Consistent readers of this blog probably know that I read Dickens’ A Christmas Carol every year at Christmas time. I’ve been doing it for more than twenty years. One side effect of this ritual is that I’m always interested in new versions of the story whether they be movies or miniseries or cartoons or whatever….
Philosophy Phridays is a series where each Friday, I go to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, click on “random entry,” and then write about whatever comes up. This week’s random entry is about abilities. Abilities are probably not the sort of thing that most people think of as a topic for philosophy. Most of us…
A few days ago, I was asked if I had a favorite Christmas song. Not a particular version of a song, but a song that I love no matter who is doing it. I couldn’t pick one. There are too many to pick from. But when I was asked this question I instantly thought of…
First of all, I can’t quite believe my title. Impeachments should be vanishingly rare. The fact that there have been two in my lifetime is extraordinary. I was twenty-three when the House of Representatives impeached Bill Clinton. I’m forty-four as they impeach Donald Trump. It’s crazy how different the two situations feel. I know that…
Thirty years ago today, December 17, 1989, “The Simpsons Christmas Special” aired for the first time. It was season one episode one. The thing that started it all. I watched that first episode. I’m not sure why. I was a freshman in high school. Fox was still a new network, and I didn’t watch anything…
I got pulled over last night. I was literally about twenty feet from my driveway when the lights started flashing behind me. I couldn’t imagine why I was being pulled over. I wasn’t driving fast, I had stopped at the stop sign. So, I rolled down my window and waited. After a minute or two,…
A few days ago, I wrote a post about online dating and how I didn’t think it was going to work for me. A couple people have asked me since about meeting people in real life (IRL). I’d be happy to, but I don’t think it’s likely for several reasons. My brother suggested I just…
I am a fan of cooking shows. It’s a bit odd since I have the palate of a five year old. I’d never eat most of what I see on the shows, but I still enjoy them. The best cooking show of all time is Good Eats. There’s no arguing that. It is the best….
Philosophy Phridays is a series where each Friday, I go to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, click on “random entry,” and then write about whatever comes up. This week’s random entry is about Nicolaus Taurellus. Nicolaus Taurellus was a sixteenth century German philosopher in the Lutheran tradition. He is also proof that I’m doing random…
I’ve had a little thought experiment I’ve done since college. Imagine Michelangelo were brought back to life, in his prime, right now. He is given as much time as he needs to study all of the art and all of the artists who have come after him. At the end of his studies, he starts…
