tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-94339902011-04-21T15:28:24.060-07:00uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.comBlogger1101100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-20104956164517976232009-03-26T07:47:00.000-07:002009-03-26T07:55:46.660-07:00

Here's an excerpt from a recent speech by Karl Paulnack, Director of Music at the Boston Conservatory. Full speech at: http://www.arsviva.org/something_important.html"Some of you may know Samuel Barber’s heartwrenchingly beautiful piece Adagio for Strings. If you don’t know it by that name, then some of you may know it as the background music which accompanied the Oliver Stone movie Platoon, a

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-74310824677072795192009-03-06T04:32:00.000-08:002009-03-06T04:33:59.780-08:00

http://www.wltx.com/news/story.aspx?storyid=71172&catid=2

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-61799664861645845342009-01-30T18:20:00.000-08:002009-01-30T18:22:07.842-08:00

Editorial by Kruathhamer well worth reading.

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-57400924253832419162009-01-10T13:55:00.000-08:002009-01-10T14:26:31.272-08:00

Here are the last two paragraphs of an essay by Joseph Epstein that struck a chord with me. If you want to see the entire essay, go here."At a certain point in American life, the young ceased to be viewed as a transient class and youth as a phase of life through which everyone soon passed. Instead, youthfulness was vaunted and carried a special moral status. Adolescence triumphed, becoming a

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-77677536712449806342009-01-09T12:20:00.000-08:002009-01-09T12:21:54.244-08:00

Everything else aside, what's the deal with "The Office of the President-Elect"?

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-41406591035352692802008-10-20T13:57:00.001-07:002008-10-20T14:07:04.701-07:00

Here's one of the most creative comedy bits I've ever seen. I was browsing youtube and ran across it -- I remember seeing it years ago (possibly when it first came out in 1954)but I think I appreciate it more nowadays. In case you're pretty young, it's Sid Caesar and Nannette Fabray.

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-22046555904168310852008-10-08T06:48:00.000-07:002008-10-08T06:49:23.528-07:00

The affirmation of moral principles is not within the competence of formal empirical methods. While not denying the validity of such methods, but at the same time not restricting its viewpoint to them, moral theology, faithful to the supernatural sense of the faith, takes into account first and foremost the spiritual dimension of the human heart and its vocation to divine love. In fact, while

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-84727015056356324092008-07-05T08:17:00.000-07:002008-07-05T08:18:45.337-07:00

Whenever I watch competitive swimming, I can't help thinking that it's strange they have different races for so many "strokes." You're in the water and the idea is to swim a certain distance faster than your opponents. Obviously, the fastest way to do this is the crawl ("free-style") so why mess around with the backstroke, butterfly, and breast strokes. There are lots of ways to move on land

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-63132739112182355072008-05-30T14:28:00.000-07:002008-05-30T14:55:56.657-07:00

Once again, a celebrity has shaken the very foundations of American politics by threatening to leave the country if things don't go her way. Joining the ranks of Baldwin (I forget which one), Redford, and Cruise is Susan Sarandon, the rapidly aging movie star who consented to a recent interview wherein she shared her wisdom with the nation:"If McCain gets in, it's going to be very, very dangerous

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-9019777424929152512008-05-27T10:11:00.001-07:002008-05-27T10:12:07.084-07:00

A very large percentage of things that are wrong with our civilization can be summed up in the word, "facilitator." Unca

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-60725781946176567702008-04-14T07:25:00.000-07:002008-04-14T07:26:56.045-07:00

From Peter DeVries, "Reuben, Reuben""Mopworth's first surprise derived from the belief that she was engaging in self-criticism. Nothing of the kind. In America such self-inventories were not admissions of faults at all but claims to complexity. Basic insecurities and feelings of insufficiency and the like were all degrees of intricacy on which the natives preened themselves; bandying the terms

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-15811609431228665172008-04-01T08:32:00.000-07:002008-04-01T08:34:03.024-07:00

Mugged by data: Research reveals who the truly compassionate are By George Will 3/27/08Residents of Austin, Texas, home of the state's government and flagship university, have very refined social consciences, if they do say so themselves, and they do say so, speaking via bumper stickers. Don R. Willett, a justice of the state Supreme Court, has commuted behind bumpers proclaiming "Better a

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-83618488794394336732008-03-31T14:56:00.000-07:002008-03-31T14:57:13.562-07:00

Almost half of the 47 members of the United Nations' Human Rights Council are not "free democracies" (according to Freedom House rankings), and several, such as China, Cuba, Russia and Saudi Arabia, have been widely criticized as human rights violators. Consequently, the council has failed to address any of the most prominent rights abuses around the world (including some that were called

