Ett's Me

On the Promenade

2012-02-01T22:52:00.001-06:00

Santa Monica's Third Street Promenade is every bit as popular as its Pier. Throngs of people visit the restaurants and pricey shops that line the streets from Broadway to Wilshire Blvd. especially on the weekend. We were there on Saturday evening after the never-ending Cirque du Soleil performance (review to follow) and we couldn't find any place to eat. That was not because there are few restaurants, on the contrary, there are many but the wait times were unbelievable as young and old played the culinary version of how many people can fit into a phone booth. It was frustrating to have two hungry little girls and no place to feed them.

We have actually visited the Promenade several times. In addition to hundreds of global visitors there are the natives and their dogs, street performers, market day vendors (on Wednesday), and way too many homeless, beggars and con artists. The stark contrast between customers carrying upscale store shopping bags--which are NOT PLASTIC and cost a dime each--and the indigent is remarkable. Santa Monica is very welcoming to the hundreds of homeless who sleep on park benches, in doorways and parks; who openly panhandle on the Promenade and course the neighborhood streets like city workers two weeks before an election in Chicago. I expect it is a salve to their Southern Cal Mercedes consciences.

I imagine you noticed the "NOT PLASTIC" description above. One should note that shopping bags, grocery and all others, must be paper per city ordinance. If you don't bring your own there is a ten cent charge. This is really a good idea anyway, except when purchasing leaking meat at the grocery store. Another salve to their conspicuous consuming conscience is the fact the Santa Monica is scrupulously Green.

A day, or evening, on the Promenade is a bit surreal, but makes for interesting people watching. Anyhow the walk is educational. Some of the street artists are quite good, others should keep their day jobs. (Oh, this seems to be their day jobs!) One can pick up all sorts of foreign languages, even Australian. It seems that Southern California is a popular vacation, and business, stop for the Aussies.

Anyway I did promise a review of the Cirque du Soleil show entitled OVO. It was held in a large tent just below the Santa Monica Pier and it was freezing inside. The acrobats, tumblers, trapeze artists, and jugglers were wonderful, in the tradition of good circus from all over the world. OVO's theme was lame. All the performers were bugs, insects and spiders, and were creatively, if somewhat obsfucatively, costumed. The sound was deafening while the story line, assuming there actually was a story line, missed by a mile. In addition the show went way too long, beginning at 4 and continuing until nearly 7. (There are few plays, a small number of concerts, and no operas I would sit still for for that long!)

Time marches on. Only three weeks until we return to the Midwest which has been having terrific weather too. I imagine they have been holding off the blizzards until we return.

North from LA

2012-01-27T22:35:00.002-06:00

We traveled up to Santa Barbara County recently. Most of the journey was spent getting out of LA County. The problem is that the Santa Monica Mountains are in the way. The weather has been a dream most of our trip and we wanted to take advantage of it by heading north to the Central Coast.

I love the Central Coast and Santa Barbara. We didn't manage to get as far north as San Luis Obispo and Morro Bay, maybe next time. Our aim was to visit both the city of Santa Barbara and the Santa Ynez Valley. We have been in Santa Barbara before and it is a great place to visit and pretty nice to live in (except for the earthquakes which are a serious problem). If you are ever visiting here, you MUST visit the Botanical Garden, home to a variety of beautiful and wondrous plants, including some giant redwoods.Go to the Mission if you like that sort of thing. We were not going to be there long so our visit focused on the Karpeles Manuscript Library and a nearby used bookstore. The Library holds several original documents of interest to American History buffs. There are a small number of Karpeles Libraries sprinkled around the country but I had never heard of it before. The bookstore was very well organized and stocked. Of course I managed to liberate a treasure to take home.

After lunch in one of Santa Barbara's nice restaurants we continued north on 101 to the Santa Ynez Valley. For those of you familiar with the movie Sideways it was filmed here in the Central Coast's Wine Country. Wine tourism is very big here and tasting shops abound. It is also a nice place to get some really nice olive oil and other olive products. We stopped in Solvang which is a Danish American town. Little shops, restaurants, and Danish bakeries abound. If you haven't tasted Ingeborg's chocolate or Olsen's Danish Village bakery products you haven't lived.

The drive through the Santa Ynez Mountains and valleys was lovely. Much less hectic and crowded than LA. We stopped at Lake Cachuma to see several pairs of nesting American Bald Eagles. This lovely lake is open to visitors who can picnic, hike, and boat. Swimming is off limits however since the lake is the source of the valley's drinking water.

We were sorry that we hadn't planned a longer trip so we could explore farther north. I definitely want to get to San Luis Obispo County next year. Anyhow we returned to Santa Monica (however reluctantly) with a bottle of the valley's red wine, some to die for fig infused balsamic vinegar, olive oil, candy, and cookies. Not a bad haul, and some consolation for having to return to mad, bad LA.

Lazy Days in SoCal

2012-01-19T00:03:00.001-06:00

First I must correct my previous assertion that they never clean the ocean walkway in Santa Monica. They do, occasionally, but traction remains tenuous. Sorry, Santa Monica.

There is something inherently wrong with crows perching in palm trees. We see them all along the beach area and on Ocean Avenue. It is eerie. However the weather has been nice and sunny so we're working on a tasteful tan to show off when we return to the icy north.

Crows aren't the only disturbing sight as we take the salty air. There was a time when one would steer clear of someone walking, gesturing, and talking aloud to an "invisible person." Now it's a common sight, no need to hold the children close; it's one of hundreds speaking on their phones with and without Blue Tooth. Of course this is not something limited to the seashore, we are treated to one sided conversations wherever we go. It's such a delight! Sort of a Simon and Garfunkel "Sounds of Silence" in reverse. Nevertheless, we press on and enjoy the warm weather and sunshine.

An opportunity presented itself while here. We had the chance to visit the new headquarters building of the Rand Corporation. The lovely, green building was designed by DMJM Design. It's basic shape is a double ellipse. Nearly 85% of the people who work there have an office with a window that opens thus capitalizing on the benign climate while saving the environment. The Los Angeles area alumni association of one of my alma maters arranged a tour with emphasis on the art collection. However we were given a thorough overview of RAND and its work, as well as a tour of the building. I WANT TO WORK THERE!

The art collection was quite spectacular. 90% of it belongs to Peter Norton of Norton Security. He is an avid collector of contemporary art. In a serendipitous meeting, he mentioned his collection which was housed in a warehouse to someone high-up at RAND. It just so happened that they had a great many empty walls. The result is a sheer delight. I am not one for modern art, but contemporary art is different. The collection is varied and quite eclectic. The first work we saw was titled "Crash." It looked like smashed glass, but was actually carefully placed mylar strips that made a pattern similar to broken glass.There are two paintings of a forest scene in Australia where the artist carpeted the ground. There are several works that show subway maps, including London's Tube. All the station names have been changed to famous persons who are grouped by "line." For example, there are stations of Philosophers, Artists, Scientists. It's quite clever. Other interesting ideas include someone's paintings of TV characters' homes as described in the shows. There is a wonderful mural of downtown LA at Broadway done by John Valesquez, as well as many portraits he made in exchange for room and board. The creepiest set of works was hung outside the boardroom. They appear to be geometric matrices done with short strokes making straight lines. Actually these are false eyelashes....

Anyway we are enjoying our vacation, especially now that the Midwest has had snow. Next time I will describe our trip to Santa Barbara County.

Wintering in Southern California

2012-01-05T23:29:00.001-06:00

This is our fourth winter in southern California and we are settling in. Last year we made the move up to Los Angeles County and stayed in Manhattan Beach. This year we are staying in Santa Monica and are closer to our grandchildren.

We are staying 3 blocks from the ocean which makes daily walking in the sunshine more convenient and cheaper because we do not need to feed the ubiquitous meters that blanket Manhattan Beach's downtown. (Although it didn't take us long to figure a way around that.) That said, I really must admit that we like Manhattan Beach and the South Bay area more than Santa Monica, Marina del Rey and Venice. The main plus to SM is the proximity to family.

The holiday press of humanity has lessened although there seem to be a great many people with nothing better to do than spend the day at the ocean. (Do Californians actually work?) The Rose Bowl brings in hundreds of people. It must be a tradition with the Badgers fans to congregate on the Santa Monica Pier en mass, hoping to break some esoteric record. However there were many Might Ducks around too. Mostly they are gone now.

The piers in Santa Monica and Manhattan Beach are very different. Santa Monica has every square inch utilized in money making entertainment. I doubt that those who throng to the poor man's Disneyland even know they are over water. Manhattan Beach has a lovely pier with a modest aquarium on the far end. The MB pier allows visitors to stroll its length, looking all the while at the sea and the surfers. One can contemplate the relationship between man and the vast waters flowing towards the horizon. In SM it's cheap thrill and masses of people.

The beaches and "boardwalks" differ too. In Manhattan Beach the walking area is known as the Strand. The walking paths and bicycle paths are comfortably apart. Benches that face the ocean dot the full length of the Strand and the people treat one another with respect. In Santa Monica the two paths are very close and somewhat confusing. I have no idea if they have a special name for them; only when one gets to Venice (which I assiduously avoid) is it known as the boardwalk. One must step carefully because the path is covered with sand, which can be slippery underfoot. Although cement walls are common, there are few benches upon which to contemplate the waters, for the reason that the throngs of homeless, while very welcome in SM, are not welcome to sleep on the beach--probably because it's bad for business. The bicyclists, rollerblading enthusiasts, and various and sundry "whatever moves you" folks are downright aggressive and nasty.

The actual beaches differ greatly. Santa Monica has a mania for cleaning its streets, every week without fail and a steep fine to pay if you forget to move your can. However, it does nothing for its sand beaches. In Manhattan Beach the sand is raked, cared for, and inviting; not so in Santa Monica where the beaches are dirty, messy, uninviting, and too far away from the paths to lend the ambiance we look for at the shore.

Santa Monica is an OK visit, especially if you like a lot of action. If contemplation and relaxation are what you are seeking, try Manhattan Beach which, despite the enormous hills, is much nicer. The folks in South Bay seem to have their priorities straight, enjoying their good fortune, welcoming visitors, respecting their precious southern California setting.

To Be Precise: Confessions of a Logomaniac

2011-11-03T13:46:00.000-06:00

Words engage my interest. An hour’s study of one of my thesauri is time well spent. Dictionary definitions often obfuscate the delicate nuances; gentle coaxing achieves precise meaning. Some words are confused or misused. Differences can be subtle. Here are some words that are sometimes confused with each other, occasionally misused, or shaded. Some are common, others arguable, a few intriguing.

Adverse, Averse: Adverse which means harmful, unfavorable, or antagonistic should not be used to refer to people, but, rather, to things that are contrary to one’s interests. Averse implies opposition, a strong disinclination to do something. Averse is used with reference to people. She is averse to speculation in banking stocks. Adverse weather conditions caused our flight to be canceled.

Among, Between: Among is normally used to indicate inclusion within a group of more than two but can also be used when entities are considered as a mass or collection. Between separates, compares, or connects two things, or more when entities are considered as distinct. My choice among entrees was overwhelming. You must decide between MS Explorer and FireFox as your default browser. The UFO landed between the house, shed, and garage.

Amount, Number: Amount is used for bulk quantities; number for countable quantities. A large number of yen and euros make a large amount of currency.

Apogee, Perigee: These are opposite terms. Apogee is the farthest point in the orbit of a planet around another body. It can also be considered to mean “highest.” The perigee occurs when the planetary orbit is closest to that body. Perigee is less commonly defined as “lowest.” Are the tides lower when the moon is at its apogee in its orbit around the earth? Be sure to see Mars tonight; it is at its perigee with respect to the earth.

Auspicious, Propitious: Auspicious indicates that things are favorable for some future event. It carries with it the suggestion of something important. Propitious describes favorable conditions at this point in time. The shaman declared all signs auspicious for the success of tomorrow’s hunt. Tonight’s new moon was propitious for the air drop of supplies the rebels so badly needed.

Biannual, Biennial: A biannual sale occurs twice a year, or semi-annually. A biennial plant flowers every other year. Hollyhocks are biennial flowers that can be planted biannually for early and late bloom.

Burglary, Robbery: Breaking and entering with intent to commit a crime like theft is termed a burglary. In a robbery the thief directly takes another’s property by force or threat of force. A neighbor reported a probable burglary in progress when she saw a door ajar in the empty house next door. The masked man robbed the couple of their money, jewelry, and credit cards.

Complement, Compliment: An item chosen to complete, augment or accompany something will complement that item. A compliment is an expression or act of praise, courtesy or respect. I complimented the hostess on her choice of complementary sauces for the rack of lamb.

Cement, Concrete: Cement is a powdery ingredient used with water and sand to make concrete. He needed six bags of cement to mix for the concrete sidewalk.

Disinterest, Indifferent: Disinterest implies having no self-interest in something. Indifferent implies having no care for something at all. The petitioners agreed that only a disinterested arbitrator would be allowed to facilitate the settlement. As I do not ride, I am indifferent to your choice of saddle for the gymkhana.

Emergency, Crisis: While both are serious situations, emergencies must be dealt with urgently. Crises are grave situations indicating a turning point on which everything may depend. The assignation of Archduke Ferdinand created a crisis that led to World War I. The evacuation of British forces at Dunkirk in World War II was an emergency.

Exiguous, Exigent: Exiguous means scant or meager. Exigent is an adjective indicating some urgency or demand for action. The extremely exiguous state of the homeless family created an exigent response at the shelter.

Gaff, Gaffe: A gaff is fishing apparatus. Gaffe is an error. He realized his gaffe when he handed me the net instead of the gaff to hook the grouper.

Flammable, Inflammable: Flammable items are easily ignited and are capable of burning rapidly. Inflammable means exactly the same thing. The prefix “in” does not mean “not.” It means “in flame.” If something is not easily ignited it is non-flammable. Parents should avoid purchasing both flammable and inflammable sleepwear for their children.

Hanged, Hung: Pictures are hung; people are hanged. ‘Nuf said.

Hellenic, Hellenist: The Hellenic period covers Greek history and culture before the conquests of Alexander the Great. Thereafter the period is properly referred to as Hellenistic. The urn dates from the Hellenic period approximately 550 BCE. His poetry was written in 149 CE and is a fine example of Hellenistic letters.

Infer, Imply: Infer means to reach a conclusion based on evidence, reason or deduction when drawing conclusions that are not explicit. Imply refers to understanding something based on implication without being stated outright. The jury inferred the defendant’s guilt after hearing all the evidence. The scowl on the lawyer’s face implied he was unhappy with their decision.

Invent, Discover: One can discover something that was hidden but a person invents things that did not exist before. Wilhelm Roentgen discovered x-rays. The slinky and the telegraph were invented by clever individuals.

Jewel, Gem: A jewel can be a precious stone, a precious stone in an ornament of some kind, or a precious stone used in a watch or other precision instrument. A gem is a cut precious stone or an engraved precious stone. That is a ten jeweled timepiece you’re wearing. The marquis cut diamond gem shone brilliantly.

Lie, Lay, Lie: 1) Lie means to speak falsely. Lie, Lied, Lied. 2) Lay means to place something. It requires a direct object. Lay, Laid, Laid. 3) Lie means to recline or rest horizontally. It does not take a direct object. Lie, Lay, Lain. As he lie (3) on the couch, John lied (1) when he said that he laid (2) the book on the shelf.

Libel, Slander: While both are the defamation of another libel is written, published or broadcast by official media. Slander is oral defamation answerable in a civil court. Libel would be tried in a criminal court. The explorer’s slanderous accusations did not convince his partner to retract his potentially libelous description of what happened in his book about their expedition.

Loath, Loathe: One who is reluctant is described as loath. To feel intense hatred or dislike for someone or something is to loathe it. John was loath to leave his driver’s license with the librarian. No matter how hard I try I simply loathe asparagus.

Majority, Plurality: A majority consists of any amount over 50%. A plurality is the highest of three or more candidates when none received a majority. Alice won a majority of votes with 60% choosing her for mayor. Theo’s plurality of 34% was enough to earn him a spot in the run-off election for alderman of the Fourth Ward.

Percent, Percentage: Percent is used with a specific number. Use percentage when no number is specified. Marie scored 86% on her math test. What percentage of the corn crop is being sold for ethanol?

Politician, Statesman: These words carry different connotations. Politician can be used disparaging, implying scheming for one’s own ends. Statesman is never used disparagingly. It implies wisdom and foresight in one dedicated to the interests of his country or party. George Marshall was a statesman; Joseph McCarthy a politician.

Recant, Retract: To deny one’s words or to go back on something one said is to recant one’s words. Retract one’s statement is to withdraw it so that the situation remains as it was before your statement. Howard recanted his promise to keep silent when questioned by the authorities. The newspaper retracted its endorsement of the incumbent and blew the race for governor wide open.

Solecism, Solipsism: A solecism is an error or mistake. It can apply to mistakes in grammar, syntax, manners, or etiquette. Solipsism is the belief that the only truth one can be sure of is that one exists, all else is speculation. Eating artichokes while wearing white gloves is a solecism but it is solipsistic to think no one else is in the dining room to see you do it.

Soufflé, Mousse: A mousse is a light, sweet pudding made with cream, beaten whole eggs, and gelatin that is served cold. A soufflé is a puffy, light, and savory baked dish made from beaten egg whites and containing fish, cheese, etc. that is usually served warm. A dessert of chocolate mousse followed the main course of salmon soufflé.

Unconsciously, subconsciously: When one acts unconsciously, they do something without realizing that they are doing it. A subconscious act is one performed without full knowledge of why it is done. I must have been unconscious when I put the cat in the refrigerator. He subconsciously cracked his knuckles despite his promise to be very quiet.

There's Hope For This Country Yet

2011-09-04T19:09:00.000-06:00

I had a great day yesterday. I worked the reference desk at the public library and my faith in the future has been renewed. A young woman, probably a freshman at the college across the street, came in looking for information on how to plan and operate a literacy program for children. I suggested several books that might help her. While we talked, the young lady expressed her doubts as to whether or not she should become a teacher. "It is just an idea I had about something I' like to do but I don't know if I can." She was trying so hard to find the right materials and get ideas. I told her not to worry because she would bring her own creativity into solving her problem. The fact that she was here on a long holiday weekend and diligently researching a variety of ideas demonstrated that she really cared. I said that I was certain she would find a way. Keep your fingers crossed; there's a really good teacher in the making working her way through to a school near you in a few years!

As if this wasn't enough later in the afternoon a young boy, about 11, came in with his dad. The boy had already read a biography of Chief Black Hawk and was here for more books on the Black Hawk War. I lead the boy and his dad to the 973s, where we found the books on his topic. I explained that this was the U. S. History section and that it was basically arranged chronologically. The young man was so excited to find his topic. His dad responded positively and encouraged his interest. As they were leaving, the boy found some books on the history of Du Page County in the 977s. When I left them to return to the reference desk they were eagerly discussing these books and what they might learn.

I don't often see such enthusiasm in youngsters today. This was true interest and desire to know, not a school assignment. The interaction between dad and son was so nurturing. This is what I hoped to see when I decided to become a librarian. It was a wonderful day. Thank you young teacher-to-be, avid young boy who is building a wonderful life through reading, and the dad willing to give up a part of his holiday weekend to foster the gift of curiosity within his son.

i before e

2011-08-26T15:59:00.005-06:00

Mnemosyne, the ancient Greek Titaness, is the goddess of memory, sleep, and dreams. She was the daughter of Uranus and Gaea. Mnemosyne and Zeus were the parents of the nine Muses. Thus she became the mother of inspiration.

The word, mnemonics, is derived from her name; it is the study of methods to aid remembering. Samuel Johnson wrote, “The true art of memory is the art of attention,” and the Greek word for memory also means mindfulness. Paying attention is sine qua non to memory. But inattention may also be a factor in the process. Allowing the mind to unconsciously absorb bits and pieces that will become the fabric of memory is equally necessary. One also needs to include Mnemosyne’s other responsibilities—sleep and dreams. These are the states when “unlearning” and re-organization occur. Too often the work of sleep is overlooked when memory is considered. It is an important factor.

There are myriad methods and techniques to assist memory. These comprise the study of mnemonics. Various techniques can be employed. Rhyming is simple yet extremely effective. Some examples include:
> i before e, except before c or when sounded as “a” in neighbor or weigh (spelling, beware exceptions);
> Slander is said; Libel, pencil lead (law);
> Click it or Ticket (reminds us to fasten our seat belt);
> Thirty days has September, April, June and November. All the rest have 31 except for February which has 28 and in leap year 29 (rhyme scheme deficient but a good way to recall the days in a month);
> Red sky in the morning, sailors take warning – red sky at night is sailor’s delight (weather); and
> Left is loose, right is tight (turning a screw).

Acronyms aid memory. > KISS, stands for Keep It Simple, Stupid reminding a speaker to be clear, brief.
> To assess a stroke Think FAST: is Face drooping on one side; can victim lift both Arms; is victim’s Speech slurred, confused or stopped; Time is critical, call 9-1-1.
> HOMES reminds one of the names of the Great Lakes.
> Have you met Mr. Roy. G. Biv? He’ll help you with the colors of the rainbow from longest to shortest wave lengths.
> The order of operation in mathematics is learned by remembering PEMDAS—parentheses, exponents, multiplication, division, addition and, finally, subtraction. One extremely clever junior high school teacher had the class act the order out, ala the Village People’s YMCA song, adding left to right where appropriate.

Singing a rhyme and physically acting out are useful techniques, especially with younger people. If you wish to remember what to do with your clocks at time change, act this out with body memory: Spring Forward, Fall Back. How many of us learned our ABCs singing the song? I still cannot spell the word “encyclopedia” without singing the accompanying melody. Have you ever hear the periodic table elements being sung in a patter song from The Pirates of Penzance!

Letter mapping, known as first letter mnemonics, is a frequently used technique that fosters memorization and help in spelling.
> To spell RHYTHM, think Rhythm Helps Your Two Hips Move; A Rat In The House Might Eat The Ice Cream spells arithmetic.
> My Very Energetic Mother Just Served Us Nachos places the planets in our solar system in order from the sun.
> "Apple Pies are round" yields the formula for the area of a circle; whilst the number of feet in a mile can be expressed as 5 TOMATOES = 5280.
And while we’re on the topic of food, how about the taxonomic classification system:> King Paul Cried Out For Garlic Soup reminds us of Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, and Species.
> The order of operations mentioned above can also be remembered with this phrase: Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally.

Another form of letter mapping uses the number of letters in a word to aid memory.
> FEED a Cold; STARVE fevers—each have the same number of letters.
> When setting a table, on the LEFT (even number of letters) side place the FORK (4), NAPKIN (6), and bread DISH (4); on the RIGHT (odd number of letters) side place the KNIFE (5), SPOON (5), and GLASS (5).
> To recount the numbers of π remember this: May I have a large container of coffee ready for today. (The number of letters in each word gives you the answer 3.1415926535)
> Want to know the speed of light in meters per second using the same method? We guarantee certainty, clearly referring to this light mnemonic. (299,792,458)

Individual letters are sometimes used to prod one’s memory.
> Stalactites grow from the Ceiling; Stalagmites grow from the ground;
> To correctly spell dessert, remember the two “s” mean something sweet;
> When is it safe to eat oysters? In months with “r” in their name;
> The Tropic of Cancer is in the Northern Hemisphere;
> The harder the stem, the hotter the water.
> Use alphabetic proximity to learn which remedies work on bee and wasp stings: Ammonia for a Bee sting and Vinegar for Wasps.

I am certain the reader knows dozens of others, or variations on the above. Make up your own. I often use association to remember phone numbers. For example, the final four digits in this number, area code 537-543-1316 might remind me of the dates of someone’s birthday or of a year when something memorable happened. The middle three are simply one down in order and use simple subtraction as a reminder. The area code numbers are all prime numbers with first and middle number sets beginning with 5, both having a 3 in the second and third spot. To get the number "7" just add 4 + 3. It's not as complicated as it sounds.

