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| Welcome Folks ! One of the best lines in any novel comes from Graham Greene's The Quiet American where his protagonist, Tom Fowler, says of the character Pyle, "I never met a man who had better motives for all the trouble he caused." There are those who would say that about me today. And this has worried me at times. Please, don't let it worry you. You see, my parents, despite neither having a geat deal of formal education, each had an uncanny, almost surreal intellect. While their uncanny and surreal genes made it to me just fine,the intellect part is debatable. Perhaps that explains a lot. One can browse my site by choosing one of the underlined pages to your upper left, or any underlined title, some of which link to other sites. My interests are somewhat varied, and I try not to be too cerebral. To which my son responds, "Don't worry Dad, you really are not being too cerebral." My personal favorites are Kenz Kitchen, The Writer's Life, Cosmology, and Veteran's Special. Take a look around, enjoy yourself, learn a little . . . maybe. Any comments? Drop me a line. [email protected] |
| Copyright � 1999-2009 "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place" Kenneth Howell, All Rights Reserved. |
| The homepage of Kenneth Howell coming from very beautiful - albeit very decadent - Chapel Hill, North Carolina. |
| "Principle -- particularly moral principle -- can never be a weathervane, spinning around this way and that with the shifting winds of expediency. Moral principle is a compass forever fixed and forever true." Edward R. Lyman |
| A Clean,Well-Lighted Place ! |
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| "Pardon My Rumination" by Kenneth Howell Hi folks - To paraphrase Robert Browning in Pippa's Song (this line caused Browning many problems because a lot of people did not consider it within the context it was written) "God's in His Heaven, All's (Not) Right With the World". T There are increased bombings in Iraq. We have a terrible catastophe in the Italian earthquake. We have had a spate of mass killings across the nation including policemen, legal immigrants and children. Why do these things happen? It is easy to say, "I don't know." But the truth is I do know. And we all know. Individuals, and countries, and even disturbed husbands, wives; and even wacko third world leaders have choices. Our Heavenly Father gave us that free agency. In each case we should all make the right choices. But there are good things around us. I recently witnessed a woman - actually a nurse - jump out of her car and help a heart attack victim at a bus stop. He lives. She had been laid off from her job just that day. There are good people in this world. Boy Scouts are helping their community; Girl Scouts are comforting those in need. We need to embrace and teach more young people these values. My thing? My UNC Tarheels won the Men's Basketball National Championship on my birthday, April 6. I'm glad, I'm happy, I'm ecstatic. Still, I feel for those families in Italy who have lost so much; and for those new Americans in Binghamton, NY who lost their lives; and for the eight families who lost their parents and loved ones at the nursing home in Carthage, NC; and the eight children killed just last month at school in Finland; not to mention the three officers killed in California. Okay, I'm through. I just wanted to rant. But remember, there are good things around us - enjoy those things, and pray for those who suffer the worst things. Not to paraphrase, "God's in His Heaven, All's Right With the World". What more? Go to (click) Analecta Politica Kenneth's blog on TownHall.com www.howellunc.townhall.com |
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| There is quite some difference between "Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder" and "Post-Dramatic Stress Disorder". |
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| "If you love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains be lightly upon you and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen." Samuel Adams wrote this to those at the dawn of this country's existance who were faint at the thought of the struggle for individualism and freedom. I believe American society is mistaken in its belief that our history is irrelevant to today's world, and again it's mistaken by assuming that we must conform to a "new order" simply because of the complexity and numbers of our society. To me, wisdom is lacking in such sentiments. Indeed, as technology and the social strata increase we must be the more vigilant to protect our freedoms from the ebb of totalitarianism and secularism that threatens our society and families. I adhere to a political philosophy of conservatism, free thought and individual freedom, combined with a code of honor, integrity and rationality in my struggle for personal success. I believe in God, and as a loving Heavenly Father he wants me to choose those things which are honest, true, chaste, benevolent, and of good report. I believe this mortal life to be a mere kindergarden on the road of eternal progression which my Heavenly Father has laid out. Yes, I know it's not chic for a learned man of my age to be talking of God and morals and responsibility; but I do not apologize. And before you think my dogma has whipped my catma, let me add a few things. First, I like to have fun. At one point in my life, I liked having too much fun. Yes, it's all true. I've made mistakes, fell down, got up, and fell down again. If you're the guy with the "first stone"; go ahead and throw it. Hell, I've been hit with worse. Secondly - yes, I'm conservative. But that doesn't mean I'm a bigot, or a misogynist, or a facist or any other "ist" that the liberal, self-righteous, or hypocritical crowd want to imply. Finally - no, there is no moral conflict between the ideals ofconservatism, belief in God, and love of family versus those of enjoyment, financial success, and individual freedom. But somewhere along the line the government and social workers and psychologists have deemed these two sets of ideals; as incompatible. I believe differently. |
| You know, sometimes those voices I hear make sense. |
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