Category: Uncategorized
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September 23: The Day the Apocalypse Didn’t Happen
Reading Time: 4 minutesThere was a rumor going around that something terrible was going to happen on September 23, and whatever it was it was supposed to usher in the end times. [1]It turns out the rumor was wrong, but the debunkers who argue that there is no threat because Planet X does not exist…
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Cain and Abel in the Hindu Pantheon
Reading Time: 2 minutesI should explain the reference to Cain that was in the first version of the Patriarchy article, and which I left out of this version. I wrote that in the Old Testament story Cain sinned because he forced the ground, which was how it was presented in “Mythology Among the Hebrews.” At the…
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Is the King James Translation of the Bible the Cause of Christian Error?
Reading Time: 2 minutesMeanwhile, back at the Patriarchy article an editor has been arguing that Sarah Grimke did not question the divine origin of the scriptures; she only doubted the King James translation. In my opinion this distinction doesn’t change things much, although it makes an interesting discussion. (The claim that Grimke questioned the divine…
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Remembering the Important Things
Reading Time: 3 minutesThe premise of these essays is that our turbulent times represent the birth of a new age—in other words, the turmoil actually carries the hope of something better in the future. Many of these essays have attempted to continue conversations begun by sociologists, poets and political analysts who clearly believe in America’s…
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Is Rape a Tactic of War in Libya?
Reading Time: < 1 minuteA case is being made that rape is a regime a tactic in Libya. According to an NPR story the physical evidence includes Viagra, condoms, and women’s underwear. A Libyan doctor says he has found these things in the belongings of dead soldiers and that other doctors have found them as…
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Bill Maher on Egypt’s Million Woman March
Reading Time: < 1 minuteI saw Bill Maher on The Arena tonight. He thought it was an ominous sign for democracy in Egypt that a thousand women attended the Million Woman March only to have the men deride them. It was obviously humiliating for the organizers, but I had a different take on it. No…
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Peter King and Radical Islam in America
Reading Time: 2 minutesRepresentative Peter King, is talking about the radicalization of American Muslims. Apparently he plans hearings in the Homeland Security Committee. I would argue that the radicalization of ordinary Muslims, or Arabs of any persuasion, shouldn’t be so easily assumed; the affinity between Arab culture and al Qaeda is not a natural one.…
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Libya’s non-effect on U.S. Oil Prices
Reading Time: 5 minutesLibya, Gas Prices, and the Big Payday at Your Expense Submitted by Michael Collins, for “The Economic Populist” on Mon, 03/07/2011 – 00:23 Another Triumph for The Money Party The average price for a gallon of gas rose 30% from $2.69 in July 2010 to $3.49 as of March 6. Most of…
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American Empire and Political Insanity
Reading Time: 3 minutesThe fear that America’s founders were really only interested in empire is not new. What is not clear is whether Americans believe the rise of empire is merely something that might happen in the future. I think this must be the case. There are a lot of Americans who still believe their…
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Continued from America and the Constellation Virgo
Reading Time: < 1 minuteThis brings to mind the fact that many British officers in the Revolutionary War were Freemasons who actually failed to carry out their orders during decisive battles. I’m also reminded that only a third of the Colonists were in favor of the War. A third were undecided, and the final third…