Two areas of memory not often discussed are habit and use of the sense of smell. If you ALWAYS do something it helps the memory. For example, if you make a habit of ALWAYS unplugging the coffee maker when you pour your last morning cup you won’t need to remember whether or not you unplugged the pot while driving to work. If you ALWAYS put your keys in the same place, you won’t need to search the house for them. Habit has saved my bacon several times.

Some research points to the coupling of smells with memory. It would be interesting to try using this sensory mnemonic: When trying to memorize a passage or something for work or school, have an orange or spice nearby to smell while working on the passage. Use the same stimulus each time you rehearse your passage. Then use the memory of that smell to rehearse further. When you really need to recall the memory, its association with that certain smell might make the task easier. Give it a try. We have more than one sense. Why not try Smell and/or Touch? Sing and Move--whatever helps. Take your inspiration wherever you find it.

A Postal Service Proposal--Minus the "P" Word

2011-08-06T20:01:00.004-06:00

Today’s news brought notification that the U. S. Postal Service (USPS) reports losses of $5.7 BILLION for the first 7 months of 2011.^a Reduction in the number of delivery days is planned soon. The Postal Service blames much of its deficit on the Congressional mandate to pre-fund pension and disability benefits. The Postal Service explains that this overpayment is funded, not by tax dollars, but by rate payers who undoubtedly pass on higher costs to those who use their products and services: read “tax-payers.”

Officials seek to have this mandate recinded, using the savings to fund postal workers’ health care benefits. Legislation introduced by Senators Susan Collins and Tom Carper to eliminate this requirement and forbid no-bid contractual arrangements with retired postal workers was noted in a Wall Street Journal ^b article. The WSJ reported that more than 2000 postal workers, age 70 and over, receive workers’ compensation at 75% of their salary—tax free—instead of less costly retirement benefits.

The USPS has been bleeding dollars for decades. In 1990 the difference between income and expenses was ($835,054,000), partly reflecting the loss of tax dollar funding. In 2000 USPS made a profit of $1,548,000,000. In 2007 losses reached ($5.1 Billion); ($2.8 Billion) in 2008; ($3.8 Billion) in 2009; and ($8,374,000,000) in 2010. How can they operate that way?

Post offices have been closed, nearly 2000 fewer since 1990. The delivery process relies heavily on labor-saving automation. A FY2002 report in the Postal Reporter^c reveals that 94.5% of letters were distributed using automated equipment in that year. “Letter mail productivity in processing plants improved nearly 50% from 1993-2001. Production in time devoted to sorting allowed the Postal Service to reduce the number of city delivery routes by 4100 from 1995-2001, while simultaneously absorbing about a 4% increase in the number of delivery points.”

[I can personally attest to the reduction of delivery routes. We lost our reliable 10:35 am delivery by the same mail carrier for over 25 years. Now our mail is delivered any time after 4:30 pm by a different person each day. It is not uncommon to receive our mail—often our neighbor’s mail—after 6 pm. The mis-delivery record is 8:20 p.m.!]

Use of the U. S. mail is on the decline because of the Internet. Pieces of Mail Handled numbers have fallen since 2001, yet the Pieces Handled per Employee ratio has continued to rise every decade, up 11% between 2000 and 2010, thus validating the Postal Service’s investment in automation. Mechanization began in the 1950s. Zip codes were introduced in the mid-1960s. Zip plus 4 began in 1983. Each innovation was made possible by the introduction of a variety of Optical Character Recognition capabilities. Multiple Optical Character Readers (MLOCRs) read the entire address and spray an 11 digit barcode (the zip +4 + the last two digits of the delivery address) onto the envelope and sort materials at a rate of 9 per second. Images that cannot be read automatically are sent to Remote Encoding Centers (REC) to create a bar code. In 2003, there were 11,000 part-time, non USPS employees, processing 6 billion images at 20 REC Centers. The Postal Reporter states that in 2003, “Barcoded letter mail can now be sorted at speeds of up to 34,650 letters per hour on sorters requiring 4 people to operate.” Automation makes it possible to face, read, code, sort, and put in walking order today’s mail quickly and accurately. Yet the USPS reports record deficits.

A National Journal Daily article^d quotes James Miller of the Postal Service Board of Governors, “The system is biased in favor of labor and against management.” The American Postal Workers’ Union is one of the country’s largest labor unions. While the newest labor agreement freezes some salaries, the latest agreement raises the salaries of more than 200,000 employees. Increased workers’ health insurance contributions do provide a savings of $3.8 billion. The National Journal Daily quotes California Congressman Darrell Issa “We have deep concern that some of the provisions of the contract might in fact be the wrong direction toward less flexibility, less ability to trim the work force, and less ability to make the kind of investments for the future that we need to make.”

Payscale.com^e reports that the average (carrier) postal worker’s salary range is between $37,214 and $58,859 in the Midwest. At least 60% of the workers have 10 years or more experience. The USPS is the second largest employer in the country.^f Union membership guarantees employment security and vigorously protects habitual “light duties” and “disabled” workers. The previously mentioned no-bid contract system of retirees being rehired at 75%, tax free games the system.

[Our assigned mail carrier has been off work and on “disability” for the better part of two years, non-consecutively. Apparently she is a bit "accident prone." It delights me no end to learn that one of our erstwhile mail carriers is being handsomely rewarded for continuously talking on the phone, rudely interrupted only the necessity of placing junk mail in my box. Perhaps I should apologize to her?]

What is my Swiftian “Modest Proposal”? It is NOT to privatize the Postal Service. Privatization causes Democratic masses to swoon while Republican businessmen salivate. What possible advantages might accrue if the USPS as we know it today were to be dissolved? However can the universality and privacy of mail delivery be maintained if services escape the incompetent Postal Service? It is a little known fact that the USPS tried to make a grab for email in the 1980s—the good old days of telnet and ftp.^g Fortunately that benefit did not ensue for the USPS which already received the benefit of monopoly, partial immunity from competition, no tax payment requirements, and federal taxpayer dollars paid into the postal infrastructure for more than 200 years, through 1982 to be exact.

Privatization has already been employed by the Postal Service. The 2003 Postal Report stated that, “Research and Development efforts were moved out of the Postal Service and to the companies that would ultimately become the original equipment manufacturers.” In the 1980s conversions to newer Optical capabilities, “The new approach sought out multiple suppliers in a competitive environment.” In the past decade the Postal Service has reached agreements with delivery services like FedEx to cooperate in the delivery of parcels. Private contractors have maintained service in the very profitable rural delivery routes for years. Part-time, non-postal employees work at REC sites. These incursions into the private sector have worked well.

I seek a different solution. Postal services should be franchised. The NEW USPS would be the Franchisor. Revocable franchises will be licensed in accordance with postal legal protections. Businesses, small and large, would compete for delivery and handling licenses at the local (probably large section or all of an MSA area), regional, national and/or international levels. Networked levels would provide for a regulated continuity of service. Small business would be given incentives for local job creation. Franchisees would pay taxes. Franchisee fees would include the right to use postal automation equipment, the rights and responsibilities pursuant to protecting the privacy and integrity of the mail, and access to the institutional infrastructure appropriate to the level of service level. Royalties would be paid annually. Franchises can be terminated for failure to meet strictly defined performance standards. Ingenuity and creativity will be encouraged.

The Franchisor will retain its postal “trademarks” and the exclusive right to print postage stamps. It may need to retain some autonomy over equipment like MLOCRs, leasing time to franchise providers. Economies of Scale can be shared with franchisee. The Franchisor will provide regularly scheduled training, access to technology, affordable facility insurance, and expert assistance. It will set minimum days of service requirements and enforce uniformity in privacy standards, services, and equipment. Enforcement of standards and operational oversight will be the responsibility of the Franchisor. Reasonable rights of petition and review would protect franchisees.

Franchisees will create competitive structures whereby consumers contract for mail delivery while maintaining choice in dispatching services. Franchisees will retain the right to innovate within the parameters of service standards set by the Franchisor. End user fee structures can be set by franchisee and may be contractually varied, e.g. some may opt for daily delivery while others choose fewer delivery days; others may wish to save money by picking up mail at the point of service. Franchise agreements must run for a reasonable amount of time but can be rescinded if performance falls below certain expectations.

Why would Revocable Postal Service Franchises work? The legal force of the USPS would be maintained, ensuring privacy and universality. Licensing would be competitive but various levels would be statutorily networked to insure continuity and conformity of services. Franchises would be independently owned and operated. Innovation, especially in electronic delivery, will be encouraged and rewarded. Hours of operation can be tailored to the convenience of users. Private sector franchisees can choose which type of mail it will handle, or contract to deliver all types—letters, flats, and parcels. Different organizations can choose to operate within areas of various complexities—local, regional, national, or international.

Postal employees will use their experience as a positive attribute. They can be given preferences in franchisee hiring for a limited time. Their termination from the USPS would result in the conversion of their retirement benefits into 401Ks, thus awarding them autonomy in controlling their futures.

The USPS can divest itself of nearly all physical property. Instead of applying the cumbersome process of right of first refusal from a long list of federal and state organizations, the real estate can be put up for sale in a timely manner, returning tax revenue to the community. The USPS, relieved of all disability, pension, and health care financial burdens responsible for today’s deficits will be able to pay its own way. What would emerge is a lean, focused Expert Organization with regulatory powers. Royalties and licensing fees will cover much of its administrative costs, relieving taxpayers and end-users of punitive expense. Research and Development would benefit from new customer bases and challenges. Consumers would receive better service. What’s not to like?

Your comments are welcome. I do not expect that this conversion would be easy or quick. I do think it’s worth a try. Sources consulted include: a) “Postal Service Delivers Red Ink” Daily Herald 6August2011, p.3.1; b) “The USPS Needs Fairer Pension Rules, Not a Bailout” (Anon) Wall Street Journal 19May2011 p16; c) “Distribution Technology in the Postal Service: Past, Present and Future” Thomas Day, USPS Vice-President, Engineering. (circa 2003) www.postalreporter.com/usps/dist_tech.htm; d) “Postal Service is Latest Battleground for Public Unions and Government” Ben Terris, National Journal Daily, PM Update 5April2011; e) Payscale.com “Salary for Employer: U.S. Postal Service (USPS) 15July2011, www.payscale.com/research/US/Employer=U.S._Postal_Service_(USPS)/Salary; g) “Competition Policy and Comparative Governance of State-Owned enterprises” D. Daniel Sokol, Brigham Young University Law Review 2009.6 p.1753 ProQuest Document ID: 194366995; and, finally, some statistical and technology information is from the Historian of the Postal History section of the USPS website, www.usps.gov .

Land of the Free

2011-07-04T12:31:00.006-06:00

Happy 235^th Birthday, America! It is surprising to realize that the Bicentennial was more than a third century ago. The country had a great party, sans Twitter™, Facebook™, and smart phones. The songs and stories of our nation’s history were heard throughout the land. I recall our family trip to Boston where we walked the Freedom Trail, threw tea into Boston Harbor, and learned about the hardships of the Mayflower settlers at Plimouth Plantation. Our daughter won the local library’s writing contest with her recollections of the trip. For a prize she received a copy of Caddy Woodlawn.

This morning I heard a lovely rendition of “America, the Beautiful.” When was the last time I heard that? Truthfully I can’t remember. The local classical music station, WFMT, played America’s music all morning: “O! Susannah!”, “Grand Canyon Suite”, “Battle Hymn of the Republic”, Aaron Copland's "Old American Songs"... Do children still learn the wonderful songs of our country’s history in schools so driven by diversity and egalitarianism? I’m fairly certain that Woody Guthrie songs, many of which I dearly love to hear, are still on the ‘approved list’ because of the author’s life of protest and ‘oppression’. Unfortunately, many of Stephen Foster’s songs are banned by the same folks who wish to sanitize Mark Twain. Sorry, folks; history is history. It is not the polemic of today’s social scientist.

“All men are created equal” does not mean all men’s outcomes are created equal only that some standard of fairness should prevail. Nor did it mean that all human qualities are equally valuable which was the patent folly of Marxism. [Incidentally, our forefathers really meant, white men are created equal—not slaves, and certainly not women!]

What has become of America’s dream of a republican form government that is representative; where the rights of the minority are protected by the majority? I seriously doubt that today’s governance is representative of anyone lacking political or financial clout, anyone expecting comity and compromise, anyone without an agenda. Tyranny of the minority predominates. No wonder we seldom hear the songs and stories of our great history, warts and all. The Levelers (and that's the LCD Levelers, lowest common denominator) are too set on contorting that history to suit agendas unrepresentative of the majority, creating a country never intended by the signers of our Declaration of Independence. Yes, the word is “Independence,” with liberty and justice for minority and majority alike.

Tonight, while the fireworks brighten the night, give some thought to where it all went wrong and how we can correct our direction.

Adieu Erudition

2011-06-20T20:13:00.004-06:00

A modern librarian’s graduate degree generally includes the words “Information Science.” Librarians are trained to have a solid understanding of “information”—how it is created, whether or not the creators are reliable, what formats are appropriate to the subject field, how information is organized, its ‘shelf life’, where information can be located, and the means by which it can be disseminated. Traditionally libraries have been charged with the collection, organization, preservation and transmission of information by means dictated by the end user. Librarians are taught to critically evaluate information; they develop evaluation criteria like objectivity, currency, accuracy, and authoritativeness.

Paradoxically, with the exception of subject specialists in academic and research libraries, librarians don’t need to understand informational content in any depth. They just need to know how to get at it. My experiences in public libraries have sent me searching for the chemical components of a class of drugs, the chief elements of Italianate landscaping, the name of the organization that houses the Campbell Collection and all the Rose Bowl winning teams since 1902… The hunting has been great fun!

Today, the hunt is far more democratic yet unexpectedly more difficult and, potentially, more dangerous. The universality of Internet connectedness, coupled with a cyber-glut of information, blurs distinctions within the Information Hierarchy. It becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish—data, information, knowledge, opinion, belief; all are equivalent. Understanding is social consensus; Wisdom whatever is currently trending. While the e-verse drowns in data, librarians struggle to keep it reliable.

Is that reliability valued today? Everyone can and does “Google” for answers to diverse questions. Information is quickly “Binged” to mobile devises and “Twitted” in a frenzy of egalitarianism. Knowledge has become the creature of a social moment; information a commodity driven by expediency, bottom lines, and ‘push.’ Certainly today’s intellectual junk food has its place. If you are hungry and looking for a Chinese restaurant in a strange city, texting GOOGLE® for the location of the nearest one is far better than researching the history of Asian cuisine and customs! People want their information to be easy, hip, and quick. Any results that satisfy those criteria are “good enough,” no need to go further.

Good Enough information works in the short run, but it is not knowledge. Critical judgment is short circuited by ever shrinking attention spans. Context is lost in expediency. Consensus may be fine for trivial and transitory situations, but a steady diet of factoid tidbits can lead to poor intellectual nutrition. One’s sense of a well-balanced diet of facts and principles degrades when the mind is put on the back burner of opinion too often. Expediency blunts the appetite for better fare. One forgets how to plan, prepare, and serve a fine meal.

Formerly information was defined as knowledge attained through study or communication by authoritative persons; today it consists of topical facts or data supplied by any agent. A knowledgeable person was thoroughly conversant with a subject, having gathered diverse, complementary, and supplementary information into a corpus of facts; today, knowledge is downgraded to a general awareness of ideas or principles. Understanding required skilled discernment and comprehension; Encarta defines it as “somebody’s interpretation of something or a belief or opinion based on an interpretation or inference of something.” As for wisdom, we won’t go there.

As a librarian and a traditionalist I find today’s ubiquitous buffet of information without context or depth to be troubling. Today’s typical information seeker knows everything and understands nothing. We live in an age where access to data is incredibly lavish. This is good. Unfortunately plenty has made the mind careless, or should I say, care less. The fundamental substructures of knowledge are crumbling. The recipe for True Understanding must be preserved. I fear tomorrow may have no room or regard for the cordon bleu.

Data is the roux of our chef d’oeuvre. It must be intelligently organized and carefully tended before it becomes Information. Before qualifying as knowledge, Information must be seasoned with similar and contradictory facts. Related sources must be checked. Confirmation of the truth or correctness of data must be determined; critical judgment utilized to strain away impurities. Thus clarified, Knowledge becomes the principal ingredient of our entrée. Refinement follows. The pièce de résistance, Understanding, comes from years of hard work, practice, and devotion to excellence. The Wise cook knows how to tailor the menu for the user, what to take away and how to garnish the presentation.

It takes work and time. Fewer and fewer are willing to develop the recipe of True Understanding. Vive le connoisseur.

Bardolatry, the Quiz

2011-04-14T14:38:00.002-06:00

It’s that time of year again; Shakespeare’s birthday on little cat’s feet attends. I have chosen a number of quotes from Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets, choosing the exceptionally lovely, including some most often quoted, incorporating a few of my favorites. Can you name the play from which the following quotes are taken? Give yourself extra points for naming the speaker. If you can place the quote in the correct act, scene, and line you are a) a Shakespearean actor of renown, b) an academic who teaches the works of the mighty bard, or c) you’re using the same sources that I have used. Dame Fortune be thy friend.

1. Smooth runs the water where the brook is deep.

2. For there was never yet a philosopher

    That could endure a toothache patiently,

3. Cowards die many times before their deaths;

    The valiant never taste of death but once.

4. For ‘tis the mind that makes the body rich.

5. Things without all remedy

    Should be without regard: what’s done is done.

6. Reputation, reputation, reputation! O, I have lost my

    reputation! I have lost the immortal part of myself, and

    what remains is bestial.

7. We are such stuff

    As dreams are made on, and our little life

    Is rounded with a sleep.

8. When to the sessions of sweet silent thought

    I summon up remembrance of things past,

    I sigh the lack of many a thing I sought,

    And with old woes new wail my dear time’s waste:

9. A friend i’ the court is better than a penny in purse.

10. O, how bitter a thing it is to look into happiness

    through another man’s eyes!

11. The moon, like to a silver bow

      New-bent in heaven.

12. Those wounds heal ill that men do give themselves.

13. The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose.

     An evil soul producing holy witness

     Is like a villain with a smiling cheek,

     A goodly apple rotten at the heart:

     O, what a goodly outside falsehood hath!

14. Experience is by industry achieved

     And perfected by the swift course of time.

15. Slander,

     Whose edge is sharper than the sword, whose tongue

     Outvenoms all the worms of Nile, whose breath

     Rides on the posting winds and doth belie

     All corners of the world.

16. Let Hercules himself do what he may,

     The cat will mew and dog will have his day.

17. Silence is the perfectest herald of joy: I were but little

     happy, if I could say how much.

18. Who steals my purse steals trash; ‘tis something, nothing;

     ‘Twas mine, ‘tis his, and has been slave to thousands;

     But he that filches from me my good name

     Robs me of that which not enriches him

     And makes me poor indeed.

19. And do as adversaries do in law,

     Strive mightily, but eat and drink as friends.

20. They say, best men are moulded out of faults:

     And, for the most, become much more the better,

     For being a little bad.

21. Every good servant does not all commands.

22. He that dies pays all debts.

23. Neither a borrower nor a lender be;

     For loan oft loses both itself and friend,

     And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.

     This above all: to thine own self be true,

     And it must follow, as the night the day,

     Thou canst not then be false to any man.

24. There is a tide in the affairs of men,

     Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;

     Omitted, all the voyage of their life

     Is bound in shallows and in miseries.

25. We, ignorant of ourselves,

     Beg often our own harms, which the wise powers

     Deny us for our good; so find we profit

     By losing of our prayers.

Zounds that was fun! Each time I read Shakespeare there is something new to admire. I hope you enjoyed the quotes. Answers follow.

1. King Henry VI Part II – III.i.53 (Earl of Suffolk)

2. Much Ado About Nothing – V.i.35-36 (Leonato)

3. Julius Caesar – II.ii.32-33 (Caesar)

4. The Taming of the Shrew – IV.iii.174 (Petruchio)

5. Macbeth – III.ii.11-12 (Lady Macbeth)

6. Othello – II.iii.262-264 (Cassio)

7. The Tempest – IV.i.156-158 (Prospero)

8. Sonnet XXX – first four lines

9. King Henry IV Part II – V.i.33 (Shallow)

10. As You Like It – V.ii.47-48 (Orlando)

11. A Midsummer Night’s Dream – I.i.9-10 (Hippolyta) A marvelous simile!

12. Troilus and Cressida – III.iii.229 (Patroclus)

13. The Merchant of Venice – I.iii.99-103 (Antonio)

14. The Two Gentlemen of Verona – I.iii.22-23 (Antonio)

15. Cymbeline – III.iv.35-39 (Pisanio)

16. Hamlet – V.i.314-315 (Hamlet)

17. Much Ado About Nothing – II.i.316-317 (Claudio)

18. Othello – III.iii.157-161 (Iago)

19. The Taming of the Shrew – I.ii.278-279 (Hortensio)

20. Measure for Measure – V.i.444-446 (Mariana)

21. Cymbeline – IV.i.6 (Posthumus)

22. The Tempest – III.ii.140 (Stephano)

23. Hamlet – I.iii.75-80 (Polonius)

24. Julius Caesar – IV.iii.218-221 (Brutus)

25. Antony and Cleopatra – II.i.5-8 (Menecrates)

Happy Birthday, Will.

Quiz Time! Commonalities

2011-03-23T14:24:00.000-06:00

Below you will find several groups of words or phrases. The members of each group have something in common. Can you determine the commonality? Enjoy, and maybe learn—I did.

1. Tango, Delta, Papa, Lima.

2. Nassau, Mulligan, Tennis, Checkmate.

3. Gordon Ashe, Anthony Morton, Michael Halliday, Norman Deane.

4. Hawthorn, Peach, Strawberry, Jujube

5. Silurian, Permian, Ordovician, Devonian.

6. Polynices, Tydeus of Calydon, Hippomendon, Amphiaraus.

7. Viminal, Caelian, Quirinal, Aventine.

8. Observer, Optimist, Peacemaker, Performer.

9. Phyllite, Schist, Slate, Gneiss.

10. Asparagus, Aloe, Leek, Trillium.

11. Sawm, Zakah, Shahadah, Salah.

12. Niccolo Paganini, Moliere, Agatha Christie, Vincent Van Gogh.

13. Iguazu, Helena, Fincha, Mardalsfossen.

14. Pat Sullivan, Matt Leinart, Doak Walker, Reggie Bush.

15. Windsor, Grand Isle, Essex, Lamloille.

16. Locusts, Murrain, Lice, Darkness.

17. Euterpe, Thalia, Calliope, Polyhymnia.

18. Chet, Vaisakh, Jeth, Harh.

Answers: 1) Members of the radio phonetic alphabet used to eliminate ambiguity in communication; T, D, P, and L specifically.

2) These sporting words are derived from foreign climes as described in Chapter 13 of Thou Improper Thou Uncommon Noun by Willard R. Espy. ( Clarkson N. Potter, Inc. 1978) Nassau is a golf term originating from the Bahamian island of Nassau. It refers to a match in which winning the first nine holes awards one point; winning the second nine awards one point; and, winning all 18 holes awards an additional point. Mulligan, another golf term, receives its name from an Irishman who apparently had a “poor memory.” It is a stroke not counted on the score card. The word tennis is derived from (Britannica version) the French tenez, meaning “hold.” Another origin theory attributes the word to the name of the Egyptian town of Tinnis which was known for producing the cloth from which tennis balls were made. Checkmate—yes, chess is considered a sport—evolved from the Persian-Arabic Shah-mat which means “The Shah (king) is dead.”

3) These are some of the 20 different pseudonyms used by mystery/thriller writer John Creasey who wrote over 600 books, including “The Toff” one of my favorite series.

4) All are members of the Rose Family (Rosaceae). See http://theseedsite.co.uk/ for more information.

5) These are Periods, in no particular order, in the Paleozoic Era, dating from 550 - 250 million years ago. The two Periods omitted were Carboniferous and Cambrian.

