Been somewhat busy today; trying to clean after I found a most unwelcome visitor in my room. It was on one of the boxes and I was too slow in flushing it down the toilet so it disappeared again. Been trying to look for it in the house.
I had some thoughts about the British monarchy and the diamond jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation, along with the politickin' of the Vatican, but I may not have a chance to publish them. In the meantime...
Peter Hitchens, Pop goes the Monarchy: The Queen listened to Paul McCartney - and I heard the end of the Royal Family
Brendan O’Neill, The revolutionary potential of the Queen’s English
Saturday, June 09, 2012
A reader at iSteve comments on Are the English better at English?:
When students do not know how to write sentences well or good grammar, should they be learning how to compose essays? Along with grammar, essay composition requires some knowledge of argumentation and rhetoric. Backing up opinion is just the start to learning how to reason well. Do 5th and 6th graders have enough experience to write details or observations for a persuasive essay? The imposition of the order of learning must be age-appropriate or what is being imparted will be wasted. But contemporary mass education, being pressured to produce results and remedy poor performances by high school students, has no time for this.
California schools are making a big push for reading and writing. I know my children's elementary school requires 20 minutes of reading a night, starting in kindergarten. Children have a Reading Counts (Scholastic Books program where children take a computer test on books they've read) point goal they have to meet each grade period and point totals are posted for the class. It becomes a competition within the class. My children had to start writing structured paragraphs in first grade. They do a lot more writing than I ever did as a child.I have noticed this in the classroom as well. 5th and 6th graders are learning to write essays, a skill I didn't learn until 7th or 8th grade. Another example of accelerating the curriculum in order to make up (prevent) failure at the upper grades? I learned that my so-called "college writing" skills I picked up in HS were not really adequate for the college-level, as the course in rhetoric plus two years at Christendom showed me.
When students do not know how to write sentences well or good grammar, should they be learning how to compose essays? Along with grammar, essay composition requires some knowledge of argumentation and rhetoric. Backing up opinion is just the start to learning how to reason well. Do 5th and 6th graders have enough experience to write details or observations for a persuasive essay? The imposition of the order of learning must be age-appropriate or what is being imparted will be wasted. But contemporary mass education, being pressured to produce results and remedy poor performances by high school students, has no time for this.
Friday, June 08, 2012
TAC: Dr. Thomas Kaiser, First Tutor to Teach All 23 Courses in College Curriculum (article includes an interview)
Items of Interest, 8 June 2012
Ron Paul and the Sex Selection Abortion Ban
The New Liberal Apocalypse by Jordan Bloom
Landrieu: The King of The Mystically Imbecilic Krewe of Tacchzuss
The Detached Vision By MICHAEL OAKESHOTT
The Confederate Colonel: Michael Hill, Egalitarian Democracy, the Universal Wolf
The Amendment that Destroyed America
What’s Behind the HHS Mandate? by Gerard V. Bradley
Former president of APA says organization controlled by ‘gay rights’ movement
17-year-old tells world leaders to step up, give her a future by Greg Hanscom
Christopher Dawson on Liberalism, Part III by Brad Birzer, TIC Co-editor
Anthony Esolen, Liberality, The Fifth Lively Virtue
Flannery O'Connor: The Story of a Southern Soul
Kirk Center: Summer 2012 Reading
Memo From Middle America | DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES’ Eva Longoria And The Failure Of Mexican Assimilation
Daniel McCarthy, From the Nation State to the New Church
Gamesmanship for a New Dark Age
Statism Means Culture War By ROBERT P. MURPHY
From gay marriage to education, state intervention pits citizen against citizen.
