No Fool

Just in time for April Fool's Day comes this Lenten meditation from one of my favorite United Church of Christ pastors, Quinn G. Caldwell.

Awestruck Wonder

Oh God, pardon our attempts to reduce You, 

And coax us into awestruck wonder.

From the UCC Lenten Devotional 

by the Still Speaking Writers' Group

The First Day of Christmas? Part IV

Welcome to Part IV, the final installment in the series about the First Day of Christmas.

What, Christmas on January 11th, you say? I deliberately waited until the third Sunday after Christmas to post this final installment inspired by the song, Twelve Days of Christmas. This series of posts has been my stab at a definitive answer to these four perennial questions:

What is the first day of Christmas? December 26

What do we mean by the Christmas Season? Let's call it Dec 6 through January 6

Thinking about the song and all the gifts on each of those days, how many presents arrive in all? A whopping 364! 

And speaking of gifts, is there any significance behind the seemingly random gift choices? 

We tackled the third question in Part III of the series. Missed it? Get caught up HERE.

And now, 

wrapping things up 

with Part IV:

You know the famous song and have sung (or heard it sung) it many times at Christmas.

On the twelfth day of Christmas

my true love gave to me:

Twelve Drummers Drumming

Eleven Pipers Piping

Ten Lords a-Leaping

Nine Ladies Dancing

Eight Maids a-Milking

Seven Swans a-Swimming

Six Geese a-Laying

Five Golden Rings

Four Calling Birds

Three French Hens

Two Turtle Doves and

a Partridge in a Pear Tree

Read more: HERE

Where did all these wacky gift ideas come from? I mean, if I wanted to demonstrate my true love in the same way, my lady would need a barn for all the cows, swans, geese, birds, hens, doves, and partridges. (Some sources state that the five rings are not jewelry but ring-necked birds, such as the Ring-necked Pheasant. Great--even more birds!) Not to mention a very large house and food budget for all the drummers, pipers, lords, ladies, and maids. Why not sweaters, pajamas, and music CDs?

Perhaps you have heard the popular explanation that the gifts are actually part of a shadow catechism--that parents used the song to teach their children about the Bible during a time of religious persecution. A common version of that story looks like this:

The songs gifts are hidden meanings to the teachings of the faith. The "true love" mentioned in the song doesn't refer to an earthly suitor, it refers to God Himself. The "me" who receives the presents refers to every baptized person.
The partridge in a pear tree is Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
2 Turtle Doves = The Old and New Testaments
3 French Hens = Faith, Hope and Charity, the Theological Virtues
4 Calling Birds = the Four Gospels and/or the Four Evangelists
5 Golden Rings = The first Five Books of the Old Testament, the "Pentateuch", which gives the history of man's fall from grace.
6 Geese A-laying = the six days of creation
7 Swans A-swimming = the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, the seven sacraments
8 Maids A-milking = the eight beatitudes
9 Ladies Dancing = the nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit
10 Lords A-leaping = the ten commandments
11 Pipers Piping = the eleven faithful apostles
12 Drummers Drumming = the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle's Creed

We do not know the author of the interpretation, nor do we know if the story comes before the lyric or after. Read more HERE
There may be a bit of truth to the idea that this song is a shadow catechism. Jews, Masons, slaves and spies have all devised ways of sending hidden messages in plain sight of persecutors. Christians have not been persecuted in Europe since the end of the Roman Empire. There were no practical reasons for Christians to use a shadow catechism after the Edict of Milan in 313. That said, the idea of linking each of the twelve gifts to the Bible has a precedent.

The song as we know it today appeared in its earliest known printed version in the 1780 children's book Mirth Without Mischief. The song is apparently much older than this printed version, but we do not currently know how much older. What we do know is that the structure of the song is similar to one called A New Dial.

Again, from Snopes

It is possible that "The Twelve Days of Christmas" has been confused with (or is a transformation of) a song called "A New Dial" (also known as "In Those Twelve Days"), which dates to at least 1625 and assigns religious meanings to each of the twelve days of Christmas (but not for the purposes of teaching a catechism).

