New Grades...

I was going to start this post by saying something to the effect that my intent is not to brag.

That is, however, not entirely true. I am proud of my accomplishments and I like it when other people know about my success. Maybe that is bragging. So be it. Here are my grades so far:

"Grades
ARTHUR RUCH
Essay 1 (15%) 15
Essay 2 (15%) 15
Essay 3(15%) 15
Midterm (20%) 20
Final Exam (20%) --
Discussion (15%)15"

As you can see, I've accumulated 80 points in the semester thus far, including the perfect "15" I just got on my third essay (Socrates and Sophism). That's a "B" grade for the course. However, that doesn't count whatever grade I get on the final exam! I can skip the final and get a "B"!

Cool.

Of course, I won't skip the final, but I could get a respectable "F" on it and still conceivably make an "A" for the semester.

He-he-he.

Slow news day.

As is my custom, I went surfing for some "stupid news" to share. I found plenty of stupidity but nothing really blog-worthy. In the absence of truly profound stupidity (prufidity?), I instead offer these amusing stories about the new White House Press Secretary:

Aptronym Watch

More fun has not been had at the expense of a guy's name since Jack Abramoff.

And This one imagines Bill O'Reilly as the new WHPS instead of Tony Snowjob.

It's funny but could have been better - imho (like if I had written it).

And this one about a subject near and dear to my heart:Poetic insults.

Be fun, have good.

Later.

Purple!

Finally, here's something interesting in the world of politics.

I haven't really been excited about politics in a long time... since well before the liberal Democrat masquerading as a moderate Democrat beat the moderate Democrat masquerading as a conservative Republican.

Well, not excited in a positive way. My political excitement these days is usually more of a negative excitement - you know, rants, diatribes, getting up on my soapbox -Righteous Indignation.

That's one of my stated themes here in this blog.

I don't mean to be cynical really, but as I see it, there's only two small things wrong with our political system: Democrats and Republicans. Actually, those are very large things and that is precisely part of the problem!

But, this business about the purple party excites me in a positive way. I know it's a pipe dream. There's no way the Demoblican Oligarchy that rules this country will ever let a third party happen. Their control is too entrenched, their financial stranglehold on the system is too overwhelming, their policies are designed (and have been designed for over a hundred years) expressly to keep upstart third parties from even gaining a foothold in the "free" political system.

Never mind that the Republican party started as, and almost became again, a "third party", never mind that a third party has once bested one of the "big two" in a presidential election, never mind that twice, possibly three times, a third party has earned enough votes to change the outcome of a presidential election. Also never mind that more Americans consider themselves moderate rather than either conservative or liberal and never mind that more Americans condider themselver neither Democrat nor Republican.

The time is right. We have the technology to now do this right. And we have the public interest. Folks are tired of red states and blue states. Folks are tired of divisiveness, folks are tired of... well, Democrats and Republicans who share roughly equally in the blame for getting this country into the mess that it's in today and has been for longer than I've been alive.

But it is a nice dream - to ponder, just for a moment, what our lives would be like if this country were in fact a democracy or a republic or a democratic-republic or in any way actually ruled by the people and for the people.It's the craziest thing I've ever heard!

Here are some more articles from New York on the third party movement:But Is A third Party Possible? by Ryan Lizza, andBuilding the Frankencandidate by John Heilemann.

These folks write about it much more eloquently than I can, so follow these links and read these articles. Yes, I'm telling you to stop reading my extraordinarily interesting ramblings to go read something else. I know, the mind wobbles (Kelly Bundy again) but this is important stuff!

Required reading.

Do it.

I wrote a nice post yesterday about my educational endeavors with Socrates and later Greek philosophy and the timely submission of my paper. You'll notice that it did not actually appear on my Blog until today even though I posted it yeasterday. This just goes to prove my theory once again...BLOGGER SUCKS!

I swear, once I get my bonus, I'm going staight to GoDaddy.com...

artruch.somethingoranother

Anyway, I guess my post had gotten lost in cyberspace somewhere. Wouldn't it be funny if it had been posted to the wrong blog?

Imagine some guy going off on a political diatribe about how unfairly the media treats Bush or something right there between two stories about his 12 cats and his ex-wife when - POOF! - a 500 word reflection on Socrates, Alcibiades and the elenctic method pops up unannounced!

HA!

But somewhere along the way the post from yesterday magically appeared on my blog.

24 hours after I actually posted it!

It's enough to make me think some snot-nosed IT student manning the console at Blogger's headquarters is messing with me.

