The spiritual mind

The spiritual mind does not grap onto one idea to the exclusion of others. It loves all things according to their due.
Therefore, only the spiritual mind can be an educated mind.
The spiritual mind is principled in its thinking. It is not empirical or “spiritual” but objectively rational. This rational thought is the foundation of order. [...]

On Truth and Intellectual Development

Truth revealed and accepted accelerates learning by drawing the lover of truth like a magnet. Dogma, therefore, if they are true, do no harm to the intellect. Falsehood, however, does positive harm.
Thus the modern disregard for assertions of truth (which are, of course, directed at truths the modern doesn’t like or at people who think [...]

On teaching History

Kids need and like heroes, but they also like having a context in which to locate them. Besides, no hero is a hero without a context in which he became a hero. He had to fight something. They love to see the overall flow of history or of a given period. This is pleasing to [...]

Bobby Jindal

Not a great speaker, but the boat story hits home. No matter how great a leader President Obama is, he can’t get us anywhere if impersonal bureaucrats are the ones making our decisions.
Bobby is taking a position. I don’t think this speech will move many people tonight. But in three or four years it will [...]

President Obama on the military, Ty’Sheoma Bethea, and his conclusion

I’m grateful to hear him say that we do “not torture.”
A new era of engagement has begun. We can’t be alone and the world needs us. We need to engage in negotiation with confidence and candor.
The world depends on us having a strong economy as we depend on the strength of the worlds. Deep implications [...]

President Obama on the deficit

A note on the economic portion:
Bad move: “I know we can get some consensus in here.”
“With the deficit we inherited.”
He can’t back hand like that if he doesn’t want to offend and alienate people. The first line was great. The second was too easily perceived by Republicans as spiteful.
I look forward to the waste, [...]

President Obama on Education

President Obama wants everybody to get educated, but will he stand in the way of those who have proven to be effective, or will he only allow the public schools to get educated.
He’s asking us all to commit to at least a year of education. I like that he included apprenticeship.
Good to hear him challenge [...]

How to Be Perfect

Let us, in fine, observe that this harmony or surprising agreement, which naturally occurs between the ideas of just, honest, and useful, constitutes the whole beauty of virtue, and informs us at the same time in what the perfection of man consists.
… Moralists are divided with regard to this latter point. Some place the perfection [...]

One More Oscar Note: Kate Winslet

I have to add that she was stunningly gorgeous and as elegant looking as anybody I have ever seen on this show (not that I’ve watched much). That would be a great style to bring back.
Tremendous contrast to Goldie Hawn.

Martin and Fey

Here’s the Steve Martin and Tina Fey video. I’ll try to update it when there’s a better one.