Eulogy for Robert Canright, Senior

I had posted a eulogy for my father Robert Canright, Senior on a website that will be shut down in the future, so I am re-posting it here.

Farewell Father In Memory of Robert Eldon Canright, Sr. 
by
 Robert Eldon Canright, Jr.

Robert Eldon Canright, Sr., was born September 20, 1927, and died
January 25, 2009.  Robert was the son of Eldon Jerome Canright, born
January 14, 1893, died February 28, 1963.  Two other members of the
extended Canright family had heart attacks within a week of Robert’s heart
attack.   January and February seem to be bad months for Canright men.  
But we all die and it is how we live and how we are remembered that matters.

I remember my father quoting poetry as he walked through the house.  Just
this week I read Milton’s sonnet On His Blindness, saw the line, “They also
serve who only stand and wait,” and thought to myself, “My father used to  
say that!  He was quoting Milton.”  My father also quoted lines from
Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Tennyson’s The Eagle.  I love poetry.  I purchased poetry books for my children and for many of their cousins.  My
daughter loves Shakespeare.  The love of poetry is part of my father’s legacy,
a legacy I pass on to my children.

One day my father brought home a copy of Modern Chess Openings.  The
book was filled with columns of chess moves, but almost no text.  It had
fascinating names like Sicilian Defense, Ruy Lopez, and Giuoco Piano.  In
high school I found in chess the only organized body of knowledge that I
could study on my own with limitless challenge.  I have a very analytical
mind and chess was the only substantive food that could feed my hungry
mind.  I learned how to self-study, analyze, and problem solve through the
game of chess that my father brought into my life.  The problem solving
skills I learned from chess were instrumental in key successes in my work
career, another legacy from my father.

The greatest legacy from my father was the fine mother he provided his
children: Julieta Rubio of Chihuahua, Mexico.  I learned morality and a love
of God from my mother.  I learned to respect philosophy and education from
Julieta.  She recently gave me her copy of The Enchiridion of Epictetus, the
Stoic philosopher.  I remember listening to “Un bel di” from the opera  
Madam Butterfly at my Abuelita’s house in Chihuahua.  I listened  to that
song over and over again, I was so touched by it as a child, and I am still
moved by it today.  I learned to love opera from my mother.  I take my
daughter to the opera and she loves it, so the legacy continues.

In World War II my father joined the 82nd Airborne, “The All American
Division.”  It takes a bold spirit to jump out of an airplane and be prepared
to fight behind enemy lines.  It takes an adventuresome spirit to travel to a
foreign country and take a foreign bride, as my father did.

I continue your legacy, Father, by rearing my children in a home with poetry
and culture, under the care of a good, loving mother.  I hope to continue
your legacy, Father, by living my life with boldness and an adventurous spirit.

Farewell, Father.  I honor you by passing along to my children all the best
influences you and your lovely bride had on my life.  Lasting positive influence
is the best legacy.
  

Melancholy Atheist

I just read Staring at the Void  by Joanna Bourke (Aug. 30, 2017 Wall Street Journal), a book review of The Human Predicament by David Benatar.  The review said this is Benatar's message:  "Ultimately, our lives are meaningless. Evolution is blind and serves no intrinsic purpose; in a cosmic sense, we each live for an insignificant amount of time. Furthermore, the lives we do lead are often suffused with suffering."  Well, that is not cheerful.  I see a recurring melancholy in atheist writing.

Here are some sections from The Garden of Proserpine by Algernon Charles Swinburne.  I sense a melancholy mood here.

...
Though one were strong as seven,
         He too with death shall dwell,
Nor wake with wings in heaven,
         Nor weep for pains in hell;
Though one were fair as roses,
His beauty clouds and closes;
And well though love reposes,
         In the end it is not well.
...
From too much love of living,
         From hope and fear set free,
We thank with brief thanksgiving
         Whatever gods may be
That no life lives for ever;
That dead men rise up never;
That even the weariest river
         Winds somewhere safe to sea.

Here is a section from Gravelly Run by A. R. Ammons and I found the poem veering away from lovely to melancholy here.  The author notices what he is missing.
...
    I see no
god in the holly, hear no song from
the snowbroken weeds ...

