Matthew D. Ryan
Matthew D. Ryan is a published writer who lives on the shores of Lake Champlain.
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- Contributor since
- 11/22/2007
Education/Experience
B.A. in Mathematics/Philosophy from SUNY GeneseoInterests
Writing, Martial Arts, Philosophy, Movies, Politics, Dungeons and Dragons, Role-playing games, Religion, Spirituality, Paranormal, Parapsychology, Political Commentary,Motto
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Displaying Results 1 - 133 (of 133) for All Content
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Sightseeing in Plattsburgh, New York: The Museum of the Clinton County Historical AssociationA brief review of the Clinton County Historical Association's museum in Plattsburgh, New York.
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Leading ChangeA short review of the book "Leading Change" by John P. Kotter.
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Sightseeing in Plattsburgh, New York: The War of 1812 MuseumA brief review of the War of 1812 Museum commemorating, among other things, the Battle of Plattsburgh. The museum is located in Plattsburgh, New York.
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Memories of ChristmasA short recollection of my favorite Christmas toy from my youth.
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Memories of ThanksgivingA short essay explaining how I remember my mother through the Thanksgiving holiday.
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A Nightmare at Youth CampA flash fiction piece about a harrowing encounter at Youth Camp.
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The Spirit to Serve: Marriott's WayA brief review of the book "Spirit to Serve: Marriott's Way" by J.W. Marriott, Jr., and Kathi Ann Brown. The book discusses the corporate success story that is the Marriott's Hotel Chain.
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Blind EyeA brief review of the book "Blind Eye" by James B. Stewart. The book tells the true story of Michael Swango, M.D. a doctor accused of being a serial murderer.
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Autumn Vacation in the Adirondacks: Elk Lake Lodge, NYA review of the Elk Lake Lodge Adirondack campsite and how it measures up as a prospective autumn vacation spot.
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The Ghost at the Witch's Banquet: A Halloween StoryA short short Halloween horror story.
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Tailchaser's SongA brief review of the 1985 novel "Tailchaser's Song" by Tad Williams.
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Eat that Cookie! by Liz JazwiecA brief review of the book "Eat That Cookie!" by Liz Jazwiec. The book deals with improving workplace morale.
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The Tao of WritingA short book review of the "Tao of Writing" by Ralph L. Wahlstrom.
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The Ground-Zero Mosque: Lessons LearnedA brief discussion of the Ground-Zero Mosque Controversy and some of the lessons learned from it.
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Whack-A-MoleA review of the book Whack-A-Mole by David Marx. The book discusses how expectations of perfection lead to problem in the workplace and in society.
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The PantherA short poem about a panther.
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Jesus and Socrates: On Elitism, Meritocracy, and EqualityA discussion concerning the nature of elitism, meritocracy, and equality as it relates to morality.
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The Pros and Cons of Term LimitsA brief discussion of some of the pros and cons of Term limits.
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God and the Divine in Plato's RepublicA brief discussion of the concept of God as it is dealt with in Plato's Republic.
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How to Conquer the World with One Hand and an AttitudeA review of a short book about a young stroke survivor and his struggles on the road to recovery.
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Jesus and Socrates: A Dialogue on Hell and HadesA discussion of the underworld by the famous Greek philosopher of antiquity, Socrates, and Jesus of Nazareth, founder of the Christian religions and a man believed by many to be the Messiah.
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Plato's Republic: Book XA brief summary of book ten of Plato's Republic.
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Plato's Republic: Book IXA brief summary of book IX of Plato's Republic concerning the tyrannical character, his happiness, and how he compares to the philosopher.
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Plato's Republic: Book VIIIA brief summary of the eighth book of Plato's most famous work, The Republic.
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Plato's Republic: Book VIIA brief summary of the seventh book of Plato's Republic.
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Plato's Republic: Book VIA brief summary of the sixth book of Plato's most famous work, including four well-known parables and metaphors.
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The Mask of Nostradamus by James RandiA brief review and discussion of James Randi's critique of Nostradamus and prophecy.
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Plato's Republic: Book VA brief summary of the fifth book in Plato's most well-known work.
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Plato's Republic: Book IVThe initial inquiry is resolved; justice is defined and the structure of the soul is detailed and outlined.
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Plato's Republic: Book IIIA brief summary and description of the arguments presented in Book III of Plato's Republic.
