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LATEST ARTICLES ( 1483 )

• My Unconscious Racial Bias

  

  I bridle when I hear talk of persistent American racism. Sure, there is some. And, yes, after-effects of past racial injustice. But real racists today are... Read more

  Posted on 22 November 2014 CULTURE, POLITICS, SOCIETY

• Boy, Was I Wrong – Nonvoters Rule!

  

  Before the election, I said “Obama might be forced to get serious about accommodation with Republicans, on such urgent issues as tax reform and immigration, to... Read more

  Posted on 18 November 2014 CULTURE, POLITICS, SOCIETY

• “Edge of Tomorrow” – Groundhog Day All Over Again

  

  The space invaders have already conquered Europe. Humans hope to stop them with a reprise of the D-Day landings – complete with paratroopers (though using bunge... Read more

  Posted on 14 November 2014 CULTURE, POLITICS, SOCIETY

• When I Was a Kid America Was Like Africa

  

  Waiting for the TV news, I caught the end of “Homework Hotline.” A little girl called in; She said she’d come from Africa. So the host asked her: “How does... Read more

  Posted on 11 November 2014 CULTURE, POLITICS, SOCIETY

• November 9 – 25 Years Later – Save The Wall

  

  1962I was a kid when I went by myself one time to the 1964 New York World’s Fair – I lived nearby – and wandered into the West German pavilion. There was a... Read more

  Posted on 09 November 2014 CULTURE, POLITICS, SOCIETY

• The Earth Moves

  

  Early peoples might be forgiven had they viewed the stars as just a kind of wallpaper, without significance. Yet we always sensed something important out... Read more

  Posted on 06 November 2014 CULTURE, POLITICS, SOCIETY

• Midterms, Obamasis, and Cuomosis

  

  Tomorrow is Election Day. Republicans may well take the Senate, mainly because President Obama is so unpopular. That unpopularity, unfortunately, is justified. Read more

  Posted on 03 November 2014 CULTURE, POLITICS, SOCIETY

• Americanah — Please Smack This Woman

  

  AdichieIfemelu didn’t know she was black – until, as a teenager, she came to America from Nigeria. She’s the focus of Nigerian/American Chimamanda Ngozi... Read more

  Posted on 31 October 2014 CULTURE, POLITICS, SOCIETY

• Used Book Sale Review

  

  I love used book sales. Locally, the Schenectady and East Greenbush libraries have great ones. Both are (to quote a local car dealer’s ads) huuuge. Read more

  Posted on 28 October 2014 CULTURE, POLITICS, SOCIETY

• Who Gets to Sit in First Class Airline Seats?

  

  This was a question exercising Richard Wolff, a self-styled Marxist economics professor, in a recent talk on Alternative Radio. Its programs monotonously... Read more

  Posted on 25 October 2014 CULTURE, POLITICS, SOCIETY

• Sarah Vowell’s “The Wordy Shipmates” – Puritan History

  

  As this 2008 book’s title suggests, Sarah Vowell is a funny writer. Yet also a serious one. She writes serious books in a funny way. Read more

  Posted on 22 October 2014 CULTURE, POLITICS, SOCIETY

• China: The Arrogance of Unchecked Power

  

  When I visited Russia in 1994, and a traveling companion asked, “Can we do such-and-such?” I replied, “Why not, it’s a free country.” Being able to say so felt... Read more

  Posted on 18 October 2014 CULTURE, POLITICS, SOCIETY

• Our Jordan Adventure

  

  Elizabeth, going nativeThis seemed a good time to visit the Middle East. So we went to Philadelphia. That was the ancient Greek name. Before that, Rabboth-Ammon... Read more

  Posted on 14 October 2014 CULTURE, POLITICS, SOCIETY

• Transcendence – Another AI Movie

  

  Since I believe Artificial Intelligence (AI) looms hugely in our future – I had to see Transcendence, the latest AI movie. It’s a lot darker than the last one,... Read more

  Posted on 11 October 2014 CULTURE, POLITICS, SOCIETY

• George Lakoff: The (Extreme) Political Mind

  

  George Lakoff is a professor of cognitive and linguistic science at Berkeley. His 2008 book, The Political Mind, says “progressives” are losing out because... Read more

  Posted on 02 October 2014 CULTURE, POLITICS, SOCIETY

• Why Do Richer People Have Fewer Kids?

  

  The Economist magazine has discussed the “demographic transition” – as people get richer, they have fewer children. It’s a key reason why Malthus’s famous... Read more

  Posted on 29 September 2014 CULTURE, POLITICS, SOCIETY

• Engineering Marvels

  

  A modern 777 jetliner is an absolute marvel of engineering. Yet (unlike on smaller planes) the overhead bins are almost, but not quite, deep enough for... Read more

  Posted on 27 September 2014 CULTURE, POLITICS, SOCIETY

• Rationality, Optimum Crime, Individualism Vs. Collectivism, and the Gambler’s...

  

  The Economist’s 5/10 issue* had a piece about the recently deceased Gary Becker – an economist and, really, sociologist. His work centered on the idea that... Read more

  Posted on 24 September 2014 CULTURE, POLITICS, SOCIETY

• (Advt) Coming Soon: The Oople iMplant™

  

  Get ready for . . .No more fiddling with buttons or touchscreens.No more recharging hassles.No more misplacing it, having it stolen, or dropping it in the... Read more

  Posted on 21 September 2014 CULTURE, POLITICS, SOCIETY

• Scotland – The Blog Post That Might Have Been

  

  Well. Sanity prevailed. In the end, it wasn’t even close. But, anticipating the possibility of a Yes vote, I had prepared a blog post. (What, you think I just... Read more

  Posted on 19 September 2014 CULTURE, POLITICS, SOCIETY