Keith Burgess-Jackson, J.D., Ph.D.

The Yes Album (1971). This album is 45 years old. It's the band's third album and the first with guitarist Steve Howe.

This blog had 5,464 visits during November, which is an average of 182.1 visits per day. A year ago, the average was 172.8.

If a casual acquaintance reports that he has seen a large dog this morning in one of the lecture halls I would probably believe him, since it is not an intrinsically improbable occurrence. But if someone challenged me to bet a thousand dollars on it I might discover some doubt. If a belief seems to involve little risk and little cost we often do not demand a very strong reason. But a person who understands that his adoption of some religious belief would demand a deep change in his life is likely to demand a correspondingly strong reason for that belief.

(George I. Mavrodes, Belief in God: A Study in the Epistemology of Religion [Washington, DC: University Press of America, 1970], 82)

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To the Editor:

As a Vietnam veteran, I was indeed puzzled by Donald Trump’s heavy support from veterans and their families. After all, the belittling of John McCain’s P.O.W. ordeal, the disparagement of the Khan family (whose son was killed in combat), the “heel spur” exemption from the draft and the puerile acceptance of a Purple Heart medal as a gift from a veteran: Were these not enough to rankle others like me who served in combat?

Since the election, I have been searching for answers. J. D. Vance (“Why Trump Won the Troops,” Op-Ed, Nov. 25) provides many cogent demographic explanations. There may be others, like a reluctance to accept a woman, Hillary Clinton, as commander in chief.

This has sure been a lesson to me.

FRANK J. SCARPA

Naples, Fla.

Note from KBJ: It's pretty simple, Frank: Trump, like most veterans, loves his country and wants to make it great again. Name one Democrat of whom this can be said. By the way, the first female president will be a Republican, so stop with the sexism bullshit.

Read and learn.

Addendum: This essay is instructive, if you can acquire it. As is this one.

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Bill Vallicella clarifies the differences between (not "among") lying, exaggerating, and bullshitting.