Professor Schaff and I returned from Chicago this afternoon, where we attended the Midwest Political Science Association's annual meeting. In spite of what he will tell you, his paper was good and his panel was very entertaining. Among the highlights of the conference was a round table discussion of Harvey Mansfield's new book, Manliness.
After hours we were free to roam and discovered, among other things, the best jazz music shop I have ever seen. Its just off Michigan Avenue, 27 East Illinois. You can find it on the web at www.jazzmart.com. Two doors down is an excellent Thai restaurant. Last night we took the Dan Ryan out to Cellular One Park (boy that rolls off the tongue, doesn't it?) and watched the ChiSox beat the snot out of the Twins.
We also managed an hour and a half in the Chicago Art Institute, one of the best museums in the country. We viewed the Asian art (my personal favorite), the American painting section, and the Impressionists. I have long struggled to get such cultural treasures into my courses, something that my web pages reflect. A thousand year old Buddhist guardian spirit carved out of wood, with most of the paint still intact, tells you a lot about the soul of Japan, and hence about the souls of human beings. I wonder if the cranky spirit has a green card?
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