Snopes denies that the lyrics to A New Dial were intended to teach a catechism, but that is a matter of opinion, not fact. I think it's entirely possible that A New Dial was indeed used to teach the Bible. Furthermore, it is remotely possible that the structure of twelve things recited in a question-and-answer format goes all the way back to a time when Christians were persecuted. We simply don't know.

Here is a snippet of A New Dial. It sounds like a catechism to me.

What are they that are but one?
We have one God alone
In heaven above sits on His throne.


What are they which are but two?
Two testaments, the old and new,
We do acknowledge to be true.


What are they which are but three?
Three persons in the Trinity
Which make one God in unity.

... and so on, through the number twelve. Read more HERE or in the Table below. 

My side-by-side comparison of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" with its apparent predecessor, "A New Dial" reveals some similarities and some differences. Note that half (5 of 12) of the items are the same (=) and the other half (7 of 12) are different (X). 

"A New Dial" (also known as "In Those Twelve Days"), which dates to at least 1625 and assigns religious meanings to each of the twelve days of Christmas.		"The Twelve Days of Christmas" was presented in its earliest known printed version in the 1780 children's book, Mirth Without Mischief. It seems similar to the much older verse.
What are they that are but one?		The partridge in a pear tree is Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
We have one God alone	x
In heaven above sits on His throne.
What are they which are but two?		2 Turtle Doves = The Old and New Testaments
Two testaments, the old and new,	=
We do acknowledge to be true.
What are they which are but three?		3 French Hens = Faith, Hope and Charity, the Theological Virtues
Three persons in the Trinity	x
Which make one God in unity.
What are they which are but four		4 Calling Birds = the Four Gospels and/or the Four Evangelists
Four sweet Evangelists there are,	=
Christ's birth, life, death which do declare.
What are they which are but five?		5 Golden Rings = The first Five Books of the Old Testament, the "Pentateuch", which gives the history of man's fall from grace.
Five senses, like five kings, maintain	x
In every man a several reign.
What are they which are but six?		6 Geese A-laying = the six days of creation
Six days to labor is not wrong,	=
For God himself did work so long.
What are they which are but seven?		7 Swans A-swimming = the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, the seven sacraments
Seven liberal arts hath God sent down	x
With divine skill man's soul to crown.
What are they which are but eight?		8 Maids A-milking = the eight beatitudes
Eight Beatitudes are there given	=
Use them right and go to heaven.
What are they which are but nine?		9 Ladies Dancing = the nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit
Nine Muses, like the heaven's nine spheres,	x
With sacred tunes entice our ears.
What are they which are but ten?		10 Lords A-leaping = the ten commandments
Ten statutes God to Moses gave	=
Which, kept or broke, do spill or save.
What are they which are but eleven?		11 Pipers Piping = the eleven faithful apostles
Eleven thousand virgins did partake	x
And suffered death for Jesus' sake.
What are they which are but twelve?		12 Drummers Drumming = the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle's Creed
Twelve are attending on God's son;	x
Twelve make our creed. The Dial's done.

After looking at a side-by-side comparison of "A New Dial" and "The Twelve Days of Christmas," I see some similarities but still have a lot of questions. Let's just say that Christians at some point in history for whatever motive simply wanted to have a verse to talk or sing about the Bible. And let's just say that the structure of call and response with twelve items was popular enough to be passed along orally for years and years. We still don't know:

• When was the descriptive interpretation of The Twelve Days of Christmas written (i.e., 10 Lords A-leaping = the ten commandments)? Was the description really a contemporary sub-text to the lyric? Or was it written much later? If later, as I suspect, then idea that the song was a shadow catechism collapses.
• If A New Dial is truly the predecessor of The Twelve Days of Christmas, why do the "stories" differ in detail over 50% of the time? 
• Even if we accept the premise that a shadow catechism dating from before the Edict of Milan morphed from A New Dial to The Twelve Days of Christmas, and further accept that 10 Lords A-leaping = the ten commandments, we still have no explanation--no clue whatsoever--for Lords A-leaping. Why Lords A-leaping? Why not nice sweaters? We simply do not know.  

Let's chalk it up to creative license!

