Category Archives: Opinion Pieces and Editorials

Where we are allowed to share our opinions with others.

Reciprocity and Turn Taking in Love

Posted on February 14, 2014 by Aya Katz

No love is selfless. Love is its own reward and is tied directly to the reward center of the brain, Continue reading →

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Songs of Slavery

Posted on September 10, 2013 by Aya Katz

Songs of Slavery Slavery, as a human institution, has existed since time immemorial. It is sanctioned in the Bible and was practiced by the Greeks and the Romans. It was prevalent in medieval eastern Europe, and it was even a … Continue reading →

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Lobbying the Madisons: Letters to James and Dolley

Posted on July 26, 2013 by Aya Katz

When the government has done us wrong, any attempt to seek redress is fraught with difficulty. Ironically, people find it much easier to ask for a handout or a government job or a special favor than to ask for justice. … Continue reading →

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Meeting People Halfway: Detours in Communication

Posted on July 13, 2013 by Aya Katz

Most people agree that if you want to communicate with someone else, you have to meet him halfway. It’s all about give and take, and we have to be willing to do both. But what many people have never stopped … Continue reading →

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Changing Social Norms in the 18th Century: The Courtships of Aaron Burr

Posted on June 9, 2013 by Aya Katz

Every generation decries the changing social norms of the generation that comes after: unless, of course, the older generation does not even survive to see how the younger generation lives. In that case, the younger generation is pretty much left … Continue reading →

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The Character of Aaron Burr: A Review

Posted on May 31, 2013 by Aya Katz

This is a review of Roger G. Kennedy’s biographical book, Burr, Hamilton and Jefferson: A Study in Character.   Kennedy’s  is not the sort of book one should read when not familiar with the history of the United States, the … Continue reading →

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Who Should Pay for Waging War?

Posted on May 9, 2013 by Aya Katz

War is a zero sum game, in which nations battle over territory and natural resources. It therefore follows that those who get the most territory for the least expenditure of resources are the most successful. For this reason, war should be financed at the expense of the enemy, and not at the expense of one’s own people. In lieu of taxation, issuing letters of marque and reprisal is a better choice. Continue reading →

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Didactic Fiction: Propaganda or Art?

Posted on April 26, 2013 by Aya Katz

Today I came across this quote in a Facebook posting:  “Some major writers have a huge impact, like Ayn Rand, who to my mind is a lousy fiction writer because her writing has no compassion and virtually no humor. She … Continue reading →

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Enjoying Nature: It’s Springtime — Almost!

Posted on April 12, 2013 by admin

We thought that spring had finally come.  The flowers were blooming, the air was warm. The birds were chirping and the small leaflets were starting to bud on the trees. The blossoms of every flower seemed to reach out and … Continue reading →

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The Harvest Moon, the Autumnal Equinox and the Holidays of Autumn

Posted on September 21, 2012 by Aya Katz

In  a perfect world, the lunar calendar and the solar calendar would be in synch. The cycles of the moon and the revolution of the earth around the sun would work together to create a single unified calendar by which … Continue reading →

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