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The Tipping Point
Tipping, or the practice of giving gratuities for service, is so ingrained in some societies that it feels natural and inevitable. Yet its origins reveal a far more complex and uneven history, shaped by class structures, labor systems, and cultural values. Far from being universal, tipping emerged in specific historical contexts and continues to vary…
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This is a raid!
When I wore a younger man’s clothes, Martin, Paul, and I were the three musketeers; we had all been Franciscans and Catholic seminarians studying for the priesthood, but after college found ourselves an unlikely posse. Martin was a high school principal – black and overweight, Paul was in federal law enforcement – quite muscular and…
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March
March is the only month that feels like it’s arguing with itself. One day it is inspired by Mars – bold, blustery, and ready for battle. The next day it remembers it’s technically almost spring and shows up with sunshine and birds chirping like they’re auditioning for a woodland musical. You wake up, see golden…
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50 years of Billy Reed’s
It’s one of those places everybody knows. Locals, obviously. But over the years, I’ve been surprised at how many tourists and visitors to Palm Springs know it. It’s not fancy or high-priced. It doesn’t have a Hollywood backstory, which so many Palm Springs restaurants do – like “Frank Sinatra once tipped his waiter $20,000 here…
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Topophilia Au Jus
I’ll begin with the title of this post. “Topophilia” comes from the Greek topos meaning ‘place’ and philia meaning ‘love of’ – so it literally means the love of a place and is usually mixed with the shared sense of cultural identity that people in that place develop. It’s why people from New York City…
Your mileage may vary.