Monthly Archives: July 2012

Albert Camus and Humphrey Bogart both smoked and looked good in a trench coat. Albert Camus, according to his daughter, enjoyed the frequent comparisons made between himself and Humphrey Bogart. I think American hard-boiled movies and fiction were as much … Continue reading →

Jonathan Haidt is political psychologist. He describes himself as a former liberal who has become a centrist.  Probably, in a couple of years, he’ll call himself a conservative. He is a student of something called political psychology. Haidt believes liberals are morally … Continue reading →

Power corrupts said Lord Actor. I have created the  lazyroad corollary to this political axiom . Imagined power turns friendly bloggers into meglomaniacs. I am proposing three new edicts: 1. Restaurant background music over 80 decibel is strictly prohibited. Owners who violate this rule will be subject to … Continue reading →

President Obama said this about the Aurora shooting,  “If there’s anything to take from this tragedy it’s the reminder that life is very fragile.” This is true. But it’s also true that the murders in Aurora could have been prevented … Continue reading →

On July 11, 2012  Alternet Website published an article, “When Atheists Confront Mortality”. The article was a summary of some recent social science research on the difference between atheists and agnostics. Agnosticism almost by definition is ambivalent. The agnostic says, for example, “there’s not … Continue reading →

Lord Acton once wrote, “power  corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely”. This rule does not apply to me. I think I would make an excellent absolute monarch, better than Louis XVI, at least as good as the Sun King Louis … Continue reading →

Recently, my wife finished Timebends, Arthur Miller’s autobiography. Patricia said the book wasn’t well written.  I confess I haven’t read the book.  But I have seen many of Arthur Miller’s play. Arthur Miller is a great playwright almost in spite … Continue reading →

On June 14th, Judge Herndon ruled in favor of the Spring Mountain Docents. Our contract with the Nevada Parks Department is valid until 2019. Attorney Hong argued successfully that firing the docents would do irreparable harm to the volunteers. Like much in America life … Continue reading →