October 2010
66 posts
1 tag
3 tags
2. Fidelity.
Fidelity is loving memory. It is the opposite of fickleness, but also of stubbornness. To practice fidelity, the faithful must learn to discriminate between the things that are worth being loyal to (values, virtues, truth, relationships - past or present), and the ones that aren’t (cruelty, resentment, falsehoods). It is the virtue that enables all others:
“What would peace be...
Ah, the sweetness of polite British...
So Jose went to a menswear store this week to rent a tuxedo because we are invited to a black tie dinner. Maybe slightly annoyed that he would look exactly like all the other men that evening he asked whether he could get the bow tie in a different color.
The sales assistant looked at him, a short silence followed and then he said: “Let’s not get too crazy here, Sir. Let’s stick...
3 tags
1. Politeness.
Politeness is not yet morals. It is not even a virtue. It is, however, where virtue begins, and the way we have of practicing it:
“By imitating virtue,” writes André Comte-Sponville, “We become virtuous. (…) Politeness precedes morality and makes it possible. (…) We must first acquire the ‘appearance and manner of good,’ not because they are sufficient...
3 tags
“Peter Gumbel argues that France’s harsh grading system is “a veritable wound”...”
–
It is virtually impossible to get full marks in the French school-leaving exam - indeed, only 22% of students score more than 14/20. Some worry that “learning through failure” is leading to generations of over-anxious, under-confident young people. (via theeconomist)
I was telling Jason about...
Freedom for Franzen
Yikes. So first Jonathan Franzen had to pulp and reprint 70,000 U.K. editions of his new book ‘Freedom’ after realizing during a BBC reading that his publisher here had sent an old version to the printers. That was ironic given the title of his last book: ‘The Corrections.’
Now, some idiots stole the author’s glasses from his nose during the launch party, leaving a...
1 tag
Still My Favorite Response To Lazy Asses With... →
Via Jack, who used it against me countless times - forever ago.
— From SF.
Jose bought me the new autobiography of Stephen Fry. It’s 438 pages and will therefore be restricted to my devouring on the couch at home. The first giggle came on page 9. Fry lovingly writes about his jewish grandfather.
“A hungarian Jew, as he liked to observe, is the only man who can follow you into a revolving door and come out first.”
What a fantastic skill to have.
...
September 2010
45 posts
1 tag
WatchA History of Rap with Justin Timberlake, Jimmy Fallon and The Roots.
3’32” of Pure. Fun.
— Via Unlikely Words and Kottke, From SF.
adsinfinitum asked: Ladies!
Werdigier's Tumblr asks one to follow the link for her "three continent blogging joint venture." As you obviously know, it leads to WYWS, originally curated by Mlle. Rascouët-Paz. I've noticed that both of you now post there, from London and SF. Which brings me to my question: What's the third continent??? Did I miss something? It's been bugging me...
Werdigier's Tumblr asks one to follow the link for her "three continent blogging joint venture." As you obviously know, it leads to WYWS, originally curated by Mlle. Rascouët-Paz. I've noticed that both of you now post there, from London and SF. Which brings me to my question: What's the third continent??? Did I miss something? It's been bugging me...
“Incomprehension is simply what a narcissist calls disagreement.”
– Malcolm Gladwell, in a chat today with New Yorker readers about his latest piece (whose thesis, in essence, is that hardcore activism relies on strong ties among the participants: real friendships - as opposed to acquaintances - and highly organized, hierarchical structures - as opposed to... 