David McElroy

The Oglala Sioux Tribe of South Dakota is suing five big companies that make beer, asking that they cough up half a billion dollars in compensation for the economic, social and health consequences of their products. As far as I’m concerned, it’s just a legal shakedown.

Alcohol is illegal on the tribe’s Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, but that doesn’t mean the Native Americans who live there don’t drink. There’s a tremendous alcohol problem there. So where do the people get their illegal booze? It mostly comes from a few tiny places such as Whiteclay, Neb., a town of 14 people, whose four beer stores sell an average of 11,000 cans of beer each day.

So legal stores are selling a legal product to people who are legally competent to buy it. So why is the tribe suing the beer companies instead of placing the blame on the people who choose to spend their lives this way? The lawsuit says that the stores sell the beer knowing that the purchasers must be intending to smuggle it onto the reservation, but I still can’t figure out how that makes it the stores’ fault — or the beer-makers’ fault.

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In 1994, John Perry Barlow took his girlfriend to the Los Angeles airport for a flight to New York City. He would be following her later that day and would see her at the apartment they shared. At the curb, Cynthia said, “We were made for each other, Baby. Nothing can keep us apart.”

That was the last thing she ever said to Barlow, because she died during the flight.

The story of John Perry Barlow and Cynthia Horner is a love story that you’re going to want to hear. Even though it doesn’t have a happy ending, that doesn’t make the story any less compelling and thought-provoking. That’s especially true if you’re not sure you believe in “love at first sight” or “soul mates” or that sort of romantic “nonsense.”

I first heard this story years ago on the public radio show, “This American Life,” and I was reminded of it again this week when the episode was repeated. At this link, scroll down to Act Three — “When Worlds Collide”— to hear the story.

Barlow is known to different people for different reasons. I first heard of him because of his association during the ’90s with NeXT, which was the computer company Steve Jobs founded after he left Apple. He’s also the co-founder of the Electronic Frontier Foundation and is well-known as an activist for online civil liberties. Fans of the Grateful Dead will know him best as one of the band’s long-time lyricists.

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When I added a donation button to the site earlier this week — on the top right of the page — I had no idea people would actually use it. As you can see from this picture of Leonardo counting the money, though, some donations have already come in.

I’ve been urged for months to add this feature, but I resisted because it felt too much like begging. People kept telling me that some folks wanted to give, so I should give them a chance. So if you enjoy the site and want to help feed the monkeys, this is your chance.

The monkeys are starting to make lists of things they want me to buy with the money. The leading idea, of course, is more bananas, but a few had interesting ideas. One mentioned a company helicopter for them to fly. Another thought we should get new typewriters for all the monkeys. One guy even mentioned getting t-shirts for all the readers. I’m still thinking about what to do with this motherlode of cash, but right now I’m leaning toward blowing it on Chick-fil-A or the bill for Internet service.

Seriously, I really appreciate those of you who’ve contributed. The money is really nice, but the psychological boost that comes from the support is even more important. So thanks. I really appreciate you.