Japes, ribald
Sweet Fancy Moses is back, just when I'd given it up for dead. OK, it came back 3 weeks ago, and I'm as out of it as ever. But you might find this amusing.
Now, if only Suck would come back.
Friday, November 21, 2003
Desktop Linux
David Weinberger echoes my misgivings about Linux as an OS for non-geeks, this time from the point of view of a regular user.
David Weinberger echoes my misgivings about Linux as an OS for non-geeks, this time from the point of view of a regular user.
Thursday, November 20, 2003
The Archetypal Patriot
I've been listening to an abridged recording of David McCullough's biography of John Adams as part of my continuing reading about the Founding Brothers (as John Joseph Ellis called them). Adams is a fascinating character whose greatness I'd never fully appreciated. While I think that the author is a little too much in love with his subject, and I'd like to have heard the sections about Adams' diplomatic missions immediately before and after the peace of 1783, I greatly enjoyed it and want to read the entire book someday. But first, I'd like to read Cappon's The Adams-Jefferson Letters.
For me, the most admirable thing about Adams was his integrity. Two incidents in his career illustrate that integrity. The first was his successful defense of the British captain and the British soldiers (in two separate trials) who were accused of murder in the Boston Massacre in 1770. Thirty years later, his efforts as President led to a treaty with France that preserved peace, in spite of the opposition of much of his own Federalist party led by Alexander Hamilton. He was criticized, even attacked, by many for his actions in both of these events - a difficult thing for someone as sensitive and vain as Adams. But he stuck to his principles regardless of the outcome. And while the outcome of the first ultimately enhanced his reputation, the second probably cost him a second term as president.
I've been listening to an abridged recording of David McCullough's biography of John Adams as part of my continuing reading about the Founding Brothers (as John Joseph Ellis called them). Adams is a fascinating character whose greatness I'd never fully appreciated. While I think that the author is a little too much in love with his subject, and I'd like to have heard the sections about Adams' diplomatic missions immediately before and after the peace of 1783, I greatly enjoyed it and want to read the entire book someday. But first, I'd like to read Cappon's The Adams-Jefferson Letters.
For me, the most admirable thing about Adams was his integrity. Two incidents in his career illustrate that integrity. The first was his successful defense of the British captain and the British soldiers (in two separate trials) who were accused of murder in the Boston Massacre in 1770. Thirty years later, his efforts as President led to a treaty with France that preserved peace, in spite of the opposition of much of his own Federalist party led by Alexander Hamilton. He was criticized, even attacked, by many for his actions in both of these events - a difficult thing for someone as sensitive and vain as Adams. But he stuck to his principles regardless of the outcome. And while the outcome of the first ultimately enhanced his reputation, the second probably cost him a second term as president.
Catching Up
It's been a while since I've had time to blog. I actually wrote this over a week ago but never published it; but I wanted to contrast it with the post above about John Adams...something about how deeds matter more than words, and how real patriotism isn't a fashion that the self-righteous get to wear.
There's something about the prose in this essay that really irritates me, even though I agree with many of the points the writer is trying to make. It's the hectoring arrogance of the tone, I think - the ways the author seeks to cut off possible arguments an imaginary reader might make instead of just making his point, as if he's worried his argument won't stand up on its own.
I also like being lectured about patriotism by someone who I suspect never actually served their country about as much as I like being lectured on morality by, say, William Bennett. Self-righteousness always strikes me as a particularly unattractive character trait. Patriotism isn't about what you say. Displaying the flag doesn't make you a patriot any more than attending church on Sunday makes you a true Christian. Serving your country - in any of the myriad of ways that you can render service - makes you a patriot. Deeds, not words, not acts done strictly for show, are the real measure of patriotism.
It's been a while since I've had time to blog. I actually wrote this over a week ago but never published it; but I wanted to contrast it with the post above about John Adams...something about how deeds matter more than words, and how real patriotism isn't a fashion that the self-righteous get to wear.
There's something about the prose in this essay that really irritates me, even though I agree with many of the points the writer is trying to make. It's the hectoring arrogance of the tone, I think - the ways the author seeks to cut off possible arguments an imaginary reader might make instead of just making his point, as if he's worried his argument won't stand up on its own.
I also like being lectured about patriotism by someone who I suspect never actually served their country about as much as I like being lectured on morality by, say, William Bennett. Self-righteousness always strikes me as a particularly unattractive character trait. Patriotism isn't about what you say. Displaying the flag doesn't make you a patriot any more than attending church on Sunday makes you a true Christian. Serving your country - in any of the myriad of ways that you can render service - makes you a patriot. Deeds, not words, not acts done strictly for show, are the real measure of patriotism.
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