[NOTE: I’m trying to make this blog an Obama-free zone for at least one more day. One day at a time, they say.] This Atlantic article by Nicholas Carr is a recommended read, about the reported loss of concentration and … Continue reading →
I write some poetry from time to time, And gravitate to forms, I must confess. I crave some meter and a bit of rhyme. Free verse can be illusory progress. The sonnet with its prescribed fourteen lines Presents a special … Continue reading →
[Part I] Moral relativism is the idea that there is no absolute good and evil, but that all customs and practices of mankind must be evaluated in terms of their function in the society where they are found. Any attempt … Continue reading →
It used to be that virtually every society on earth had its own moral and social code and believed it was the best on earth—and not just the best for that particular society but the best, period. The only question … Continue reading →
This article at American Thinker describes growing protests by parents, who maintain their kids are overburdened and stressed out by too much homework. Author Charles J. Sykes takes issue, though, citing research to the contrary: …a study by the Brookings … Continue reading →
I saw her walking ahead of me on a sidewalk in New York, and I knew immediately. She had the long hair, slicked back into a slightly damp ponytail. The large soft bag, slung over the shoulder. The small stature … Continue reading →
We may not be able to define evil, but most of us think we know it when we see it. Unfortunately, that leads to equations such as Bush=Hitler, or the bumper sticker I saw on a car yesterday that said, … Continue reading →
Actually, it was early in the morning. The night before the closing I was up till 6:30 AM doing all the last-minute clearing away of the detritus of my life, getting things ready for the walk-through at 8:30 AM. I … Continue reading →
The rather Byzantine story of Senator Larry Craig of Idaho, who was arrested for lewd behavior in a Minnesota airport restroom staked out by an undercover cop in a sting operation, and who copped a plea for disorderly conduct instead, … Continue reading →
When people think of ballet—if they think of it at all—they often think of dancing on pointe, something only women do in ballet. George Balanchine, one of the greatest choreographers of all time, famously said, “Ballet is woman.” Then again, … Continue reading →
In the many posts I’ve written attempting to explain the basic neocon attitude towards the spread of democracy-(see this and this) I’ve tried to be careful to use the term “liberal democracy” to describe what is advocated. Why? Because democracy … Continue reading →
You’ve all seen those posters and bumper stickers: “War is not the answer.” You’ve also seen discussions of why those sporting them are incorrect; war has solved some things and provided answers to certain questions—such as whether, for example, there … Continue reading →