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-38781898820427690192008-03-27T14:08:00.000-07:002008-03-27T14:09:08.835-07:00

I would have chosen different music but it's still pretty cool.http://youtube.com/watch?v=SmC2v4G5zq0&feature=related

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-71440178178603401652008-03-20T06:29:00.001-07:002008-03-20T06:29:53.376-07:00

Woe to him inside a nonconformist clique who does not conform with nonconformity.Eric Hofer

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-13771694847793017142008-02-07T07:19:00.000-08:002008-02-07T07:21:05.391-08:00

Long but interesting article on this "experiment" you may have heard about. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/04/AR2007040401721.html?hpid=artslot

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-47274231085920890822008-02-02T21:32:00.000-08:002008-02-02T21:41:41.650-08:00

A good friend of mine has been working on his genealogy for sometime now. Most of this relatives came from Germany and awhile back he found this death for a long deceased relative which he translated and shared with me. I can't resist posting it here:January 1799, in Unter Sapach. "Maria Catharina, the departed wife of Joh. Martin Martin, the master brickmaker still living in Hollenbach, who

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-50021404763808379852008-01-17T18:32:00.000-08:002008-01-17T18:41:00.232-08:00

Bryan Torre posted this back in November and a bunch of us smart alecks bombarded it with sarcastic remarks (I started it). Anyway, I never thought that it got the attention it deserved so, without Bryan's permission, I'm posting it here. You can see the orignal at: http://momentsofadequacy.blogspot.com/2007/11/theres-always-something-better-you.html#commentsI'm particularly interested in

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-12576909421558824302008-01-11T13:55:00.001-08:002008-01-11T14:12:12.800-08:00

I recommend that everybody read the recent book by Oliver Sachs, "Musicophilia." I've always been awed by the universal power of music to move us (what makes it happen? what good is it? how can something so abstract be so overpowering? why is it only humans experience music in this way?) Sachs addresses all of these things but doesn't answer them completely (who can?). However, he does provide

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-86827965386071471862007-12-25T18:32:00.001-08:002007-12-25T18:32:59.858-08:00

http://www.boreme.com/boreme/funny-2006/guitar-feet-p1.php

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-6936289651131328012007-11-16T18:10:00.000-08:002007-11-16T18:16:15.251-08:00

I think it’s interesting to compare song lyrics from different eras. First is “All the Things You Are” written in 1939 and the second one is a modern rap/rock song I found online. Both have to do with love (honestly now, which of these romantic tributes would you like your sweetheart to sing to you?)You are the promised kiss of springtimeThat makes the lonely winter seem longYou are the

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-77054749990529742482007-11-08T19:01:00.000-08:002007-11-08T19:03:14.595-08:00

I work in a building on a campus very concerned with compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act. I think this is great. We have accessible rest rooms, ramps that slope at the correct angle, and entrances that are wheelchair accessible. We have lights that flash when an emergency alarm goes off. We also have signs by all of the doors that identify room numbers, stairwells, exits,

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-52833315630880286712007-11-02T13:49:00.000-07:002007-11-02T13:50:32.281-07:00

“Smoking is the entire point of being an adult.” – Fran LiebowitzWhen I was a kid, my dad smoked cigarettes (probably a pack a day) in every room in our house. When my grandfathers came to visit they smoked cigars and pipes. When I was in elementary school, my classmates and I made ashtrays to take home to our parents. When I went away to college my first roommate smoked in the room regularly.

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-83849951277260603342007-10-19T12:27:00.001-07:002007-10-19T12:27:34.231-07:00

Here's something pretty cool

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-63939839233013665392007-09-24T08:27:00.001-07:002007-09-24T08:27:54.332-07:00

Wonderful little clip

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-30744890191636655472007-09-18T18:27:00.001-07:002007-09-18T18:28:17.056-07:00

I think the audience and judge reaction is just as wonderful as the performance.

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-40309231412526288482007-08-21T18:47:00.000-07:002007-08-21T18:48:24.735-07:00

Around 35 years ago, When my sister worked at the University of Illinois as a bibliographic searcher she hunted through hundreds of huge volumes that listed cataloging information for millions of books so that recently received books could be cataloged correctly. One of these reference works was the union catalog of the British Museum Library (in the library world, it is usually referred to as

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-48321912371252607522007-08-21T07:20:00.001-07:002007-08-21T08:03:48.174-07:00

Still funnyAlso, look for the Bob and Ray Komodo dragon interview on youtube

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-13849270028960948632007-08-08T09:53:00.000-07:002007-08-08T09:55:08.205-07:00

