Category Archives: Sociology

Information Please

Posted on March 22, 2011 by Jim Wheeler

The world is awash in information.  It is nothing less than astonishing, when you think about it, that the written word has come so far from the invention of the printing press around 1440 to the internet in present times.  … Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophy, Science / Engineering, Sociology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Bowling For Brains

Posted on February 14, 2011 by Jim Wheeler

Anson Burlingame, who has actual experience teaching in the Joplin school system, has once again questioned the quality of American education and bravely challenged school board applicants to address problems realistically.   I too have addressed the topic in previous … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Sociology | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Cookie Diplomacy

Posted on December 28, 2010 by Jim Wheeler

Sometimes one hears a story that sticks in the memory because it is profound.  That happened to me several decades ago when a naval-officer friend of mine, we’ll call him “Ron”, told me a true story about himself.  He was … Continue reading →

Posted in Ethics / Morality, Philosophy, Politics, Sociology, U.S. Armed Forces, U.S. Navy | Tagged | 11 Comments

Thrill and Agony

Posted on December 4, 2010 by Jim Wheeler

I have just read what I consider the best-ever essay on sports and would like to recommend it to my small cadre of readers and fellow bloggers.  It is not only good writing about what it means to win or … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Ethics / Morality, Philosophy, Sociology | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

What’s It All About?

Posted on December 2, 2010 by Jim Wheeler

My current study interest is economics, so here is an economics question for you.  Is there “good” economic activity as opposed to “bad”?  Does the quality of economic activity matter?  As the “wealthiest” nation in the world, are we getting … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Economics, Philosophy, Sociology | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

How Gratifying!

Posted on November 27, 2010 by Jim Wheeler

In today’s (11/27/10) Globe, Morton Kondracke likens the imminent entitlement-debt crisis to the Cold War and muses that to combat it President Obama will need to “scare the hell out of the American people”, like Harry Truman did in 1947.  … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Education, Ethics / Morality, Fiscal Policy, Personal Finance, Philosophy, Sociology | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

What Were They Drinking?

Posted on July 21, 2010 by Jim Wheeler

I recently mentioned to an acquaintance that I had begun blogging in various subjects, including politics.  His instant response was to ask, “Are you conservative or liberal?”  It seems that in his mind that context needed to be established as … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Ethics / Morality, Federal Government, Fiscal Policy, Government size, Health, Sociology | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

. . . One Nation Into Babel, With Liberty and Justice for All

Posted on June 11, 2010 by Jim Wheeler

Of late we are seeing more home-grown American terrorists.  Fortunately, they have been pretty stupid so far, flying to Ethiopia and Afghanistan trying to get training on how to blow the rest of us up.  Apparently they didn’t know you … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Sociology | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments