The Odyssey, The Pitt, and a reminder that woke can be much worse than casting

Ancient warriors in armor fighting with spears and axes outside a fortress

On Sunday night, I did what I almost never do:  Shut off the TV midway through an episode of a show, declared it completely dead to me, and began cursing vociferously. Afterwards, I considered the battle still raging over The Odyssey.  On Sunday night, I did what I almost never do:  Shut off the TV midway… Continue reading The Odyssey, The Pitt, and a reminder that woke can be much worse than casting

If simple words like “temporary” don’t mean what everyone knows they mean, democracy is screwed

Antique brass balance scales with weights on old parchment paper

In 1990, Congress established a program for refugees that needed temporary relief, but somehow, almost no one admitted under the program ever left, the number admitted increased ten times in the past nine years, and proponents are now insisting they never should. In principle, I’m a supporter of the Temporary Protected Status program, which allows… Continue reading If simple words like “temporary” don’t mean what everyone knows they mean, democracy is screwed

From cat ladies to eating cats, a presidential election like no other in microcosm

While the raging debates over cats – first childless cat ladies and now whether or not Haitian migrants are actually eating felines in Springfield, OH - might seem small on the surface, the ferocity reveals much more fundamental issues underneath. Six months ago, if you were to suggest that the presidential election would be dominated… Continue reading From cat ladies to eating cats, a presidential election like no other in microcosm