Historiography and the limits of naturalism: Thoughts on privacy, propaganda and free speech

I do feel secure in presuming that I'm not the only American who didn't vote in 2016. I also feel no guilt watching President Trump on TV, reading his Tweets, listening to his "alternative facts," or learning more about how his decisions and actions ruffle and offend my fellow human beings at home and abroad.…

REPEAL AND REPLACE: “We’re doing THE DEMOCRATS A SERVICE.”

Like many of us around the world, I'm watching President elect Trumps press conference. Am I the only one staggering over the idealism in play? Apparently not: this news conference is being held in part over stock market fluctuations related to some of his comments. I'm not ready to speak to what I'm hearing point…

A Reason For Faith: History, Historiography and The Enlightenment

I am somewhat beside myself having found the above book by Laura Harris Hales. History has long been touted as having a "redemptive" quality. It's often the immediacy of our everyday lives that allows such a view point to flower long after we've turned out the lights at bedtime. The book A Reason for Faith,…

Oh Lawd. I do see Paris, but it seems I’ve never seen France.

Over at Jason Colavito's blog, he, as usual is bemoaning the Age of Balkanization. A recent target of his may be of note to practitioners and consumers of reflexology. Colavito's target is not a teacher or continuing education provider for reflexology in the United States. I have not researched her or the father in law whom Colavito…

The Satanic Verses or Secular “Apologetics?”

I was reminded today of two different movie dialogues, both of which were spoken by seasoned comedians. One was indeed a comedy but the other was a tragedy. The lives of each comic have followed the courses laid out in those films more or less. Bill Murray in the comedy Stripes has a line where…

Open letter on privacy: closer to fine

The Indigo Girls wrote and performed a song titled Closer to Fine in the 1980's. I loved it then and now. There is a line from the song that has always had significance for me. Given the news that Dame Helen Mirren will be playing the role of Sarah Winchester in the aptly titled film…

Spas, Spa Evidence and Interdisciplinarity

An interdisciplinary approach can help spas and spa therapists better understand the framework of academic research paradigms and move toward a closer alignment with academic disciplines on which all research is based. By familiarizing themselves with the structures of American academia, spa management and spa therapists can integrate more evidenced based practices into their existing…