A video posted by Emily Hughes Dominick (@emily.dominick) on
Yesterday, we extended our outside fun to include a hike to Barclay Lake. About four miles round trip, and Franklin must have hiked nearly half of it. Few things make me happier than watching him walk eagerly down a trail :)
Found a pretty nice lunch spot at the lake too:
Hey, not to get too distracted, but do you like having a planet with stuff like this? Are you worried that all the money spent on fossil fuels might not be such a great investment? Me too! I didn't have a lot to do with the letter they're asking about, but I was happy to be interviewed on the subject for the Seattle U student paper: take a look, and let me know what you think.
Anyway, where was I? Oh, right—lunch by the lake!
Yum!
Okay, we're off down the trail...
Until next time, reader.
A photo posted by Yancy Hughes Dominick (@yancy9) on
Surprising amount of fun representing the Philosophy Department at a recent open house for accepted students who are considering attending Seattle U. Fun mostly because of the super helpful and enthusiastic philosophy majors who helped out:
Lots to say, but first how about a quiet moment of anticipation with Franklin and Beckham:
Watching West Seattle High School baseball practice. (Thanks to B's mom for the great photo!)
Meanwhile, just a little recap. Franklin likes my Plato mug (best gift from a student ever!), and the other day asked about Plato's books.
I started reading the beginning of the Republic. He was surprisingly patient (and kept asking for more), and asked some great questions, like what is wealth, and eventually "what does justice mean"?
Maybe my favorite though was when he didn't understand what Socrates meant when he said he had an appetite for conversation. I tried explaining that it meant something like being hungry for conversation, which Franklin found hilarious—kept repeating the phrase and giggling all morning :)
And as for hungry, how about these nascent chopsticks skills!
Oh but speaking of Plato, less giggly scene at the International Plato Society meeting in Atlanta. Great experience though.
I have been working on book 10 of Plato's Laws lately, and gave a paper about that. I won't go into the details now (but maybe I'll post the handout at some point...), but I do want to share one of my favorite quotes, which mostly made it into my paper.
Laws 10 is all about what to do with troublesome atheists, deists, and folks who believe gods can be bribed or bought off. Anyway, there's a great bit in response to the idea that gods don't care about us:
ὧν ἓν καὶ τὸ σόν, ὦ σχέτλιε, μόριον εἰς τὸ πᾶν συντείνει βλέπον ἀεί, καίπερ πάνσμικρον ὄν, σὲ δὲ λέληθεν περὶ τοῦτο αὐτὸ ὡς γένεσις ἕνεκα ἐκείνου γίγνεται πᾶσα, ὅπως ᾖ τῷ τοῦ παντὸς βίῳ ὑπάρχουσα εὐδαίμων οὐσία, οὐχ ἕνεκα σοῦ γιγνομένη, σὺ δ’ ἕνεκα ἐκείνου
Translation: Now then, you stubborn fellow, one part of the universe is you—a mere speck that nevertheless constantly contributes to the good of the whole; but you have forgotten that nothing is created except to provide the entire universe with a happy life. You forget that creation is not for your benefit: you exist for the sake of the universe (903c)
Very charming, no? I can't help but also add this bit on the punishment that people like me would face if they ever moved to the city described in the Laws:
Consider first a complete atheist: he may have a naturally just character and be the sort of person who hates scoundrels, and because of his loathing of injustice is not tempted to commit it; he may flee the unjust and feel fondness for the just. Alternatively, besides believing that all things are ‘empty of’ gods, he may be a prey to an uncontrollable urge to experience pleasure and avoid pain, and he may have a retentive memory and be capable of shrewd insights. Both these people suffer from a common failing, atheism, but in terms of the harm they do to others the former is much less dangerous than the latter....
The dissembling atheist deserves to die for his sins not just once or twice but many times, whereas the other kind needs simply admonition combined with incarceration (908b-e)
I mean, um, that seems fair, right? ;)
What else? Had some fun with the end (alas) of basketball season:
Getting pretty good at the alma mater too:
Thanks for the photo, Wendy!
As of now the big question seems to be, will Franklin ever wear another shirt, and if so, when?
And thanks to Emily for getting me one to wear with him!
Okay, I can't resist one more Plato thing. Just saw this in the latest issue of Phronesis, a leading journal for Ancient Philosophy:
Check out note 14! Woo!
