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Sir Terry Pratchett is going to die. Or rather, the friendly staff of Switzerland’s Dignitas clinic is going to politely assist him to death. This is a deeply personal decision on the part of Sir Pratchett and I really have no business commenting on it. But I’m going to, anyway. Probably because I’m a tactless American. Part of me (the smaller part) wants to applaud him for taking the reins on his life to determine...

I’ve been meaning to write something about Firefly for years, but for one reason or another, I’ve never managed to get around to actually doing it. But, since it’s been a topic in the news lately thanks to Nathan Fillion stirring up the fanboys beyond all reason, I thought I’d finally take a few minutes and write something up about why Firefly was such a great show…and why it was doomed to fail from the...

Yesterday, William Shatner woke up the crew of Discovery with a re-working of the Star Trek opening. Tomorrow, the shuttle will land for the last time. But today, I’m just sad. The end of the shuttle program heralds not just the end of an era in spaceflight, but rings out the last, tinny echoes of hope from a chorus that once sang of all that was bright and wondrous in this new world of technology and promise. Or, at least it was a...

Today is Monday. It is also Valentine’s Day, which means the universe either really hates or totally adores single people. I’m undecided, but I’m pretty sure I’m off the hook, either way. Married people celebrate Valentine’s Day differently than other Facebook relationship statuses. We don’t go in for all the lovey-dovey stuff, choosing instead to quietly affirm our affections in private, more intimate...

With my previous hipster essay continuing to be one of the most popular things I’ve ever written (second only to this), I thought I’d take another stab at the topic to better explain how I really feel about a counterculture movement defined by indie music, thrift store fashion and vintage video games. With a little luck, I’ll cut through the ambiguity of my last attempt. With a little more luck, I’ll make even...