Blog 3 Columns

Ban Burqas? Don’t be Too Hasty 0
- Culture
- June 29, 2018
The Netherlands parliament recently banned facial coverings (including burqas and niqabs) in some public place. But isn’t such a ban a direct attack on Muslims and their religious freedom? That depends on which side you talk to. As one German news outlet puts it: “Proponents of the law argue it was necessary for security
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(Strange) Advice from Grandma that Actually Works 0
- Family
- June 29, 2018
Grandmothers can throw out some strange advice. And while it comes with varying degrees of apparent relevance, it often does contain quite a bit of wisdom. Here is some odd advice from my own grandma that has (surprisingly) proven true. 1. Making your bed is the key to chastity If chastity is your goal, then
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Why ‘Boring’ Summers are the Latest Trend in Parenting 0
- Culture
- June 28, 2018
A dear friend of mine grew up in a large family and long summer days are one of her fond memories. Her mother would shoo the entire clan out the door and tell them to go play. They were not to come back inside unless it was an emergency. If they were thirsty, they could
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What Lincoln Foresaw Would Occur If Maxine Waters, Others Got Their Way With Mob Justice 0
- Culture
- June 28, 2018
In 1836, at the Young Men’s Lyceum in Springfield, Illinois, a 28-year-old lawyer named Abraham Lincoln delivered one of his finest addresses. Lincoln condemned the sharp increase of mobs in America, which had exploded in number as the debate over slavery and regional animosity intensified. “Accounts of outrages committed by mobs, form the every-day news
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Three Common Ways Governments Misuse Statistics and What You Can Do About It 0
- Economics
- June 28, 2018
Government agencies and researchers produce endless reams of statistics. While statistics can be valuable, they can be easily misrepresented. A 2017 study on the use of statistics in news characterized the problem as such: “The constant supply of data produced by think tanks, government agencies, independent researchers, academics and others is a significant and a
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Schools Have Created a Generation of Permit Pattys and BBQ Beckys 0
- Culture
- June 28, 2018
It seems like every week there’s a new Permit Patty (a grown woman who called the police on an eight-year-old selling water without a permit), BBQ Becky (another grown woman who called the police on a man BBQing without a permit), or someone who calls the police on a lemonade stand. Beyond being an irritant and
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Coming to a Nation Near You, Starbucks Racial Bias Training 0
- Culture
- June 28, 2018
Here in America, Starbucks’ shut down all of its stores for nearly a half day on May 29 to conduct racial bias training in response to a much-publicized incident in one of its stores. The program encouraged employees to speak their truth, honor other people’s truth and be “color brave”. Reading through the 68-page team
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3 Ways to be a Great Friend as Told by Alcuin of York 0
- Culture
- June 28, 2018
If you are looking for “rules for life,” then you might want to start with Alcuin of York, an 8th century cleric. Never heard of him? You should have. Alcuin was Charlemagne’s secretary of education and the driving force behind the “Carolingian Renaissance.” Charlemagne, the First Holy Roman Emperor (815), was convinced that a revival
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Why ‘Social Justice Math’ Misses the Point of Learning Math 0
- Culture
- June 27, 2018
It’s a common occurrence: a math teacher stands at the front of the classroom, struggling to keep the student’s attention. One student is on the phone. Another stares straight ahead into the distance. And the kid in the back row is asleep. Again. However, as the teacher moves to the next topic, one student blurts:
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Ban Burqas? Don’t be Too Hasty 0