And if you want to read (or maybe re-read?) Dominick 2010, I've posted it online.
Other big news (bigger than a footnote? maybe...) is my new role as Associate Director (!) of the Seattle U Core Honors program, but maybe I'll wait and say more once I've actually started.
He seemed pretty into it (other than being super cold running around in shorts), but this week refused to go back, so who knows...
Immediately after, we went to the Seattle Children's Museum to attend a birthday party for one of Franklin's classmates. Didn't get any good pictures of her, but Franklin seemed to enjoy the museum:
One of the big hits with all the kids was the grocery store:
My favorite part was the register feeling overwhelmed by all the attention:
Okay, not sure where to put these, but here are my two favorite quotes from March 2015:
On a weekday morning, upon coming into our room and getting into our bed: "Dad, stay in bed for five more minutes and then take your shower."
And, seemingly out of nowhere one day: "I'm Cliff Alexander; hold on tight."
Finally, as I said, great visit from Nana & Papa:
Fun around town, and also a nice day up near Snoqualmie Pass:
Lots of carrying on around here lately.
Get it? ;)
And not just at home. Here's a glimpse of singalong at Mt. St. Vincent:
And, let's see, back at home he's been working on his jump-shot:
I'll try to get better video one of these days. Not sure if you can hear it, but when he's off screen, he's saying "I'm Frank Mason." (Emily and I also represent various KU players, but the roster is always changing...)
Meanwhile, highlight of 2015 so far (and honestly, one of my highlights of our nearly eight years in Seattle) was seeing Sherman Alexie at Seattle U this past week:
One of my book clubs very recently read The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, which is excellent.
Been years since I've seen it, but this great movie is based on one of the stories:
But all that aside, so many excellent, challenging, and hilarious comments. Great experience.
Just the comments about the Seahawks alone were worth the day. He said that even though he knew the conspiracy theories about the end of the Super Bowl weren't true, he approved of them because the myth was better than reality. Especially because Marshawn Lynch refuses to perform and entertain all the white people who think football players—and especially black players—are supposed to act a certain way. Yes.
But as if that weren't enough, he followed it by asserting that given the rates of brain trauma and eventual dementia, when we watch professional football we're watching poor people and black people kill themselves for our entertainment. Yes and yes.
And then of course he said that he watched the Super Bowl, all the while dipping his tortilla chips in medium-hot hypocrisy. Yes and yes and yes.
Meanwhile, so, yeah, we had fun watching the Super Bowl too (at least until that last play):
I even got Emily to wear a Seahawks t-shirt!
What else? Good times at story time lately:
And great food, like this vegetable soup and apple pie, made with apples, pinto beans, kale, carrots, and delicata squash, all from the farmers market:
Delicious!
You should come over for dinner some time, reader!
And who can blame him? So many great games in this Cup!
Meanwhile, I should get to bed, since tomorrow is day six of the intensive 8-day faculty study group I'm participating in, "Economy, Violence and Justice: Catholic Social Thought and Contemporary Issues." Sponsored by the Seattle University Institute for Catholic Thought and Culture. Pretty good discussions so far, and some great readings. (And on a personal note, I am quite grateful for the welcome they've given this atheist.)
Anyway, our first reading was about some historic background in early Catholic views on poverty and justice, and there were some awesome ideas and excellent quotes. From many, here's my very favorite:
“Do not say ‘I am using what belongs to me.’ You are using what belongs to others. All the wealth of the world belongs to you and to the others in common, as the sun, air, earth, and all the rest.”
Now that's John Chrysostom, in his tenth Homily on First Corinthians. First of all, why have I never read him before? And second of all, what does the rest of the book say? I haven't read it all, and I've had trouble tracking down the exact translation, etc., but here's a stretch from the original and a (slightly altered) standard translation:
Say not then, I am but spending my own, and of my own I live luxuriously. It is not of your own, but of other men's. Other men's, I say, because such is your own choice: for God’s will is that those things should be yours, which have been entrusted unto you on behalf of your brothers. Now the things which are not your own become yours, if you spend them upon others: but if you spend on yourself unsparingly, your own things become no longer yours. For since you use them cruelly, and sayest, That my own things should be altogether spent on my own enjoyment is fair: therefore I call them not your own. For they are common to you and your fellow-servants; just as the sun is common, the air, the earth, and all the rest.
