the quick Sliver

The results of March Madness are already in. But before we get to that, let’s back up to 2010. That’s when some researchers at The Institute of Diversity and Ethics in Sports looked at the graduation rates of the 65 men’s and 64 women’s teams in that year’s tournament, utilizing…

Today’s got it all: a full moon, a lunar eclipse, and probably the oldest party in the world. The custom is so ancient that no one is exactly sure how it all got started. But it wasn’t always fun and games. One popular tale is that long ago in India, there was…

In the beginning of February, 1775, the English Parliament was feeling snarky. On the first day of the month, they rejected William Pitt’s proposed plan for recognizing the authority of the Continental Congress and allowing the American colonists some measure of self rule – a plan known as the Provisional…

At colleges across the country, sports teams are getting ready for the spring season. Which brings to mind a story about the little color that could. There once was a Quaker farm kid who grew up to be an engineer, helped develop the telegraph, and became a founding member of…

In the earliest days of Christianity, Apostle Paul wrote a letter to a group of proto-Christians in Anatolia, clarifying many of his views. This document, the Epistle to Galatians, is commonly known as just “Galatians,” and it is the ninth book of the New Testament. It provides many of the…

On January 20, 1775, the most influential English politician of the century arrived at the House of Lords. This was William Pitt the Elder, Earl of Chatham, who had been Prime Minister of England from 1766 to 1768, and before that the guiding power behind two other Prime Ministers who…

When news breaks during the holidays, its understandable that some of the details might get missed by journalists who have to work that shift. But in the case of the obituary of President James Earl Carter, they’ve had almost two years to get his biography prepared. And in my opinion,…

As the Anniversary of the Boston Tea Party approached, tensions were running high throughout New England. The port of Boston had been closed by numerous British ships, including a 50-gun man-of-war floating in the harbor, and another in the Charles River. The only entrance to the town was guarded by…