I’ve been following what some universities have been doing, which is getting their professors to record lectures as podcasts. So, apparently, has iTunes, which now has iTunesU, a section devoted to content from various universities. Termite recently pointed this out to the Sailors, and yesterday, when I was looking for something new to listen to (I’ve had it up to here with techies discussing the iPhone), sure enough, there it was, a whole section devoted to university material. I plugged in to Snodfart’s Philosophy lectures and pulled down the first one, which wasn’t a lecture at all but a mini round table, where people were wondering among other things about the applicability of Rawls to the literal creation of public policy (one of the participants was a member of Congress). This is the sort of stuff one doesn’t hear every day, needless to say, and this alone looks like a promising line of shows to acquire. I noted that Peter Singer is one of their guests; the hosts are, apparently, a couple of Snodfart professors. Go, Robber Barons!
I finally managed to get a new Nostrum up yesterday, and I hope to get back on schedule with weekly postings. In fact, yesterday, which was rainy and otherwise dull, was full of accomplishment, and I’m quite pleased with myself for even managing to include a long and productive nap in the proceedings. I’ve even begun updating the Bump invite; why wait till the last minute, right? One thing I haven’t decided yet is how to break up the divisions. The problem is that I have no idea how big novice LD will be. I’m just going by Newburgh, and my recollection is that they pulled down some serious numbers. Plus we need rooms for the Pfffters. Maybe novice and Pffft in the HS, varsity as usual in the grammar school. I don’t know. At least it gives me something to worry about during the summer.
While I was puttering around yesterday, the various voices of NPR read the Declaration. This part comes at the end. “We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.” What struck me was something I’m always explaining to novices, that the Colonies did think of themselves as independent States, not one group of united states, although they were assembled and united in a general congress in order to make that declaration of independent statehood. I buy into the concept of the Declaration as a statement of values (which Pauline Maier goes into great detail to discuss in American Scripture, which I heartily endorse and even include on the Sailors’ reading list). My problem is that I get gung-ho about the beginning of the Declaration, and sort of lose interest when you get to the laundry list, so I never hang around till the end. But one of my chief personal areas of fascination has always been how the seeds of the Civil War were planted literally in the establishment of the federal government. The concept of statehood, and states rights, of course, is crucial to this line of thinking. Any documentation of the importance of that concept is useful. And there’s some right here. Maybe from now on I’ll stick around to get to the end of things. You never know what might turn up in the 2AR.
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