I mean, as far as I'm concerned that is just a profoundly wonderful way to think.
Not bad for the top of the blog, in fact, don't you think?
Where that leaves me and my wealth, well... Actually, it's pretty amusing to note that tomorrow's reading, on the day of the next US match in the World Cup, uses excessive salaries for soccer players and excessive distraction caused by worldwide soccer championships as examples of the problems we face today...
But oh man, did you see the James Rodríguez goal from the other day??
Beautiful!
And how do you say his name? Let's ask Franklin:
This is maybe too much for one post, but in an attempt to bridge the gap between social justice and spectator sports, we took Franklin to the United Way of King County's softball game recently. Let's just say he loved it, and especially his new ball and glove that we (consumers until the bitter end) bought at the gift shop :)
Getting good use on Alki Beach:
Yes, I admit, there are some perks that come with the move to West Seattle:
The last few days have been, let's say full. And look at these two:
Amazing.
Not sure, by the way reader, that I can hold all the pieces of this post together, but maybe I'll just accept their fragmentary feel.
On Thursday I was again impressed with my employer. They explained, before hundreds of employees—who'd gathered to renew their commitment to the school's mission of promoting a just and humane world, on a Mission Day focused this year on environmental justice—that they've decided not to divest from fossil fuels. And then in such a great SU moment, they turned over the microphone to (among others) one of the students leading the divestment campaign. He stood in front of the University president and others, and expressed his disappointment. And then he announced a rally to protest the decision. (That's today by the way, see the Facebook event for details.) He received the only standing ovation during the three-hour event.
Back home, I'm loving being able to hang out with Franklin more lately. Finally had the chance to show him part of the 2008 championship game:
I mean, he keeps asking to watching a Jayhawk basketball game: what choice do we have?
No, we haven't made it to the end of the second half yet—to "the shot": he likes to start shooting baskets after watching for a few minutes, so we're saving that and savoring the suspense a little longer.
Also enjoyed a nice walk through Washington Park Arboretum with grandma. Not sure how we managed not to get any shots of grandma or the beautiful flowering trees, but here's a little more of Franklin enjoying the playground near the north end of the park:
Speaking of climbing, I am in way over my head with reading groups and book clubs right now... but I'm really glad I stuck with the second-year Arrupe Seminar on Jesuit education. Last Friday we discussed Karl Rahner, the influential 20th-Century theologian. The reading assignment (a short biography and overview of his work) was interesting, but I was totally blown away by an excerpt of one of Rahner's books that the discussion leader brought for us.
It's Rahner giving examples of where to find divine grace. I'm tempted to quote the whole thing, but here are just my favorite bits:
There is one man who does his duty where it can apparently only be done, with the terrible feeling that he is denying himself and doing something ludicrous which no one will thank him for.
There is a woman who is really good to another woman from whom no echo of understanding or thankfulness is heard in return, whose goodness is not even repaid by the feeling of having been "selfless," noble, and so on.
...
There is a woman who is absolutely lonely, who finds all the right elements of life pale shadows; for whom all trustworthy handholds take her into the infinite distance, and who does not run away from this loneliness but treats it with ultimate hope.
...
There is one who suddenly notices how the tiny trickle of her life wanders through the wilderness of the banality of existence, apparently without aim and with the heartfelt fear of complete exhaustion. And yet she hopes, she knows not how, that this trickle will find the infinite expanse of the ocean, even though it may still be covered by the grey sands which seem to extend forever before her.
...
One could go on like this forever...
—where the fragmentary experience of love, beauty, and joy is experienced and accepted purely and simply as the promise of love, beauty, and joy, without their being understood in ultimate cynical skepticism as a cheap form of consolation for some final deception,
...
—where we entrust all this knowledge and all our questions to the silent and all-inclusive mystery which is loved more than all our individual knowledge which makes us such small people,
—where we rehearse our own deaths in everyday life, and try to live in such a way as we would like to die, peaceful and composed,
—where... (as I have said, we could go on and on):
—there is God and God's liberating grace.
I don't know about you, reader, but I just love that. Now of course that very last sentence takes things in a direction I wouldn't go, but still. Just beautiful thinking.
It's from this book (pp.230-1), which I haven't read but just might need to get a copy of.
Okay, anyway, back to work. Here's hoping for the promise of another weekend soon.
