Mike Pilewski writes about life, politics and culture in the United States
Picture this: Last October, a group of American exchange students is walking through a pedestrian plaza in downtown Wiesbaden late at night. Suddenly, they’re approached by a gang of young ethnic Turks who don’t like the fact that one of the students is speaking English. “Hey!” the gang leader barks at him. “You’re American, aren’t you?” “Keep walking, Sam,” I … >>
Our hero has crash-landed on an alien planet! Spaceman Spiff crawls from the smoking wreckage of his ship, but he is soon captured by hideous creatures. Their leader — an octopus with the head of an insect — tells him, “You have knowledge we need. Cooperate, and we’ll kill you rather painlessly.” “What is it you want from me?” Spiff … >>
From time to time, we need to take a moment to recognize the unsung heroes who keep our society functioning the way it should. They work with untiring dedication. They are willing to put the greater good ahead of their own well-being. Without them, everything would collapse. I’m talking, of course, about those who teach, and fight for, proper punctuation, … >>
Parents never have an easy time. Children are always asking questions that demand scientific answers — questions like “Why is the sky blue?” But for the past 100 years, American parents have had an easy alternative when small children ask complex questions about geology, like “How was the Grand Canyon formed?” and “Where do the Great Lakes come from?” Instead … >>
Yesterday, April 21, was the 100th anniversary of the death of Samuel Langhorne Clemens. The author from Missouri was better known by his pseudonym, Mark Twain. How do you describe such a well-traveled and versatile individual? The sum total of his life was much greater than the individual things he did. He was a steamboat pilot, a businessman, a newspaper … >>