Just wondering.

One question a day about politics, culture and money, set against the way things used to be.

Most days the news arrives as if it were normal. A price, a pardon, a contract, a ruling, a quarterly bonus. Just Wonderings takes one of those moments and puts it next to the baseline: what the same thing cost, looked like or was considered acceptable ten, thirty or fifty years ago. Seen side by side, a lot of "normal" stops looking normal.

How a post works

Every post starts with a question. Then it lays out what is happening now, what the historical or ordinary baseline was, and how big the gap is, in numbers wherever possible. It ends with what is still worth wondering, because the honest answer is usually another question.

Sourcing and corrections

Facts, figures and quotes come from primary sources and reputable reporting, and money compared across years is adjusted for inflation. Opinions are clearly opinions. If something is wrong, it gets fixed, and the correction is noted at the bottom of the post. Spot an error? Tell us.

A point of view

Just Wonderings is independent. It isn't paid by or affiliated with any party, campaign, company or cause. It does have a point of view: skeptical of power, allergic to hypocrisy, and impatient with cruelty dressed up as policy. You won't always agree. That's fine; that's half the point.

Why anonymous?

So the question gets the attention, not the person asking it.

Read along

New wonderings go up most days in Politics, Culture and Business & Money. You can also follow by RSS, or get one question in your inbox each morning by subscribing on the front page.