One of the common experiences of contemporary politics is feeling like what you are being told is so stupid and nonsensical that the person saying it knows it is stupid and nonsensical too. Denial of climate change, evolution and established historical fact certainly provide such... Continue
Public Citizen
I've always wondered if it's a matter of translation; namely did the the tablets brought down Mt. Sinai by Moses prohibit killing or murder? From what I can tell, most people think "Thou shalt not kill" fully covers the topic, generating reams of argument about... Continue
Before movies there were dreams, the experience of being simultaneously involved while impassively observing events and emotions displayed on mind's internal "screen." In many ancient cultures dreams played a pivotal role in individual and social life. For Australian Aboriginal peoples, Dreamtime is considered the greater... Continue
Although the human impulse towards religious experience is undeniable many people today do not consider themselves as religious or spiritual. Writer Richard Dawkins or television pundit Bill Maher take great pains to paint religious belief as nonsense - destructive mumbo-jumbo unsuited to modern society and... Continue
Ok so it's 2040 and I'm 92 years old - too old if you ask me, which of course you didn't - but that's not the point. The point is I'm pissed-off. Sure, you say, of course you're pissed-off - you're old - and being... Continue
When I was growing up a fella named Charles Atlas adorned the back pages of cheap magazines, displaying a body we'd today call "buff" but back then "muscle-bound." The proverbial answer to being a skinny wimp at the beach and having sand kicked-in-your-face by the... Continue
There is a decidedly anti-intellectual strain in contemporary American society, this despite a high rate of literacy and a historical legacy of higher education. Though books are still written, dissertations, doctorates and advanced degrees awarded, the present level of public discourse can only be termed... Continue
Among the plants in my greenhouse are many in the Gasteria family, a type sometimes called "Cow's Tongue" due to their thick stems, lack of leaves and dappled surface coloration. Many Gasterias display varying patterns of white spots on green backgrounds, which vary from species... Continue
To uncivilized people the whims of nature surely seemed capricious; their search for meaning behind devastating winds or a great flood gave rise to tales of gods, magic and otherworldly realms beyond the powers of direct human observation. Seasonal cycles, animal migrations, phases of the... Continue
Recent polls indicate that America's favorite sport is now football instead of baseball. It's not hard to see a connection between this trend and the changed nature of American life in the 21st century. Baseball, of course, is a 19th century game, developed during slower... Continue