Speaking of gift ideas that seem strange to us today, did you ever wonder why the magi gave Jesus gold, frankincense and myrrh? These valuable items were standard gifts to honor a king or deity in the ancient world: gold as a precious metal, frankincense as perfume or incense, and myrrh as anointing oil. Read more HERE

This brings us to the end of our four-part exploration into the First Day of Christmas. I hope you have enjoyed this series. 

Recapping:

• December 26 is the First Day of Christmas. The Twelve Days of Christmas conclude on Epiphany.  
• The "Official" Christmas Season for shopping and decorating purposes begins on Saint Nicholas Day and ends on Epiphany. I propose the term Christmastide, be modified to include the period of Advent, Christmas Day, and the Liturgical Christmas Season 
• The total number of gifts given by the singer's true love is 364--enough gifts for one per day from the first day of Christmas on December 26th to the following Christmas Eve.  
• The gifts have no hidden meaning relating to the catechism and rumors to that effect are unsubstantiated. The gifts seem random but they are no more bizarre than the original gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 

I hope that you will remember the main ideas from these four posts when Christmas comes around again. When will you start thinking about Christmas? When will those thought be put into action? How will you build anticipation for the day of Jesus' birth? How will you celebrate the occasion? How will you taper off from that high point and carry the lessons forward, sharing them with others?

A map of the Midwest, as estimated by 100 other maps

I grew up in the Midwest.

So, do you have a clear picture in your mind of where I am from? Perhaps you do, but is your clear picture the same as mine, or anyone else's?

Compilation map of the Midwest by Radical Cartography

This compilation map was created by Yale history professor and cartographer Bill Rankin at Radical Cartography, and came to my attention when it was re-published by Vox

And this is important not just because of my origins (born in Nebraska). I think it's important because ambiguity is vanishing. Our rush to standardize everything is crushing the variation that makes being a human being so durned / danged / dog-goned interesting.

Some will look at this map and decry the lack of a single, universal, clear, cut-and-dried standard definition of the Midwest's geographical boundaries. I, on the other hand, see humanity. I see differences of opinion, I see varying perspectives. I hear my Dad's adverse reaction to my decision to attend university "way out east" in Indiana. Sidebar for Dad: I am in Virginia now and I still cannot spit into the ocean--unless I drive 4 hours further east!

If 100 respected cartographers cannot agree on the borders of the Midwest, well, they are merely reflecting the varying opinions of millions of people. These include people who, for some inexplicable reason, honestly believe that a map of the Midwest ought to include Texas.

"What!?" 

If James Surowiecki, author of The Wisdom of Crowds, is right, then the "real" boundary of the Midwest is described in the overlapping approximation of independent guesses.  I like the variation. I like the implication that "all of us" is smarter than any one of us. And I like the idea that the hive mind can evolve. Ask the same question in 100 years and I hope there is still a little ambiguity in the reply.

But then again, I am a human being, and just like a lot of folks from the Midwest, I am endowed by the Creator with the inalienable right to my own durned / danged / dog-goned opinion.

An Individual Doesn't Get Cancer... A Family Does

Each week, two anonymous students named Dangerdust create amazing chalkboard Art. One example is shown below. I selected this one for reasons which will be obvious to PhilosFX regulars.

You can see the rest of the article and many more examples HERE.

A skeptic wonders...

• If they are anonymous, how do we know there are two of them? 
• How do we know that the art works take up to 11 hours to complete? 
• If the art works appear every Monday morning, isn't it pretty obvious that the rogue student artists are up to their mischief Sunday nights? 
• Quick show of hands: who has heard of Banksy? 
• OK, keep your hands up if you ever heard of the Columbus College of Art and Design?
• I think I see a publicity stunt...

Enjoy the art and don't ask too many questions! 

Cancer and the True Meaning of Life

My brother, my lovely sister-in-law, and their son

It was Thanksgiving, 2012, when my brother was diagnosed with cancer. Glioblastoma multiforme, or GBM, is a particularly hideous form of brain cancer. The tumor actually modifies its own genetic makeup in a sophisticated display of adaptive defense. Too much treatment risks harming healthy tissue. Too little, and the tumor adapts--literally morphing its DNA to become more resilient. Chemicals that threaten to kill the GBM tumor today will not have the same effect on the tumor tomorrow. A length of GBM tumor may be composed of multiple different organisms.