If so, listen to me, you little pimple faced punk, I was studying computer science when you were in diapers and drinking out of a sippee cup. Would you like to revisit those days? It can be arranged.

At least I got my post back...

No grade on the paper yet, by the way.

The end of Socrates.

I'm done with Socrates and Sophism. I've read over my 1000+ word paper a dozen times, I've made smaller and smaller changes each time, I've run the thing through every permutation of spell check and grammar check known to mankind, I've double checked all my sources and facts again and again. I've saved it in the proper format and it is now as ready as it will ever be to submit.

Of course I'm going to read over it one more time...

Once it goes off though hyperspace to some office at the University of Memphis, though, that's it. I won't look at it again until after I get a grade. Y'know why? Because invariably, I will find some small error that should have been changed and then it will be too late. I've developed this method to keep me from going crazy. I mean crazier.

I think it's a good paper though, maybe the best I've written. Which probably means I'll get a "C" on it...

I have surprised even my own humble self at how much of an expert I've become on Socrates. I did so much supplemenary reading and made so many notes, that when I went to type the paper, I just sat down and started typing with no reference materials or notes in front of me and banged out an 800 word version of the thing in one sitting. I then went back and added some points, put in my citations and sources and viola! as Kelly Bundy might say.

Unfortunately, I almost forgot to mention a very important point about Alcibiades. Whew! Glad I remembered that.

Hopefully, I'll get a decent grade and can then start working on the final exam questions (when I get them) which are more like another major paper than simply "questions".

Whadda mean none of this is useful? I've already been using the Elenctic method on my children and coworkers.

Very fun! TschuB!

Smarty pants...

The paper on Socrates is finished except for a few minor details and I'm almost done with my readings. I'm just waiting on the final exam questions to come in over the good 'ol WebCT.

Lookin' for an "A" on this one.

Please?

Funny, Shelby has become something of a minor expert on Greek Philosophers. Every time I mention something about so-and-so, she says, "Oh yeah, we studied him!" I'm not so sure...

I tested her today.

I started with "Who was Socrates?" She actually knew a lot more about 'ol Socs than I though she would.

I tried a different question: "Who was Socrates' most famous student?"

"Easy, Plato."

'K, who was Plato's student?

"Aristotle."

Good, I thought I had her in a corner now. Who was Aristotle's most famous student?

"Dad - duh, Alexander the Great."

The kid's smarter than I thought, and I already thought she was exceptionally smart.

But, I really had her now- Who was Alexander's Father.

HA! Finally got her - and her mother. Tad, who had been answering every question with the name of a Star Wars character, yells "ANAKIN".

No, Phillip of Macedonia.

In related news, Tad's artwork was chosen from his school to go to a county wide student art show. We went to see it this morning. We were quite proud. He won third place county wide in his category. Tad on the other hand was quite upset that he did not get first place.

This afternoon we went to have lunch at my grandmother's church - a family fish fry. My uncle was in from what ever God-forsaken thirdworld country he's now calling home and was joined by 3 out his other four brothers, my mother, their sister, various inlaws and outlaws, the majority of the grandchildren and more great-grandchildren than can possibly exist in one family. I swear, I had no idea who some of these people were! I'm pretty sure that a lot of the other folks there felt the same way. Some bum could have wandered in off the street, had his fill of fried fish, potato salad and lemonade and no one would have been the wiser.

Sorry, gotta run, the Nichomanchean Ethics is calling my name.

Return to perfection?

I got an email from my professor today thanking me for my "high level of participation". I also got an extra point added to my last essay - apparently just for completing a course evaluation survey. Hey, I'm now back to the maximum number of points so far. And I have voluminous notes on Mssrs. Socrates and Aristophanes so I'm ready to start the actual writing on my essay. I might end up getting a "100" in this class. That would be a first! But, I'm not counting my chickens just yet. It is nice to know though, that I could stop right now and do absolutely nothing more and pass the class.

I finally did it...

After years of having some sort of facial hair, I shaved it all off. It was really nothing more than a whim. No thought or plan at all, I just looked in the mirror, picked up the razor and there ya go...
I had a beard for a while, but I decided there was too much gray in it so I just went with the mustache.

Then, I decided that, as a college student approaching the big 4-0, I ought to look a little more hip, so I did the atillio and the mustache for several months.

Lately, I've been trimming both very close and for some reason, I just decided to go "baby-faced" as Stacie says.

For the last few years, I thought that the facial hair made me look younger. I have some smile lines around my mouth and I thought the mustache made those less noticeable.

