I've noted a few articles on the distinct lack of enthusiasm and participation, both locally and nationally, for the physical presence of the "spectacular" of the Super Bowl. The complaint is that the series of continuous and parallel activities are not well attended, which is an understatement. I don't think it's for the reasons the national pundits believe.

First, as we in the Great Universal Domain of New Orleans know, the NFL's Super Bowl (TM) is a prepackaged, self...

It would be deficient not to have an opinion on what, to the rest of the country, seems to be a nothing event from a consensus all-star corrupt state government. Maybe it makes no difference, and maybe it becomes a transformative. But it won't be transformative unless we become way more self-reflective. The whole focus of why the Christie Administration implemented a pointless, vindictive and despicably mean program of jamming access to the most heavily trafficked bridge in the world misses...

Thomas Hobbes wasn't far off when he described the life of man as "solitary, poor, nasty brutish and short." Feudal societies were cauldrons of darwinistic experiments, where the ruling classes imposed a violence based caste system where only the strong and clever survived. Also key was the narrow definition of loyalty and the broad latitude given to those charged with enforcement. A "one size fits all" mentality in which the size changed to fit the whims of the oppressors....

Sorry for not posting anything for a while. I'd offer half-hearted excuses, but it's only because there's been nothing inspiring to talk about. But joy is back!

As a college professor, I like to use examples of catastrophically bad decision-making as teaching tools. Examining the process and the reasons for failure teach us a great deal about how the world works, and how to identify when we might be in a similar situation. There is a side effect of also being very funny. It's easier...

Emanuel Kant. No, seriously. Resist the urge to shut your brain off and walk with me a minute.

Two of Kant's contributions to moral philosophy are the "Theory of Perception" and the "Categorical Imperative." In short, perception is based on either direct experience of reality (analytic) or an inferred experience (synthetic) of reality. "All dogs are quadrapeds" vs. "All dogs are happy" are examples. The former is measurable and verifiable,...