Happy Easter!
Have a wonderful holiday!
Also some good news: Boris Johnson is out of the hospital. He will be recuperating further at Chequers, the official country residence of British prime ministers.
The New Neo
A blog about political change, among other things
In sad news, John H. Conway died of Covid-19 on Saturday.
Good news on Boris. Brexit will happen! And it turns out to be prescient, as the EU is collapsing on itself on the other side of the Channel.
Thanks Neo!
This has been a very strange Easter for us. One of the kids brought over my youngest grandson, just over a year old.
We went for a short walk as the weather is nice enough here. We gave them SWMBO coffee cake, double chocolate chip cookies, and oatmeal raisin cookies.
They brought hand made cards from each of the grandkids and a colored Easter egg from all.
We’re especially blessed that nobody has become ill or lost their jobs. The teacher and the librarian are both on shorter hours but, so far, not furloughed.
To everyone here regardless of faith community – Christian or Jewish or Muslim or Hindu or whatever – and also to any non-deists, Keep Well and enjoy the wonders of life.
Thanks Neo! I find myself wondering about the condition of Sharon W’s husband. Any news? If this is a mind my own business moment, I apologize, and please feel free to ignore.
Happy Easter to you all!
Special prayer for Sharon W and her husband.
Happy that BoJo is feeling chipper — seems he had a sudden recovery after there was a conference between his doctors and those who Trump put into the loop. I would like to know what treatment he was put on after that. He is not saying, but the British health system approved Hydroxychloroquine as a treatment soon after.
Just askin’
Oh, and Happy Easter to you as well, Neo. I’ve been coming here for many years, and I love your content. Thanks for all that you do!
Happy Easter!
I hesitate but feel compelled to say, since no one else has, that Easter is the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the most uplifting and joyous day in Christendom. It is not principally about Easter eggs or cute little bunnies whether living or chocolate, except to the American majority that is secular, non-observant, devoid of faith and is thus potential putty in the hands of Progressives. Without faith, there is no hope, and charity is buckling under the economic collapse.
“One nation, under God” remains our pledge. But the first part of the First Amendment is honored in the breach: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”
The free exercise thereof has been suppressed with nary a whimper this Easter Sunday.
Happy Easter!
Thank you Neo. Happy Easter. I’ll never forget Easter 2020. My husband is hanging in there. I will post an update at that post.
Happy Easter to everybody, Buona Pasqua!
I woke up this night for no reason, but now I’m glad I’ve been able to see that Sharon’s husband is improving. So happy for that!
Also Boris Johnson out of hospital is very good news, while here in Italy the prospect is grim: our (unelected) prime minister said we’re not going to work before May 3rd (what!?).
So the time’s come for the great professor Conway: what a man! may he rest in peace. Curiously enough, one of the many coincidences of this period, only a few days ago I bought via Amazon his nice ” The book of Numbers” in order to stimulate my younger son’s interest in mathematics, while I’m reading his biography “Genius at play”.
For those who read about my brother: he’s fully recovering and the other day we had a humorous and long talk – he’s quite excited to be back on his feet.
On the other hand, since Thursday my family has been quarantined, since all my sons (and also we, the parents) have, or have had, some suspicious symptoms: headache, fever, coughs, and so on. Nothing serious, we are doing quite well, however the doctor said we are infected with 101% of probability.
So I called our town’s major and now we’re officially part of the statistics!
I believe that the number of people actually infected is much, much higher than what’s known.
Now I return to my bed, trying to sleep a little.
Outstanding comment Cicero.
I find it more than a little disconcerting that we can go to Walmart, but cannot attend church if we choose. Grocery stores have adjusted their hours and so forth, to accommodate vulnerable patrons; churches do not even have the option.
A little off topic, Neo; but, you may find this interesting. For many years my wife, and her mother before her, watched the Hour of Power television ministry beamed from the rather opulent Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, Ca. Whenever we were in the area we would visit the CC. The Crystal Cathedral property is now owned by the Catholic Church; but, the TV ministry is carried on by Bobby Schuller, the grandson of the founder, from a base in the Shepherd’s Grove Presbyterian Church in Irvine, Ca. My wife and I found the church a year or so ago.
After that long winded introduction, I approach my point. Bobby, a very uplifting and often dynamic preacher, grounds many of his sermons in the Old Testament and interweaves a good deal of Jewish history and tradition, along with a healthy dose of the theology of Judaeism. The historical perspective establishes a framework to account for the appeal of Jesus Christ to many of the common people, as well explaining the confusion he created within the religious establishment. Confusion often led to animosity. This presentation makes for an interesting and educational diversion from the classic Protestant service.
