Very Basic Art Lessons - Lesson #1 - Perspective

On the University

College was so long ago and so short a transition in my life; it was something I know I did but cannot remember why.

Very Basic Art Lessons - Introduction and Biography – A Line Drawing

I believe men are, by nature, capable of recognizing the truth and loving it. I have faith that the true, the beautiful, and the good are one; men are, by nature, lovers of beauty. .

I long to possess beauty, to acquire it, collect it, to hold it in my hands. As a boy, I loved to hold my father’s fly tying feathers; I collected rocks and kept them wet to show their colors. I collected coins, stamps, butterflies, books, and I picked flowers. I hunted so I could hold beautiful creatures in my hands.

I desire to look at beauty: sunsets, stars, and the sea. I saw the northern lights when I was a boy. I stare at Mountains and I esteem the human form, the image of God. I visited an art gallery for the first time in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. I was in ah of the beauty of objects made by craft. One fall, a lonely student at the U of U, I spent hour after hour in the library’s art book room, adoring art.

I hope to create beauty. In first grade I drew pictures of fish, black and brown. I kept them simple.

facsimille

In the forth grade I drew a reindeer for a Christmas bulletin board. I thought it very good, but my class mates and my teacher complained I had only given it two legs. Couldn’t they see that the others just behind?

In the eighth grade, I took an art class from Miss Thorn. She had taught with my mother, who called her Pricker. She loved art but my Math teacher scolded for drawing. He was, “aware of all those pictures". I read Ernest Thompson Seton’s books and started to sketch.

Knowing I needed to be trained, I took drawing at BYU and Utah State.

1975

Detail '76 1976

I sketched for seven years as a Professional Boy Scout, and then I took a Teaching Degree.

1977

Early 80's

1984

1985

Once I had a job and had given up on Greek and Graduate School, I took Art classes through the University Extension. The classes from Rob McKay were valuable, but most University class left me on my own. I did discovered life drawing at the U. I took a water color class. Then, I saw an advertisement for Art Lessons from Kamille Cory. I had found a Master. I had a year of a most amazing study and learning. Kamille told me how to do things properly and she told me when I wasn’t. Since leaving Kamille’s instruction six years ago, I have been alone with my books.

Study and practice are keys to learning. I have written Very Basic Art Lessons for my own study and practice. I did so in faith that someday I will create beauty, goodness, and truth.

Index to The Agora

Abortion

Number Killed: News Stories?, Mother Inferior

Art

My Art: Watercolors from the 90's, Art Room, Figure Drawing from the 1990's, Sketchbook 1998, Sketchbook 1999, Works from 2000, Art Works from 2001, Some Figure Art from 2002, Doodles, U of U Book Show

Philosophy of Art: Some Thoughts on Art, Very Basic Art Lessons #2 Introduction and Biography - A Line Drawing, Some Thoughts on Art, Duty, "It" Does Not Come Easy, If the Wine Is Sour, Through It Out, Art History

Photos of Wild Flowers: Wild Flowers, Teach Them the Names of the Flowers and of the Stars

Sandy Scott: The Spirit of Wild things, the Art of Sandy Scott, On the Wisdom of Sandy Scott – Master Artist

Very Basic Art Lessons (My Book):Preface, Introduction, Lesson #1 - Perspective, Lesson #2 - Perspective Cont., Lesson #3 - Drawing Cylinders in Perspective, Lesson #4 - Rules on Cylinders in Perspective, Lesson #5 - Drawing the Head, Lesson #6 - Making Eyes, Lesson #7 Building a Nose, Lesson #8 Anatomy of the Ear, Lesson #9 - Muscles of the Face, Lesson #10 - Making a Mouth, Lesson # 11 - Drawing the Neck, Lesson # 12 - Ribcage, Lesson #13 -Placing the Pelvis, Lesson #14 - Shoulder Girdle, Lesson #15 - Arms, Lesson #16 - Hand, Lesson #17 - Lower Arm, Lesson #18 - Leg, Lesson #19 - Lower Leg, Lesson #20 - Foot, Epilogue, Binding the Book

