Monthly Archives: December 2011

You’re familiar with fracking…the technique of extracting natural gas from shales by using high-pressure fluids injected (typically, at great depths) underground to fracture the rock and release the gas. I’m a little behind on my reading of The Economist, but … Continue reading →

“Our most important decision in life is our choice of parents.”  Brilliant.  A good friend and colleague just gave birth to her second child. She and her husband are remarkable people! Their children are privileged in every way…and those children … Continue reading →

“The diversity of the phenomena of nature is so great, and the treasures hidden in the heavens so rich, precisely in order that the human mind shall never be lacking in fresh nourishment.” Johannes Kepler  (1571-1630) NASA’s Kepler mission is … Continue reading →

“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.” William Shakespeare, As You Like It, Act II Scene VII This is one of Shakespeare’s many famous lines. It’s a rich source of ideas, and I’ve blogged … Continue reading →

…goes by the name zenana. According to an article in this morning’s Washington Post, that’s a middle Eastern word loosely translated as buzz; but in Egyptian the term is slang for a relentlessly nagging wife. The buzz in this case … Continue reading →

Wednesday morning my wife went out to Los Angeles to visit her mother. When she called on Thursday, she said, “we’ve been having Santa Ana winds.” Back on the east coast, I didn’t think anything of it. As readers of … Continue reading →

…prompted by Sally Jenkins’ fine piece this morning on the front page of the Washington Post, entitled, When it comes to leadership, Tebow’s an example to follow. You can find it online, with a different title, here. Why seize on … Continue reading →

On campuses around the nation, the fall semester is drawing to a close. For students, and also for their faculties, it’s crunch time. The last classroom sessions are underway, and a lot of essential, core material is being crammed into … Continue reading →