Monthly Archives: January 2011

We’re Not Reading Enough Philosophy!

Posted on January 31, 2011 by Dr. J

I had a bit of an epiphany last week. Feeling comfortable about the pace I had set for reading through the Gateway to the Great Books series this year, I decided to run some numbers to determine whether we’d be … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Liberal Arts | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Another Half-Hearted Deficit Reduction Proposal

Posted on January 29, 2011 by Dr. J

I guess something is better than nothing, but in this case it will fall far short of what is necessary to make a real difference. Some Republicans in the House of Representatives have come up with a “Spending Reduction Act” … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Events | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Introducing the Hogwarts Professor

Posted on January 28, 2011 by Dr. J

Several weeks ago while doing an interview for the Secrets of Middle Earth podcast, I allowed myself to be talked into joining “The Tolkien Professor” Corey Olsen‘s weekly discussion group on the Silmarillion. So far it has been a great … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Culture | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

The Online Renaissance of Film Criticism

Posted on January 26, 2011 by Dr. J

Just a quick post today to point you to an essay that should encourage both writers and film enthusiasts. For some years now, writers on film have been considered an endangered species. However, Roger Ebert now points out that, thanks … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture | Leave a comment

Abstinence Gets Some “Scientific” Support

Posted on January 25, 2011 by Dr. J

In an age characterized by scientism and what one of my colleagues calls the “mathematization of man,” some people won’t believe a proposition unless you can back it up with statistical evidence of some kind. Now it looks like those … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Dung Beetles and a Townful of Liars

Posted on January 24, 2011 by Dr. J

If you aren’t following along with the readings I’m posting each Monday, let me tell you that you are missing out on some great stuff. Here are the selections for the upcoming week: “The Killers” by Ernest Hemingway (Vol. 2, … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Liberal Arts | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 19 Comments

When Environmentalists Clash

Posted on January 22, 2011 by Dr. J

If you’ve been following this blog for a while, you know that I’m interested in how environmentalism has become a powerful cultural force and has taken on increasingly religious overtones in recent years. This week there is a fascinating debate … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Debate of the Century: Krugman vs. Murphy

Posted on January 20, 2011 by Dr. J

I’m taking time out today to give kudos to my friend Bob Murphy–author, speaker, and economist extraordinaire–who is making important contributions to the ongoing national debate about the state of our nation’s economy and how to get it back on … Continue reading →

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Expecting More From Technology, Less From People

Posted on January 19, 2011 by Dr. J

In the aftermath of having one of my blog posts “freshly pressed” on WordPress’s homepage, resulting in over 3,000 hits (so far) and a significant chunk of my day devoted to moderating and replying to comments, I thought it might … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Culture | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

How Many Spaces Should You Put After a Period?

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Dr. J

I know you have all lost many hours of sleep over this question, so I’m here to relieve your stress. For a journal editor, few tasks are more tedious than going through a document and fixing all the incorrect spacing … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Culture | Tagged | 232 Comments