6) Four of the Seven Against Thebes are named. When Oedipus was banished his two sons, Eteocles and Polynices, were to take turns ruling Thebes. Eteocles refused to cede the throne to his brother when the time came for him to do so. Seven champions, including Polynices, joined together to wrest the kingdom from Eteocles. Extra credit if you can name the other three.

7) These are four of the Seven Hills of Rome. The others are Palatine, Capitoline, and Esquiline.

8) These are four of the nine personality types that comprise the Enneagram. This system of Eastern mysticism also includes Leader, Guardian, Romantic, Helper, and Achiever types.

9) The four are types of metamorphic rocks. This type of rock has been changed due to heat and pressure. The other classifications of rocks are igneous and sedimentary.

10) These are members of the Lily Family of plants which generally have bulbs or other storage organs, long thin leaves, six petals, six stamens, and a seed capsule which forms inside the flower. Liliaceae are monocotyledons that have only one seed leaf. See “theseedsite” noted above, because frankly I don’t have a clue.

11) These are four of the five Pillars of Islam, in no particular order. Sawm requires abstaining from bodily pleasures from sunup to sundown during Ramadan. Zakah demands the paying of alms to the poor. Shahadah is the belief in the oneness of Allah (God) and that Muhammad is his Prophet. Salah requires believers to pray five times each day while facing Mecca. The fifth Pillar is Hajj that requires at least one pilgrimage to Mecca for all Muslims capable of doing so.

12) Each of these famous musicians, writers, and artists suffered from epilepsy.

13) All are famous waterfalls. Iguazu is in Argentina & Brazil, Helena is in New Zealand, Fincha is to be found in Ethiopia, and Marddasfossen (North and South) are in Norway.

14) These gentlemen are Heisman Trophy winners: Sullivan in 1971, Leinhart in 2004, Walker in 1948, and Bush in 2005.

15) All are counties in Vermont.

16) Those listed are four of the ten plagues the Lord sent to the Egyptians after they refused Moses’s demand to free the Hebrews from slavery. See Exodus 7 – 11.

17) Euterpe is the Muse of lyrical poetry and flute music. Thalia is the Muse of comedy and pastoral poetry. Calliope is the Muse of epic poetry. Polyhymnia is the Muse of sacred songs. Look up the other five yourself!

18) The four are the first four months of the Sikh calendar year which begins in the western month of March. The rest of the months, in order, are: Sawan, Bhadar, Asu, Katik, Maghar, Poh, Magh, Phalgan.

Now, that wasn’t so bad. How did you do? A score of six or more is really good.

I'm A Changed Woman

2011-03-13T20:27:00.006-06:00

For the past several decades I have been trying to overcome my animal instincts while aiming my intellect towards the heavens; but no more. I’ve been bumped from Sagittarius and must now call myself an Ophiuchus, at least when I learn how to spell it. My new zodiac sign has been wedged in between Scorpio and Sagittarius. It is pronounced “oh few cuss.” I’ll wager more than a few Sagittarians are cussing about it.

A thirteenth zodiac sign has entered the picture. It is unclear whether the name is based on the ancient Egyptian responsible for the pyramids, Imhotep, or if the model for this constellation is the ancient Greek mythological healer, Asclepius. A quick search for information on Imhotep tells of his prowess as architect and builder. The Greeks and Romans borrowed him, associating Imhotep with their first "doctor" Asclepius. Obviously something was lost in the translation.

Greek mythology tells of Asclepius killing a snake that was about to attack him. A second snake enters the picture with a magical herb in its mouth. This snake administers the herb to the dead snake thereby reviving it. Dr. Asclepius appropriates the healing herb and brings all sorts of dead Greeks back to life thus rendering Hellenic Health Care insolvent. Asclepius found a way to make mankind immortal and Zeus wasn’t having any of that. Zeus renders Asclepius dead. Because only the Doc knew about the herb there is no one to bring him back to life. His manuscript “Magic Mushrooms and Medicinals They Don’t Want You to Know About” was destroyed in the ensuing lightning bolt. However all was not in vain; Zeus honors Asclepius by placing him in the heavens as a new constellation. [Apparently this is a big honor.] Both Imhotep and Asclepius are pictured holding two snakes. The modern symbol for this is the caduceus, symbol of the medical profession. Ophiuchus means serpent holder in classical Greek.

But what does Ophiuchus mean in 21st century English? Astrologers are divided as to whether or not they will even bother to include the 13th sign. It all depends on whether they follow the western tradition of a tropical zodiac governed by the seasons or the eastern tradition which is based on the constellations. Hey, Asclepius gave his all to become a constellation. The least the lazy louts can do is to acknowledge him. Astronomer [read, actually does the math] Parke Kunkle noticed that some time ago the Earth’s position has shifted relative to the Sun, thus adding to the original 12 zodiac signs denoted by the ancient Babylonians. Apparently all the stargazing newspaper astrologers never actually look at the stars, only at their paychecks.

No definitive characteristics have been assigned to the 13th zodiac sign. Some of the more resourceful stargazers are combining selected traits that belong to Scorpios and Sagittarians. Heretofore I have been idealistic, profound, trustworthy, witty, instinctive, and good at organizing. [Adieu.] As a Sagittarian I have also been described as optimistic , a lover of horses [very funny], strong willed [moi?], outspoken, rebellious, and quick to anger. Those of you who know me well know that the latter qualities are not the character traits of the Sagittarian you have come to know and love…

The new “Me” remains idealistic and intuitive while adding charismatic to the list. Supervisors will find me a joy to work with. [Show of hands from current and past supervisors who secretly feel Zeus had a point.] I will continue to pursue higher education, possibly with a view to starting career as architect. I understand that pyramid building is a lucrative, if somewhat chancy, profession--just ask Bernie Madoff. Or maybe I’ll become a doctor like Asclepius and heal the ills of mankind. New powers granted to the Ophiuchian include the ability to interpret dreams and have premonitions—handy for pyramid building. As an Ophiuchian I will demand absolute freedom to explore new ideas and to become a flamboyant dresser and a poet of some repute. My new life will be dedicated to a lifelong quest for knowledge and wisdom as I reach for the Stars, at least for their investment portfolios.

Of course, all is not perfect when a snake lurks in the grass. Ophiuchicans hate rules and do not suffer fools gladly. Expect sarcasm from my honeyed lips. There was some mention of a poison tongue. As an Ophiuchican I have the right to be arrogant, bored with the mundane, secretive and [spouse skip this part] a poor candidate for monogamous relationships. My “trust issues” prevent me from revealing more.

I am working hard to change from the modest moralist of Sagittarius. The “Real Me” has been a long time coming—approximately 3,000 years. One word of warning, you can totally forget about the snake handling stuff!

Calligraphy As Art

2011-01-16T02:38:00.003-06:00

In a recent visit to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) I visited the Japanese Galleries. There was a calligraphic hanging that depicted the Japanese word for dragon. The character evoked the picture of a dragon in abstract form. About 30 feet away I found a slightly more recent (but by no means modern) hanging that included a painting of a dragon. Its resemblance to the pictogram was remarkable, but the older work concentrated the essence of “dragon” in aesthetic purity.

Such Japanese paintings are derived from Chinese calligraphy. Both are beautiful. I have a print of the Chinese character for “Chaos.” It is both beautiful and arresting. The simplicity and elegance of the character is emphasized by its isolation. Only the “chop” of the artist and a brief meaning of the term, both placed at the bottom on the page, share the creamy purity of the page. I prefer the austerity of a single character over a shared work that includes a nature scene along with a character or short poem.

LACMA provided me with other remarkable examples in the Islamic Art section. Most of the calligraphic examples featured excerpts from the Koran, beautifully rendered. Islamic writing is artistic, fluid, and, yet, highly controlled. I was especially struck by one of the smaller examples that demonstrated a sublime austerity in its intensity. It is said that Islamic calligraphy became so beautiful because the religion forbids the depiction of human form. There were a number of Iranian paintings of people, animals, and flowers however. Perhaps these were older works, not prohibited at the time they were created. It was the calligraphy that captured my imagination.

My interest in seeing more examples of artistic calligraphy led me to GOOGLE. I encourage you to type “calligraphy as art” in the search box of the Images section at the top of the home page. You will be rewarded with all sorts of examples. There was a lovely Hebrew work whose composition of letters for a marriage became a beautiful painting in its own right. There were many examples of Japanese, Chinese, and Islamic works of art.

I discount ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics, cave paintings, and runes. The hieroglyphics are too regimented. There is no fire or artistic creativity in their creation. Cave painting figures fail to fulfill my desire for calligraphic pictograms and/or letters. Runes are crude.

European/American sixteenth through the twentieth century penmanship, much of which can be considered beautiful, was focused on communication. Few examples of artistic calligraphy can be credited, in part because western penmanship is not based on pictograms, ideograms, or characters in the oriental sense. John Hancock’s famous signature is lovely, but not quite up to the mark at LACMA. A charming attempt at calligraphic art can be seen in the concrete poem. This type of poetry attempts to take the shape of the topic covered in the poem. GOOGLE’s Images will display several of these. It is different from the masterpieces I’ve seen but—give it credit—the concrete poem is clever and can be attractive to the eye.

Why should one bother to seek out examples of calligraphy as art? They are beautiful. And rare. Calligraphy is a dying art; its modern counterpart, cursive handwriting, is threatened. I read recently that the teaching of cursive is in decline in our schools. ‘Who needs it?’ is the cry to educators who believe this brain/hand skill is no longer necessary in our electronic era. The Palmer method has become anachronistic. Whatever will the graphologists analyze? Keyboards are the way of the future according to the latest thinking. Fluidity, personal style and individual expression give way to a plethora of computer fonts. The parsimony of utility will soon obliterate the lavish, the lovely, and the elegance of art. Oh Brave New World!

The Book Is Dead...

2010-12-28T16:46:00.003-06:00

or so the e-generation, some authors, and paper book publishers would like you to think. It seems like only yesterday that we were told that God was (also) dead. I think God is safe for the time being, but the commercial nature of the book publishing industry places the printed book in greater peril.

You can’t avoid all the “hype” for electronic books this holiday season. The Kindle®, the Nook®, Sony Reader® and other e-reading devices were popular holiday gift choices. Thousands of people are now curled up on their sofas, hot cocoa steaming on nearby side tables, while their cool 21st Century devices madly download discounted best sellers. The joy of novelty prompts e-readers to shout the benefits of device ownership to whoever will listen. Even those who do not wish to listen have no choice but to nod in silent approbation while the gift recipient demonstrates features, boasts about the size of their “library,” and waves each page forward and back again in a manner designed to induce mal du mer. Non-e-readers remain courteous and try to exhibit appropriate interest with well placed “Ohhs” and “Ahhs” peppering these often one sided conversations—all in keeping with the season to be jolly. The e-book readers are not my idea of a good time, but I have already written about that. However, I wish you joy of your device.

The e-book manufactures and online “bookstores” are sincerely delighted with your purchase. Publishers need not concern themselves with printing presses, shipping, vendors or remainders. The devices sold well and web sites like Amazon®, GOOGLE Books®, iBooks® rake in easily earned profits with little or no overhead costs. “No shipping or paper was harmed during this transaction“. Load up on the latest best sellers and avoid the reserve lines at the local library. Lighten your luggage while taking your favorite authors on vacation with you. The advantages grow exponentially—if that’s your thing AND if you are really reading the material.

Publishers may find the e-book to be a mixed blessing. Currently digital downloads increase profits over and above the 75-90% that the publisher’s holding the copyright protects. Traditional production of a physical book requires that the publisher assume the costs of editing, design, printing, marketing, and author advances. E-books eliminate the costs associated with production and distribution while the publisher maintains control over who and what gets published.

Many writers grow restive and resentful of publisher's power over their creative processes. They see self-publishing as a way to reverse the profit equation, bring the lion's share of profits to the writer directly. Those who have had difficulty getting published view self-publishing as a way to break into print. In an article in the Los Angeles Times (December 26, 2010), a trend towards writer entrepreneurship was discussed. Established writers hope to cut out the middle man, retain copyrights, directly market their product, and allow reader/subscribers the opportunity to interact with the creative process.

In November I attended a seminar discussion of Irish and Irish American authors who were discussing the future of the book. A few of the writers appeared to be in denial about e-publishing. Most expressed a reverence for the physical object that enriches the reader's experience. Only one had used an e-book reader. In general few of the authors had considered self-publishing in digital direct formats.

Author Frank Delaney, denizen with pride of place on the panel, was eager for e-publishing to become dominant. His plans include adding hypertext links to words, ideas, places, and references alluded to in his stories thereby making reading a more interactive experience. [I do question whether this is actually reading or some hybrid. The distractibility factor looms large in the hybridized format.] The consensus of the panel was that the physical book will survive. The chief concern voiced was with regard to quality--both of the written word and of review. What will self-publishing mean for excellence? Will the lack of a publishing house result in a loss of revenue rather than in greater profit? How will “best sellers” be determined? By viral acclaim, by number of “hits,” or will a new review process need to be developed? Quality remains the unaddressed question in digitized, downloadable self-published books. Most of the panel felt e-books would be an opportunity for greater circulation, but that its time had not yet come.

Its time is coming faster than expected. For the first ten months of this year 9% of publishing was digital, a fast rising percentage. Interestingly enough print book publishing has dropped 23% in those ten months, which has much more to say about reading in general than it does about digital books. (Data is from the LA Times article mentioned above.)

Are fewer people reading over all? I fear so, despite increased library circulation. For the past year I have been observing my fellow airline passengers as each waits to board the airplane. In past years I enjoyed surreptitious glances at the titles of the books my fellow passengers were reading, sometimes striking up a conversation about a particular book or author. Within the past year things have changed. Very few are reading anything! Many are on the phone or texting, others toil over their computer keyboards; some play games or watch movies; others create their own personal worlds while attached to earbuds.

Can’t we all just get along? I believe that popular physical books and e-books will co-exist for at least two generations more but eventually it will be determined that paper publishing is not cost effective--always the death knell of a product. Generations to come will not “connect” with the physical object and books will become museum pieces. Academic publishing may survive longer. The cost of academic publications has always been high but the cost/benefit analysis has been in favor of the physical entity. Eventually journal-type articles will predominate over academic books in the social sciences and humanities as is the case with scientific and medical information already. Articles are distributed electronically now; paper's dominance will erode quickly. Access to our heritage of literature will be provided in digital format through services like Project Gutenberg and GOOGLE Books’ digitation project but one must wonder at how many “prints” will be requested when digitation is cheaper and quicker.

Do not be mislead, digitation has problems too. Evidence points to problematic preservation of electronic bits and bytes. Some materials from the 1990s are being lost as electronic information starts to vanish of its own accord. Additionally electronic materials suffer from platform drift. How many computers can read the 5 inch floppies created on the DOS driven computers of two decades ago? Does anyone know if there is a storage limit for electronic information that exists somewhere, on some server, in some time?

Research has begun to focus on how people read and retain electronically produced print media. Comprehension suffers in direct proportion to the amount of material covered. Most readers follow an “F” reading pattern; initially whole lines are read through only to drop off to a word or two per line as the reader scans less effectively and eyes tire. Hypertext links, while enormously interesting, and potentially enriching, interfere with concentration. Context can easily become lost in digitally linked information. One wonders how many will persist through to the end of large works like Crime and Punishment or former President Bill Clinton’s memoirs on an e-reader?

Both formats will co-exist for many more years, but print’s popularity will wane as future generations gravitate to graphic and digital resources. Digitized materials will predominate eventually. Print will persist in some form too. It will not happen in my lifetime, and probably not in my grandchildren’s, but it will happen. To those of us who value the physicallity of the printed book the world will be a poorer place for this migration in much the same way that shared cultural experience was diminished by loss of the oral narrative. Diverse formats survive, even as proportions vary. Reading and listening have enriched audiences for hundreds and thousands of years in diverse formats. Humanity will survive digitation and that is the point. It is the ideas that must survive.

Merry Christmas from Sunny California

2010-12-21T00:53:00.005-06:00

Sunny? We've been in LA County nearly a week and are growing web feet. The "Pineapple Express" is providing much needed rain for the California aquifers and reservoirs but it is a pain in the posterior just days before Christmas. The California drivers remain undaunted filling the roads and freeways, albeit with their tops up.

Santa will need a large amphibious craft to deliver his presents around here. I wonder if OSHA requires Mae-wests for each reindeer? Really, it is already difficult for a mid-westerner to cope with temperatures above freezing in December; now you want us to imagine how much snow this rain would be equivalent to? Fortunately I don't have to shovel it!

Right now I am looking for a place to build a holiday ark. Tradition says it should be 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide and 30 cubits high. What the heck is a CUBIT?

Wishing you and yours a sloshing Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Keep warm; keep dry. Gurgle, gurgle...

I Finally Found It!

2010-11-14T23:04:00.004-06:00

More than 30 years ago I picked up a copy of Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451. The book, published in 1967 by Simon and Schuster, contained the titled work and some short stories. While all were interesting and well written, it was one of the other stories that stayed in my mind. About six years ago I set myself the reference challenge to identify the story. I could not recall the name and had only a sketchy idea of the plot. All I could recall for certain was that the story I sought was in a collection that contained Fahrenheit 451.

I am a reference librarian so I was prepared to search all sorts of sources. And search I did for at least six years. I tried some keywords in the hopes that the book had been cataloged with analytical subject headings or notes. The search began with the library catalog and moved on to FirstSearch, an approximation of a national catalog. I knew the story was set in a jungle or some remote tourist locale; I knew that the characters were an America married couple; I knew that Americans were hated throughout the world and that no one would help them. Finding the right keywords didn't work because I had no hard facts.

Next I tried the Short Story Index, but with no title or real subject in mind this was futile. Various anthologies and individual publications that included Fahrenheit 451 were searched. In desperation I tried GOOGLE and Amazon. No luck. Nevertheless I continued my search off and on until one day I decided to go the source, the place where I had found the book in the first place. It was my home library. I didn't hold out much hope because many years ago a large portion of the adult collection was destroyed in a flood. But this was desperation time. I went to the fiction shelves where Bradbury's books would be shelved. There were several copies of Fahrenheit 451. It has been on most high school reading lists for years. I sought out the oldest looking copy and went to the index. The book contained three stories. When I saw “The Playground” I knew this was the book I had been looking for; the story I sought was titled ”And the Rock Cried Out.” Success!

The story begins and ends with the word picture of rotting meat hung on hooks, covered with flies. An American couple, driving past on a jungle road, are disgusted by this passing sight. Suddenly they encounter broken pieces of machete placed in the road to rip automobile tires. One tire is damaged; the spare replaces it. The couple are cautious. Barely a week ago the world's headlines declare that the United States and Europe have finally destroyed themselves in war. “The day of the white people of the earth is over and finished” the headline continued. The Webbs do not know what is happening.

They do know that they must keep driving to get to the border. Suddenly their car is assaulted by a barrage of poisoned darts. With great speed and determination they speed to the border of an undetermined Central American country. The border guards take their bribe and ignore them. The guards of the second country refuse them entry. One guard says, “Yes. They always have money. I know. They come here and they think money will do everything. But what is money? It is only a promise, seňor...And when somebody no longer likes your promise, what then?”

The couple have no alternative but to try for the border of a third country that is hundreds of miles away. Fear builds. The car needs gas. When they find a gas station there is “no gas” for them. Their car is taken. They walk together down the jungle road, hoping to reach a small town they know. When an old Jeep stops to offer a ride, they are weary and wary. As they ride along the old man driving tells them that he has found the secret to happiness. He only reads newspapers that are a week old. The top of his week-old pile emblazons the “United States and Europe Silent” headline. The old man says that they are lucky that he has not yet read the news, but that others may know what has happened. He cautions, “Rumor flies. This very afternoon all of the little villages upon this highway, behind us and ahead of us, are in carnival. The white man is dead, the rumors say, and yet here I come into the town with two very lively ones.”

When the couple reach town, the owner of a hotel they had stayed in takes pity on them. He will give them a room for one night only. He warns them not to try to reach the capitol by bus in the morning. He says there are riots in the streets. “It will pass in a few days. But you must be careful until those few days pass and the blood cools. There are many wicked people taking advantage of this day, seňor...under the guise of a great resurgence of nationalism, these people will try to gain power. Selfishness and patriotism, seňor; today I cannot tell one from the other.”

All night the couple hide in their room, uncomfortably aware that the townspeople know where they are and that they want to see all white people dead. In the morning the hotel owner offers a solution to their problem but their pride will not allow them to accept it. The story ends with the couple walking together into the town's square toward the angry crowd. They approach the town's open air carniceria with its carcasses “hooked and hung-high.” John Webb strikes the carcass as he passes. “The flies came down in a feeding cloak to cover the meat, once it had stopped swinging.” End of story.

This story struck a chord with me, not because of '60s Cold War hysteria over nuclear catastrophe, but because an “ugly” America has sometimes given the rest of the world short shrift. Don't be mistaken, I love this country and am proud of most of its history. I would not choose to live anywhere else. I respect the land my grandparents struggled to reach. I honor those who have fought and died to maintain our American way of life. The American way of life I was brought up to respect was indeed worthy of that respect. I am proud of my country, but it is changing.

But, somewhere, deep within my psyche, there resides a little guilt. Our past and, indeed, present contain a disturbing intimation of braggadocio. Are we due for a comeuppance? America has made some false steps and one wonders if it has begun a fatal faltering—Vietnam, the Middle East, the economic situation, deficits in trade and in federal budgets. We are in trouble. Our prestige and power has begun to wain. Our educational outcomes fall far below many other countries. We cannot control our borders. Our motivation and resolve have been questioned, not without some justification. Is the down-slide into “third world” status reached the point of no return?

I fear so. Our President did not get what America wanted at the recent G-20 conference in South Korea. Earlier he failed with a resolved, but polite Europe. American allies are tired of what can be perceived as tantrums of a spoiled child. Our Congress is impotent, playing Prisoner's Dilemma by choosing the nasty, non-productive gambits while eschewing cooperation towards a solution. We are in trouble. World resentment grows as our 'promises are no longer liked'.

Will this country's fate mirror that of the Webbs? Will the rest of the world have had enough of our swagger when our economy is in shambles and our competitive edge is dulled by an unprepared populous capable only of waiting for the government to solve their problems, social networking, touchy-feel-y logic, tyranny of the minority, hypertexting into nowhere, and playing games?

Will our rotting carcasses, cloaked with the flies of too easy living, procrastination, and unfounded pride have no place to hide?

“I went to the Rock to hide my face
And the Rock cried out, 'No Hiding Place,
There's no Hiding Place down here'” page 174.

The Flotsam and Jetsam of a Messy Mind

2010-09-21T19:41:00.003-06:00

I’ve been doing some serious Spring Cleaning lately; no matter we are fast approaching the autumnal equinox. In the process I’ve dusted the cobwebs off some of my hoarded treasures of miscellany. These represent bits and pieces of memory washed up onto the shoreline of my consciousness. “Memory is a crazy woman that hoards colored rags and throws away food.” (Austin O’Malley) Let me throw a few tidbits your way.

In The Arts of the Beautiful Etienne Gilson writes of talent, genius, and the creation of beauty. Of talent he observed that either one possess it or not, but it is not rare. Talent “composes a work by mastering techniques and skillfully adjusting and organizing parts.” On the other hand, genius is extremely rare and unteachable. The genius “generates the work in its entirety from the seminal form which is its germ.” Genius will use the acquired techniques as it pleases. However, the main point in regards to both is “to respect the primacy of making over knowing.” (emphases mine)

Gilson speaks also of writing (an act of making). “One writes not in order to produce writing, but in order to think, for the mind knows what it thinks with absolute certainty only after it has expressed it.” How does this compare with Francis Bacon in “Of Studies?” “Reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man; writing an exact man.” And into the mix, add Stendhal, “Speech was given to man so that he might hide his thoughts.”

