By Derek Melot/Bridge Magazine

“Knowledge is not a passion from without the mind, but an active exertion of the inward strength, vigor and power of the mind, displaying itself from within” — Ralph Cudworth, 17th century English philosopher.

* ProPublica gives a grand tour of campaign finance laws over the last few decades. You probably won’t enjoy the tour stops on this.

http://www.propublica.org/article/campaign-finance
-free-for-all-how-we-got-to-this-point

* Religion used to be a touchy subject when it came to dating/coupling. Now even politics is a hurdle: “In past election years, about a quarter of her clients wouldn’t date a member of the opposite party. Now it is three-quarters, Ms. Adler says.”

http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10001424052970203872204578069373224970996-lMyQjAxMTAyMDIwOTEyNDkyWj.html?mod=wsj_valetleft_email

* This post seems a tad more downcast on the Midwest than circumstances call for, but there are some points of resonance in its critique of the economy:

http://globalmidwest.typepad.com/global-midwest/2012/10/the-face-of-decline.html

* A bit tired of all the political advertising from groups with bland-sounding names? Learn here about 501(c)4s and what role they now play in our political system.

http://ceo.guidestar.org/2012/03/09/are-501c4-nonprofits-created-merely-to-hide-from-public-inspection/

* One man’s art is another man’s …

http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2012/11/giant_statue_erected_outside_f.html#incart_m-rpt-2

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