by Ed Raymond | .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | December 12th, 2018
What happens if conspicuous consumption becomes global?
The latest National Geographic has an editorial “The Global Peril of Inequality” by UCLA Professor Jared Diamond which the entire world should read. The author of many books on science, he is ranked ninth in a poll naming the world’s top 100 public intellectuals. He has won too many scientific awards to mention, but it’s very important to recognize he is considered an expert in a variety of scientific fields: particularly…
by Ed Raymond | .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | December 5th, 2018
What Is The Fastest Growing Religion?
Recent surveys by the Pew Research Center and the Hartford Institute for Religious Research indicate that one in four Americans do not belong to any religion. In fact, the largest “religious” group in the United States now is made up of ex-Catholics. At last count, there were about 385,000 churches belonging to more than 60 denominations, down about 30,000 from just five years ago. Over half of these churches have only 100 worshippers on…
by Ed Raymond | .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | November 28th, 2018
Will Knowledge Ever Win The Political Sweepstakes?
One might assume that when slave owner Thomas Jefferson thought of the proposition that “all men are created equal” 232 years ago a civilized society over the next ten generations might have figured out how to accomplish the task. Evidently, it is way too short a time for the four horses of Ignorance, Bigotry, Race, and Economic Inequality to be defeated by a crippled old warhorse named Knowledge. Evidently, the arc of history,…
by Ed Raymond | .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | November 14th, 2018
The Third Reich—And Making A Country Great Again
I was in first grade in country school on November 9, 1938 when the Nazis, in avenging the assassination of a German embassy official in Paris by a 17-year-old Jewish youth, committed the “Night of Broken Glass” (Kristallnacht), destroying 1,400 synagogues, 7,000 Jewish businesses, and killing about 100 Jews. The Nazis then arrested 30,000 Jews, sending them to labor and death camps. Our farm was close to Pierz, Minnesota, a little…
by Ed Raymond | .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | November 7th, 2018
Do Muslims and Christians have to wear gloves to play football?
Gene and Matthew were both young teenagers when they realized they were gay. They finally met in the hallowed halls of Washington’s National Cathedral where leading American citizens are celebrated and buried. Gene was raised by Kentucky tobacco sharecroppers in a very conservative Disciples of Christ church. No dancing, no card-playing, no drinking, no movies—and the teachings of Leviticus were the order of the day.…
by Ed Raymond | .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | October 31st, 2018
When anarchy is loosed upon the world
A poem by William Butler Yeats perfectly catches the divisiveness of American politics in the Age of Trump. From the Second Coming:
“Turning and turning in the widening gyre, the falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere the ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of…
by Ed Raymond | .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | October 24th, 2018
TRUMP “HOAX” DESTROYS MEXICO BEACH, FLORIDA AT 157 MILES PER HOUR!
This headline could have appeared in The Donald’s favorite publication, his revered source of truth, the “National Enquirer.” But this is not “fake news” from “the enemy of the people,” the national press. How many billions Hurricane Michael is going to cost us will take months or years to determine. The mayor of Mexico Beach has told the residents not to come “home” for 12 to 18 months because there…
by Ed Raymond | .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | October 17th, 2018
How today’s “christians” hammered the nails into the hands and feet of christ
Historian Christopher Browning, who has spent a lifetime studying the Holocaust, Nazi Germany, and the World War II era of Europe, has expressed concerns about fascist leanings appearing in Europe and the White House. Over the years it is axiomatic that great civilizations support literature, art, and music. Even Adolf Hitler who approved the Holocaust had two favorite musicians, Ludwig van Beethoven and…
by Ed Raymond | .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | October 10th, 2018
Is Life Just Keeping House On The Deck Of The Titanic?
