Marc Jampole: Zombies, Vampires, and Republicans — Oh My!
As far as I can tell from common usage, a zombie is a former human being whose dead body has been reanimated. Zombies walk around in a stiff stupor and … Continue reading
Bart Plantenga: The Refugee Center
Report from inside a Refugee Center in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. I’ve been helping two lovely, self-assured women volunteers, Aniya [Dutch-Moroccan] and Wens [blond Dutch], with their strong, determined gazes, their … Continue reading
Honoré de Balzac: The Pleasures and Pains of Coffee
Coffee is a great power in my life; I have observed its effects on an epic scale. Coffee roasts your insides. Many people claim coffee inspires them, but, as everybody … Continue reading
Marc Jampole: Guilty Pleasures of the Rich
Lays brings back cannibal Potato Heads to remind us that the Christmas joy of the wealthy often comes at the expense of others. About 18 months ago, Frito-Lay introduced a … Continue reading
Paul Christensen: The First Snowfall
The first snow of winter here in central Vermont has now fallen. It came late this year, late by several months, according to the TV weather watchers. I’m glad it … Continue reading
George Yancy: Dear White America
In 2015, I conducted a series of 19 interviews with philosophers and public intellectuals on the issue of race. My aim was to engage, in this very public space, with … Continue reading
Daniel R. Cobb: Isis – A Cup We Have Filled With Hatred
The claim to be a civilized society, the claim to be rational, advanced, even superior, is utterly bankrupt of any truth if, at those very moments when civility and rationality … Continue reading
W.J. Astore: Feeding the Disease of Terrorism
I’m a retired U.S. military officer. When I think of U.S. troops, naturally I see them as my gals and guys. I identify with them. And I know enough of … Continue reading
Doug Anderson: Poetry, Gossip, and War (from a notebook)
James Frey’s A Million Little Pieces continues to sell and make money for his agent and publisher, who’ve disowned him. Initially he tried to sell the book as fiction but … Continue reading
Marc Jampole: Thinking of Iran-Contra and other Presidential Crises
The trend in presidential crises suggests some ugly truths about American politics and government. Reading Malcolm Byrnes’ book Iran-Contra reminds me that since the 1970s the United States has endured a … Continue reading
Jose Padua: The Slow Glittering of Far-Flung Diamonds
I almost bought a $98 chicken this morning. I know the first question some friends will ask is why I’m still eating meat, especially when it’s probably coming from the … Continue reading
Video: A Guide to Happiness — Seneca on Anger
. In the six-part video series Philosophy: A Guide to Happiness, Alain de Botton looks toward philosophy as a discipline that “has wise things to say about everyday worries.” De Botton’s … Continue reading
Joshua Dubois: What the President secretly did at Sandy Hook Elementary School
Below is an excerpt from The President’s Devotional by Joshua Dubois, the former head of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. He’s recounting events that occurred Sunday, December … Continue reading
Patricia A. Nugent: Socrates was a Flip-Flopper
A friend and I were celebrating his purchase of a home in Saratoga Springs, New York, toasting the occasion at a local establishment when another patron walked in. “Howie, … Continue reading