The American Empire:
Daniel McCarthy, Preparing for a Post-Imperial Future
Inside America’s Controversial Commando Conference
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Drones
Blowback and the Consequences of Obama's Foreign Policies
The Army’s Flawed Resilience-Training Study by STEPHEN SOLDZ and ROY EIDELSON
Islam:
Robin Hood, King Arthur, Muhammad by Howard Kainz
Agrarianism and Relocalization:
Cultivating Freedom By LEWIS MCCRARY (a feature on Joel Salatin)
A report on the truth of food deserts (pdf)
Small-Scale Slaughterhouses Aim To Put The 'Local' Back In Local Meat
A Review of the Localization Reader
Environmentalism:
Orion Magazine: Wendell Berry, Tim DeChristopher, and Teri Blanton discuss principled activism, April 15, 2011 (mp3)
Loaded Words BY DERRICK JENSEN
Writing as a combat discipline
The Human Costs of Fracking
An 80-Year License to Kill? by KARL GROSSMAN (nuclear power)
Catholic:
The Teen Porn Epidemic and What to Do About It
Why Isn’t Pornography Beautiful? by Mattias Caro
Fr. Z, My idea of concelebration
A little too traditionalist? I think Bouyer (and the Christian East) certainly would disagree with the multiplicity of private Masses, rather than a communal Mass, though not all priests present would be obliged to concelebrate. They could fill other clerical roles.
They show us what to be living for by Archbishop Jose Gomez
The reality is hard to believe
(on the Cristeros)
Why it's okay to be against heresy and for imposing one's will on others by Father Robert Barron
Liturgical Developments for the Anglican Ordinariate
Orthodox:
The True Self and the Story of Me
Metropolitan Kallistos of Diocleia on the Economic Crisis
Feminism:
Jack Donovan, Paycheck Fairness, “Legibility,” and a Recipe for Failure
The Problem With Patriarchy
Diet and Health:
Barefoot Running: Paleo-Fact Or Paleo-Fad?
The Real Deal on Adrenal Fatigue – Guest post on RobbWolf.com
Free the Animal: Paleos & Primals: YOU are the Key, not Disney or Michelle Obama
Tip 364: Train Like Your Ancestors: Tips to Achieve Optimal Health and Body Composition
Government not punishing individuals who choose to imbibe soda or compelling dietary decisions, just banning the product because it is unhealthy or dangerous. OK or not?
What Is Food? By MARK BITTMAN
Dating:
Final Exam – Navigating the SMP
Theology of Game
History:
‘De novo modo’: The birth of fashion in the Middle Ages
Misc:
What Duvet Said – The Tank (Crazy About You Cha Cha)
http://www.roguetwo.com/what-duvet-said-the-tank-crazy-about-you-cha-cha/
http://www.whatduvetsaid.com/audio/wds060712.mp3
Mevio
Tim Kennedy | I Want To Quit Fighting And Go Back To War
Tim Kennedy performs "Part of Me" by Katy Perry
The New Liberal Apocalypse by Jordan Bloom
Landrieu: The King of The Mystically Imbecilic Krewe of Tacchzuss
The Detached Vision By MICHAEL OAKESHOTT
The Confederate Colonel: Michael Hill, Egalitarian Democracy, the Universal Wolf
The Amendment that Destroyed America
What’s Behind the HHS Mandate? by Gerard V. Bradley
Former president of APA says organization controlled by ‘gay rights’ movement
17-year-old tells world leaders to step up, give her a future by Greg Hanscom
Christopher Dawson on Liberalism, Part III by Brad Birzer, TIC Co-editor
Anthony Esolen, Liberality, The Fifth Lively Virtue
Flannery O'Connor: The Story of a Southern Soul
Kirk Center: Summer 2012 Reading
Memo From Middle America | DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES’ Eva Longoria And The Failure Of Mexican Assimilation
Daniel McCarthy, From the Nation State to the New Church
Gamesmanship for a New Dark Age
Statism Means Culture War By ROBERT P. MURPHY
From gay marriage to education, state intervention pits citizen against citizen.
The American Empire:
Daniel McCarthy, Preparing for a Post-Imperial Future
Inside America’s Controversial Commando Conference
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Drones
Blowback and the Consequences of Obama's Foreign Policies
The Army’s Flawed Resilience-Training Study by STEPHEN SOLDZ and ROY EIDELSON
Islam:
Robin Hood, King Arthur, Muhammad by Howard Kainz
Agrarianism and Relocalization:
Cultivating Freedom By LEWIS MCCRARY (a feature on Joel Salatin)
A report on the truth of food deserts (pdf)
Small-Scale Slaughterhouses Aim To Put The 'Local' Back In Local Meat
A Review of the Localization Reader
Environmentalism:
Orion Magazine: Wendell Berry, Tim DeChristopher, and Teri Blanton discuss principled activism, April 15, 2011 (mp3)
Loaded Words BY DERRICK JENSEN
Writing as a combat discipline
The Human Costs of Fracking
An 80-Year License to Kill? by KARL GROSSMAN (nuclear power)
Catholic:
The Teen Porn Epidemic and What to Do About It
Why Isn’t Pornography Beautiful? by Mattias Caro
Fr. Z, My idea of concelebration
A little too traditionalist? I think Bouyer (and the Christian East) certainly would disagree with the multiplicity of private Masses, rather than a communal Mass, though not all priests present would be obliged to concelebrate. They could fill other clerical roles.
