Profound: January 2008 Archives
An NRO Symposium on Republicans in 2008 on National Review Online
John Hood, chairman and president of the John Locke Foundation, writes: "The conservative movement constitutes an alliance of those who accept unchangeable facts rather than trying to wish fantasy into reality, remake human nature, or avoid economic tradeoffs. Traditionalists embrace timeless morals, even when they deny one immediate gratification. Libertarians embrace the sovereignty of consumer demand and the sometimes-disorienting effects of technological change, even when the result isn't to one's personal liking. And hawks embrace the reality that America lives in a dangerous neighborhood, one full of bullies, pirates, and fanatics who respond to gestures of good will with contempt, larceny, and brutality."
Hood urges against settling for the "most electable" candidate: "To those tempted by these facts to endorse a GOP candidate who dislikes and alienates key elements of the conservative coalition, remember that there are worse things than losing an election. Given the odds, such a desperate gambit will probably still result in a November loss, but with lasting collateral damage to political alliances, institutional credibility, and personal integrity."
Townhall.com: Andrew Tallman: What Should We Do When We Receive Bad Christmas Gifts?::
"Bad gifts create a sort of crisis, and the relationship can't stay where it is. It must either become stronger or weaker, and ignoring the breach can only make it weaker. Confronting it runs the risk of total ruination, but it also runs the risk of deeper intimacy. So you have to ask yourself a very simple question: Would you rather keep such relationships forever trivial by protecting them from the stress that might break them, or would you rather risk losing them in the hope that you might gain real ones in exchange? Every meaningful relationship I have is so because it survived one or more crises of honesty. The only way to get respect and real love is to tell people the truth. So here's how to do so successfully."
Dalrymple argument against state subsidies for pop music radio includes this pithy aside: "[D]evelopment aid is the means by which poor people in rich countries give money to rich people in poor countries."
"Things you can learn from the music business (as it falls apart)": "Many musicians have understood that all they need to make a (very good) living is to have 10,000 fans. 10,000 people who look forward to the next record, who are willing to trek out to the next concert. Add 7 fans a day and you're done in 5 years. Set for life. A life making music for your fans, not finding fans for your music." (Via Asleep at the Wheel.)
internetmonk.com: The Temptation to Quit
Resignation as revenge: "Quitting looks good at times. It promises a jolt of power, self-determination and the ability to demonstrate to others the depths of grievance or upset....Quitting suddenly in ministry is very painful to those left behind in shock. It sends messages that are lasting and serious. 'You don't love us.' 'You told us to not give up, and now you've given up.' 'You left us alone, and took the exit out of our lives.' 'Did God tell you to do this? Why?'"
Team Telegraph Day 2: Learn how to be your own best friend - Telegraph
I have this person who follows me about all day, hurling insults. "Idiot!" she exclaims when I delete the wrong email.... She certainly doesn't build up my confidence or make me feel good about myself in any way. And yet I find it very hard to shake her off.... I associate [my real best friends] with good times and bright visions, while this other person only ever reminds me of failures and broken dreams. The thing is, this other person is me. She is an agglomerate of all the negative judgments, midnight terrors and critical harshness that I have ever experienced. And the really mad thing is that she is the one I listen to."