Biography

Art Study: Watercolors from the 90's, Art Room, Figure Drawing from the 1990's, Sketchbook 1998, Sketchbook 1999, Works from 2000, Art Works from 2001, Some Figure Art from 2002, Doodles

Camp:Thank your Justin, No One Is So Blind, Memories, Polar Bear,

Childhood: Wild Flowers, Keep off the Grass, Your Mother Wears Army Boots , The Bird and the Box, Four Enemies for the Price of One

Church: Is America a Christian Nation

Family: Twas the Night Before Christmas, Get out of Africa, I Saw a Black Man Once

Grand Children: The Dream of Achilles

Health: The NEP

My Book: Very Basic Art Lessons - Introduction and Biography - A Line Drawing

My Military “Service”: I Feel a Draft

Scouting: Native Son, The Day of the Jackal and the Last Ice Age

Teaching: Zen Superman and Achilles on a Motorcycle, No One Is So Blind, Grunts, There Is No Debate, Oil and Water and the Fall of Troy, Native Son, The Wall, Guilty Pleasure , A House Divided, but Why?, History through the Great Books - Book List ,

Books

Book List: History through the Great Book - Book List

Philosophy: Book Talk, The Dream of Achilles, Universal Recognition of Right and Wrong: Self Evident Truth and Man, The Dream of Achilles, Rooting for Ahab, School Play - For Real, Apology, Zen Superman and Achilles on a Motorcycle, The True Hero, In The Crucible, Muse Misused, Grima Lives, No More Vietnams - Six, No More Vietnams - Five, No More Vietnams - Four, No More Vietnams - Three, No More Vietnams - Two, No More Vietnams , When I Use a Word, A House Divided, But Why?, Thomas Cahill - History for Sale

My Books:Very Basic Art Lessons, (My Book), Very Basic Art Lessons - Introduction and Biography - A Line Drawing, Lesson #1 - Perspective, Lesson #2 - Perspective Cont.

Bush

Contrast with Carter: Outrageous, Obama's Nobel Peace Prize Speech - a Debate?

Contrast with Clinton: Two Talks Tell Total Tale

Contrast with Kerry: How Sour Was You Grape, Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin, The Friend of My Enemy Is My Enemy

Explains the War: Defending the War on Terror, Right War, Right Place, Right Time

In Defense of George Bush: Promises, Prayers, and"The Dog in the Manger", Guilty Pleasure, At the Bottom of the Box,

In Praise of George Bush: Duty, Cincinnatus, Service, and George W. Bush , Meeting the Challenge - George Bush Casts His Shadow on History, Two Ways of Rewriting History, Two Obama Speeches

State of the Union: Bush Speech Brings Hope - A "High Point" Review, A Speech for Today, a Speech for All Time

Camp

Alumni Association: Camp Loll Staff Alumni Reunion 2009, We’re All Together Again – 2009, Wild Things, A Bridge to Somewhere

Camp Pictures:

Summer 2009: A Flag Ceremony Skit, Amazing Women of Loll, Christmas Comes but Twice a Year, Moon Rise over Lake of the Woods, No Rain No Rainbows, Our 6^th Week – Can You Believe It?, Parting Shots 2009, Random Pictures from the First of Camp, Random Pictures II, Random Pictures III , There Will Be More, Road Tripping, Teach Them the Names of the Flowers and the Names of the Stars, Work and Staff Weeks at Loll 2009, Wild things, I Promised You More, Sailing at Loll, Yes We Can, Flag Ceremonies, I Promised You More

