1. My latest post went up on The Everyman earlier this week, this one talking about the Oscars slap. I take it as another sign that the social framework is breaking down: For my own part, I think the incident raises some interesting points. First, let’s have no illusions about Will Smith’s personal life, which … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: Oscars Slap at the Everyman, Core Values, and More
The Everyman
‘Megamind’ at the Everyman
Got to do an essay on Megamind at last: There’s really a lot that could be said about this movie. I wouldn’t call it a great film: there are some gaps in the writing and not all the jokes land (though most of them do). But it is a very good film, with strong storytelling, … Continue reading ‘Megamind’ at the Everyman
Tolerance and Totalitarianism at the Everyman
Another post up at The Everyman, here explaining why the diversity, inclusion, tolerance ideology is naturally and inevitably totalitarian. We moderns have a bad habit of not defining our terms. We like ideas that sound good and tend not to dig in deeper to try to pin down what they are actually saying. So we … Continue reading Tolerance and Totalitarianism at the Everyman
Alice at the Everyman
Finally got my internet back today, and just in time to find that one of my essays has gone up at The Everyman! It's one where I get to talk about classic Disney and apply it to the decline of civilization, so...pretty much pure me. Enjoy! In short, the book presents Alice’s dreams as places … Continue reading Alice at the Everyman
Friday Flotsam: Some Aphorisms
1. Loving your enemy does not mean forgetting that he is your enemy. 2. That we cannot judge what we don't know doesn't mean that we can't judge what we do know. E.g. I don't know the state of X's soul, nor the internal motions that lead him to act as he does, but I … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: Some Aphorisms
Exceptionalism vs. Patriotism at the Everyman
Wherein I tackle American exceptionalism and try to explain why we need to give up on the idea: I don’t say this just because our system of government and society barely resembles that which existed at the nation’s founding (even allowing for the passage of time and development of technology). Nor because we have recently … Continue reading Exceptionalism vs. Patriotism at the Everyman
Forgotten Man at the Everyman
My latest post is up at 'The Everyman,' where I touch a bit on the present attempted coup. Law has no force of its own. It only has what it is given by those in charge of enforcing it, whether directly (in courts and legislatures) or indirectly (through public opinion). At the end of the … Continue reading Forgotten Man at the Everyman
Everyman Hate Speech
This post went up a little while ago, but preoccupations in real life caused me to miss it. I go into some of the problems I see with the whole 'hate speech' concept (there's a lot more to be said, regarding speech laws and freedom of speech and all that, but I decided to focus … Continue reading Everyman Hate Speech
Ambiguity at the Everyman
My latest piece is up at The Everyman discussing the common trick of arguing from ambiguity: you know, you say "a man isn't a woman," and they answer "who gets to decide the definition of 'a woman'?" Turning obvious and object concepts into mush in order to win an argument: There is a scene in C.S. … Continue reading Ambiguity at the Everyman
Everyman Article on Why You Can’t Just Agree to be Wrong
A new piece is up on 'The Everyman,' this one discussing how false logic doesn't work even if everyone agrees about it: When I say or write a word, such as “four,” I am attempting to convey an idea that is in my head to yours. Our minds have no direct common communication, so the … Continue reading Everyman Article on Why You Can’t Just Agree to be Wrong