Introduction to Philosophy: Parker Palmer addresses four themes that he finds in the ancient Woodcarver story: motives, skills and gifts, the other, and results. In this brief paper I want you to apply Palmer’s analysis to your own education. Reflect on how you have done your education to this point. What have your motives been? […]

“I thought we’d show that friendship could be stronger than the crossroads devil” –Dar Williams The sun was resting above us in the harsh sky. Translucent waves of air rose from the baked road stretched out before us. I had all four windows and the sunroof open, music was blaring from the car speakers mixing […]

My Mother was born and raised in this town and tomorrow she will be buried here. When she turned eighteen she left Rios with some drifter named Sid and wasn’t heard from for years. When she finally did come back home she was crawling back to her parents’ place with no money, no husband, and […]

From the Associated Press: Mitrovica, Kosovo–Ten people have been killed in three days of riots that erupted after two ethnic Albanian boys were found dead in the freezing Ibar River which separates this bitter, ethnically divided city. French peacekeepers patrolling Mitrovica have asked for help and KFOR, the NATO mission in Kosovo, is responding. German […]

Well, it’s finally settled. After the marathon campaigns, the people of this nation voted last week to keep the great train wreck in office for four more years. Perhaps I’m being melodramatic. People have been saying this country has survived worse. Maybe they’re right. I’m not optimistic of our chances this time though. Here’s just […]

(I) My wife and I had gone out to her favorite restaurant to celebrate her 28th birthday. It was a restaurant decorated with every sort of novelty item from movie posters to farm tools. The place felt more like a strange museum of urban legends than a restaurant. A waiter dressed in blue jeans and […]

Violent wind and rain tears clinging leaves from the trees and lightening dances hypnotically. Rain is coming down sideways in beautiful sheets beating against the windows. It’s the end of fall. You stand at your window watching this. The power of mother nature captivating you there and you think of nature’s power and how it […]

Throughout history writers have used color to symbolize something without actually having to put words to how they feel. Black is symbolic for the unknown or evil, white is for goodness and purity, and red symbolizes passion. Alice Walker uses the color purple the same way, she wants the color to represent something and since […]

David Copperfield was born into a loving family; he had a loving mother who would have done anything for him and a doting nanny. But early in David’s life all of this changes; David’s mother, alone since her husband died, found interest in a new man, Mr. Murdstone, and was soon married to him. The […]

As I was at work the other day I noticed an image that was widely disseminated after the brutal attacks of September 11th. The image shows the Twin Towers burning moments before they came crashing down, and super imposed over these Towers is the very powerful symbol of America: the Bald Eagle. The moving part […]