Having mentioned writing, we should also touch on knowledge. There is a Persian adage from an unknown sage:
“He who knows not, and knows not that he knows not, is a fool—shun him;
He who knows not, and knows he knows not, is a child—teach him.
He who knows, and knows not that he knows, is asleep—awaken him;
He who knows, and knows that he knows, is wise—follow him.”

Bits and pieces have been promised; let us shift our attention to advice about advice. John Steinbeck said, “No one wants advice, only corroboration.” The Marquis de Lagrange observed, “When we ask for advice, we are usually looking for an accomplice.” When addressing the graduates of an East Coast university, National Security Advisor Anthony Lake invoked advice given to him. “I will try to follow the advice that a university president once gave a prospective commencement speaker. ‘Think of yourself as the body at an Irish wake,’ he said. ‘They need you in order to have the party, but nobody expects you to say very much.’” (Chicago Tribune 12/31/1995) Now that’s an accomplice if I ever met one!

And finally, a word of advice from William Edward Norris:
“If your lips would keep from slips,
Five things observe with care.

To whom you speak, of whom you speak,
And how, and when, and where.”

It gives me pleasure to take these bits and pieces from my treasure box and to reflect on their relevance in the 21st century. The times they are certainly changing!

Genius abounds. Today we are surrounded by “Infant Einsteins” learning to read before they can speak. No longer rare, indeed, genius will become commonplace when genetic engineering enables parents to select high IQs for not yet born offspring. The older set can also partake in genius that is so loosely awarded to mediocre performance in aid of raising self-esteem. Make no one feel bad, award the laurels of creative excellence all-round. Standards be damned.

Making has fallen by the wayside. We don’t seem to make anything anymore so primacy is claimed by knowing. Orphaned making, with understanding and wisdom, a-begging go. More and more factoids—out of context—represent “knowledge.” It is questionable how much thinking is involved. Speech reveals all thoughts, however trite. Our exactitude rests on a foundation of texts, talk, hypertext links, and tweets. Truth becomes relative while, conversely, the relativity of social networking pushes a reality that conforms only to “what’s hot”. He who knows not, but cares not, is connected—“friend him.”

Timely advice validates both seeker and sage. Each accomplice IMs opinion for our delectation, flourishing emoticons all the while LOL. No matter the subject, there are experts sans portfolio who are eager “to share” how it should be done. Our wise advisors care not to whom or of whom, but only by whom.

These are my colored rags. I will confess that I, too, am guilty of 21st century frippery. I hoard my treasures long stored out of context, fully read once upon a time. Yet I urge you to reflect on what crumbs this messy mind has salvaged from her sea of memory.

No TV

2010-09-04T19:08:00.003-06:00

My grandchildren have never had a television in their home. They play no video games. They have no concept of consumerism driven by commercials. The concept of asking mom or dad to buy something advertised on Saturday children's programming has never entered their heads. No whining in the grocery store. Indeed, I doubt that they realize that they could ask.

They are interesting, intelligent, and creative elementary school girls. Something exciting waits around every corner when a child's imagination has never been channeled (pun intended) by Tony the Tiger. They read; art fills the walls of their home; dance and musical performances spontaneously engage their afternoons; stories and jokes fill their conversation. I have never seen them be physically aggressive. They seldom argue, preferring to negotiate a solution to their differences. I do not claim their perfection, but the girls are awfully good company, albeit a bit exhausting.

It cannot be easy for our son and his wife to maintain their stance on TV. It would be so very easy to let the television be the "babysitter" for a few hours. I applaud their determination and dedication to the integrity of their children by keeping their childhood open, creative, and free. My son and his wife are busy, but engaged, parents who take their parental responsibilities very seriously. I admire their courage. The results have been very good.

While some will view a total TV prohibition as too severe, many others might benefit from a bit of media rationing in their own homes. Yes, there are some educational programs on TV. The quality of a few programs is good. Have my granddaughters missed anything really important? Not really. (Be honest!) Give your children more credit. Trust their innate creativity; nurture their journey through self-discovery, uninfluenced by media and dubious cultural influences. Say "NO" to TV, if only occasionally.

Vocabulary Quiz

2010-07-04T15:49:00.005-06:00

It’s word quiz time again! I will make it easier by using the words in context. I have included some foreign phrases that might be useful to know. No Fair Looking Ahead to the Answers! It might also be a good time to review the words in past quizzes. Just click on the Vocabulary Quiz label to reacquaint yourself with words presented earlier. Good Luck!

1. To which of these men could the term glabrous be used in their description? a) Sen. Robert Byrd b) Harpo Marx c) Yul Brynner
2. The guest speaker’s tendency to divagate surprised the audience. Was the speaker a) sycophantic b) divisive or, c) wandering off the subject?
3. Would you seek out the company of someone described as jejune? Yes or No?
4. The ancient Grecian hetaera are most similar to a) sibyls b) geisha or, c) the queen’s ladies in waiting?
5. The American Idol fans were perfervid in their opinions of the female singer. Were the fans a) enthusiastically for her b) mildly impressed or, c) definitely against her?
6. Jane is au fait in interior design. Is she a) new to the field b) an expert or, c) totally clueless?
7. The woman told us that she had just seen a revenant. What did she see? a) type of rodent b) a ghost or, c) a member of the clergy
8. The Duchess brought the seisin of Bordeaux as part of her dowry. What did she bring? a) the right to the title of Duke b) valuable jewels or, c) lands of her Duchy
9. The quiddity of her perfume was its rose oil. Is this the correct usage of the term? Yes or No?
10. Over lunch Jonathan traduced the work of our newest employee. Was he a) critical b) appreciative or, c) surprised?
11. The gown glimmered with interwoven golden threads. It was made of what fabric? a) samite b) toile de Jouy or, c) gossamer?
12. In the equation, 15 – 7 = 8, what is the term used for the number 15?
a) augend b) subtrahend or, c) minuend
13. The young girl has a retroussé nose. Is it a) protrudent b) turned-up or, c) narial
14. The coroner declared the cause of death to be felo de se. Was it
a) death by person or persons unknown b) accidental death or, c) suicide?
15. The debate denigrated into a war over words. Which word best describes the situation?
a) syntactical b) logomachy or, c) apologue

Answers: 1 – c: glabrous (adj) meaning smooth and lacking hairs; 2 – c: divagate (v) means to wander off the subject; 3 – No: jejune (adj) refers to someone who is uninteresting or intellectually undemanding; 4 – b: hetaera (n) were one of a special class of women who, while prostitutes, were valued as highly cultured companions; 5 – a: perfervid (adj) describes an extremely passionate or enthusiastic response; 6 – b: au fait describes an expert; 7 – b: a revenant (n) is a dead person believed to return as a ghost; 8 – c: seisin (n) refers to land that is legally possessed; 9 – Yes: quiddity (adj) means that which makes a thing what it is, its essential nature; 10 – a: traduced (v) refers to saying very critical and disparaging things about someone; 11 – a: samite (n) is very heavy silk fabric interwoven with gold or silver threads; 12 – c: the minuend is the number from which another is subtracted; 13 – b: a retroussé nose is turned-up; 14 – c: a felo de se (n) is a suicide; 15 – b: logomachy (n) is a dispute over words.

How did you do?

Compelling Musical Selections

2010-06-01T21:21:00.002-06:00

May is the month of exhaustion. There is so much to do: spring cleaning, window washing, weeding, and planting. It is now June; the tasks are complete and this old body is much in need of restoration. It is the perfect time to kick back and relax, to listen to arresting musical pieces. It’s the perfect prescription for a weary soul.

Some of my most compelling musical selections are listed below. I recommend that you listen to the entire composition or album even though I am calling attention to particular movements, parts, or songs. When you reach the point in the recording that I have listed you will know it. These portions are so beautiful and noteworthy that your attention will be concentrated on the experience before you realize what’s happening. Hopefully you will be transported for a relaxing few minutes of total enjoyment. Some of my favorites are listed below. Hopefully there is sufficient variety to tempt you.

Classical Pieces: Ralph Vaughan William’s Lark Ascending performed by Iona Brown or Nigel Kennedy; Anton Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9 “From the New World” II. Largo; Edward Elgar’s Variations on an Original Theme, “Enigma Variations” No. 16 Var. IX (Nimrod) Adagio; Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 “Resurrection,” Sir Georg Solti conducting, the Conclusion; Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 Adagietto, Fourth Movement; Gustav Mahler’s Das Lied Von Der Erde conducted by Leonard Bernstein, Wiener Philharmoniker, VI “Der Abschied”; Alan Hovhaness’ “Prayer of Saint Gregory for trumpet and string orchestra in the album Celestial Gate.

Lighter Classical: Yo-Yo-Ma’s Classic Yo-Yo No. 10 “Tun Dun: The Eternal Vow” from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; Aaron Copeland’s “Saturday Night Waltz” from Rodeo; Tobias Picker’s “Old and Lost Rivers” in John Williams’ The Five Sacred Trees album; Ensemble Galilei’s album Come Gentle Night selections ten, “The Asp”, eighteen, “Heart’s Ease/Gathering Peascods,” and nineteen, “No Longer Weep for Me.”

Popular: Trent Willmon’s “Louisiana Rain” from his A Little More Livin’ album; Billy Joel’s “Until the Night” from the 52nd Street album; Ahmad Jamal’s “Ahmad’s Blues” in the album, Ahmad Jamal at the Penthouse; Bob Seeger’s Against the Wind album has two attention grabbers, “No Man’s Land” and “You’ll Accompany Me;” The Kingston Trio’s ”San Miguel;” Tommy Makem’s “Four Green Fields;” John Denver with Placido Domingo singing “Perhaps Love;” Raphael’s “Serpent” from the Music to Disappear In;” and finally, all of Mychael Dana’s Skys album.

These selections are not intended to represent a comprehensive list, but they definitely compel your attention. I hope you will listen to some of them. Sit back, relax, and ENJOY.

Socrates Never Washed His Socks: A Mothers' Day Poem

2010-05-08T19:22:00.001-06:00

In Greece of old
So we are told
Socrates never wash’d his socks.
Not nosesome chore
Nor so much more;
Shrew Xanthip’ pounds rocks; gadfly mocks.

Bard sired three
‘Fore London spree;
No crib or diapers on the stage.
Anne tired be
With babes on knee;
Second best bed for her old age.

Thinker so sour;
It’s dinner hour.
Is Schopenhauer’s shopping done?
The will’s supreme;
Demands the cream;
Keeps Frau Landlady on the run.

The patent clerk
Had time at work
To figure E is m • c • c.
Two wives to cook;
Kreplocks he took;
Relativity’s quite tasty

If fame you do
Wish to pursue;
Mothers need must philosophize.
Homemaking sways;
Kids in the ways;
Securing wife in life is wise.

Bardolatry

2010-04-19T14:22:00.003-06:00

William Shakespeare died on April 23, 1616. He was most probably born in April of 1564. No matter the exact dates, the world would be a far poor place had he not existed. I am a fan of the Bard of Avon. I claim no expertise, only informed interest.

There is something special about attending a Shakespearean play, especially at the new Globe Theatre in London. The Globe does not try to “popularize” the Bard’s works by changing eras, jazzing up the costumes, or stupefying the playgoer with awe inspiring special effects. The Globe dramatizes Shakespeare much like Shakespeare dramatized Shakespeare, thank goodness!

There is something unique about reading a Shakespearean play or sonnet. Only then can one appreciate the art of Shakespeare as writer. The Bard used the best writer tricks: foreshadowing, plot development, pacing, character development, figurative language, elegant forms and metre, and so much more.

It is still considered commendatory to memorize parts of his work. Do you have a favorite quote, or does the occasion determine which phrases to utilize? It is humbling to ponder one’s mortality in light of the Sonnet 71. How can one take themselves seriously when confronted with “…a tale told by an idiot…”? Who has not smiled when thinking “For there was never yet philosopher that could endure the toothache patiently”? Smarted to hear “How bitter a thing it is to look into happiness through another man’s eyes”? Discovered satisfaction in “’Tis the mind that makes the body rich”?

It pains me to realize that, nearly 400 years later, pendants continue to claim that William Shakespeare did not write the works attributed to him. It is probable that a few plays were, at least in part, not his: King Henry VI part I, King Henry VIII, and Pericles, Prince of Tyre. It is also important to understand that the first folio did not make its public appearance until after the death of Shakespeare’s widow in 1623. There was plenty of time for thespian colleagues Herminge and Condell to spruce up a scene or augment an act in the seven intervening years after Shakespeare’s death. Granting that an editor may have added value after the fact does not diminish Shakespeare’s achievements.

The principal arguments against Shakespeare’s authorship emanate from the fact that William was a middle class boy, educated in the common school, without aristocratic pedigree. For an impressionable young man who loved words, that humble education would be sufficient. There is certainly evidence that humble beginnings have not suppressed genius. Mark Twain, James Joyce, Toni Morrison, Naguib Mahfouz, and Dostoyevsky are but a few examples.

Detractors ask, “How could the son of a glover and petty official possess such genius? Demonstrate the highest mastery of the English language? Capitalized on dramatic instinct and human psychology?” With passion, courage, ambition and desire, how not?

In his Preface to the Works of Shakespeare (1725) Alexander Pope wrote, “He seems to have known the world by intuition, to have looked through human nature at one glance.” The key is instinct. Good writers can be trained. Great ones transcend. Genius is a gift, 99 per cent of which is hard work! Shakespeare not only had the native genius and ambition, but the intelligence to understand the business of writing; not only the talent, but also the opportunity. He was gifted as well as assiduous. Shakespeare was an actor before he became an author. He understood the art of engaging an audience because he was capable of awe; he had the courage to innovate; he had an extra-ordinary command of words; he hungered for success. I think he was also shrewd. Genius is not limited to the London born, the Queen’s Court, or Cambridge. Talent surprises. It is democratic.

Like the movie or rock star of today, Shakespeare had his finger on the pulse of contemporary society. Elizabethans thrived on novelty and politics. Classes mixed in the dirty streets of London, in the taverns, and where the groundlings watched the latest plays. Fame fosters symbiotic relationships. A popular actor or writer would most naturally be flattered by the attentions of aristocratic patrons and intellectuals, who might, on occasion, make a suggestion or two. It is even possible that his relationships went deeper. Some of the Sonnets suggest bisexuality. A certain duality is evident in Sonnet 144. Shakespeare, under the influence of friends, may have paid a complement, included a suggestion, improved an idea, re-shaped a poem—but Shakespeare was the master of his craft.

For centuries scholars concur. John Dryden, in his Prologue to the Tempest, (1667) wrote:

Shakespeare who (taught by none) did first impart
To Fletcher wit, to labouring Jonson art…

…Shakespeare’s magic could not copied be;
Within that circle none durst walk but he.

Most modern experts credit Shakespeare’s authenticity. David Bevington is a renowned expert on Shakespeare. I had the privilege of studying with him at the University of Chicago for a semester. And I have heard him speak on Shakespeare in lectures in other venues. He is of the conviction that Shakespeare wrote Shakespeare. I do not attempt to speak for him: his knowledge of the subject is great, mine is not. The breadth and depth of Dr. Bevington’s reasoning is beyond the scope of this small essay. However he did share one of his arguments for authenticity. It is derived from the theme of father/daughter relationships that appears frequently in Shakespeare’s plays. Shakespeare was very close to his daughters, especially to Susanna, his eldest. He was solicitous for the welfare of his second daughter Judith, twin to his dead son Hamnet. A reading of Shakespeare’s will affirm the loving care he had for daughters. Is this conclusive? Of course not, but it is suggestive of authenticity.

Building on Professor Bevington’s reasoning, I have examined another recurring theme in Shakespeare’s plays, the position of wives. Shakespearean spouses are very often missing (e.g.Thaisa), banished (Hermonie), dead (Miranda’s mother), ignored (Did Juliet not have a mother?), accused of infidelity (Desdemona), or just plain trouble (Lady Macbeth). In As You Like It Rosalind says “…maids are May when they are maids, but the sky changes when they are wives…” In nearly every comedy and tragedy Shakespeare dispatches the wife and/or mother.

In real life William seems not to have liked his wife who was several years older than he. It was probably a case of “marry in haste…” Certainly he left her for the bright lights of London. In his will she was left his “second best bed with the furniture.” At his death William Shakespeare was wealthy. He was generous to his daughters and relatives. He was niggardly with his wife. I often think of the poor woman sleeping in that second best bed for seven more years until her death. Her treatment is consistent with the dramatist’s treatment of wives in the plays. Of course this is not conclusive evidence, but worthy of consideration.

The Shakespearean authorship controversy will continue. Neither side will be able to convince the other. It might be best for the Bard to speak for himself. The Tempest is considered his last play, his farewell to his life’s work as a dramatic storyteller. Prospero becomes his alter ego in this last play. In Act III he declares:

Our revels now are ended. These our actors,
As I foretold you, were all spirits and
Are melted into air, into thin air:
And like this baseless fabric of this vision,
The cloud-capp’d towers, the gorgeous palaces,
Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve
And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,
Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff
As dreams are made on, and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep.

In Act IV Prospero/Shakespeare summarizes the power of his artifice as he abnegates “his potent art”:

…I have bedimm’d
The noontide sun, call’d forth the mutinous winds,
And ‘twixt the green sea and the azured vault
Set roaring war: to the dread rattling thunder
Have I given fire and rifted Jove’s stout oak
With his own bolt; the strong-based promontory
Have I made shake and by the spurs pluck’d up
The pine and cedar: graves at my command
Have waked their sleepers, oped, and let ‘em forth…

Which plays come to mind?

The Bard of Avon is justifiably proud of his accomplishments as he eases into his final years. His humble beginnings are reprised as he graciously begs leave to retire:

With the help of your good hands:
Gentle breath of yours my sails
Must fill, or else my project fails,
Which was to please: now I want
Spirits to enforce, art to enchant;
And my ending is despair,
Unless I be relieved by prayer,
Which pierces so, that it assaults
Mercy itself, and frees all faults.
As you from crimes would pardon’d be
Let your indulgence set me free.

There was no one like Shakespeare but Shakespeare!

A note to readers: I have not given the sources of my Shakespearean quotations, because I want you to look for yourselves. In preparation of this piece I consulted: class notes, PBS article by Al Austin “Who Wrote Shakespeare?” (April 1989) and The Complete Dictionary of Shakespeare Quotations compiled by D.C. Browning, New Orchards edition 1986, J. M. Dent & Sons Ltd c. 1961. The Pope and Dryden quotes are to be found on page 480 of this text.

For those of you who wish to pursue the controversy, the most commonly named Shakespearean ghost writers are: Francis Bacon, Edward de Vere, William Stanley, Christopher Marlowe, and Roger Manners.

April's Allure

2010-04-08T21:24:00.005-06:00

There is something about Spring that impels me to write more bad poetry. OK, you've been warned. Incidentally, the November daffodils are in bloom although they may be covered with snow by morning.

April’s Allure

Eliot’s “cruellest month”
So careless of our hopes;
Suasive siren, trait’rous tease.

Sunny sev’ntys today
The morrow’s icy winds;
Unscrupled, tiresome minx.

Abundance coaxes blooms
Pettish frost withers buds;

Surrender to April's charms at peril to your soul.

Tantalizing witchery.

A Flame UnKindled

2010-03-09T15:50:00.002-06:00

I received a Kindle ® electronic book reader for my birthday. I broke the North American record for authorization to return it complete with packing label and tracking number. Believe me, I appreciated the thought but the Kindle ® is not for me, although it may be just ticket for those who read bestsellers, travel for extended periods, or need access to technical manuals or textbooks.

Since retirement I have become a woman of leisure. Sampling the simple delights of life has become my full time job. Those delights include books. For one thing I simply don’t like reading electronic text. I have a very short attention span for photons smashing themselves onto a computer screen. If what I read is true so do most people. It seems that the ideal way to write for the Internet is in an “F” shape. Only the first few lines are read to the end, thereafter the eye starts cutting off the right side text.

I want to enjoy what I am reading and have the time to do just that. That enjoyment extends to the book as artifact. The tactile experience, the dimensions of a physical entity, the type, illustrations, binding, paper, cover and convenience of the book is important to the total experience of reading. And I never have to recharge a book!

If I am doing research I will have several books open at the same time to compare, augment, check, or refute. Flipping screens cannot match the cluttered desk approach. Furthermore, I seem to have a quirky memory. While I do not have a photographic memory, I can easily recall the approximate location and page placement of something I have read in a book. Whether reading non-fiction or novels, it is not uncommon for me to check back on what I had read. Again, the paper book is superior for these functions.

When I read non-fiction, I write in my books. This admission would make my fellow librarian colleagues cringe, but it’s my book. I use the end papers for personal indexing, noting important concepts as they unfold throughout the book. The process is not a duplication of the good book’s index. It is more personal. Years after I’ve read a book I can consult the back pages to review something from the book and will know just where to find it in the text. Sometimes I highlight text as I read; often I write comments on the page as I read. It’s only vandalism when it doesn’t belong to you.

Does the physical book have disadvantages? Well, it isn’t “green” although some paper has been recycled. Many of my better books are printed on archival paper. They will last. Whether this is good for the earth or not, it is good for those books that are keepers. A second disadvantage comes from the fact the books take up space. In my home, a lot of space! We recently reached a point of desperation. My husband often says, “We don’t have enough book shelves.” I tell him we never will.

To that end I have been weeding my collections. Weeding is the term librarians use to remove books from the library’s collection. Weeding has always been the part of my job that I hated. It is no different at home. It is difficult to make choices that will result in the permanent loss of a good friend. This time drastic measures were necessary. There is just one more room of books to weed. It contains my science, math, psychology, thesis research material, and writers’ resource books. It will be very painful indeed to cull this carefully collected group.

What criteria have I used in my recent weeding? If the book was on a topic I’ve lost interest in, it was removed. If I never read, and would probably never read it, the book is gone. If a title was part of one of my special collections, but a weak entry, I removed it. I have amassed very choice collections in Celtic History and Culture, Medieval History, Fairy tales and myths, Native American legends and arts, History of Science and Math, History of Philosophy, Nobel Science biography, certain mystery writers and a few fiction writers.

If the weeded titles were on a Kindle® they could be deleted. The mental of image of deleting my friends is painful. However, most of my books would not be available to “download” anyway. What will I do with my old friends? Mostly I will try to find them a new home; new readers. Some I will donate to the library. These might end up in their collection—they’re good enough—or in the next book sale. We may take some to a second hand book store and sell them for a pittance. Maybe these will find their way into good homes. A very, very few will end up in the trash.

I do not regret the return of my birthday present. Whatever the fate of books and reading, the physical book will remain important to me. Even the pain of weeding old friends cannot dissuade me. Books are part of my life, part of me. If that makes me less au courant, “uncool”, or old fashioned, so be it.

Who Said That?

2010-02-25T16:30:00.002-06:00

Time for another quiz; the following quotes represent some of my favorites. The meanings inherent in these statements provide me with a source of ideas, questions, self-reflection and balance. Hopefully you too will find one or two special enough to ponder and make your own. Match the quotation with the person who wrote or spoke it.

1. “Reading maketh a full man, conference a ready man, and writing an exact man.”
2. “There are some things that are so serious that you can only joke about them.”
3. “Most people say that it is the intellect which makes a great scientist. They are wrong: it is character.”
4. “Education allows us to acquire contexts and perspectives so that we know what we need to look for and how we might go about looking.”
5. “A man wrapped up in himself makes a very small parcel.”
6. “Experience keeps a dear school, but fools will learn in no other.”
7. “There is no cure for birth and death save to enjoy the interval.”
8. “The difference between a moral man and a man of honor is that the latter regrets a discreditable act, even when it has worked and he has not been caught.”
9. “Good lives are made so by discipline.”
10. “Everything great comes from neurotics.”
11. “Self interest is the greatest monarch on earth.”
12. “One has to be grown up enough to realize that life is not fair. You just have to do the best you can in the situation you are in.”
13. “Life is short and virtue rare. It is better to love than to hate, to live fully if imperfectly.”
14. “The love of knowledge is a kind of madness.”
15. “Speech was given to man so that he might hide his thoughts.”