Think about that! GBM is the Ninja Warrior of cancer tumors...

The tumor is fighting hard to survive. As cancers go, GBM is particularly crafty and insidious. It is fighting hard and dirty. My brother, his medical team, his family and friends, and a global network of Prayer Warriors are fighting back--harder and, if not dirtier, at least with full access to all the weapons available within the medical profession. Todd has endured surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and a second surgery at Thanksgiving 2013.

My brother sees special significance in the fact that his two surgeries have occurred at successive Thanksgivings. The reason? One cannot be full of both resentment and gratitude simultaneously. One emotion inevitably pushes out the other. Wow! The impact of that insight strikes me as Profoundly True. Todd has chosen the high road. He is focused on the lessons his battle has taught him. His acceptance of what he cannot change, and his courage in facing what he can--and must--change, is an inspiration to thousands of people.

It is unfair that my brother has GBM, but no one ever said that life would be fair. The fact is, cancer of any type could happen to anyone, at any time. For reasons beyond our control, the life force of a bunch of atoms took the form of a GBM tumor and took hold in my brother's body. Anger and resentment at this travesty of justice would be understandable. But my brother's response has been one of grace and gratitude. While no one wants cancer, having cancer can take us to the cliff's edge and force us to contemplate the ultimate meaning of life.

Paradoxically, my brother reports that since his second surgery, he has never felt more alive, more purpose-filled, or more committed to helping others achieve lives of significance. The battle raging within him has honed his sense of who he is and why he is here on this planet. He lives now to make each day a holy gift.

As for me, I am not as evolved. I don't just want the tumor gone, I want to kill it with my bare hands. I wish my brother's tumor had eyes, so I could stare into them as I squeeze the life out of it and watch it die in my grip. I want to look into cancer's beady Ninja eyeballs and witness the moment when that tumor yields to its demise and leaves my brother for the last time. My resentment and anger are blocking my ability to accept what I cannot control and to express gratitude for the good that has come and that will come from this experience.

In other words, I need to be more like my brother.... 

May we all find the true meaning of life while we have time to put the knowledge to good use! May we all be truly happy and healthy in the year ahead.

Peace! 

Related post: http://philosfx.blogspot.com/2012/11/my-brother-todds-prayer-network.html

"Unity in Remembrance"

Unity in Remembrance

A Veteran's Day message
by Dr. Thomas Conner,
William P. Harris Professor of Military History,
Hillsdale College


"Soldiers seem to understand with special clarity what this inherited standard of service and performance is.... A century and a half ago, Union soldier Sullivan Ballou, in trying to explain to his wife why he had decided to join the ranks and put at peril what he knew would be a blissful life with her, recalled 'how great a debt we owe to those who went before us through the blood and suffering of the Revolution.'" 

Check Hillsdale College and "Imprimis" on the web - I think you'd enjoy.

H/T: TJA

The GOD Hypothesis

http://www.indianinthemachine.com/centralgalacticcoreclosur8-1.jpg

H(0): Complexity in DNA or H2O or skeletal structure proves the case for an Intelligent Designer, GOD, who created / caused these impossibly unique combinations. Therefore we assume all life throughout the Universe is carbon-based and dependent upon liquid water, just like us.

H(a): Cause and effect are reversed. All matter yearns to get closer to Unity / Divinity. GOD is not the cause. GOD is the result or the destination   Many, many different life forms exist. We do not recognize them all, and some may be more successful than others, yet all are one in shared motive.  Similarly, there are many paths to the destination of GOD. We do not recognize all of them, and some may be more effective than others, yet all are valid in shared intent.

Discuss.

Movember: How One Man Turned the Moustache Into a Movement

Mighty MO 

I read and enjoyed this article about the MOvember MOvement. I have to admit, the awesome illustration is what really drew me in! But pop on over to LinkedIn and read the story, too. It's well worth your time. Movember: How One Man Turned the Moustache Into a Movement 

And if like the idea of MOvember as a means of raising awareness about men's health issues like prostate and testicular cancer, please visit my personal MO space: http://mobro.co/FoamFan

Three days of MOvember left!

