Category Archives: Blog

Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani is a 43-year-old mother of two. She has spent five years in prison. She was given 99 lashes. And she has been sentenced to death by stoning. This particular execution is endorsed by Shariah law, and also … Continue reading →

Proposition 8 has been overturned as you may have heard. The justice – a conservative – ruled it unconstitutional. I have stated before how important it is for people to read things for themselves, rather than let others tell them … Continue reading →

A few thoughts and experiences from this week. – The sad state of American “debate” persists. In short: It’s not a mosque, it’s not at Ground Zero, it’s not violating a zoning ordinance, and we live in a country that, … Continue reading →

This week Anne Rice made a Facebook post and formally took a side with the culture war. From the Interview with the Vampire author herself: “As I said below, I quit being a Christian. I’m out. In the name of … Continue reading →

Heat wave for two weeks now. The sun hits it like a golden spear and splinters into daggers. The humidity makes everything sweat. Above in the burnished sky, a hawk draws lazy circles to an airplane’s hum. Just returned from … Continue reading →

Chris Nolan’s newest film Inception owes a large debt to Dreamscape, The Matrix, and probably even The Thirteenth Floor. But inspiration is not the same as imitation, and what is remarkable is that Nolan has taken those ingredients and mixed … Continue reading →

I landed the cover story of The Humanist’s July issue, and it’s probably about someone you know. I’m not an especially compromising guy, so “America’s Addiction to Belief” is not compromising. We live in a culture which prizes belief on … Continue reading →

I usually hate sequels, prequels, reboots, and remakes. They cheapen the original, and they are (with only a handful of exceptions) a reduced product. Every once in a while, a legit sequel emerges from the Hollywood swamp. Aliens, Terminator 2, … Continue reading →

Happy 35th Anniversary to Jaws! Spielberg’s masterful film defined the summer blockbuster and combined wit, terror, and personality into one of the most perfect films ever made. It took a mediocre Benchley novel and ramped it up into a thrilling … Continue reading →