“O wad some Power the giftie gie usTo see oursels as ithers see us!” (Robert Burns)Have you ever given a talk or presentation and thought later that you did a pretty good job and then had a chance to see what it actually looked and sounded like because somebody videotaped it? It’s not fun (at least for me) – as I watched the tape, the words, “doofus” and “dork” seem to be almost written across

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-77868874700163669062007-07-18T16:37:00.000-07:002007-07-18T16:38:39.941-07:00

You probably read that Bevery Sills died a week or so ago. I've never been a big opera fan but I've always liked the arias and other songs that opera singers perform at recitals. My wife and I had a chance to see Beverly Sills back in the early 1970's and she ended her concert as she did every concert with this little song. She never recorded it but I recently found this audio clip on the

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-16328159921975369122007-06-06T19:06:00.000-07:002007-06-06T19:08:37.266-07:00

Here's a link to another powerful poem. Be sure to click on the link that shows the painting that inspired the poem. http://www.gslis.utexas.edu/~wyllys/manwhoe.html

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-64780284138861696862007-06-04T13:21:00.000-07:002007-06-04T13:22:43.354-07:00

In Vermont, nascent secession movement gains tractionBy John Curran, Associated Press Writer June 3, 2007MONTPELIER, Vt. --At Riverwalk Records, the all-vinyl record store just down the street from the state Capitol, the black "US Out of Vt.!" T-shirts are among the hottest sellers.But to some people in Vermont, the idea is bigger than a $20 novelty. They want Vermont to secede from the United

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-21697105237524086882007-05-22T18:50:00.000-07:002007-05-22T18:53:53.541-07:00

I remember reading this poem many years ago and liking it very much. I re-read it recently and now that I'm sixty it hits me where I live. It took me awhile to understand all of the references and imagry but it was worth the effort. I think it's one of the greatest poems, ever.Sailing to ByzantiumThat is no country for old men. The youngIn one another's arms, birds in the trees -Those dying

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-1306884815429472142007-05-22T18:37:00.001-07:002007-05-22T18:38:45.303-07:00

I work with a lot of new, young librarians. Three of them are in their middle to late 20's. Josh is happily married to a woman, Kate is a lesbian in a serious relationship. Barb is very single and very straight. All of these young people are nice and not really bohemian types. Josh is a Roman Catholic. At the annual national conference where the librarians in our field gather, it is customary for

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-27356476418249928192007-05-03T07:06:00.000-07:002007-05-03T07:10:23.059-07:00

I like to read obituaries. It’s the first part of the local paper I turn to and I check the NYT obituaries almost daily. Here’s something I don’t understand: the obituaries in local papers seem to state as a matter of course, “preceded in death by his/her parents” no matter how old the dead person is. A guy can be 105 years old and, sure enough, there’s the statement, “preceded in death by

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-20600536395455852832007-03-21T13:51:00.000-07:002007-03-21T13:55:15.916-07:00

One wonders what kind of perverse ideology could lead to this? Can there be any "negotiations" or "peace brokering" in such a culture?March 20Insurgents in Iraq detonated an explosives-rigged vehicle with two children in the back seat after US soldiers let it through a Baghdad checkpoint over the weekend, a senior US military official said Tuesday.The vehicle was stopped at the checkpoint but

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-14493052166188868982007-03-10T06:26:00.000-08:002007-03-10T06:30:18.589-08:00

I haven't posted anything for awhile. Here's a poem I wrote many years ago based on a real life family incident.REQUIEM FOR A FEATHERWEIGHT The bird had shown some signs of dying Long before it was our family's turn To make a pleasant evening for the Pastor Who in return, was rendering, just for us, A reverent, though obligatory prayer.But still, we were

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-21714232577303775692007-02-14T08:43:00.000-08:002007-02-14T08:44:06.462-08:00

If you've ever been on either side of the tech support issue, this is a great post:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRjVeRbhtRU

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-83990450845132029952007-01-22T19:27:00.000-08:002007-01-22T19:28:49.172-08:00

Speaking of love, one problem that recurs more and more frequently these days, in books and plays and movies, is the inability of people to communicate with the people they love: husbands and wives who can't communicate, children who can't communicate with their parents, and so on. And the characters in these books and plays and so on, and in real life, I might add, spend hours bemoaning the fact

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-33602403396778020932007-01-04T19:16:00.000-08:002007-01-04T19:20:02.189-08:00

A couple of weeks ago, I received a Christmas card that was addressed to a house we haven’t lived in for twenty years. I’m sure our “new” forwarding address was no longer on record. However, somebody at the local post office took the time to look in the University directory, spotted my name, and forwarded the card to me at work. Impressive, I think. The U.S. Post Service seems to be everybody’s