They show us what to be living for by Archbishop Jose Gomez
The reality is hard to believe
(on the Cristeros)
Why it's okay to be against heresy and for imposing one's will on others by Father Robert Barron
Liturgical Developments for the Anglican Ordinariate
Orthodox:
The True Self and the Story of Me
Metropolitan Kallistos of Diocleia on the Economic Crisis
Feminism:
Jack Donovan, Paycheck Fairness, “Legibility,” and a Recipe for Failure
The Problem With Patriarchy
Diet and Health:
Barefoot Running: Paleo-Fact Or Paleo-Fad?
The Real Deal on Adrenal Fatigue – Guest post on RobbWolf.com
Free the Animal: Paleos & Primals: YOU are the Key, not Disney or Michelle Obama
Tip 364: Train Like Your Ancestors: Tips to Achieve Optimal Health and Body Composition
Government not punishing individuals who choose to imbibe soda or compelling dietary decisions, just banning the product because it is unhealthy or dangerous. OK or not?
What Is Food? By MARK BITTMAN
Dating:
Final Exam – Navigating the SMP
Theology of Game
History:
‘De novo modo’: The birth of fashion in the Middle Ages
Misc:
What Duvet Said – The Tank (Crazy About You Cha Cha)
http://www.roguetwo.com/what-duvet-said-the-tank-crazy-about-you-cha-cha/
http://www.whatduvetsaid.com/audio/wds060712.mp3
Mevio
Tim Kennedy | I Want To Quit Fighting And Go Back To War
Tim Kennedy performs "Part of Me" by Katy Perry
From the FB of Nassim Nicholas Taleb:
The elephant in the room is that if academic social "science" never existed (political "science", economics, sociology, psychology) the world would be at the worst no different, and possibly a much better place.Was there a demand for the development of the "soft sciences" by the managerial state for its use in controlling the populace?
Natalie MacMaster tour stop in October!
And this time she'll be closer, in San Francisco at Yoshi's, rather than Davis - October 24. I've marked my calendar.
An ad for her Portland appearance in Dec. 2012:
An ad for her Portland appearance in Dec. 2012:
Marvel's The Avengers
Yahoo! Movies
Marvel
Apple trailer
Like Iron Man, it is an entertaining comic book movie for fanboys (and girls) and non-fans but it is also rather juvenile. What else can you get from a comic book movie, even if Joss Whedon is attached? (And if he were writing the script he would not make it more mature, just 'adult' according to PC standards.) But juvenile stories are appealing to Uhmerican "adults" (not just teens) for whatever reason. (The Death of the Grown-Up? Some men may not have manned-up. Some may have been discouraged from doing so because much is stacked against them. But does that explain the mass appeal of the movie? A bad public education system, lack of cultivation of the moral imagination? Nostalgia towards the comic books of one's youth? The commentors of the alt right/WN third way knows the problem, but do they have any solutions?)
The movie hints at one deep friendship between two members of the team, Hawkeye and Black Widow, who already share some history prior to the Avengers being called to defend the Earth. There is also mutual respect between Stark and Banner because of their scientific genius, and Captain America does his best to get along with Banner. But it doesn't really develop the bonds between the team members, except to show how they unite after the death of someone they all know brings Captain American and Iron Man together and the rest of the team follow to combat Loki and the alien menace. Maybe the death would be enough, but it was handled without sufficient pathos.
Watching Captain America I was reminded of the movie and the lost America of the 40s. That vivid idealized image of America may be somewhat false but it was probably still a better reality than what we have today. I'd rather watch a western or Band of Brothers.
The Avengers…From a Theological Perspective by Fr. Michael J. Denk
Some videos for the commemoration of D-Day.