In a Movember State of Mind

Behold, the world-renowned octopus moustache

These moustache-related products and services have me in a Movember state of mind.

Grooming Lounge

https://www.groominglounge.com/index.php/services
1745 L Street Northwest
Washington, DC
(202) 466-8900
WEB 866.456.8643 | DC 202.466.8900 | VA 703.288.0355

GEICO BroStache App
http://www.geico.com/about/mobile-apps/brostache/

The Art of Shaving
1050 Connecticut Avenue Northwest
Washington, DC
(202) 223-1433

The Gentlemen's Quarters
http://www.thegentlemensquarters.com/
105 South Union Street
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
Phone: (703) 836-7330
Email:
windsorgq@gmail.com

Movember Mobile (Android)
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.movember.movembermobile

Classic Collectible Cars and Coffee at Katie's

On Saturday, Oct 6th, the Green Knights Military Motorcycle Club, Ch 20 hosted a ride to Katie's Coffee House in Great Falls, VA.

Cars and Coffee is an international celebration of classic and collectible cars, trucks, and motorcycles. I believe the movement started in Southern California. With all the wealth we have in northern Virginia, it makes sens that a local chapter of car enthusiasts should form. And so it has!  

During the week, Katie's Coffee House supplies residents in and around the village of Great Falls with the essentials of a good life: bread and coffee. However, a transformation takes place early Saturday mornings, especially when the weather is nice. Owners of classic cars from miles around drive in to the village, as early as 6 am, to snag a spot in front of the Coffee House, where they park, grab a cup of coffee, and talk cars with passersby.

I saw at least 80 cars, 5 motorcycles, 3 military trucks, and 2 pickups on display. I saw everything from a 1949 Coupe De Ville to a brand new 556 hp 2013 CTS-V. There were lots of other American-made Corvettes and Mustangs (Shelby and Cobra)...

... and plenty of British, Italian, and German cars, too: Triumph, MG, Astin-Healy, Astin-Martin, Porche, Jaguar, Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini, and my personal favorite: Allard.    

Verdis and Dave, hot java in hand, check out a hot Ferrari

Drivers with a sense of humor brought some unusual offerings for display, including a vintage Mini-Cooper with period luggage strapped to the roof, and a rat truck with a weasel stuck in the intake.

Best of show (IMHO) 1951? Allard K2 Roadster

The ride to and from Katie's was an event in and of itself. Our route took us alongside the Potomac River on the George Washington Parkway to the Capitol Beltway, and then out the old Georgetown Pike past Great Falls National Park to the village of the same name.

This was my first Cars and Coffee event, and I loved it! Highly recommended!

Mo-mo-mo-mo-mo Motivation

Best. Moustache. Ever.

According to Katie, this is a photo of the exemplary moustache. I am inclined to agree! Movember* is coming! Consider me mo-mo-mo-mo-mo motivated!

Visit my Mo Space: http://mobro.co/FoamFan

*Movember, aka Moustache November, aka No-Shave-Ember, aka The Month Formerly Known as November: Face grown and hand brushed, to raise awareness of men's health issues.

1K in 1 Day to Benefit Not Alone

The 1st Annual 1 K in 1 Day ride is BACK on and bigger and better than ever! Please check out our new beneficiary, Not Alone. All proceeds raised from registration fees and donations will go to help warriors battling PTSD in the National Capital Region.

Twitter Digest No. 4: The Chair

Twitter Digest: An occasional compilation featuring sweet Tweets (this being the 4th edition).

Today's theme: The Chair

I was glued to the TV during the RNC, not only because:

          (a) I am a fiercely Independent political junkie, determined to keep an open mind for as long as possible; but also

          (b) I am a fan of Clinton. And by Clinton, I mean Clinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. I heard Clint was the "mystery speaker" and I knew I had to hear what he had to say.


I was expecting 5 minutes from the gravelly-voiced star of Gran Torino telling us that his "Halftime In America" ad for Chrysler, which aired during halftime of the Superbowl, had been unfairly co-opted by the Dems. I was listening for a Republican update to the ad, or at least an endorsement of the Romney / Ryan ticket.

