The following reflection on the unknowable vastness of human knowledge was written 75 years ago:
Human knowledge had become unmanageably vast; every science had begotten a dozen more, each subtler than the rest; the telescope revealed stars and systems beyond the mind of man to number or to name; geology spoke in terms of millions of [...]
Archive for September, 2008
The unavoidable superficial
Posted in Academic, Philosophy, Quotation on September 29, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
What matters to the GOP
Posted in History, Politics on September 26, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
When was the last time the Republican Party chose a presidential candidate who had neither been a fighter pilot nor been wounded in wartime?
Ronald Reagan in 1984.
Will the cycle be unbroken?
Posted in History, Politics on September 25, 2008 | 3 Comments »
At The American Scene, Jim Manzi speculates that we are seeing a liberal realignment in the 2008 election. I agree that a realignment is happening, though I have no idea if it will turn out to be liberal or whether it will happen this year or in 2012. However, it will certainly be Democratic.
What drives [...]
Seen in Portland
Posted in Portland on September 19, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
A man in his late 50s or early 60s, sitting with stocking feet on a rocking chair on the porch of a Craftsman house on Southeast Salmon Street on a cool late-summer evening.
A traditional American scene, like something out of Norman Rockwell.
Except for how intently he was texting on his cell phone.
Con-doh!
Posted in Commerce, Portland on September 19, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
The east side of Portland is littered with ugly two-story apartment buildings of early ’60s vintage. If you live in Portland, you know what I’m talking about: The long, low bricks; the rusted metal stairs; the fading pale paint; the ratty parking lot; the juniper bushes.
So some developer bought the interchangeable ugly apartment block at [...]
Ike’s toll
Posted in Texas on September 19, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Thomas Gray posts pictures of the storm damage near his house in Houston.
I spent a lot of time in that neighborhood when I lived in Houston, and I remember those trees and houses. Staggering. Just staggering.
Norman Whitfield, 1940-2008
Posted in Music, Obituaries on September 18, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Norman Whitfield, the leading songwriter and producer of Motown’s psychedelic years, died Tuesday of complications from diabetes.
He was the producer for The Temptations from 1966 to 1973. “Ball of Confusion”? That was his. “I Wish It Would Rain”? Him, too. “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg”? “Papa Was a Rolling Stone”? Do you need to ask [...]
Ain’t got the Mojo
Posted in Music on September 18, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
I love Mojo magazine, but I do not subscribe to it and I never read it.
Why?
Because I lack the time to listen to the music I already know to buy. Why pay $150/year to be frustrated?
20 years ago
Posted in California, Life, Ohio on September 18, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
It was 20 years ago last night that I spent my first night in the dorms at Ohio State.
Last night, I dreamed that I was checking in to Morrill Tower all over again, but this time I was 38.
(The number of people who know me who would be surprised to see me moving into Morrill [...]
A sub-blurb
Posted in Books on September 18, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
A cover blurb from the paperback edition of Jonathan I. Israel’s Radical Enlightenment:
One of the truly great historical works of the decade.
The book and the blurb were published in 2001.
Today’s amazing fact
Posted in Commerce, History on September 17, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
The rivalry between shoemakers Adidas and Puma is based on a Nazi family feud.
Who knew?
Tippecanoe and Tyler 2.0
Posted in History, Politics on September 17, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Very old presidential candidate? Check.
Campaign presents wealthy presidential candidate as a simple man of the people? Check.
Campaign fetishizes presidential candidate’s military experience? Check.
Campaign focused on insults to the exclusion of issues? Check.
Little-known vice-presidential candidate with uncertain party loyalties, chosen purely for balance? Check.
William Henry Harrison and John Tyler did not work out well for the [...]
A splash of determination
Posted in Life on September 17, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
If there is a better motivator to clean a messy desk than spilling a half a glass of water across it, I do not know what it is.
When is a lawn not a lawn?
Posted in Yardwork on September 17, 2008 | 2 Comments »
Before moving into my current rental, my lifetime experience with yardwork was nearly nil, which means that I am learning as I go.
Earlier tonight I took my first close look at the front lawn (most of my work in the front yard so far has been pulling ivy, weeding stray mint, and cutting back bushes). [...]
Weekday weeding window wanes
Posted in Yardwork on September 16, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
The days are quickly getting shorter and weeding the yard after work will soon become impractical, so I am getting out into the yard now every chance I get. The upside is that I will probably get the yard into the shape I want it to be before the rainy season starts in four weeks. [...]