Summer 2010: We Will Have to Bring the Spring, Once More into the Breech My Friends!, A Long Road from St. Anthony to Loll, A Tough Swim Check, Midsummer's Night, In Training, A Give from the Wild, Give and Take, Can You Hear Me Now?, West Falls Wilderness, Random Shots #1, 2010, Summer Camp: Never WInter adn Always Christmas, Remembering Jed, You Can't Rollerscate in a Buffalo Herd, Alumni 2010, Past Hiking, Building Bridges, In a Cabin in the Middle of the Woods, Old Bridge Gone, Amost More Than I Can Bear, Dark Water and Cold Fire, Down to the Sea in Ships - Come Sail Away, Come Climb with Me,

Hike Day: Save the Wilderness, Save Camp Loll, Letter for Yellowstone, Letter to Unit Leaders, What We Do at Loll, A Brief, An Update

History: Polar Bear, Fellowship of the Moose, Karlo - Could Be Anywhere

Philosophy: A Flag Ceremony Skit, Christmas Comes but Twice a Year, Humming Birds and Horseflies, I Promised You More, No Rain No Rainbows, Road Tripping, Sailing at Loll, Yes We Can, Sardine Sandwiches and the Music of the Ainur, Shared Experience, Some Suggestions on Opening a Boy Scout Camp in the Rain, Teach Them the Names of the Flowers and the Names of the Stars, Flag Ceremonies , Work Week And Staff Week at Loll 2009, Road Tripping, I Only Know That I Do Not Know, Why We Play Games, Polar Bear

Work Projects: A Bridge to Somewhere

Environment

Endangered Species: Let's Play Nice Mr. Chocolate!

Global Warming: Enviro - Jihad, The Day of the Jackal and the Last Ice Age, Some Thoughts on Global Warming Etc.

History

Colonialism: Twas the Night before Christmas

Greek/Roman: Apology , Right Here Waiting for You, The Trial of the Generals - Poison Politics, A Story of Roman Love, Cincinnatus, Service, and George W. Bush, Athena and Aries #3 Rape and Reason, House Divided, But Why, I Only Know That I Do Not Know

Origins of Western Thought: Universal Recognition of Right and Wrong: Self Evident Truth and Man, A Thought for Easter

Religion: I Think the Professor Doth Protest Too Much , Come On; Think About It. I Don't Believe in Atheists - One , I Don't Believe in Atheists - Two, I Don't Believe in Atheists - Three

Telling History: Lost Legends , School Play - For Real , Birmingham to Belfast to Baghdad and Back, No One Is So Blind , Perceiving Perception, There Is No Debate, Already on the Record; Prophets of Doom Run a "foul" of the Truth, Two Ways of Rewriting History, Two Talks Tell Total Tale , The Fisherman and the Genie , Perception Is Everything - Not!!!!, School Spirit and World War Three, All We Are Is Dust in the Wind, Dude , Marx Is Dead - Privatize the World, Please Massa, Don't Set Me Free, Football and Viet Nam, Terrorism and Truth

U. S.: Outrageous , Iran: Appeasement Not Peace. Carter's Call , Mashing America; the "Truth" on Television , Hanoi Jane - The Death's Head Rises Once Again, Meeting the Challenge - George Bush Casts His Shadow on History, The Day of the Jackal and the Last Ice Age ,

Villains: Down With the Death Star

War on Terror: Apology, The Trial of the Generals - Poison Politics, Cincinnatus, Service and George W. Bush, The Glass - Half Full or Half Empty, Meeting the Challenge - George Bush Casts His Shadow on History, Three Missiles That Missed , Four Enemies for the Price of One, Oil and Water - and the Fall of Troy, Athena and Aries #3, House Divided, But Why, Please Massa, Don't Set Me Free, Football and Viet Nam, Terrorism and Truth, Tribune on the Afghan War

Media

Anti Bush: The Cannibals Are Choking, Media Gives America a McCaining, How Sour Was Your Grape?, Guilty Pleasure, Mene, Mene, Tekel, Uphansin

On John Kerry: One Man's Lie Is Another Man's Truth

On the War: Already on the Record: Prophets of Doom Run a "Fowl" of the Truth, News Stories?, Baghdad Bob Is Still in Business, NPR Stupid, G. I. Cody and Hoping for Failure, Grima Lives, Tribune on the Afghan War