A) Marcel Proust B) Stephen Hawkings C) Albert Einstein D) George Santayana E) Stendhal F) Francis Bacon G) H. L. Mencken H) Montesquieu I) John Ruskin J) C. S. Lewis K) Carl Van Doren L) Sophocles M) Sven Birketts N) Niels Bohr O) Benjamin Franklin

Answers: 1-F, 2-N, 3-C, 4-M, 5-I, 6-O, 7-D, 8-G, 9-L, 10-A, 11-H, 12-B, 13-K, 14-J, 15-E.

La Dolce Vita

2010-01-31T21:00:00.006-06:00

Eyeballs really can pop out of one’s head. But I’m getting ahead of my story.

We have just returned from a six week vacation from winter. Southern California was warm and sunny for 5 of those weeks and we sopped it up. My Puritan DNA was put on hold and, as Agnes Gooch in the movie Auntie Mame declared, “We lived!”

My husband and I decided to rent a furnished apartment from one of the many Irvine Company complexes. We chose the place where hubby suffered a sun burnt tongue. Actually the tongue had a couple of years to heal because we first looked at the model apartments a while ago. How did his tongue get burned you wonder?

The address of the Rental Office was a bit vague. We turned into the Villas, parked, and headed for what we thought was the main office. Quickly we realized our mistake. This was one of the apartment complexes and we needed to go across the street. I got back into the car, expecting to see hubby follow. He wasn’t there. It seems that he was struck dumb, mouth open and tongue hanging, watching the ladies at the pool. “Just wondering where all the men were” was his lame excuse.

Eventually we made it to the correct office and gathered brochures and information. This winter those brochures became reality. We returned to the scene of the sunburn to take possession of our two bedroom fully furnished apartment.

Our Dolce Vita was about to begin. After settling in, we headed for the beach. Driving down PCH (that’s Pacific Coast Highway 1 to you), we dodged three yellow Lamborghinis*. Yellow’s such a flashy color! Actually the laid back hues on the several Jaguars* and Mercedes* were more to my taste. Our modest rental car boasted Oregon plates so those Lamborghinis could just suck it up.

We quickly began to acclimate to the California Lifestyle. Nearly everyday we walked the “Mountains to the Sea” bike/hike trail that runs along the San Diego Creek part of the way to its destinations. How we envied those spandex* clad bikers with their speed bikes and classy helmets. We could only hope to emulate the hikers, joggers, and dog walkers.

Hubby walks a bit slower than I do but usually manages to keep within 50 feet of my lead. He enjoyed our walks but knew he had made it to Nirvana on our last walk. As we neared the end of our daily route we saw a hand-holding couple on roller blades coming towards us. The grey haired, 60+ gentleman looked fit in his head to toe black spandex and helmet. His lovely companion, cum “trophy wife,” was a blond goddess in her equally tight black outfit and Lamborghini stylish head gear. Hand and hand they skated past me and then past hubby.

When a decent interval had passed, I signaled two thumbs up. I dared not turn back; no man wants his wife to see him drooling all over his Nike's*. Unfortunately hubby missed the signal. His eyeballs had popped right out of his head and they were rolling into the Creek bed. Or maybe he was a lot closer than 50 feet… La Dolce Vita indeed.

*Note: Lamborghini, Jaguar, Mercedes, spandex (aka Lycra), and Nike are all registered trademarks of the following companies--in order--Automobili Lamborghini SpA, Jaguar Land Rover North America LLC, Mercedes-Benz USA LLC, INVISTA, and Nike, Inc.

The Internet Can Still Be Fun

2010-01-21T14:09:00.002-06:00

There remain a number of pleasant surprises on the Internet. It’s not all email, Twitter, Facebook, and GOOGLE. Amazing sites are there for the viewing. Here are some of my favorites.

Starting with ArchNet, the Virtual Library of Archeology http://archnet.asu.edu/ , one can select general information for the lay person interested in historical artifacts and places at http://archnet.asu.edu/resources/Selected_Resources/General%20Information.php . A fun place to begin is the History of Plumbing, http://www.theplumber.com/index.html#history , where you can learn about the plumbing arrangements of the ancients as well as current topics in toilets. Don’t miss the “Historic Explosions” link and the “Attack of the Japanese Toilets”!

Stay with the general audience Archeological sites a bit longer and visit by continent, country, or region. A plethora of interesting links lure you into worlds you have only dreamt about, like The Ancient China site, http://www.crystalinks.com/china.html , The Shrines and Temples of Japan with Buddhist sculpture, http://www.art-and-archaeology.com/japan/japan.html , and The Prehistoric Art of the Pyrenees, http://www.culture.gouv.fr/culture/app/eng/artprepy.htm .

Literary websites abound. If you have a craving for all things Bard, try the Mr. William Shakespeare and the Internet site, http://shakespeare.palomar.edu Here you will find study guides, criticism, timelines, festivals, and fascinating minutiae about Shakespeare and his contemporaries.

Something quite different is to be found at the New York University Medical School’s Literature, Arts, and Medicine Database, http://litmed.med.nyu.edu/Main?action=new . Their mission statement explains: “This site, established in 1994 at New York University School of Medicine, is dedicated to providing a resource for scholars, educators, students, patients, and others who are interested in the work of medical humanities. We define the term "medical humanities" broadly to include an interdisciplinary field of humanities (literature, philosophy, ethics, history and religion), social science (anthropology, cultural studies, psychology, sociology), and the arts (literature, theater, film, and visual arts) and their application to medical education and practice. The humanities and arts provide insight into the human condition, suffering, personhood, our responsibility to each other, and offer a historical perspective on medical practice.” This site offers medical student’s annotations on art, film and literature. To date the site features 142 Art 223 Film , and 2470 Literature Annotations for 1534 Authors and 89 artists. At present annotations utilize 138 keywords.

If you’re a mystery fan like me, don’t miss The Cornerstones section of the world’s-best-detective-crime-and-murder-mystery-books.com website, http://www.worlds-best-detective-crime-and-murder-mystery-books.com/cornerstones.html The best of classical mystery writing has been selected. The Cornerstones section covers writers from Poe to the “moderns” who wrote in the 1930s. Access to the Haycraft-Queen Definitive Library of Detective, Crime, and Mystery Fiction: A Reader’s List of Detective Story Cornerstones is available. This site is nirvana for classic mystery fans.

For all you history buffs, you must see Fordham University’s Sourcebooks. My favorites are the Medieval, http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/Sbook.html and Ancient History, http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/asbook.html links, but the “world’s your onion” as far as subjects go. There is a Modern History link http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/modsbook.html as well for those of you who wish to repeat the mistakes of the past.

One of the sites I frequent is Arts and Letters Daily, http://www.aldaily.com/ . The site is owned and operated by The Chronicle of Higher Education and provides book reviews, commentaries, and articles of current interest. The arts, biography, and education are featured. It’s a rare day not to find something to capture your imagination. Links to daily and Sunday newspapers, popular magazines and ezines, and music stations are provided along the left hand column. It’s a must for your Favorites Files!

There are many other websites I visit for fun. If a bit of learning rubs off in the process, that’s all the better. Happy Surfing.

Happy New Year from the San Andreas Fault

2010-01-01T02:36:00.006-06:00

New Year greetings from the San Andreas Fault in southern California. Some scientific evidence seems to point to a higher incidence of earthquakes when the moon is full and the ground is saturated with water deeply underground. December 31 provided a Full Moon and December 30 provided the rain. It also brought a quake just over the Mexican border, so maybe the geologists have come up with a tectonic rule of thumb.

If you like rules of thumb, there is a fun website that specializes in them. So, start the New Year out with really useful information...I don't know if the full moon/deep water rule is valid, but enjoy the following from Rules of Thumb from http://www.rulesofthumb.org/ accessed 12/30 and 12/31/2009.

1. To succeed against all possible odds, count on at least 1 in 4 things going wrong. In other words, you need a 33 percent margin of safety. If you have to have 30 of something, plan to make 40. Stanley J. Goodman, How to Manage a Turnaround

2. Three out of five people hang up on answering machines. Betty Merritt, Florist, R.R. Springville, Iowa, USA

3. Genuine emotion is always expressed with the entire body. When uncertain of a person's sincerity, watch their shoulders. You should doubt anyone who is speaking with strong emotion and relaxed shoulders. D. Klein, painter, Brooklyn, New York

4. Liars touch and scratch their nose, lean forward, and use words like would not or could not rather than contractions like wouldn't or couldn't. Scott Parker

5. One elephant will provide as much meat as 100 antelopes. Pygmy hunters in the Ituri forest of Zaire, from NOVA

6. When placed in a bowl of water, a fresh egg will sink and lie on its side. An egg that's not fresh but still edible will sink and stand partially erect on its tapered end. A rotten egg will float. David Hechler, writer, Rockport, Texas

7. If you need to locate a stud in a stick-framed wall, remember that most electricians are right handed. Find an outlet, and tap the wall directly to its left. The odds are in your favor that the stud will be there, and you can measure away from it in 16-inch increments to find other studs. Art McAfee, in Fine Homebuilding, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

8. An igloo should be built in an area where the snow is packed just loose enough to make a footprint, but not so loose that a footprint blows away in a high wind. Dennis Eskow, science editor, Popular Mechanics

9. Spraying is fast but is the least durable, rolling on paint is better but, if you want the job to last, the best is the good old paint brush. Dick Gehring, Consultant, NY

10. Water weighs roughly 8 lbs per gallon, as does milk and other similarly watery substances. Craig, University professor

11a. When taking a test: 1.Think long--think wrong. 2. Nine out of ten times, your first answer was the correct answer. 3. When in doubt, pick answer "C." Robert Hastings, Master Chief Petty Officer, United States Coast Guard

11b. When taking a test #2: Don't change your first guess on a multiple choice question when checking over your answers. The first guess is always the best. William H. Smith, Cincinnati, Ohio

Rules about Rules-of-Thumb: Rules-of-thumb help you estimate something quickly. On average, there'll be about two good rules-of-thumb out of the eleven or so proposed on a page. They're the ones which contain or refer to numbers. The rest are tips and sayings that, like fingers, are useful but not for the same reason. Charlie Kufs, Statistician, Willow Grove, Pa, US

Survival Guide to the Holidays with your Long, Lost Relatives

2009-12-10T16:59:00.004-06:00

“Peace on earth, good-will to men (and women).” That may have been all well and good for H. W. Longfellow but H.W. didn’t have to survive a 4-day holiday weekend with your relatives. You know, all those folks you see once a year who reinforce your suspicions that you must have been adopted. My advice, suck it up whilst wafting a healthy portion of Wassail. Make it fun. Inject fun foreign phrases into a fatuous colloquy with the likes of Uncle Bob and Cousin Feather. The following is just a sample of the fun you can have.

“Another Christmas at Grandpa Gorp’s. Lasciate ogni speranza voi ch’entrate.”

To your bum of a brother-in-law: “Entre nous, celebrations tout ensemble are a trial. The contretemps between Spiro and my sister-in-law Flo was a mauvais quart d’heure. Spiro’s such a flâneur! I always say timeo Danaos et dona ferentes. From the look of the presents they give I believe his wife shops mont-de-piétés.”

To your brother Oscar: “As for sister Sue’s offspring sauve qui peut! Children do not feature in my Weltanschauung. In nuce I say oderint dum metuant. Jane tried to foist that dooly diaper-full on me at lunch. Noli me tangere.”

To your cousin Geoffrey: “Did you get a load of Winston’s latest fiancé? The décolletage! That femme fatale is really embonpoint. As for how long his romance will last, les jeux sont faits. Winston’s such a soi-disant bon vivant. Of course, it’s not for us to judge. Chacun à son gout.”

To your Mom: “That salon de refuses Marcia brought home for the Saturnalia festivities are hic et ubique. I think the tall, dour one is nothing less than a anguis in herba. It is 'infra dig' pour passer le temps with such a canaille. As the years pass Marcia goes de pis en pis. She treats Grandpa Gorp’s home like a maison de santé for her friends.”

To all: “Ah well, it’s always charmant to toast a votre santé. Vive la bagatelle! As for myself, dum spiro, spero. Joyeux Noël. Phagomen kai piomen, aurion gar thanoumetha.”

Sprinkle those bon mots early and often and I guarantee you'll find H. W.'s 'Peace'. Good will is not all it's cracked up to be anyway.

Happy looking it all up…

Planting Daffodils in November

2009-11-09T16:30:00.002-06:00

Finally the yard chores are finished. The windows have been washed and the lawn furniture put away. I just planted 27 daffodil bulbs. Experience has taught me to forget any landscape plan that includes tulips, however beautiful. The squirrels have sated themselves on our acorns. I’m certainly not going to feed them tulip bulbs!

Despite my hopes for spring flowers, November is the time to contemplate death and dying. Plants have withered; leaves have turned and fallen, their brittle sound follows wind and footstep; the lovelier birds migrated towards sunnier climes weeks ago. The year is dying with the hours of sunlight.

The Catholic Church acknowledges our need to recall our dead with its celebration of All Saints and All Souls Days on November first and second. My daffodil planting brought to mind my dead daughter. It has been twelve and a half years since her death. I don’t like terms like “passed” or “lost her.” Passed what? We were not careless enough to let loose her hand in a crowd. She died. It’s not healthy to deny the word. But what brought her death to mind today was the small manure turtle thriving in my back yard garden. How she would laugh to think that her last Mother’s Day gift to me was a brick of s---! How ironic.

A week ago we attended a Celtic New Year celebration of Irish books, music and art at the Irish-American Heritage Center in Chicago. One of the authors who spoke was Anna McPartlin, a young Irishwoman with a tragic childhood and a smiling disposition. Ms. McPartlin read a chapter from one of her books. In the question and answer session that followed she discussed her first book, Pack Up The Moon. One of her comments was thought-provoking. The story in the first book deals with coming to terms with death and grieving. The young and charming Ms. McPartlin said that the characters in her book learn to acknowledge and surrender the parts of them that died with their loved ones. The role one had played for the departed needs to be buried with them. The special words and intimate interactions are forever lost, accept in memory. Resolution of the grieving process occurs when the survivor can mourn the loss of a portion of themselves as well as the loss of the loved one.

I’m no longer the mother of a young, intelligent woman with whom I argue psychological theory and philosophy. There are no head and back rubs to give while watching Murder She Wrote. There will be no co-written mystery series with a librarian detective. I no longer need to show interest in antique shops that feature familiar looking furniture.

But I plant daffodils and wait for spring. And I share a laugh with someone long dead whenever I see that turtle.

The Haunted Flat

2009-10-26T12:23:00.005-06:00

Halloween will be upon us soon. How many realize that the current holiday is based on the Celtic year's end, Samhain? (pronounced sow' in) The Celtic year ends; the festival of Samhain celebrates the dissolution of the boundaries between the world of the living and of the dead. On the last evening of the year, the dead walk the earth.

Visitations of the dead are not limited to Samhain. We lived in a haunted apartment once. The apartment was part of a two flat that was attached to its mirror image. The buildings were constructed in the mid-1920s when riches flowed freely. Our flat was on the second floor.

There were no bumps in the night, no eerie sounds, no apparitions hovering above the old gas light fixture in the hallway. The only intimation of the haunting was a feeling of presence. But there was more going on that I was unaware of.

I never mentioned the ghost to anyone while we lived there. It was represented by a feeling that an old man was watching over our infant son while his crib was in the front of the house. Until he was sleeping through the night we kept his crib in the dining room near our bedroom, and a bit later the crib was moved to the alcove over the front stairway. Only later did he join his big sister in the back bedroom. After the move to the back of the flat the "old gentleman" disappeared.

Our ghost was a benevolent spirit who was protecting our infant son. During those months the spirit visited late in the evening. I felt that our "visitor" was the ghost of the man who build the apartments. The man was successful enough to have made a world tour. Many of his mementos were still lodged in the basement. He had wanted a male heir, but never had a son.

Other strange things happened while we lived in the apartment. A gallon of apricot paint seemingly tipped itself all over the bathtub when we were painting. There were several women on the block and many of them pregnant at one time or another. Accidents happened to my visiting neighbors who were soon to deliver baby boys. Three women fell down the stairs--back stairs, outside front stairs, and the stairs linking the first and second floors. One woman very narrowly escaped death when she barely missed an old metal sled lodged at the bottom of the inside stairs. Throughout the five years we lived in the apartment, accidents happened to boy children in the back parts of the building.

I never made the connection until we had moved out to the suburbs. My brother and his wife came to visit. They had taken the apartment after we moved. As the evening conversation continued my sister-in-law asked why we had never told them about the ghost. Chills ran down my spine. I had never mentioned it to anyone. Apparently one of their friends came to visit and immediately sensed a ghost in the back portion of the house. She called the ghost Millie. Millie's favorite color was blue and she did not like little boys. She was not a pleasant spirit.

Was my "old gentleman" protecting our son from Millie? Were those falls just the clumsiness of pregnant women, or was it Millie? Ladies expecting girl babies never had a problem. Who tipped the apricot paint can? Did Millie cause the accidents little boys suffered in the back parts of the apartments, or was it just a coincidence? It's a true story. Believe what you will.

Happy Halloween. Happy New Year.

National Parks on PBS

2009-09-30T21:44:00.001-06:00

With regard to the Ken Burns' National Parks documentary on PBS--I should like to see more park and hear less polemic.

The University Brochure

2009-09-22T11:03:00.004-06:00

I received a flyer in the mail today from the local university. The school advertises a new master degree program tailored for those over 65. Old students may enroll in the Pre-Senility Master of Old Age graduate program for credit towards their degree, or they may audit individual classes until it becomes necessary to make yearly minimum withdrawals on their 401k. If prospective students are institutionalized they may enroll in the distance learning program. This is an amazing opportunity, as the course listings will readily demonstrate, so forward this posting to your favorite senior citizen now!

Degree Requirements: Successful fulfillment of eight courses, a three-month practicum, and a thesis.

Required Courses:

Physical Fitness (Pass/Fail) – Students will explore aerobic and anaerobic fitness. Proficiency in the following activities is required “Prescription Pill Container Physics”, “Dancing with Sore Bunions,” “The Peppermint Twist and Shout Back-out-of-Whack Tournament” “Bloodless Toe-nail Clipping” and “Facial Hair Removal without a Magnifying Mirror.” Independent study options depend on Medicare coverage plan.
Tweeting and Texting – Students will tweet and text inane messages to other students until the entire class agree that face-to-face communication, letters, and phone calls are “a thing of the past.” Facebook and MySpace privacy issues will be addressed, then dismissed. Enlarging the number of cyber-friends and family is the goal. Annoying emoticon creation required.
Buster’s Memory Boosters – A favorite course taught by award winning faculty member Beta Amyloid Buster. Strategies for keeping the old noggin sharp include Suduko, Crosswords, Solitaire, and Logic Puzzles. Professor Buster offers priority registration to students who confuse grandchildren’s names and/or who forget their anniversary. The location of the classroom changes for each session so that students with perfect attendance receive an automatic “A.” Pre-requisite: Remembering what you came into the classroom for.

Electives (Choose Five):

Spending All Your Money – Students will devise a plan to spend all of their children’s inheritance before probate. Those who demonstrate they can do it on the very day of their death receive extra credit.
De-Clutter Now! – Local psychiatric social workers team up to teach this class. Rules of Disengagement for your valuable collectibles, tattered letters, odd sized screws, photographs with heads cut off, clothes that will never fit, and refrigerated leftovers will be explored. Really, really important pieces of paper will be shredded for the final examination.

Buster’s Memory Boosters – A favorite course taught by award winning faculty member Beta Amyloid Buster. Strategies for keeping the old noggin sharp include Suduko, Crosswords, Solitaire, and Logic Puzzles. Professor Buster offers priority registration to students who confuse grandchildren’s names and/or who forget their anniversary. The location of the classroom changes for each session so that students with perfect attendance receive an automatic “A.” Pre-requisite: Remembering what you came into the classroom for.
Medication Slice and Dice – The high cost of keeping healthy just got cheaper when students learn to cut pills, skip doses, and avoid the donut hole. Extra credit for those students who can correctly sort all medications into their weekly dosage containers before dinner.
Buster’s Memory Boosters – A favorite course taught by award winning faculty member Beta Amyloid Buster. Strategies for keeping the old noggin sharp include Suduko, Crosswords, Solitaire, and Logic Puzzles. Professor Buster offers priority registration to students who confuse grandchildren’s names and/or who forget their anniversary. The location of the classroom changes for each session so that students with perfect attendance receive an automatic “A. Pre-requisite: Remembering what you came into the classroom for.
Buster’s Memory Boosters – A favorite course taught by award winning faculty member Beta Amyloid Buster. Strategies for keeping the old noggin sharp include Suduko, Crosswords, Solitaire, and Logic Puzzles. Professor Buster offers priority registration to students who confuse grandchildren’s names and/or who forget their anniversary. The location of the classroom changes for each session so that students with perfect attendance receive an automatic “A.” Pre-requisite: Remembering what you came into the classroom for.
Conversation Ice-Breakers- How many illnesses, medications and conditions can the student introduce into conversations with friends, family and complete strangers? Specific strategies for dining, bridge, golf, grocery check-out lines, chance meetings, and other social gatherings will be designed to suit every situation. Students should come with a complete list of their “pre-existing conditions” on the first day of class.
Practicum – Advisor permission required, in writing. Explore the “Good Old Days” in a meaningful manner. Students will spend three months in the local high school interacting with teens and teachers. Documentation of student’s reminiscence, lamentations, complaints, and helpful suggestions will be required. Multi-media preferred. The university will not be held responsible for fines, imprisonment, hospitalization fees, or damage to property.

Thesis (Required):
Each student is required to write, present, and defend a thesis. The topic has been determined by the university and is the same for all students. The thesis topic is Learning to Love Irrelevancy. This topic is non-negotiable. Creative and meaningful responses to the Irrelevancy of Old Age will explore topics like:

“I paid the mortgage on our modest home on time and in full. Why do I have to bail out unqualified debtors in foreclosure?”
“We purchased our fuel efficient automobile ten years ago so where’s my ‘cash for clunkers’—or is the car not the ‘clunker’?”
“Medicare and Medicaid are not equivalent—did you know that?”
“Where is that Money Tree my grown-up children think we have?”
“My deadbeat brother-in-law owes me a bundle I’ll never see. Am I eligible for TARP benefits?”
“If I were an AIG executive, how would I spend my Christmas bonus?”
“My cemetery plot is ‘shovel ready.’ When can I expect the government’s stimulus money?”
"Explore the movitations behind writing a blog no one ever reads."
“Blackberry is not a fruit. Should the President IM anyone over 30? Do I care?”

Students should send thesis proposals to their advisors before the completion of their final course. You advisor will get back to you eventually.

Evaluation of irrelevancy will be determined by the Death Panel, whose decision will be final.

The Future for Networked Libraries

2009-09-12T14:55:00.003-06:00

Many Illinois libraries—public, academic, school and corporate—are fortunate to be linked to one of a number of library systems. In other parts of the country individual libraries are part of a county or regional system. In these lean times all libraries are hard pressed to find ways to function with less money, higher operating expenses, and greater demand. It is crucial to the country that libraries survive and thrive in both these tough economic times and in future when the economy rebounds.

This is not the first time in recent years that the viability of libraries has been challenged. Information itself has become “capital.” The information society demands instant and universal access to that commodity. In the 1990s libraries re-invented themselves to meet the demands of the Information Age. In addition Web2.0 required libraries to collaborate, communicate and connect in new ways. Successful libraries re-defined their missions to include interactive services while preserving high standards for traditional resources and values. On the whole, libraries met the challenges of the nineties, and continue to evolve.

Now is not the time for libraries to become complacent. While most have learned to weather the rapid transformations of the past decade, change—a dynamic and continuous process—remains the persistent paradigm. In order to remain both relevant and accountable libraries must not only respond to change, but seek opportunities for innovation.

The suggestions that follow can facilitate innovation in library communities. Although these suggestions apply most readily to the public library, adaptation is possible for academic and corporate library networks.

