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Sales of recorded music are down for the fourth straight year. It seems fewer and fewer people are willing to invest hard-earned money on music CDs. Has the music gotten worse? Are people finally getting sick of pop?Nope. In fact, pop music is more pop and ubiquitous than ever. According…
In just a few minutes I'll be joining a conference call with people from all across this country to unite our voices in praying for revival. I love this group, these people - most of whom I've never met, but all of whom I feel close to because of what…
Timeless truths have a way of sneaking up on you. I was re-reading the poems of Anne Bradstreet, America's first lady of verse, when I came across this among her meditations: "Dim eyes are the concomitants of old age, and shortsightedness in those that are eyes of a republic fortells…
President Obama is on a roll. The successful passage of health care reform, a delayed victory after so many early triumphs (stimulus, auto takeover, banks bailout), has emboldened him in new directions. A second, albeit much smaller, "jobs" stimulus package was rushed through without much fanfare. Now the first star…
The growing number of lawsuits by states against the new health care reform law is bringing to light a troubling underside of American politics. I watched last night as Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell explained why he would not support his Attorney General's desire to join other states in their suit…
I am not one to be a knee-jerk critic of the Roman Catholic Church. As a participant for fifteen years in the discussions known as Evangelicals and Catholics together, I have made many friends within that communion and have come to appreciate - without wholeheartedly embracing - its theology and…
Everywhere I look, the nation feels adrift. Politically, we're more untethered from our founding concepts and ideals than we've ever been. The economy is in a state of flux, obviously. Even though Wall Street seems to be on a rally, it's difficult to tell if this is the harbinger of…
The Fox News network is the most powerful and influential cable news network in the world. Two of its star commentators, Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity, are near the top of their field. Each of them commands a large following, both on television and through talk radio; each is devoted…
I think I first began to be aware of how powerful the idea of feelings had become in our society back in the early '70s. Olivia Newton-John sang, "I love you, I honestly love you" in a breathless voice that seemed so sincere. Then she explained that she knew this…
The tentative state of all things economical has spawned more commercials for banks, investment houses, and retirement programs than I've seen in a long time. The message sounds a little like, "Hurry! While you still have some money! Invest now!"Undoubtedly there is wisdom in seeking to make the best decisions…
I spent a good part of yesterday catching up on some of my journals and periodicals. I must have read a dozen articles in three or four different publications. There was an interesting article about the competition in ebooks now that Apple's iPad is out to rival Amazon's Kindle. A…
We have become so accustomed to the language of rights in our society that we're beginning to miss the trap that lies beneath that bait. Governments move to establish and preserve the rights of certain parties only because those who have particular responsibilities are failing to fulfill them. Take the…
As of this writing we're still awaiting the final House vote on health care reform, although, with the President's "cross-my-heart-and-hope-to-die" executive order promise to Bart Stupak, the outcome seems anticlimactic. It's pretty clear that, by the time you read this, health care reform will be the law of the land.…
Unable to convince members of their own party to commit political suicide, Democratic leaders are contemplating the use of a procedure called, "deeming," to bring the health care reform bill to passage. In this procedure House members do not need to actually vote for the Senate bill; they can simply…
The present Administration is making a concerted effort to change the face of governance in this era of image and information. These past few weeks of trying to push through a health-care reform package offer a study in the new approach to governing President Obama and his cohort have determined…