Today’s parents are fixated on setting their children on strategic paths to “success”— cramming their days with lessons, sports, clubs, camps, and so on. The goal: to enrich their kids’ lives with new knowledge and experiences. Or, more commonly, “to keep them busy.” We do the same for ourselves, of course, stocking our calendars with
READ MOREWhen an old person dies, a library burns to the ground. – Variation on an African proverb In the mid-1990s, Mrs. Irene Harrison (1890-1999) from Akron, Ohio stayed in my bed-and-breakfast in Western North Carolina. On her last visit,
READ MOREWriting on the recent decision to drop charges against Jussie Smollett, the New York Times observed that for Smollett, “The outcome couldn’t have been better.” It’s no surprise that Chicago’s mayor and police chief are both furious. And while he got off ridiculously easily, there is perhaps one thing that could have gone even better
READ MOREThe Senate on Tuesday overwhelmingly rejected Democrats’ so-called Green New Deal, touted to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as a way of combating climate change. The vote was 57-0 against proceeding to debate, with 42 Democrats and one independent opting for “present.” Among other things, the Green New Deal would require significant changes in the energy,
READ MOREThe Democratic Party features a litany of presidential candidates who are, for various reasons, unelectable. Among them, however, is one candidate who is at least raising a vital issue with the potential to affect every American. He is Andrew Yang. A Gen-Xer who made his wealth in Big Tech, Yang has been on the cutting
READ MOREHuman beings love a good rags-to-riches story. As proof of this, consider the enduring popularity of the fairy tale ‘Cinderella.’ In recent years, Americans have put their own unique twist on this genre: the memoirs of people who achieved success after escaping the white working class. Famous examples include The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls
READ MOREThe Chicago Police Department is reportedly furious after the state dropped charges against actor Jussie Smollett, who allegedly staged a fake hate crime against his person. “Empire” actor Smollett, 36, was arrested and charged in February for allegedly filing a false police report, which claimed he was attacked, splattered with a chemical substance, and put into a noose-like rope. The
READ MOREThis past Saturday was the 100th anniversary of the forming of the Fascist movement in Milan, Italy in 1919. Here are five facts you should know about fascism: 1. Benito Mussolini coined the term “fascism” in 1919 to describe his political movement, the black-shirted members the Fasci di combattimento (“combat groups”), who seized power in
READ MOREIf you’ve heard anything about insulin lately, it’s probably been palpable outrage over soaring prescription prices or dubious optimism about Eli Lilly’s recent release of its new version that, at half the price, will cost an arm or a leg but not both. Amid this cesspool of indignant commentary, you’re likely to hear one of
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