Oh, but here's one more fragment of beauty: Franklin with June, our upstairs neighbor:
Hope you're having an amazing holiday season so far, reader!
Really glad I had the chance to catch up with Will and Elliott last week!
I'm pretty sure he rebuilt the hard drive in my office at Seattle U., but it seems to be fine—maybe even a little faster:
I share that office with three other contingent/adjunct/non-tenure-track faculty members. Encouraging to me that our voice seems more likely to be heard on campus lately.
In what is perhaps a parallel effort, some of my colleagues have been pursuing unionization. There's been a big move in that direction across the US—read more about it with the help of the two most recent posts on the SU College of Arts & Sciences Faculty & Staff Assembly blog: http://sufacultystaffassembly.wordpress.com/.
Recently I've been thinking that this is too important to go on behind the scenes. And when the Provost's Office issued a statement asking faculty to stop pursuing the option of joining a union before having any public discussion, I decided it was time to call in a favor from our old friends at CHS.
If you ask me, they did a great job with the story. That story in turn got the attention of KUOW. I told them they'd be better off interviewing someone more directly involved, which they did. Take a listen here.
Meanwhile, these happy workers enjoyed last week's Sisters of Providence Provincial Administration Christmas party:
But all work and no play, as they say... So Franklin and I continue our Friday visits to the Volunteer Park Playground, rain or shine:
No amount of sunshine or puddles for splashing would have helped, however, when we visited Santa:
At least Franklin can say he's carrying on a family tradition:
Christmas cards are also a fun tradition; happy to see Franklin enjoying the ones we've received. This one especially:
Hoping by the time we see Baby Rose on New Year's Day we can get a "Happy New Year" out of him :)
We didn't do a photo card this year, but please accept this blog post as our photo card. First, Yancy's most recent headshot:
And Franklin's school pictures. Our favorite is up top, but here's another:
And the whole class:
Note how everyone really wants to be looking at Emily, who is standing just off camera :)
All right, reader. If we're going to do this holiday, I'd better get back to work.
Okay, that title's a quote taken out of context (see below), and it's meant to be not truth but rather aspiration. This time of year our thoughts of course turn to questions about giving, and I thought I'd share an update since last year's post about our giving.
Thankfully, the Times did another story too, this time with lots of helpful links and even more Peter Singer references.
As you can see, our distribution is relatively unchanged from last year: a questionable commitment to the arts even though we know that helping people living in extreme poverty is the only morally justifiable choice. I guess we could pat ourselves on the back for giving almost 30% to Oxfam while the US average for overseas giving is just 6%, but I think our first step for 2014 should be telling Oxfam that we'll up our monthly gift.
Now you might wonder about the stuff further down the list: is the Nation Magazine a charity? Well, we subscribe but never read it, so I put in on there. On the other hand, we hardly ever use our YMCA memberships... if you put even half of the cost of that onto the chart, it would actually rank above the radio stations.
It would still, alas, not get us to the 5% mark...
The cool calculator the Times linked to agrees that we should be up closer to 5%. What's worse, we're actually down from last year. I'm ashamed to say that although a pay raise explains part of the decrease in the percentage we're giving away, we also let a couple of things slip and just forgot.
Emily and I are discussing sending a one-time end of the year gift—probably to, yes, Oxfam—to offset our mistake a little, but even if that happens we likely won't make 5%.
Where are you at on all of this, reader? What's a good distribution? What kind of percentage do you think makes sense?
Personally, my hope at this point is that writing about it now will make it a little harder to ignore in 2014. Tune in next year to see how it goes!
[Clunky transition alert!] Speaking of tuning, we've been enjoying some wonderful music during this season of giving.
First, take a listen to Franklin's rendition of Old McDonald:
And Sunday took us to St. Joseph Church for the Seattle U Festival of Christmas. Truly beautiful music. Glad we got to share it with Grandma Christine this year!
Also the source of the title of this post, which is a partial quote of a line from In the Bleak Midwinter, one of the songs we heard yesterday. Nothing like hearing it live, but if you want you can listen to another version On YouTube.
While we're here talking about atheists who love Christmas music, I have to tell you about this amazing story on NPR the other day. Actually, take a listen:
I can't remember the last time something made me smile this much.
In fact, I can't stop yet. Here's their version of Angels We Have Heard on High:
Man I love this time of year!
Okay fine, here are the pictures of Franklin. Helping to decorate the tree:
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