Category Archives: Personal
My Favorite Funny Horror Movies
here are my favorite horror movies. There’s only one problem, I don’t really like horror movies and I would be hard pressed to come up with a set of horror movies that I really like. I love comedy, however, and … Continue reading
Sacred Space, Chosen-ness, and Perspectives on the American Past
In his classic book, The Sacred and the Profane: The Nature of Religion (1959), Mircea Eliade suggested that humanity has always sought to designate physical locations as either sacred—to be held reverent and exceptional, to be approached with respect and awe—or … Continue reading
Wednesday’s Book Review: “A Tragic Legacy: How a Good vs. Evil Mentality Destroyed the Bush Presidency”
A Tragic Legacy: How a Good vs. Evil Mentality Destroyed the Bush Presidency. By Glenn Greenwald. New York: Crown Publishers, 2007. Reporter Glenn Greenwald’s thesis is straightforward: George W. Bush approached every issue he faced as one on which the … Continue reading
The Assassinations of Joseph Smith Jr. and Hyrum Smith
June 27th marks the anniversary of the 1844 assassinations of Joseph Smith Jr., the Mormon founding prophet, and his brother Hyrum Smith at the Carthage Jail in Hancock County, Illinois. It is usually a day of remembrance for those claiming … Continue reading
Anti-War and Anti-German Sentiment in Illinois in World War I
When the United States entered World War I in April 1917 the overall population of Illinois firmly supported the American war effort; however, there were persistent anti‑war and pro‑German sentiments expressed by some in the state. The state had a … Continue reading
Wednesday’s Book Review: “Nauvoo Polygamy: ‘but we called it celestial marriage'”
Nauvoo Polygamy: “but we called it celestial marriage.” By George D. Smith. Signature Books, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2008. Introduction, photographs, appendices, footnotes, bibliography, index. ix + 705 pp. ISBN: 978-1-56085-201-8. Hardcover with dustjacket. $39.95. Plural marriage, or polygamy, among … Continue reading
Summer Reading: Indispensable Books on the History of the Space Shuttle
When NASA began work on what became the Space Shuttle at the end of the Apollo program, few recognized how important a part of American life it would become over the next thirty-plus years. While not vast, the literature on … Continue reading
Wednesday’s Book Review: “A Little History of the World”
A Little History of the World. By E.H. Gombrich. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1985 ed. When A Little History of the World first appeared in 1942 it caused quite a stir. It was viewed as an excellent introduction … Continue reading
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