Theft by Individualism

In the city, there were two ways to get electricity. One was the government’s: official, clunky, always breaking down, but built on the dim hope of something better someday. The other was the people’s: a tangle of stolen wires, hooks, and half-baked cleverness that kept the lights flickering just long enough to fool everyone into…

Garbage Time

People talk about “garbage time” in basketball. The last couple minutes of a blowout, where the starters are sitting on the bench with warm towels, and the coach is sending in guys whose mothers don’t even recognize them on the court. And the points don’t matter. The game’s already decided. It’s not history, it’s bookkeeping….