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-66164026707979756112006-12-20T14:54:00.000-08:002006-12-20T14:56:48.516-08:00

I know I’ll step on somebody’s toes with this post but here goes. I am not what you’d call a “clothes horse.” I don’t like to shop for clothes and I don’t particularly like to dress up. I long ago accepted and welcomed the trend of dressing down when shopping (my father used to wear a tie to the grocery store) and while traveling (50 years ago, a man wouldn’t think of boarding a plane or a

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-1164944694881316572006-11-30T19:43:00.000-08:002006-11-30T19:55:08.213-08:00

One of the foundations of Western thought is that human beings are set apart from the rest of creation as special and having intrinsic value. We confirm this thinking consciously or unconsciously when we speak of the sanctity of human life or, on a more religious level, ascribe to the notion that man is made in the image of God. I certainly can’t speak with authority about other religions except

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-1163620288727843292006-11-15T11:50:00.000-08:002006-11-15T11:51:28.756-08:00

Great link:http://media.ebaumsworld.com/retro.wmv

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-1162259225319585642006-10-30T17:44:00.000-08:002006-10-30T17:47:05.336-08:00

This seems to happen a lot. I go into a crowded public restroom and take my place against the wall. Then the guy next to me, either before he starts or after he finishes -- spits a large stream of saliva into the urinal. Now I don’t know very many guys who make a habit of spitting under any circumstances. You don’t see too many guys spitting these days when they’re in their yard or taking a hike

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-1161653868509203082006-10-23T18:35:00.000-07:002006-10-24T06:41:45.650-07:00

I’ve seen parts of “Silence of the Lambs” three or four times now (only once in the R rated version). I know that the acting is terrific and the “production values” are great and that it has other qualities that people in the know prize about movies. My concern has to do rather with why we are attracted to a movie like this in the first place. I can’t help feeling that at least part of the

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-1159148168065608782006-09-24T18:20:00.000-07:002006-09-24T18:36:08.116-07:00

Here's the follow-up on my back: I broke it. Long story short---about a week and a half after I fell off the ladder they x-rayed my back and found I had a compression fracture of the fourth lumbar vertebra. My regular doc said there wasn't much to do about it but I pressed it and finally (and this is a story all by itself) was able to see an orthopedist. You would think that here in Iowa City

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-1156731312991088532006-08-27T18:57:00.000-07:002006-08-27T19:15:13.016-07:00

This afternoon I feel off a ladder. I had propped up an estension ladder against the limb of a tree so that I could saw another limb off that was hanging over our driveway. My ladder was just barely long enough to reach the branch it was resting on and it seemed pretty sturdy. The sawing went great and the only thing still holding the limb on was a little bit of bark which I then commenced

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-1152416458264775542006-07-08T20:38:00.000-07:002006-07-08T20:40:58.296-07:00

I realize there's been considerable discussion of cell phones on the blogs I frequent but I couldn't help adding this snippet from a recent Joseph Epstein column in the Weekly Standard:"People talking to themselves used to be fairly common in Manhattan, but the assumption was always that those doing so were a little--sometimes much more than a little--nuts. Now lots of people walk the street

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-1151354302121917262006-06-26T13:37:00.000-07:002006-06-26T13:38:22.160-07:00

Mediocrity: It takes a lot less time and most people won't notice the difference until it's too late.

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-1151100231027232472006-06-23T15:03:00.000-07:002006-06-23T15:03:51.043-07:00

http://despair.com/spin.html

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-1150911224704748982006-06-21T10:32:00.000-07:002006-06-21T10:33:44.736-07:00

Spray Away That Marital Stress, Researcher SuggestsNasal spray of oxytocin, the 'love hormone,' can cut aggressionURL of this page: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_35102.html (*this news item will not be available after 07/20/2006)HealthDayTuesday, June 20, 2006TUESDAY, June 20 (HealthDay News) -- A nasal spray containing a "love hormone" may actually help defuse marital

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-1150771252249117452006-06-19T19:37:00.000-07:002006-06-19T19:42:16.356-07:00

I was going to write something about the bad camera angles that are shown over and over in baseball telecasts and then I found this column by Thomas Sowell, written in 2002 that says pretty much everything. I would only add that the angle I would like to see --the entire field (or at least the entire infield) is rarely if ever shown). Maddening."There are people who find sports exciting and

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-1146187828615464492006-04-27T18:27:00.000-07:002006-04-27T18:30:28.646-07:00

