Culture

Netflix’s Messiah: A Snapshot of Our Times 0
- Culture
- March 30, 2020
The anticipation for Netflix’s new show Messiah was significant. Media coverage described the show as “controversial,” and The Royal Film Commission of Jordan asked Netflix not to stream it, fearing the show would “infringe… on the sanctity of religion. However, when Messiah was actually released it quickly fell flat. Reviews were mixed, and the fact that
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Stimulus Goodies, Good Souls, and Grifters 0
- Culture
- March 30, 2020
On March 29, I spoke with a loan agent for a bank in a medium-sized city who wishes to remain anonymous. Her desire for anonymity will become clear after you read what she told me. Her bank, like many others, often works with the Small Business Administration (SBA) in making loans. The SBA guarantees a
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Teaching Humane Literature in High Schools 0
- Culture
- March 30, 2020
In many American high schools, the teaching of literature is in the sere and yellow leaf. One reason for this decay is the unsatisfactory quality of many programs of reading; another is the limited knowledge of humane letters possessed by some well-intentioned teachers, uncertain of what books they ought to select for their students to
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Plague Humor Is Good for You 0
- Culture
- March 30, 2020
My older sister took great pleasure in telling a younger-me the dark history behind the nursery rhyme, “Ring-around-the-Rosies.” She told me that the cheerful tune was written about the Black Death: the “pocket full of posies,” refers to small bouquets of sweet-smelling herbs the healthy would carry close to their noses in order to protect
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Five Things Americans Should Know About South Korea’s Handling of Coronavirus 0
- Culture
- March 30, 2020
This week in South Korea, a 97-year-old woman – well into the age group most susceptible to the coronavirus – fully recovered from COVID-19. This was one more victory for South Korea, a U.S. ally that is viewed as a success story to the world in combating the coronavirus pandemic. The small country of South
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Greta Thunberg’s Population Growth Problem 0
- Culture
- March 27, 2020
Earlier this week, famed climate activist Greta Thunberg took to Instagram, announcing her belief that she was recovering from COVID-19. Her illness, Thunberg noted, was light, and didn’t seem much worse than the common cold. Thunberg attributed her allegedly light COVID case to her youth. Unlike certain spring break partiers, Thunberg recognized the importance of
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