Counter-culture, as a term, came to the fore in the 1960s to talk about hippies opposed to the Vietnam War.

But it's popped up more recently in several discussions. So today, we explore it here.

There are several definitions out there for counter-culture, but the one I like best is comparing your inner compass to cultural norms. Those norms, of course, change over time.

But today's norm hasn't been working for me lately. Like our two-party political system. It's emblematic of today's "acceptable" social norm of otherization -- you're either with me or against me. That just doesn't work for me because people in both camps are all human beings who want pretty much the same things.

My philosophy is pretty well summed up by the fictional detective Harry Bosch, who says, "Everybody counts or nobody counts." And, sadly, living ...