1. I had my students read The Gods of the Copybook Headings this week (it's almost exam time and I didn't want to start new lessons, so we're just reading Kipling poems). It's really amazing that this was written in 1919, when its subject matter and thesis are a pitch-perfect match to the present. But … Continue reading Saturday Sundry: Gods of the Copybook Headings and Ten Years of Misery
Life
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
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: Last Fortnight’s Post
1. This post was originally going to come out a couple weeks ago, before the shadow intervened. So, back-date every reference by a couple weeks. Only update is that I'm back in Arizona and back to work. The main persistent after effect is that I'm very tired most of the time. 2. Movie night the … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: Last Fortnight’s Post
Winning at Life
A curious comparison occurred to me in the days around my mother's funeral. My mother was one of those rare people who was really loved by everyone she met. She was about as kind and loving as it's possible to be, worked with groups like St. Vincent de Paul to help those in need, personally … Continue reading Winning at Life
Life Update: No Posts For a While
You may have noticed my schedule has been more haphazard than usual lately. Partly that's because of the start of the school year, but it's also due to a more serious situation. My mother was diagnosed with cancer about four and a half years ago. Between different treatments we were able to keep it at … Continue reading Life Update: No Posts For a While
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
Sunday Sundry: Short and Unfocused
1. A family crisis is currently occupying most of my attention, so this will have to be brief. Those who read this, please offer prayers on our behalf. 2. At the same time, the school year starts this week and I still have prepping to do, meaning I'm pretty much in survival mode. 3. The … Continue reading Sunday Sundry: Short and Unfocused
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: ‘Lusitania’, ‘Dorian Gray’, and ‘Starship Troopers’
1. A YouTube channel I've discovered recently is Oceanliner Designs, which provides extremely detailed documentaries on famous ships and disasters at sea, illustrated with some very pretty animation. Of course Titanic is a regular feature, but the host also examines other famous liners, including Titanic's two sisters, Olympic (the one survivor) and Britannic (which was … Continue reading Saturday Sundry: ‘Lusitania’, ‘Dorian Gray’, and ‘Starship Troopers’
Serpent's Den 