Jamesian Philosophy Refreshed

There is an old story about novelist Henry James. I am a bit surprised I haven't mentioned it in this blog or its precursor before now.  The story is that Henry James was once speaking to his nephew, William James Jr., the philosopher's son. tete-a-tete, when "Billy" was a child, and told him there are three important rules in life. ... Be kind, be kind, and be kind.  ----------------------  This story is an example of the old "rule of three" One says something three times to make it memorable. Four or more times and one has simply made one's self a bore. What are the three most important considerations in real estate: location, location, and location!    A priest, a rabbi, and a minister go camping together. [You can include "and an atheist" in that joke, but it generally will involve dropping out one of the other three, keeping the number of campers constant.) The above story appears in Leon Edel's magisterial biography of Henry James, an...

A new movie has opened, about the life of Fred Rogers, the longtime beloved host of Mr Rogers' Neighborhood. I have no plans for seeing the movie, but I think there is something to be said about that fact that Tom Hanks, no less, is playing the title character. It says, I think, that Hanks has settled into what may be the final, and a very long, phase of his career. Bill Cosby used to be called "America's Dad," back in the old Cliff Huxtable  days. Hanks, for all his talent and fame, is settling into a recurring role as "America's Grandpa." I hope it doesn't end for Hanks as badly as it ended for Cosby!