Matthew Robin, at The Blogs

Jun 2, 2026, 6:21 PM

Happy extended family communicating while having a late meal on Hanukkah in dining room.

Modern people often think they understand what a table is. A table is where individuals consume calories. It is a site of preference expression. One child dislikes vegetables. Another wants dessert first. One adult is dieting. Another is tracking protein...

Jun 1, 2026, 7:59 AM

Prophets, Counter-Myths, and Rediscovering MLK Jr.

One of the stranger developments of the modern American political landscape is that both the activist left and the activist right increasingly approach history through the same structure. They begin with a legitimate observation: the simplified civic mythology taught to...

May 24, 2026, 11:53 PM

Beyond Fairness

Entering Other Moral Worlds A friend recently sent me an article on the history of fairness. What struck me immediately was not simply the argument itself, but the method behind it. The author attempted something modern people often struggle to...

May 24, 2026, 8:26 AM

The Greatness of King Josiah

King Josiah should feel confusing to the modern reader. He discovers the forgotten Torah deep into the decline of the Kingdom of Judah. He tears his clothes in grief. He destroys idols, tears down high places, restores Passover, renews the...

May 19, 2026, 4:01 PM

Ambient Terror

Perpetual Psychological Pressure There is a form of terror that does not primarily operate through mass casualty attacks. It does not need to. Its power comes from shaping atmosphere. It exists in the background of ordinary life: the notification that interrupts dinner, the...

May 18, 2026, 5:45 AM

A History of Tribal Humor Infotainment

Two months ago, I reposted a statement from Donald Trump into a WhatsApp group chat after one of the flare-ups involving Iran. I remember the statement clearly because of how strange it sounded in the moment. Very early on,...

May 14, 2026, 10:26 PM

The Ideology of Velocity

America is beginning to speak the language of great power competition again. Not explicitly, at least not most of the time. Few people openly invoke the Cold War anymore. Fewer still consciously argue that communities should be sacrificed in pursuit...

May 13, 2026, 4:34 PM

The Widow, the Orphan, and the River

A few weeks ago, I read a story about poisoned rivers in northwest Georgia. For decades, the region’s carpet industry used PFAS, “forever chemicals” associated with cancer and other illnesses, in stain-resistant carpeting. The chemicals entered wastewater systems, rivers, fish,...

May 13, 2026, 6:40 AM

The Return of Jewish Power

Nearly a decade ago, a Christian friend told me something that has stayed with me ever since. After converting to Christianity, he apologized to me for all the terrible things Christians had historically done to Jews. I thanked him, but...

May 1, 2026, 8:23 PM

The Star Forge Temptation: Power, Sovereignty, and the Limits of Control

There is a certain kind of argument that appears in every generation: the claim that, with the right tools and the right design, we can finally take control of our collective destiny. Today, that argument often arrives dressed in...

About Me

Born and raised in South Florida, I hold a master’s in applied economics from Florida State University and have worked as a data analyst for the past decade, now at GitHub. I live in Wamego, Kansas, where I serve as a volunteer firefighter, ran for the Kansas State Senate, and stay active in the Manhattan Jewish community.