Category Archives: Rag Bloggers

Maxine Phillips :
Do Christians and Muslims worship the
same God?

For non-Muslims to understand diversity among Muslims seems to be a leap too far. By Maxine Phillips | The Rag Blog | January 3, 2016 In December, a tenured political science professor at evangelical Christian Wheaton College was placed on … Continue reading

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Ed Felien :
Santa Claus is an Islamic communist plot

Dutch sailors saw men in beards and long coats giving gifts and candy to children and food and shelter to the poor. By Ed Felien | The Rag Blog | December 10, 2015 The person we know as Saint Nicolas … Continue reading

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Alan Waldman :
TELEVISION | ‘The High Life’ is a zany Scottish airline comedy featuring a young Alan Cumming

Cumming co-wrote and co-starred in this clever sitcom full of bitchy quips, elements of surrealism, and some theatrical song-and-dance numbers. By Alan Waldman | The Rag Blog | December 9, 2015 [In his Rag Blog column, Alan Waldman reviews some … Continue reading

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Ken Wachsberger :
Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the ’60s underground press. Part II: The Fifth Estate

The paper, which quickly became Detroit’s cutting-edge news source, is the longest-running underground newspaper from the Vietnam era. By Ken Wachsberger | The Rag Blog | December 8, 2015 [This is the second of a three-part series written for The … Continue reading

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Thorne Dreyer :
RAG RADIO PODCASTS | María Martin, Michael Hoinski & Ben Sargent, Carl Davidson, James K. Galbraith

We visit with a pioneer of public radio; discuss the fine printing of O. Henry’s lost manuscript; get some help understanding all the political madness; and visit with one of the world’s leading economists. Interviews by Thorne Dreyer | The … Continue reading

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Lamar W. Hankins :
Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s unpatriotic view of Syrian refugees

The governor wants to bar the ‘golden door’ to freedom, rather than light the pathway for those who most need to find it. By Lamar W. Hankins | The Rag Blog | Nov. 19, 2015 I have always considered the … Continue reading

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Alan Waldman :
TELEVISION | ‘Lilyhammer’ is a quirky gangster-out-of-water dramedy set in
small-town Norway

Springsteen sideman Steven Van Zandt produces and stars as a tough Mafioso hiding out with weird locals among the snowy fjords. By Alan Waldman | The Rag Blog | November 17, 2015 [In his Rag Blog column, Alan Waldman reviews … Continue reading

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Bob Simmons :
Elevators Reunion: (I Done Got) Levitation
at Psych Fest 2015

Like Icarus, the 13th Floor Elevators, a band that should have a special alcove in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, flew too close to the sun. Text and photos by Bob Simmons | The Rag Blog | May … Continue reading

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Jim Simons :
The 50-year lawyer: Defying the systems of power

I knew that what I would write would never be published by the ‘Bar Journal.’ So I happily write it for ‘The Rag Blog.’ Here I stand, though the road was not exactly what I expected. By Jim Simons | … Continue reading

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Michael James :
Heartland takes root with new workers & friends, arson on my birthday, and a rising, 1976-’79

My partners and I began to learn the ins and outs and challenges of running our business as we pioneered our community-oriented, left-leaning business model. By Michael James | The Rag Blog | July 30, 2014 [In this series, Michael … Continue reading

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Kate Braun :
Rejoice in Mother Earth’s bounty during Lammas

Give thanks for the harvest, symbolized by the bread you serve your guests. By Kate Braun | The Rag Blog | July 28, 2014 “’Harvest moon’ / a change in the weather / I love this time of year” Thursday, … Continue reading

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Mariann G. Wizard :
BOOKS | Trudy Stern’s lovely poetry reveals a finely-honed precision of expression

Trudy, who helped us start ‘The Rag’ in ’60s Austin, was a warm and generous friend. Somewhere along the way, she became a wonderful poet. By Mariann G. Wizard | The Rag Blog |July 28, 2014 [Taurus in Lake Erie … Continue reading

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