Thugs and Authoritarian Governments
It’s been said that the only thing that thugs and bullies respect is power. That’s not true. They deride power lesser than their own and despise power greater than their own, and the more they find...
View ArticleEconomic-Political Extremism
As I’ve often tried to point out in my novels, the greatest evil lies in extremism, and that especially applies to governments and the economic systems they foster. Tsarist Russia economically wasn’t...
View ArticleThe Look It Up Generation
As many of my readers know, I’m married to a lyric soprano who’s a full-time Professor of Voice and Opera. She teaches everything from voice lessons to Vocal Pedagogy [grad-level courses on the anatomy...
View ArticleUnfortunately, Putin Is Right
Vladimir Putin has effectively claimed that Ukraine poses an existential threat to Russia, and that claim has been widely disputed and ignored. But Putin is correct. Merely by existing, Ukraine in its...
View ArticleThe Need for Law
Societies and civilizations cannot exist without one basic element, and that element is trust. What is too often overlooked, however, is that, the greater the complexity and technological level of a...
View ArticleParenting?
Last week, part of one comment on a blog post read: “I don’t think the average parent’s behavior regarding their children has changed over time.” The poster then went on to blame teachers for the...
View ArticleThe Excessive Praise of “Talent”
The other evening, I attended a university opera program featuring two Puccini one-act operas. After the production was over, the Dean of the College of Performing Arts spoke to the Director of the...
View ArticleDestruction Unlimited
As a world, several decades ago, we reached the position where the weapons systems we have developed can easily destroy all human civilization and wipe out all but a small fraction of the human race…...
View ArticleUnderstanding Vlad?
There’s been a certain amount of commentary about “understanding” Putin. Most of the world understands him quite well. He wants to re-create an authoritarian empire that never worked all that well and...
View ArticleB&N 3-Day Pre-Order Special
For the next three days, from April 20th through April 22nd, Barnes & Noble is offering 25% off on pre-ordered books. That means you can get the hardcover of Councilor...
View ArticleThe Extremes Within
In the May issue of The Atlantic, entitled “How Social Media Made America Stupid,” Jonathan Haidt offers a critical and provocative insight into how and why the United States has become so “stupid” and...
View ArticleThe Donut Shop
When the donut shop on South Main Street opened, I gave it a year at most. In the nearly thirty years we’ve lived here, I’ve seen two donut shops and three bakeries open… and close. After close to ten...
View ArticleWho’s In Charge?
In the war between Russia and Ukraine, who’s actually in charge of the Russian offensive? Ostensibly, Vladimir Putin is. But last week Putin declared that attacks against the steel plant in Mariupol...
View ArticleThe Apologists
Over the last week or so, I’ve gotten proposed comments citing articles by various military “authorities,” published in magazines or by organizations of, shall we say, dubious provenance. Many of the...
View ArticleIMAGER Kindle Sale
Starting today, the Kindle version of Imager will be on sale for $3.99 for the month of May. If you already have it, please pass on the word!
View Article“…and I Don’t Like Anyone Very Much…”
[With apologies to The Kingston Trio] Because I’m a registered Republican and have given money in the past to a select few Democratic candidates, over the past few months both my snailmail and my email...
View ArticleWhen Justices Lie
With the leaked draft of the pending Supreme Court decision, apparently to overturn a woman’s right to abortion as established in Roe v. Wade, has come another not totally unexpected surprise. In their...
View ArticleGet Real About Abortion
Forget the arguments about “right to life.” They’re a smokescreen for the real issue, because the real issue is power. Men have absolute sexual freedom biologically. They can choose to have sex when...
View ArticleThe “Catholic” Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the United States has nine justices. Six of them are Catholic; one other justice identifies as “Anglican/Catholic.” Catholicism specifically condemns abortion. Of those seven, six...
View ArticleThe Stupidity of Democratic “Leadership”
As I’ve said for years, the “leaders” of the Democratic Party are their own worst enemies. What has made Republicans so effective is that they’ve concentrated on key issues that worry their supporters...
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