This is going to take a bit of “set-up” but I thought I should pass it along. A few days the NYT printed an obituary of actress, Alida Valli, an Italian movie star famous for her role in “The Third Man” (1949). The obituary details her dramatic life before and after WWII and includes this paragraph: “Rather than comply with the dictates of the fascist government, Ms. Valli retreated into

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-1143078034619873052006-03-22T17:37:00.000-08:002006-03-22T17:40:34.636-08:00

We spend a lot of time during arguments and discussions misrepresenting the other persons point of view, burlesquing it, and ascribing ulterior motives that often not much gets accomplished. It occurs to me that the most fruitful and satisfying discussions I’ve had with those I disagree with have been those instances where we both understand clearly each other’s point of view. I once saw Mortimer

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-1142874422969488912006-03-20T08:53:00.000-08:002006-03-20T09:07:02.990-08:00

Looks like Barbra has a legitimate heir in Sharon Stone when it comes to the subject of vapid pronouncements. My favorite phrase: "We can choose to have this alternative kind of growth that is a collective nuance of understanding. " Why didn't we think of this before? (Now if we'll all just cross and uncross our legs, can peace be far behind?)****A peaceful co-existence between the peoples

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-1140460896009909842006-02-20T10:35:00.000-08:002006-02-21T19:30:43.273-08:00

Perhaps his racist, stupid, wrong-headed and inflammatory books could be construed as "fighting words" and subject to regulation but it's a stretch and this is pretty troubling to me. The CIA Factbook describes Austria as, "A prosperous, democratic country." The "Freedom House" describes it as "free." hmmmm.Holocaust Denier Gets Three YearsBy VERONIKA OLEKSYNThe Associated PressMonday, February

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-1138907979886831922006-02-02T11:15:00.000-08:002006-02-02T11:19:39.906-08:00

There's a great book review by Garrison Keillor in the most recent NYT Book Review:Go to: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/29/books/review/29keillor.html

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-1138671330518999002006-01-30T17:33:00.000-08:002006-01-30T17:35:30.646-08:00

"The denunciation of the young is a necessary part of the hygiene of older people, and greatly assists in the circulation of the blood." -- Logan Pearsall Smith (1865-1946)

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-1137724749479328422006-01-19T18:37:00.000-08:002006-01-19T18:39:09.556-08:00

The sole cause of man's unhappiness is that he does not know how to stay quietly in his room. --Pascal

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-1137642892619585442006-01-18T19:53:00.000-08:002006-01-18T20:10:55.650-08:00

Despite my father’s courageous efforts to care for my mother at home, he was finally unable to do so and placed her in an Alzheimer’s unit of a nursing village. There, surrounded by the other residents similarly stricken, she passed the last few months of her life in caring surroundings with support from my father and two of my sisters and their families who lived in the area. On one of my visits

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-1137471083795951452006-01-16T20:06:00.000-08:002006-01-16T20:13:35.726-08:00

A posting from another blog prompts me to write this:At the risk of offending lots of people, t's time to say that "Annie's Song," by John Denver is, perhaps, the worst song ever written (before I go further I should add that I do like some of John Denver's music, OK? so there). Anyway, I wonder why you never see this on any of the "worst song" lists. It consists of a list of hackneyed similes

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-1136392459142499122006-01-04T08:33:00.000-08:002006-01-04T08:34:19.183-08:00

Wednesday, January 4, 2006By Stefanie KranjecTORONTO (Reuters) - Giving homeless alcoholics a regular supply of booze may improve their health and their behavior, according to a study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal on Tuesday.Seventeen homeless adults, all with long and chronic histories of alcohol abuse, were allowed up to 15 glasses of wine or sherry a day -- a glass an

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-1136324840014252472006-01-03T13:39:00.000-08:002006-01-03T13:47:20.040-08:00

I suppose that of the few people who frequent this blog, I'm the only one old enough to remember when yo-yo's were an everyday fun toy. For a year or so, I remember bringing one to school nearly every day where I would match my yo-yo prowess against the "other fellers." I do believe that I had an almost exact replica of the Duncan yo-yo shown here (complete with jewels). Anyway, it's a fun site

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-1135223999446563572005-12-21T19:56:00.000-08:002005-12-21T19:59:59.473-08:00

Every so often I run across a thought that resonates not only because I happen to believe it but because it is expressed with such clarity and grace. I found the one below while reading an extended review of futurist, Ray Kurzweil’s new book, “The Singularity is Near,” in which he predicts the imminent fusion of computer technology with the human brain through a combination of powerful computing

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-1134668814260841492005-12-15T09:46:00.000-08:002005-12-15T09:49:48.590-08:00

