madison-cappuccino-reviews
Steep & Brew
May 25, 2009

Peet’s in Memorial Union on the UW campus

Cappuccino Review #8 - Peet’s Coffee and Tea

madison-cappuccino-reviews
Peet’s Coffee and Tea
May 15, 2009

 

Philosophy admissions advice - part 4 - I’ve sent off my applications; now what?

philosophy-grad-school-admissions
You wait. I recommend that you forget you ever applied to graduate school. If you get in somewhere, they will call you up or send you an email in late February – mid March.…
May 15, 2009

 

Philosophy admissions advice - part 3 - What makes a good application?

philosophy-grad-school-admissions
I don’t think my application did any miracles for me, so I’ll send you to Eric Schwitzgebel of UC Riverside who has composed a very helpful guide to philosophy graduate…
May 14, 2009

 

My (perhaps) worthless advice for applying to philosphy PhD programs - part 1

philosophy-grad-school-admissions
I’m going to attempt to summarize the knowledge I have extracted from my PhD admissions experience. Just so you know my perspective, I was admitted to the University of…
May 13, 2009

 

Philosophy admissions advice - part 2 - Where to? Can I get in?

philosophy-grad-school-admissions
When I first started looking at graduate schools, I was directed to the Philosophical Gourmet Report. The report ranks PhD programs in philosophy based on the quality of…
May 13, 2009

 

Update about my real life

my-life
philosophy
The last few months have been quite hectic, so I haven’t really updated this much.  There are a few coffee shop reviews that I have yet to write up, but those should be…
Apr 25, 2009

 

Moral Seriousness and Ethical Contextualism - The writing sample

ethics
philosophy
This is the writing sample I sent graduate schools; it is full of philosophy jargon that may make it a difficult read for many.  But I just put it out there, because it is…
Apr 15, 2009

 

Architecture is a social science

ecocity
philosophy
I have been reading quite a bit lately about how we could design our world to better suit the needs of people. One major debate I have come across is whether Architecture is…
Mar 31, 2009

Cafe Soleil is on the ground level of L’Etoile Restaurant.

Cappuccino Review #7 - Cafe Soleil

madison-cappuccino-reviews
Cafe Soleil
Mar 21, 2009

The Espresso Royal near the Capitol; the outdoor seating in the picture isn’t theirs.

Cappuccino Review #6 - Espresso Royal

madison-cappuccino-reviews
Espresso Royal
Mar 18, 2009

They typically have specials listed on boards outside the store

Cappuccino Review #5 - Fair Trade Coffeehouse

madison-cappuccino-reviews
[caption id=“attachment_120” align=“alignright” width=“300” caption=“They typically have food specials listed on boards outside the store.”][/caption]
Mar 11, 2009

Bradbury’s is a small corner shop in downtown.

Cappuccino Review #4 - Bradbury’s

madison-cappuccino-reviews
Bradbury’s
Mar 7, 2009

 

Heidegger and home design

ecocity
life
A 20th century philosopher named Martin Heidegger proposed that people should attempt to respond to the ‘unique situation’ in an authentic way. This means that when we are…
Mar 3, 2009

 

Cappuccino Review #3 - Ancora

madison-cappuccino-reviews
Ancora Coffee Roasters
Feb 22, 2009

On the corner of Williamson St. and Ingersoll

Cappuccino Review #2 - Mother Fool’s

madison-cappuccino-reviews
Mother Fool’s Coffeehouse
Feb 15, 2009

starbucks-outsidesmall

Cappuccino Review #1 - Starbucks

madison-cappuccino-reviews
Starbucks on the capitol square
Feb 11, 2009

 

What makes a good bike lane?

life
madison
I came across this website called Streetsblog today that shows  examples of good bike lanes.  If you go to the link you will notice that they are all separated from traffic…
Feb 11, 2009

 

Something about Ecocities

life
I’ve just finished reading a book about ecological city building by Richard Register. In Ecocities, Register proposes that the current methods of city planning, which…
Feb 10, 2009

 

Cappuccino Run

madison-cappuccino-reviews
How a coffee shop makes its cappuccinos says a lot.  One can drown bad coffee in sweet milk, but when a cappuccino is made properly it shows off (or exposes) both the…
Feb 9, 2009

 

I don’t own a mill

life
I admit that I do not understand economics. I suppose I’ve had about as much education in the matter as anyone else (that being just about none). But many things are fun to…
Jan 24, 2009

And never take the bus again!

life
long-haul-trucker
Perhaps I merely want to justify my large purchase, but this year I am attempting to keep my bike running throughout the cold Wisconsin winter.  This isn’t all that…
Jan 19, 2009

Some bread

life
my-life
I have been trying to write a continuation of some of my thoughts I presented about ethics in a previous post.  But, I don’t want to throw anything online until the post…
Jan 19, 2009

 

Fun with R

psychology
work
I have been playing around with R the last few days.  This is an open source mathematics software that comes with Linux systems.  It is a bit esoteric; it is a command…
Jan 14, 2009

How the Sweeds do it

life
The UN recently released a document about environmentally sustainable living.  It is overall a pretty interesting description of things some countries are doing to help;…
Jan 7, 2009

 

A couple days of geek

my-life
I’m trying it again. A couple years ago I experienced that slight naiveté of the intermediate windows user; I thought I could throw aside the windows that seem so confining.…
Jan 3, 2009

 

And a merry Solstice to you!

atheism
life
I’ll be heading up to Green Bay in an hour or so, and I came across this slate article talking about how we shouldn’t feel ashamed as atheists celebrating Christmas. I can’t…
Dec 24, 2008

 

Listen to the thoughts

life
mind
psychology
When I meditate, I often-times get to the stage where I can’t quite concentrate on one process (my breathing, for example) but yet I do have an awareness of the thoughts…
Dec 15, 2008

 

What is the ‘good’ life?

ethics
life
philosophy
I have been increasingly interested in the question of what is the ‘good’ life.   I mean by this, the question of what mode of living brings about the best outcomes.   From…
Dec 15, 2008

 

A nihilist, not an ass

ethics
philosophy
For some reason I am drawn to philosophical views that are typically considered ‘undesirable.’  One such view is moral nihilism; simply put, I don’t believe that moral…
Nov 13, 2008

 

Now I really mean it…

life
When I was young, I had a livejournal account; well, actually I still have that account, but today I decided that it really must be left behind. I thought I had decided this…
Oct 21, 2008

A question about moral questions.

ethics
philosophy
I’m a bit perplexed. Most people feel it justifiable to argue for ‘correct’ moral beliefs. I’m not even talking about the ambiguous sort of issues which we find in our…
Mar 6, 2008

 

My neurons firing = love

mind
philosophy
The identity theory of consciousness rather simply states that any given mental state is identical to some physical (brain) state. There is a weak and a strong version of…
Oct 15, 2007

 

My picture

life
I’m not sure yet whether I like the picture I’ve uploaded to go at the top of my blog.  It is a product of a somewhat failed attempt to scan slides with a flat bed scanner an…
Sep 2, 2007

 

I hope to post some potentially interesting things here….

life
This is my new blog and, although I don’t expect many to read it, I hope some find it interesting.  First it might be helpful to give you some information about myself…
Sep 1, 2007
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