Your favorite professor might be kind of a dirtbag. Dirtbag, in this case, referring to climbing subculture and people willing to eschew running water and good housing … [Read more...] about Your favorite professor might be a dirtbag
Freedom, financial and otherwise
These days, there are a lot of people pursuing “financial independence.” They want to retire at 40, they want to build “generational wealth,” they want to “never work … [Read more...] about Freedom, financial and otherwise
Different worldviews or different vantage points?
It can be incredible what a difference vantage points can make in our views of certain subjects. Consider differing opinions on the extent and significance of … [Read more...] about Different worldviews or different vantage points?
Everything in season: why you will love and likely sometimes hate your alma mater
College is an interesting time. You get constant social approval for Chili’s and Taco Bell. Staying up all night to read Beowulf isn’t all that weird. You worry about … [Read more...] about Everything in season: why you will love and likely sometimes hate your alma mater
Kansas City at the center of the American experience
The Kansas City Chiefs just won the 2023 Super Bowl earlier this month. This is a moment in the sun for Kansas City. But it’s also a good opportunity for me to bring … [Read more...] about Kansas City at the center of the American experience
Unfry Your Brain: Go to the Fronton
We aren’t everywhere. We’re somewhere. Most of us are all too aware that the way we in our day receive information about the world is problematic. We have … [Read more...] about Unfry Your Brain: Go to the Fronton
The war in Ukraine and the struggle over cynicism
This Friday, February 24th, will mark the one-year anniversary since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Several posts on this blog this week, therefore, … [Read more...] about The war in Ukraine and the struggle over cynicism
A common fund of knowledge
In his 2010 book about higher education, The Marketplace of Ideas, Louis Menand writes that: “In a meritocratic society, citizens need a common fund of knowledge, a … [Read more...] about A common fund of knowledge
Finding the Good: NBA Father Figures
We have many cultural commentators today decrying the loss of the traditional family and the decline of fatherhood. Some of their concerns seem grounded in the … [Read more...] about Finding the Good: NBA Father Figures
Complicity and the Failure to Care
In December 2022, one of the biggest international news stories was the conviction of a 97-year-old German woman for being accessory to murder during the Holocaust. … [Read more...] about Complicity and the Failure to Care
The Queen and Conservatism
God save the queen—and all the other institutions that need saving A recent op-ed in the Wall Street Journal celebrated the life and service of Queen Elizabeth II, … [Read more...] about The Queen and Conservatism
Help the World, Find a Hobby
Connection and contentment might be a dance away If we had a time machine and went back a couple centuries, most of us would find it difficult to adjust to the lack … [Read more...] about Help the World, Find a Hobby
Consumer Capture
Our rights don’t come from companies. They come from being citizens. Federal bank regulators, sometimes unintentionally, fall prey to something called “regulatory … [Read more...] about Consumer Capture
Better Drivers, Better World
What would happen if we hit the road as citizens, rather than enemies? Most of us love our country and want it to be a better place. But we often feel powerless to … [Read more...] about Better Drivers, Better World
It’s Time to Celebrate Jury Duty
Are you looking for a badge of honor? This one gleams brighter than we know. If there’s one thing most Americans love to esteem, it is our history of democracy. It … [Read more...] about It’s Time to Celebrate Jury Duty
Memes Eat Brains
They eat democracy, too Our national political discourse is not at its finest. Highly partisan voices flood the airwaves and the general public seems increasingly … [Read more...] about Memes Eat Brains
Bring Back Cincinnatus
The unceasing quest for power drains politics of its chief purpose: service Having heroes can be risky. If there’s anything that we’ve learned from recent … [Read more...] about Bring Back Cincinnatus