Anyone who judged American history by its popular vocal music would get the impression that the South had won the Civil War [perhaps freeing the slaves in the process, but] if you count both blacks and whites dominating the scene. […]
British
A Theology of Earthquakes and Culture
After the Haiti earthquake, Pat Robertson declared that the earthquake was punishment for Haiti’s voodoo culture. How does he know? And is it any of his business? Pronouncements of this sort, I believe, fall into the category of “taking the […]
My Long Awaited Healthcare Post (In the Form of a Book Notice)
T. R. Reid, The Healing of America: a global quest for better, cheaper, and fairer health care. New York: The Penguin Press, 2009. T. R. Reid is a correspondent for the Washington Post and a commentator on National Public Radio. […]
Happy Holidays and What They Really Are
The so-called Christmas holidays are really a rather complex thing – they are three different holidays happening simultaneously. WINTER SOLSTICE. This is certainly the first and oldest of the reasons to celebrate at this time of the year. Of course, […]
Lights in the Store Window
The lights in the store window look white, unfortunately, in this picture. But they are actually a sort of light blue. I know from being there at this time of year that the British love these light blue Christmas lights […]
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 […]