The WSJ book review by Joanna Bourke later reports that Mr. Benatar tells us, "that the universe is 'indifferent to our coming' into this world, it will be 'indifferent to our going.' In fact, the universe does not care, he adds, because 'it has no attitudes at all.'”

Perhaps a sense of melancholy from a denial of God is some spur from the soul to seek God.

Robert

Nice Interview with Thomas Sowell

In the Saturday March 18, 2017 issue of the Wall Street Journal, page A13, you can find a nice interview with Thomas Sowell.  It is, "The Education of an American Sage" by Tunku Varadarajan.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-education-of-an-american-sage-1489791759
It is not earth shattering, but it is nice.

Robert

Thomas Sowell is a National Treasure

After reading the appalling book Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates I looked for an intelligently written book on race written by a black person.  It did not make sense to look for a book on race written by a white person.  I was as impressed by the book Intellectuals and Race by Thomas Sowell as I was appalled by the Ta-Nehisi Coates book.  Mr. Coates attended Howard University and dropped out of college.  Thomas Sowell found Howard University lacking in academic rigor and transferred to Harvard University.  Mr. Sowell graduated, Mr. Coates did not.  Thomas Sowell went on to get a Masters from Columbia and a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Chicago.  You might think the difference in education between the two authors is responsible for the disparate quality of thought between the two writers, but getting a Ph.D. does not automatically lead to clear thinking.  No.  There are plenty of Ph.D.s with twisted thinking and intemperate writing.  Thomas Sowell is just plain great.

I am now reading A Personal Odyssey by Thomas Sowell, which is a real treat.  This week the Wall Street Journal ran an essay by Jason L. Riley, Thomas Sowell, a Fearless Contrarian, Puts Down the Pen, which laments Dr. Sowell quitting his syndicated column as a step towards retirement.  Mr. Riley wrote this in his essay:  "My friend then wrote down the name of a book, “Civil Rights: Rhetoric or Reality?” I retrieved it from the school library that afternoon and read it that same evening. I returned to the library the following day, checked out the remainder of its Sowell collection, and spent the next couple of weeks immersed in his writings."

Thomas Sowell was publishing books while I was still in high school.  Now that I am in middle age I discover him when he is 86 years old and slowing down.  I am glad I finally discovered him.  I intend to read more of his books.  I will be exploring his personal website, http://www.tsowell.com/,  and his web page at the Hoover Institute,  http://www.hoover.org/profiles/thomas-sowell, which has links to his articles at Creators Syndicate, http://www.creators.com/read/thomas-sowell.

Thomas Sowell is a national treasure.  You might want to check out his books.

Robert

PS, an example of a nutty African American writer can be found in this New York Times article, Michael Eric Dyson Believes in Individual Reparations by ANA MARIE COX JAN. 4, 2017.  What he has to say about reparations is absurd.
http://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/04/magazine/michael-eric-dyson-believes-in-individual-reparations.html

Translations of the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius

There are many translations of the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius.  It is important, I think, to know what you are getting when you get a copy of the Meditations for your study.  I think if you are reading Marcus Aurelius for the first time you should consider getting the best translation, which is by Maxwell Staniforth (1964) on Amazon here.  Here is the opening line from the Staniforth translation.  "Courtesy and serenity of temper I first learnt to know from  my grandfather Versus."  This version is not in the public domain so you need to buy a copy of the book.  The book is out of print, so when you buy it on the used book market there is a chance your seller will mess up and send you another book from Penguin Classics, but you don't want that translation because it is flat and lifeless.  You should get the 1964 version from Maxwell Staniforth.  Here is a photo of the book cover.

The book is isbn 0140441409.  There a second entry for the 1964 book on Amazon.  It is odd that there are two entries for the same book on Amazon, but Amazon is not perfect.  You want the out-of-print Penguin edition because the new translation (2002) that is in-print is awful.

Here are other versions of this first verse from the Meditations.

