Monthly Archives: November 2012

the Commonwealth of Life

Over today’s lunch of cold leftover pizza (vegetarian, hold the pineapple, but argh the pineapple came anyway) I browsed through the fall 2012 issue of Finding Solutions, the newsletter of the David Suzuki Foundation. Dr. Suzuki himself always writes a … Continue reading

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hey! teachers! leave them kids alone!

Ideas matter. I suspect that behind every human conflict or disagreement there is an idea—or more than one idea—at stake, and that in most cases the parties concerned are unaware of it. This means that we argue at cross-purposes, never … Continue reading

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prose sketch: out the bedroom window

Tue 27 Nov 2012 1:20 p.m. my bedroom The sun is right above the neighbors’ chimney, a brilliant nuclear egg shining through the layers of cotton-batting cloud. There is a mildness to it, a neutrality. I think of decks of … Continue reading

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Stone and Dung, Oil and Spit: Jewish Daily Life in the Time of Jesus by Jodi Magness

Stone and Dung, Oil and Spit: Jewish Daily Life in the Time of Jesus by Jodi Magness My rating: 4 of 5 stars An archaeologist puts a few aspects of ancient Jewish life under the magnifying glass. With a strong … Continue reading

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sketchbook: Monday 19 November 2012

Mon 19 Nov 2012 ca. 11:50 a.m. my bedroom The vermilion leaves of the Japanese maple have turned to russet—the color of dried blood. I look down on it from above. The handrails of our balcony angle into its branches, … Continue reading

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sketchbook: Thursday 15 November 2012

Thu 15 Nov 2012 ca. 8:15 am Lonsdale & 19th Medical Clinic Irregular warren in the dilapidated 1950s building: black steel-framed chairs, corridor walls lined with medical files, potted incandescent lights set in the acoustic tile of the ceiling. The … Continue reading

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my election results

A week ago, the day after the U.S. elections, I had my teeth cleaned over at my dentist in Vancouver. While he was inspecting my mouth, to make conversation he said, “And what about the election down south—were you following … Continue reading

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Middle Eastern Mythology by S. H. Hooke

Middle Eastern Mythology by S.H. Hooke My rating: 4 of 5 stars This concise, authoritative text gives an excellent overview of the myths of the ancient Middle East and their interconnections. I bought this little Pelican paperback in January 1986, … Continue reading

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my liberal-education report card

In my last post I reviewed the reasons that I think liberal education is so important. Since I’m trying to acquire a liberal education through my own self-study program, a natural question is, what is my own progress? Without a … Continue reading

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why liberal education, again?

Why do I feel that a specifically liberal education is so important? I see it this way. People are different. While we all belong to the same species, we have different backgrounds, characters, interests, and aims. Sometimes these aims come … Continue reading

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