“How many people, in the beginning of life, think they will finish it as Alexander the Great or Lord Byron, and instead, retain for the whole of their existence, the rank of titulary counsellor?” – A Hero of Our Time, Mikhail Lermontov
Various links I found interesting:
Huckabee Claims Civil Rights Of Gays Are Not Being Violated: They Aren’t Getting Their ‘Skulls Cracked’
This is disappointing. I’ve generally found Huckabee to be more reasonable. I seem to recall him being a voice of reason when the Jeremiah Wright issue was going full-blast. Huckabee will be on the Daily Show tonight. I hope Jon Stewart grills him.
Deficits and the Future
I should read and re-read this, so I will have a basic understanding of what’s going on. I should be able to counter those “we should stop spending” arguments.
Walesa’s Mustache, the Dalai Lama’s Smile, and Sarkozy’s Je Ne Sais Quoi
Not sure why this article caught my eye. It’s not terribly informative, nor is it particularly well-written. I do want to keep in mind that I would like to have this kind of star power when I have a political career.
After Deadline
Interesting blog from the NY Times:
After Deadline examines questions of grammar, usage and style encountered by writers and editors of The Times.
It is adapted from a weekly newsroom critique overseen by Philip B. Corbett, the deputy news editor who is also in charge of The Times’s style manual. The goal is not to chastise, but to point out recurring problems and suggest solutions.
Since most writers are likely to encounter similar troubles, we think these observations might interest general readers, too.
LeBron James “Chalk” Commercial for Nike Zoom LeBron VI
I am just loving everything about this commercial.
I had to read Book XII of Aristotle’s Metaphysics for class today. The whole thing about the heavens moving in circles came up. Apparently, the Greeks used to think that the planets and heavenly sphere (all those stars) moved in circles. This continued well throughout the Middle Ages. It was interesting how Aristotle’s metaphysics dictated how circles were so divine. I mean, to put it crudely, he thought to move perpetually, you had to move in a circle. Yet the thing is, the Scholastics during the Middle Ages would’ve rejected the metaphysical parts of that whole thing because Aristotle rules out a singular creation event. Somehow, they still thought the circles made sense though.
From our modern view, the epicycles seem silly. However, I guess it’s better to impose some sort of way of understanding the motion rather than saying that the planets just randomly wander through the sky. I just don’t understand why the circles had to be so special.
Aristotle literally thought the heavens were divine. With religion in general, it’s interesting to see how religion tries to save itself by presenting literal myths as allegory. (Well, not everyone.) I mean, the Catholic church sanctions silly “miracles” in its process of creating saints. Sorry, I just think it’s all just as crude as those divine heavenly circles.
[NOTE: Bah, I don’t like the way I’m writing at all. I really should not write late at night and leave things completely unedited. However, it’s better to have some imperfect writing out there, than to have nothing out at all. I need to create a habit.]