Continuing its no-nonsense campaign against lighting up, the California Legislature voted today to make cigarette smoking a capital offense. While the law waits for the governor’s signature, which is seen as imminent, anti-tobacco spokespeople around the state, expressed their relief at the tough new law. “Why shouldn’t smokers be put to death?” pondered one grateful citizen. “After all, haven’t

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-1134588952576468462005-12-14T11:32:00.000-08:002005-12-14T11:37:49.273-08:00

Thanks to oversimplification and societal innumeracy, it is common to hear this from people of every educational level. A related illusion has to do with how much longer people are living these days. This one has a modicum of truth but is, IMHO,exaggerated. The main difficulty arises when we use average life expectancy AT BIRTH as the jumping off place. While it is true that in 1910 the average

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-1134503597567490012005-12-13T11:51:00.000-08:002005-12-13T11:55:25.663-08:00

In the wake of the execution of Tookie Williams the news is awash with editorials and opinions on the death penalty. While reasonable people can differ regarding the morality of this kind of punishment, one argument that always seems to surface seems to me untenable: that the state execution of a criminal is tantamount to murder itself—that the state lowers itself to the criminal’s level by

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-1133979852447995612005-12-07T10:23:00.000-08:002005-12-07T10:24:12.946-08:00

In 1927, Charles Lindberg was the first person to fly alone across the Atlantic Ocean. Everybody knows his name, his nickname, the name of his plane; his face is one of the most identifiable even by members of the current generation. His accomplishment is always mentioned as one of the greatest feats of the 20th century. I’ve never quite understood the hype surrounding all of this. Why do we

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-1133549361264781132005-12-02T10:48:00.000-08:002005-12-02T10:49:37.566-08:00

I have my own theory about dreams: they don’t really mean anything important – they’re just random firings of neurons and synapses that don’t quite work while you’re asleep. Still, I’m intrigued by what I’m calling the “college dream.” The basic, recurring plot is that you’re back in school (high school or college) and at the end of the semester you suddenly realize that you’ve never attended one

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-1133464086127118002005-12-01T11:07:00.000-08:002005-12-01T12:25:18.656-08:00

Just when I thought I was too old to get excited about the new generation of toys, I bought myself a handheld GPS. My model is a Garmin eTrex Vista C and does this baby hum! Well, hum may not be the right word, but it sure is fun. Depending on your generation, it is, in turn, swell, nifty, cool, neat, bitchin’, awesome, and sweet. I bought it in Colorado Springs during a family visit and found

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-1133287004853238732005-11-29T09:54:00.000-08:002005-11-29T09:56:44.893-08:00

I posted this on another site a couple of years ago, but it's worth seeing again. --UncaThe year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-1125365828094086882005-08-29T18:36:00.000-07:002005-08-29T18:37:08.100-07:00

29/08/05 - News sectionYou can use the f-word in class (but only five times)A secondary school is to allow pupils to swear at teachers - as long as they don't do so more than five times in a lesson. A running tally of how many times the f-word has been used will be kept on the board. If a class goes over the limit, they will be 'spoken' to at the end of the lesson.The astonishing policy, which

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-1124330186103947742005-08-17T17:49:00.000-07:002005-08-18T06:40:11.163-07:00

Several years ago I had the responsibility of managing several librarians and one computer support person. Bob, one of the veteran librarians and a kind of self proclaimed computer maven resented Gary, the new and younger computer guy who obviously knew much more. Unlike Bob, Gary also liked to cut to the chase and just get things done without talking and thinking things to death. So he made

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-1122745573878295482005-07-30T10:43:00.000-07:002005-07-31T13:32:45.766-07:00

“Punishment is not for revenge, but to lessen crime and reform the criminal.”--Elizabeth Fry (1780-1845), British Reformer.Most of us would like to believe ourselves in sympathy with this simple quotation and others like it, believing it to be the view of modern and enlightened minds. I was reminded of such thinking while reading about the trial and conviction of 71 year old Bobby Frank Cherry

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-1122317941599919322005-07-25T11:58:00.000-07:002005-07-25T11:59:01.610-07:00

When people are free to do as they please, they usually imitate each other. -- Eric Hoffer

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-1121180621803691892005-07-12T08:03:00.000-07:002005-07-12T08:03:41.806-07:00

BBC edits out the word terroristBy Tom Leonard(Filed: 12/07/2005)The BBC has re-edited some of its coverage of the London Underground and bus bombings to avoid labelling the perpetrators as "terrorists", it was disclosed yesterday.Early reporting of the attacks on the BBC's website spoke of terrorists but the same coverage was changed to describe the attackers simply as "bombers".The BBC's

