Web Browsing- Professors' Liberalism Contagious? Maybe Not - NYTimes.com 3 November 2008Do liberal faculty affect the political leanings of students? These people say no. But let's look a little deeper. One author says "it is really hard to change the mind of anyone over 15." Does this mean that the average American thinks about politics now the same way he did when he was 15? Yikes. It appears to imply that political opinions are not firmly rooted in ideas, but in feelings and prejudices. The article also suggests that the real problem is that students aren't actually being educated. They aren't getting the "good stuff." In fact, this may be the root of the problem. Even if students don't buy the liberalism of their teachers, they don't get much else either. Notable deficiencies appear in political and military history, especially of the West, but also include traditional literary criticism (and probably content), civics, and economics.
- Obama, Shaman by Michael Knox Beran, City Journal Summer 2008 3 November 2008Beran brilliant combines culture, religion, and literature into a powerful commentary on the religious aspects of Barack Obama's candidacy. The article is rich (and lengthy), but certainly worth digesting.
- Obama and the Politics of Crowds - WSJ.com 30 October 2008Fouad Ajami offers a rich and culturally insightful glimpse into Senator Obama's magic. He draws upon broad themes and key historical features of American cultural history to make his case for caution. Perhaps most telling is his observation about an American distinctive. Whereas the rest of the world champions equality, American has championed liberty. Obama offers the former, and the current financial panic has suspended Americans' faith in the latter. Consequently, we are on the verge of electing someone who inspires in the way a relgious leader, a messiah, does. But the religious hype quickly fades and people realize too late that they have been fleeced.
- America's Most Overrated Product: the Bachelor's Degree - Chronicle.com 24 October 2008Chronicle of Higher Ed points out the pointlessness of most bachelor's degrees.
- Professors' Liberalism Contagious? Maybe Not - NYTimes.com 3 November 2008
Jul
15
Visit from family
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This past weekend we had a wonderful visit with my mom and grandparents. They stopped in on their way from Michigan to Greenville. The original plan was for them to leave Michigan Saturday morning, but Friday morning they decided to leave that afternoon. They didn’t get in until 2am! The house was full with grandma and grandpa in my bedroom, mom on an air mattress in the extra bedroom, and Andrew and I on an air mattress in the living room.
After a short night of sleep we left mid-morning to go blueberry picking. My aunt Tricia wanted some blueberries, and my mom wanted “a lot.” Unlike last week when we picked, this time the sun was out and it was pretty warm. In about two hours we picked 32 pounds of blueberries! It was about lunch time when we finished, so we had a picnic lunch at the historic bridge nearby. On the way back home we took side trips to drive around Virginia Tech and point out my building at Radford. We were all pretty worn out when we got back, so we took showers and several people took naps.
The evening was a little more relaxing with a short walk, a demonstration of how I do therapy, and conversation. At one point in the conversation, I was accused of not having fruit in the house. I quickly pointed out that there were 32 pounds of blueberries in the fridge.
My mom wanted to leave for Greenville early Sunday afternoon, so after another late start of the day we had church at home and then ate lunch. During lunch we got a rainstorm, so the family didn’t leave until closer to 2pm. Even though the visit was short and it was the hottest few days we’ve had in awhile (which isn’t fun with lots of people in the house without air conditioning) we had a great time.
We enjoy company, so come visit if you get a chance!
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- Grandpa picking blueberries
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- Blueberries
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- Mel, Grandma, and Mom Boone
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- The blueberry pickers
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- At the historic bridge
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- View at the berry patch