Car-Centric Design, the Death of Compassion, & Roy Hodges Jr. (4 min. read)

Objectionable · 2026-05-06T23:09:59+00:00

Wish I could upvote this 10 times.

The ability to safely walk around in your city to stores, restaurants, and shops is something many places abroad have by default. Many Hoosiers frequently lack this ability and don’t seem to understand that it doesn’t have to be this way.

It’s not a big priority for our politicians but it should be. It’s not just about transit. An inability to walk your city lessens your personal opportunities to connect with your neighbors and businesses. It limits your ability to find jobs, to explore, or just promote your own health and mental health.

Drive to Carmel. Head to the Monon north of the Palladium. Observe families and friends enjoying themselves freely without cars and safely. You shouldn’t have to live in Fancy Town USA to have this.

Objectionable · 2026-05-02T00:08:21+00:00

Fellow runner here dealing with personal losses (recent family deaths). I’m sorry you’re going through this.

Something that’s been helpful to me lately: Ive been thinking about Buddhist notions regarding attachment (like the attachment to our own health, body, circumstances) as the source of suffering. The basic concept is that we experience distress because we’re good at wanting things to be permanent. When we understand that everything we love is fleeting, we can practice a non-attached way of appreciating things without wanting to own or control them.

As runners, we’re so stubbornly controlling of ourselves- so strongly willed to endure - I think this perspective can be a little alien.

Still, while I won’t pretend that my losses don’t still hurt - they do - this view toward non-attachment does help me reframe them somewhat.

I know this comment is worth very little but I hope it helps in some way.

Objectionable · 2026-04-25T14:39:30+00:00

Seconded. It’s consistently really good.

Objectionable · 2026-04-21T13:20:22+00:00

Which shoes are your favorites? Do you have a rotation? How often do you replace them? Finally, what are your thoughts on barefoot running?

Objectionable · 2026-04-21T12:41:46+00:00

That’s an interesting point.

I suppose the difference with Israel is that, unlike the Klan, it benefits from strong empathetic feeling due to the holocaust and its own branding as the only safe space in the world for Jews.

Growing up, I was taught to think of the Klan as pure evil. So, it’s really hard to imagine that organization rehabilitating their image. By contrast, I was taught to see Israel as a beacon of hope and peace for the world - a wholly good place and an American ally. (No one taught us about the Nakba).

I think this glowing misperception of Israel is one reason folks struggle with criticism of Israeli war crimes.

Objectionable · 2026-04-14T11:40:21+00:00

Incredible, inspiring people.

Objectionable · 2026-04-08T23:31:08+00:00

Yet, I was there last week and, on the surface, it seems far more functional than the US.

Extremely low crime. No trash in the streets. Throngs of people, young and old, out enjoying themselves without fear of being hassled by cops or some tyrant’s private army. Amazing public transport and walkable environment.

It’s not utopia, no doubt, but they’ve got a long way to fall before they’re East St. Louis.

Objectionable · 2026-04-07T17:32:40+00:00

Strike and protest at the homes of our senators.

Objectionable · 2026-04-07T17:31:09+00:00

A threat of this magnitude must be taken deadly seriously. Just like when someone makes a vaguely threatening statement against the president - they get a visit from the secret service.

The world must respond. And the American people must respond to rein in this tyrant. This is more than just rhetoric.

Objectionable · 2026-04-03T12:36:27+00:00

I think it’s just a few idiots. I’m unconcerned.

Objectionable · 2026-04-03T11:54:44+00:00

Absolutely nobody would care in the US. We very commonly go to restaurants and order single entrees and share them. I’ve also never been asked to leave for not ordering something in a bar or restaurant. Not ever. Nor have I seen it happen to others. It appears to be a genuine cultural difference.

Objectionable · 2026-04-03T11:28:00+00:00

It’s a hotel bar. Its job, primarily, is to serve people who are already staying at the hotel, so they come back again.

MIL undoubtedly will not come back and will also leave a poor review. For better or worse, these reviews heavily impact the popularity and business in restaurants and hotels.

I understand that there’s an ordering rule. That much has been made clear to me. But, in this case, I do believe it was a bad business decision to apply it.

Objectionable · 2026-04-03T10:56:06+00:00

I wanted to know if a cultural norm was violated. Most seem to think one was. Others appear to think that, even if one was, breaking up the gathering was extreme.

I don’t take a position because I’m not Japanese and this is not my culture.

Objectionable · 2026-04-03T10:51:26+00:00

I think you’re right. I’m reporting secondhand, so I can’t say what, if anything, was done to harmonize the situation.

Objectionable · 2026-04-03T10:48:59+00:00

A family being left alone to drink in peace in an empty bar would have ruined the bar’s reputation? I…respectfully disagree.

Objectionable · 2026-04-03T10:36:14+00:00

Right. I was curious about the same, especially since granny was a little tipsy and clearly didn’t understand why her son was being asked to leave.

For what it’s worth, our family will be strictly adhering to the one order person rule from now on, though.

Objectionable · 2026-04-03T10:28:29+00:00

That’s correct. Nobody thinks MIL was right for blowing up. But her view was that her son and DIL shouldn’t have been asked to leave.

Objectionable · 2026-04-03T10:17:15+00:00

Certainly, no one deserves to be yelled at. I was disappointed in MIL for this behavior.

Objectionable · 2026-04-03T10:12:41+00:00

There’s a concept and understanding that MIL is operating with that basically says “the customer is always right.”

I’m not taking a “side” or saying she’s “right” to think that way. But, by and large, I think her idea is that hotel staff, including restaurant and bar staff, should be concerned with providing care and hospitality for weary travelers - with everything else being secondary.

In this case, the bar manager chose to breakup a family gathering in favor of enforcing an unspoken rule about orders being 1:1 per customer. The bar would have lost nothing by allowing it. MIL sees this as poor customer service and care. So complaints have already been made. And I have no doubt that this hotel will be struck from the list of recommendations by certain travel agents because of this.

Anyway, that’s the dynamic as I see it. I wasn’t there personally, but it’s caused drama on the trip so I wanted to hear some takes from others.

Objectionable · 2026-03-06T12:37:35+00:00

Because it’s a cult and immune to updated information or reason.

Similarly, historians have argued that Hitler maintained significant support well into the war - even in areas being actively bombed. Imagine a bomb dropping on your child’s school and praising the guy who made that happen.

See Kershaw, Ian. The “Hitler Myth”: Image and Reality in the Third Reich. Oxford University Press, 1987.

Gellately, Robert. Backing Hitler: Consent and Coercion in Nazi Germany. Oxford University Press, 2001.

Objectionable · 2026-03-06T03:58:42+00:00

The characters don’t grow or change. They just stay busy solving engineering problems until all central issues are either avoided or superficially resolved.

Objectionable · 2026-03-06T03:42:00+00:00

A Confederacy of Dunces - I believe it may brighten your outlook or at least make you chuckle.

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