A post by Matt Taibbi prompts me to think about why I and so many others call themselves liberals. The post deals with Wall Street oligarchs (in this case, Lloyd Blankfein), who are prominent advocates of gay rights, or others who, say, via Emily’s List, etc. are adamantly opposed to even the smallest changes to [...]
Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
What is Liberalism for?
Posted in Free Market Apologists, ideas, politics, Uncategorized, tagged Glenn Greenwald, liberalism, Matt Taibbi, Occupy movement, postmodernism on February 15, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
Is Downton Abbey a Soap Opera? (Or What Texas Football and English Country Houses have in Common)
Posted in culture, Europe, ideas, Uncategorized, tagged Downton Abbey, forgiveness, Friday Night Lights, soap operas. on February 14, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
At first glance the answer must be yes, and commentators generally agree. From Slate to the New Yorker, educated persons feel slightly embarrassed to be drawn into the show, and describe it as a soap opera with better scenery, better dialogue, and better acting. There is something to this shame-faced fandom: Downton relies upon a cascade [...]
Quote for the Day
Posted in Uncategorized on January 11, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
“Was Moses right, or Xenophanes? Did God make man in his image, or is it not rather man who has made God in his? Appearances, certainly, are on the side of Xenophanes– yet it is Moses who is right. And at bottom Xenophanes agrees… in fact, Xenophanes has no intention of denying the divinity; on [...]
A Wonderful Life, pleasure, and freedom
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Christmas, It's a Wonderful Life, Jimmy Stewart, movies, utilitarianism on December 18, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
In preparation for Christmas, the New York Times has offered two different interpretations of It’s a Wonderful Life in the last week. Both rightly give emphasis to the disturbing, much darker hues of what is only an intermittently sentimental movie. Jimmy Stewart’s George Bailey spends most of his adult life being” frustrated and warped” (as [...]
The Friendly Confines, the (Green) Monster Cometh
Posted in Uncategorized on April 1, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Wrigley Field – Home of the Chicago Cubs – Panorama Part 2 Originally uploaded by supernova9 Yes, it’s opening day! The Red Sox begin their title defense Stateside tomorrow; the Cubs look to break the curse in their 100th season since their last World Series victory; the perfidious Yankees embark upon their annual 96-win campaign [...]
Green leaves, sunshine, Europe
Posted in Uncategorized on March 1, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Un matin d’automne dans le jardin du Luxembourg Originally uploaded by Aldor Given the maddeningly persistent cold and ice that grips the northern half of the nation at the moment, this picture from one of Europe’s great cities is a promise of better things to come.
Why Catholics Leave the Church
Posted in culture, faith, Uncategorized on February 29, 2008 | 1 Comment »
A lot has been said about the recent Pew study that concludes that 10% of the American population is ex-Catholic. It sounds discouraging for Catholics, and in fact it is–though it should be added that last year, Catholicism grew at a more rapid rate than any other religion in America (and tens of thousands convert every [...]
Why Montalte?
Posted in ideas, Uncategorized, tagged Pascal, truth on February 16, 2008 | 1 Comment »
A pseudonym historically associated with good thoughts like these: “Love of the truth is the greatest Christian virtue.” ”Love of the truth is the greatest Christian truth” (Pascal). Montalte is a brilliant critic of pedantry and a defender of honest learning. He is not always right, but he thinks with [...]
