Blog

ByGD

Constitution Article 1 §8.4 – Bankruptcy

ConstitutionIn the wonderful anime series Kino’s Journey, a character who wanders the world in search of a place to settle down finds a country where people live in relative peace and freedom and are welcoming to newcomers. His companion comments that it seems like a perfectly normal place, to which he replies, “A lot of people have to work very hard to make a place normal.”

 

Democracy is not a spectator sport; but to play the game you have to know the rules. (Ok, it’s not a game, either, but just roll with it.) I’m studying the Constitution, one clause at a time. I’m up to Article 1 §8.4, on naturalization and bankruptcy. Read More

ByGD

Music I Liked Last Week – Archspire, Raven Hollywood, Be’lakor, Tchaikovsky

portable cassette player

Image by Gratisography

Last week was tough. I was sick and I had deadlines. But when the going gets tough, the tough listen to music. Not a lot, though. I’d put on an album then not noticed when it finished. But a few things penetrated the fog. This is what stood out last week.

Read More

ByGD

Hello, Nurse

Remember the Animaniacs cartoon? Where the cartoon characters ran around acting crazy until they saw a pretty girl, then they’d stop everything and shout in chorus, “Helloooo, nurse!”

It’s funny how silly lines like that can work their way into your personal vocabulary.

This one time, at band camp, at a music festival, I was wandering between shows and caught a glimpse of this guy. I stayed to watch hear the set.

ByGD

Constitution Article 1 §8.4, Naturalization

The Constitution can’t defend itself, and we can’t defend it either if we don’t know what it says. That’s why I study a little bit of it each week. There are seven articles in the Constitution, and I’m still on the first one. Article One has ten sections; I’m studying Section 8, which enumerates the powers of Congress. Last week I read the Commerce Clause.

Buckle up, because Clause 4 is about immigration. Read More

ByGD

Meshuggah at the Showbox

I got to see Meshuggah play the Showbox this week. There was a time when I couldn’t listen to Meshuggah. Their music made me seasick; I would literally get nauseated. Over time my taste grew heavier, and then they released Koloss (arguably their most accessible album). I was finally able to appreciate their music on more than an academic level. Read More