Society Archives - Page 20 of 42

A Friday Round Up – What’s Going On?

By Bill Clontz February 3, 2021 February 5, 2021 10 Comments

Short Notes About Different, Interesting Things Recently Catching Our Attention

A Friday Tradition

We lived for several years in the Washington, DC area. This meant that WAMU was our PBS radio station. WAMU had a flagship program called The Friday Round Up, hosted by the legendary Diane Rehm. It featured a recap of things from the last week or so that merited highlighting. It was a favorite program of ours for many years.

With a tip of the hat to Diane and her successors, today introduces the Agents of Reason version of The Friday Round Up.

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Valentine’s Day Is Different This Year

By Bill Clontz January 31, 2021 February 2, 2021 5 Comments

After 2020, Celebration of the One You Love Goes Deeper

What’s the Deal With Valentine’s Day, Anyway?

Let’s be honest. Valentine’s Day as we know it is a creation for the most part by greeting card, candy, and flower vendors. It actually has a long and interesting history. It was originally a Roman holiday, dedicated to the coming of Spring and celebrating fertility. Young women and men were paired up around the holiday.

In the 5th Century, the pope followed what had become a frequent Christian policy of appropriating pagan holidays.

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Water – Essence of Life, Destroyer of Life

By Bill Clontz January 26, 2021 January 29, 2021 4 Comments

Nothing is So Pervasive, So Important to Life, and So Challenging as Water

A Change of Pace

We have focused on political issues for the last six months. As well we should have. We will continue that path often in the months ahead, for obvious reasons. But this blog was always meant to be about more. We have spent time together reflecting on science, the arts, comedy, and more. Time to do a bit of that now.

We have earned a bit of a break from politics, starting today. Let us reflect a bit on something all around us and in us.

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It’s Shoot Out at the OK Corral Time for Would-Be Republicans

By Bill Clontz January 24, 2021 January 26, 2021 Leave a Comment

Republicans are Now in Three Camps. Time to Make Some Choices and Settle Up

How Many Types of Republicans are There? Let’s Count Them

At this point, one wonders why anyone would claim to be a Republican, but that is another conversation. Deciding who might carry such a mantle forward is important for all of us, as will be discussed shortly. Time for the principles to face off and settle matters. By my math, there are three groups that claim at least sometimes the title of “Republican.”

Group I is what we used to call Rockefeller Republicans.

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The Country is On a Hopeful New Path, But…

By Bill Clontz January 21, 2021 January 22, 2021 2 Comments

But Serious Danger Runs Deep and Wide – This Will Not Go Away on Its Own

A Country Divided? It’s Worse Than We Feared

For a long time, many of us felt that the country was not as divided as many said. The problem was so-called leaders who thrived on conflict; beyond them, people agreed on more than was apparent. I count myself among that chorus. It appears we were wrong.

If this past election taught us anything, it is that not only is the divide real, it is based in alternate realities.

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Pillars for a Better America: The Final Chapter

By Bill Clontz January 18, 2021 January 19, 2021 5 Comments

A Series on Priorities for the Biden Administration

Joe Biden and company start work at noon tomorrow. Not that they have been idle in the runup. This is a team that is ready to hit the ground running. Good thing. There is so much to be done. As this blog mentioned last week, pay attention – history is unrolling before us, in very big and unpredictable ways. Dramatic and dangerous times are ahead.

Pillars for a Better America – Pillars 19-21

Today’s entries complete the Pillars list. It certainly is not all inclusive, nor is it in any priority – all of it is Category A priority.

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Pillars for a Better America, Chapter 7

By Bill Clontz January 15, 2021 January 15, 2021 Leave a Comment

A Series on Priorities for the Biden Administration

Yes, the last week or so has been pretty dramatic. And we still don’t know the long-term, or even the short-term, outcomes. Wait for it – history is unrolling before us, perhaps in some very big ways.

As if that were not enough, the pandemic is on an accelerating rampage. We were warned not to let our standards relax over the holidays or there would be hell to pay on a national level. Too many of us blew it off. Well, here we are.

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“Isn’t It Time for Healing and Unity?”

By Bill Clontz January 11, 2021 January 12, 2021 1 Comment

No, Actually Its Not

Instant Conversions

Striking how many Republicans who just last week were talking of massive voter fraud, civil war, etc. have suddenly become peaceniks. The ghost of Rodney King must be laughing at who is now asking “Can’t we all get along?”

There is a long list of enablers, in varying degrees of culpability, but all responsible for the situation that we find ourselves in. As information gets assembled, processed, and shared, the public will become even more aware of just how bad last week was.

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It Was the Best of Days, It Was the Worst of Days

By Bill Clontz January 7, 2021 January 8, 2021 10 Comments

From the Miracle in Georgia to the Travesty in the Capitol

Tuesday Night – Wednesday Night

Well, we certainly saw the best of America and the worst of it within 24 hours, didn’t we? It was a lot to absorb either event. Having both within about 24 hours induced political and emotional whip lash. So much to celebrate, so much to mourn. So much to learn.

Georgia

What a shame. This spectacular political wizardry was quickly eclipsed by the obscenity on the Capitol. For this trulywas a spectacular act of political will, skill, and determination.

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