The Articles of Confederation, which served as the US Constitution from 1781 to 1789, were designed to give the Congress essentially the powers relative to the States that the Revolutionaries claimed they thought the British government should have relative to the colonies. Among these was that the Congress had no right to imposes taxes, only … Continue reading Close Call
History
Friday Flotsam: Washington, ‘Dorian Gray’ and ‘The Odyssey’
1. My judgment is that the American Revolution was one of the stupidest, most asinine and unnecessary revolts in history. And yet, the figure of Washington gilds this absurdity with such sublime heroism that it nearly outweighs every other consideration. I think that might be a good summation of the American character: objective absurdity overlaid … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: Washington, ‘Dorian Gray’ and ‘The Odyssey’
Sunday Sundry: Miscellaneous, Including Talleyrand and Slavery
1. We've been having torrential rainstorms here in Arizona. I technically shouldn't have tried to drive home on Friday, but I only noticed the "do not travel" warning after I arrived (I don't check my phone all that often). I made it home alive, in case you were wondering. The last few months have been … Continue reading Sunday Sundry: Miscellaneous, Including Talleyrand and Slavery
Friday Flotsam: More Revolution Thoughts
1. It's that time of year again; time to teach about the lead-up to the American Revolution and do my best to make it look as non-ridiculous as possible. My philosophy, as a teacher, is that my job is not to teach them my opinions, but to teach them what happened and let them decide … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: More Revolution Thoughts
The Pre-Boston Massacre
To my mind, the main takeaway from the so-called ‘Boston Massacre’ is that martyrs to British tyranny were so thin on the ground in New England that the Sons of Liberty were reduced to using five morons who thought it was a good idea to goad and attack a group of armed soldiers. A lesser … Continue reading The Pre-Boston Massacre
US Colonial History Meme!
Saturday Sundry: Fallacies, History, and Some Superman
1. I missed last week entirely: that might be a first, at least in a long time. Such is the state of my life at the moment. 2. One of my lessons this week was a run down of common logical fallacies. As part of my research I tried using AI for a list. Every … Continue reading Saturday Sundry: Fallacies, History, and Some Superman
Saturday Sundry: On Gods, the Ocean, and Bad Books
1. Still in Maine, but about to head home. The next three days will be travel, one way or another. 2. Spending a week by the sea was a fascinating experience; to look out to the very edge of the world, to watch the tides rise and fall, to hear the waves crashing against the … Continue reading Saturday Sundry: On Gods, the Ocean, and Bad Books
Saturday Sundry: New England Thoughts
1. I'm up in Maine visiting relatives this week. It's very nice to be surrounded by forests again. I've definitely missed them living in Phoenix. 2. New England has a character unlike any other part of the nation, simply because it is older. Men have lived here, farmed here, praised God here, and made their … Continue reading Saturday Sundry: New England Thoughts
Saturday Sundry: Kill a Mockingbird and Stop Killing Games
1. I somehow escaped reading To Kill a Mockingbird during my school career. But since the 'sequel' (which, as I understand it, is actually a rough draft that Harper Lee's estate found in her papers and published with minimal involvement from her, but that's another story) is on my reading list this year, so I … Continue reading Saturday Sundry: Kill a Mockingbird and Stop Killing Games
Serpent's Den 