Movies: Duty, It's No Double Standard; It's No Standard At All , 300 - A Movie Review, Amazing Grace - A Movie Review, Apocalypto - A Movie Review

Philosophy:

General: Hanoit Jane: The Death's Head Rises Once Again, In Defense of Saddam Hussein, The Filibuster: The Last Gasp of Relativism, The Trial and Death of Terry Schiavo: To Kill a Mockingbird, When I Use a Word, Please Massa, Don't Set Me Free, One Man's Lie Is Another Man's Truth, Why Relativists Love to Debate and Hate to Argue, Some Thoughts on Global Warming Etc., I Only Know That I Do Not Know

Reigion: I Don't Believe in Atheists - Three, I Don't Believe inAtheists - Two, I Don't Believe in Atheists - One

Politics

Bush: Duty, It's No Double Standard; It's No Standard At All, From Heaven to Earth, There Is No Debate, Bush Speech Brings Hope: A "High Point" Review, Cincinnatus, Service, and George W. Bush, Meeting the Challenge: George W. Bush Casts His Shadow on History, Two Talks Tell the Tale, A Speech for Today, a Speech for All Time

Education: Keep off the Grass, Some Thoughts on Education

Election: An Endorsement of Tim Bridgewater for Senate, How Sour Was Your Grape?, Guilty Pleasure, At the Bottom of the Box, Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin, A House Divided, But Why, The Friend of My Enemy Is My Enemy, A Question for Democrats Still Supporting Kerry, Please Massa, Don't Set Me Free, One Man's Lie Is Another Man's Truth, Terrorists Disrupt Elections

Environment: Let's Play Nice Mr. Chocolate!, Enviro - Jihad, Some Thoughts on Global Warming Etc.

Foundations of Government: Universal Recognition of Right and Wrong: Self Evident Truth and Man, Amazing Grace - A Movie Review, Lost Legends, School Play - for Real

Just Plan Politics: Reason Can Save Us, It All Comes Down to Rocks!, It Has Already Started, Mashing America: The "Truth" on Television , Hanoi Jane: The Death's Head Rises Again, Frankenstein's Lawyer, Mr. Foley, You Are a Brainless Man, No One Is So Blind, Perceiving Perception, Your Mother Wears Army Boots, Democrats Die of Dog's Disease, The Fisherman and the Genie, Perception Is Everything - NOT!!!, Four Enemies for the Price of One, School Spirit and World War Three, The Filibuster: The Last Gasp of Relativism, Dancing the Pelosi Two Step, The Trial and Death of Terry Schiavo: To Kill a Mockingbird, Marx is Dead - Privatize the World, Democrat Party - D. P. - Despise and Prevent, Oil and Water - and the Fall of Troy, Promises, Prayers, and "The Dog in the Manger", When I Use a Word, Why Relativists Love Debate and Hate to Argue,Let's Quit When the Going Gets Rough. Democrats Should Take Their Own Advice

Legal System:Not Nice News, Teddy Kennedy Swallows a Camel. And Did Anybody Know?

Local: Legacy

Media: The Bird in the Box, News Stories?, The Cannibals Are Choking, Baghdad Bog Is Still in Business, NPR Stupid, G. I. Cody and Hoping for Failure, Media Gives America a McCaining, Thomas Cahill - History for Sale

Obama: Taking Down Obama, Winning and Earning with Honor, Obama's Nobel Peace Prize Speech - a Debate?

