Category Archives: Uncategorized

Racial defensiveness

Posted on July 12, 2020 by

The topic for today is “racial defensiveness.”  I’m against it.  The Russian spy (Mark Rylance)  who was captured and tried in the movie “A Bridge of Spies” had a recurring line that made me like him immediately.  In the first … Continue reading →

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A Klan of “Karens”

Posted on July 2, 2020 by

You may have heard about the fuss kicked up by Amber Lynn Gilles at the Starbucks in San Diego. The short version is that she didn’t wear a mask, as store rules required her to do, and was not served. … Continue reading →

Posted in Living My Life, Sustainability, Uncategorized, Words | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

The First Ten Years, Part II

Posted on May 25, 2020 by

The first pass I made over my first ten years of blogging considered the foundational questions. Why blogging? Why the “dilettante” theme? Today I want to review what the political arc of the first decade has been. You wouldn’t think I … Continue reading →

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Rhetorical mastery

Posted on May 6, 2020 by

We have gotten accustomed to the kind of rhetoric we hear from Henry V before the battle of Agincourt.  It is gorgeous!  It is so stimulating that it is hard to pay attention to just how it works, but I … Continue reading →

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The two logics

Posted on April 15, 2020 by

So let’s see. There is a competitive logic. Whoever is best prepared and works the hardest wins and everybody else loses. Fair is fair. You knew that when you signed up for the race. And then there is a communitarian … Continue reading →

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Zen agency

Posted on February 28, 2020 by

I’ve been thinking about agency a lot lately. A agency is fundamental to being human; the costs of giving up on it are catastrophic. By “agency,” I mean only having the sense of acting on your own behalf. In Martin … Continue reading →

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“Because I’m worth it.”

Posted on February 1, 2020 by

It’s a powerful sentiment. No question about it. It is a sentiment, however, not a fact. I think it works as well as it does because it sounds like a fact. We are accustomed to statements about “worth” and this … Continue reading →

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Songs of discipleship and impeachment

Posted on January 27, 2020 by

On Sunday, January 26, we sang a really interesting hymn at our church. It was called “From the Nets of Our Labor.” I hadn’t ever sung it before and melodically, I don’t think it has much to offer. The text … Continue reading →

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You want transparency? I’ll give you transparency!

Posted on January 22, 2020 by

Today’s essay is about a wonderful new pun.  It isn’t my pun.  It isn’t even my kind of pun.  I’m just a fan. I make a point of that because what I had in mind writing on today was how … Continue reading →

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Telling the Truth about American History

Posted on January 14, 2020 by

I hope that was a provocative title.  That’s why it is there.  Some will think that it is a simple and obvious standard and that “lying about American history” is the alternative.  Others will think it presumptuous to assert that … Continue reading →

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