Apparently, I was wrong.

I have heard several comments along the lines of, "Wow, you look a lot younger clean shaven."

I may go with this look for a while...

Churched out.

Wow - first post in almost a week?

Sorry, time flies...

As a matter of fact, I have been quite busy on several fronts.

First, last week was Holy week (just in case you happen to be a pagan or a pantheist or just live under a rock). Anyway, I attended the church of my choice a total of 10 times.

10 - ten ...TEN.

Not that I'm one of those who think that the more you go to church, the better your chances of being blessed by God...

But, ten church services in eight days? That's gotta be worth something.

Here's how it breaks down:

1 - Palm Sunday Service at my home church - Harris Chapel United Methodist Church.
2 - Monday Noon Service at Winchester First UMC (Baptist preacher?)
3 - Tuesday Noon Service WFUMC (UMC preacher this time - a woman! EGADS!)
4 - Wednesday Noon Service WFUMC (Episcopal preacher, uh.. rector. Or as my brother-in-law calls him, "the Rectum". Either way, he wore that exraordinarily uncomfortable looking "monkey suit".)
5 - Thursday Noon Service WFUMC (Presbyterian preacher... PUSA, not CPC. He wore the monkey suit too!)

Unfortunately, I missed my own pastor's message at WFUMC on Friday (no monkey suit).
As an aside, it takes approximately 2.3764 times longer to get your hair cut on Good Friday than on any other day of the year.

6 - Good Friday evening Service at HCUMC (my parents showed up?)
7 - Easter Sunday Sunrise Service at HCUMC (6:00 a.m.!)
8 - 8:30 a.m. Worship Service at HCUMC.
9 - Chapel Communion Service at HCUMC.
10 - 11:00 a.m. Worship Service at HCUMC.

Yep, that's ten. The way I see it, I could skip church for the next 2 and a half months and still not be behind...

Whadda ya mean, "It doesn't work that way."

More on my busy week later.

I've been up since sunrise...

YESTERDAY.

And Now, even more stupid news!

This, hot off the virtual presses at MSNBC: A possible shake-up in the white house staff? Wow, I would have never seen that coming!

Same with this one: Anger at Bush may hurt GOP at the polls. Ya think?

And this: McCain's not really a conservative? C'mon people, do you just set aside one news day every so often for stupid stuff? Actually this was an interesting but disappointing story about John McCain's recent experiment in pandering to the religious right. It's just a really misleading title for the article.

This one isn't really stupid news, I just can't believe that the FCC hasn't tried to fine someone for saying "poo holes" on TV.

And, as always, I'm saving the best for last: Anti-gay group...sparks free-speech fight. O.K., this is Fred Phelps "church". Y'know, the "God hates fags" people. The 'Christians' who protest at funerals? Normally, I don't read trash like this because I know what Fred Phelps is and I know what he does and I don't even want to read about it. Personally, I can't believe that God hates anyone, but if He or She ever decides to, I'm pretty sure Phelps will be a lot higher on the list than 'fags'. Sorry, back to my subject. Why is this a stupid news story? Because the story is framed as a constitional debate about free speech, that's why - and it is not. It has nothing to do with freedom of speech. Phelps and his gang of goons already have "freedom of speech" and they are abusing it. In fact, they have gone over the line.

I hear you, "Surely you're not suggesting that we stop these people, censor these people or charge them with something are you? That would be unconstitutional."

BULL. Actually, yes, I am suggesting that we get Fred Phelps off the street and out of the news in any legal manner. The constitution guarantees freedom of speech but there are limits on that freedom. Put your wagging tongues back in your mouths. There are, and have always been, limits on all our freedoms and that includes the freedom of speech. Let me give you some examples:Imagine a government official who has access to classified information. Does he or she have freedom of speech? Of course. Does that freedom extend to dicussing his or her classified knowledge with his colleagues in foreign governments? Hmmm... we call this "freedom of speech" TREASON.

O.K., what about my freedom to lie about people. Generally protected, but not if I purposely tell lies about someone to intentionally cause harm to them. I believe that's called SLANDER.What if I exercise my freedom of speech by telling my friend something so irresponsible and negligent that it causes their death? Illegal. Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. famously wrote, "The most stringent protection of free speech would not protect a man in falsely shouting fire in a theatre and causing a panic."(from Schenck v. United States). Also from this case: "The question in every case is whether the words used are used in such circumstances and are of such a nature as to create a clear and present danger..."The things that Holmes wrote about almost a century ago are the exact things that Fred Phelps and his ilk are doing today: yelling fire in a theatre and creating a clear and present danger. How? By inciting intolerance, homophobia and religious fanaticism of this very worst kind to such an extent that it may make some impressionable but very misguided person go out and kill or maim people because of their lifestyles and their beliefs, that's how! Sounds like a "clear and present danger to me".

