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Monthly Archives: December 2008
2009 May Be the YEAR of Lincoln and Darwin
Both Lincoln and Darwin were born in 1809, so expect a lot of retrospective reflection on these two figures throughout 2009. In the United States, Edgar Allan Poe might also get some attention—as I believe that he too was born … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged 1809, 2009, Abraham Lincoln, Charles Darwin, Darwin, edgar allan poe, evolution, lincoln, philosophy, poetry, Politics, science
2 Comments
Was 2008 a Bad Year for Free Speech?: Janet Albrechsten Thinks So
Janet Albrechsten’s review of the threats to free speech that occurred in 2008 (primarily triggered pre-emptively by fears of fundamentalist Muslim violence directed at authors and publishers) is sobering reading. Money quote: If large sections of the media – normally … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Ayn Rand, censorship, first amendment, free speech, fundamentalism, Hinduism, Islam, James Dobson, John Locke, John Macarthur, philosophy, religion
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The Future of Journalism?
Maureen Dowd’s recent column on the outsourcing of a California newspaper’s entire content to Indian writers at $7.50 per thousand words is sobering reading. Money quote: He fired his seven Pasadena staffers — including five reporters — who were making … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged California, economics, editors, English, India, internet, journalism, Maureen Dowd, newspapers, wall street, writing
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Homosexual Metaphor Watch: Is Gay Behavior “a destruction of God’s work” Akin to Rainforest Destruction?
According to the International Herald Tribune today, Pope Benedict likened gay behavior to ecological destruction: Pope Benedict said Monday that saving humanity from homosexual or transsexual behaviour was just as important as saving the rainforest from destruction. The Church “should also … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Catholicism, Christianity, gay marriage, gay rights, homosexuality, James Dobson, Jesus, pope benedict, psychology, sociology
2 Comments
“Learning to read slowly and carefully”: On the Value of Literature in a Fast-Paced Internet World
With the MLA conference coming up in San Francisco, Inside Higher Ed quotes an MLA report on the importance of teaching literature to undergraduates: “Sustained, deep engagements with literary works and literary language open perceptions of structure, texture, and the layering of meanings … Continue reading
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Tagged college, cultural literacy, education, English, language, literature, mla, poetry, San Francisco, UCLA
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BARACK OBAMA Fundamentalist Horror Watch: Tearing Down the WALL of Separation BETWEEN Science and STATE
As we speak, Barack Obama is undoing eight years of Bush success in building a high wall of separation between SCIENCE and STATE! Yikes. Yesterday, Obama announced the appointment of a Nobel Prize winning scientist to his cabinet, and also … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged America, faith, fundamentalism, James Dobson, Jesus, John Macarthur, philosophy, Politics, religion, Sarah Palin, science
4 Comments
Liberated Woman Come Home?: A Female Version of the Prodigal Son
I read the above as an anti-feminist video that maps the “geography of hell” and “otherness”—and concludes with a North American woman (Gale Garnett) making a choice between two paths. One path leads to “frustration” and “confusion”—and the other leads to “true love.” I … Continue reading
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Tagged anti-feminism, feminism, fundamentalism, gospels, hillary clinton, philosophy, Politics, prodigal son, psychology, Sarah Palin, sex, sexual liberation
2 Comments
Mental Health Break
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Tagged classical music, flower duet, music, opera, poetry, psychology
2 Comments
“FAMILIES in crisis that are preyed upon by charlatans with faith magic and false solutions”: A Scary Scene from the Film “Poltergeist”—with an Ironic Admonition to Use CRITICAL THINKING
As we head into a recession (or worse) a lot of religious charlatans will be out preying upon people who are hitting bottom—and bamboozling them with thought magic, simplistic reasoning, and threats of hell. This scene (from the movie Poltergeist) has long … Continue reading
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Tagged agnosticism, critical thinking, economy, film, fundamentalism, ghosts, jonathan edwards, philosophy, poltergeist, puritanism, skepticism, Socrates
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