By Ellis Washington It is not histories I am writing, but lives; and in the most glorious deeds there is not always an indication of virtue or vice, indeed a small thing like a phrase or a jest often makes a greater revelation of a character than battles where thousands die.” ~Plutarch (Life of Alexander/Life […]
“You did not kill the fish only to keep alive and to sell for food, he thought. You killed him for pride and because you are a fisherman. You loved him when he was alive and you loved him after. If you love him, it is not a sin to kill him. Or is it […]
It is easy to go down into Hell; night and day, the gates of dark Death stand wide; but to climb back again, to retrace one’s steps to the upper air – there’s the rub, the task. ~ Virgil Prologue: Biography Publius Vergilius Maro (October 15, 70 BC – September 21, 19 BC), in English […]
“Again we are all sprung from a heavenly seed, all have that same Father…” ~ Lucretius, On the Nature of Things, Book II If thou art pained by any external thing, it is not this that disturbs thee, but thy own judgment about it. And it is in thy power to wipe out this judgment […]
Apollonius image of conic sections and the question of orbital motion *N.B.: This essay is based in part on ideas from Great Books of the Western World, Robert Maynard Hutchins, Editor-in-Chief (1952), Vol. 3, chap. 70 – Principle and Vol. 11 – Apollonius of Perga and Nicomachus of Gerasa. “All that has by nature with […]
*N.B.: This essay is based in part on ideas from Great Books of the Western World, Robert Maynard Hutchins, Editor-in-Chief (1952), Vol. 3, chap. 70 – Principle and Vol. 11 – Euclid and Archimedes“Give him a coin since he must needs make gain by what he learns.” ~ Euclid Prologue: Biography Euclid (fl. c. 300 […]
*N.B.: This essay is based in part on ideas from Great Books of the Western World, Robert Maynard Hutchins, Editor-in-Chief (1952), Vol. 3, chap. 55 – Medicine and Vol. 10 – Hippocrates and Galen“First do no harm.”~ Aphorism attributed to the Hippocratic Oath“We should hire three or four colored ministers, preferably with social-service backgrounds, and […]
*N.B.: This essay is based in part on ideas from Great Books of the Western World, Robert Maynard Hutchins, Editor-in-Chief (1952), Vol. 1, chap. 2 – Animals and Vol. 9 – Aristotle (theoretical works) “Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise.” ~ Proverbs 6:6 “And indeed the use made of […]
*N.B.: This essay is based in part on ideas from Great Books of the Western World, Robert Maynard Hutchins, Editor-in-Chief (1952), Vol. 2, chap. 41 – Judgment and Vol. 8 – Aristotle “We don’t do punishment [judgment]…. The way that we deal with our kids is, they are responsible for their lives….” ~ Will Smith […]
“The corruption, crime, and incompetence of the D.C. government has been an embarrassment to our nation’s capital for decades. It is long past time that Congress restored the honor and integrity of George Washington to the beautiful city which bears his name.” ~ Senator Mike Lee (R-UT), speaking on the BOWSER Act “It is […]
Fifth Circuit’s Ruling against “Nasdaq Board Diversity Rule” Safeguards Meritocracy Over Mediocrity
“The evidence presented by Nasdaq in its rule proposal, contrary to its claims, does not show that board diversity provides better returns for shareholders.” ~Excerpt from a Manhattan Institute led amicus curiae brief in the case of Alliance for Fair Board Recruitment vs. SEC. “We will terminate every diversity, equity, and inclusion program across the […]
The Keep Nine Amendment: A Permanent Solution to Threats of Court-Packing
“I think that was a bad idea when President Franklin Delano Roosevelt tried to pack the court. If anything would make the court appear more partisan, it would be that. So, I am not at all in favor of that solution. Nine seems to be a good number. It’s been that way for a […]
On Tacitus and the tyranny of monarchy and democracy
By Ellis Washington The more corrupt the state, the more numerous the laws. A shocking crime was committed on the unscrupulous initiative of few individuals, with the blessing of more, and amid the passive acquiescence of all [e.g., democracy]. ~Tacitus Prologue: Biography Publius (or Gaius) Cornelius Tacitus (c. AD 56 – after 117) was […]
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