I imagine no one was more surprised than the RNC with what Clint actually said.

The news coverage of Mr Eastwood's remarks has ranged from tolerant to unkind. I myself characterized his rambling stand-up skit as a "stunt" in a text to a friend.  As stand-up goes, it was not bad for an old fart. His best line was when he asserted that We the People own this country and politicians work for us. He ran the  risk of angering the Nominee by sharing opinions at odds with the party. He did himself no favors when he was he crude and disrespectful to the President and Vice President of our country, which was completely uncalled for given the audience and setting.

I was impressed by the the analysis that has emerged in print media over the past two or three days and even withing 24 hours on "Mockumentaries" such as Jon Stewart's Daily Show. What really impresses me though is the nearly immediate Twitter response to the event. Within hours of Eastwood's schtick with the empty chair, Twitter was blazing with satirical feedback using telling hashtags (#) such as these:

• #chair
• #obamachair
• #emptychair

and my favorite

• #eastwooding

That brings us to today's Twitter Digest: a compilation of tweets about The Chair.

51Ora 2012 ‏@OraPolitics

Missed #ClintEastwood's #Romney speech - we've got you covered:http://bit.ly/NFFNXr #ora2012 #chair

74HuffPost Politics ‏@HuffPostPol

RT @jbendery: Remember how the Romney campaign said there'd be a surprise speaker tonight? Surprise! #clint #chair #wtf

55Riley ‏@copyright1974

Damn you, #ObamaChair! *shakes fist* RT @someecards: The greatest moments of Obama Chair's presidency.

61terrapin_sf ‏@terrapin_sf

LOL. #chair #eastwooding 

60Sean Walsh ‏@seanbwalsh

I got a little too caught up in the excitement last night. #gop2012#chair 

69Ryan McGee ‏@TVMcGee

#eastwooding is why I love Twitter.

Admittedly, this is not exactly the type of attention that the RNC had in mind.  Regardless of your opinion of Mr Eastwood's remarks, we know there is a problem when Mitt Romney is upstaged by an empty chair.

Political Economics

Politics and Economics: How are the two fields related?

"Politics and economics are completely different fields," Mike said. "Economics is supply and demand. It's markets. Politics is public administration and policy-making. It's statecraft. The fields are related like everything is related to some degree, but a person is not likely to be both a competent economist and a competent politician."

"I see where you are coming from," replied Melissa. "But I have a different perspective. I look at both economics and politics as social sciences. The concept that unites the two fields is the idea of rational choice. From this perspective, economics and politics are inextricably linked! You cannot have one without the other."

How are politics and economics related? Is the relationship tangential, or integral? This question is particularly important in an election year during a down economic cycle.  What is the extent to which capitalist economic interests influence elections, policy-making, and governing?

Such a conversation as the one recalled above sparked my interest in the field of Political Economics. What do you think? How would you have answered the question? Help me gauge your interest in this topic by posting questions in the comments section below.

Meanwhile, to provide additional spark to the conversation, here are a few relevant snippets--definitions, examples, etc.--which I have recently gleaned from the Internet. Links are provided for those interested in further reading.
 

Political economy originally was the term for studying production, buying, and selling, and their relations with law, custom, and government, as well as with the distribution of national income and wealth. Political economy originated in moral philosophy. It developed in the 18th century as the study of the economies of states, polities, hence the term political economy. Read more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_economics

The study and use of how economic theory and methods influences political ideology. Political economy is the interplay between economics, law and politics, and how institutions develop in different social and economic systems, such as capitalism, socialism and communism. Political economy analyzes how public policy is created and implemented. Read more: http://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/political-economy.asp#ixzz21b9QQgDX

Because various individuals and groups have different interests in how a country or economy is to develop, political economy as a discipline is a complex field, covering a broad array of potentially competing interests. Political economy also involves the use of game theory, since groups competing for finite resources and power must determine which courses of action will give the most beneficial results, and what the probability of those results being reached are. Read more: http://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/political-economy.asp#ixzz21b9hc9y5

Political economics is the science which deals with the natural laws governing the production and distribution of valuable goods and services. Read more: http://www.henrygeorge.org/def2.htm

Because political economy is not a unified discipline, there are studies using the term that overlap in subject matter, but have radically different perspectives:

• Sociology
studies the effects of persons' involvement in society as members of groups, and how that changes their ability to function. Many sociologists start from a perspective of production-determining relation from Karl Marx. Marx's theories on the subject of political economy are contained in his book, Das Kapital.

