I spent a few days in Jackson, Mississippi, last fall, and for the interest of the thing had a country music station on in my car, because you never know. It turned out a large number of the songs were […]
Culture
The Strange American Inversion of the Liturgical Year
Historically in Christian liturgy, Advent was supposed to be a sort of penitential time, a little Lent leading up to Christmas, as Lent led up to Easter. Anglican hymnbooks have an Advent section and a Christmas section. Songs like “O […]
Valentine’s Day Carols? And Other Observations
A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all our readers. As usual, what Americans call ‘The Holidays’ is an odd mix, especially in the special music now played. What are effectively Gospel carols [especially if they sing all […]
Now, Even Apartment Dwellers are Getting Choosy about their Neighbors
It has been known for a long time that homeowners have wanted to control who their neighbors are. In the past it was race; now it is for income and for how they might use their property, and often for […]
Living with Same Sex Marriage
Several of the Federal circuit courts have found that the Fourteenth Amendment, which became part of the Constitution in 1868, requires the states to validate same sex marriage as equal with opposite sex marriage. Of course, I think this would […]
Suppose We Applied Some of the Theories of Today to the Culture Wars of 90 Years Ago?
Wesley J. Smith warns us that the ACLU is now maintaining that the rights of access of people to not only abortion but Death with Dignity should override the rights of physicians, pharmacists, and health care workers to conscientious objection regarding […]
The Residential College Experience and New Urbanism
Matthew Gerken, in Philanthropy Daily, has a nice essay entitled “Why We Love College.” For all the problems with the American university experience – they’re not preparing the kids for jobs! – they’re not preparing the kids for anything but […]
‘Beach People’ vs ‘Brunch People’ – the Eternal Struggle
I have concluded that there are two kinds of people, ‘beach people’ and ‘brunch people’. The first are those that like outdoor activities; the second are those that like to sit in one place for hours and read, or study, […]
If 65 is the New 45, is 20 the New 13?
Anna Sutherland, in, Family Studies, points out that teenagers are getting less risky in their behavior nowadays; they are drinking less alcohol, and actually having less sex, not just less unprotected sex. [In fact, the average young person today is […]
The Adams Map: A Different Spectrum, A Challenge
Michael Adams’ 2005 book, American Backlash: The Untold Story of Social Change in the United States, got little attention in the States. In fact, since he is a Canadian author, only used copies can be found on the regular amazon.com, […]