1. Is it really just to expect a community to house and care for a man indefinitely because he has shown that he is a danger to it? 2. My sophomores are starting to read Hamlet, only since they've so far only done Shakespeare through a translation, they're slightly panicking (which is exactly why I … Continue reading Sunday Sundry: ‘Hamlet’, the Witan, and Rockefeller
History
Saturday Sundry: Jefferson Davis and Some Education Thoughts
1. Last weekend Phoenix had a massive used book sale. I got in on Sunday (when everything was half-price) and got out with at least ten or twelve books for under forty dollars, including a three-quarters complete set of Douglas Southhall Freeman's definitive biography of Robert E. Lee (it's missing volume one, but I figured … Continue reading Saturday Sundry: Jefferson Davis and Some Education Thoughts
Overdue Flotsam: Lincoln Criticism and ‘Iron Lung’
1. I had a very distracted weekend one way or another, hence an extra late Flotsam this time. 2. The more I read about the Civil War, the more I begin to wonder whether Abraham Lincoln was really the amazing and wonderful leader he is made out to be. He certainly could give a good … Continue reading Overdue Flotsam: Lincoln Criticism and ‘Iron Lung’
Sunday Sundry: End of the Semester and ‘Animal Farm’ Hypocrisies
1. Another semester done at last! And exams were mostly pretty fun this year. For my English students (all high schoolers this time around), I opted for a discourse method in which students had to give a verbal answer to a question regarding one of the books we read, followed by a general class discussion … Continue reading Sunday Sundry: End of the Semester and ‘Animal Farm’ Hypocrisies
Sunday Sundry: Principles of Unity
1. A bout of insomnia this week left me only half-rational, hence why this is extra late. 2. Unity – ‘Oneness’ – is one of the transcendentals: qualities of Being that transcend the Ten Categories. It is the ability to speak of something as a single unit or concept. Coupled with this is Distinction: that … Continue reading Sunday Sundry: Principles of Unity
Friday Flotsam: ‘The Running Man’ and ‘Epic’
1. Last week's movie night was The Running Man, starring Ahnold. It was more or less your typical action-sci-fi film of the 1980s: over-the-top violence, bitingly funny satire, mounds of creative energy, and a charismatic cast (Arnold Schwarzenegger, Maria Conchita Alonzo, Richard Dawson, Yaphet Kotto, Jesse Ventura, Jim Brown, etc). It's not brilliant, but solidly … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: ‘The Running Man’ and ‘Epic’
Friday Flotsam: Mostly Politics, with a Godzilla Chaser
1. The supreme law is the well-being of the people. It is not the well-being of the economy. 2. The Right Wing - Left Wing dichotomy is a product of Revolutionary politics and does not exist outside them. They mean the same thing today as they meant in 1793: Right Wing means favoring a limited … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: Mostly Politics, with a Godzilla Chaser
Saturday Sundry: US History, Politics, Strategy
1. There are two possible readings for the American Revolution: either it was a matter of sincere, but politically incompetent idealists blundering their way into civil war or it was a matter of men who had settled on rebellion from the start taking every opportunity to deliberately escalate the situation (or, most likely, a combination … Continue reading Saturday Sundry: US History, Politics, Strategy
Friday Flotsam: Last Week, Sabaton
1. Came down with a bad cold this week, leaving my classes as something of a Nyquil-fueled haze. 2. Legend Haven was mostly a success and a good time. My small talk was sparsely attended and even more sparsely participated in, but I was able to get some good industry information and hopefully spark a … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: Last Week, Sabaton
Friday Flotsam: Legend Haven, More History, and Some Storycraft
1. Legend Haven, the friendliest fiction convention in the galaxy, is happening this weekend, and I will be there! The con runs from Saturday to Sunday, but all my stuff will be on Sunday, the 19th. I will be hosting an open booth, ask-me-anything from 12-3 MST (so, 3-6 EST), followed by a discussion / … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: Legend Haven, More History, and Some Storycraft
Serpent's Den 