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Madonna and the Meaning of Democracy0
- Culture
- December 15, 2016
So what does Madonna have to do with the meaning of democracy? Well, apart from her feeling that she had been “betrayed” by the democratic process because “the percentage of women who voted for Trump was insanely high”, the answer is not much. Truth be told, she has nothing to contribute to the debate and
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Latin: The ‘5 for the Price of 1’ Language?0
- Education
- December 15, 2016
Throughout much of my life, I’ve been surrounded by language enthusiasts: a sister who has long dabbled in learning various languages for the fun of it; a good friend who got her Master’s degree in linguistics; a co-worker who is a Latin buff. Regrettably, I never caught the language itch. And the two languages which
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How to Transform a Life Stuck in a Rut0
- Philosophy
- December 15, 2016
Has a New Year’s resolution ever made a permanent difference in your life? Maybe you stuck with it for the first week of the year. But dang it, January is cold. Some mornings it’s hard to just get out of your warm bed, let alone trudge to the gym, write a blog post, or meditate
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How One College Prof Learned to Love Homeschoolers0
- Culture
- December 15, 2016
College professor Ali Gordon wasn’t always a fan of homeschool students. Like many others, he believed that homeschoolers were sheltered individuals, unable to fend for themselves once they left the comfort of their own home. But Dr. Gordon’s mind began to change as he encountered homeschool students in his courses in the Mechanical and Aerospace
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‘Trump Attackers’ Who Tried to Grab this Woman’s Hijab Were Fake0
- Culture
- December 15, 2016
On Dec. 1. Yasmin Seweid, 18, told police and the media that she had been attacked on a subway by three white men, supporters of president-elect Donald Trump. The scene described was horrifying. [Strangers] stood by and watched as three drunk white men repeatedly screamed “Donald Trump!” and hurled anti-Islam slurs Thursday at a Muslim
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Why the Hell Are Politicians Trying to Run Airlines?0
- Economics
- December 14, 2016
U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, the incoming Senate minority leader, is angry that United Airlines is planning to charge an overhead bin fee to passengers buying the cheapest economy seats. Consider your customer service experience. Who provides better service: the Motor Vehicle Administration or L.L. Bean? The Post Office or FedEx? Your cable company or Netflix?
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Washington Irving on the Problem with Christmas0
- Culture
- December 14, 2016
There are generally two main complaints I hear every time Christmas rolls around. The first is that Christmas has become hectic and exhausting. The second is that it has been stripped of all that is meaningful and neutralized so as not to give offense. I thought of these two complaints when I came upon a
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There’s a Secret Code in One of Your Favorite Christmas Carols0
- December 14, 2016
You’ve most likely heard the hymn “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” played during the holiday season. What you might not know is that it refers to a yearly tradition that begins on December 17 each year, namely, the “O Antiphons.” It is the Christian belief that Jesus Christ was the Messiah, and that his coming
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The Story Behind Charles Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’0
- Economics
- December 14, 2016
Charles Dickens was mad. He was angry at his father, who was sent to debtors’ prison, forcing young Charles to pawn his belongings, drop out of school and work in a shoe-polish factory. He was also angered by the conditions in which England’s poorest children lived and worked. He was going to publish a political
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