"Bishop contends that as Americans have moved over the past three decades, they have clustered in communities of sameness, among people with similar ways of life, beliefs, and in the end, politics. There are endless variations of this clustering—what Bishop dubs the Big Sort—as like-minded Americans self-segregate in states, cities—even neighborhoods. Consequences of the Big Sort are dire: balkanized communities whose inhabitants find other Americans to be culturally incomprehensible; a growing intolerance for political differences that has made national consensus impossible; and politics so polarized that Congress is stymied and elections are no longer just contests over policies, but bitter choices between ways of life. " Article about the book from the Economist. Book's Website. A review.
posted by wittgenstein on Jun 22, 2008 - 49 comments

"The most brutal, ugly, degenerate, vicious form of expression it has been my displeasure to hear," Frank Sinatra wrote of rock 'n' roll during the time of Elvis Presley. But Frank wasn't stupid... he knew his relevance was fading and if you can't beat 'em, you have to join 'em. So in 1960, Elvis Presley was welcomed home from his two year military tour by the Frank Sinatra Timex Show "Welcome Home Elvis" special. Later Sinatra said, "I'm just a singer. Elvis was the embodiment of the whole American culture."
posted by miss lynnster on Feb 26, 2008 - 17 comments

Katherine Jeffords , Bishop of Nevada, has been elected Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, becoming the first female Anglican Primate Primate. Having been admonished by the global church about Bishop Robinson and homosexuality, ECUSA has aparently decided to put another thumb in the eye of conservatives.
posted by hob on Jun 18, 2006 - 32 comments

This link does not involve dogs or turtles (mutants, ninjas or otherwise). Rather, it's an insightful interview with Bishop Gene Robinson, conducted by a divinity school student. [more inside]
posted by emelenjr on Feb 16, 2004 - 6 comments

The Bishop Museum, and its ethnology database: Hawaii and the Pacific
posted by hama7 on Apr 17, 2003 - 5 comments

Bishop of Oxford lifts gypsy curse on football ground. Reported in today's tabloids, my local football club, Oxford United, has called in the Bishop of Oxford to exorcise a gypsy curse on their new ground. However, as is usual, the truth is rather more mundane. Unfortunately it appears that the team's losing sequence to the start of the season is more likely down to the team being useless. Has your favourite sports team ever resorted to such desperate measures?
posted by salmacis on Nov 7, 2001 - 7 comments