Do you recall a time when America’s public life was not mostly political? If you’re younger than 35, you might be puzzled by that question (or one about the occasional appropriateness of privacy). But as a millennial, that’s not entirely your fault . . . as if I had to tell you that anything is…
The 2020 Nominees
Many people have expressed unhappiness about the 2016 presidential election and its aftermath. Of course, not everybody has been unhappy, or unhappy about the same things. Current civic happiness levels have extreme variance, maybe as extreme as those that theoretical physicists speculate could exist in alternative universes. It’s easy to experience such divergence in perceived reality….
Finales
In 1983 physician and etymologist Lewis Thomas’ essay “Late Night Thoughts on Listening To Mahler’s Ninth Symphony” was published as the concluding, title chapter of a small book that came to make a big impact. It was the third of six collections of Thomas’ essays insightfully examining scientific and geopolitical topics. This publication came when President…
Nicer Names
Maybe you’re aware that lots of complete strangers virtually hate you now. This is the case if you are a Democrat or a Republican, a conservative or a liberal. In the inflamed-opinion era, other political, religious and social identities also attract high levels of hatred, which now includes comedy that’s usually more vicious than funny….