"Of my grandfather Versus I have learned to be gentle and meek, and to refrain from all anger and passion."  Translator:  Meric Casaubon in 1634.  This is available online at Project Gutenberg as the Meditations.

"From my grandfather Versus I learned to relish the beauty of manners, and to restrain all anger." Translator:  Francis Hutcheson (1742).  Online link.

"From my grandfather Versus I learned good morals and the government of my temper."
Translated by George Long (1862).  A Dover Thrift edition available online here.  I do like the Dover Thrift edition.  This is also available online from Project Gutenberg as THE THOUGHTS OF MARCUS AURELIUS ANTONINUS.  Yes, there are two versions of the Meditations at Project Gutenberg.

"From my Grandfather Versus, a kindly disposition and sweetness of temper."  Translated by C. R. Haines 1915.  You can briefly view an online copy here.  The Haines translation can be purchased as a book here.

Now you can select the version of the Meditations you like best. Enjoy your reading!

Robert

Good Acapella Gospel Singing

I want to mention a couple of great acapella gospel albums.  One is Anywhere Is Home by Jean Redpath and Lisa Neustadt.  Here is the list of songs on the album.
1. Turn Your Radio On
2. Just As the Evening Sun
3. Precious Lord
4. Standing on the Promises
5. Now My Dear Companions
6. Life's Railway to Heaven
7. Jesus Hold My Hand
8. If You Believe
9. Let the Lower Lights Be Burning
10. Anywhere Is Home
11. Oh, He's Taken My Feet
12. When Morning Comes
13. Grey Funnel Line
14. Run Come See Jerusalem
15. Sailor's Prayer
16. Near the Cross
17. Face to Face

I was not familiar with #9 Let the Lower Lights Be Burning and #14 Run Come See Jerusalem until I purchased this album and I like them very much.  This album has song samples on Amazon.  The liner notes are very nice.  They include comments on the songs and all the lyrics.  Comments on songs #2 and 3 say that some songs are from an old hymnal, Awakening Glory, owned once by Davis Hammel, a circuit rider preacher in Oklahoma's past.  These are certainly old time gospel songs.  They are largely acapella, but there is occasionally some light instrumentation.

When you read the lyrics to Run Come See Jerusalem you see the song describes the shipwreck of the Pretoria, a ship that went down in the Great Lakes.  Here is a URL to a discussion on this song:  http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=67533.  It seems to me that Run Come See Jerusalem is more a folk song than a gospel song.  The singers are more folk singers than gospel singers through their careers.

Here is an article about Jean Redpath and here is an article about Lisa Neustadt.  The article about Neustadt mentions she was a child when her family fled Nazi Germany in the 1930's to escape the persecution of the Jews.  We in America have forgotten  that millions of Jews were murdered by the Nazis.  In Treblinka alone 800,000 men, women, and children were systematically killed by Germans, the best educated people in Europe.  I believe it is by the transforming power of the Holy Spirit that people can resist the temptation to do evil.  Gospel music is more than entertainment, it is an inspiration to lead Godly lives.

Another album of theirs is Angels Hovering Round.  Here are the songs on this album.
1. Where the Soul of Man Never Dies
2. Land Where We'll Never Grow Old
3. There Are Angels Hovering 'Round
4. Dry Bones
5. Lighthouse
6. Precious Memories
7. This World Is Not My Home
8. Angel Band
9. Harbour Bells
10. Down on My Knees
11. Jesus, Won't You Come By Here?
12. Give Me Your Hand
13. Have Thine Own Way

Both singers are dead.  Enjoy their songs while their albums are still available.

Robert

Optometist David Fitzhugh Out of Business

Dr. David Fitzhugh in Plano had been my optometrist for many years.  I called his office a few weeks ago and there was no answer and no answering machine.  I drove to his office and looked and all his eye glass  material was removed from his office and his business was not open.

There is now a temporary sign up for a geriatrics clinic.  Dr. Fitzhugh's website for Plano Vision is still on the web.  I did not receive a post card nor a call that he was going out of business. I've been going to him for 20 years.  I do not know what happened to him. If you are wondering what happened to him, at least you don't have to drive to his office like I did.

Robert