Race: Twas the Night Before Christmas, Get Out of Africa, Burmingham to Belfast to Baghdad and Back

Religion: I Think the Professor Doth Protest Too Much, In the Crucible, Darwin Was for Intelligent Design, Gay Marriage Settled, Mormon Doctrin

Vietnam: No More Vietnams, No More Vietnams Two, No More Vietnams - Three, No More Vietnams - Four, No more Vietnams - Five, No More Vietnams - Six, Athena and Aires, Football and Vietnam, Terrorism and Truth

War on Terror: Talking Points and Questions on Detention at Guantanamo Bay and the Enhanced Interrogation of Terrorists, Two Thousand and One Words on Michale Moore, Outrageous, Stooges and Patsies, Appeasement Not Peace - Carter's Call, Down with the Death Star, Apology, The Trial of the Generals - Poison Politics, Cincinnatus, Service and George W. Bush, The Glass - Half Full or Half Empty, It's No Double Standard; It's No Standard at All, 300: A Movie Review, Obsession, Apology, Reason Can Save Us, In the Crucible, Grunts, If the Wine Is Sour, Throw It Out, The Trial of the Generals: Poison Politics , Already on the Record: Prophets of Doom Run a "Fowl" of the Truth, The Glass - Half Empty or Half Full, The Questions in Question, In Defense of Saddam Hussein, Two Ways to Rewrite History, Al - Zawahiri's Struggle: The Little Bloody Book, Defending the War on Terror, Cindy Shewho? Misguided Matron Makes Massive Miss, Let's Play Nice Mr. Chocolate!, Three Missiles That Missed, Thank You Justin, Mother Inferior, School Spirit and World War Three, Baghdad Bog Is Still in Business, Let's Remember Where Teddy Put His Faith, Grima Lives, Right War, Right Place, Right Time, The Wall, Athena and Aires , One Man's Terrorist Is Another Man's Patriot, NOT!!, Athena and Aries #2, Athena and Aries, The Friend of My Enemy Is My Enemy, Thank You Tom, Please Massa, Don't Set Me Free, Football and Vietnam, Terrorism and Truth, Let's Quit When the Going Gets Rough. Democrats Should Take Their Own Advice, Terrorists Disrupt Elections, Tribune on the Afghan War, Let the Sun Shine In, Two Obama Speeches

School and Teaching

How to Teach: Some Thoughts on Global Warming Etc., Winning and Earning with Honor

Mr. Smith: An Open Letter to the Davis County School Board, Emergency Alert, We Have Not Yet Begun to Fight, A Progress Report, Peaceably to Assemble, Address for L. Burk Larsen , In Need of Support, Wisdom and Justice, My View, I'm Proud of My Principal, On Watch,

What to Teach:Darwin Was for Intelligent Deign, Very Basic Art Lessons - (My Book), Some Thoughts on Global Warming Etc., To a Marine, Some Thoughts on Education

Very Basic Art Lessons

Introduction: Very Basic Art Lessons, (My Book), Introduction and Biography - A Line Drawing

Body: Lesson #1 - Perspective, Lesson #2 - Perspective Cont., Lesson #3 - Drawing Cylinders in Perspective, Lesson #4 - Rules on Cylinders in Perspective, Lesson #5 - Drawing the Head,Lesson #6 - Making Eyes, Lesson #7 Building a Nose, Lesson #8 - Anatomy of the Ear, Lesson #9 - Muscles of the Face, Lesson #10 - Making a Mouth, Lesson #11 - Drawing the Neck,Lesson #12 - Ribcage, Lesson #13 -Placing the Pelvis, Lesson #14 - Shoulder Girdle, Lesson #15 - Arms, Lesson #16 - Hand, Lesson #17 - Lower Arm, Lesson #18 - Leg, Lesson #19 - Lower Leg, Lesson #20 - Foot

Conclusion: Epilogue

War

Afghanistan: A Bow to the Emperor, Tribune on the Afghan War, To a Marine

Appeasement: Mother Inferior, Cindy Shewho? Misguided Matron Makes Massive Miss, Iran: Appeasement not Peace - Carter's Call

Culture: 300 - A Movie Review

In General: School Spirit and World War Three, Three Missiles That Missed, Thank You Justin,