[Of course they have to find a woman to share her thoughts.]
Normandy Invasion
D-Day Landings on "Omaha" Beach, 6 June 1944
I find that an alarming number of students (primary level) have "liked" Adam Sandler's That's My Boy (Apple). It's supposed to be rated-R! Would Hollywood ever make a movie about a buffoonish mom not acting her age, dancing around men as a cougar and so on? I doubt it. (Bridesmaids may have been popular among women, but I wouldn't watch it because the characters are probably too authentic and show Uhmerican 'femininity' at its worse. I believe that movie was sympathetic to its characters and was supposed to be a positive portrayal of their friendship.
CH asks if there are any great movies which are memorable several days after you watch it. The Avengers doesn't really qualify, but I can't think of any recent movie that does. Then again this may be an impossible standard, unless the movie has static or quiet scenes with memorable dialogue, but do movies work against memory? If we remember the scenes, is there something wrong with us? Or is the failure to remember just a sign of our acquired attention deficit disorder?
Have the divisions in the paleosphere become sharper? Or is it just the commentors at Free the Animal? I don't think one sees these sort of attacks at other paleo/primal websites. The Culture of Obesity. RN contrasts the Mediterranean culture (not 'diet') with Uhmerican culture as a way of explaining the rise of obesity. I don't think anyone in the paleosphere denies that one may be able to adjust to a high-carb diet as long as they are active enough (some would explain how this is possible by saying the activity affects insulin levels which affect how much of the carbs is converted to fat)?
Habits and the choices from which they develop do matter. But how much of our choices are made difficult by changes to our physiology and sense appetite because of diet? (And what impact does the adoption of a sedentary lifestyle have upon physiology?) There may need to be a balance between blaming the victim (or the culture) and the diet which circumvents making healthy choices or makes them difficult.
Edit. See this comment by a paleo MD in Italy.
Habits and the choices from which they develop do matter. But how much of our choices are made difficult by changes to our physiology and sense appetite because of diet? (And what impact does the adoption of a sedentary lifestyle have upon physiology?) There may need to be a balance between blaming the victim (or the culture) and the diet which circumvents making healthy choices or makes them difficult.
Edit. See this comment by a paleo MD in Italy.
Bday dinner with SML tonight last night; it was good to see her again though I felt the silence was awkward at times, at least for me. We talked mostly about schools, kids, and family life. I suppose that is rather normal. (But not much that was deep.) We did catch up, but when we parted I started feeling bad - about my own situation? Or her perception of me.
Her girls are so big now; they're about the same age as the MD's daughters and cute. The last time I saw them... I don't think I've even seen her #2. The last time I saw #1 she was barely crawling around.
Her girls are so big now; they're about the same age as the MD's daughters and cute. The last time I saw them... I don't think I've even seen her #2. The last time I saw #1 she was barely crawling around.
Finally someone is asking but is it too late?
Rob Vischer: Catholic law schools and the student debt crisis
Who will take the lead in addressing Catholic higher education as a whole?
Who will take the lead in addressing Catholic higher education as a whole?
Raj Patel to appear for the Commonwealth Club
In both SF (6/12) and Mt. View (6/14) next week.
From 2010. (CC is charging for access to the videos now.)
About Homo Economicus:
His website.
His feminism:
Club Orlov: Fragility and Collapse: Slowly at first, then all at once
The Archdruid Report: Collapse Now and Avoid the Rush
Paul Craig Roberts, The Economy Comes Unglued
The Automatic Earth: Welcome to the No-Growth Paradigm
From 2007:
Making Other Arrangements
A wake-up call to a citizenry in the shadow of oil scarcity
by James Howard Kunstler
photographs by David Maisel
From 2010. (CC is charging for access to the videos now.)
About Homo Economicus:
His website.
