America's educational system is a mess. We have students slipping through the cracks, failing to perform and flat out getting through without possessing the basic knowledge they need to succeed. It has become a tradition of sorts for each new president to address this issue with a nationalized plan for reform. I usually don't agree with very much that comes out on the national level, dictating to the masses, but sometimes I actually do. ...more

March 18, 2009

America has long been the ultimate consumer society. From houses and autos to high fashion and designer decor to iPods, iPhones and all things computerized. ...more

January 21, 2009

America's cities and towns will fill with parades, fireworks, and barbecues in celebration of the Fourth of July, the 232nd birthday of America. But one hopes that the speeches will contain fewer bromides and more attention to exactly what is being celebrated. The Fourth of July is Independence Day, but America's leaders and intellectuals have been trying to move us further and further away from the meaning of Independence Day, away from the philosophy that created this country. ...more

July 4, 2008

George Bush in particular. Being a conservative, I am not an avid fan of his, but virtually all of this Bush-whacking is more emotion than thought. (This is painfully obvious on the blogosphere where far too many postings are simply rants sprinkled with four letter words about Bush.) ...more

January 16, 2008

America apparently doesn't care about finding the world's next great mentalist or the next great rock band. ...more

November 21, 2007

America has clearly undergone a cultural identity change since World War ll. It continues. Having lived through that period, I now realize it was amazing that such an ethnically diverse and geographically separated population pulled together for a common purpose. If you didn't experience those determined years of a "melting pot" going to war, these printed words won't help you understand those times. ...more

November 20, 2007