World War I, the Supreme Court, and a cross in the Mojave desert: what does this mean?

World War I, the Supreme Court, and a cross in the Mojave desert: what does this mean?


World War I, the Supreme Court, and a cross in the Mojave desert: what does this mean?

So, I’ll pick up a hot potato: In what seems like it is becoming a typical 5-to-4 decision last week , the Supreme Court decided in Salazar v. Buono that the World War I memorial—or more precisely, the cross that is part of the memorial—that stands in the Mojave National Preserve is not unconstitutional and does not advance a particular religion…


Dante’s Inferno and the simulacrum of hell


Dante’s Inferno and the simulacrum of hell

I haven’t owned a video gaming system since my parents got my brother and me the original Nintendo. But I’ve seen the commercials for “Dante’s Inferno” a number of times now, and I confess I’m captivated. Not that I intend to buy it. The real Dante’s Inferno is one of the great works of world literature, and still defines much of our visual mythology of hell. (This despite the fact that, for Dante, hell was freezing cold rather than burning hot.)..