Courage is the greatest of all the virtues.
Because if you haven't courage,
you may not have an opportunity to use any of the others.
Samuel Johnson
Not So Free Market Schools
Does the Government Eat Its Own Dog Food?
From Gary North:
Federal agencies in 2012 spent $4.8 billion in mailing. Of this total, the Postal Service got $337 million. The GSA set up the contracts for mailing with FedEx and UPS back in 2001.The Postal Service said it was going to set up a system of guaranteed express delivery. It would get the package there in two days or three days. Unfortunately, the Postal Service never actually delivered on the promise. The Postal Service did not get involved until 2009. Apparently the Postal Service did not get the memo. I suppose it was sent by regular mail. FedEx and UPS offer significantly lower prices for next-day delivery. The Postal Service cannot compete.North explains that unlike its private sector competitors, USPS doesn't operate its own aircraft fleet to accommodate tight delivery schedules. Even with a monopoly on regular mail and perhaps one of the widespread retail footprints in the world.
On the Eve of the Biggest Day on the Christian Calendar
- The "Jesus Stomping" Incident. As I recently read about the incident, it reminds me of an anecdote I have written in a prior post. Hyman Rickover, the "Father of the Nuclear Navy", was a notorious control freak: he even insisted on instructors in the training school be in the Navy, not mere contractors. One of the things he liked to tell the Congress in hearings is he personally interviewed all the officers in the program. I didn't know what to expect from the interview: I was qualified as a math instructor. He did have a reputation for unusual interviews. (My own interview was unremarkable, except he was incensed that I showed up wearing a turtleneck, wasn't interested in hearing my excuses and spent all the interview time reading me the riot act. I thought I was well-dressed but went away thinking I had lost the job based on my attire.) I had heard a lot of Rickover interview stories; I don't know how true they were, but my favorite one was when he reportedly dared one candidate to do something that would make Rickover angry. The candidate spotted a framed photo of Rickover's wife on the admiral's desk, tossed it on the floor and stomped a hole through it. According to the story, Rickover had to be restrained from going after the interviewee.
In this case, a Florida Atlantic professor Deandre Poole, vice chairman of the Palm Beach County Democratic Party, was teaching a intercultural communications class; as a live classroom exercise, he directed students to print 'Jesus' in large letters on a piece of paper, put the printed paper on the floor and stomp on it. Junior Ryan Rotelas, a devout Mormon, refused. According to the student's lawyer, the university initially threatened to sanction him with suspension. Since then the university has backed away from its unconscionable threats, and while paying lip service to academic freedom and trying to excuse it by explaining the exercise as coming from an instructor's manual, has put the professor on administrative leave based on fears for his safety.
First, "cultural communication" comes across as one of those pseudo-academic courses which are little more about repackaged progressive propaganda. I take academic freedom very seriously, but the very structure of the assignment is meant to trigger an emotional response from a primarily Christian class, not a rational one; emotionally-based exercises may be appropriate when used under the right context by licensed psychologists or (say) training security personnel whom must be unflappable under stress, but requiring a student, under threat of academic penalty, to do something which he conscientiously objects to, is straight-up an abuse of power. All Christians understand the Golden Rule and its application in alternate context--without some smug self-superior local party operative trying to manipulate the behavior of students. I have a niece whom a few years back started writing 'G-d' in her emails. She had started dating a young Jewish man; this was an extension of a custom of referencing the name of God using Hebrew characters. Given a country where some 80% of people consider themselves religious, for a professor to demand a disrespectful act of students is not only incompetent and insensitive but in my judgment a violation of professional ethics,
Okay, faithful readers have to know this is coming. Dr. Poole, for demanding Christian students perform a blasphemous act, is the latest nominee to this year's increasingly crowded Jackass of the Year contest.
There is a thin line of professional judgment; considerwhen public sector high school teacher Scott Compton stomped on an American flag 3 times on one classday to demonstrate the symbolic nature of abusing the flag as political speech. For a teacher to do that sends a mixed message. I'm sure there are lots of flag abuse clips on CNN or Youtube he could have found to illustrate the concept. Either Compton's flag abuse represented his true unpatriotic feelings or it didn't. If it wasn't legitimate, it was a transparent phony, manipulative exercise. If it was legitimate, there's a time and place to express his First Amendment rights, not in a taxpayer-paid classroom. Compton recently resigned, the right decision. As a professor, I never used a captive class or the sophistic pretense of academic freedom to push my own political agenda.
- Defending Pope Francis. I love minimalist design; I've written some papers and a book chapter adapting John M. Carroll'a approach. I am quite capable of getting into the weeds with anyone but I think there is true genius in brevity. (Famous last words from someone whom many would regard as a long-winded blogger: yes, you're right: I don't yet have a Twitter account.) One of my favorite things about Jesus' teachings is His brilliant use of language (mustard seeds, eye of a needle, etc.) and distinctive parables (e.g, the prodigal son).
Many gifted politicians have a certain political genius at simplicity--the first-term Jerry Brown lived in an apartment vs. the governor's mansion; Mayor Bloomberg rides the subway; Sen. McCain rides in coach and carries his own suitcases; Sarah Palin got rid of the mansion's staff and sold the governor's plane. As cardinal, Pope Francis also had a similar approach--living in a nondescript flat, cooking his own meals, taking mass transit, etc.
Pope Francis is getting some pushback from traditionalists, unhappy with the fact that he does not seem to share Pope Benedict's flexibility towards limited restoration of the pre-Vatican II liturgy. They are also troubled about the fact that Francis modified the ritual of washing and kissing feet, an example set by Jesus for the all-male Apostles--among the inmates participating in the ritual were two young women (one Christian, the other Muslim). Traditionalists are seeing this as a sign, e.g., that Francis might be receptive to female clergy.
Personally, I like the higher discipline before Vatican II and the beauty of centuries'-old rituals. I loathe bastardized versions of the Mass with warmed-over bland humanist homilies; I want priests whom challenge the perverse popular culture and focus on spiritual development, particularly prayer and repentance, and rebuke Catholics whom want the Church to capitulate to their pedestrian progressive beliefs.
Personally, and this has nothing to do with political ideology, I have no problem with the Church opening more paths for married men and women to serve the Church. I have faith in the Holy Father, I love his approach to getting back to the basics, the simplicity of Jesus' original ministry. I hope my fellow Church conservatives will exercise more patience.RIP, Sweet Katelyn!
Political Cartoon
Not to mention selling Treasury bonds, delivering on health care promises, etc: even if we confiscate all personal and business income, we can't balance the budget, but we really, really promise to pay you back, pinky swear! Pay no attention to the official near $17T debt and over $80T in off balance sheet unfunded liabilities below the surface.
 |
| Courtesy of Chuck Asay and Townhall |
Earth, Wind & Fire, "Got To Get You Into My Life"
