This & that in the life of CH
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Vacation report: Belgium, Greece, and England
I seem to remember some pithy quote along the lines of “Traveling helps you to see the familiar once again as strange.” Anyhow, that was certainly the effect of our trip to Belgium, Greece, and England – by the time we came home, it seemed as exotic as anything else we had seen. Our main… Continue reading
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The one substance in Kingston
I just returned from a small Spinoza conference in Kingston, Ontario. There were about 10 or 11 of us presenters, and a few more who attended all the sessions, so we formed a friendly and animatedly interactive group. Jon Miller was our host, and he did a great job keeping us near a schedule but… Continue reading
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New job
Some readers may already know or have suspected that I have a new job (or rather one added on to the old one). Now I am an Associate Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. It’s expected among academics that professors who move into administration have some explaining to do: Are they washed… Continue reading
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Gramophone heaven
Probably only 80% of the 10,000 vintage phonograph records at the Vintage Music Company in Minneapolis have been meticulously organized by genre, group, condition, year, etc. The rest are in stacks in the floor. Still, we were able to find some records we couldn’t live without, including Jelly Roll Morton’s “Big Lip Blues” and Rosetta… Continue reading
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Donkeypalooza
I was out for a ride, and sighted 6 — count ’em, 6! — donkeys! Here’s three of them, from afar: I watched them for a while, and then curiosity got the better of them: Continue reading
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Just returned from NYC
Family and I had a great time. We were introducing the kids to the City, so we loaded up on old standards: Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Wall St., Empire State Building (went up late at night — very cool), the Met, the Guggenheim, Times Sq., etc. Also, of course, trips to big toy stores.… Continue reading
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Baseball
I’ll be the first to admit I’m not a baseball fan. I’ve always wanted to be, but it just isn’t in my blood to follow all the stats and players. But with my son playing Little League, my interest has spiked considerably. It is such a beautiful game — all the waiting, with sudden intricate… Continue reading
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Contrasting evaluations
From my big survey course taught last spring: (con) “His beard was distracting.” (pro) “Huenemann’s beard was awesome! He looks like the terrier off of Lady and the Tramp!” Continue reading
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A geeky confession
OK, here it is: I really dig computer puzzle games with fantasy themes. Several years ago I tried “Myst” and became became hooked on the whole series of games. I am proud to say I completed Myst 1-4 (yes, I consulted cheats a few times), but didn’t mess with Uru, and haven’t yet convinced myself… Continue reading
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If only it were true
The context: purely speculative musings. Wife: “But if you were to go away for two weeks, who could step in and take over your life?” Me: “Hmm, I’m not sure … maybe Buffalo Bill.” Continue reading
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The grades are in …
…and so ends another academic year. As I related in an earlier post, it has been a thrilling term in some ways, with an uninterrupted flow of ideas, questions and confusions. My only complaint has been not enough leisure to try to pursue a few of the items with greater care. I hope over the… Continue reading
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Ridiculous erudition
As I see it, there are two big events within professorhood (that is, after getting hired in the first place, and before giving it up). The first is getting tenure, when the threat of being fired is removed. The second is receiving a final promotion to full professor, where the threat of not getting promoted… Continue reading
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Attention Portuguese Spinozists
If the only thing holding you back from ordering a copy of Interpreting Spinoza is that it isn’t in Portuguese, then take heart: I’ve been informed that a translated edition is in the works. Now the book will be in a language Spinoza himself could have read! Continue reading
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Talking at BYU
I visited BYU on Thursday, spoke to their Philosophy Club on “Hume, Kant, and Ultimate Reality,” and spoke to their faculty about the reality of individuals in Spinoza. I had a great time, and was happy to build upon the friendships with faculty members there. The talk about “ultimate reality” grew from these musings about… Continue reading
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Interpreting Spinoza now in paperback
… and a handsome volume it is. I updated the amazon link on the right. Continue reading
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Well, I made it
The University of Utah graciously invited me to try once again to lecture on Nietzsche without fainting. (See the story of my earlier failure here.) So yesterday I visited their campus, lectured to my friend’s existentialism class, and managed to remain ‘perpendicular to the earth’ for a faculty lecture. I had a great time. I… Continue reading
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The genius of Geraldine
So if you’re in the knitting business, at some point in the process of turning wool into a sweater you will need to take a large, washer-like disk of steel and punch little notches into its outer rim, for some use in the process which I do not know. You will gradually collect a zillion… Continue reading
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