Thursday, January 12, 2012
I'll be needing some cheese and crackers with my whine. I miss what's his name, the guy who used to mask philosophy in sardonic jokes -- oh, yeah, now it comes to me: George Carlin. So many stars fell from our heavens in 2011. He fell before that. And other fine minds are gone, folks who made us... Sign in to see full entry.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Reality TV, Bread and Circuses
Biggest Loser, American Idol and Ramsey's F Word aside, I detest "reality" programming. The only thing worse is the media's constant focus on the blathering, endless political circus put on at great expense by the Republicans. A mention on the evening news would be sufficient. But the pundits and... Sign in to see full entry.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
To boldly go...
Grammarians scolded about this split infinitive. It should have been "to go boldly." But Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock and the Starship Enterprise crew weren't composition conscious language specialists -- they were Starfleet Academy graduates, the first and perhaps the coolest of the good guy geeks. The... Sign in to see full entry.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Sons, Obligations and Favors
When your kid leaves home, for college, for a job elsewhere, for marriage, or just for the independence of being on his own, there's a disturbance in the force. This change causes a rift, a reinforced sense of then vs now. We get nostalgic, think about games we'd played, conversations over shared... Sign in to see full entry.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
School's back in session after the winter break
Chelsea, a niece of my son's ex and still a favorite of mine, had problems with her math teacher last semester. She called him a jerk. She got extra tutoring and began figuring things out for herself. She's "young" for 20, still thinks life should be fair, still believes guys when they say they love... Sign in to see full entry.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Mystery: What's an Apple Doing On the Grape Vine?
At the back edge of the deck is an arbor that arches over a big flat limestone step -- a gateway from the back yard onto the deck. Three years ago I planted a concord grape vine, which grew all the way over. I pruned some of the growth that first year. Year two a robin built a nest and raised four... Sign in to see full entry.
Friday, January 6, 2012
I know it's wrong, but I'm doing it anyway...
Ever since the dental disaster of early December, I've been shrinking. Shrink, shrank, shrunk, have shrunk, will have shrunk, -- oh hell, I can't remember future perfect tense. Don't be silly, nobody's perfect. That's a punch line from somewhere, or a lot of somewheres. You might assume from the... Sign in to see full entry.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Shaving My Dog -- (my son's e-mail, posted by permission)
Hi Mom - Here's a snippet of the e-mail message I told you about earlier. My friend Michelle said she thought I could write about shaving my pet dog and make it interesting and meaningful. Below is what I wrote back to her. (Remember, I wrote this in about 10 minutes time, so it does not flow... Sign in to see full entry.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
A day at the Blackmare Buffet
Salute to the troops Grandson Matt left for basic training on Monday; scheduled to arrive in San Antonio Tuesday. He's no doubt up before dawn this morning, running his five miles with a pack on his back. I'll bet he looks handsome in camo, and macho with that new haircut. Once this next few weeks... Sign in to see full entry.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Sunrise - conclusion
Four years earlier Chen had lived in San Diego for one academic year, teaching two lecture courses in general chemistry at City College. Chem 200 was Monday-Wednesday from ten to noon, Chem 201 was Tuesday-Thursday at the same time. His schedule coincided with that of history instructor Norman... Sign in to see full entry.