Owing to a combination of factors (e.g. illness and it's being a lot closer) I went to my 'Novus Ordo alternate' church for Mass this morning. The homily left me with some thoughts. It wasn't a bad homily at all; mostly about marriage and commitment. But at one point the priest made reference to "those … Continue reading Sunday Thoughts: Imprudent Terms
Thoughts
Long-Form Endings (Kind of Spoilers)
My Hero Academia reached its final chapter not long ago and...well, I have to admit, I found it a little disappointing. It's hard to explain why without going into spoilers, but say that I thought the epilogue generally focused on the wrong things and left too many of the really interesting points rushed or unsettled. … Continue reading Long-Form Endings (Kind of Spoilers)
Saturday Flotsam: Various and Generals and Capybara
1. The correct answer to the question "Am I a racist?" is "I don't care." 2. Listening to podcasts about Napoleon from Apostolic Majesty (an excellent and very thorough history channel, by the way). Napoleon, as I think I've mentioned, strikes me as one of the closest examples we've had in history to a genuine … Continue reading Saturday Flotsam: Various and Generals and Capybara
Friday Flotsam: Rand, Tucker, ‘The Crow’
1. Have a much-needed four-day weekend ahead of me. I'm starting to get more into the routine of teaching full-time, at least so that it's less like I'm building a railroad as the train is rolling over it and more like I'm building it as the train is within sight. 2. In my US History … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: Rand, Tucker, ‘The Crow’
Saturday Flotsam: Random Thoughts
1. I made it through my first (almost: we had the Feast of the Assumption off) full week of full-time teaching. The short version is that, while there were some rough patches, I survived. 2. Are there any browsers left that let you toggle the 'tab-close' buttons off? Because I find those very annoying for … Continue reading Saturday Flotsam: Random Thoughts
Friday Flotsam: Teaching, Napoleon, and Oz
1. Well, I made it through my first week of the new teaching job. It was overall easier than I expected; it felt like slipping back into a somewhat familiar routine, the same sense of just standing up and talking to the class. 2. That said, it did feel a bit like building a railroad … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: Teaching, Napoleon, and Oz
Friday Flotsam: Melancholy and Random Thoughts
1. I had my first teacher meetings this week. Next week starts classes, though with shortened days. 2. In a rather melancholy mood for one reason or another. 3. Reading Dickens, I occasionally stumble across moments that show how masterfully understated he could be, when he took the trouble. Most of the time, when he … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: Melancholy and Random Thoughts
Maternal Loadstones: Mrs. Nickelby vs. Mrs. Bennet
I don't know that anyone can read both Nicholas Nickelby and Pride and Prejudice without comparing the maternal figures featured in each. In the cozy, but substantial niche of "embarrassingly foolish mothers," these two reign supreme as the most prominent and perhaps most troublesome. But the question remains; which one is worse? For my part, … Continue reading Maternal Loadstones: Mrs. Nickelby vs. Mrs. Bennet
Some Further Thoughts on ‘Oliver Twist’
One doesn't really review Charles Dickens, any more than one 'reviews' a waterfall. Dickens has achieved a status beyond mere likes or dislikes, critique and praise. It is not a question of whether Dickens is any good, so much as it is a question of how he strikes you. As for Oliver Twist, I would … Continue reading Some Further Thoughts on ‘Oliver Twist’
Friday Flotsam: Moving Cross Country, History in the Making, and Dickens
1. Well, this was certainly a week. For those who are just joining us, last weekend I moved cross-country, from Michigan to Arizona to take up a teaching post. It was three days' driving, and a chance to see more of the country than I yet have. The route took us, among other things, right … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: Moving Cross Country, History in the Making, and Dickens
Serpent's Den 