Perhaps we should wait until it's even more clear - say like when one of Phelps' pea-brained followers goes on an anti-gay shooting rampage or blows up an abortion clinic or attacks a military base. This guy has gone over the line again and again in his abuse of freedom of speech and into criminal territory.

It's time to shut him down.

The other reason...

I haven't been posting as often because of my classwork. Since we last talked, I've begun my late Greek readings with "Greek Political and Social Theory in the Fifth Century", Socrates, Plato's The Apology, read "Introduction to Greek Comedy", Aristophanes' The Clouds, and Plato's Theory of Forms , "Introduction to the Republic" and am reading Selections from the Republic.

In my spare time, I'm reading I.F. Stone's "The Trial of Socrates" as supplementary reading and in preparation for my final paper.

I still have to read Aristotle, Introduction to the Nichomachean Ethics, Selections from the Nichomachean Ethics, Introduction to the Politics, and Selections from the Politics as well as write that final paper on Socrates and Aristophanes, and write the final exam.

All by May 3. No Prob!

Missed by that much...

Well, we survived the deadly storms last week without so much as a broken tree limb.

We also survived the "international" Dogwood festival which, frankly, I was much more worried about.

I finished that paper I was working on, submitted it, and have already gotten a score: 14 (out of 15).

There goes my hopes for a perfect score!

Actually, I was lucky to get the 14. I didn't put as much time and effort into this one as I did on the last one. But I can redeem myself, I'm already working on the next one.

And, 14 out of 15 isn't bad, it's still and A.

I have now accumulated 64 points out of 65 available with a maximum of 35 left to earn. I could skip the last paper comepletely and, if I make a good enough score on the final, still get a B in the course.

Of course I won't, but it takes a lot of the pressure off just knowing that. My goal now is to get ahead on my late Greek readings, get that last paper done ahead of time, and be ready to pounce on the final exam questions when I get them. That way I can start devoting my time to something really worthwhile.

Like this here Blog!

He's back...

Sorry that there have been no posts in a while, I've been busy. I've been finishing my early Greek readings, starting my late Greek and preparing a paper on Homer and Hesiod's conceptions of the ideal person.

Tasty!

Speaking of Greek writings, a few weeks ago, I wrote about some great Shakespearean insults. I was reminded of that while reading Euripides' The Bacchae. Near the beginning of the play, Teiresias is trying to convert Pentheus to Dionysianism. Pentheus remains obstinately opposed to this, when Teiresias utters these words to him:

Whenso a man of wisdom finds a good topic for argument, it is no difficult
matter to speak well; but thou, though possessing a glib tongue as if
endowed with sense, art yet devoid thereof in all thou sayest.

Ouch! I imagine Pentheus scratching his head and wondering, "What'd he say?" Then Cadmus steps out and yells, "Avaunt, Ho! He said you's a bloomin' idiot!".

Alas, mine honored friends, fair Euripides wrote not thusly.

Too bad.

Seriously, though, my studies have begun to affect my vocabulary. I almost used the word "whilst" this morning. Caught myself just in time. That would have been embarrassing!

Thou knowest such thine own self.

Sad...

Some loser at Spin magazine released a story about the late Joe Strummer's purported contribution to the upcoming (?) new (?) Guns-n-Roses project. It was an April Fool's joke.

That's just not right!

And Now, more stupid news!

Idiocy abounds in the national news:Reuters reports a study found that sexually charged music, magazines, TV and movies push youngsters into intercourse at an earlier age. We needed a study for this?

This is classy: Scott Peterson's family offered a $250,000 reward Friday for information leading to an arrest in the murder of his pregnant wife. HEY, give me the money. I know who did it!

And this from the AP: Civil rights icon Rosa Parks... would be pardoned under a bill passed unanimously by the Alabama House... Hey, at least it didn't take very long. Imbeciles!

This one takes the cake though: Three men in North Carolina were accused of running a sadomasochistic "dungeon" and were charged with performing illegal surgeries on six consenting clients including castrations and testicle replacements. WHAT? UNBELIEVABLE!

The best part of this last story is a quote from the local sherriff, Tom Alexander: "This right here beats anything I have ever seen."

No kidding.

TschuB.