Virtue Ethics

One of the more significant books I have ever read is Alasdair MacIntyre's After Virtue. But it's a very difficult read, even if you have a background in philosophy and theology. Happily Mark Vernon has written a very accessible piece that gives a nice overview of the contemporary ethical systems based on duty and utility …

Bittersweet Biloxi

This week's activities included an overnight trip to the Gulf Coast. We spent the night in Biloxi, had lunch in the French Quarter of New Orleans and were home in time for the picnic and (cancelled) bonfire at school. Having gotten back into running one of the attractions of this trip was a morning run …

Why I Adore Cloud Computing

I had the car in the shop for an oil change today. They have Wi-Fi, but it's a typical hotspot and the connection is flaky. Today the Wi-Fi was like the customer service – absent. When my computer failed to connect a troubleshooting box popped up. When I clicked the box it brought up a …

Lent, The Wilderness, and Spring a Bit Sooner than Back Home

Tomorrow is the Sunday of the Prodigal Son, so we are now well into the Triodian (the three Sundays before Great Lent). How better to prepare for Lent than spend 40 minutes in The Wilderness? "The Wilderness" referred to here isn't the Sinai, only the wilderness at the boarding school where we are temporarily living. …

Keeping the World Safe from Democracy?

In a recent article on Front Porch Republic, John Médaille made the following provocative observation: The United States has always feared democracy in the Middle East, believing that it would lead to "one man, one vote, one time." After that, Sharia Law would reign supreme and war with Israel would be universal foreign policy. Hence, …