Monthly Archives: June 2009

Michael Jackson: “Death by Show Business”?

Posted on June 30, 2009 by Jim Spiegel

The death of Michael Jackson last week is in some ways a distinctively American tragedy.  While there is nothing new under the sun about the soul-crushing effects of fame and fortune, the dynamics involved in the demise of the greatest … Continue reading →

Posted in Cultural Observations, Music | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Go Green, Go God

Posted on June 25, 2009 by Amy Spiegel

Our local library, small though it may be, does a great job of promoting literature and a general love of learning. This is due mostly to the herculean efforts of our head librarian who is always willing to go above … Continue reading →

Posted in Cultural Observations, Education | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

The Making of Atheists

Posted on June 22, 2009 by Jim Spiegel

My current book project is on the subject of atheism.  Though there have been plenty of books on this topic the last few years, both by atheists (the “new atheists” as they’ve come to be called) and their critics, nearly … Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophy | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

On Proper Language and Other C-r-a-p

Posted on June 19, 2009 by Amy Spiegel

My mother is a very classy lady. She isn’t classy in the lift-your-pinky-a-bit-higher-while-sipping-your-tea-dear kind of way. She makes no pretensions at elegance and is most definitely not hoity-toity. When she opens her home to friends and strangers, she makes you … Continue reading →

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Some Benefits of Life Without Television

Posted on June 15, 2009 by Jim Spiegel

For our entire married life (11 years), Amy and I have not had television (in the sense that we don’t receive channels, though we do watch DVDs and videos).  Occasionally we are asked about our reasons for making this choice, … Continue reading →

Posted in Cultural Observations | Tagged , | 18 Comments

Snapshots

Posted on June 10, 2009 by Amy Spiegel

Brief comments on film by Amy. Some old, some new.  Domestic films and foreign too. Up — You know a movie is good when you can pay an obscene sum for admission, including a ridiculous additional charge for equally ridiculous-looking … Continue reading →

Posted in Film | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Where the Rubber Meets the Road

Posted on June 4, 2009 by Amy Spiegel

Having lived in Indiana for some eleven years now, one might think that some knowledge regarding Indy Car racing would have made its way into my databank by now. Sadly, this is not the case. Every Memorial Day, I am … Continue reading →

Posted in Cultural Observations, Sports | Tagged , | 7 Comments