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-1119649418013798522005-06-24T14:43:00.000-07:002005-06-24T14:43:38.016-07:00

Until about a month ago, I had yellow, stained, mottled, dirty, grimy teeth and had been under some pressure to do something about it. By “pressure” I mean subtle comments from my wife such as, “Have you looked into that teeth bleaching thing yet?” and from one of my daughters, “You know, Dad, your teeth look like they’ve been stained with horse urine” (actual quote). If you’ve ever seen the

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-1116957627388809552005-05-24T10:56:00.000-07:002005-05-24T11:00:27.393-07:00

Like millions of other Americans you’ve probably asked yourself from time to time, “Why hasn’t greater recognition been paid to the great ukulele players of the past?” If so, you’ll be happy to learn about the “Ukulele Hall of Fame” which is “dedicated to the preservation of ukulele history,” a topic that has long been neglected by traditional historians. The UHOF was founded in 1996; among the

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-1116645748420517412005-05-20T20:21:00.000-07:002005-05-20T20:22:28.426-07:00

I couldn't resist posting this from the old Monty Python Show:FIRST YORKSHIREMAN:Aye, very passable, that, very passable bit of risotto.SECOND YORKSHIREMAN:Nothing like a good glass of Château de Chasselas, eh, Josiah?THIRD YORKSHIREMAN:You're right there, Obadiah.FOURTH YORKSHIREMAN:Who'd have thought thirty year ago we'd all be sittin' here drinking Château de Chasselas, eh?FIRST YORKSHIREMAN:

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-1116291698359761042005-05-16T17:57:00.000-07:002005-05-16T18:01:38.363-07:00

I am not a “dog person.” I recognize, though, that there are plenty of people who are and I don’t begrudge them their affection. In fact, I’m willing to admit that I’m probably missing out on something by not being able to bond better with my canine buddies. What I don’t understand, though, is why someone would deliberately buy a breed of dog that seems genetically disposed to kill people. I have

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-1115341898691715762005-05-05T18:09:00.000-07:002005-05-05T18:14:41.470-07:00

Five Easy PiecesI’ve never seen the complete movie, “Five Easy Pieces,” only the scene in the restaurant that seems to be replayed ad nauseum on TV. I’m almost sure you’ve seen it too. The Jack Nicholson character sits down with three friends in a booth and tries to order an item not on the menu but obviously easy to make. The waitress reminds him, coldly and indifferently, there are no

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-1114186566119732512005-04-22T09:15:00.000-07:002005-04-22T09:16:06.123-07:00

MY LIVING WILLby PAUL RUDNICKIssue of 2005-04-25Posted 2005-04-181. If I should remain in a persistent vegetative state for more than fifteen years, I would like someone to turn off the TV.2. If I remain motionless for an extended period and utter only guttural, meaningless sounds, I would like a Guggenheim.3. If I am unable to recognize or interact with friends or family members, I still expect

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-1113621923700815522005-04-15T20:20:00.000-07:002005-04-15T20:25:23.700-07:00

Something has to be done about this business of people walking around with dog poop in little plastic bags. Maybe this happens in your neighborhood too -- some otherwise normal person follows his or her dog around, waits for it to poop -- and then cleans up the poop, putting it a little bag that wobbles and sways around like some kind of lucky charm all the way home. Think about it: Adults---

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-1112547578761808892005-04-03T09:59:00.000-07:002005-04-03T09:59:38.760-07:00

Interesting Assessment of Pope John Paul II by George Will George Will

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-1112409736610799212005-04-01T18:40:00.000-08:002005-04-01T18:42:16.613-08:00

A little over a year ago I went to Menard’s and bought a new garage door to replace the ailing one that was being held together by bailing wire. For some reason I had the strange notion that I could actually remove the old door and install the new one all by myself. I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking, “HAHAHAHA HAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHA!“ You're right, of course. The Menard’s guy

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-1111026880416447502005-03-16T18:30:00.000-08:002005-03-16T19:21:18.426-08:00

A recent blog post from a young relative of mine (see: Superior Lawn Care Tipshttp://nottotallyinept.blogspot.com/) has partially restored my faith in the younger generation. In the post he describes how as a new home owner he had neglected his lawn long for so long that an anonymous neighbor took care of the task for him. To this young relative, I say, “Come to my arms, my beamish boy! O

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-1110847827563719492005-03-14T16:50:00.000-08:002005-03-14T16:50:27.563-08:00

Commentary - Free Speech for Terrorists? Free Speech for Terrorists? Here's an interesting article arguing that terrorist speech does not belong under the protection of the first amendment. It's also an interesting (and pretty fair) thumbnail history of free speech in the United States which I found interesting. I haven't decided yet if I agree with the conclusions. Here are some

