Yesterday, the New York Post published a front page story on presidential candidate Donald Trump’s most recent diatribe against Senator John McCain. The Post (and others) actually misquoted him, but he said: “He is not a war hero. He is a war hero. He’s is a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured.” […]
I’m not sure exactly when it happened. There was no notice in the paper or protracted series of essays in the New York Times. No, the death of Rock and Roll was such a quiet and isolated death, few noticed. Today only by a mildly interesting song occasionally appears on alternative rock radio. Still, despite these rare reanimations, rock […]
“There is no sun without shadow, and it is essential to know the night.” —Albert Camus It seems there has always been a draw to horror stories, the weird, supernatural, and unknown powers lurking just beyond our view. All of the mysterious creatures from classic horror dwell in the darkness, where our unconscious can project our deepest […]
Lewis Mumford observed that the first cities were cemeteries. Enclosed areas with tightly packed bodies were only for the dead. Cities weren’t re-purposed for the living until the advent of civilization in Mesopotamia 6,000 years ago. For the elites of the ancient world, the city was the foundation of their control. Cities were focused around a […]
Grant Wood’s “American Gothic” painting says a lot of about who Americans are deep down: one figure timid and seemingly almost traumatized, the other defiant, and both are dour. Their unhappiness stands in stark contrast with a beautiful setting behind. Dressed in black, there is a morose darkness to their mood. But the message of this parody is one of rage matched with delusional […]
A nurse must portray a sincere sense of caring, but more than that, a calm, unemotional competence. They want to create the impression that everything is under control, even when death is certain. The job of a palliative care worker is to create the illusion of health for those who are dying, to make the symptoms of […]
Most of us know the President of the United States is not elected; rather they are selected by a mostly invisible cadre of elite power brokers who believe in growing their own power at all costs. In the end, an enormous amount of energy and attention is diverted to national elections precisely because it does not offer […]
Recently, my parents were complaining about their property taxes, which, while not as high as some places, are certainly a burden. Property taxes are really a form of rent and a constant reminder that you don’t really own the house you have purchased. Fail to pay your property taxes and you’ll be quickly reminded of this […]
A lot of people I know claim they are not religious. If they had said they were not very religious, I could accept it, but to claim complete separation from religious thought is like saying “I do not get angry,” or “I do not get hungry.” It’s self deluding. No one is entirely rational all the time […]
Today is President’s Day, officially still known as Washington’s Birthday. It’s a day where we celebrate the contributions of America’s executive branch, apparently regardless of what they’ve done. Of course, no one cares when Washington’s Birthday actually is; it’s always observed on a Monday to ensure consumers can shop on their three-day-weekends. The modern President’s Day is actually the result […]