1) Nodal libraries should be established within a system to:
· Consolidate resources,
· Focus reference and technological expertise,
· Eliminate duplication,
· Enhance service, and
· Be cost effective.

The principal function of the nodal library, in addition to their own local responsibilities, would be to answer complex reference and research questions. Expensive databases and subject emphasis could be distributed throughout the nodes. Smaller, local libraries would outsource non-ready-reference inquiries, saving their limited resources to focus on local services: children and teen needs, community resource nexus, recreational reading, literacy and technology education, program and entertainment resources. Smaller libraries would pay the nodal libraries a smaller amount than they would expend on reference databases and expensive research materials. Staff from smaller libraries could rotate their reference librarians into the nodal system for “reference credits” if desired. A seamless interface could be designed to facilitate communication between client and nodal information specialists that would reflect positively on the local library. Small, local libraries cannot be all things to all peoples. Adoption of a nodal library system would free limited funds for materials and local services while providing expertise and currency that an individual library may find too costly to sustain.

2) Using the best practices of Web3.0 (the Semantic Web) local libraries can
“push” information and agents to their service population. The local library would become a public resource “Cloud” pulling together in-house resources, local government and education entities, community organizations, and local business. For example, a patron/client asks for help preparing a resume because s/he has been laid-off. The library would act as “Resource Agent” providing books on resumes, DVDs for the job interview, local job advertisements, word processing and productivity software, links to counseling and networking groups in the area, a calendar of job related programming sponsored by the library and its partners, links to government unemployment resources, RSS updates on job openings, resume editing services, links to community college resources to upgrade skills with access to college catalogs and registration…You get the idea. The local library would become a linked-in First Resort in the minds of local users and the community.

Adoption of these suggestions would increase the value a library provides to its service community. Cooperation, communication, and collaboration are keys to the future. Libraries can lead the way forward. ©ettsme.blogspot.com September 2009.

It's "OK" because...

2009-08-16T19:07:00.002-06:00

(a) Everyone does/says it;
(b) It’s unenforceable;
(c) It makes money;
(d) It’s ubiquitous;
(e) All my friends say so;
(f) I read it on Wikipedia;
(g) I saw it on the Internet/TV;
(h) I want to;
(i) He/she does it;
(j) I’m such a bad role model, I am a role model;
(k) It’s so cool;
(l) It's quick/easy;
(m) Nobody can make me do anything;
(n) “So and so” does it;
(o) No one will catch me;
(p) No one will know;
(q) It’s not wrong;
(r) Everybody’s entitled to their own opinion;
(s) What’s your excuse?
(t) None of the above.

Sorry, objective standards exist. Information is not knowledge. Consensus is not verity. Choosing the right and the good shouldn't be easy. One must dig deep and search broadly. The results can be elusive but they are always worth the effort. The correct answer is "t" which stands for truth, no matter how you feel about it.

Innocent Summers

2009-07-14T20:32:00.004-06:00

How did a pre-boomer child growing up in post-World War II spend the summer?

Carefree, sunny days and long noisy warm nights filled my pre-adolescent years. We lived on the near West Side of Chicago, in an Italian-American neighborhood. Our flat was down the street from a Catholic church, the center of any Italian-American neighborhood of that era. The mid-to-late ‘40s were a reliable source of almond candies, pennies, and uncooked rice. Nearly every summer Saturday hosted a wedding or two. Neighborhood kids would join the wedding celebrants as the new couple emerged from the church, hoping to glean the windfall of bridal tribute. We left the rice for the birds.

During the week, we conducted our own weddings. I can’t even guess how many times I married my cousin Joey Boy, but it was a lot. One of my favorite photographs of that time was of Joey “driving” his tricycle with the veiled bride on the trike’s back step holding on tight. I was such a lovely bride.

Wedding was not the only game we played. Marbles caromed within circles drawn in dirt parkways. We watched as older kids tossed jackknives onto a target scratched in the mud. Statue Maker, Kick the Can, Mother May I?, and Four Corners filled the afternoons and evenings. Mother, May I? is more complex than you might imagine. For those of you too young to know the game—probably 90 per cent of you—the rules are simple.

“Mother” determines who will advance toward her and who will not. The players line up horizontally on the sidewalk or street. Each in turn says “Mother, may I take (any number of giant, baby, or medium steps forward)? “Mother would say yes or no, or, she might change the orders. For example she might say, “No, you must take 2 giant steps backwards.” After every player had a turn, “mother” would briefly turn her back to the players. This was their chance to sneak up a bit so that she might not notice and send you back. A more daring player might chance a run ahead to tag “mother.” If a player was caught moving they were out. Timing and strategy were all. If you succeeded and got close enough to tag “mother,” you took her place.

We played our games just for the fun of playing and being together. If the game required a winner each of us wanted to be that player in turn. Cheating was not tolerated; play ended when you were called home.

Other summer activities included roller skating, trips to the family cottage, and, very rarely, a real vacation. I was no athlete. I “couldn’t skate.” I cried when I skinned my knee and wanted to come inside. My mother had no pity, and she yelled a lot. She sent me back out, declaring that I could not come home until I learned to skate. I learned to skate.

In the early ‘50s we had a real vacation. My brother was only 2 or 3 years old, so he was left at the family cottage. I puked my way through the flat, flat lands of Nebraska. And through the hairpin turns of Rocky Mountain roads. It was a great trip though. We saw Mount Rushmore, Old Faithful, the upper Colorado River canyons, and Pikes Peak. It snowed on the Fourth of July as the car climbed to the Peak. Once at the Peak we had blueberry pie—a first taste of a lifelong passion. There were bears in Yellowstone Park. My father, a camera nut, had to get out of the car to “get those two cute cubs on film.” Mother bear was not amused and dad had to dash back to the car where mother and I were screaming in terror.

When we reached the high desert of Wyoming I decided to empty the sand out of my shoe by opening the window and dumping it out as my father drove 70 miles an hour. Of course the shoe flew out of my hand. When my father finally stopped the car, the shoe was at least a mile or two away. He parked the car on the side of the road and walked back to find the shoe. He found it and I was in trouble for days. It made a change from motion sickness.

Summer nights were warm in the city—no fans or central air conditioning. There were no spacious lawns to cool the evening. We were very lucky to have a front yard of about two dozen square feet. This was the inner city and the ghetto started a half block east. But it was an Italian-American block and everyone was related to everyone else. Families would visit into the wee hours. Kids played in dark corners. If we were flush, a slushy Italian ice from across the street might cool a parched summer throat. As the day neared midnight calls to come home resounded on the block. In exhaustion we slept, hoping for a lake breeze and dreaming of tomorrow’s adventures.

In June of 1952 we moved to the suburbs. The first night in our new home was spent sweltering on mattresses strewn on the floor. It was so quiet. As the summer progressed we discovered fireflies and unfriendly neighbors. It took months to make a friend. Our second summer brought me my first (an only) bicycle, a 26 inch Sears boy’s bike. The bicycle was meant to last through my brother’s youth too, but I couldn’t think how I would ride it wearing my Catholic school jumper. Actually I couldn’t ride it at all. Mother said “Learn! Or walk eleven blocks to school everyday.”

A patient and kind classmate took pity on me. She taught me how to balance while riding on the back of her bicycle, holding on for dear life. I progressed to being helped to ride with her hand helping balance me. In a year I was good enough to take on Devil’s Dip in the nearby forest preserves.

Summers in the suburbs were never the same as those in the city though. Time passed. My childhood melted into adolescence as summer surprisingly becomes autumn.

Sixty-plus years have passed since Statue Maker was my delight. I took a half hour walk today. It was beautiful, warm and sunny, with a nice breeze. During my walk I encountered only two children, rollerblading while walking their dogs. It’s a rare day to see any kids playing outside. Only occasionally do the boys down the block play basketball or street hockey. Where are the girls?

It’s summer, every child’s delight, but the block is quiet. Today’s children are in day care and day camp; or inside their houses while parents work. Summer’s children are texting each other instead of talking; playing video games in an air conditioned buildings instead of working up an honest sweat playing outdoors in the fresh air.

Innocent summers are a pearl beyond price, not to be cheaply tossed aside. How sad to waste summer. Well, I’m not going to waste mine. I’m heading for the freezer to have a rock hard artificial Italian ice—after I check the sugar, sodium and calories. Mother, may I?

Deciphering "Doc-talk": Prefixes and Suffixes

2009-06-24T14:00:00.011-06:00

It has taken a while to get this together for a number of reasons. Principally I have been procrastinating, but I have also had to complete a major project, have had a marvelous vacation in Oregon and southern California, a nasty bout of sinusitis, and have been trying to find a way to make this comprehensible.

Many of our medical terms have their origin in the Greek and Latin languages. This reflects the history of the art of medicine in European culture as well as the continuity of scientific knowledge. In the hope of making this easier GREEK roots will be in capitals and those with Latin roots will be italicized. English meanings are in quotation marks. This listing is, in no way, intended to be complete. Only more common roots are included.

Aside from the medical terms, there are a number of basic prefixes that transcend subject areas. These are useful beyond the topic.

A or AN mean “not.” However in Latin it is il, which along with im, in also means against, into, or on.
Post means “after” while pre means “before;”
HYPER means “above”, HYPO means “under” and ultra means “beyond.”
ENTO, ECTO, and ENDO mean “inside or interior” in Greek while in Latin it’s intra, intro.
“Outside” is EX, EXO, extra. PERI means “around”, trans means “through on the far side of”.
“Under” can be expressed in several ways in Latin: sub, suc, suf, sum, sup. Super, supra mean “above.”
Ob, oc is Latin for “against.”
Finally the prefix meaning “with” is expressed as SY(M), SYL, SYN and cum. Medical persons will usually abbreviate “with” by writing a letter c with a line over it.

Let’s begin the medical terms at the beginning with basic and more widely distributed physical entities.

“Cell” is CYTO; PLAST when used as a suffix.
“Tissue” is HISTO, HYMENO is “membrane.”
“Body” is SOMATO as prefix and SOMA; STOMOUS when used as a suffix.
OO and ovi refer to “egg.” SPERMATO is “seed”, ZYGO means “double, yolk.” GAMO denotes “united, copulation”; GONO is “sexual reproduction.”
“Blood” comes from HAEMA or sangui; as suffix EMIA; THROMBO means “blood clot”
ADENO means “gland;” DERM refers to “skin.”
OSTEO and ossi refer to bone. NOTO references the “back of the body” while PLEURO is used for the “side of the body.” ARTHRO means “joint”, CHONDRO refers to “cartilage”, MYO refers to “muscle” and BRACHI means “arm.”

Moving on to the head, face, and neck we find the following:

CEPHALO means “head” while the suffixes would be CEPHALIC, CEPHALOUS;
“Brain” is CEREBRO, ENCEPHALO or PHRENO; “skull” is CRANIO, but PSYCH refers to “mind, spirit, or soul.”
NEURO means “nerve”, MYELO, “spinal cord” and RACHI, RACHIO is the “spine.” Poliomyelitis is an infectious viral disease that attacks the spinal cord and “grey matter” brain stem.
TRICHIO/IA refers to hair.
BLEPHARO means “eyelid”; OPTHALMO and oculo mean “eye;” as a suffix OPIA refers to “sight.”
OTO refers to the “ear.” Naso and RHINO mean the “nose.”
ORO and STOMATO both refer to “mouth” but the latter word usually means a general opening into something like an intestine, labio is “lip”, GLOSSO, “tongue”, BRONCHO, “throat”, GNATHO is “jaw” and CERVICO refers to the “neck.”
“Tooth” can be denti or ODONTO. Combined with ORTHO which means “straight’ or ENDO meaning “within” you can see where the words orthodontist and endodontist come from. If you note, you will have to pay a lot more for the ODONTO word than denti.

Organs and systems in the rest of the body have their own Greek and Latin origins.

The “lung” references are PNEUMO and pulmo; spiro refers to “breath.”
CARDIO means “heart”, PHLEBO refers to “vein”, SPHYGMO means “pulse.” Arteries were a late discovery. The name of the machine that takes your blood pressures is sphygmomanometer. A myocardial infarction means the death of a portion of the heart muscle due to a blood clot in the coronary artery that interrupts blood flow to the heart.
“Stomach” originates from COELA, GASTRO; SPLANCHNO and ENTERO refer to “guts.” SCATO and sterco describe “excrement.”
HEPATO means “liver,” CHOLE, CHOLO means “bile.” Cholesterol is actually a steroid alcohol manufactured by the liver that is a bile precursor. It is not “body fat” which comes from LIPO.
Reni and NEPHRO refer to the “kidney,” which is charged with filtering out TOXIO, or poisons, to be excreted through the “bladder” CYSTO. Do not confuse this root with CYST which is a “fluid filled sac,” possibly containing PYO or “pus.”
HYSTERO means “womb” and INGUINO refers to the “groin.” At the very bottom of the body we find PES, PEDIS better known as the “feet.”

Miscellaneous medical prefixes and suffixes conclude this somewhat dizzying listing.

IATRO, IATRICS, IATRY mean “medicine,” while IASIS refers to “disease.” PATHO and PATHY also mean “suffering or disease.” SEPSIS refers to infection or contamination while ITIS means “inflammation.” ALGIA and ODYNIA refer to “pain.”
LEUKO means “white,” POLIO is grey, and MELANO refers to “black.”
SCHISTO, SCHIZO means “split” and ANKYLO means “curved, bent.” SCELERO means “hard” and STENO refers to “narrow or short.”
HYPNO means “sleep” as does somni. ONEIRO refers to “dream.”
OMA and CELE when used as a suffix refer to “tumor.” PLASIA, PLASIS means “growth.”
Other suffixes: PHOBIA means “fear”, MANIA means “craving,” PLEGIA means “paralysis”, RRHEA, RRHAGIA refers to “flow” but RRHAPY means “surgical stitching.” TOMY means “cutting.”
Finally, TACHY is “rapid”, TRACHY is “rough” and ZER, ZERO means “dryness.”

Deciphering "Doc-talk"

2009-05-13T21:21:00.004-06:00

Recently I had the opportunity to tour the International Museum of Surgical Science in Chicago. This facility contains artifacts, illustrations, and sculptures that trace the healing practices of Eastern and Western medicine. Exhibits include medical imaging, ophthalmic art, nursing, pain management, surgicogenomics, orthopedics, and pharmacological science. The museum’s mission is “to enrich people’s lives by enhancing their appreciation and understanding of history, development, and advances of surgery and related subjects in health and medicine.” (brochure) Visit their website for more information http://www.imss.org/ .

The facility provoked my thoughts on the ubiquitous exposure the lay person has with modern medicine. Media, news articles, Internet and greater use of the health system forces one to become increasingly literate with the terms of medical science. “Doc-talk” is not necessarily the lingua franca of the public however. To help you decipher “doc-talk” I have planned two blog entries that will relate the meaning of certain terms and abbreviations commonly used by physicians and health care professionals. The lay person is expected to understand what has taken health care professionals years to master.

This first entry will reveal some of the more common medication abbreviations and medical terminology. The second will feature prefixed and suffixes most commonly used that will indicate anatomical and physiological terms. Many entries have their origin in Greek and Latin. Hopefully these blog entries will provide enough information so you can have a reasonable understanding of what is meant when your medical professional uses “doc-talk.”

Prescription abbreviations: Rx (from the Latin imperative recipe) – take thee of, ac (ante cibum) – before meals, ap (ante prandium) – before dinner, b.i.d. (bis in die) – twice daily, hd (hor decubitus) – at bedtime, p.r.n. or ad lib. (pro re nata or ad libitum) – as needed, q.h. (quaque sec hora) – every hour, q.i.d. (quarter in die) – four times daily, qtt – drops, sig (signa) – give following directions, ss (semis) – one half, t.i.d. (ter in die) – three times daily, ut dict – as directed.

Other terms used: Bx – biopsy, CBC – complete blood count, C/O – complains of, Dx – diagnosis, Fx – fracture, Hx – history of, NPO – (nil/nihil per os) nothing by mouth, O2 – oxygen gas, pH – acidity scale ( 0 – 14 with 7 as neutral; lower numbers are acid, higher numbers are basic or alkaline), R/O – rule out, c (with line over it) – with, s (with line over it) – without.

Other useful terms: ataxia – loss of control over body functions, edema – abnormal swelling or accumulation of fluid (pulmonary edema - accumulation of fluid in the lungs), ischemia – decrease in oxygenated blood being delivered to an organ (TIA – transient ischemic attacks or silent strokes that occur when brain is briefly deprived of oxygen, MI – myocardial infarction or heart attack caused by decreased oxygenated blood flow to the heart), metastasis – migration of cancer (CA) cells to other organs and parts of the body.

What is the difference between a CT Scan, MRI, fMRI, and PET Scan? The CT Scan (computerized tomography) utilizes an X-ray machine working with a computer to examine body organs, constructing a series of cross-section scans in one dimension. It is useful for viewing detailed pictures of body tissues and structures. The MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) uses nuclear magnetic resonance of protons to help distinguish between healthy and diseased tissues in a three dimensional proton density image. The fMRI (functional MRI) is a particular MRI that registers blood flow to functioning areas of the brain. A PET Scan (positron emission tomography) uses positrons to discover functional information. Images show molecular function and activity, the metabolic activities of body tissues. Its three dimensional images can be used to identify whether a tumor is benign or cancerous. PET Scans are often used to compliment the more common CT Scan and MRI.

Coming next: common medical suffixes and prefixes.

I Most Certainly Am Not A Twit!

2009-04-23T10:50:00.002-06:00

Nor do I “twitter.” Twitter is the new darling of short attention span egoists. Tweets of 140 characters or less keep hundreds of “followers” informed of their every move. Twitter is becoming as popular as Facebook and MySpace, two of the best known networking applications available on the Internet and on mobile devices. In addition to manic thumb typists, movie stars, newscasters, and TV personalities send cyber messages ad nauseam.

A recent AP article by Martha Irvine, writing for USA Today, examines the Twitter madness and other social networking behaviors. The article describes the results of a recent Pew Internet & American Life Project survey that divides Americans of all ages into three groups: 45 % who love socializing via computer or mobile device, 48 % who do not, and 7% described as “conflicted about staying in constant contact.”

One cannot escape Twitter. We are led to believe that those without continuous connection to total strangers are antediluvian. Self-esteem is determined by the number of friends and followers one amasses. Oprah claimed 100,000 Twitter followers within hours of setting up her Tweeter presence.

But, wait a minute. Look at the Pew survey numbers again. Only 45% of the population love incessant socializing via computers and mobile devices. If the percentage of those “who do not” incorporate with the “conflicted” a majority of 55% emerges. Is this majority unaware of every other news article and their favorite news journalist’s continual claims that everyone—read “them”—tweets? Why haven’t the 55%-ers embraced this hot phenomenon? Are they twits too?

The hype is manipulative. The tyranny of the minority tries to convince the majority to follow. It’s Madison Avenue in cyberspades. Is that 55% too embarrassed to speak up?

Well, I’m not. I have refused numerous e-invites to become someone’s “friend.” (Web bots become quite indignant when you turn down their invitations!) I don’t need to have my mobile phone glued to my ear. I use IM for work purposes only and “chat” very occasionally. If you have a Facebook page don’t tell me about it. If you’re eating a greasy burger in St. Paul I don’t want to hear about. It’s not all about you. Sorry.

Here’s my unembarrassed stand on Twitter. Quite frankly, I’m not important enough to need continuous attachment to 500 total strangers. Actually I like the freedom inconsequence brings. But I do recognize importance. The vast majority of tweets and Facebook-like entries are banal, trivial. It’s noise, and I like solitude. Norman Cousins wrote that “a life without silence is a life without privacy.” I’m very big on privacy—mine and yours. Most of what passes for cyber-connectedness is ersatz relationship.

Those of us in that 55% are not out of the loop; we prefer that the loop not choke. Would it not be refreshing and charming for actual human beings to learn the latest, relevant news from real people in real time? The 55%-ers are not Luddites. Most of this majority is techno-savvy and comfortable with useful applications whether these are the next great thing or not. Perhaps the 55%-ers are more self-assured and substantial. We assess the situation in hand and adjust our actions accordingly. Fortunately very little is crucially immediate.

Of course there exists a need for efficient communication in real emergencies, especially in the violent, uncertain times evident in our time. There are truly useful applications for Twitter-like applications. Knowing that the highway you drive to work has an hour backup can save time and aggravation. In-time information suits these reactive applications perfectly.

The concision required by the 140 character limit can challenge one to focus and think before thumbing. Concise is nice in its place, but consider the following tweet:

Hamlet here.Denmark stinks.Dad walks@midnight;Mom weds UncleC.’Phelia tops herself.Anybody ask me?Like I so don’t care.Crossed swords. Oops!

Thanks to Twitter concision you will not need those theatre tickets. The Hamlet experience is already yesterday. Tweet on to the next text thing. (The 55%-ers are grateful that Shakespeare wasn’t a tweeter, although he almost has as many followers as Oprah.)

Twitter will probably not go away until someone thinks up an equally annoying next great experience. Unfortunately the die has been cast for social networking applications. Recently a Pennsylvania pair, intending a world record, sent 217 thousand text messages in one month. (To be fair these were not Tweets.) Most of these were concision personified—one word messages like “LOL”. The pair racked up a phone bill for $26,000. Unfortunately the mobile provider had to write the debt off because the individuals had an unlimited no cost texting contract. The wife of one of these record breakers gave up trying to reach him by phone. Hopefully there were no real emergencies to address. Of course she wouldn’t have had the chance to tell her thumbilicious twit if she wanted to leave him either. It’s an ill wind…

Author George Eliot wrote, “Blessed is the man who, having nothing to say, abstains from giving us evidence of the fact.” Thanks anyhow, Oprah. I’ll pass.

Gullible's Travels: Shibui

2009-03-25T20:32:00.007-06:00

Balboa Park is enjoyed by native San Diegans as well as visitors. Its parks, gardens, and museums team with activity in this usually nice year-round climate. I say 'usually' because San Diego was cold, wet, and gloomy. Yes, they desperately need the rain and the mayor has initiated a water rationing plan that will begin this summer. However, for the winter-weary it was disappointing.

Despite the weather I visited several museums and galleries in the park. The buildings, since replaced with studier replicas, were built for the 1918 World's Fair that was designed to celebrate the opening of the Panama Canal. Balboa 'discovered' the Pacific Ocean so who better to name the park after. The park is also home to the famous San Diego Zoo which I also visited. It was a second trip to the zoo, but the pandas had not been installed on my last visit. It was special to see them and the koalas.

My favorite museum was the Mingei International Museum which specializes in the presentation of contemporary folk art, craft, and design from world cultures. Not withstanding the ugly and misleading caricatures outside the building, the museum's collection is beautiful, thought provoking, and diverse. Of particular interest was the Japanese exhibit demonstrating the concept of Shibui.

According to WikiPedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shibui "Shibui is a Japanese word which refers to a particular aesthetic of simple, subtle, and unobtrusive beauty...(that) can apply to a wide variety of subjects, not just art or fashion." Its original meaning, dating from the 14th century, suggested "astringent taste." Since the 17th century, the term defines anything "that was beautiful by being understated, or by being precisely what it was meant to be and not elaborated upon. Essentially, the aesthetic ideal of shibumi seeks out events, performances, people or objects that are beautiful in a direct and simple way, without being flashy." Shibui embraces the arts of the people.

The Museum exhibit enlarges on this definition. Shibui craftsmanship reflects a utilitarian and unadorned philosophy. The objects included in the collection are simple, everyday essentials of the common man. The exhibit includes dinnerware, chairs, clothes, and other everyday objects. Materials are natural and functional. Yet each is a work of art. Herein the paradox reveals itself.

Shibui translates well into European examples that are more familiar to me. What appears commonplace necessity, utilitarian, stripped of all non-essentials becomes rare and beautiful. Shibui is as elegant in its simplicity as the beautiful mathematical formula, epitomized in Einstein's equation E = mc². It is puissant in application, like a cosmic singularity. A shibui object is absolute potentiality veiled in functionality. The acerbic becomes a terrible beauty.

