Author Archives: Harry Katz
Thomas Friedman column: 10 Months or 10 Years
I’m a big fan of New York Times foreign affairs columnist Thomas Friedman. I think his articles are must-reading for anyone interested in world affairs. However, his November 29, 2006 column, Ten Months or Ten Years (registration required), … Continue reading
Pope calls on religious leaders to reject violence
On his four day trip to Turkey, Pope Benedict XVI has called upon religios leaders to reject violence. According to the report here: The Pope called on all religious leaders to reject attempts to wield political power and called on them … Continue reading
Book Review: Freakonomics
Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything By Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner Harper Collins, New York, 2005 The authors of Freakonomics, University of Chicago economist Steven D. Levitt and writer and journalist Stephen J. … Continue reading
ZD Net article: U.N. debate swirls around domain name power
Interesting ZDNet article here from the Internet Governance Forum meetings in Athens this week. The article cites concern in the international community about the sway held by the US governemnt over certain key aspeInteresting ZDcts of the Internet. It seems … Continue reading
Protests continue over Pope’s remarks on Islam
Despite a not-quite-full apology by Pope Benedict XVI, protests by offended Muslims continue around the world. If the Pope intended to highlight ambiguities or tensions within Islam around the issue of violence, then ironically, some of the protests and reactions … Continue reading
Speech by Pope Benedict XVI sparks Muslim outrage
A speech given by the Pope at the University of Regensburg in Germany on Tuesday, September 12, 2006, has caused outrage across the Muslim world. See the Washington Post report here and a somewhat more insightful analysis in the Telegraph here. … Continue reading
Israel-Hezbollah war
This war that broke out in southern Lebanon 10 days ago doesn’t have a name yet, so I’m just calling it the Israel-Hezbollah war for now. A couple of interesting editorials on the conflict. In the Washington Post … Continue reading
Having the truth vs. searching for truth
Interesting article in the New York Times, here, about some Baptist colleges severing ties with churches, largely over the conflict between academic freedom and religious doctrine. I especially liked this paragraph: David W. Key, director of Baptist Studies at the … Continue reading
Pat Robertson at it again
CNN (among others) reports here that the White House has sharply criticized Pat Robertson for remarks implying that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s stroke on January 4 were divine retribution for Sharon’s withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. The best … Continue reading
Sanity prevails
A federal judge has ruled that the Dover Area School Board in Pennsylvania violated the U.S. Constitution when it ordered "intelligent design" added to its biology curriculum. Districut Judge John E. Jones III wrote in his ruling: "The citizens … Continue reading
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