Thursday, November 14, 2013
Hmm …
… Mill and Emerson: Sense and Nonsense | History Today. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)
Mill's dislike of religion stands out here. And obviously, Mill in private was nastier than he let on in public.
Mill's dislike of religion stands out here. And obviously, Mill in private was nastier than he let on in public.
A thought for today …
I want to write for a readership that can create miracles. Children create miracles when they read. That’s why children need books.
— Astrid Lindgren, born on this date in 1907
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Keeping you scientifically literate!
Scientists have discovered possibly the earliest signs of life on Earth – remains of bacteria that are almost three-and-a-half billion years old – in a remote region of north-west Australia.
The man with the narrow gaze …
… Bryan Appleyard — The Robert de Niro Picture. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
More "Balderdash?" ... George?
My research on Civil War writing leads me to one conclusion. If you are literate today, it does not mean you can write -- not even close to it in many cases. But if you were literate in 1863, even if you could not spell, you often could write descriptively and meaningfully.
In the century and a half since, we have evolved from word to image creatures, devaluing the power of the written word and turning ourselves into a species of short gazers, focused on the emotions of the moment rather than the contemplative thoughts about consequences and meaning of our actions.
Challenging the narrative …
… The Republican Party Isn't Really the Anti-Science Party - Mischa Fisher - The Atlantic.
Republicans, and members of the traditionally Republican coalition like conservatives and the religious, are criticized for rejecting two main areas of science: evolution and global warming. But even those critiques are overblown. Believing in God is not the same as rejecting science, contrary to an all-too-frequent caricature propagated by the secular community. Members of all faiths have contributed to our collective scientific understanding, and Christians from Gregor Mendel to Francis Collins have been intellectual leaders in their fields. Collins, head of the Human Genome Project and an evangelical Christian, wrote a New York Times bestseller reconciling his faith with his understanding of evolution and genetics.
Sound advice …
… The Learning of the Wise, Bryan Caplan | EconLog | Library of Economics and Liberty. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)
Anyone can say, "I never studied X because I wasn't convinced it would be worth my time." If someone genuinely seeks wisdom, though, they will set a much lower bar. Like: "I studied X because I wasn't convinced that it wasn't worth my time." Or: "I studied X because I thought there was a 10% chance X was right." Or: "I studied X because I was mortally afraid of overlooking whatever nuggets of truth X contains." If you really want to understand the world, you have to value your time less and your learning more. Study every subject that seems vaguely relevant. If a field has a bad reputation, see for yourself whether its reputation is deserved. And even if a field deserves its bad reputation, seek out honorable exceptions.The problem with specialists is that, too often, they are only specialists.
As well they should …
… College Will Review Gun Policy After Students Defend Themselves - Reason 24/7 : Reason.com.
Gonzaga is a Jesuit school. I am a graduate of a Jesuit school. I presume Thomas Aquinas is still paid attention at Gonzaga. He is the Angelic Doctor on self-defense:
Gonzaga is a Jesuit school. I am a graduate of a Jesuit school. I presume Thomas Aquinas is still paid attention at Gonzaga. He is the Angelic Doctor on self-defense:
“if a man, in self-defense, uses more than necessary violence, it will be unlawful: whereas if he repel force with moderation his defense will be lawful, because according to the jurists (Cap. Significasti. De Homicid. volunt. vel casual.), ‘it is lawful to repel force by force, provided one does not exceed the limits of a blameless defense.’ Nor is it necessary for salvation that a man omit the act of moderate self-defense in order to avoid killing the other man, since one is bound to take more care of one’s life than of another’s.”
And before …
… Libertarianism Beyond Nozick � 3:AM Magazine. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)
[Libertarianism] is a theory about the proper size and scope of the state, and about the proper spheres of force and freedom in our lives. Accordingly, libertarianism as such has no answers for many of our most important moral questions. Rather, it holds that individuals should be left free, as much as possible, to answer those questions for themselves, in their own way.
A thought for today …
If you do not expect the unexpected you will not find it, for it is not to be reached by search or trail.
— Heraclitus
Poetry on the silver screen …
… The Film- Tar- The Life of Poet C.K. Williams | Fox Chase Review.
I remember when Charlie Williams used to hang out at Dirty Frank's.
I remember when Charlie Williams used to hang out at Dirty Frank's.
