This continues a series inspired (somewhat) by Noel Barber’s The Sultans. The previous instalment is here. Ottoman culture has seeped into ours in ways we're not aware of. When we hear words such as divan, caftan and ottoman itself, we're hearing about things that came from that culture. Like most people, I like to take …
The Country Where Merit is Run Down, Part III: The Asians Strike Back
With--what else?--a lawsuit, with complaints to the Federal government to boot: Getting into Harvard is tough enough: Every year come the stories about applicants who built toilets in developing countries, performed groundbreaking lunar research, or won national fencing competitions, whatever it takes to edge out the competition. So you can imagine that the 52-year-old Florida …
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The Country Where Merit is Run Down, Part II: The STEM Curriculum Dilemma
In the March/April 2013 issue of GeoStrata, the official publication of the Geo-Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers, the following was noted in its review of geotechnical (soil mechanics and foundations) education: The national trend of falling credit requirements for the attainment of a bachelor's degree was cited by many as a challenge facing geotechnical …
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The Country Where Merit is Run Down
It's that time of the year again when we hear what used to be non-controversial but is now explosive: graduation speeches. As I have said before, I don't expect to get invited to give one of these, not unless the institution has more guts--and I more fame--than is presently evident. So I stick to writing …
The Assault on Christians Wasn't Supposed to Happen This Fast
Back in 2006, before the accession of the current Occupant, I began to write a little novel entitled The Ten Weeks. It describes, among other things, the result of a democratically elected left-wing government and how it, using the sexual revolution as one of its weapons (and mob action as another), took progressive power in …
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Duck and Cover Catholicism? Maybe, Maybe Not.
R.R. Reno at First Things isn't happy: Some months ago, I predicted that Catholicism in America would basically accommodate itself to whatever sexual regime dominates our society. The accommodation won't be explicit. The Church won't endorse homosexuality or gay marriage. Instead, the bishops will step aside, avoid controversy, and just stop talking about things that carry …
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The Political Party Called "Enough"
In a lengthy piece on Algeria's succession dilemma, we have this: At least six opposition parties boycotted the elections, arguing that the results were determined well ahead of the voting and that the ballot would not change the nature of the governing regime. One of the many opposition movements, Barakat (“Enough”), regularly demonstrated for peaceful …
An Old Irish Biker Nails It On Civil Marriage
Nick Park, pastor of the Solid Rock Church and Administrative Bishop of the Church of God in Ireland, gets it: The solution is clear. It’s time for the Government to get out of the marriage business. In fact, for most of human history, marriage was something practiced by communities (both religious and non-religious) and the …
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When Title IX Backfires: Cutting the Men's Track and Field Program
A week ago the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga decided to cut the men's track and field program: The men’s indoor and outdoor track & field teams will no longer be programs, according to Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics David Blackburn. The Mocs are concluding their five-year Title IX process, which is aimed at …
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Then, We Couldn't Get Married. Now, We're Forced To.
Oh, the web we weave when we get charged up for a cause before we think things through: Until recently, same-sex couples could not legally marry. Now, some are finding they must wed if they want to keep their partner's job-based health insurance and other benefits. With same-sex marriage now legal in 35 states and …
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