Monthly Archives: June 2011

Inklings Interview: Tolkien Converts Lewis, etc.

Posted on June 30, 2011 by Dr. J

Way back in January, I did an interview for the Secrets of Middle-Earth podcast, which mainly targets players of the Lord of the Rings Online video game. The podcast host, Father Roderick, records the podcast while his character travels around … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Culture | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Great Books Catch-up

Posted on June 28, 2011 by Dr. J

I finally managed to complete last week’s readings early this morning. Here are some thoughts: Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe, Chapter XVI: If this isn’t Hollywood action-flick material, I don’t know what is. Crusoe and Friday attack twenty-one cannibals in … Continue reading →

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Great Books Marathoners Read About Marathon

Posted on June 27, 2011 by Dr. J

The time has come for another Great Books Monday post. Unfortunately, preparing for an in-town move and work responsibilities have slowed me down this past week, and I need one more day to read Federalist #41 and to put Euclid … Continue reading →

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Long-Term Budget Outlook: It’s Not Pretty

Posted on June 24, 2011 by Dr. J

The Congressional Budget Office recently released its projections for federal revenues and outlays in the coming decades. Its baseline assumptions are that the Bush tax cuts are eliminated and that the Alternative Minimum Tax is not reformed, thus ensnaring more … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Events | 2 Comments

First You Decorate Him, Then You Shoot Him

Posted on June 20, 2011 by Dr. J

It’s Great Books Monday once again, and I’m ready to dig into another serving of some of the best books ever written. If you haven’t joined the party yet, why on earth not? Step up and let your mind expand. … Continue reading →

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Happy Birthday, Magna Carta

Posted on June 17, 2011 by Dr. J

In case you missed it, Wednesday marked the 896th anniversary of the signing of the Magna Carta, one of the most important documents in the Anglo-American political tradition and, I would argue, in the political tradition of the West generally. … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , | 4 Comments

K-12 Students Still Ignorant of U.S. History

Posted on June 15, 2011 by Dr. J

The time has come once again for us all to cringe at the results of standardized test scores showing that American youngsters don’t know beans about their own country’s history. The National Assessment of Educational Progress has made known that … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Proof That Not All Cultures Are Equal

Posted on June 13, 2011 by Dr. J

Straight lines perpendicular to planes, birds carrying gems to poor people, cannibals, bridge building . . . you encounter all kinds of different things when you read the Great Books. I hope you’ve been following along because we’re closing in … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Liberal Arts | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

The Cult of Childlessness in America

Posted on June 9, 2011 by Dr. J

[Update: Every few months, this post attracts a sudden rush of outraged and often profane feedback of the “How Dare You Seriously Suggest . . .” variety. In nearly every case, it’s obvious that the angry commenters have misunderstood the post’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture | 51 Comments

News Flash: Education Funders Influence Education

Posted on June 7, 2011 by Dr. J

In case you missed it when the story first ran, the New York Times recently revealed that private entities (e.g., the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) that give large sums of money to educational institutions might actually wield an influence … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia | Tagged , | 1 Comment