Sailboat (Photo credit: camknows)
Ordinarily I don’t like to discuss politics because I always get into an argument. I am a moderate in the middle and issues driven, so this means like a sailboat, sometimes I tack left and sometimes I tack right to stay on course. This pleases no one.
Having never been on a sailboat, I don’t know if this is tacking, tacking, or something else. I read a lot and David did much sailing before he met me..which means I get my information about sailing from him or books.
The closest I have come to floating or sailing things was paddling a canoe at Girl Scout camp, or washing dishes. Have you ever noticed how long it takes the heaviest dish to sink? That’s buoyancy. And it was Galileo who explained buoyancy. This is what made him famous, not the propaganda spread by early Protestants about how the church “fried” him for something or other silliness regarding the sun. I’d explain it here, but suffice it to say our old history books got much wrong.
One thing some talking heads get wrong is that a flat earth society ever existed. Humans figured out long before the Age of Religious Reform the earth was round. I’d explain it here, but it would be exhausting. Suffice it to say this is a pet peeve with me. Every time I hear someone use the expression ‘flat-earth society,’ I know they are ignorant. If you hear someone use the expression, you too can know they are ignorant. Trust me, I used to be a Girl Scout.
A little game I have played with David lately is ‘tell me what you remember about President X.’ For example, did you know it was President Johnson who pushed through Civil Rights laws? Most people remember him for Viet Nam or pulling Beagle ears. Too bad.
We remember Presidents for many things, but often it is not what they did best. Often it is something hyped by the media. Such is our perverse human nature. We like scandal. This propensity to remember the worst about someone also applies to any illustrious person.
A poet said…
The evil that men do lives after them,
The good is often interred with their bones.
Can you name the poet, the work, who said it and about whom it he said it? That’s part of the game. (answer from Wiki below)
—000—
“The evil that men do” is a quotation from Act 3, scene ii of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare (Mark Antony: “The evil that men do lives after them; The good is oft interred with their bones”.)
In title case, the phrase may refer to:
- Books
- The Evil That Men Do, a 1969 book by John Brunner
- The Evil That Men Do, a 1904 novel by M.P. Shiel
- The Evil That Men Do, a non-fiction book co-authored by retired FBI profiler Roy Hazelwood
- The Evil That Men Do (Buffy novel), an original novel based on the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer
- Spider-Man/Black Cat: The Evil that Men Do, a comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics
- Movies
- The Evil That Men Do (film), 1984 film starring Charles Bronson
- Music
- “The Evil That Men Do” (song), by Iron Maiden on Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
- “Evil That Men Do”, a song by Queen Latifah on All Hail the Queen
- “The Evil That Men Do”, a song by Yo La Tengo on Ride the Tiger
I did actually know that about Lyndon and the Civil Rights. You wouldn’t think to associate that with him because he was rather a ……..hmmmmm… not entirely elegant sort of president, but there were good things he did.
This post has an interesting mix of ideas.
I actually did know that about President Johnson. I think I read it somewhere a while back.
Yes, people knew the earth was round even before Galileo
. About American presidents… I don’t know. Good thing for me, my country only had 5 presidents (up until now), and I grew up knowing 4 so far 
. I should start checking out what each of their great accomplishments are.
Its good to keep exercising our memory. Keep up the good brain work!
I am so glad to see how many women were elected to the Senate this time. I’m assuming that they will keep their pants on … which is more than I can say for most male politicians !
Once we won the right to wear pants we decided to keep them on.
I see you are in good form today. You? Moderate? Passionate instead I would say.
Speaking of issues, did you know that there’s a site called “The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers?” Now there’s a woman who wasn’t afraid to face issues. http://www.gwu.edu/~erpapers/
How is David doing with his cleaning out?
Three decades or more ago, once something was in print and no one refuted it or the truth didn’t gain an audience equal to or greater than the original source of error or falsehood, the untruth gained a life of its own and came to be accepted, even by “experts.” Of course, that myth-making process is now the speed of light with the Internet-based social media.
What a lot you have packed into one post. I didn’t have Galileo’s claim to fame right. And I had never encountered a reference to the flat-earth society. I guess that, too, is a mark of ignorance. The upside for me is that there is so much to learn and do that boredom is never an issue. Have a great weekend.
Yeah, I agree. I am and will be known for all the evil things I have done. Ha!