1. Happy Independence Day! Year 249 of the Republic (year 418 of the nation, for those keeping track). I try to make it a rule to play nice today and not share any of the thoughts that I, as a Loyalist, may have about the Revolution, the Declaration, or the rest of it. Well, at … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: Fourth of July Edition
Friday Flotsam
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’
Friday Flotsam: ‘Frankenstein’, ‘City in the Sky’, and ‘Animal Farm’
1. Western commentators see Africa as nothing but a really big Alabama. And most forget the 'really big' part. 2. I'm reading Frankenstein for school. It's not my first time reading it, but it is my first time in a while. This time through is confirming my past assessment, which is that the film is … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: ‘Frankenstein’, ‘City in the Sky’, and ‘Animal Farm’
Friday Flotsam: First Year of Teaching Over and a Word on Audrey Hepburn
1. My old apartment is almost bare, and my new one is nearly looking like something livable. Furniture goes tomorrow. 2. My first year of full-time teaching is officially over! Some takeaways: 3. It took me a while to figure out what I could actually ask of sixth, seventh, and eighth graders, and I'm still … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: First Year of Teaching Over and a Word on Audrey Hepburn
Friday Flotsam: Habemus Papam, Herzog’s Mindset, and Woodstock
1. Habemus Papam! Short hours ago, I would have taken it as axiomatic than an American Cardinal will never be elected Pope. We exert so much power and influence over the rest of the world that I took it for granted the Cardinals would never willingly give them the Papacy as well. I have no … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: Habemus Papam, Herzog’s Mindset, and Woodstock
Sunday Flotsam
1. I seem to be doing a lot of Sunday flotsams these days. 2. The first requirement for intelligent political discourse is to distinguish political thought from political rhetoric. That is, we have to set aside the buzzwords and loaded language ('racist', 'imperialist', 'exploitative', 'equality', and, especially, 'liberty') and make it clear what concrete realities … Continue reading Sunday Flotsam
Saturday Flotsam: Easter Events and Amerigo Vespucci
1. Of course, the major news this week is the death of the Holy Father. My own opinion of Pope Francis's pontificate is completely irrelevant; let us all pray for his soul and for the upcoming conclave. 2. That and... 3. I successfully made it through a 'Black Fast' this Triduum; fasting from Holy Thursday … Continue reading Saturday Flotsam: Easter Events and Amerigo Vespucci
Palm Sunday Flotsam: Christ’s Majesty and Lesser Matters
1. On Palm Sunday, Christ enters Jerusalem as a conquering king, His way strewn with palms. But He is a most unusual king: riding unarmed upon a borrowed donkey, His retinue being a motley bunch of fishermen, zealots, and ex-tax collectors. And when He enters the city, He does not take His seat or meet … Continue reading Palm Sunday Flotsam: Christ’s Majesty and Lesser Matters
Saturday Flotsam: RIP Val Kilmer, Kingly Saintly Families, and Miscellaneous
1. RIP to Val Kilmer, who passed away this week at the age of 65 of complications from pneumonia (no doubt exacerbated by his bout with throat cancer that left him almost incapable of speech in his later years). Mr. Kilmer was one of that rare brand of 80s action-star heart-throbs who were also legitimately … Continue reading Saturday Flotsam: RIP Val Kilmer, Kingly Saintly Families, and Miscellaneous
Friday Flotsam: Corporal Punishment and Anne Shirley
1. One of the great, underappreciated benefits of having clearly defined roles for men and women is that they prevent direct competition between the sexes. Less competition means less resentment and less animosity 2. Equality naturally creates resentment, because one who values equality will always be on the look out for signs that someone somewhere … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: Corporal Punishment and Anne Shirley
Serpent's Den 