As with most churches, Easter services were streamed on line. An odd experience, as there was no congregation in the chapel. Bobby preaches to the congregation and not to the TV cameras; but the service today reprised last Easter’s music by Shepherd Grove’s magnificent choir.
We could give thanks today that loved ones are well; and offer a prayer for those in distress.
Paolo Pagliaro:
I’m glad to hear your brother’s so much better, but sorry to hear you and the rest of the family may have this. I hope the cases are VERY mild and resolve VERY quickly.
Hello Neo,
you are very kind, but there really is nothing to be worried about.
My younger son Andrea (Andrew) was my only concern: between 2015 and 2017 he did some heavy chemotherapy, as I said elsewhere, so his immune system is not as strong as his brothers’. Instead he only had some fever and cough back in early February – nobody was seriously thinking about Covid19 at that time.
At the beginning of last week, for three days, my wife Barbara measured some, very low, fever and had some cough; I was a little worried for her, since she’s 53 like me, but I saw that she was fine during the night, breathing without problem, and now she’s quite fine.
All other sons had some fever and a lot of cough, especially the second one, Giacomo (James), who already had pneumonia as a little child. Pietro (Peter), the third, has only some skin irritation, which could be caused by the virus, according to a French study. The first son, Giovanni (John), is the only one who currently has symptoms – very strong, insistent cough – but he’s kind of a superman and breaths well.
We live in a very big house, with a not-so-little garden, so the quarantine isn’t a problem. My brother-in-law is doing food-shopping (can I use such a term?) for us and, in general, we’re merrily passing the time all together. I can work from home – I’m a network engineer – so I don’t even have economical issues at this moment.
Since this year we celebrate our 25th year of marriage, I had planned a flight to Paris, starting just today. The eventual result is that this week I’m on holiday: instead of Paris, I will take a tour of my garden…
As usual, I wrote too much, hope I’m not annoying with all this personal details; very Italian, I know, but perhaps it’s interesting to know how it’s life in Italy in this period.
Thanks again for your kindness, I appreciate a lot.
So many causes for rejoicing this Easter Monday morning. For Sharon W and Doug; for Paolo’s family and the mild nature of the illness (may it stay mild), for improvement in the situation in Italy and even in New York.
Last night, I watched the video of Andrea Bocelli singing in the Duomo in Milano, and then “Amazing Grace” on the steps outside. May that beautiful cathedral soon be filled again with worshippers.
My Texas church is open, but most of us are attending by Facebook streaming instead. There are a handful of stalwarts in the pews saying the responses and helping sing the hymns. I guess Texas governors are a little different. We keep open anything we possibly can, with as many social-distancing techniques as possible. My little county still stands at two official cases, no deaths.
Hi Kate,
Thanks for your support, as I said, we’re safe and serene. Let’s pray and, possibly, offer our services for those who are really in danger.
We should pressure our politicians to change policies, adapting them in accord with each realistic situation; this total blockade is at least partially meant to avoid problems for those very politicians, who are afraid to take responsibility: understandable, of course, but this ring of paralyzing fear has to be broken, also because it blocks all personal and private resources which could be used to help others.
I hope more and more examples like the one told by Texan99 can carry on and impress a different direction.
I note with despair that Dr. Fauci is now stating how, when and where the country can “re-open”. Who is this wretched little man, a career Deep-stater, that he can strut the political stage with impunity? And criticize his president (We call it Monday-morning quarterbacking, Paolo) that he should have acted earlier to slam the gates?
It’s an apt name, Cicero. In Italy we say that “everybody pretends to be the coach of the National team [of soccer, of course]” – because after an international match everybody just knows what would have been the best strategy and choice of players.
I see that some things are the same all over the world – both in sport and in politics.
Cicero, Paolo:
From Allan Bloom:
That’s a great Allan Bloom quote!
You all probably know that in the German education system “gymnasium” is the equivalent of “College Prep” school from age 10 – 18.
Rufus T. Firefly:
There’s no dearth of great Allan Bloom quotes.
I just followed the link you posted to the Allan Bloom post you wrote in 2013 that contains the lengthier pull quote. Funny, but I came to that same conclusion (sort-of) myself, and I’ve tried to warn each of my children against that. My reasoning centered more on technology; “Because my generation put a man on the moon we are all somehow more evolved than Edison’s generation, or Jefferson’s, or Aristotle’s.” When I got to middle age I began to understand that humans have not evolved in mental ability or social skills for millennia, maybe even devolved a bit recently. It is narcissistic and dangerous to think otherwise.