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Plato's Republic: Book IIA brief summary of the second book of Plato's most famous work, "The Republic."
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PVC for Rehab Professions by Marti SmithA compendium of various projects designed to aid in Rehab efforts directed by Rehab Professionals.
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A Few Quick Thoughts on Artificial ConsciousnessA brief thought experiment on Artificial Consciousness (self-aware computers).
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Plato's Republic: Book IA brief discussion of the first of the ten books of Plato's Republic.
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Generations at Work by Roa Zemke, Claire Raines, and Bob FilipczakA brief review of a the book Generations at Work which deals with inter-generational management in the workplace.
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The Blessings of SimplicityA brief discussion of complexity as a shortcoming to rational pursuits and how simplicity can help solve problems.
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Overview: Ayn Rand's "The Fountainhead," Section I (of IV)A general overview of Ayn Rand's "The Fountainhead." Discusses primarily the activities of Howard Roark and Peter Keating and the theme of the story so far.
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The Development of Howard Roark in "The Fountainhead" (part I of IV)A discussion of the development of the character of Howard Roark in the first section of Ayn Rand's work "The Fountainhead."
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The Development of Dominique Francon in The Fountainhead (part I of IV)A short description of the character development of Dominique Francon in section I (out of IV) of Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead.
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The Development of Peter Keating in The Fountainhead, Section I (of IV)A description of the title character of Section I (of IV) of Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead, Peter Keating.
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The Curse of ReasonA discussion of some of the often overlooked shortcomings of reason, be it science, legal precedence, or rational analysis.
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Epistemology in Philosophy and ScienceA brief discussion of some epistemological concerns of mine, particularly as they relate to science (and philosophy).
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The China Study (T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D. With Thamas M. Campbell II)A review of a book dealing with the influence and importance of diet as it relates to the development of disease.
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Hospitals (By Don Griffin, 2006 Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Inc.)A review of a book on the inner-workings of hospitals.
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Crucial Confrontations (By Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler )A review of a book dealing with tense confrontations at work or elsewhere.
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Book Review: Ending Nurse-to-Nurse Hostility: (By Kathleen Bartholomew, RN, MN)A brief review of a book on nursing and the pressures of the nursing profession.
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Book Review: Crucial Conversations (by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler)Review of a book about effective dialogue skills.
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Matthew Ch. 2: The Slaughter of InnocentsA brief discussion of the lessons learned in Matthew, Ch. 2.
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The Jews and the Crucifixion of JesusA brief discussion of why I think holding modern day Jews accountable for the crucifixion of Jesus is absurd (should be obvious, but apparently it isn't).
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Reflections on Global GovernmentA brief description of some of the pros and cons of global government.
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I'm Offended by the Word 'The'A sarcastic commentary on political correctness.
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An Odd Little TaleA brief story that makes fun of politically correct speech.
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Why I Do Not Support Socialized MedicineThis article contains a brief discussion of several arguments against socialized medicine.
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Matthew Ch. 1: The Virgin BirthA short discussion of some of the lessons to be drawn from the story of the virgin birth in the first chapter of Matthew in the New Testament. -
Stocks 101--The Balance SheetA brief description of the balance sheet.
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ShipwreckedA short story in the fantasy genre.
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Stocks 101: The Income StatementA brief discussion of the Income Statement and some of the more important items one finds on it.
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Chilled to the BoneA fantasy short story.
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Stocks 101: Fundamental Analysis and Financial StatementsGenerally speaking, there are two different approaches to analyzing stocks and stock performance. The first is called technical analysis; the second, fundamental analysis. -
How the Stock Market Creates and Destroys WealthMost people who have studied science, specifically physics, have heard of the law of the conservation of energy.
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The Bid and the Ask: Stocks 101A brief description of the two prices involved in the purchasing and selling of common stocks.
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Quantum of Solace: Movie ReviewA brief review of the latest in the James Bond series with Daniel Craig. -
A Thief in Chains (part VIII of VIII)Part eight (of eight) of a fantasy short story. -
A Thief in Chains (part VII of VIII)Part seven (of eight) of a fantasy short story.
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A Thief in Chains (part VI of VIII)Part six (of eight) of a fantasy short story.
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A Thief in Chains (part V of VIII)Part five (of eight) of a fantasy short story.
