Anybody can become angry – that is easy, but to be angry with the right person and to the right degree and at the right time and for the right purpose, and in the right way – that is not within everybody’s power and is not easy.
— Aristotle
When I was a kid, my favorite magazine was unquestionably National Geographic. Whatever the cover or main topic was each month, every issue seemed to me an exploration of the strange and fantastic ‘Other’ outside of my experience. Similarly, my … Continued
The Boy Who Cried ‘Wolf!’ Once upon a time, there was a village in the mountains. Some of the villagers were farmers while others were shepherds. One morning during harvest, a shepherd boy ran from the pastures and cried “Wolf! A … Continued
Look back 60 years into the past, and consider that American culture is no less sexist in our day than it was in the 1950’s. Sexism today has merely taken on an ugly new form.
Why I left On The Rocks blog, what I learned, and why I am back.
It’s Christmastime, but we recently got rid of a good chunk of our kids’ toys. At first the reactions were mixed. Enoch, my second-to-youngest son at 3-years old, was not pleased. I kept having to put toys back in the … Continued
Christmas-time in our house is a time for watching holiday movies. Among my favorites, not only for the Christmas genre but for cinema in general, is Frank Capra’s 1946 black and white classic, It’s a Wonderful Life. Starring Jimmy Stewart … Continued
I recently read an article published in Medium titled ‘HowBooks and Television Affect Your Brain Differently, According to Science’ in which the author outlined the findings of scientific studies examining brain activity in children who read books versus those who … Continued
A new year began last week. An old year passed away. To mark that, I spent five days writing up a comprehensive review of the last year, and planning for the year ahead. In the course of writing up a … Continued
Is gossip really a sin? And what’s the big deal about gossip anyway? The topic has been on my mind a lot lately, and I have some thoughts I’d like to share. But first let’s define our terms. What is … Continued
[Insert cryptic passive-aggressive status update here, addressed to… Well, you know who you are.] Yes, they’ll know who they are… Except they probably won’t, and a bunch of other people your update isn’t about will think it is, or else … Continued