Category Archives: “New Normal”?

Exclusive Quaker News: ESR Dean To Retire. The Future of ESR — Up In The Air?

[Richmond Indiana, December 19, 2025] This is an Inside Quaker report; non-Quakers might be missing some background.] Gretchen Castle, Dean of the Earlham School of Religion (the main U. S. Quaker seminary), is leaving. She’ll retire officially on June 30, 2026. This change has not been made public by ESR, but Castle confirmed it to … Continue reading Exclusive Quaker News: ESR Dean To Retire. The Future of ESR — Up In The Air? →

Who?? Happy Birthday to One of the Most Important Quaker Writers Most of Us Never Heard of

Milton Mayer was born on August 24, 1908. He was a journalist, scholar, moral philosopher, terrific writer — and a Quaker. A Jewish Quaker. A southerner Jewish Quaker. He wrote some of the most potent, challenging, memorable Quaker essays and books of the past century. He was also funny. He and his work deserve to … Continue reading Who?? Happy Birthday to One of the Most Important Quaker Writers Most of Us Never Heard of →

Is the Next ICE City Invasion About to Break Out?

The headline in The New Republic (TNR) on August 2 was dire: “Trump’s Domestic Use of Military Set to Get Worse, Leaked Memo Shows,” it blared. Well, maybe. TNR said it had been leaked a confidential memo from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The memo listed talking points for top DHS staff to parrot … Continue reading Is the Next ICE City Invasion About to Break Out? →

A Durham Double-Take & Berlin Wants You! (Who — Me?? No — YOU!)

So yesterday I’m scrolling through the New York Times, and then up pops this big ad: If I was writing copy for that ad, the statue would be pointing at the reader and the bold bright headline would thunder “BERLIN WANTS YOU!” But that message still got through, especially if one clicked a link to … Continue reading A Durham Double-Take & Berlin Wants You! (Who — Me?? No — YOU!) →

Did a West Point General Troll Trump Before His Weird Commencement Address?? (My Answer: Yes!)

There were many snarky media cracks made about president Trump’s very weird West Point commencement address on May 24th. It was definitely up there on the crowded DJT Weirdness scale: a long shaggy dog story about an unhappy real estate developer and his unhappy trophy wife, a plop of freshly made up steaming malarkey about … Continue reading Did a West Point General Troll Trump Before His Weird Commencement Address?? (My Answer: Yes!) →