Uncategorized 1147

I am reading through James Ronda's Lewis and Clark Among the Indians (first published in 1984) and was reminded of how we saw ourselves politically in the early days of…

Apparently, some people are pushing something like a local business version of Black Friday. Of course, it's a different day--the Saturday after Thanksgiving--so the committed shopper can always double-dip. The…

On the basis of this story out of Morland, KS (population 150, or thereabouts), the answer seems to me: community determination (citizens forming a local foundation to purchase and keep…

Happy Thanksgiving! In keeping with tradition, President Obama has pardoned a Thanksgiving turkey. Although, given the fact that the runner-up turkey isn't bound for a table either, the pardoned turkey…

“As the proverb says, men cannot know each other until they have eaten salt together.” –Aristotle We don’t need the latest study to show us that we are losing the…

Worries continue over the FDA implementation of new food safety regulations. Small farmers may face debilitating regulations, although the FDA claims it will be sensitive to small farm concerns. This…

I discuss frequently with my Intro to American Government classes what current redistributive policies are likely to mean for them. Along with receiving the majority of the Catholic vote in…

Every morning when I would shuffle to our refrigerator to lug out the gallon of milk for cereal, or after school when I'd stand in front of it wondering if…

The Black Friday shopping binge starts earlier still this year. On a less depressing note, these study results tell something about how women influence men. And these results list what…

These people will also discover the seemingly insignificant conventions their predecessors have destroyed. Things like this: When it is proper for the young to be silent in front of their…

Over at Urbanplains Magazine is this interesting piece on the disappearance of small, urban towns. It's one of the catastrophes of our age.

Earlier this week the first federal challenge of NSA surveillance opened. At this point in the proceedings, the main question seems to be whether any of the various challengers have…

This Monday was Veterans Day, prompting this intriguing piece, which examines flaws in the public's perception of veterans and in veteran's perception of themselves. Meanwhile, this article addresses the continuing…

Penelope (to Telemachus): “If really he is Odysseus, truly home, beyond all doubt we two shall know each other better than you or anyone. There are secret signs we know,…

The Stanford professor who debunked the myth of effective multitasking, Clifford Nass, died unexpectedly of a heart attack on November 2. But he leaves behind his interesting work on the…

‘You, herdsman, and you, too, swineherd… Would you be men enough to stand by Odysseus if he came back?

When I think we can't hit new lows, I run across something like this: http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/10/selfies-at-funerals/280972/ I am hardly familiar with this "selfie" phenomenon, but I can't see it as a…

For those readers at all interested in Angela Merkel's dismay, or the reach of our homeland spy agencies, here are a few pertinent quotes from Paul Pillar, speaking on NPR's…

There's a computer program called Lexile that purports to measure the complexity of books and thereby determine the grade level for which they are best suited. Here's the description: Lexiles…

Anyone blessed enough to be within shouting distance of Batavia, New York, this Saturday, October 26, at 8 pm is invited to drop by the Pok-a-Dot, venerable and funky diner,…

Hillsdale, Mich. Misery loves company, they say, but maybe not if the company is Comcast. Yes, I have returned to a subject of previous kvetching, though this time I am…

Hillsdale, Michigan. Thanks to Comcast (who says I never thank them), I noticed a headline from the Daily Beast today about the 20 most affordable colleges. The hook was trying…

Scale matters and a one-size-fits-all solution is a function of a state that exceeds a proper scale (and ignores a common sense approach to problems). According to one article: The…

"I love Old October so/I can't bear to see her go," sang the Hoosier Poet of this most resplendent and melancholy month. Among the gifts this October brings is the…