Jack Bragen is a writer who lives in Martinez with his wife, Joanna. His books are available for purchase on Amazon.
Jack Bragen
The pandemic resembles one of my psychotic episodes
The current pandemic makes it seem as though the world has gone insane. This time, I'm not crazy, but neither are other people. Reality has taken a surreal turn.
Money buys choices and I don’t have it
I’m prefacing this essay with a personal statement: I’m in favor of money and I’m in favor of me having
Intimidation: the cost of disability benefits
Many people with disabilities are dependent on government benefits in order to survive. However, the process of acquiring these benefits is nowhere near easy. It can be deeply intimidating, making it feel inaccessible for those who already struggle with disabilities.
Buddhism for the rich vs. Buddhism for the poor
It is well known to almost anyone exposed to Buddhism that its originator, Gautama Buddha, left behind rule of a
Disability insurance is a poverty trap August 2019
If you are unable to work competitively due to a disability and you receive benefits because of this, it isn’t free money—it comes with certain costs. Disability benefits and SSI are set up to impose limitations in what you can and can’t do.
Watching James Michaelson
Creating multiple inconveniences was one of many strategies for interfering with James Michaelson’s inconvenient, daily activities.
He was opening a can of tomatoes, and my prompt instructed me to speak into the microphone.
New California bill may threaten independent workers
The California Legislature is currently considering Assembly Bill 5, could make it much more difficult to work as an independent
Society in 2120 (part III)
Recap of part II: “As if to punctuate what it had said, the car abruptly accelerated and passed a cluster
Enlightenment is not the solution to poverty
When basic necessities aren’t present, or when one’s living conditions are otherwise compromised, (such as if you live in a
Society in 2120 (part II)
Recap of part I: The force put out by the book, the evil force, was stronger. It was involuntary: I
Society in 2120 (part I)
In a car, on my way to work, I saw the ever-present, giant, illuminated billboards along my flight path, displaying
Modern-day scammers prey upon the poor
I am constantly astounded at the level of sophistication reached by modern day swindlers. If ordinary folks fail to be
Social security is not enough to live on
When a person is born disabled or becomes disabled as an adult, they are in for a life of hardship
Abolish the Inhumanity of War and Poverty
We face a spectrum of cruelty, from bullying in the schools to the inhumanity of poverty and the catastrophic cruelty of war and nuclear bombs. Inhumanity leads to senseless shootings at the local level and senseless wars on the global level. People must learn to be kinder and more humane.
Compassion: A Way Out of Conflict and Enmity
Compassion means empathy and imagining the perspective of others. The idea that “we are all one” may be dismissed as straight out of the 1960s. But that idea stays with me and continues to influence me. This consciousness of love and compassion is one of the pillars of most religions.
Psychiatric Cruelty in the Modern Era
Before the first medications were developed, lobotomies were used on the most difficult cases, and electroshock was often used as well. Even with modern treatments and knowledge in the field of psychiatry, senseless cruelty continues to be perpetrated upon persons who suffer from mental health problems.
Lost and Homeless Among the Stars
When I die, or after I die, I want to look back at my life and see that I ate that cookie, I drank that vodka, I made love to that woman. I did not shy away from living because of the petty fear that death might come sooner.