Iraq: Terrorists Disrupt Elections, Let's Quit When the Going Gets Tough, the Democrats Should Take Their Own Advice, Please Massa, Don't Set Me Free, Thank You Tom, Right War, Right Place, Right Time, Grima Lives, Two Talks Tell Total Tale, Two Ways to Rewrite History, In Defense of Saddam Hussein, Apology

On Terror:Football and Terrorism, Viet Nam and Truth,The Friend of My Enemy Is My Enemy, Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin , Athena and Aries, Athena and Aries #2, One Man's Terrorist Is Another Man's Patriot, Not!!!, Athena and Aries #3, The Wall, A Speech of today, a Speech for All Time, Four Enemies for the Price of One, Let's Play Nice Mr. Chocolate, Cindy Shewho? Misguided Matron Makes Massive Miss, Defending the War on Terror,Al-Zawahiri's Struggle: The Little Bloody Book, Meeting the Challenge:George W. Bush Casts his Shadow on History, Cincinnatus, Service, and George W. Bush, Hanoi Jane: The Death's Head Rises Once Again, Duty, Let the Sunshine In, Two Obama Speeches, Obama's Nobel Peace Prize Speech - a Debate?

Vietnam: No More Vietnams, No More Vietnams Two, No More Vietnams - Three, No More Vietnams - Four, No more Vietnams - Five, No More Vietnams - Six, I Feel a Draft

Very Basic Art Lessons - (My Book)

Having determined to write a book of Art lessons, it seems necessary to begin with a list of the books that have instructed me.

The “core” of my education in Anatomy comes from the video tapes of Robert Beverly Hale’s lectures at the Art Student’s League. They are not only instructive in art and anatomy, but are among the finest examples of teaching I have ever seen. It was on Hale’s advice that I included perspective in both my own study and in Very Basic Art Lessons. The various anatomy books provide a number of unique views which permit a more complete analysis of the subject.

George Bridgman, who taught at the Art Student’s League before Hale, was one of my first inspirations in drawing.

Charles Bargue and Jean-Leon Gerome are fundamental to my philosophy of Art; their work central to my conviction that Art is the image of Truth.

I want to acknowledge that I was first introduced to both Hale and Bargue by my Master Teacher, Kamille Corry, who, for too short a time, was my guide in the exploration of Beauty.

I found Arthur L. Guptill on my own, while rummaging about the USU Bookstore, waiting for the start of my son, Lafe’s, master’s thesis defense. Even as Hale’s lectures are a model for all class room teaching, Guptill’s writing is the standard in how to provide written instruction. A teacher of any subject would be made better just by reading his book.

That Guptill, Bargue, Hale, and Corry all agree on the essence of Art, is evidence to me of its role in the illumination of Truth.

The promised “annotation” will be added to this bibliography over time, as will new sources as I discover them. (Note – The books listed here are my “lesson books”; other influential Art Books will be listed elsewhere.)

Annotated Bibliography

Anatomy Books:

Aristides, Juliette, Classical Drawing Atelier. New York – China: Watson-Guptill Publications, 2006

Bridgman, George B., Constructive Anatomy. Pelham, New York: Bridgman Publishers, Inc, 1920.

Bridgman, George B., The Human Machine. New York: Dover Publications, Inc, 1939.

Hale, Robert Beverly, and Terence Coyle. Albinus on Anatomy. New York: Dover Publications, Inc, 1979.

Hale, Robert Beverly, and Terence Coyle. Anatomy Lessons from the Great Masters. New York: Watson-Guptill Publications, 1977 (Paperback 2000).

Hale, Robert Beverly, Master Class in Figure Drawing. Edited by Terence Coyle. New York: Watson-Guptill Publications, 1983 (Paperback 1991).

Hale, Robert Beverly, World Famous Lectures on Artistic Anatomy and Figure Drawing, At the Art Students League of New York (on video tape), New York: Jo–An Pictures Ltd, 1985.

Parrmon’s Editorial Team, Todo sober la anatomia artistics - All About Techniques Anatomy for the Artist. Translated by Eric A. Bye, M. A. Barcelona, Spain:
Barron’s, 2003.

