Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Finally, to get back at it. . . .
Roger Scruton writes one of the most interesting pieces I've read in a long time, this one about modernist architecture. In the latter part of the article, he mentions Nikos Salingaros who in his writing mentions Christopher Alexander's thoughts on architecture and how people perceive it. It resonates strongly with how ugly modern buildings seem to me. It's worth a look.
Of course the primary elections are on right now, yesterday having been Super Tuesday. Neither major party is united, but undecided. Articles from the Left on The New Republic and from the Right on National Review Online both observe the phenomonon.
Politically, I am conservative—which, by the way, is not a synonym for Republican—on simple grounds: I believe the less government meddling in people's lives, the better, given that certain basics are covered. I make no claim as to magical cures for thorny problems like health care for people with little money, mind you, but I prefer that solutions come from the private sector, not the public. Stated another way, I believe in personal charity over corporate.
I'll offer exactly one opinion on the candiates today:
Consider the spectrum of principled living. Put Jesus and The Buddha at 10. Put Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin at 0. I would put the average person at maybe a 6 or 7. I'd put most politicians around 5 or 4. I'd put Hillary and Bill Clinton at about a 1. The only reason I wouldn't class them fully with Hitler and Stalin is lack of opportunity.
I hope to post more regularly again, but I guess we'll really only know after the fact.
Roger Scruton writes one of the most interesting pieces I've read in a long time, this one about modernist architecture. In the latter part of the article, he mentions Nikos Salingaros who in his writing mentions Christopher Alexander's thoughts on architecture and how people perceive it. It resonates strongly with how ugly modern buildings seem to me. It's worth a look.
Of course the primary elections are on right now, yesterday having been Super Tuesday. Neither major party is united, but undecided. Articles from the Left on The New Republic and from the Right on National Review Online both observe the phenomonon.
Politically, I am conservative—which, by the way, is not a synonym for Republican—on simple grounds: I believe the less government meddling in people's lives, the better, given that certain basics are covered. I make no claim as to magical cures for thorny problems like health care for people with little money, mind you, but I prefer that solutions come from the private sector, not the public. Stated another way, I believe in personal charity over corporate.
I'll offer exactly one opinion on the candiates today:
Consider the spectrum of principled living. Put Jesus and The Buddha at 10. Put Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin at 0. I would put the average person at maybe a 6 or 7. I'd put most politicians around 5 or 4. I'd put Hillary and Bill Clinton at about a 1. The only reason I wouldn't class them fully with Hitler and Stalin is lack of opportunity.
I hope to post more regularly again, but I guess we'll really only know after the fact.
# posted by goldpython @ 10:00 AM 
