Games of Tag

My good friend Charles Halton likes to play tag, and apparently I’m “it,” or one of a few “its” al least. It’s summertime, so I’ll play along the recent TV personality’s little book meme. Here goes: 1. One book that changed your life. The Man Who Was Thursday, by G.K. Chesterton 2. One book that … Read more

Kill a child, get out of jail free

Yesterday’s not guilty verdict in the Andrea Yates trial underscores a growing cultural trend: if you kill a child, you’re not evil — you’re just not yourself. The defense argued that Yates could not be held responsible for killing her five children because her mental state left her with the inability to determine right from … Read more

Kudos to President Bush

One of the quintessential questions of our time is this: What does it mean to be human? It is a hotly debated question, especially with regard to issues such as abortion and embryonic stem cell research. President Bush knows the answer, and is not afraid to act accordingly — despite potential political fallout. With his … Read more

Penalty Kick Blues

I’m happy that Italy won the 2006 World Cup. Well, not really happy, just happier than if the Gauls would have taken the prize. C’est la vie, mes amis. It is sad, however, that a World Cup final had to end in a penalty kick shootout. I’ve never liked the shootout as a resolution to … Read more

President Carter can’t keep secrets

Former President Jimmy Carter has penned an op-ed in the Washington Post in which he laments the preponderance of secrecy within the U.S. government. Writes Carter: The events in our nation today — war, civil rights violations, spiraling energy costs, campaign finance and lobbyist scandals — dictate the growing need and citizens’ desire for access … Read more

Tools

Some internet tools I’ve been using lately: LibraryThing: I know it’s been out a liitle while, but I’ve finally begun playing around with LibraryThing, the online tool for cataloging your books. You get to list up to 200 titles for free, so I started adding some volumes from my fiction collection. It’s rather addictive, and … Read more