Peck, Stephen Rogers, Atlas of Human Anatomy for the Artist. Oxford New York: Oxford University Press, 1951.

Perard, Victor, Anatomy and Drawing. New York: Bonanza Books,1989.

Schider, Fritz, An Atlas of Anatomy for Artists. Revised by Professor Dr. M. Auerbach and Translated by Bernard Wolf, M.D. New York: Dover Publications, Inc. 1947.

Sheppard, Joseph, Anatomy A complete Guide for Artists, New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1975.

Winslow, Valerie L., Classic Human Anatomy, The Artist’s Guide to Form, Function, and Movement. New York: Watson-Guptill Publications, 2009.

General Art Instruction Books:

Ackerman, Gerald M., Charles Bargue, with the collaboration of Jean-Leon Gerome, Drawing Course. Paris: ACR Edition International, 2003.

Guptill, Arthur L., Drawing and Sketching in Pencil. New York: Pencil Points Press, Inc., 1922 (Paperback – Dover Edition – 2007)

Hale, Robert Beverly, Drawing Lessons from the Great Masters. New York: Watson-Guptill Publications, 1964 (Paperback 1989).

Perspective Books:

Norling, Ernest R., Perspective Made Easy. New York: Dover Publications, Inc. 1939.

Walters, Nigel V., and John Bromham, Principles of Perspective. London: The Architectural Press, 1970.

Winning and Earning with Honor

When I was a debate Coach, I had a student ask me to check his point total because he didn’t think he had earned his place in the finals. I grumbling to Dean that if he kept his mouth shut “we’d” win a trophy. “Do you think I want a trophy that says, 'You’re a cheater?'”

Each year, I warn the merit badge instructors at Loll that someday that boy’s dad will hang his Eagle Badge on his chest; don’t ruin the joy of that moment by forcing him to hear that award say, "You didn’t earn this."

At school there are a pair of problems, cheating and grade inflation. Many students cheat. I warn mine not to. I point out that they learn nothing by it, and remind them that they will go to Hell for cheating – no doubt Hell will be eternity in my class! A joke, perhaps, but Hell is regret, and in the years to come, when they want or need the knowledge they did not gain, they will know what their empty grades have to say about their failure to themselves. As for grad inflation; PHD thesis spawned educational theories encourage teachers to give students grades that are aimed at boosting their self-esteem rather than rewarding their effort. When a student receives an A for nothing, he knows the grade says your a sham; there is only shame in such a prize.

Friday morning, President Obama was handed a Nobel Peace Prize. Why would he want it? President Obama has earned a great prize; he has been elected President of the United States. Those who respect our President are rightly dismayed, and those who dislike him are unfortunately pleased by this latest accolade, foisted on our President by the agenda driven Nobel Committee. What does it say?

Consider these past recipients: Jimmy Carter – who handed Iran over to the terrorists, Afghanistan to the Soviets, and Latin America to the communists, Al Gore – whose global warming hoax piles up millions of dollars in his carbon credit scam while threatening to derail the world economy and starve and impoverish millions of human beings, Yasser Arafat – a bloody handed terrorist murderer who grubbed power by exploiting religious hate, Kofi Annan – who presided over the U. N. while millions died of aggression and murder in Ruanda, Iraq, and the former Yugoslavia, Mohamed ElBaradei – whose direction of the U. N’s nuclear watchdogs has permitted North Korea to developed an atomic bomb and Iran to advance toward acquiring one, Le Duc Tho – who lied his way through the “peace negotiation” on the conflict in South East Asia in order to facilitate the communist invasion of South Vietnam and initiate the murder of millions of Vietnamese and Cambodians, and Aristide Brand – who, in 1925, crafted the Locarno Pact to end all war.

Perhaps Mr. Obama should carefully evaluate the implications of accepting such an award. It may be an even a more regrettable “honor” than a debate trophy one cheats to earn, or a merit badge handed out for nothing, or an A stolen by cheating or given without growth.