Category Archives: Culture

What Should We Do About Abortion?

August 23, 2008 – 10:44 pm

Many people can agree that abortion is a bad thing. Many people can agree that we should have fewer abortions in the world. But how can we reduce the number of abortions? There are two main methods: social and legal. How can we work socially to reduce abortions? I asked: why do women have abortions? The [...]

By Joe Martin | Also posted in Politics | Tagged | Comments (8)

We Have No Idea How Good We Have It

August 13, 2008 – 10:37 am

For a long time I’ve believed that the people who complain most about America have no idea how truly unique, special, and blessed America actually is. James Lilek’s touched on this idea in his euology for Alexander Solzhenitsyn. In the summer of ‘78 I was back home in Fargo between college years — exiled [...]

By Joe Martin | Comments (0)

Obama Backers Officially Unhinged

August 8, 2008 – 8:31 am

Obama fans think that McCain’s “The One” ad tries to link Obama to the anti-Christ. I think they’ve gone completely batty. The ad has also generated criticism from Democrats and religious scholars who see a hidden message linking Sen. Obama to the apocalyptic Biblical figure of the antichrist. The spot, called [...]

By Joe Martin | Also posted in Politics | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

Preoccupied By Race

August 7, 2008 – 5:06 pm

I’ve been reading an article asking Is Obama the end of black politics? This excerpt jumped out at me: I asked [Michael] Nutter [the black mayor of Philadelphia] if, during his private conversations with Obama early in the campaign, the subject of race and the historic nature of his candidacy came up. He stared [...]

By Joe Martin | Tagged | Comments (0)

Working Hard — But Not at Home

August 7, 2008 – 2:21 pm

Many people like to point out how Americans work harder — and longer — than the rest of the world. Many leftists like to point out that America’s work / life balance is out of whack and that we need to spend more time at home and less time at the office. Maybe. But we don’t really [...]

By Joe Martin | Also posted in Economics | Tagged | Comments (0)

Self-Esteem is Dangerous

April 7, 2008 – 2:15 pm

On a whim, I started reading Orthodoxy by G. K. Chesterton. I downloaded it several months ago (because the copyright has expired, it’s freely available), but just saved it as something to read later. Today, as it turns out. I’ve already been entertained and enlightened by the first 11 pages. Take this excerpt for instance. Chesterton [...]

By Joe Martin | Tagged , | Comments (0)

Quoted for truth

February 10, 2008 – 10:29 pm

One of The Economist’s recent blog entries reminds me of why I like the magazine as much as I do, notwithstanding its faults. Can you see any mainstream American newspaper making this comparison? “IMAGINE Nazi rule in Germany surviving for decades, with Hitler undefeated in war and succeeded on his death in the [...]

By Adam Volle | Also posted in Foreign Policy, Philosophy | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

Korea vs. France

December 5, 2007 – 10:36 am

Despite the certain eyeball-rolling from the young ladies in our lives we know is sure to come - or perhaps, in fact, because of it - your Minor Thoughts correspondents feel we cannot possibly consider ourselves socially-responsible bloggers without mentioning the latest on video-game addiction. So: According to The Economist, “Both console gaming [...]

By Adam Volle | Also posted in Entertainment | Comments (0)

Don’t dismiss Gallup poll

December 2, 2007 – 12:36 am

The findings of a recent Gallup poll suggest that of all political persuasions, Republicans feel most mentally healthy - and it’s not even close. Reports Gallup’s site: “Fifty-eight percent of Republicans report having excellent mental health, compared to 43% of independents and 38% of Democrats. This relationship between party identification and reports of excellent mental [...]

By Adam Volle | Also posted in Politics | Tagged | Comments (0)

It beats an altar boy

November 28, 2007 – 3:07 am

CATHOLIC LEAGUE SPOKESPERSON Kiera McCaffrey is righteously indignant about an album booklet included in Britney Spears’ new CD release, “Blackout”, reports MTV. Said booklet shows Britney Spears and a handsome man of the cloth getting cozy together in the confessional. Declares McCaffrey: “What would be great is if she got serious about her religious [...]

By Adam Volle | Also posted in Biblical, Entertainment | Comments (0)