His feminism:
Club Orlov: Fragility and Collapse: Slowly at first, then all at once
The Archdruid Report: Collapse Now and Avoid the Rush
Paul Craig Roberts, The Economy Comes Unglued
The Automatic Earth: Welcome to the No-Growth Paradigm
From 2007:
Making Other Arrangements
A wake-up call to a citizenry in the shadow of oil scarcity
by James Howard Kunstler
photographs by David Maisel
Thursday, June 07, 2012
"Nationalist" conservatism
Early Religious Freedom in America by Justin Dyer
A discussion of religious freedom by focusing exclusively on the "Founders" and with a nationalist interpretation of the Constitution? One then is blind to the reality of the established churches in the states and the like. Intellectual inertia or blindness, perhaps, but it keeps the author of this piece, and the website, from making any real advances in presenting an alternative to statism.
A discussion of religious freedom by focusing exclusively on the "Founders" and with a nationalist interpretation of the Constitution? One then is blind to the reality of the established churches in the states and the like. Intellectual inertia or blindness, perhaps, but it keeps the author of this piece, and the website, from making any real advances in presenting an alternative to statism.
Looks like it will be Elizabeth Emken against Diane Feinstein in November - the SJ Mercury. Women should not hold political office and Emken is not as good as Rick Williams (who describes himself as being aligned with the positions of Ron Paul) with respect to curbing the National Government; still, this may be one of those instances where one has to vote in order to get someone out of office. I have not read anything by Emken repudiating feminism; like Sarah Palin she'd probably nuance her brand of feminism in order to appeal to Republicans.
Feast-day of St Josemaria, June 26, 2012.
Masses to be celebrated around the world.
I don't see anything listed for San Francisco; the Mass last year was at St. Mary's Cathedral. Maybe something will be listed later, or... I found a listing for Masses in the U.S. It's Oakland this year, with the bishop celebrating the Mass. I was going to say that I might not be in town, but I should be back by then, especially since Pete Takeshi will be in town. But I may not go to Oakland for the Mass. Even if it would be rather convenient to go to True Burger beforehand... hmm... then again I probably wouldn't meet any OD people afterwards.
Nvm. I just checked the time again - 7:30 P.M. I should be having dinner with Pete Takeshi at that time.
Masses to be celebrated around the world.
I don't see anything listed for San Francisco; the Mass last year was at St. Mary's Cathedral. Maybe something will be listed later, or... I found a listing for Masses in the U.S. It's Oakland this year, with the bishop celebrating the Mass. I was going to say that I might not be in town, but I should be back by then, especially since Pete Takeshi will be in town. But I may not go to Oakland for the Mass. Even if it would be rather convenient to go to True Burger beforehand... hmm... then again I probably wouldn't meet any OD people afterwards.
Nvm. I just checked the time again - 7:30 P.M. I should be having dinner with Pete Takeshi at that time.
Early music this weekend
From the San Francisco Renaissance Voices FB page:
More info:
CONCERT from the COURT OF KANGXI
June 9 - 2:00 pm
Berkeley Festival & Exhibition of Early Music
St. John's Presbyterian Church
2727 College Avenue
Berkeley
Also in town for performances on Saturday and Sunday: Jordi Savall Cal Performances
Jordi Savall recibe el premio Léonie Sonning, el considerado Nobel de la música
Don't miss us this Saturday at 2 PM when we return to the Berkeley Festival and Exhibition of Early Music with our "Concert from the Court of Kangxi" featuring Charles d'Ambleville's "Mass of the Bejing Jesuits" performed alternatim with traditional Chinese music and instruments; pre-concert lecture at 1:30 pm - more info and tix at: www.SFRV.org - hope to see all of our FB Friends there!
More info:
CONCERT from the COURT OF KANGXI
June 9 - 2:00 pm
Berkeley Festival & Exhibition of Early Music
St. John's Presbyterian Church
2727 College Avenue
Berkeley
Also in town for performances on Saturday and Sunday: Jordi Savall Cal Performances
Jordi Savall recibe el premio Léonie Sonning, el considerado Nobel de la música
Wednesday, June 06, 2012
Patrick Deneen now writing for the First Things website
E.J. Dionne and the Contradiction of Progressive Catholicism
Will he be able to dialogue with his colleagues on localism and other issues prominent at Front Porch Republic?
Will he be able to dialogue with his colleagues on localism and other issues prominent at Front Porch Republic?
“29/31″: A Time-Travel Video About The Wall
The post refers to this video and is rather good, featuring some links to articles by Dalrock.
The post refers to this video and is rather good, featuring some links to articles by Dalrock.
