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About a month ago, I had a sub retinal hemorrhage in my one good eye which created a blind spot in the part of my vision that focuses on reading and writing.  Peripheral vision remains OK most of the time, although changes in light and numbers of moving objects in my field of vision can… Read more

We’re often urged to get out of our comfort zones as a way to learn and experience something new.  But let’s face it, comfort zones are, well, comfortable, safe places to be in an unpredictable and sometimes dangerous world.  Besides, not all things new are worth learning or experiencing.  Relating to comfort zones is personal… Read more

Two weeks ago I lost a good deal of my sight. Country Parson columns are likely to be a bit messy until I learn how to deal with it. BE patient. My editor (wife) and I working out how to make this work.

The U.S. has a credibility problem made the more difficult as it learns how to deal with the new rulers of Afghanistan, who also have a credibility problem. American pundits whine that the Taliban know nothing of human rights and inflict barbarian social standards on women and children. That would be bad enough, but they… Read more

Progressive politicians and liberal interest groups have a blind spot that costs them votes and elections. They’re enthusiastic about warning of the danger right wing candidates pose to democracy, and they’re right about that.  They’re enthusiastic about rebuilding conditions needed for local and national success, and they’re right about that too.  But progressive leaders don’t… Read more

I came across an extended essay on the Nazi philosopher Carl Schmitt while reading Giorgio Agamben’s book, “The Kingdom and the Glory: A Theological Genealogy of Economy and Government.” It was startling to recognize the similarity between Schmitt’s counsel on how to usurp nascent German democracy and contemporary American right wing libertarian activism. Trump rallies… Read more