http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/jancer A law student's outlet for discussing anything but the law. Sun, 05 Jul 2009 19:15:26 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en I recently started reading Food for Thought, a compilation of maybe a dozen philosophy writings on vegetarianism vs. omnivorism, and it's turning out to be a very interesting read. I've read a good deal on this topic before, so a lot of it isn't too enlightening, but one article made ... http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/jancer/2009/07/05/humans-and-animals-rights-or-just-duties/ I just had to post this article, because in less than a 10-minute read it sums up all of the most important issues in the health care policy debate, with an even-handed pragmatic assessment of reality. NYT - Economic View - Obama's Difficult Choices on Medicare Spending http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/jancer/2009/06/15/cowen-on-american-health-care/ Society provides us with more ways to aspire to 'excellence' than it ever has before, and much of our lives revolve around such pursuits. We aspire to a kind of technological excellence, by producing the latest gadgets to make our lives more entertaining, safe, and productive. We pursue an aesthetic ... http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/jancer/2009/06/14/moral-excellence-and-beauty/ It's one of the most-used rhetorical tools in political discussion, or even non-political discussion for that matter. One person makes a social critique of a wide-spread practice. They claim that practice X is harmful, unethical, or simply wrong in some way, and that people should adjust their behavior accordingly. The ... http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/jancer/2009/06/09/anti-elitist-elitism/ There are very few aspects of my personality that could be legitimately called extreme. I'm a big believer in balance, and not letting life be overrun by individual wants. One area, however, that I would consider myself "marginal" in is my attitude toward socializing. Perhaps 'attitude' is not the right ... http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/jancer/2009/06/04/adaptation/ I used to write a lot about healthcare policy issues, until I woke up one day and had a Socrates moment; I realized how little I knew and how ridiculously under-qualified I was to comment on the subject. Nevertheless, the democrats in congress seem to be kicking health reform into ... http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/jancer/2009/05/15/the-coming-healthcare-reckoning/ So I got an e-mail the other day from a mailing list devoted to eating local foods. It discussed a particular farm in NY that people were sourcing their meat from, a small-scale establishment that clearly was going to have better ethical standards than mass-scale industrial versions. It all sounded ... http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/jancer/2009/05/12/food-rant/ I came across a very short quote once that really impacted me. I wish I could've saved it, but it went something like this: No matter how imperfect the world may be, the fact that it's withstood the tests of time commands respect. A simple message, but it really lies at the ... http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/jancer/2009/05/10/my-centrism/ After watching HGTV for several hours with the Mrs., I've come to decide that if my future home has any of the following three characteristics, I just might vomit: (1) An affiliated country club or golf course (2) A wine cellar (3) Anything purporting to be 'Tuscan' If you live in a 'Tuscan' style ... http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/jancer/2009/05/08/personal-preferences/ Law and International Economy: Knowing the professor's, how shall I say, 'strong-willed' personality, I went into this exam expecting the ride of my life. It was tough, no doubt, but there weren't really any moments during which I felt overwhelmed or lost. It was a straight-shooter kind of exam. I'd ... http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/jancer/2009/05/07/finals-update-round-1/