Tillman on FOX 26’s “Houston Live & Local”

 

Seth Barrett Tillman, ‘Tillman on FOX 26’s “Houston Live & Local”,’ New Reform Club (Aug. 8, 2025, 3:56 AM), <https://reformclub.blogspot.com/2025/08/tillman-on-fox-26s-houston-live-local.html>; 

Asia

Letter from Empress Wende to Emperor Taizong (Tang Dynasty) (circa 636 CE):

During my lifetime, I made no contributions to the people, and I should not harm them in my death. I hope that you will not build a tomb to cause the people to labour and the empire to waste resources. Make a hill my tomb, and only use brick or wooden implements in the tomb. I hope that Your Imperial Majesty will continue to be close to honest men and stay away from those lacking virtues; that you will accept faithful words and reject wicked flattery; that you will decrease [your personal] labours and stop [your personal] hunting. Even as I go into the underworld, if these things happen, I will have no regrets. It is not necessary to summon the sons and daughters back here; if I see them mourn and cry, I will only be saddened. (emphasis added)

I Kings 6:7

And the house, when it was built, was built of stone made ready before it was brought there, so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house. (emphasis added) (See also: Exodus 20:22; Deuteronomy27:5-6.)

Seth Barrett Tillman, ‘Asia,’ New Reform Club (Aug. 4, 2025, 1:51 PM), <https://reformclub.blogspot.com/2025/08/asia.html>; 

Requesting Copies of Domestic and Foreign PhD Dissertations

 

A few months ago, I contacted the library at Yale University, and I requested a PDF copy of a 2024 PhD dissertation from a Yale department. I received a response stating: “At the request of the author or degree granting institution, this graduate work is not available to view or purchase until February 04 2027.” Not available “to view”?!? 

Earlier this week, I reached out to the library at the University of Tokyo, and I requested a PDF copy of a 2020 PhD dissertation from a department in that university. I received a response stating: “Due to copyright law, we are unable to provide PDF copies to anyone. We appreciate your understanding.”

How is this possible? When did this pattern become widespread—as it appears to be? I had thought one of the primary purposes of PhD dissertations was to advance public knowledge.

Yes, one can write the author(s), as I have done. But why should that be necessary? And what if the author is dead or otherwise unreachable or unavailable? Or what if the author simply refuses an otherwise legitimate request? It is almost as if there are elements in universities who seek to generate bad will for their institutions and for academia at large. But why?

Seth

Seth Barrett Tillman, ‘Requesting Copies of Domestic and Foreign PhD Dissertations,’ New Reform Club (Aug. 1, 2025, 6:00 AM), <https://reformclub.blogspot.com/2025/08/requesting-copies-of-domestic-and.html>;