Both the haiku and an example of medieval Irish poetry demonstrate this concept in the language arts.

A splash of lightning sparks,
Forsythia;
Spring opening here today!
[Author unknown from The Haiku Anthology, n.d.]

The Sea

Look you out
northeastwards
over mighty ocean,
teaming with sea-life;
home of seals,
sporting, splendid,
its tide has reached
fullness.
[Medieval Irish Lyrics, translated by James Carney. Mount Rath Portlaoise, Ireland: Domen Press Ltd, c 1967, 1985, p. 41. The Irish poetry is elegant in the original Gaelic, but an English translation will have to do.]

In these comparisons and examples I realized that Shibui summons my memory of the essential Epicurean goal of ataraxia, which translates as tranquility, equanimity, and repose of mind. In this paradox the Epicurean becomes Stoic. The cold rain no longer causes irritation. Viewing the crafts of Japanese artisans helped banish the winter in my mind. I was exactly where I wanted to be, simple and unassuming.

We would do well to seek shibui/ataraxia in our daily lives, and more importantly, in our souls.

Gullible's Travels: A Transcendental Interlude

2009-03-03T22:50:00.004-06:00

We’ve just returned from southern California which is home to some of the country’s mega-mega churches. The thrill of breathing the same air with folks who attend the Crystal Cathedral or with the super-preacher, Rich Warren, sends shivers down my spinal column. How can such a rarefied atmosphere not affect one?

I think it might have. While preparing dinner last evening I asked my husband to bring in a few potatoes from the larder. He brought three, one of which was naturally shaped like a heart. “Wow, call Jerry Springer.” I cried. I looked more closely at my “love potato.” Could it be? If I looked very closely—preferably with my glasses off—did I really see the face of the Lord? An amazing wonder lay on the counter, Jesus in the Potato.

It was truly a wondrous miracle, especially after cutting into three onions before finding one that wasn’t rotten. “Jesus in the Potato, praise the Lord!” Others have seen such miraculous wonders in wax drippings or on the walls of a Chicago viaduct. In fact, “Our Lady of the Underpass” is scheduled for the PBS pledge drive tonight. Now I have had a visitation worthy of the 6 o’clock news. The Lord had chosen my kitchen counter and I was inspired.

I brought the potato into hubby’s den. In my best ministerial voice I proclaimed, “Alleluia! Jesus has chosen to appear in my potato. Send money, brother, and I will praise the Lord in your name.” Hubby was curiously unimpressed. His attention was focused on the 250 plus stock market losses of the day. Philistine!

“Brother, the Lord wants me to save you.” I held the potato high in the air as I invoked higher powers. While doing so, I glanced at the back of the Jesus Potato. Sure enough, it revealed the three-quarters profile of a squirrel. “Alleluia! Jesus is speaking through this humble cook. Send money. The Lord loves you, hubby. And he loves the ground squirrels enough to share my potato.”

I explained that the Lord’s message to the world was clear. “Send money. Send money so the Lord and I can build a Squirrel Haven.” My husband is a particular sinner with respect to Jesus’ chosen rodent. He has been destroying nests high up in the oak tree again. “Alleluia! Jesus and the squirrel on my potato can only mean that I have been chosen to shelter the least of His creatures. Send money!”

Hubby offered to send money for a ‘Squirrel Heaven’ which reflects a certain insensitivity on his part. “Jesus in the Potato is a sign, you sinner.” I was pulling out all stops. “You need to be saved. Send money. This Potato was sent for your redemption.”

“More like for my dinner,” he mumbled.

As I left his den, sincerely praying for his squirrel hating soul, I tried to think of other ways to get my message to true believers while converting the doubtful. I rushed back into the den. “Jesus in the Potato has one final message. It’s your last chance. Send money.” My husband turned on his favorite news program, wondering if dinner would ever make it to the table. “You’re going to be watching me on that TV,” I prophesied.

He turned to look at me. “What’s Jesus’ final message?”

I knew I had him now. “Well,” I said. “Jesus also says that 'Roland Burris is the best man for the job'. So there!” He tossed me a quarter.

Returning to the kitchen, I whispered under my breath, “Praise the Lord.”

Alleluia! I only needed two of those potatoes so I decided to spare the ‘Jesus in the Potato’ potato—at least as long as the donations continue to trickle in.

Who says travel isn’t rewarding?

Gullible's Travels

2009-02-20T22:03:00.002-06:00

Travel should broaden one’s perspective. We have just returned from a three week trip away from winter. The ‘away from winter’ part wasn’t very successful, but the first week’s weather was nice. Our initial stop was Phoenix, AZ. It’s been about 15 years since we were in Phoenix. The growth of this area is phenomenal. The temperature was in the mid 80s, very nice indeed for winter-weary Midwesterners. However it is extremely dry and the cooling effects of perspiration do not apply. All that glitters is not your damp skin.

Phoenix is an easy city to navigate as long as you don’t confuse Streets with Avenues. We did and I nearly got heat stroke looking for the Museum of Geology. Fortunately some very nice people in an attorney’s office took pity on us, offering cold bottles of water and a place to splash cool water on my very red and hot face. They were kind and helpful to the two senior yokels who stumbled into their offices on 15th Street. Unfortunately we should have been on 15th Avenue. Back to the map…

Both young people and middle aged people were amazing courteous throughout the city. We never entered a bus or the new and nice light rail without someone offering a seat, giving a smile. People answered questions and would phone for directions if needed. This rapidly growing city has not lost its small town character. Folks care about each other in Phoenix. What a nice change.

As is our habit, we visit libraries wherever we can. The main branch of the Phoenix Public Library System was very modern. Some of their ideas were very innovative. Some things were a surprise. On the front door of the library there is a sign which reads: “No weapons allowed in the library. Please check your weapons at the security desk.” Oh my! That’s not a sign this librarian is accustomed to seeing. Of course it perfectly legal to carry concealed weapons in AZ; probably better to expect people to have them. I wonder what the compliance rate is for checking them at security. It’s just not something you expect—perspective broadening though.

Phoenix, as a location, is not really new. There was a thriving Native population living there several hundreds years ago. The Hohokam devised a system of irrigation canals that could not be bettered by modern engineers. The area was a center of trade and the early Native Americans traveled over large areas to trade. Agriculture flourished. The Pueblo Grande Museum features archeological ruins that indicate sophisticated astronomical knowledge. The Hohokam loved their sports. A game court provided a means to excel. Only one problem however, the winners lost their heads—literally. One really needs to think about that outcome!

More about our winter get away later; Southern California chapter coming soon.

Shakespeare in Thumbish

2009-01-20T19:33:00.002-06:00

J/W 2B or not 2B? BTHOOM;
IDK IIMAD MEGO. Head’s FURTB. WIM.
Life’s MUBAR. TAR*U TRDMC;
LABATYD. TSNF.
DWBH CTA NVNG.
EOL ::poof:: GNSD.
NG FF & PN;
G4I.

Hamlet Act III, Scene i, lines 56-64.

This is a sample of how the Bard might have written this portion of the famous soliloquy if he was twenty-something texting to his friends.

For a translation see http://www.netlingo.com/emailsh.cfm

* Many of the chat acronyms and text message shorthand phrases include crude language. Some are included but I have omitted a letter I find totally unacceptable.

A Justification for The Godfather Part III

2009-01-05T21:51:00.005-06:00

I don’t know what planet I’ve been on but I’d never seen Part Three of the Godfather before. The series is a guilty pleasure for me. As an Italian-American I should decry its depiction of Italians; as a movie lover I can watch it over and over. So why have I never seen the final episode until now?

One reason has to be the fact that it’s not very good. Performances are inconsistent; the focus unsteady; the plot unfolds in fits and starts. Its narrative does not enhance Puzo’s original story. Yet Part III is widely viewed. Is the collective taste of the American movie public so banal that people will throw their money at anything with the Godfather cache despite its merits? There must be a reason this film is important.

This question prompted some thought. At the center of all Italian culture is the FAMILY. Even though my family is not Sicilian, family-centricity is the keystone of Italian culture. The Godfather is certainly about family! Because this is an Italian family, the Roman Catholic family of Christ must add its woof to the weave. A sacramental sub-theme permeates all three parts of the series. Was this a conscious choice on Coppola’s part, or a ghost from a Catholic school past? I needed to consider how family, Sicily, and faith feature throughout the entire Godfather series in order to find justification for Part Three.

* * * *

In Part One the nuclear Corleone family frames the story. This necessarily includes Vito Corleone’s immediate family—more specifically his sons. In addition an extended, closely knit, mostly Sicilian, crime family is foundational to the story. These are the capos and soldiers of the godfather’s molecular family. Associated crime families of the greater New York area complete the picture. Difficulties arise when the concept of extended family seeks fulfillment beyond the molecular because the components refuse to bind.

The Corleone family has its roots in Sicily, where family honor and loyalty are paramount. It is Sicilian vendetta for the murder of his family that brings Vito to America. All three segments of the Godfather reflect an indivisible bond with the family’s Sicilian roots, both genetically and criminally. Sicily, the fountainhead, will provide whenever and however required. Sicilian ties bind tightly. The island’s history is far older than the Roman Catholic religion.

Sicily and its people endured. The triumph of their survival, after centuries of invasion and subjugation, is manifest because the only thing a Sicilian could rely on was family. The fierce loyalty and codes of conduct provided the Sicilian family with a narrow margin for survival. Sicilian survival becomes the metaphor for the immigrant’s struggle to survive in the United States.

This first segment of the Godfather begins with the wedding of the Don’s daughter. Marriages make and extend families. Matrimony is a sacrament in the Roman Catholic religion. Connie’s marriage enlarges the Corleone family in concrete and symbolic ways. Part One of the series elaborates on the sacrament of Matrimony and the ties that bind it to Sicily when Michael marries Appollonia who is murdered before he can return to the USA and his pre-ordained fate. Marriage continues to prompt the story when Michael marries again, this time to his American love, Kay. The Corleone family becomes a triune entity—personal, Sicilian, and American.

Matrimony is not the only Catholic sacrament featured in Part One. In a perverse sense, the Godfather co-opts the sacrament of Confirmation. When a Catholic is confirmed, he or she becomes a “soldier of Christ.” The Corleone crime family has its own soldiers. Confirmation creates the church militant to protect the faith. The criminal militants defend their Don and his anti-Christ Capos.

A third sacrament is notable for its absence. It is the Sacrament of Last Rites, also known as Extreme Unction. The church blesses the body of the dying person. External sense organs are anointed as the body is sent on its way to God. “Through this holy unction and His own tender mercy may the Lord pardon thee of whatever sins or faults thou hast committed by sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, walking, carnal delectation.” Vito Corleone and his son, Sonny, die without the spiritual comfort of this sacrament. After his death Vito’s unblessed body is prodded with a stick that his innocent grandson wields. The stick, a symbol of power, mocks the old man. In death Rome—not Sicily—has the last word.

There is yet another sacrament with a role to play in Part One. The sacrament of Baptism introduces the innocent infant into the family of faith. The child is reborn into the family of Christ. In this sacrament the godparents renounce the devil for the infant. They stand ready to protect innocence from evil. The godparents vow to become surrogate parents for the child. Puzo’s choice of the term “godfather” evokes the paternal sacramental role as well as the Sicilian connotation. Don Corleone is surrogate father to his crime family. Michael is surrogate father to his sister’s son.

In the baptismal sequence this sacrament becomes sacrilege as Michael sets in motion the maelstrom that will “settle all family business” at the same time that he stands godfather to his nephew. His actions embrace the devil; good is renounced. Sicilian vendetta sanctifies a baptism-in-blood that brings with it eternal death. Innocence is slaughtered. The baby’s father is murdered by his godfather Michael Corleone. Surrogation becomes usurpation. As Part I ends Michael is acknowledged as Godfather to the Corleone crime family.

* * * *

Part Two expands the idea of family, forming a national “brotherhood” of crime. The Corleones have moved west, but their interests extend to the East Coast, Florida, and Cuba. Its tentacles include national politicians, legitimate businessmen, and alien religion. The combination proves lethal. Can loyalty and trust survive strangers?

Michael initiates a “Cuban marriage” with Jewish mobster Hyman Roth. This marriage fails. Problems on the East Coast multiply. Familial ties suffer at a distance. They are diluted when non-Sicilians are included. Michael is reminded that his father did business with and respected Hyman Roth, but “your father never trusted Hyman Roth.”

There seems no way to establish lasting trust that is not based on the Sicilian model. The old ways and codes of loyalty lose their meaning. Americanization allows the ‘individual’ to intrude. Over-extension and self-interest strain loyalty. Corleone brother, Fredo, betrays the Family from within because he is looking for “a little something for myself.” The sin of fratricide rends the familial fabric irrevocably, as does Kay’s abortion. Vendetta turns in on itself.

Part Two’s sacramental feature is the Holy Eucharist, familiarly known as Holy Communion. Michael’s son, Tony, is the First Communicant. The sacrament symbolizes the unification of the church faithful who partake in the body and blood of Christ, the food that brings eternal life. Holy Communion is an important step towards joining the family of Christ once the age of reason has been reached. It can only be undertaken when the individual is capable of distinguishing right from wrong. The boy’s father seems not to value this distinction. Holy Communion is usually preceded by receiving the sacrament of Confession which will be introduced in Part Three.

The sharing of food in an Italian family has special significance. Communal meals are important; they affirm the family. Food renews life; family sustains that life. Italians have a proverb, “Se si mangia, non hai mai morire.” (If you eat, you never die.) In the Communion hymn, “The Supper of the Lord” by Laurence Rosania, there is the phrase, “you that eat this bread shall never die.” In the sacrament the Eucharistic participant is nourished by Christ’s body and blood. The Eucharist promises eternal life for the family of Christ. The Corleone Crime Family feeds on the food of corruption and death. [to be continued]

© SMB/ettsme.blogspot.com

A Justification for the Godfather Part III, continued...

2009-01-05T21:45:00.003-06:00

How does the Godfather Part Three complete the Sicilian family and sacramental sub-themes? In Part Three Michael seeks to extend his family’s power globally. He intends to capitalize on corruption within the Roman Catholic Church. Michael plans to buy or muscle his way in through a charity named in honor of his father. He has become a Commander in order of Saint Sebastian, who is the patron saint of soldiers (q.v. Part One, Confirmation), athletes, and, ironically reprising Michael’s first murder, municipal policemen. Corleone’s goal is to purchase the Vatican’s shares of the powerful international corporation, Immobiliare. But Rome is not Sicily, New York, or Cuba. Such a mixture may prove too rich.

Michael’s honors and success contrast with his failure in the things that matter. His nuclear family has been sundered through fratricide, abortion, divorce, estrangement. The molecular family’s bonds are friable. Alliances are framed by those who do not know or care to know the old Sicilian ways. Michael has lost his grip and the Corleone Family’s heir apparent emerges from a bastardly link.

Sonny’s illegitimate son, Vincent, reprises his grandfather’s lust for revenge. He uses the ancient Sicilian method of issuing a challenge when he bites off the ear of Joey Zaza whom he feels lacks respect for the Family. Vincent kills without conscience both in New York and in Sicily. The king is dead, long live the king.

No matter how wealthy and powerful Michael Corleone has become, Part III reveals a Godfather greatly diminished. His daughter, Mary, is the front for a charitable initiative that has international tentacles way beyond her ken. Michael permits his sister, Connie, to interfere in family business. In this era no Italian family worth its salt would allow women to be equal with the men in things that matter!

Why can Michael no longer maintain Family cohesion? Michael, Kay, and Mary return to Sicily for son Anthony’s operatic debut. Michael attempts to use the visit to justify his actions. He seeks renewal at the ancient fountainhead. Family loyalty distinguishes the Sicilian persona, but Sicily cannot offer succor as it once could. The Corleone Family business no longer receives instantiation from Sicily. American ways altered the centers of power, but all the power on earth can’t change fate.

The trip to Sicily ends in tragedy when Michael’s daughter Mary is killed by a bullet intended for her father. In Roman Catholic belief the Son of God became the sacrificial offering for the sins of the family of man. Mary is the lamb who must die for the sins of her family. Christ’s blood was shed to bring forgiveness. The hot blood of revenge consumes contrition.

The remaining sacraments make their appearance in Part Three. Michael receives the sacrament of Confession from Cardinal Lamberto who is destined to become Pope. In a cathartic scene Michael confesses to the murder of his brother Fredo. However, the Cardinal rightly estimates that the sacramental admonition “go and sin no more” will not be realized in Michael’s case. Absolvo te?

In keeping with the sacramental sub-theme, the last of the seven sacraments is woven within the Godfather saga in Part Three. It is not a sacrament the laity receives. It is limited to the priesthood. We learn that Tom Hagen’s son is now a priest, having received the sacrament of Holy Orders. The family uses its influence to get the young man to Rome, which could prove to be almost as good as having a judge or two in your pocket.

The anointing of Michael’s Confessor as pope is the highest expression of this sacrament. The patronage of Cardinal Lamberto, now Pope John Paul I and head of the Vatican, could bring success to Michael’s plan to buy up the shares of Immobiliare. This final sacrament becomes sacrilege when the pope is assassinated, taking with him all hope of fulfilling Michael’s global ambitions.

Finally, as in the first part, we have a death without benefit of the Last Rites when Michael, like his father, dies unanointed. It is an appropriate end to a life lived in contraindication to everything the Catholic faith should stand to mean. Michael, and most of his crime family, will probably be damned. A dog, symbolizing Cerberus who guards the gates of Hell, closes the movie as it sniffs at Michael’s dead body.

When considered according to its outcomes, ironies, and sacramental sub-theme, the Godfather has resolved into a Morality Play. Part Three essentially completes the lesson.

Power is an inconstant mistress. “For what shall it profit a man if he gain the world, and suffer the loss of his soul?” [Mark 8:36] Michael screams this truth when his daughter takes the bullet meant for him. Who can absolve him of this?

The Godfather is revealed as a false god. The movie’s apparent glorification of Sicilian American “Mafiosi” isn’t so apparent, nor does it glorify. Death festoons the Sicilian countryside. Corleone sacrilege brings eternal damnation.

The concept of family in the Godfather is a mockery of true Italian values. While the Sicilian idea of family honor has flowed as a bloody-stream throughout the three films, the destruction of the family and its dishonor has been the final result. Family honor is not the point; honoring the family is.

Part Three demonstrates these truths when the crime family implodes and vendetta comes full circle. The gates of hell await.

© SMB/ettsme.blogspot.com

A "Memorable" Christmas

2008-12-23T14:51:00.004-06:00

Memorized any poems or stories lately? Until recently, memorization was common not only amongst school children, but also with adults. One-hundred-fifty years ago, Christmas celebrations would feature performances from the audience. It was expected. Everyone had some story, poem, or song to contribute to the evening's festivities. Gentlemen would recite tales of daring do; ladies performed on spinet and or sang well-known songs. Mary Shelly created her story of "Frankenstein" for her traveling party whilst waiting out a snow storm on Christmas Eve. Couples would delight with charming duets. Innocent games, fraught with innuendo and wit, encouraged party guests to join in the fun. Everybody was encouraged to participate.

What could you contribute to a Christmas evening's entertainment? Have you any poetry memorized or songs practiced? Could you spend the evening conversing with others on the season's experiences? Do you know any simple, yet fun parlor games? Can you even fathom such an evening?

To be honest I would be able to manage a couple of poems by Robert Frost, one or two short speeches from Shakespeare, or a variety of Christmas songs--preferably accompanied by someone who could play piano and/or drown me out when I went off key. Charades might be managed, or Password-type games. These would be nothing compared to our fore bearers. They would probably be bored to death with me, but too polite to say so. What would you do to enliven the event?

Maybe you could complete my Christmas story. It begins: Once upon a time, before TV, football, Game Boy and Wii, friends and family gathered together to celebrate Christmas and the holiday season. They spoke with each other face to face. Everyone had the present of themselves to offer...(you continue)...and they went into the New Year joyful and happy to know each other.

The 140-Year-Old Wonder

2008-11-24T16:17:00.005-06:00

The World Almanac and Book of Facts celebrated its 140th birthday this year. Its longevity as a reference source for all sorts of quick facts and background information can be directly related to its excellence. It is one of the most useful books I have in my home. No library—whether public, academic, special, medical, or personal—should be without a recent copy. The paperback editions are inexpensive. It makes a good gift too.

I have no monetary connection with World Almanac Books. I pay the relatively low price for a new version every couple of years. I purchase a second copy for my son, who is a high school social studies teacher. I hope he keeps it on his classroom desk.

In order to get the most from your copy I recommend that you use both the topical table of contents in the front of the book and the comprehensive index at the back. A “quick reference” index is also included, but learning to use the full index will increase the utility of this book while it amazes you with it comprehension. An online component has been added in recent years.

What types of information will you find? There are clear world maps and photographs of newsmakers. There is a perpetual calendar that can help you determine the day of the week for events in the past as well as in the future. Other calendars will help you determine the date of Easter, Islamic holy days, Julian and Gregorian dates, leap years, and Chinese New Year. Time zones are delineated.

The History and World Countries sections are massive. Find biographies of U.S. Presidents, election results, population figures, the words to historical documents, and flag code protocols. A concise history of the world and a brief description of each nation will help you to understand the historical context of our culture. Learn about world leaders—historical to modern. Ever wonder which are the longest rivers, highest mountains, deepest lakes, or most active volcanoes? It’s in there.

Like numbers? There are vital statistics, health data, mileage between cities, numbers of eggs produced by state, attendance at worldwide theme parks, insurance data, number of licensed motor vehicles, and a dizzying array of other statistical and economic information. Learn about the fastest growing franchises, number of families in poverty, median income by race, and how much money is spent on selected items from personal income. The list of stock market record gains and losses as well as the number of bank failures will certainly be of interest in the forthcoming editions.

Interested in sports? The World Almanac has Olympic and Professional statistics to satisfy the most dedicated fans. Sports biographies are included. Championship records for most sports are inclusive. You’ll find all you want to know about NASCAR, the Olympics, college sports, and MVPs.

This book has it all—and so much more! Here’s a very random sample of items from the 2007 edition. The 2009 version is on my Christmas list.

Johnny Podres, a pitcher, was the World Series’ Most Valuable Player in 1955.

The Statue of Liberty weighs 450,000 pounds.

FDR is on record as having the most total vetoes (635).

The chances of having a full house in poker are 693 to 1.

A heat wave in the summer of 2003 was responsible for the death of approximately 35,000 deaths in Europe.

The Edo Period of Japan began in 1603 and lasted until 1867.

In 1928 Elizabeth Robinson of the United States ran 100 meters in 12.2 seconds at the Amsterdam Summer Olympics.

The Patagonian desert in Argentina is 300,000 sq. miles in area. The Sahara is more than ten times larger.

When the temperature is 0 degrees Fahrenheit, a wind of 15 miles per hour can make it feel like it is 19 below zero.

Nearly 85% of the land in Nevada is federally owned.

Woodrow Wilson’s portrait is on the $100,000 bill. Read The Almanac to learn why you will never see one. Read The Almanac for fun. I do.

High Praise Indeed from Old Black Thumb

2008-10-29T14:55:00.009-06:00

My favorite houseplants are the two that require occasional dusting. The “real ones” survive to spite me. Their sole raison d’être is to suck up the carbon dioxide in my air and spew forth oxygen. That is, if they can breathe at all through the drought induced dust on their leaves.

Our outdoor plants are usually those simple to grow. Long ago I gave up tulips. The squirrels watched me plant the bulbs and, as soon as I went inside, they were digging them up. Partially chewed squirrelly guides to bulb locations were all they left behind. Seeds have a less than 50 % chance of germination under my guardianship. After I thin the bravest about 25 % of those will actually bloom. For obvious reasons, the flower and vegetable flats that cost a fortune are my best bet. They have been cold—and gardener—hardened before I put them in the ground.

