Author Archives: fustianist

Expectant mothers out there: A Bundle of Joy Isn’t Enough? “A recent survey of more than 30,000 respondents by BabyCenter.com found that 38 percent of new mothers received a gift from their mate in connection with their child. Among pregnant … Continue reading →

I thought today was a good snowy day to go out and feed the chickadees some sunflower seeds. I was gratified to find that they still remembered from last winter how this procedure works. The first bird landed on my … Continue reading →

[C]onsider the black seadevil. It’s a somber, grapefruit-sized globe of a fish—seemingly all fangs and gape—with a “fishing rod” affixed between its eyes whose luminescent bait jerks above the trap-like mouth. Clearly, food is a priority for this creature, for … Continue reading →

I think I may be out of touch. Here’s the opening of a NYTimes piece: Just about any sports movie, airport paperback or motivational tape delivers a few boilerplate rules for success. Believe in yourself. Don’t take no for an … Continue reading →

Who says that philosophy is of no practical consequence? Indeed, it is one of the many ironies of the history of philosophy that Aristotle, who was himself so naturalistic in spirit, and whose teleology was motivated throughout by strictly scientific … Continue reading →

Last night we had ten philosophers over at our house. We’ve had fairly large groups, particularly when Nelson was here and cooking up a storm, but this is our first full shindig by ourselves, with our own food. It’s also … Continue reading →

This was the last week of classes for the semester, and it sure was busy. Besides the normal stuff that keeps me busy, the faculty on the job search committee finally had the applicants narrowed down to the so-called ‘long … Continue reading →

Yesterday I was sideswiped by a migraine, so I stayed home and, after a nap and a look of loathing for my computer, picked up a Willa Cather novel, O Pioneers!  It’s not anything I work on, so I didn’t … Continue reading →

A couple of weeks ago my office became too busy for my reading, so I settled into a chair just outside the door–within five feet of Sydney’s office door.  I knew his officemate was holding a conference in his office, … Continue reading →

Pretty much every time I read or hear a discussion about homeschooling, somebody says something to the effect that they know some people who homeschool and that these people are crazy (anywhere from somewhat antisocial to raging, wild-eyed religious fanatics). … Continue reading →