Season 1

Small ways to move the needle without sticking your neck out

Welcome, my friend. I hope you’re holding up. Living in a constant state of uncertainty takes a toll on the mind and body. Right now, the situation is as uncertain as can be. People ask me, “What can I do to help?” and I’m never sure what to […]

A premature and incomplete history of the No Confidence Amendment

Welcome, my friend. I’m gonna be pulling back the curtain a bit on this one. If you’re uncomfortable with math or marketing, you might want to give this one a miss or at least have a strong drink ready. No judgment from me. A month ago, I was […]

I wouldn’t waste my time, and I certainly won’t waste yours

Welcome, my friend. Let’s dive right in. The second most common reaction I get when I tell people about No Confidence is skepticism, and quite reasonably so. (After all, if it amending the US Constitution were easy, we wouldn’t have the problems we have today; we would instead […]

Explicit instructions for dismantling the two-party system in 2026

Welcome, my friend. I hope you’ll forgive me if this is a jarring change in tone; I thought that when I wrote the text of my previous article, it might be the last chance to say anything to you. I had contingency plans for if the response was […]

What one person can do in the face of overwhelming numbers

Welcome, reader. It’s good you’re here. As I write this article, the date is April 7, 2026. Donald Trump has just committed an unforgivable act of terrorism, threatening an entire nation with obliteration. Social media has erupted; there are calls for impeachment, there are calls for the Vice […]

How we take America back.

Welcome, reader, it’s wonderful to see you again. Over the past four articles, I’ve done my best to show you my vision for our future, to explain how it works, and to convince you that of all the ways we could react to everything that’s going on in […]

I turned 42 this past year, I’m pretty sure that qualifies me to talk about it.

Welcome, reader. I’m so happy that you’re alive today. I mean it. You bring something unique to the world that has never existed before and will never exist again after you’re gone. You are the sum total of your heritage, your upbringing, your experiences, and your dreams, and […]

It might not have been a pony after all, I’m afraid.

Welcome, reader. I’m glad you’re hanging in there. The title of this article doesn’t refer to the mascot of one of the two big political parties in the USA, but this isn’t unrelated to them, either. The concept of two-party politics in the United States has had centuries […]

How to fix a system that's been running since before you were born.

Welcome, reader, and thanks for being here. I want to talk to you about No Confidence today, but I also want to talk to you about distributed systems architecture, a profession obscure enough that most people have never even heard of it. (It is relevant, I promise.) I […]

On knowing where to look when all you can see is a dung heap.

Welcome, reader. I’m glad you’re still around; it’s pretty rough out there. You don’t need me to tell you that, though. If you’re reading this around the time I’m writing it, then you already know how bad it is. I don’t need to know anything about you to […]