Archive

Our Bullish Sock Market

Our Bullish Sock Market

America's economic recovery can be measured not only in the performance of stocks — but also of socks. Most economists, pundits, and politicos see this year's boom in the stock market and say: "See, the recovery is going splendidly!" What if they went to such stores...

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Getting Mother Nature’s Drift

Getting Mother Nature’s Drift

My father was an early member of a group now known disparagingly as "ultra-lawn people." "High," as everyone called him, was dedicated, body and soul, to the Sisyphean task of trying to maintain a lawn full of lush St. Augustine grass in hot, dry Texas. He planted,...

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The Men’s Club

The Men’s Club

Most people would probably guess that the upper echelon of corporate America is an exclusive, virtually males-only club. And they'd be right. A new Institute for Policy Studies report shows just how exclusive this club is. Over the past two decades, there are only...

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Where Are the Women?

Where Are the Women?

At the exact moment that I'm writing this, the New York Times homepage is displaying stories authored by 35 men — and eight women. And three of those eight articles were coauthored with men. You can find this data at WhoWritesFor, a website that tracks authorship on...

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America the Wild and Beautiful

America the Wild and Beautiful

In late August, I was lucky enough to celebrate in person the fifth anniversary of the Wild Sky Wilderness area in Washington's Cascade Mountains. This 106,577-acre region is home to rugged mountains, beautiful stretches of pine forests, miles and miles of hiking...

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Mexican Food for Thought

Mexican Food for Thought

As I stepped off a bus in Mexico earlier this month, a tour guide urged my family and everyone else on the trip to go home and tell others that his country was safe. "Nobody got shot, eh?" he asked, explaining that stories about Mexico as a modern-day Wild West...

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Nelson Mandela’s Distinction

Nelson Mandela’s Distinction

The year 2000 marked not merely the end of a century but the end of a millennium, a thousand years of history. The media's desire to fill empty space with naming "the Person of the Millennium" became all the rage. George Will, the unfailingly smug conservative...

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