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What Goes Down Must Come Up
PREPARATION “Who shall ascend the mountain of the Lord,” asked Psalm 24 at Vigils this morning. Psalm 24 is a “Psalm of Ascent,” one of a group of songs scattered throughout the Psalms that scholars...
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The World’s Most Interesting Man
His words carry weight that would break a less interesting man’s jaw Every once in a while, Madison Avenue gets it right and an advertising campaign takes on a life of its own. When I was in my late...
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Celebrating Life
There’s nothing more pitiful than a grown man feeling sorry for himself. But that’s where I found myself not long ago while on sabbatical. My first conscious thought upon awakening was of the email I...
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Zombie Jesus
We are living in the golden age of television. I grew up on sitcoms, westerns, and sports—when we were allowed to watch television, that is—subjected to a three network, pre-cable fare that made the...
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Random Thoughts
Persons wearing dark blue corduroy jackets should not eat powdered donuts. If I could ask God one question, I would ask “What’s up with praying mantises?” If I was in charge, I would change the name of...
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Jesus, Moe, and Curly
One of my unexpected reading delights in the past few years has been discovering the writings of Anne Lamott. In her struggles with faith, she is equally intense in both her relentless pursuit of the...
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More Random Thoughts
The ancient Egyptians worshipped cats as deities. Cats have never forgotten this. “Morgan” is Welsh for “Man of the sea.” Kind of goes with my Viking ancestry. The author of Ecclesiastes writes “Cast...
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The Connections We Cannot Make
Not long ago a friend and colleague told me, as we were having a beer or two (or three) at our favorite local watering hole, that my blog reminds him of Anne Lamott’s work. That was maybe the nicest...
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If You Meet God Along The Road . . .
One of my greatest joys as a philosophy professor is that I get to be bad on a regular basis. There were a number of people about whom I was told little growing up, other than that they are dangerous...
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Adepto Ex Meus Visio
Thanksgiving is my family’s favorite holiday for a number of reasons–we try to make that the one holiday that we are all together every year. In honor of that tradition, my blog posts this week are...
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Holy Family Values
Each week, Garrison Keillor tells “Prairie Home Companion” listeners the news from Lake Wobegon, where “all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average.”...
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Random Resolutions
I resolve to stop complaining about the stupid shit that people put on Facebook. If I am stupid enough to read the stupid shit that people put on Facebook, I get what I deserve.I resolve never again...
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Bagpipes and Cats
Although I am a philosophy professor by trade, I believe William Shakespeare’s body of work is more insightful about my favorite philosophical topic—human nature—than anything the Western tradition in...
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Happy Independence Day!
As those of us on the Eastern seaboard bemoan the postponement of fireworks this evening because of freaking Hurricane Arthur, I offer the following–shamelessly stolen from The Onion–for your...
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Making the Truth Laugh
One of the many enjoyable occurrences at the end of each semester is occasionally receiving thank-you notes from students. Often they come from quiet students who said little in class but eloquently...
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Mister Perfect Has a Bad Day
A conversation heard behind the scenes: Dude! Did you see what just happened?? How could I?? I’m in charge of the fucking luggage today and am stuck way back here. Why is the crowd always biggest when...
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Stuffed Soul Mates
I have a good friend and colleague in the philosophy department whose twin daughters have just begun their senior years in high school. This means that my friend and his family spent a significant...
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The Farewell Tour
In the mostly forgettable “Forget Paris,” the 1995 romantic comedy follow-up to his 1989 megahit movie “When Harry Met Sally,” Billy Crystal plays an NBA referee with all sorts of personal and romantic...
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The World’s Most Interesting Man
In one of my interdisciplinary classes we are in the transition between Ancient Greece and Rome. Which means we’re in the world of Alexander the Great. As I listened to my history colleague’s excellent...
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Celebrating Life
I recently submitted two grant proposals related to my sabbatical that will begin next July. The stakes are high–especially since I don’t handle rejection well. But I am a bit better at it than I used...
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