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-1110306659159950522005-03-08T10:30:00.000-08:002005-03-08T10:30:59.160-08:00

"We who are liberal and progressive know that the poor are our equals in every sense except that of being equal to us." -- Lionel Trilling

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-1109719441161424082005-03-01T17:18:00.000-08:002005-03-01T15:25:24.846-08:00

NASCARGolf (playing or watching)Line DancingMonster Truck RalliesAmerican IdolAttending a Boat ShowWatching the New Year’s Ball Drop in Times SquareAttending the Rose Bowl ParadeCircusesLearning to Play New Age Piano MusicSoccer (I’ve tried, believe me)Dog ShowsGrowing My Own HerbsMassage TherapyMimeRapOrganic GardeningPottery MakingGoing to Six Flags Over AnywhereAstrologyDay TradingMaking my

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-1109370974469893422005-02-25T14:24:00.000-08:002005-02-25T14:36:14.470-08:00

One of the great things about my job is that I get to purchase and take care of old medical books. It's fascinating to read the prose of 17th and 18th century writers no matter the subject. I recently ordered "A treatise on the disorders and deformities of the teeth and gums..." by Thomas Berdmore, London, 1770. Here's what he says at the beginning about taking care of your teeth: "The

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-1109300094274138012005-02-24T18:53:00.000-08:002005-02-24T18:54:54.276-08:00

Until you've walked a mile in another man's moccasins, you can't imagine the smell.

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-1109101192234913182005-02-22T11:36:00.000-08:002005-02-22T11:39:52.236-08:00

I suppose I’m treading on cultural toes here but I don’t understand martial arts movies; at least I don’t THINK I understand martial arts movies. I’ve never been able to watch one through to the end. The movies I’ve started to watch seem to consist of unlikely “action” sequences of people posing, grunting, and fighting with each combatant taking his or her turn at whacking and getting whacked.

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-1108665810471643002005-02-17T10:40:00.000-08:002005-02-17T10:43:30.476-08:00

My daughter sent me this article and I thought is was worth posting and pondering. I think most of us have thought about this from time to time but it's worth seeing it in print and expressed so well. For many years Ben Stein has written a biweekly column for the online website called "Monday Night At Morton's." (Morton's is a famous chain of Steakhouses known to be frequented by movie stars and

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-1108419141618220382005-02-14T14:09:00.000-08:002005-02-14T14:12:21.623-08:00

One of my favorite novelists was Peter DeVries who poked fun at modern suburban living and modernity in general. Often, I'd run across a snipit that I thought worth recording. Here's one of them from his novel, "Reuben, Reuben. "The conclusion Mopworth now drew about it was based on a sizable span of daily experience, now for the first time recognized in terms of a general principle. it was

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-1108151274191994612005-02-11T11:47:00.000-08:002005-02-11T11:47:54.193-08:00

If other people are going to talk, conversation becomes impossible. --James Whistler

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-1107555250053604512005-02-04T14:09:00.000-08:002005-02-04T14:14:10.053-08:00

"Part of the contemporary predicament of Americans...is an old one; it is that we cannot have everything: we cannot live in a society that is materially rich, individualistic, open to all currents of ideas, one that allows and encourages free expression and mobility of every kind, where we can shop around for our favorite religion, experiment with new identities, and sample available options and

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-1107482059402726582005-02-03T17:46:00.000-08:002005-02-03T17:54:19.403-08:00

This is pretty important so I hope you'll all read it and think on't. The archtypical names for dogs are Rover and Fido--this is what we see all the times in cartoons and these are the names of make-believe dogs in jokes and stories. My question is: have you ever had or do you know anyone who ever had or do you know anyone who knows anyone who ever actually had a dog named either Rover or Fido

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-1106870596489753352005-01-27T16:03:00.000-08:002005-01-27T16:03:16.490-08:00

George Will - George F. Will: Harvard president pays high price for his hypothesis - sacbee.com

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-1106191254509985462005-01-19T19:11:00.000-08:002005-01-19T19:20:54.510-08:00

The following is taken from a recent issue of "First Things" in turn, quoting an article in American Enterprise. Some good points are made -- I'm not sure, however, that I agree with all of it. In particular I don't think that "moral decadence is a MAJOR source of rage". I think anti-American feeling is deeper seated than that and is to some extent simply fostered somewhat mindlessly from the

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9433990.post-1105925574677332862005-01-16T17:32:00.000-08:002005-01-16T17:32:54.676-08:00

Commentary - The Intifada Comes to Duke

uncahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14953081987726436269noreply@blogger.com1