Certain news items strike me as so ridiculous that they seem like hoaxes worthy of The Onion or Lark News. I thought this when I read recently that new applications for passports will now have two slots for guardians: “parent one” and “parent two.” I . . . . Continue Reading »
I am very pleased with the level of discourse we have seen the last day or so among people with diverse, deeply held opinions, about two of the most volatile issues that we face as societies today; abortion and animal rights. I think we show here that people can disagree wholeheartedly, . . . . Continue Reading »
The International Task Force on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide has changed its name to the Patients Rights Council to better reflect its mission. From the Council’s statement:Those familiar with the work of the International Task Force know that we’re committed to providing . . . . Continue Reading »
Today, as readers may know, is the second anniversary of the death of the magazine’s founder and long-time editor, Father Richard John Neuhaus. Here are a few sources of his writing, lectures, and interviews, and the comments of others on him, including obituaries: The First Things resources . . . . Continue Reading »
The Wisconsin Medical Association wants to ration Wisconsin Medicaid. From its statement “The Wisconsin Medical Society’s Statement of Principles for Allocating MA Program Resource:”The goal of the Wisconsin Medical Society should be to communicate to and provide policy . . . . Continue Reading »
The NYT’s David Brooks—who has been called President Obama’s favorite “conservative” (my quotes)—lays Obamacare out cold in today’s column. Brooks generally stays pretty moderate on most issues—and his take on Obamacare is expressed without flame . . . . Continue Reading »
1. Why are thousands of dead birds suddenly falling from the sky? Let’s quickly review the facts. Just before midnight on New Year’s Eve, anywhere from 1,000 to 5,000 red-winged blackbirds and starlings fell from the sky within a one-mile area over the town of Beebe, Arkansas. The last . . . . Continue Reading »
Gregg Ten Elshof’s I Told Me So is one best books I’ve read this year. In it he meditates on the fascinating phenomenon of self-deception, and lists a variety of ways we manage our beliefs to avoid the unpleasant consequences of truth. As we go through life we are offered a deal: believe . . . . Continue Reading »
Microcredit agencies that work for profit may work better for the poor than many people think. And localism may be much less useful to man than many people think. The Israeli spy agency Mossad must be far, far cleverer at plotting then you think. Romanian witches threaten to curse their government . . . . Continue Reading »
With attacks on middle eastern and south Asian Christians apparently increasing in recent weeks, it is encouraging to read news like this: Egypt Muslims to act as “human shields” at Coptic Christmas Eve mass.“Although 2011 started tragically, I feel it will be a year of eagerly . . . . Continue Reading »
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