A recent article in the Canadian magazine The Walrus [link] reminded me of the time I took an unscheduled tour of the Oakland ghetto because someone used the route planning of a GPS system instead of their own brain to […]
Howard Ahmanson
Palestine: More than one way to do a two-state solution.
Why does everyone assume that in order for there to be a two-state solution in Palestine, the Palestinian state has to include the entire pre-1967 West Bank? Why could they not just enlarge the current Palestinian zones considerably? You would […]
The Real Danger to the Faith
Last weekend the Wall Street Journal had a weekend feature on “Man vs. God” in which neither side defended the Biblical Christian faith. Back in the ‘70s there was a book called the Peter Principle that declared that people rose […]
Where I’m Still Libertarian (With a couple of shameless plugs.)
Now that I have become a big government Democrat, I am farther removed from the Libertarians than I ever was before. But as a Christian, I could never be a philosophical Libertarian, much as I would have liked to be […]
The Heart vs. The Gut
One of the common errors in modern Western thinking is to confuse the “heart” with the “gut,” the home of the emotions and moods. My emotions and moods change over time. The attitudes that trigger my moods and feelings are […]
Sons of Italy “Assimilate” to Country and Western
If the Sons of Italy is doing a country western dance, not tarantellas, why are we so worried about immigration? When I’m in Europe I like to tell them, in hell, the Americans are in charge of health care and […]
I Do Not Have to, and I Will Not, Choose Between Being “Morally Superior” and Being A “Robber”
I enjoyed Jonathan Chait’s review of two books about Ayn Rand’s world in a recent New Republic. I have not actually read the books reviewed, but I, and members of my family, have been at various times exposed to and […]
Welcome to BlueKennel!
Welcome to my new blog! I invite you to respond, comment, and make suggestions through your own comments on the blog. This blog will cover subjects that interest me from the realms of world events, politics, religion, history, morality, ethics, […]
Why There’s Not Much Intellectual Activity in Orange County
My friend asked me to write on why there isn’t much intellectual activity in Orange County. My basic answer is a simple one. First, it isn’t considered healthy. Second, it’s too much like work. Third, it’s not considered character-building. Actually, […]
Is There Something Wrong with Me? Or am I Just Protestant?
I have just had the privilege of attending the preview opening of The Sacred Made Real, an exhibition of Spanish polychrome sculpture and painting from the 17th century, at the National Gallery in London. Some of the artworks are paintings, […]