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The Philosopher’s Beard (hereafter, PB) certainly thinks we should consider it: “Many people would automatically say that such punishments are inhumane. But the very reason for this reaction – that […]
The United States has been the world’s “guardian of the state system, and of open expression and free trade.” Should the United States cease to be this “guardian,” it would cause a turn of events that would lead to empires.
Behind this phenomenon — which I call internship-snobbery — is a deep anxiety. Wary of an increasingly competitive labor market, students engage in the subconscious act of hypercritical inquiry in an attempt to “size-up” their immediate competition.   
Upon hearing of the passing last week of journalist and art critic Robert Hughes (shown above), I felt like had lost a beloved teacher. For people who read Hughes’ books […]
The WIN-Gallup International network of polling firms has released a new poll titled Global Index of Religion and Atheism 2012, and there’s a lot of good news in it for […]
I was flipping through a beach coupon book, and came across this ad:  “Ladies are you looking for an exciting Girls Night Out?” The business hosts all-female parties that “teach […]
A new psychological study establishes a causal link between living abroad and generating innovative solutions to vexing problems. Employers, take note. Time abroad counts, a lot. 
A team of French researchers have examined how the brain works when a listener grasps an ironic comment, discovering that essential regions of the brain help us to interpret language.
There’s a lot of news this week: • Two examples of humanism in action: Charles Feeney, a billionaire philanthropist, plans to give away all his remaining money within a few […]
The Ryan pick may have been more bold than, say, the boring Portman or Pawlenty. But Romney had reached the obvious conclusion that the cautious approach isn’t enough.  He wasn’t […]
An Internet connection has only now materialized in my new Houston pad, so perhaps you’ll forgive me if I kvetch about last week’s David Brooks column. In the wake of the […]