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A Thief in Chains (part IV of VIII)Part four (out of eight) of a fantasy short story.
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A Thief in Chains (part III of VIII)Part three (of eight) of a fantasy short story.
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A Thief in Chains (part II of VIII)Part two (out of eight) of a fantasy short story.
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A Thief in Chains (part I of VIII)The first installment (of eight) in a fantasy-based short story.
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Why Intelligent Design is UnclearA brief discussion of Intelligent Design and why it does not just "leap out" of the evidence.
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Reflections: Socialized MedicineA brief discussion of socialized medicine stemming from my experience with State provided health insurance.
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Reflections on Freedom and What it MeansI live in the United States of America, a country that claims to be the torchbearer for freedom. That said, I believe the notion of freedom is a concept worth dissecting. In this essay, I will discuss two different kinds of freedom.
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The Right to Be Offensive and the Need for Islamic ReformA defensive of an individual's right to be offensive and "impolite," and how such relates to Islam and the consistent over-reaction of many muslim extremists when criticized. -
The Politics of Intervention and the Historical ArgumentA brief discussion of the "historical argument" as it applies to U.S. intervention in the affairs of other countries.
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The Ethical Implications of Committing SuicideA brief discussion of suicide and the moral implications of such.
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The Challenge of Morality on the InternetThis is a brief discussion of morality and the Internet, ranging from pornography to totalitarian states.
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Proofs of God's Existence and Rational ThinkingThis is a short discussion of proof of God's existence and how it relates to rational thought.
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Is God Omniscient and Omnipotent?: Resolving a ParadoxAccording to most religious people, God is omnipotent and omniscient. However, a careful application of certain logical principles to these claims leads to a number of paradoxes, which I will simply call Divine Paradoxes.
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What Drives Some Republicans to "Sit Out" ElectionsUltimately, I think this ongoing frustration and tension regarding the candidates may spell the end of the two-party system.
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Epistemology, Knowledge and Rational Belief: A StudyEpistemology. The word brings shudders to one and all alike. OK, maybe it doesn't. But perhaps it should.
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Mormonism, Islam, and What's Really ImportantThis is a brief discussion of Mitt Romney's Mormonism, how it relates to the presidential race, and how such differs from how Islam impinges on world politics.
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The Problem with Political Correctness: Examples from 2008 Election SeasonA short discussion of the notion of political correctness.
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How Philosophy and Science Relate to KnowledgeThe disciplines of philosophy and science are both rational pursuits. Each, however, goes about pursuing knowledge in totally different ways.
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A Psychokinetic ExperimentA short description on a brief psychokinetic experiment and how to accomplish a psychokinetic task.
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Possible Connections Between Miracles and MoralityUltimately, I believe miracles will very likely be explained by science. My advice: focus on the morality of a religion, not on its mystery.
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Universal Moral TruthThis content provides a short discussion of absolute moral truth, universal moral truth, situational ethics and moral relativism.
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The State of the Union Address, Now and in the FutureA short discussion of the threat of terrorism as it applies to the State of the Union Address.
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The Role of Global Doubt in the Search for KnowledgeThere is certain-but-limited knowledge, baseless opinion and well-founded, rational belief. And as far as humanity's eternal quest for "knowledge" and perpetual struggle for survival are concerned, well-founded rational belief is where the action is.
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Taking the Supernatural with a Grain of SaltA discussion of why taking supernatural life lessons too seriously is not necessarily a good idea.
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The Pros and Cons of the Flat TaxIt is difficult to get much simpler than a flat tax, a single flat rate that all taxpayers pay on their taxable income.
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Reconciling Pacifism with the War on TerrorAn attempt to reconcile the pacifism of Christianity and Socratic thought with the global war on terror.
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Chinese Man, Wei Wenhua, Beaten to Death by Authorities for Filming ProtestA short discussion of the case of Wei Wenhua and some of its implications.
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On the Christian Golden RuleA short discussion of the Golden Rule and its implications for ethics.
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Sacred Law and Moral TruthA brief discussion of Sacred Law and Moral Truth: what they are and how they sometimes conflict.
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May 2007 - Hackers Take Down EstoniaA short discussion of the cyber-assault on Estonia in 2007.
