9 Comments

Looking good Terry!

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This reminds me not to ignore friends in need. Looking back I realize I have done this more than a few times. I realize now though how important they.

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A thoughtful poignant reminder of her greatness...Bravo Terry

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Wonderful tribute to a special woman.

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Terry, I enjoyed your review of Timothy Ferris's book for multiple reasons. First, I was glad that you were reviewing the work of a real thinker and not the hack Timothy Ferris who authored "The 4-Hour Workweek."

I experienced great sympathy with (the real) Ferris's correlation between the inquiry associated with the scientific method and liberal democracy. I am a historian by training and as a result the approach I have been taught is non-dogmatic (research driven with conclusions that are provisional and contextual). Like you, I walked away from an academic path in large part because it seemed I would have to place more effort on discursive conformity than on developing deep domain expertise in a specific historical period. My best friend did go the academic route and constantly bemoans the prioritization of conformity over competence.

Oddly enough the one post-structuralist thinker whose works I've enjoyed is Foucault. While I don't agree with all of his ideas, Foucault's writing is approachable and down-to-earth. Unlike his peers (Derrida and company), Foucault seemed more interested in clearly communicating his thoughts than in trying to prove something with deliberately abstruse language.

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Hello Charles, Thanks much for this. Enjoyed reading your thoughts...and long live liberal democracies! Hope you and family are well. Best,

Terry

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Well said. Derrida and other similar authors add little to our understanding by being impossible to understand themselves.

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Hola Gaucho! Heading' for the pampas?

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Che por supuesto, con mi caballo Trigger!

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