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The Hidden Philosophical Message in ‘Gladiator’0
- Culture
- May 19, 2016
In Ridley Scott’s Gladiator, the philosophical emperor Marcus Aurelius makes a wonderful appearance. In this poetic portrayal of the truths of history, Marcus Aurelius (played by Richard Harris) chooses the fictional Maximus as his true spiritual heir, because his errant son Commodus is not a man of virtue as his father is. The interesting question is
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Is the NFL’s ‘Redskins’ Debate Finally Over?0
- Culture
- May 19, 2016
For decades now the Washington Redskins have received criticism over the team’s name, the idea being that it was insensitive, exploitive, and perhaps racist. The criticism reached a bit of a fever in 2013 during the team’s efforts to retain its trademark status. But instead of caving, the team’s owner, Daniel Snyder, notoriously declared that
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Lou Gehrig and the Culture of Victimhood 16
- Culture
- May 19, 2016
Over the weekend, I had the fun of revisiting one of my long-time favorite films, The Pride of the Yankees. For those unfamiliar with The Pride of the Yankees, the movie portrays the life story of baseball legend Lou Gehrig, who died at the age of 37 from ALS, the disease which now bears his
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A Look Inside Detroit’s Crumbling Public Schools 0
- Education
- May 19, 2016
It’s no secret that Detroit public schools are in turmoil. While public schools around the country are struggling, no system has suffered quite like those in the Motor City. This week the Atlantic offered a glimpse into city’s crumbling system, which came under state control seven years ago. (State administration has not improved the system.)
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Study: Mothers with More Kids Have One BIG Advantage 0
- Culture
- May 19, 2016
Do women who have more children live longer? That’s the conclusion of a recent, peer-reviewed study cited in this January article by The Atlantic’s health editor, Julie Beck. It is supported by other, less recent studies. What’s interesting is that it runs counter both to intuition and to other evidence. After all, the stress of
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Oxford Expert: 10% Chance Humans Extinct in a Century 0
- Entertainment
- May 18, 2016
I have not been blessed with a refined taste in cinema, with my favorite movie franchise being the Terminator series, especially the second and third, in which Arnie is in peak form. Alas, there’s not enough space here to reminisce, so let’s confine ourselves to the premise for the action. On August 29, 1997, Skynet,
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