I have heard of his book, “The Closing of the American Mind,” but I don’t recall reading it.
Rufus T. Firefly:
That book is highly recommended. How about this as well as this?
And he wrote those things in 1987 or somewhat earlier.
Neo – Allan could tell even then that the Bloom was off the American Rose.
Italy has its variant of Gymnasium (Ginnasio), as well; it’s the first part of the humanistic path in high school (called “Liceo Classico”). I know it well, I’ve been there.
First you have two years (14, 15) in Ginnasio, basically studying a LOT of Latin and Greek grammar, and of course Italian (Manzoni’s “I promessi sposi” is read in its entirety in Ginnasio).
Then you have three years (16, 17, 18) in Lyceum where classical studies start in earnest, since you should be able to read ancient texts directly. Dante Alighieri’s “Divina Commedia” is read and commented from start to finish, one “cantica” for each year.
Italian, Latin, Greek, Philosophy, Art (but, strangely, not music) are the preeminent teachings, while sciences are secondary. Incidentally, I had a math teacher who was so weak I understood the matter better then her, and had to correct her “demonstrations”; however she was a fine lady from Sicily, and she made unbeatable “cannoli alla Siciliana” (https://tinyurl.com/srd3vm2), which was definitely a plus.
At the university I changed for scientific courses, but if I magically went back in time I would choose it again, and again. In fact, it’s often been found that the best University students, in any field, are those coming from the Liceo Classico. The teaching is very good, also difficult, and it has some 2 thousands years background, embedding the wisdom of the western tradition.
This brings me to Neo’s quote.
I found bitterly amusing that Bloom chooses, to make his point, Hegel: a man who viewed the Prussian government as the indubitable acme in the “development of the Spirit”; a government, surprise!, whose dominant and omnipotent figure in academy and high culture was Hegel himself.
I share Kierkegaard’s view that Hegel – a real genius – has been the most damaging and “diabolical” (for the consequences of his incredibly successful ideas) thinker of modernity. The latter has been the one who systematically planted the very idea of all-capitals “PROGRESS”, not only in the intellectual mainstream, but in the common people’s mind. Ideas have consequences, to quote another book, and Marx comes directly from Hegel, an Hydra whose poisonous heads never cease to regrow.
Without denying the importance and also, sometimes, the superiority of new discoveries and achievements, up to the XVIII century there was still a general acknowledgment for (of?) the broad human foundations, upon which also new scientific novelties found their meaningful place. “We build on the shoulders of giants”.
Among the poisonous effects of the Enlightenment has been a shortsighted and unilateral emphasis on Progress, with the systematic devaluation of the past, not rarely a real “damnatio memoriae”.
When one takes the time to read, see, listen, think together with Homer, Aristotle, Seneca, Confucius, Augustine, Thomas, Leonardo, Dante, Shakespeare, Bach, Pascal, Mozart… he finds that humans are always in the same existential position, and the wisdom of the past – which is the one preserved and handed on because of its excellence – is so much a better guide than the latest “revolutionary” one; an excitingly better guide: its main feature is that it never ceases to say the deepest and unexpected things, nourishing the soul, which comes to shine in beauty, goodness and truth.
Bravissimo Paolo!
Paolo,
We have a few Universities here that follow a similar tradition. It’s called the “Great Books” program.” One of my sons attended a High School (ages 13 – 17) that held closely to that tradition.
I’m sure you know of the quadrivium and trivium. This article gives a good overview of the concept: https://thebestschools.org/magazine/great-books-program/
I read somewhere about the “Great books”: is any school in the US free to choose its own program?
In Italy mandatory education includes:
– 5 years (6-10) of elementary school,
– then 3 at so-called middle-schools,
– finally 5 in high school – here there are many possible paths: classical, scientific, language, and a variety of professional schools.
After that, one can choose to attend university (or begin to work) at 19, a year later than in the US I think.
Of course I know the trivium and quadrivium. It’s been the core education in Europe for centuries, and certainly also your founding Fathers had a similar background; any educated people, including women, were taught according to that tradition, however modified in each country.
I’m not saying this is the only valid approach, or even the best one for today, but its inner wisdom has to be kept; and I detest the stupid vilification of western culture currently in act in so many places.