• Political Science
focuses on the interaction between institutions and human behavior, the way in which the former shapes choices and how the latter change institutional frameworks. Along with economics, it has made the best works in the field by authors like Shepsle, Ostrom, Ordeshook, among others.

• Anthropology
studies political economy by investigating regimes of political and economic value that condition tacit aspects of sociocultural practices (for example, the pejorative use of pseudo-Spanish expressions in the US-American entertainment media) by means of broader historical, political, and sociological processes; analyses of structural features of transnational processes focus on the interactions between the world capitalist system and local cultures.

• Psychology
is the fulcrum on which political economy exerts its force in studying decision-making (not only in prices), but as the field of study whose assumptions model political economy.

• History
documents change, using it to argue political economy; historical works have political economy as the narrative's frame.

• Economics
focuses on markets by leaving the political—governments, states, legal frameworks—as givens. Economics dropped the adjective political in the 19th century, but works backwards, by describing "The Ideal Market", urging governments to formulate policy and law to approach said ideal. Economists and political economists often disagree on what is preeminent in developing production, market, and political structure theories.

• Law
concerns the creation of policy and its mediation via political actions that have specific results, it deals with political economy as political capital and as social infrastructure—and the sociological results of one society upon another.

• Human Geography
is concerned with politico-economic processes, emphasizing space and environment.

• Ecology
deals with political economy, because human activity has the greatest effect upon the environment, its central concern being the environment's suitability for human activity. The ecological effects of economic activity spur research upon changing market economy incentives.

• International Relations
often uses political economy to study political and economic development.

• Cultural Studies
studies social class, production, labor, race, gender, and sex.

• Communication
examines the institutional aspects of media and telecommuncation systems, with particular attention to the historical relationships between owners, labor, consumers, advertisers, and the state.

Read more on related disciplines: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_economy

How the Threat of Losing Beer United a Community

I live in Alexandria, within stumbling distance of Port City Brewing Co. When the recent derecho ripped across the region, power went out for days.

The beer in my fridge is one thing, but when Nature pulls the plug on the the power cooling the beer in Port City's vats, that is another matter entirely!

Here is a great story about how the threat of losing beer united a community. The story appeared in Neighborhoods - The Atlantic Cities.

And here are some follow-up articles about the result!

Derecho Common Debuts
Port City Brewing releases Derecho Common
Derecho Common Beer to Be Tapped

Mountainview Estate

Here are a few photos of me and my parents at their home in Alamosa, CO. The photos and the beautiful collage presentation are courtesy of long-time family friends, the Johnsons.

Cause - The PhilanthroPub

Here is an idea I can really get behind: a not-for-profit pub!

The concept is simple and brilliant. Patrons come to the pub and have a good time. Then all the net profits are donated to vetted charities. If nothing else, patrons will feel a little less guilty about their hangovers...

Cause changes the way the world looks at charitable giving. The Cause model makes giving more convenient, fun, and transparent for the general population. By bringing charitable giving into day to day living, Cause will break down barriers and allow more and more people to be involved. At the same time, Cause will provide much-needed exposure and funds for featured organizations, allowing them to scale their impact to beneficiaries they had not previously been able to reach.

The entrepreneurs behind the "Philanthro Pub" idea have big dreams for the future of their venture.

Cause Washington DC is only the beginning. We think that we are onto something big and have a model that can go global. We hope to franchise the model and see Causebars around the world, continuing to create impact in this unique manner. We also feel that there are numerous expansion possibilities, including Cause bookstores, Causecoffee shops and more. We hope that this brief introduction gets you as excited aboutCause as we are. For more information or to get involved, please contact us. 

Cause is coming soon to 1926 9th Street NW, Washington DC 20001


More info: Cause - The PhilanthroPub

I doff my hat to Margot, who brought this innovative idea to my attention!