At the gym

"What are you still doing in town? I thought people were lined up, waiting for you to graduate from ESR."
Only the faculty.

Glacier

Right now I'm just waiting to hear back from people...

For those of you who haven't been living in Quakerland: George Fox was an early leader of Quakers, and William Penn was a younger contemporary of Fox's (and also a leader among the Religious Society of Friends). One of the early marks of the Quakers was resistance to military service, as well as treating all people as equals. However, one of the marks of nobility (to which Penn belonged) was wearing a sword. According to the legend, Penn did not want to stop wearing his sword, i.e., relinquish his status. Fox's reply was, "Wear it as long as you can."

Two comments: first, I may have some of the details of the story wrong, so I welcome any comments or clarifications.

Second, the story is almost undoubtedly wrong, for a number of reasons. Paul Buckley has published an article about it, concerning what is known about Penn and his sword.

Steve Angell has given an independent reason, which I can best describe in terms of Zen Buddhism: the Rinzai School believes in sudden enlightenment, whereas the Soto school believes in gradual enlightenment. With regards to sanctification (and here I welcome correction), Fox is more like the Rinzai Buddhist, thinking it happens all at once. The story suggests a "Soto" approach, easier to deal with personally but probably historically inaccurate.

So much for beating the life out of a cartoon...

"War is Not the Answer"

But it depends on the question.

Rawls and the Veil of Ignorance

The Veil of Ignorance isn't supposed to suggest that you forget everything you once knew... it's supposed to suggest a stance towards decision making such that, if you didn't know your place in society, you could live under those rules. It's just stupid to write rules to prop up your own power, and then complain when those rules are used against you when you're no longer king of the hill. However, I'm not surprised that this is the complaint Newt Gingrich is currently making.
Julie points out that the Democrats have realized that playing nice with Republicans doesn't really get you anywhere, but when they try to use Newt's playbook, he cries foul.
On a more global level, although Newt recognizes that the American voter is interested in "real change," that change won't involve the Republicans. You had your chance, and you blew it. He compares the approval ratings of the Republicans to the depths of Watergate, and all I can think is that Americans haven't yet understood the profundity of the betrayal of the Republicans in the past eight years, far outstripping anything Nixon & company did.
Now, Newt just sounds like Kang: "The politics of failure have failed. We need to make them work again!" Not a compelling platform, dude.

Life and/or Drawing

A friend lent me "Crumb" to watch after semester was over (and it's finally over).

It's nice to know that I'm not all that odd, comparatively, even if there are a few disturbing points of comparison between R. Crumb and myself.

Not Available in Stores!

Lucky you.

My hero, Saul Steinberg

Now that I'm through with my classes (although not grading), I've finally started Don Quixote.

The cartoon, an homage to Steinberg, is only coincidentally related.

It's nice and sunny here, and I'd much rather read and doodle than grade exams and essays.

Zeno of Richmond

Rarely have I heard discipleship described in terms that made me think of Pre-Socratic philosophers...
Good job, Brian!

It is finished

Well, sort of.

Art...

sometimes blends into real life.

Guess what I can see from here?

just cartoons...

As I mentioned yesterday at Common Meal, I'll miss having an audience who understands my cartoons.

At least some of my cartoons.

Swan Song

Not much to say today, except I'm just about ready to be done for the semester.

Late addition: Props to B'Yo! for reviving the haiku!
I hope some of them make it onto the PKW!

How to Avoid Earthquakes

Sorry, I don't really have any useful advice there: I would have thought living in Indiana would have been sufficient.

Another sunny day

Every once in awhile I like being in Indiana. Like today.

Sunny Wednesday

In belated honor of Julie's birthday, here's a cartoon based on a joke that I stole from her.

Happy belated birthday!

Snow?

The forecast on the radio this morning called for snow... I think that's silly. Don't they know it's April?
Seriously, I'm looking forward to moving.
April should be kite-flying weather... unless you're too busy reading Kant.

More from Spring Break

Stolen from Woody Guthrie, but based on a true occurrence just a few weeks ago.

Although the fellow in the pickup truck didn't have to tell me what the sign actually said; his tone of voice as he asked, "Can I help you?" said enough.

The Kingdom of God

The Kingdom of God is like a parable.

It is familiar, but strange.

It is present to hand, and yet we have trouble grasping it.

We know the pieces, but we cannot comprehend the whole.

We ask for something simple, digestible, perhaps propositional.

Yet these are precisely the qualities which allow us to set something aside and disregard it.

The short narratives which point beyond themselves aren't simply to be memorized or admired, but ruminated upon, not merely recited but interpreted for each generation.

The Kingdom of God is like a parable, which is in one sense given yet demands the participation of all who would partake.

The Hand of God

Someone asked yesterday about being touched by the Spirit...

Everyone's asking!

April Second

T.S. Eliot wrote, "April is the cruellest month," and in the past I've been tempted to agree with him.
This year, however, seems to be going better.

April First

I don't have anything profound to say today--as opposed to every other time I post, sorry to disappoint!--but I thought I'd share this particular image from Spring Break with you before I head off in yet another direction later this week.

Legislating Hypocrisy

Call me cranky, but I think the Bureau of Motor Vehicles ought to check the MPG on vehicles before issuing "Environmental" plates.
Of course, there would be a certain hypocrisy for the legislature to try to legislate against hypocrisy...

Just a quick stop before I leave again!

Nothing too heavy, just letting you know I'm still around. Somewhere.

Cheery thoughts!

I'll be gone for the next week, so here are some cartoons for you viewing pleasure!
(Extra credit for anyone who correctly identifies the inspiration for this particular set of drawings.)

Mond... oops, Tuesday

Time flies when you're having fun.
But it really drags if you forget to bring a book.

The Apocalypse of Job

Wonder what Liberal Quakers really think about community?
Come hear my last sermon in Quigg tomorrow at 11:20!

I heard it at the UUCR

An inspirational quote:

"What need has a free spirit for a rock on which to stand when it has wings with which to fly?"

I'm a fan of the whole "free spirit"-thing, particularly in its Nietzschean form, but it seems to me that one's wings get tired at some point.

And then it would be nice to have a safe place to land.

A Poem

A curious thing
about the ontological problem
is its simplicity.

It can be put
into three
Anglo-Saxon monosyllables:
'What is there?'

It can be answered,
moreover,
in a word--
'Everything'--
and everyone will accept
this answer
as true.
-WVO Quine, "On What There Is"

I didn't come up with the idea of "Quine as Poet," but I like the idea; and I like Quine better than Weiderkehr in any case.
I'm even more pleased to learn that Quine is a noun.

Defining terms

I think this cartoon could serve as a lesson for today... except that it was the lesson for last week, too.
Sometimes being essentially relational beings sucks.