Bachelors have consciences, married men have wives.  (Samuel Johnson)   The interface between Facebook and Patheos hasn’t been working for the past 24 hours, so this is something of an experiment.  Does anybody out there see this?  If so, are you able to “share” it on Facebook?           Read more

    In order to serve my readers, I range the world seeking the very best in human culture and thought.   Tonight, I offer Philomena Cunk, a female British person explaining philosophy.  And she does it all in only 3:34 minutes:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLAkhyv7E_M   Warning:  This particular little item may not be wholly appropriate for children.  But don’t worry.  It’s not really bad.     Read more

    I’ve never been a fan of Sarah Palin, and, although he has certain undeniable talents, I’m not a fan of Donald Trump.  So her endorsement of him, tonight, leaves me less than ecstatic.   In fact, it leaves me a bit gloomy.   “Of Course Sarah Palin is Endorsing Donald Trump”   “The Death of the Tea Party”   And here’s an article, published on 15 January, that puts the surprising popular support for Mr. Trump (which now... Read more

    An interesting book review from an atheist:   http://religiondispatches.org/how-not-to-defend-atheism/   I pretty much agree with him.     Read more

    He claims to  be a non-politician who calls ’em as he sees ’em — and, to some degree or another, I think that’s right.  But this is about as brazenly obvious a piece of campaign-motivated disingenuousness as I’ve ever seen:   http://www.nationalreview.com/article/429865/ted-cruz-natural-born-citizen-trump-issue     Read more

    http://www.nao.ac.jp/en/news/science/2016/20160115-nro.html     Read more

    He deserves to be remembered:   http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865645683/Slain-officer-remembered-as-big-old-teddy-bear.html?pg=all   I have little patience for the loud voices that seek to paint all police officers as racist and murderous thugs.  And this story leaves me with still less patience for them.     Read more

    A much-needed call from an Arab Muslim scientist:   http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/muslim-countries-science-education-by-nidhal-guessoum-2016-01     Read more

    Back in August 2001 — just about a month before the world changed on 11 September — the irreplaceable Matt Roper presented these remarks to the annual FAIR (now FairMormon) conference:   http://www.fairmormon.org/perspectives/fair-conferences/2001-fair-conference/2001-right-on-target-boomerang-hits-and-the-book-of-mormon     Read more

    Bernie Sanders may have an even better chance at knocking Hillary Clinton off for the Democratic presidential nomination now than he did three weeks ago, when this article first appeared:   http://thefederalist.com/2015/12/30/how-tocqueville-schooled-bernie-sanders-200-years-ago/   In some ways, I have to add, I’m delighted at the possibility — however remote it may ultimately turn out to be — that the Democrats might end up nominating an old New-York-accented white socialist from one of the whitest of white states (and one... Read more