- If Joe Biden folds up his campaign before South Carolina, where will black voters go? The most recent Quinnipiac national poll, taken after Iowa, shows Biden's advantage among blacks down to a devastating plurality of just 27%. In second among blacks is Michael Bloomberg with 22%, followed by Sanders at 19%. How hard would... Read More

As one decade comes to a close, a favorite movie brings to mind what may be the defining question of the next: I have always and continue to maintain that war is hell and violence should be avoided at all costs. I sincerely hope the 2020s offer a way to realize as much. If I... Read More

Quintessentially English, I desire the shire. Call me audacious, but I know I'd toss the ring into Mt. Doom. I'd never make it to the summit today, though. Middle Earth is no longer safe for hobbits. We did more than merely allow things to get this way--we celebrated it. In the 21st century's telling, the... Read More

In response to the accusation that this is shamelessly self-indulgent, I'm just following Derb's lead. That's what epigones do! It also serves as an introduction of sorts to those who've found the blog through Ron. What is your idea of perfect happiness? Rediscovering life through the eyes of my children, aged 5, 3, and six... Read More

Fat people do not deserve your care. They may receive it, but they don't deserve to. If I told you I'd give you $1 million tomorrow morning if today you worked out as you were instructed to work out and ate as you were instructed to eat, would you do it? Of course you would.... Read More

I was in middle school when Gladiator came out, and I liked it when I saw it in the movie theater. The opening battle scene against a loosely interpreted German tribe like the Marcomanni or Quadi is a thrill. That the disorganized combat melee and use of siege weapons in the forest against a mobile... Read More

Several years ago I took a look at the relationship between boredom and intelligence. Turns out the two things are inversely related. When Razib Khan says he is unable to recount a time he has been bored in his adult life, believe him. Personally, I can't remember ever feeling bored (with leisure time, that is--there... Read More

Okay, he doesn't differentiate between genotype and phenotype, and he's unaware of epigenetics, but this isn't bad for a contemporary of the emperor Nero (and a Stoic to boot!):

Are you an absolutist or a relativist when it comes to defining contentment and happiness (or telos, if you prefer)? Is there one definitional formula, or are there countless possible combinations leading to the same answer?I'd describe myself as a relative absolutist. That is, there is one specific optimal formula for realizing happiness for each... Read More

Amsterdam's Mayor Job Cohen has given the city the green light to start turning off the red lights: If the city authorities have their way, the widely sold tourist T-shirt proclaiming that "Good boys go to heaven and bad boys go to Amsterdam" will become a relic. Indeed, those bad boys may soon struggle to... Read More