Fiction and empathy …
… 'Writers Between the Covers' ~ When Art Hurts | Bill Peschel. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)
Monday, November 11, 2013
Francis Collins on Science and Religion
I would not want to look forward to a culture where science lost and religious faith became the dominating force for truth. I would not want to live in a culture where faith lost and science, with all of its reductionism and its materialism became the sole source of truth.From the head of the Human Genome Project...An actual scientist.
RIP …
… Andro Linklater - Obituary - Telegraph.
I spent some time with Andro one day. He was charming and wonderfully bright. He took the photo of me in the book room that has gained some notoriety on the Internet. This is very sad news.
I spent some time with Andro one day. He was charming and wonderfully bright. He took the photo of me in the book room that has gained some notoriety on the Internet. This is very sad news.
Science and Religion: Truth and Doubt | Henry Gee
… Science and Religion: Truth and Doubt | Henry Gee. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)
The God-bothering superstitions which currently hold American science to ransom are, indeed, damaging, not just to science, but to the health and well-being of people around the world, not just in America.Maybe that's the way it's made to appear abroad, but I don't see much of that from where I am, namely, here in the states. I wrote for years for The Inquirer's religion section (when it had one) and don't recall meeting any of the young earth people or anyone who thought the Bible was dictated by God. There are such people, but even believers see them as fringe types. More dangerous are the people who preach against vaccination and DDT, and they don't tend to base their objections on Bible texts. True, there is ID theory, which sometimes raises some interesting questions, though it seems to be a category error from the start (confusing science with theology, or maybe it's the other way around). As for science being all about doubt and faith being about 'truth', well, I subscribe to Newman's definition of faith as being capable of bearing doubt. Religion is an attempt at getting at the mystery of life not, like science, by determining how things work, but seeing if things mean something personal.
Prose and poetry …
… The American Scholar: How a Poem Helped Me to Write Prose - James McConkey. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)
Where we find ourselves …
… The Death of Writing, and Its Impact on Our Politics | RealClearPolitics.
This is a big reason why our approach to politics is broken. Seeking any edge, the leading actors too often talk about "optics" over accommodation or resolution. By boiling complex issues into single images or seven-word slams, everyone -- actor, describer, citizen -- is let off the hook, content with their own translators and tribes. Even the once-derided 30-second sound bite has become archaic, too lengthy for our run-and-gun debates.
A thought for today …
To love someone means to see him as God intended him.
— Fyodor Dostoevsky, born on this date in 1821
Sunday, November 10, 2013
"Say it ain't got a chance, Lance"
The latest film from Alex Gibney, the investigative documentarian behind We Steal Secrets: The Story of Wikileaks and the Academy-Award winning Taxi to the Dark Side, is The Armstrong Lie.
List of lists …
… Largehearted Boy: Online "Best Books of 2013" Updates Archives. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)
The accidental species …
… Nature Editor Pens New Book On Humanity's Accidental Origins - Forbes. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)
I continue to be perplexed by the term "creationist." Is John Polkinghorne a creationist because he believes in God, while also subscribing to the theory evolution? I suppose the term refers to someone who rejects evolutionary and claims that God does it all on his own. But there can't be many of those. I hope it does not apply to anyone who might raise questions about the details of evolution. I would think that is what science is for.
I continue to be perplexed by the term "creationist." Is John Polkinghorne a creationist because he believes in God, while also subscribing to the theory evolution? I suppose the term refers to someone who rejects evolutionary and claims that God does it all on his own. But there can't be many of those. I hope it does not apply to anyone who might raise questions about the details of evolution. I would think that is what science is for.
A thought for today …
You can preach a better sermon with your life than with your lips.
— Oliver Golsmith, born on this date in 1730
Saturday, November 09, 2013
Writing therapy
The world has offered two dichotomous representations of people who sell sex: the “happy hooker,” or the “victim,” often underage, who is coerced into the industry and forced to work by a trafficker or pimp. As a sex worker, I resembled neither of these characters. Who was I then? I wrote to find out. Beginning with a story I felt was so bad it simply could not be told—not to others, not to myself—I wrote my way out of denial and disassociation into what felt like an integrated self. The memoir pieces that I eventually began to publish helped me order my past in a way that I could live with. But there were costs. Most obviously, I lost my job as a public school teacher, the job to which I had transitioned after sex work.
Worth the slog …
… D. H. Lawrence possessed | TLS. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)
When is good — and he is often very good — Lawrence is an indispensable. He is also great short story writer.