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Technology: The Two-Edged Sword - Electronic MoneyA brief discussion of some of the pros and cons of technology, specifically electronic money and the homeless.
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Free Speech and Offensive Religious ArtA discussion of offensive religious art; how Christians react and how Muslims react.
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The Gender of GodGod? Or Goddess? A short discussion.
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On ProphecyA brief discussion of prophecy and one of the major paradoxes it faces.
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Platonic EntitiesA brief discussion of platonic entities and their most likely application in the modern world.
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One World GovernmentA discussion of some of the problems of a global government and how such a government should be approached.
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Dealing with Illegal Immigration One Step at a TimeHow to deal with illegal immigration by passing one bill at a time.
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God and ScienceA brief discussion of God and modern science, from the Big Bang to free will.
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Isolationist Policies and the War on TerrorA brief discussion on whether or not we (the U.S.) should endorse isolationist policies at this time.
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Why God is Not a Shape-ShifterA discussion of the pantheistic notion that God is a shape-shifter and Plato's argument against such.
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Is Freedom of Movement a Human Right?A discussion of "Freedom of Movement," and some of the problems it faces in the modern world.
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Pantheistic Deities, Transcendent Deities, and the Problem of EvilA discussion of the differences between a pantheistic and a transcendent deity and how the philosophical "problem of evil" applies to each.
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Why One World Religion is a Bad IdeaA brief discussion of the shortfalls of one world religion.
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Pascal's Wager: Argument Designed to Encourage One to Believe in GodA short discussion of Pascal's Wager: what it is, its shortcomings and uses.
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All Faiths DayMy suggestion for a new global holiday.
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God, Obedience, and SlaveryA short discussion of the religious concepts of obedience and how such relates to freewill and slavery.
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Organic Neural Net Flies Simulated PlaneA discussion of the moral ramifications of the development of an organic neural net of rat cells capable of flying a simulated aircraft.
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Man Wakes from Coma After Feeding Tube is PulledA discussion of the case of Jesse Ramirez, how it hearkens back to Terry Schiavo, and the moral implications of both.
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Is the U.S.A. Evil?A brief discussion of whether or not the United States of America should be considered evil.
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Machiavelli: On FortuneA discussion of Machiavelli's views on how fortune affects politics and human affairs.
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Gay MarriageA discussion of whether or not gay marriage should be legal.
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Can One Visualize an Infinite Space?A discussion of the difficulties involved with visualizing an infinite space.
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Moral MinimalismA discussion of the proper place of morality in politics--where it is applicable and where not.
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Machiavelli: On Generosity and SelfishnessA discussion of Machiavelli's views concerning generosity and selfishness and how those two concepts should relate to the prince and his government.
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Machiavelli: How to Gain ReputationA discussion of the concerns a ruler must have for his reputation, how to bolster it, and its effects.
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Machiavelli: On the Use of MercenariesA short discussion explaining why Machiavelli thought mercenary troops were one of the least reliable troops at a prince's disposal.
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Islam and ReformA discussion of some of the atrocities of Islamofascism and the resultant need for reform in Islam.
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The Official Language of the United StatesA discussion of why the United States should adopt English as its Official Language, and what it means if it does so.
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The Absurdity of Naming a Mortal Man the AntichristA discussion of the dreaded Antichrist in Christian prophecy and why one should resist the temptation of trying to name him. Includes a list of some individuals so designated on the Internet.
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Being Good Versus Being ReligiousA discussion of the distinction between being good and being religious.
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Dungeons and Dragons: Making Challenging Adventures in a High-Level CampaignA discussion on how to make a high-level adventure that is challenging to the players.
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Morality, Society and Absolute TruthAn examination of whether or not society can exist based on absolute truth. Absolute morality and how it applies to society.
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Can a Loving God Construct Hell?An examination of the traditional notion of a Hell and how that squares with the notion of a loving God.
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The Christmas Controversy: Merry Christmas or Happy HolidaysA discussion of season's greetings in the workplace.
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What Right Does the U.S. Have to Interfere with Other Cultures?A discussion of the justification for U.S. interest in "regime changes" around the globe.
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Rationalism and EmpiricismA discussion of the differences between rationalist and empiricist schools of thought in philosophy.
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What is Xeno's Paradox?A discussion of the first of Zeno's paradoxes of motion and related paradoxes. Trying to develop a coherent theory of motion.