One of the things that has bothered me most about present-day fundamentalists is their almost complete abandonment of The Sermon on the Mount. To me, this is the heart of the teachings of… Continue reading →

Sure, there are problems with academia; we all know that, if we have been anywhere near a college or university over the past decades. But they are not ones that can be solved… Continue reading →

I sent this to Adam Cohen of The New York Times: Dear Adam Cohen: How much have you really explored the worlds of blogs? Not much, given your “Editorial Observer” column in today’s… Continue reading →

Pompous? Overbearing? Smug? You are? Well, a pie in your face will quickly bring you down to a human level—and will tell the rest of us a great deal about you. If you… Continue reading →

Let me start out by saying that I am not being completely fair, here. But fairness is not my point—warning is. The danger, I believe, is quite real, details notwithstanding. What do we… Continue reading →

Bill Frist argues that democracy is voting, and that the filibuster is then inherently anti-democratic. He should know better. After all, as a Princeton graduate he should have at least a passing familiarity… Continue reading →

Last night, I surprised myself by watching Kurt Busch win the Subway Fresh 500, a NASCAR race in Phoenix. It’s not that I’m some sort of “eastern liberal elite” who looks down on… Continue reading →

As most of us know, House Majority Whip Tom DeLay is trying to avoid facing his own ethical lapses by attacking others, including the judiciary. This might simply seem humorous (an exterminator with… Continue reading →

Yesterday, I tried to fill out a survey for work, on the economic impact of my employment. I was going along fine—until the survey asked for the number of hours I “volunteer” per… Continue reading →

Anyone familiar with the 1939 Cary Grant film Gunga Din knows that our word “thug” comes from “thuggee,” word for members of a Hindu fundamentalist movement dedicated to sneak attack and murder. Here… Continue reading →