As you may know, I live in Wisconsin. I love this state. We have some great cities, some wonderful wilderness, and typically friendly people. We are fortunate enough to be able to enjoy all four seasons. But we just got a new governor and he is taking some actions of which many of us don’t […]
Irrational Beliefs
The other day I read this article in the New York Times about people who believe untrue things despite strong evidence to the contrary. In addition to this, people read chain emails and scam pages on social networking sites and believe them without asking questions about the veracity of the claims. I recently received an […]
New Berlin Mayor’s Characterization of Citizens as Bigots Should Have Been Snobs
It’s too bad. There are so many closed-minded people. In New Berlin, WI, plans for a low-income housing unit have been underway. When this was announced to residents, they sent the mayor emails asking him to reconsider for various reasons, including an increase in crime, an increase in property taxes, and home/property devaluation. For an […]
Bacteria, Oil, Viruses, Crackpots, and the Great America
Can spending time outdoors make you a calmer, smarter person? What about classrooms – should they include time outside? According to this article on Science Daily’s website, yes. They say that there’s a bacteria that there is a bacteria commonly found in soil that people often breathe in or ingest, and that when this bacteria […]
Religion and Politics
For some interesting thoughts on religion and politics, read Why Do Christians Try to Impose Their Beliefs on Our Politics? on Alternet. This interview with the author of Taming the Gods is an interesting look at these topics spanning continents. In Republicans v Secular America, Dan Kennedy follows up on the idea of the imposition of religious […]
Sad Franklin on Constitution Day, Interesting Nature Photos, Health Care and more
It’s Constitution Day! And all of Philadelphia’s libraries may be closing as soon as October 2nd. I can just see Benjamin Franklin rolling over in his grave. It’s a sad day when one of the institutions that helped form our society (and remains a necessary service) can be neglected in this way. On the flipside, […]
Marriage – It’s Not a Matter of Belief
You probably know at least one person who has refrained from getting married because s/he says “I don’t believe in the institution of marriage.” or something similar. While I understand many of the arguments people make for retaining their “single” status indefinitely, I think “not believing” in marriage is, well, a load of crap. I […]
Please Help Me Understand!!!
I’m interested in understanding different viewpoints on our country’s issues. I’m confused about the economy and what’s happened over the last 6-9 months. Last year, under the leadership of GW Bush, our country passed some bailout of about $750 million dollars that went to major banks and businesses that were in trouble. We’re giving help […]
Race Issue?
I just watched some news coverage of the conviction of former alderman Michael McGee, Jr. I understand that he is charismatic and has a large following in the city of Milwaukee – not just in his district. The reporter interviewed some people outside the courthouse. There were two women (both African-American) supporting McGee. They seemed […]
Automotive Bailout Problems
As I write this, I’m watching Meet the Press that I recorded earlier. The topic of the day is the potential bailout of the US auto industry and T. Boone Pickens’ energy plan. And I bet I’m not the only one absolutely sick of hearing about corporate bailouts. And plenty of people who know that […]