Just What Is "Culture"? UNESCO and American Sensibilities

The Netherlands' NRC Handelsbad printed this op-ed on the early August anointing of Amsterdam's 17th-century canal ring zone by that European (yet curiously, global) behemoth: UNESCO. Arts consultant Michiel Van Irsel editorializes in characteristically Dutch euroskepticism, as the world already saw over the European Constitution referendum in 2005. 

Irsel advises readers to"pretend UNESCO does not exist," lest the specialness of the organization's sites devolve to become "more common than Starbucks."

Christianity, Diversity and the Academy: An Echo

Not much commentary from my end on this one, just a pair of posts that deserve to be shared: Ross Douthat takes on the incongruities of modern diversity notions at elite American universities, most recently here, and here from late July. Very much related to the Supreme Court ruling on the Christian Legal Society vs. Martinez, described by the Pew Research Center in this somewhat outdated, but at least objective, piece.

A quick Google search revealed this article from the Brown Spectator on the Christians-as-peculiar notion prevalent on many college campuses. 

Comments welcome.