“I have no other end in this writing, but only to discover myself, who, also, shall, peradventure, be another thing tomorrow, if I chance to meet any new instruction to change me.” – Montaigne
The term flip-flop has become as ubiquitous in accusatory politics as the ridiculous “footwear” that bear the same name have become in the population at large. I have to say that I prefer a change of mind to a precarious piece of rubber snapping at my heel. Continue reading
“A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.” –James 1:8
In the movie All of Me the soul of Lilly Tomlin’s character is mistakenly trapped inside the body of Steve Martin’s character. Anyone who has seen this movie has witnessed one of the great masters of physical comedy do some of his best work as his body lurches around, trying to obey the two wills trapped inside it.
It’s funny when it’s Steve Martin, but it’s not so funny when it’s your government. Continue reading
If you know me personally, you know I’m a big fan of Christmas. As such, I would like to share Christmas through my blog (since politics has disappointed so badly recently). I hope to post some Christmas stuff frequently this season. I’ll start with a great song. Continue reading
A while back I wrote about how the things we’re told we shouldn’t talk about—religion and politics—are precisely some of the most important things we can talk about. Sitting with someone of a different mind about either subject, but who is respectful and can express herself well, is a very pleasant experience. The problem most of us face—and the reason for the advice to avoid talking about religion and politics—is that most people drop respect, humility, and good communication when it comes to these things. My argument today is that such should not be the case, because most of these disagreements are arguments of degrees. Continue reading
In plodding my way slowly through the Great Books series, I found a special treat in Michel de Montaigne, a 16th Century French philosopher. His thoughts peel back the surface of human interaction, often to an uncomfortable degree. But he does it in such a self-effacing and often humorous way that we take it in stride and ingest it. He is surely a great mind that deeply influenced many others, including another of my favorites, Eric Hoffer. Continue reading
The way some people use the term “main-stream media,” you would think it has only four letters. The opposite of this MSM is, of course, the underground, iconoclastic, revolutionary side-stream media that is struggling to make its voice heard above the roar of the mighty river that is the main stream. The demonization of the main-stream media is a particularly cherished past-time of right-wing talking heads like Sean O’Limbeck. But who is really the main-stream? Continue reading
This is a letter I sent to my state Senator about the DREAM bill, a bill that will allow illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition at Utah’s state colleges and Universities. PLEASE feel free to copy it and send your own version. You can find your Senator here and even send an e-mail directly from that page. Remember to insert your Senator’s name, and put your own name and address at the bottom. Continue reading
I live in Utah, one of the most Republican-leaning states in the country, right? And yet, the majority of voters are not registered Republicans. In fact, only 31.5% are registered as Republicans, and only 7.4% as Democrats. Nearly 61% are registered as “unaffiliated” or independents. Then why does the Republican tail wag the Utah dog? Because Independents mistakenly think they’re powerless and alone.
For a long time in the U.S. there has been a battle between people who want to be able to display religious symbols, particularly the Ten Commandments, on government property (such as city parks, government buildings, etc.) and those who think the First Amendment prohibits such things. Christians who want vehemently to display the Ten Commandments on government property assert that “this is a Christian nation.” If so, let’s raise the bar. Continue reading
“[Fanatics of various hues] hate each other with the hatred of brothers. They are as far apart and close together as Saul and Paul.” – Eric Hoffer, The True Believer
The animosity between the two principal political parties in the U.S. is unusually high these days. Doubtless there are many reasons, but I’ve been thinking lately more about the ramifications rather than the reasons. These two parties are a set of Saul and Paul of whom Hoffer spoke. They hate each other, but depend on each other for mutual existence. Without the Saul, or “devil” of an “other,” a political party sits like a child on a see-saw with no partner. The party out of power counts on the unrealistic expectations placed in and the incompetence of the ruling party. The opposition knows it will have its turn when we the people “throw the bums out.” So they sit and criticize, whine and obstruct while the ruling party steamrolls, blunders, and overreaches. If it weren’t for the incompetence of each party, the other may never come to power. And so they are like the moon, needing the sun to go away so it can be seen, but not too far away so it can still reflect the sun’s light. Continue reading
