Anatole France on World War I

"No one will ever persuade me that the war could not have been ended long ago. The Emperor Karl offered peace. There is the only, honest man who occupied an important position during the war, but he was not listened to. In my opinion his offer ought to have heen acceped. The Emperor Karl has a sincere desire for peace so everybody hates him ... A King of France, yes, a King would have taken pity on our poor people, bled white, attenuated, at the end of their strength. But democracy is without heart, without bowels. a slave of the powers of money, it is pitiless and inhuman."

From an Australian tribute to the Habsburgs.

Another Kind of Christianity

"Once, I had violent fantasies of killing bad guys. Now, I do not. You learn what war really is, and what our police are really policing, and the whole "use of force" business doesn’t seem morally worthwhile anymore. I’d like to think I’d have the courage to resist aggressors to protect the innocent, but I no longer fantasize about such scenarios, but rather hope they never come up. And if they do, that the aggressor could be "talked down" or otherwise prevented from wrongdoing without lethal force." -- James Wilson

Altruistic Love & Science Course Competition

Of interest to college teachers and perhaps some others:

The Institute for Research on Unlimited Love – Altruism, Compassion, Service (IRUL) (www.unlimitedloveinstitute.org) encourages academic reflection on altruism and altruistic love in graduate schools, seminaries, universities, colleges, and other institutions of higher learning. As one form of encouragement, IRUL presents its Altruistic Love & Science Course Competition to promote the study of other-regarding love. In broad terms, love is an emotion-based affirmation of the well-being of others, and it is closely linked with actions of care and service on their behalf. Unlimited love extends this love to all others without exception. Often deemed a Creative Presence underlying and integral to all of reality, participation in unlimited love constitutes the fullest experience of spirituality. The competition is intended to encourage the integration of theology, religious studies, and scientific perspectives.

Good to Know

Twinkling in the sky is a diamond star of 10 billion trillion trillion carats, astronomers have discovered.

Thanks, stonemirror!

The Exqusite Modesty of the Irish

"There is no way that Michael would open the door of a woman's room," a neighbor told the inquest. "They wouldn't even watch the television if there was a woman on it. They were from a different era."

Thus the uncertainty about exactly when his sister died.