[NOTE: I happened across this old post of mine from December of 2012, and I liked it enough to give it another go-round.] I’ve long been a fan of John Updike’s short stories, although his novels—which are probably much more … Continue reading →
There is something uniquely terrible and uniquely fascinating about the unknown state of “missing, presumed dead” Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. Airplane crashes are always dreadful and terrifying; that’s a given. But disappearance—whether it be of an aircraft, a person, or … Continue reading →
…which I happen to think he will, he can point to this accomplishment: With growing tax collections now expected to give the state a $1billion budget surplus in June 2015, Walker’s bill will cut property and income taxes for families … Continue reading →
A comment of mine from the churchgoing thread: I have never really understood the interpretation of the Adam and Eve story as having to do with sex primarily, or even really at all. Ever since reaching adulthood, I have seen … Continue reading →
On the real Koch brothers: For the Kochs the real power is central government, which can tax entire industries into oblivion, force a citizen to buy health insurance and bring mighty corporations like Koch Industries to heel. “Most power is … Continue reading →
The title of this post comes from an obnoxious children’s rhyme we used to recite whenever someone called us a bad name and we wanted to deflect the charge more effectively than with “Sticks and stones may break my bones, … Continue reading →
I was curious to see what’s happened to churchgoing in this country since my youth, when I remember most people going to church—well, going religiously. My leading theory was that churchgoing has decreased mightily since then. But I was surprised … Continue reading →
…the two men traveling on stolen passports may not have had any relation to the downing of the Malaysian flight, at least if this story is true: Benjaporn Krutnait, owner of the Grand Horizon Travel agency, said the Iranian, a … Continue reading →
Remember Obamacare? The Times reports that a huge chunk of the new Medicaid recipients will consist of the incarcerated. This helps localities and states shift the burden of the cost of their treatment to the federal government. Just another factoid … Continue reading →
Peter Lanza, the father of Sandy Hook mass murderer Adam Lanza, was interviewed for this lengthy New Yorker piece. The case remains a riddle wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma. My guess, when all is said and done, is … Continue reading →
Ever since 9/11 and the subsequent attack attempts, airport security has used each new incident to come up with new safety measures. Some of them are rather esoteric, and many inconvenience passengers before every flight: an obvious example would be … Continue reading →
My best guess at this point is terrorism as the cause of the Malaysian air crash. Terrorism would seem an odd choice for a Malaysian flight traveling between Malaysia and China. But China was the seat of a recent terrorist … Continue reading →