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Yearning for Good, Old-Fashioned Paganism 0
- Culture
- January 12, 2017
Although I confess that I’m a Christian, I pine sometimes for some good old fashioned paganism. Not the nonsense of the neo-pagans who have about as much in common with the real McCoy as a divorcee has with a virgin (to employ C. S. Lewis’ slap-in-the-face analogy), or, to move from the shockingly sublime to
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Why are Conservative Politicians so Good-looking?0
- Culture
- January 11, 2017
If you are one of those perplexed by the swing to the Right in politics and suspect that dark forces are at work, relax. There is a simple explanation. As social scientists have noted for some time, voters tend to prefer good-looking candidates. And a team of European researchers now suggests that there are more
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CIA Claims Russia Has Pervy Dirt on Trump. But Did They Get Trolled?0
- Culture
- January 11, 2017
We’ve officially entered the Twilight Zone. Tuesday night, several media outlets opted to run with the details surrounding unsubstantiated claims that Russia has (gross) dirt on president-elect Donald Trump. The claims, which come from an addendum to a CIA report compiled by a former British intelligence officer, assert that Moscow has been supporting Trump for
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Why George Washington’s Farewell Address Still Matters 0
- Entertainment
- January 11, 2017
Read aloud in the Senate every year since 1862, George Washington’s Farewell Address is nothing less than a talismanic document. That’s John Avlon’s message in his new book Washington’s Farewell: The Founding Father’s Warning to Future Generations. I have to admit that I’m not a big fan of our first president. Why? He doesn’t strike
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A Neuroscientist Explains Why So Many Children Can’t Read 0
- Education
- January 11, 2017
By now we’ve probably all heard the statistics. Just a little over 1 in 3 American 4th graders are able to read proficiently. Unfortunately, that statistic doesn’t get better as time goes by. Consider the following statistics: 14% of adults can’t read. Only 13% of adults can read at a proficient level. 28% of adults
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American Studies All ‘Racism, Sexism, and Imperialism’ Now, Prof Says 0
- Culture
- January 11, 2017
My academic field, American Studies, is the interdisciplinary study of American cultures, past and present. Once it was a vibrant and useful discipline. Today, I’m sad to report, it is a regular source for “What wacky stuff are they up to on campus?” articles and blogs. These days, when American Studies captures any attention, it’s
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