Gene Edward Veith Jr.'s Blog, page 360
January 16, 2014
Common law marriage?
A “shotgun wedding” refers to a couple getting married because the woman had gotten pregnant. (The term conjures up the image of her father pointing his shotgun at the groom.) That doesn’t happen so much anymore. Instead, according to a recent study, we are having “shotgun cohabitation,” in which getting pregnant becomes the impetus for [Read More...]
Policy lessons from the Beatles
The Beatles are hailed as icons of the Sixties counter-culture. But in a lot of ways they were quite conservative. Economics columnist Neil Irwin looks at their song lyrics and how they handled their money, drawing out what we can learn from the Beatles about taxes, retirement, and change. From Neil Irwin, The Beatles were [Read More...]
Google invading your car
If you have a newish car, you can already integrate it with your smartphone, answering your cell with a button on your steering wheel and carrying on cellphone conversations through your car’s speakers. You can even buy “apps” for your car. But when your car is your phone and your computer, outside entities are getting [Read More...]
January 15, 2014
Federalizing gay marriage
Not long ago, advocates of gay marriage were saying that since marriage laws are set by each state, gay marriage is an issue for individual states to decide. Some, more socially liberal states, might approve same sex marriage, while socially conservative states wouldn’t have to. But now the authority of states to set marriage [Read More...]
Income equality?
The Democrats’ big new issue is “income inequality.” What they are referring to is that wealthier people are benefiting more from the current economic growth than those with lower incomes and that there is a growing economic gap between the two. The Democrats want to address this with such policies as raising the minimum wage. [Read More...]
Top Biblical archaeology finds of 2013
Archaeologists keep digging up interesting discoveries. Christianity Today lists the top 10 finds in Biblical archaeology of the past year. From Gordon Govier in Christianity Today: 1. The Egyptian Scarab of Khirbet el-Maqatir This tiny 3/4-inch long amulet, carved in the familiar shape of a dung beetle, has been dated to the Late Bronze I [Read More...]
January 14, 2014
Satanism is having a Reformation
The group that is trying to erect a statue of Baphomet next to the Ten Commandments at the Oklahoma state capitol represents a new strain of Satanism. It isn’t just about black masses, occultism, and deliberate acts of evil. The new Satanism is allying itself with atheism in an attempt to destroy traditional religions. And [Read More...]
When your mother is your sister
A 58-year old woman in Utah is serving as a surrogate mother for her daughter. The woman had already gone through menopause but she took a treatment of hormone shots to get herself back into the child-bearing mode. So far, the pregnancy is going well, and the baby will be born in February. The baby, [Read More...]
Dog whistles vs. smiley faces
In the context of a discussion about “income inequality” (we’ll discuss that later), Kathleen Parker talks about political rhetoric and the different styles of each party. Republicans, she says, use “dog whistles,” using loaded terms (big government! tax-and-spend! anti-family!) to summon the true believers. Democrats use “smiley faces” to cover up unpleasant truths with positive [Read More...]
January 13, 2014
The real Osage County
I grew up in northern Oklahoma, so I’ve been noting with bemusement how Osage County all of a sudden has a presence in popular culture. First there was Ree Drummond, a.k.a. the Pioneer Woman, whose show on the Food Network has introduced foodies to the cuisine I grew up with and whose blog about her [Read More...]
