Justin Katz
Part of advice columnist Carolyn Hax’s response to a letter asking about etiquette for not telling sexual partners how many have stood where they stand (so to speak) jumped out at me (emphasis added): … since dismissing people as judgmental and insecure without giving them a chance to speak for themselves could reasonably be considered…
For some light, educational weekend entertainment, give Questionaut a try. Solve simple point-and-click puzzles in a well set world in order to spur the characters to quiz you on various topics so that you may rise to the next level. Adults should find the questions pretty easy, but be aware that the makers are European,…
Jon Pincince responds to my most recent post on same-sex marriage essentially by making the counter-assertion: First, of course society should “allow dissenting opinions about the significance of homosexual relationships,” but those opinions should not be written into our laws to deny equal civil rights to those who enter into what some may consider less…
Sometimes historians skip a step or two by juxtaposing their own opinions on historical facts and then applying the “lesson” to the current day with little explanation. Such is the case with Champlain College Distinguished Scholar in History Willard Sterne Randal’s musing on the history of religion in campaigns: No presidential election since 1800 has…
The latest instance of corruption and abuse of position in RI government gave me an idea for legislation: The Rhode Island State Police have charged a Department of Administration employee with felony embezzlement for allegedly stealing cash from the agency. The police said an investigation revealed that longtime state employee Patricia Pirolli, 59, of 15…
Some folks see a headline screaming “no link” and run with the statement, claiming vindication and calling for investigations into the president’s supposed war crimes. Other folks look more closely at the report (PDF) and notice such things as the abstract: Captured Iraqi documents have uncovered evidence that links the regime of Saddam Hussein to…
As Anthony Picarello, General Counsel for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, explains marriage isn’t just about the rights of the individuals; it’s about the individuals’ relationship with society: The moral implications of changing the definition of marriage are where the debate has been largely centered. But, the legal implications of that same change are…
Reading news of Providence Mayor Cicilline’s intention to borrow money from the federal government to deal with foreclosed neighborhoods brings to mind, once again, the fact that debt is excluded from municipalities’ spending increase maximums. Standing on a sidewalk lined with boarded-up houses in the city’s West End, Mayor David N. Cicilline yesterday announced plans…
A Sakonnet Times story that does not appear to be online confirms my suspicions: Tiverton’s going to raise my taxes even more than the previously suggested maximum. Apparently, “the big jump is in the debt service on school bonds” (a 45% increase), followed by an estimated 3.2% increase for the school district. Of course, Rhode…
During my commute home, Dan Yorke was interviewing some of the Hispanic leaders involved in the rally demanding action against Providence store-owner David Richardson, and he asked one of them — a man of the cloth — what Jesus would do. The minister’s response was to cite Jesus’ overturning of the money changers’ tables in…