Over Christmas break (on the long travel between my home and my home—Lancaster and Mt. Vernon, IN), I listened to the new biography on Steve Jobs, by Walter Isaacson. You should read this book. Few people have more to transform and humanize the interaction of man and machine than Jobs. His legacy is mammoth, and I believe that the impact of his work will reverberate into the future (his impact might only be at its beginning at present!). I am going write a few blog post on my reaction to the book and to Jobs. I knew little about him going in and came away from the book surprised by some of what I learned. First: (more…)
Archive for the ‘Culture’ Category
Steve Jobs; Part 1—Jobs and a Liberal Arts Education
Thursday, January 19th, 2012Christmas Wishes
Tuesday, December 27th, 2011December 24, 2011
Christmas Wishes!
Here are a few Christmas wishes for 2011.
1. To Albert Pujols: I hope that all the money makes up for the fact that you had the opportunity to be the greatest sports icon in the most positive and rabid baseball town (Philly is more rabid, but negative) in the world. You left because they did not respect you?!?!?! C’mon man! They loved you. Good luck with this in an invented place. Coal for you!
2. To Jimmy Rollins: Love for you in the city of brotherly love. May your commitment to stay be as blessed as possible. Maybe another ring under the tree?
3. To Wendell Berry: Recently reading some of your best paragraphs. Brilliant! May you have a quiet and peaceful day with your family gathered round…and a good walk through a familiar and thick woods.
4. To Peter Leithart: Your blog is a blessing to read, but I fear that you might be reading, thinking, and writing too fast. You’re both and inspiration and a mystery. My wish for you is a long night’s sleep. Enjoy.
5. To the United States: A new government. This one is broken and its pettiness (on both sides) is making me sort of dread opening the paper in the morning. We borrow 40% of every dollar we spend. 40%!!!! We need an intervention. Hope it comes in 2012.
6. To my faculty and staff: Good work this year. Sleep soundly over break.
7. To my students: Drink deeply from the fountains of life. Christ Himself is the deepest fountain. Love God first with all your heart and do whatever you please with all of your heart!
I am going to try to go without my computer for a few days—this will feel like Linus without a blanket. See you in the New Year!
Halloween? Reformation Day?
Monday, October 31st, 2011Celebrating or not celebrating Halloween is an issues that sometimes divides Christians—particularly as our culture goes increasingly haywire thinking that somehow we can blend evil things (vampires and zombies) into the lives of the young with no ill effects. I have been an advocate on both sides of the issue (though not at the same time). I say now “let each be fully convinced in his own heart” of his own practice. I would, however, say that our cultural practice of Halloween celebrating is getting darkened and more vile. If you are going to celebrate Halloween, you should read this article by James Jordan (who has recently be called by some serious smart people “the most important Christian writer of the 20th century” besting C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien):
Educational News Continued
Friday, October 28th, 2011Yesterday, the State Senate in PA passed a voucher bill that will give voucher to students trapped in the 5% of schools that are chronically bottom performers. It is unlikely right now that this bill will pass the PA House. If it does, however, the governor will sign it. My heart goes out to these students. They need rescued from these schools. The present situation illustrates how the state is going to attempt this rescue. Yesterday I was at a meeting of Christian administrators in the area. Our governor, Tom Corbett, was hoping to be there, but in the end he was not able to attend. Would he have attended and would I have had a chance to speak with him this is what I would have liked to say.
Loot by Sharon Waxman
Tuesday, August 30th, 2011This summer while at the beach, I finished an interesting book. I spend time at the beach reading when I can. I finished an interesting book called Loot. It is about the ongoing controversy concerning ancient artifacts, the purchase of those artifacts by Western museums (The Met, the Louvre, the British Museum and the Getty), the constant stealing of those artifacts by unscrupulous people, and the incessant making of arguments about who should possess these artifacts. The book is fascinating.
In the past, the West felt such cultural superiority that it took whatever it wanted when it found it. Thus, the bust of Nefertiti is to be found in Berlin, most of the statues from the Parthenon are in London, and the Zodiac ceiling from the temple of Dendera is in Paris. The West took because it believed itself superior and thought that its citizens should be exposed to all of these past beauties. The West takes, but then displays. (more…)
True Grit
Wednesday, June 15th, 2011I mainly write about books, but I want to recommend a movie to you today—the Coen Brother’s True Grit. I watched it and thoroughly enjoyed it. I remember watching John Wayne’s rendition of True Grit when I was a youngster. This one is even better. The Coen’s are simply brilliant. In this movie that craft (as usual) a stylized dialogue that is both memorable and engaging. The focus of the music is one hymn. The story is compelling. The acting is superb.
As classical school folks, we should pay attention to how to tell a good story. They are the best at it right now.
Hat’s off.
Planning an Escape from Nixonland
Monday, June 6th, 2011In a previous post I outlined some of the insights in the stunning book Nixonland by Rick Perlstein. In it, Perlstein deftly chronicles the unraveling of the American political center and the building and hardening of America into two mutually exclusive, enthusiastic, groups who now wage a (we must assume never ending) war for power and control of the future of our country. Both of these groups have left off arguing with each other (they just yell) and have left off seeking to persuade the center—except for the two months preceding an election. In Nixonland, politicians are successful not because of wisdom, and honesty. They do not even traffic in those areas. They are brilliant if they are cunning and can craft 15 second sound bites that divide the country into 50% + 1 on their side. During the time chronicled in this must read work (the mid 60s to the early 70s), the spirit of revolution again invaded our country. It is fomenting still on cable news channels as we speak. It keeps leaders from doing what they should (like dealing with long term debt issues in our country) and keeps them focused on using “whatever means necessary” to win the next political battle and gain control if only for a season to work to bring in their kingdom. This is true of both the left and the right.
If we are to survive as a country, we must plan an escape from Nixonland.
Rhetoric, Protest, Persuasion, and the Death of Democracy
Wednesday, May 25th, 2011At the end of the school year, a sense of relief vibrates through many here at Veritas Academy. We look forward to reading, beaches, and yard work. We enjoy all of these things within the context of the Western democracy called America. Presently, I am working on some writing work for Omnibus VI and thinking a lot about the 1960s and early 1970s. Here are some of my thoughts about that time and about the present state of things (post “that time”).
Education, Morality, and the Vacuum
Tuesday, May 24th, 2011We are coming to the end of our academic year (whew!). At times like this, I get reflective. I have spent a lot of time with our seniors reflecting on where they have been and where they are going (and where our school is going). I have been greatly blessed by this time. They are a wonderful bunch of young men and women—thoughtful, prudent (for their age and maybe just in general), kind, caring, and jolly (yes, jolly). I am thankful for their work and for their families. (more…)
It’s the End of the World as We Know It
Monday, May 23rd, 2011Today is Judgment Day according to the radio teacher Harold Camping. I am writing this post before 6pm (it won’t post for the next few days).
