Thursday Shutters, and Beyond!
Already, you ask? Well, I’m heading Washington-ward, remember? Blogging will be utterly random for the next several days/entire week.
Dean Barnett FIGHTS the good (and never-ending) fight against the MSM’s “coverage” of Iraq.
Captain Ed THINKS Richard Armitage is out to do more damage. (Highly likely)
Hugh links to an INTERVIEW he did with an Army officer:
HH: When you hear people talk about withdrawing and let the chips fall, does that strike you…
Chris: It infuriates me.
HH: Tell me why.
Chris: Because just as in America, Iraq has their bad seeds, their bad eggs, whatever you want to call them. But it’s a minority. It’s a very small percentage, but just like anywhere else, that very small percentage makes the most noise, and therefore, they’re the most noticeable. Most of the Iraqi people that I’ve dealt with would give you the shirt off their back if you ask for it, not even needed it, not wanted it. If you just ask for it, it’s yours. You show interest in something of theirs, it’s yours. They’re very giving, they’re very kind, they’re very smart, and they just, just like us, they want a chance. I’m biased, because I have spent one heck of a lot of time with the Iraqi people. And by and large, they are one heck of a good group of people.
HH: Warrant Officer Chris, we’ve got about a minute left. Can we win there?
Chris: We can, but it’s going to take some resolve, and we know…like I said from the beginning, we know it’s a dangerous job, but we accept it. There’s going to be deaths. We know that. Everyone in the military, just about, knows someone that’s been killed over there. But it’s a volunteer army. We can do it, we can…it won’t be easy, it won’t be quick. But with support from the American people, we can do it.
As a special bonus, HERE’S another “Brave Bishop” story. Two in two days. (Though this is less about Olmstead’s bravery and more about the pleasing consequences of his bravery.)
And just BECAUSE:
He uses statistics the way a drunk uses a lamppost, for support rather than for illumination.
Bye, now.
Unfortunately, this Chesterton quote can be applied to many, many people.
See, I haven’t entirely disappeared. The thesis hasn’t eaten me yet . . .
Nice to see that the thesis has not proved to be your undoing. Didn’t have any long-term concerns in that regard, actually. It’s time-consuming, I remember that. But you’ll come through with flying colors, I’m sure. (What is the topic, incidentally?)
Well, the ‘other’ Mr. Berquist would call it an exposition on the “Central Question of Philosophy” - - more or less it’s a thesis against philosophical relativism, showing how three major schools of philosophy disagree on how the mode of knowing is related to the mode of being. My intention is to prove that you can’t logically accept more than one school’s conclusion on this question to be true, and that, therefore, as the relationship of intentionals to being is a first principle, there is a continual divergence of thought from there, rendering these different schools of thought incompatible (bits of one can’t be randomly inserted into another).
The “other,” huh?
This brings back memories. Which are the three groups you’re talking about? Aristotelians, Empiricists and “Inside-Outers?” (Like Kant, and the like?) Or are you dealing with the “extremely modern moderns?”
Nope - no modern moderns for me.
I’m working with St. Thomas/Aristotle, the Empiricists, and Plato.
Oh, and ‘the other’ Mr. Berquist is our Mr. Berquist’s brother: Duane is his first name, I think? Mr. Wassell gave me some notes from a class he took with him and those were the major key to figuring out how I wanted to combat this relativism thing . . .
Ah. And here I was thinking “little Berquist.” As in “student while I was a student Berquist.” But that didn’t make as much sense to me.
I’m intrigued by the break-down you give. I’ll have to snag me a copy when the time comes. How long is it at the moment?
Heeeeh, long? What is long? *ahem* . . . it’s 6 or 7 pages, as of Friday afternoon at 5:02 on the 2nd of February. I hope that isn’t the case on Monday . . .
Ah, yes. I remember these times well. I’m sure you’ve got more than 6 or 7 pages of material in your head, though. You’ll be just fine. Updated on Monday?