Monthly Archives: August 2010

Heinlein, Graham, and Our Impending Doom

While I’ve expected to be accused of many things in my 44 years, political correctness was not among them. However, it’s happened. My college has engaged in a change, that while purely symbolic, has stirred up strong emotions in people … Continue reading

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Cake and Steak

An article that ran Friday at CNN came onto my radar screen today thanks to a couple of recommendations at what Morgan Freeberg calls the Hello Kitty of Blogging. The headline was catchy: “More Teens Becoming ‘Fake Christians’.” The piece … Continue reading

Posted in Faith | 4 Comments

I’m Not Hitting Snooze…

This.

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Psychedelic Psunday Night

A little something to tide you over … William Penn Fyve — Swami. A fun little number from 1966, and one on which I took vocals at last night’s gig. TC Atlantic — Faces. From the Twin Cities, these were … Continue reading

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McGonagall and Unrecognized Genius

I’ve mentioned the work of Theodore Dalrymple on several occasions in my time here, and am pleased to do so again, this time under his real byline of Anthony Daniels. In a recent issue of The New Criterion, Daniels contributed … Continue reading

Posted in Literature | 4 Comments

Seeking the Roots of the Myth of the Howling Mob

James Taranto’s “Best of the Web Today” column in the WSJ‘s online version is a well written roundup of current events, with healthy dollops of humor. Yesterday’s edition offers an interesting consideration of the attitudes of the soi-disant elite/ruling class, … Continue reading

Posted in Culture, Politics | 6 Comments

The Liberal Arts for Fun and Profit (but Mainly Fun)

There’s a very nice piece at the Toronto Star, where columnist Heather Mallick offers a number of lighthearted reasons to study the liberal arts, and why in fact that is an enormously practical action. At the same time, she has … Continue reading

Posted in Culture, Education, Literature | 2 Comments

Seeking High Ground Amidst the Bayous

At about the time I took my current position here in Mondoville, I was offered a job at a university in the University of Louisiana system. I took this job because the Mondo County Public Schools also offered a position … Continue reading

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Obesity in the Dark Tower

There are two things you hear a lot in the faculty biz — OK, there actually quite a few, but humor me. One is when students (or their parents) say “For X thousand dollars a year, we should get whatever,” … Continue reading

Posted in Education | 2 Comments

Can We Afford to Matter? Can the World Afford Us Not To?

Michael Mandelbaum is a professor at Johns Hopkins, and the author of a new book, The Frugal Superpower: America’s Global Leadership in a Cash-Strapped Era. An excerpt from the book can be found at Guernica magazine’s web page. His premise … Continue reading

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