Examining agnosticism
If one was unsure whether fall or winter was the more beautiful season or whether Chopin or Mozart was the more masterful composer, the disagreement which would ensue would be purely academic.
If one was unsure whether fall or winter was the more beautiful season or whether Chopin or Mozart was the more masterful composer, the disagreement which would ensue would be purely academic.
The season of unique scarf, hat, and glove fashions is upon us. Winter-wear is now sold across the Midwest in all colors, patterns and styles.
Growing up, my parents were very instrumental in making sure that Thanksgiving was a day on which we made time to pause and think about the past year and all the things we were thankful for.
We are often told that in order to be something in life, we ought to work hard. Through hard work and dedication we will rise to the top. For some that is true.
When I first joined the workforce in the late sixties, a popular expression was “don’t work so hard -- take time to smell the roses.” The implication was that we’re in this life to enjoy ourselves and the world around us, not just to work and “get ahead.” Balance was a watchword. Those among us with “Type A” personalities--the strivers and over-achievers--were admonished to slow down, take the time to relieve our stress by valuing enjoyment of nature or time to reflect and evaluate who we were and what we were doing. Sadly, those days are over.
Recently, the Michigan State Senate’s bill to raise fuel taxes to improve the roads passed by a 23 to 14 vote, in the lame duck session. For those who do not know, a lame duck session is the time between the election and the beginning of the new state senate term.
As I am sure you know, Election Day has just passed. I have to admit I am very glad. Politics are almost impossible to get away from, as are conversations about them.
Elections were last week and many predictions over their outcome came true. The Democrats lost seven contested Senate races against Republican challengers and incumbents, which cost the Democrats control of the Senate.
Setting aside all of the Democrat and Republican shuffling around, Michigan’s 2014 election this year centered on wolves.
Americans like to punish people. Despite research in fields like sociology and psychology advising that its effects are mostly harmful, retribution, for real or imagined sins, is a tradition we embrace fondly. Since colonial times, we’ve meted out punishment for whatever powerful people thought was “bad” behavior.
Silencing political opponents, spying on enemies of the U.S., quarantining the diseased or suspected, and executing traitors without trial is nothing new for the United States government. Americans were subject to the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798 under President John Adams which increased the residency requirement for American citizenship from five to fourteen years, authorized the president to imprison or deport aliens considered "dangerous to the peace and safety of the United States" and restricted speech critical of the government.
This past week, General Motors Co. was in court over a lawsuit filed by owners of vehicles that have been found to have an ignition switch defect. A defect that has been linked to 29 deaths. And the company’s opening argument to defend itself was essentially, “Oh, no, that wasn’t us that produced those defective vehicles. That was Old G.M. We’re New G.M.”
When you mention Aquaman most people will probably snicker and laugh. People will probably tell okes about him only being able to talk to fish. Someone will say he has all the powers of Spongebob Squarepants, and everyone will laugh about how worthless Aquaman is compared to Superman and Batman. This is mostly because of his comical appearance on the 1973 cartoon “Super Friends” and the Cartoon Network shorts we probably grew up watching. But Aquaman is anything but a joke.
The new standard of math has taken the teacher out of the classroom and instead made them into facilitators and aids of Common Core math, the new math of self-discovery.
Last week, I wrote a friend of mine a letter. This is not a normal practice for me, but he had done the same for me upon his graduation from this university. While it was a little late, I still felt the need to reciprocate.
I’ve never been very good at handling shame. As a young child, I felt ashamed that my parents were divorced while all of my friend’s parents seemed happily married.
On June 28, 2012, the city of Stockton, California filed for bankruptcy, $1.1 billion in debt, and on July 18, 2013, the city of Detroit, Michigan filed for bankruptcy, $18 billion in debt.
If Gov. John Hickenlooper of Colorado loses his race for reelection, it may well be because he didn’t tout his chief accomplishment: the legalization of marijuana. On Nov.
On April 20, 2014 ABC news published an article online that included pictures and videos containing recent sightings of the legendary Loch Ness Monster.
Under the Michigan’s 1964 Constitution, no person was allowed to serve more than three consecutive terms in the House of Representatives or more than two consecutive terms in the Senate, the equivalent of six and twelve years respectively. But instead of forcing each Michigan legislator to dedicate huge swaths of time to campaigning every two or six years, why not get rid of term limits?