Tuesday, June 05, 2012
Why is Proctor and Gamble using the Olympic dreams of a Chinese family for its advertisement? (Rather than an American family?)
Is that commercial meant to be shown internationally?
Is that commercial meant to be shown internationally?
Feast of St. Boniface, June 5
"A true man"
Crisis: St. Boniface, Apostle Among Pagans by Brennan Pursell
CE
Some icons.
Veneration by some Orthodox -
Misc:
SS. PIUS XII P.M. in Basilica Sanctae Mariae supra Minervam
Crisis: St. Boniface, Apostle Among Pagans by Brennan Pursell
CE
Some icons.
Veneration by some Orthodox -
Misc:
SS. PIUS XII P.M. in Basilica Sanctae Mariae supra Minervam
Monday, June 04, 2012
Californian Politics - SNAFU
The house received an advertisement for Paul Fong, an incumbent running for the Sate Assembly, District 28. It is in both Chinese and English, paid for by a PAC supposedly not associated with Fong or his campaign. (the Asian American Small Businesss PAC FPPC ID#1276929) I don't think it is a fake, intended to discredit him. Rather, the group sincerely believes that he has done a good thing for pushing Assembly Concurrent Resolution, No. 42 (pdf), in which California "officially" apologizes for past discrimination of Chinese[-Americans].
California apologizes to Chinese Americans for past discrimination
It's clearly an example of grievance politics. The Chinese were not enslaved, like the Africans who were brought to America. The contributions made by Chinese immigrants and Chinese Americans to the State of California are recognized. They were willing tools for the expansion of the American-state; this is not something of which we should be proud. They came seeking to make a better living; it should somewhat be expected then that as foreign labor that they would be paid less (why else would they be hired) and discriminated against (they weren't valued for their own sake, but only to increase the wealth of those employing them).
At best it can be said that we should be proud of the contributions of Chinese[-Americans] to the advances made in science and technology. But what of the moral and political aspects of civilization? What have Chinese-Americans done for culture?
In the sample ballot/voter's information booklet I learn that he was one of the legislators responsible for the law that was passed requiring that the teaching of California history include LGBT individuals. Pandering to LGBT Californians and liberals? Then again, he is a Democrat.
Contemptible.
More proof that if Chinese assimilate, most eventually assimilate to the liberal Uhmerican mindset?
(There is a rumor that he is Catholic, but the source of this information is questionable.)
The "top two candidates open primary act," Proposition 14, was passed in 2010. A sad display of stupidity on the part of those who voted for it. All 'partisan' offices are now 'voter-nominated' offices. While this may seem to benefit independent candidates, it doesn't, since it is likely that they will be excluded from the November ballot. It reinforces the monopoly (not even a duopoly given the preference of the major population areas for the Dems).
This state deserves what it gets.
California apologizes to Chinese Americans for past discrimination
It's clearly an example of grievance politics. The Chinese were not enslaved, like the Africans who were brought to America. The contributions made by Chinese immigrants and Chinese Americans to the State of California are recognized. They were willing tools for the expansion of the American-state; this is not something of which we should be proud. They came seeking to make a better living; it should somewhat be expected then that as foreign labor that they would be paid less (why else would they be hired) and discriminated against (they weren't valued for their own sake, but only to increase the wealth of those employing them).
At best it can be said that we should be proud of the contributions of Chinese[-Americans] to the advances made in science and technology. But what of the moral and political aspects of civilization? What have Chinese-Americans done for culture?
In the sample ballot/voter's information booklet I learn that he was one of the legislators responsible for the law that was passed requiring that the teaching of California history include LGBT individuals. Pandering to LGBT Californians and liberals? Then again, he is a Democrat.
Contemptible.
More proof that if Chinese assimilate, most eventually assimilate to the liberal Uhmerican mindset?
(There is a rumor that he is Catholic, but the source of this information is questionable.)
The "top two candidates open primary act," Proposition 14, was passed in 2010. A sad display of stupidity on the part of those who voted for it. All 'partisan' offices are now 'voter-nominated' offices. While this may seem to benefit independent candidates, it doesn't, since it is likely that they will be excluded from the November ballot. It reinforces the monopoly (not even a duopoly given the preference of the major population areas for the Dems).
This state deserves what it gets.
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