When is good — and he is often very good — Lawrence is an indispensable. He is also great short story writer.
In case you wondered …
… Conspiracy Theories Gain Momentum by Simply Being Contrary - WSJ.com. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)
How do we distinguish between critical thinking and nutty conspiracism? Psychologists have repeatedly demonstrated a key feature of conspiracism, namely that people who believe in one type of conspiracy theory are more likely than chance to believe in other unrelated ones. In other words, it's a deep psychological trait, a world view that transcends any given case.Teach them about Occam's razor.
Little blogging today …
I am about to take off for Medway, Mass., to visit Gwen and her family. Also to se the Sargent watercolor exhibition at the MFA. Depending on circumstances, will return later.
A thought for today …
To desire and expect nothing for oneself and to have profound sympathy for others is genuine holiness.
— Ivan Turgenev, born on this date in 1818
Friday, November 08, 2013
And many happy returns .
… Paul Davis On Crime: Happy Birthday To Bram Stoker, Author of 'Dracula'.
Bram Stoker was the Victorian actor Henry Irving's road manager. In that capacity, in 1881, he spent some time in Philadelphia. He took the opportunity to visit Walt Whitman, whom he greatly admired.
Bram Stoker was the Victorian actor Henry Irving's road manager. In that capacity, in 1881, he spent some time in Philadelphia. He took the opportunity to visit Walt Whitman, whom he greatly admired.
Peace and quiet …
… First Known When Lost: "Every Day The World Grows Noisier; I, For One, Will Have No Part In That Increasing Clamour".
No lie there.
… those who wish to change the world -- politicians, social engineers, media mouthpieces, and their ilk -- are unlikely to read, much less take heed of, Pascal and Gissing. Thus, the rest of us must do our best to mitigate the Sisyphean antics and the noisy noisomeness of these busybodies by keeping our wits about us and by remaining idle and quiet.
No lie there.
Hmm …
… Literature Without Style by Tim Parks | NYRblog | The New York Review of Books. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)
Well, we shall see. I expect that some new style altogether will emerge and be appreciated on its own terms.
Well, we shall see. I expect that some new style altogether will emerge and be appreciated on its own terms.
Fictional recipes …
… Literary breakfasts: orders, please | Books | theguardian.com. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)
Very interesting …
… Malcolm Gladwell Visits Glenn Beck, Finds Religion | New Republic. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)
A thought for today …
We cannot build up the idea of the apostolate of the laity without the foundation of the liturgy.
— Dorothy Day, born on this date in 1897
Reports of demise premature …
… Of Making Many Books There Is No End: Against Tim Parks's 'Death of the Novel' : The New Yorker. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)
For many, if not most, writers, things like plot, character development, and catharsis are not narrative fallbacks but dynamic tools that give shape to the stories they’re passionate to tell or develop ideas that are uppermost on their minds. The art of storytelling is ancient, but it is a flighty kind of world view that automatically equates oldness with staleness. Missing from Parks’s essay is the recognition that talent transmutes tradition. Gifted writers can make accustomed methods feel as new and vital as a work explicitly devoted to structural innovation. In both cases, the object is the same: form is used in the service of artistic vision.Indeed.
Thursday, November 07, 2013
The classical Auden …
… W.H. Auden and Ecopoetics | Boston Review. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)
Understanding nature in terms of one's own nature would seem to be how man started out using his consciousness, no great distinction being made between the two.
Auden’s personifications of nature are, in this regard, much like those of the ancient Greeks. When the wind, in an Auden poem, says “come,” we are not getting a representation of nature as something different from ourselves: we are getting a glimpse of human temptation and desire. When the water in “Streams” comes across as playful, we are not being told about the quality of nature so much as about certain human moods and capacities—Auden’s personification of water is much closer to a Greek naiad than to the streams above Wordsworth’s ruined abbey. When Auden gives us a landscape, he is less interested in it as a place or an ecosystem or as a physical reality—like Schiller’s Greeks, he rushes past its otherness and uses it as a way of describing human psychological states.
Understanding nature in terms of one's own nature would seem to be how man started out using his consciousness, no great distinction being made between the two.
Oh, goody …
… Evidence of Successful Integration — New English Review.
See also: The Only Thing Necessary for the Triumph of Evil is that Good Men Do Nothing.
(Hat tip, Dave Lull.)
See also: The Only Thing Necessary for the Triumph of Evil is that Good Men Do Nothing.
(Hat tip, Dave Lull.)
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