As a lifetime reader of thousands of books and a collector of thousands, I have had good reads and terrible reads. My Morrison County (District 54) of 25 students in grades 1-8 had a 300-book library. I read them all, regardless of topic. I majored in English, Journalism, and Creative Writing in college, and my Master’s Degree is in English literature. I just finished a great read I couldn’t put down—except I did once in awhile…
by Ed Raymond | .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | October 3rd, 2018
The modern KKK and Kochkopus are choking American democracy
Kavanaugh lost his Kool and Kracked under pressure. I can spell. His rant before the Senate Judiciary Committee revealed he should not be a judge judging other people. He reminded me of the fanatic KKKers defending their racism.With his volatile temperament he should not even be a municipal traffic judge.He doesn’t need to be drunk to be aggressive, belligerent, and in a rage. Here he was before 11 Republicans and 10…
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FARGO - Rain or shine, the Fargo Antiques ROADSHOW is scheduled to last all day on June 1 at Bonanzaville. The show is part of a five-city tour, and the venues are chosen for their historic significance. As all tickets are…
Shodan has been called the “scariest search engine on the internet.” It has the ability to expose and allow access to many devices including servers, computers, phones, fridges, traffic lights, security cameras and even control…
Wednesday, May 29, 5-8 p.m.Plains Art Museum, 704 1st Ave N, FargoThis event is an open house style maker’s session. Participants will receive an 11 inch canoe model and access to a supply buffet. Artist Hosts will be available…
It’s that time of year again. Recent grads are unleashed and set out to make their mark on the world. It’s funny how something can be simultaneously liberating and terrifying. If we could spread any pearls of wisdom to these…
Guns, Lockdowns, and Panic ButtonsThe girl is now a seventh grader at Sandy Hook Elementary. In 2012 she was the only survivor of her first grade class of 21 in a mass school shooting. Among the first words by this six-year-old to…
To say that this year’s Bartenders Battle was the best display of talent in the six years since its creation would be an understatement and a disservice to not only the bartenders who made it into the competition, but also the…
Quiche is a great addition to any brunch. It’s almost like a wardrobe staple that you can dress up or dress down. I made one for my 90-year-old grandma for mother’s day last weekend. She’s a good critic when I try out a new…
There is a golden oldie by Peter Allen called “Everything Old is New Again”, and that is certainly true about vinyl records. It is no secret that vinyl records are no longer just your parents’ musical format. Their…
Impossibly beautiful lead performers underline the YA fantasy aspects of Ry Russo-Young’s translation of “The Sun Is Also a Star,” based on Nicola Yoon’s bestseller. Russo-Young’s sharp handling of the 2017 adaptation of…
The Plains Art Museum is ready to take you back in time – or forward, if you prefer – for their 23rd annual Spring Gala. The theme for this year’s event, which takes place on Friday, May 3, is Time Machine.The Spring Gala is…
Countless examples can be found throughout the history of great art that was only recognized as such after the life of the artist that created it. Such is true of Georges Bizet’s opera "Carmen." While its reception during his…
Stand-up comedy is traditionally a one-way exchange. Outside of the odd question addressed to a random audience member, the limit of the spectators’ contribution to the conversation is their laughter at the comedy stylings being…
By Gabrielle Herschgabbyhersch@gmail.comThink & Drink is coming to Fargo! Organized by Humanities North Dakota, Think & Drink is a happy hour series that hosts a facilitated public conversation about big issues and ideas. Lead by a…
I’m a big man, I’m tall and powerful, but this also causes some issues in the body department. I suffer from acute scoliosis in my lower back, and pain radiates from this area on a daily basis. I have only ever had one massage…
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by Devin Joubertdevinlillianjoubert@gmail.comIt’s that beautiful time of the year that’s filled with seasonal decorations, sparkly lights, warm family gatherings, and delicious feasts. I love everything about this time of the…
By Gary Olsonolsong@moravian.eduIn 2017, Sociology Professor Rachel Sherman wrote “Uneasy Street: The Anxiety of Affluence,” a book which drew from 50 in-depth interviews with uber-wealthy New Yorkers in order to obtain a…
