Mr. Spock

I’m sure you have heard that Leonard Nimoy died.  I, like almost everyone else, will forever think of him as Mr. Spock.  And I, unlike most people, will forever think of Mr. Spock as my first philosophy teacher. Of course everyone associates Spock, and all Vulcanians (that’s what they were called in the original TV…

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Phenoms

I have two super powers.  One is that I can turn any light red just by approaching it.  I’m a nightmare to drive with.  The other is that I can guarantee a TV show will get low ratings just by enjoying it.  If I enjoy it from the beginning, it will get cancelled before two…

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The Left

Quite a few years ago now, I was talking with my brother when he announced, “Environmentalists must be idiots.”  When I asked him what he meant, he said, “All they’re trying to do is convince people that pollution is bad and they can’t manage to do it.”  His point has stayed with me because he’s…

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The Job Market

Robert Paul Wolff writes a very entertaining blog called The Philosopher’s Stone.  Even when he is just bragging about his grandchildren, it is still utterly charming.  A little while ago, I read a post called Ein Gedankenexperiment A La Rawls.  In this post, he describes a thought experiment to determine what jobs would be worth…

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The Kid Economy

Some time between my childhood and now, the kid economy disappeared.  When I was young, I had a paper route and I shoveled driveways.  When I was in high school, I scooped ice cream and when I was in college, I washed dishes and cooked.  I had friends that were lifeguards, camp counselors, mowed lawns, etc.  Now, most…

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