I didn’t think this was the sort of thing I’d still have a reason to write about in 2015, but here we are. Another Halloween, another parade of white people who think blackface is OK. That may be one of the worst choices out there, but there are plenty of ways be an insensitive jerk on Halloween without painting your face black or brown. Note: almost all the links in this post have photos that may be upsetting and/or NSFW.

As my previous informational article was received well, and since I am regularly asked for help in writing and revising resumes, I decided it would be a good idea to put down some general advice here. Writing a good resume is not as difficult as it might seem, and it can be the key to getting you an interview, or even a job. Here, you will find reliable advice for crafting a resume that distinguishes you from other applicants.

Have you heard of polyamory? Don’t know what it is? Have questions about it but don’t know where to find answers? This post will try to shed some light! Before I begin, I must lay out one of my personal rules: on topics involving relationships and sexuality, my experience is my experience. It isn’t yours, it isn’t anyone else’s. My experience is no more valid than anyone else’s. If others describe polyamory differently (and no doubt, many do), that doesn’t mean someone is wrong, we’ve simply had different experiences.

As a rule, systems fascinate me. Technical systems, political systems, cultural systems–you name it. The country in which I live–the United States–makes for a particularly puzzling, sometimes aggravating system. In this case, “dysfunction” doesn’t mean the system is bad, but it does point to a system that is not functioning as well as it could. To discuss the American system–by which I mean its interlocking social, political, economic, and religious components–requires some history.

By this point you have likely heard of Martin Shkreli, the entrepreneur who thought he could make a killing by buying the rights to an anti-parasite drug and jacking the price up 5000%. While he eventually relented and promised to lower the price, the PR damage had been done: he and his company, Turing Pharmaceuticals, became pariahs overnight. A little outrage feels good now and then, of course, but it’s important to realize that this was not an isolated case, nor is drug pricing in the US carried out in a sensible fashion.

Two weeks into this blog project, I’m still not certain how I will fare attempting to do this long-term. Working full-time takes a lot of energy, and I don’t always feel up to making a post here. Nevertheless, I do it anyway. I’m not willing to slap up any old post. Most of them require at least a little research. All of them require a fair amount of thought, and as I write these later in the evening, my brain is not terribly happy with being forced to do more work.

It’s that time again! This week, I am taking a slightly different approach. Links will be categorized in sections so it’s easier to focus on what you might want to look at. So, here are this week’s Links of Interest! Food * [Pizza with little slices of pizza on it?](http://spoilednyc.com/2015/06/10/cheeseception-mini-pizza-slices-top-pizza-slices-officially-thing-nyc/?utm_campaign=socialflow) -- It totally exists. * [Roasted butternut squash with chickpeas and tofu dip](http://happykitchen.rocks/roasted-butternut-squash-with-chick-peas-and-tofu-dip/) -- Sounds great! * [Study reveals addictive properties of cheese](http://www.

In the early 1970s, writer and broadcaster Studs Terkel interviewed dozens of working people in America. The result was Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do. The book is a classic of modern history, providing narrative snapshots of working life that are hard to resist. Having just finished reading through this tome, I thought it would be interesting to put down some general reflections on the stories people told in that era, and talk a little about what has changed, and what hasn’t.

Objectivity is commonly viewed as the gold standard for debate and discussion of contentious topics. Bring facts, figures, and evidence, or go home! But this obsession with evidence in human matters–and the constraining of what we’ll accept as evidence–hinders, rather than helps, our access to the truth. There is a better model, one that employs empathy, good faith, and active listening, without sacrificing the quest for truth. It may help to delve into what is meant by a quest for truth in the first place.

This is not worthy of a full post, so I’m going to try out the “aside” feature. All posts thus far have been modified to have a cut, so the main page doesn’t show full text on every post anymore. This will make browsing for particular posts easier, and better support future theme changes in which posts are listed as a header image and a blurb. I also added sharing and favorite buttons for more social media goodness, for anyone who might like to use them.