It’s not that I don’t admire a nice garden. My neighbor has a master plan of lovelies that blooms from April through October. I enjoy the view. Tactfully, they never mention theirs. Travel in Ireland, Great Britain, and France as well as a number of area botanical gardens reveal beautifully planned and executed displays. I’ve enjoyed strolling through many such gardens, hardly deterred at all by swarms of bees that have my name engraved on their stingers.

It is strange indeed for me to promote any floral oases, but I have just returned from Southern California (again!) and need to sing the praises of a little gem we found in Corona Del Mar. The Sherman Library and Gardens are special. The garden specializes in rare cacti and succulents of desert regions from as distant as South Africa. A delightful Conservatory is tucked away in one corner of the property. It features ferns, orchids, bromeliads, and a koi pond abounding in large, varied colored fish. Beautiful flowers treat the eye throughout.

There are fountains, sculptures made of natural materials, and creative displays that emphasize color, texture, and contrast. There is a library that has a special collection of materials on the history of the Pacific Southwest and the Gulf of California. The library's old maps depict California as an island.

The facility has a Café operated by North African chefs well tutored in the art of the crêpe. Café tables surround one of the fountains. The peaceful and relaxing sounds of the water enhance the dining experience. A larger area is available for catered events.

We spent hours exploring and enjoying this treasure of Orange County. Little did I realize that a garden could be as relaxing as sitting on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean as the tide begins to ebb. High praise indeed…

The photos that accompany this entry include (from bottom to top) the fountain near the Café, a corner of the garden resplendent with a variety of cacti, the Koi Pond, and a variety of cacti I’d like to call the Prickly People Eaters.

Twenty Minutes

2008-10-01T09:41:00.002-06:00

What if…You have finished all your work and find that you have twenty minutes absolutely free. You are home alone and must remain in the house. What would you do in that allotted time? Bear in mind that “social networking” will not be allowed. No telephones, “texting,” TV, A/V devices, or computers! Would you spend the time, waste it, use it, or kill it? There is a difference. And that difference can say a lot about you.

Some might read—a book, magazine, old mail. Some might write—a journal, a letter (paper only!), or a list of things to do. Others might make music or draw. A few might take a nap, or daydream. Maybe you would do yoga or another form of exercise. How many would pace the house like a caged animal?

There is no correct answer to this “what if”. If you reflect on what you would have done, how you would have filled those 20 minutes, you might learn something important about yourself. Are you comfortable with quiet, with being alone? Do you need something to do? Were you at a loss to fill those long, long minutes or were you happy to have the opportunity to do something you haven’t had time for in ages?

Did the nap refresh you? What did you dream? Were those twenty minutes a ‘treat’ or a “time waster”? Did the time pass slowly or quickly? Was it terribly difficult to be without your electronic toys for even that short period? Were you glad to “get on with your life” or would you want to have those twenty minutes again?

If you considered the time as 20 minutes to kill, what was so much more important that you were kept from? If you used your twenty minutes, do you feel like something was accomplished? If you wasted the time, is there cause for guilt or anger over such unproductive behavior? If you spent the time well, perhaps it could be considered an investment in yourself. Examine your reactions. Twenty minutes isn’t much. Your perception is all. The difference is subtle but important.

What if…you had those twenty minutes every day, a few times a week, or a couple of times a month? Could that small amount of time enrich your personal life? Is it valuable enough to you to want those minutes on a regular basis? How could you find the time? You don’t find it. You take it. What if…

Citizenship 101: “Only the Educated Are Free”

2008-09-15T10:04:00.006-06:00

An informed citizenry is the keystone of freedom. Far too many voters are content to read and/or hear only those political messages that suit their personal preferences. They too readily accept “spin”, innuendo, half-truths, and blatant mendacity as factual. Critical analysis seldom characterizes this electorate’s decision making process. This laxity does no service to the individual, or to the country.

One can hardly escape the charges, assertions, and derision that are presented to the American public during a major election. Outrageous statements are leveled at each opponent with the expectation that trace elements of the message will have a half life one hour beyond Election Day.

Epictetus warns “Be not swept off your feet by the vividness of the impression, but say, ‘Impression, wait for me a little. Let me see what you are and what you represent. Let me try you.’” This sentiment is reinforced in the book UnSpun: finding facts in a world of disinformation by Brooks Jackson and Kathleen Hall Jamieson. The theme of this excellent book is that the “consumer” be skeptical of factual claims, that they demand and weigh evidence supporting those claims, and that they should maintain an open mind.

Educate yourself. This approach to “evidence” reprises what every librarian has been taught. Evaluate information according to criteria that require authoritative sources, confirmation, and objectivity. (See my blog entries “How to Evaluate Health Websites” dated March 11, 2007, and “How to Judge a Book by its Cover” dated February 3, 2007, for criteria used by information specialists.) Strategies like those in the Jackson book, as well as those practiced by good librarians, should be used to develop the habit of reflection any responsible citizen can utilize when making a political choice.

The responsible citizen should demand good value from those who wish to win his vote. I am including several websites that can help the voter determine the accuracy of political statements. In each case, the voter should visit the “About Us” portion of the website. Read the “Mission Statements.” Look at the Boards of Directors and Staff. If a claim is made for nonpartisanship, check it out. I have reviewed the sites that follow. They are quality choices.

Sites that verify political statements include FactCheck http://www.factcheck.org/. This site is the result of Jackson and Jamieson’s work for the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania. Their stated mission is that “We are a nonpartisan, non-profit, 'consumer advocate' for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics.” (From “About FactCheck.org”) Use this site to determine the truth of political charges and counter-charges.

Project Vote Smart http://www.votesmart.org/ is a product of dedicated volunteers. It specializes in the unbiased research of candidate biographies and voting records. It records campaign contributions, issue positions, public statements, finance, and evaluations of candidates by competing special interest groups. The purpose of Project Vote Smart is “to strengthen the most essential component of democracy—access to information—even as it suffers from candidates and political parties, many who are now willing to manipulate information and deceive voters.” (From “About Project Vote Smart”)

OpenSecrets http://www.opensecrets.org/ is “nonpartisan, independent and nonprofit, the organization aims to create a more educated voter.” (From “Our Mission”) It’s chief focus is to inform citizens of the effect money has in politics. Essentially, OpenSecrets follows the money. On this site you can learn who and what entities are contributing to which candidate.

In this election two partisan fact check websites have appeared. These are Obama Fact Check http://www.obamafactcheck.com/ and McCain Fact Check http://www.mccainfactcheck.com/ These sites purport to offer “an objective resource to determine whether (a media claim about each candidates) is true or not. (From “About Us”)

Sites that offer subject specific evidence allow the responsible voter to dig into the issues. These can be divided into governmental and independent sources. I urge you to familiarize yourself with these resources. It is amazing what expertly researched material is available at no charge and without a subscription.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) http://www.gao.gov/ investigates how your tax dollars are being spent. The GAO is often referred to as the “congressional watchdog.” Information provided to Congress is “objective, fact-based, nonpartisan, nonideological, fair, and balanced.” (From “About GAO”) Current reports include studies on financial markets and housing, gasoline prices, immigration, and elections.

If you want the primary source for the legislative records of individual members of Congress, Thomas http://www.thomas.gov/ is the official site of record on roll call votes and legislative proposals. How did the candidate really vote?

The U.S. Census Bureau http://www.census.gov/ is a primary source for information about income, poverty, health insurance, and business economic data. Use this source for accurate numerical information when evaluating candidate’s claims.

The Energy Information Administration http://www.eia.doe.gov/ is the prime statistical arm of the Department of Energy. This agency’s mission is “to provide policy-neutral data, forecasts, and analyses to promote sound policy making, efficient markets, and public understanding regarding energy and its interaction with the economy and the environment.” (From “About EIA”) Resources available here include all current and proposed energy sources. Topical reports on energy uses, forecasts, and international energy information are available.

The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/ collects statistical information on health topics that enable policy makers to “document the health status of the population and of important subgroups, identify disparities in health status and use of health care by (various) characteristics…provide information for making changes in public policies and programs, and evaluate the impact of health policies and programs.” (From “About NCHS”) The website is designed for quick and easy access to authoritative data to clarify the candidates’ proposals.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics http://www.bls.gov/ is “the principal fact-finding agency for the Federal Government in the broad field of labor economics and statistics.” (From “About BLS”) Information is impartial, timely and accurate. Subject areas include inflation, spending, employment, and unemployment. This is a primary source for labor and economic information.

The final governmental resource included is FedStats http://www.fedstats.gov/ This gateway resource provides access to more than 100 federal departments and agencies that provide information on essential topics. FedStats will enable you to quickly identify the governmental agency that collects the statistical data you wish to verify. There are various ways to find information on this resource: topical, subject areas, agencies, and a keyword search.

Truly objective, nonpartisan, private sector websites that address specific topics are not easy to find, but some do exist. The following are highly regarded nonideological resources. The information they make available to interested citizens, educators, policy makers, and business is the result of highly qualified experts who adhere to the highest of ethical standards.

Resources For the Future http://www.rff.org/ is a “nonprofit and nonpartisan organization that conducts independent research—rooted primarily in economics and other social science—on environmental, energy, and natural resource issues.” (From “About RFF”) Some of the topics this organization researches include pollution, land and water use, energy, climate, transportation, the natural world, and health. Its research includes testimony given before Congress and other regulatory agencies amongst its publications.

The Kaiser Family Foundation http://www.kff.org/ is a “non-profit, private operating foundation focusing on the major health care issues facing the U.S. with a growing role in global health.” (From “About the Kaiser Family Foundation”) The Kaiser Foundation produces policy analyses on health care issues. Access to accurate research and studies on health care is free to all in order to insure that all interested parties have the same, accurate, and complete information upon which to base decisions.

The Peterson Institute for International Economics http://www.iie.com/ focuses on international economic policy. This private, nonpartisan research organization “has provided timely and objective analysis of, and concrete solutions to, a wide range of international economics problems.” (From “About the Institute”) This is reliable source for information about international monetary and finance issues. It emphasizes global macroeconomics and is an excellent source for research on NAFTA, international banking standards, monetary policy and world trade agreements.

The “gold standard” for information on U. S. tax policies is the Tax Policy Center http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/ It provides independent, timely analysis and factual data relating to tax policy for citizens, journalists, policy makers, and researchers. This nonpartisan center “combines top national experts in tax, expenditure, budget policy, and microsimulation modeling to concentrate on four overarching areas of tax policy that are critical to future debate: fair, simple and efficient taxation, social policy in the tax code, long term implication of tax and budget choices, and state tax issues.” (From “About Us Our Mission”) This is an excellent source for policy analysis and tax facts.

The privilege of citizenship in the United States requires that the individual voter take seriously her responsibilities when choosing representatives and leaders. That responsibility can only be discharged by an educated citizen. The websites listed herein can help to lead you out of the darkness of political “spin.” As Jules Michelet wrote in the mid-19th century, “What is the first part of politics? Education. The second? Education. And the third? Education.”

When in doubt, check it out.

Note: The quotations are cited from Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations, Sixteenth Edition. John Bartlett. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company c 1992. The first two are from Discourses Book 2 by Epictetus. The third is attributed to Jules Michelet in Le Peuple.

Summer's End

2008-08-26T13:22:00.003-06:00

The days are growing noticeably shorter and the nights deliciously cool. In a few days the neighborhood children will return to school. Quiet resettles the block. Leaves will soon begin to reveal their startling yellows and striking reds. Tomatoes are abundant; our bounty is shared with friends and neighbors. At the end of August the season’s memories are as savory as juicy, ripe strawberries.

The plants did well, critters not withstanding. Our apples are nearly ready for the picking, i.e. if we can beat the squirrels to them. We put the glider away yesterday. We need to start to think about autumn lawn fertilizer and replacing broken rakes. The end of summer is “such sweet sorrow.”

The economy and gasoline prices kept many of us close to home this summer. Fortunately for us family members were able to visit from California. Our granddaughters experienced running through lawn sprinklers—such an experience will never be possible in dry southern California. They were introduced to Midwestern flora and fauna. The younger child can easily recognize dragonflies and Queen Anne’s lace. Fireflies will light their dreams for months. The girls appreciate the delights of playing on the dunes and swimming in the warm, calm waters of Lake Michigan. Thunder and lightening were wondrous if somewhat scary.

On our own again, we launched our own boarder excursion into Wisconsin. If it weren’t for winter, Wisconsin would be a very nice place to live. In mid-August the Milwaukee area is host to several festivals. The Irish Fest on the lakeshore was terrific. We’ve attended many over the years and this year’s was one of the best. Celtic music, dance, and foods were in abundance; the currach races intensely fought; Irish dog breeds strutted their stuff; and, transport to the fest by the express County bus the best way to get there. Port Washington, just north of Milwaukee, hosted the Maritime Festival. Several tall ships were featured. They look so very lovely in full sail on the lake! Our “Cheese Head” neighbors really know how to celebrate summer.

As we drove back home, a nagging question recurs. We are always faced with this question when returning home. Why are the free roads in Wisconsin so much better than those in Illinois, where you are charged for the ‘privilege’ of using them? Illinois offers few viable options to its toll system. The fact that the Illinois toll road was undergoing construction doesn't really temper the problem. The expensive toll roads are usually crowded and the repairs won’t last long. Yes, “Cheese Heads” are taxed at a higher rate, but they seem to do so much more with what they receive. Wisconsin road rest stops are convenient, clean, and provide the tourist with useful information. Illinois' expensive “oases” are far apart and totally commercial. I imagine our perennial summer question will not be resolved. We actually know the answer, but don’t want to face up to it on such a beautiful summer day.

Summer is at an end. We enjoyed it. Now it is time to move on.

The Annual Festival of Genetic Affirmation: 50 Years Strong

2008-08-05T13:08:00.004-06:00

The first Sunday in August fills the residents of a Wauconda subdivision with foreboding. Dozens of autos, filled with families, will descend on the old cottage. The cottage itself is an anomaly. It is more than 75 years old; the building with the attached lots reflects an historical time of summers spent “in the country.” Wauconda’s newer homes on smaller lots bespeak the modernity of the last quarter of the 20th century. The old cottage lives in a 30s movie. The building is deserted most of the year—another anomaly in this bedroom community.

But it is the sheer number of people who descend on the cottage that amazes. The first Sunday in August is the date of the annual Family Picnic. Hundreds of family members arrive to affirm their consanguinity and celebrate their Italian heritage. I refer to it as the Festival of Genetic Affirmation—an appellation bestowed with tongue in cheek as well as a great deal of pride.

This year commemorated 50 years of official Family Picnics, although family summer outings began decades earlier. The golden anniversary brought relatives from Germany, the East Coast, the West Coast, all over the Midwest, and across the street. The family picnic newsletter assumed gigantic proportions as memories and photos, some old as the cottage, were shared. A professional photographer was hired to document the event with “The Largest Family Picture Ever.” A website was established to view the 50th anniversary photos.

Cousins so numerous that it stymies the imagination share traditional Italian cuisine, old stories, kisses, and hugs. Each family member professes amazement over how children have grown. Each keeps unspoken how others are now so frail. The pleasure of each other’s company pervades every reunion. Additionally it is an occasion to remember family members no longer alive. Many are gone, but so very many others perpetuate the traditions.

The Family Picnic celebrates the four brothers and one cousin who left Calabria with nothing but hope, courage, and the willingness to work hard. My Grandfather, the oldest, arrived in 1904. Two years later a younger brother made the voyage. My Grandmother joined her husband in 1907. Others followed. Each brother and cousin came with the desire to become Americans, promising that their children would be free, educated, and have good lives.

The American dream was there to be earned with hard work. They worked hard. My Grandfather helped build the railroad west. He and my Grandmother owned grocery and fish stores that served their fellow immigrants. They worked to start a cartage company. Their family flourished. The old cottage reflected their success when it was purchased in 1939. It was a refuge from the city. Grandma finally had her own garden. The family swam, fished, played softball, and enjoyed the clean air. Family was everything.

The family worked hard and achieved the American dream my Grandfather promised in 1904. Subsequent generations renewed this dream for their children. Today great-great grandchildren begin families confident that even the youngest child will own that heritage. The Annual Festival of Genetic Affirmation assures the preservation and propagation of the promise of 1904. Every one of the successive generations honors the progenitors of their American dream on the first Sunday of August when they gather for food and fun at the old cottage. Grandfather would be proud.

[Note: Photograph taken on Labor Day 1945. Family celebrates Victory in World War II. Already some military members are home; others await de-mobilization.]

It's An Ill Wind...

2008-07-08T14:37:00.002-06:00

There is an old adage that states “It’s an ill wind that blows no good.” It is generally understood to mean that no matter how bad something may be, some good can come of it for someone. The energy crisis and rising gasoline prices are certainly ill winds.

Concerned Environmentalists find good in the reduction of carbon emissions with some relief for the problem of global warming. People are driving less, no doubt about that; cleaner air (however slight) is a result.

Inventive Americans seek ways to economize. Gas-saving tips abound for those who must drive. We are told to avoid aggressive driving and to keep within the limit because these habits can decrease gas mileage as much as one third. Drivers are advised not to accelerate to beat yellow-turning-red lights. Abrupt acceleration reduces mileage efficiency too.

Entrepreneurship is rising to the challenge too. It is reported that the brothels in Nevada are offering a gas card incentives to its truck driving clientele. Others are stealing the used cooking oil restaurants have been begging recyclers to take for years. Suddenly stinking French fry oil is gold. Creative responses abound!

U.S. News and World Reports suggests ways to carpool, using websites like RideSearch and eRideShare. Who knows, one might relax on the way to work a few times a week while making friends! They also recommend a good tune-up. Clean engines are more efficient. Another suggestion is to reduce your horsepower. Cycle down to four-cylinders. These cost less so you save money; while you can claim the moral high ground of saving the planet. Win-win.

There is real interest in alternative vehicles. It’s about time! Welcome to the global community who seek ways to be friendlier to the earth, extending the old girl’s useful life with fewer greenhouse emissions. There are more people taking public transportation. This trend will reduce congestion on highways. Increased use of public transport is a mixed blessing to such systems. On the one hand they have been trying to increase rider-ship for years; on the other, their fuel costs are soaring.

My personal nominations for the benefits created by out-of-control gasoline inflation are admittedly tinted with schadenfreude. For years, large, outsized SUVs—and worse—have blocked my vision in parking lots; they have created dangerous driving on ice, snow, and slush; blinded me at night with their higher placed headlights and aggressive tailgating; hogged parking places. Now, the owners of those leviathans can’t get rid of them fast enough. Used car dealers don’t want them. Going prices for trade-ins are at rock bottom.

Airlines are clamping down on those who think their steamer trunks qualify as carry-on luggage. For years my regulation size case has had to fight for space while the greedy travelers shoved huge suitcases, life-sized stuffed toys, television sets, etc. in the overhead bins. Pay for them!

Finally, all those self-righteous health nuts who have lorded it over those of us less fit have become “just folks” now. I’m referring to those who, in the past, have donned ridiculous outfits, straighten their halos, and biked to work—because they are fitter and cared more about the earth, presumably. Move over; there are a lot of folks too poor to afford the sleek outfits out there biking to work because they can’t afford the gas. They’re too busy holding on to their brown bags to straighten the halo.

As I said, “It’s an ill wind…”

The Persistence of Error

2008-06-23T19:21:00.004-06:00

The other day the old French round, French Cathedrals, was stuck in my head, the victim of some benign cognitive itch. There is a term for songs that you can’t get out of your mind; songs you mentally sing all day. The word is earworm, from the German Ohrwurm. Knowing the word is not the point however.

What I found when I searched the Internet for the few words I couldn’t recall was all too common—a variety of cathedral names, either incorrect or spelled “creatively.” In this particular instance Beaugency and the words after Notre Dame were up for grabs. [Incidentally my spell checker does not like the word Beaugency. It has offered the word “biogenic” as a replacement. Ah, but spell check’s a whole blog entry of its own.]

As a professional librarian I try to avoid giving any information source from wikipedia. Wikis are fun and can be a place to jump off when all else fails, but wikis are risky. Whether the errors come from a deliberate attempt to mislead or from an over-willing spirit, once the error appears, it persists in the electronic ether a very long time. Librarians like to find the most authoritative source possible. By authoritative we mean an expert source. If the only result GOOGLE can give is a wiki answer, the librarian needs to try a different approach—maybe a book. Of course there is also the possibility—fortunately very rare—that there is no answer. Yes, sometimes the answer does not exist. Making one up is not ethical.

Books can contain errors too. It’s a good idea to look at more than one source. Occasionally an authoritative source, for example, a journal article, may contain mistakes. I often suspect some of these errors are deliberate so those who plagiarize can be identified. Others may be typos, but these types of errors generally do not affect the correctness of the information in a reputable source.

Yes, people make innocent spelling errors. My Misspeller’s Dictionary has been heavily thumbed. Spelling may soon become an endangered skill. Instant messengers have a lexicon no dictionary could wish to include. But the problem is much deeper than shortcuts, spelling errors and typos. It goes way beyond “wikiinfo.” The ease and anonymity of Internet information creation fosters a culture of those who don’t really care about accuracy or truth. Contributor e-prints are raisons d’être. Information is egalitarian in its inception. Its creation is a World Wide Web right. Content, and more importantly, context, is not particularly important. After all, information begins with an “I.”

Equally important to the perpetuation of mistakes in today’s asynchronous and instantaneous media is the lack of critical evaluation. People are only too willing to believe what they read on the Internet, or hear around the water cooler for that matter. Evaluation is a skill that must be nutured. Questions must be asked. The information seeker needs to ask about the credentials of the source. Does this information jibe with what is already known? Is there some sort of “agenda” behind the information? Is the information seeker relying too much on a social consensus? How important is truth?

The persistence of misinformation is insidious. The lack of intellectual rigor will undermine the corpus of knowledge that has been painstakingly created over centuries. Mistakes are self perpetuating. Fundamental elements of knowledge that are built on the shifting sands of social affirmation will collapse eventually. I worry that those who will need to reconstruct reliable information, those who will need to organize that information into knowledge, will no longer have the intellectual tools necessary for the job.

If this happens, then the irony of the situation derives from the inception of the Internet itself. Back in the late 1960s, universities, government entities, and the defense establishment created a network through which accurate and timely information could be shared. The many “creative” versions of French cathedrals was not what they intended.

Being At-One With Nature

2008-05-28T19:28:00.006-06:00

Each spring my peasant DNA demands expression. The primal need to get my hands into the loess of a garden urges me to plan a garden. There’s nothing like the smell of good soil; the feel of well turned dirt is incomparable! The sounds of birds building nests and tending their young fill my heart with delight. Life has returned to the Midwest. I am at-one with nature.

"The year’s at the spring
And day’s at the morn;
…

I spend hours of back breaking labor joyfully, kneeling in reverence to Mother Nature. The floral theme for the front yard is red and white this year. Nearly four dozen candy striped impatiens will greet visitors drawn to the Veranda which is surrounded by red and while striped geraniums and firecracker salvias. Soon baby rabbits will poke their heads out from the tell-tale holes we found in the front yard.

The back will host a variety of vegetables, herbs, and flowers. I have great hopes for the gladiolas. Sun exposure is perfect for the comestibles. Shady areas will feature forget-me-nots and the left over impatiens. Jolly dahlias will greet those who enter the yard. Peonies provide an early burst of color. The five-varieties-in-one apple tree already has delightful “baby apples.” Adding to the tree’s charm is a robin’s nest, carefully guarded by mom and pop red-breast.

The lark’s on the wing;
The snail’s on the thorn:

All the plants are in. I can sit back and reap the benefits of my plans and toil. My husband has helped with the drudge work. He, however, is not as “at-one” with the seasons as I. The cause of his unease is the pesky squirrel.

My husband has a “thing” about squirrels. He hates them. We have a large red oak in the backyard that provides beauty and shade. Hubby insists that the squirrels use the tree to bombard him with acorns in the fall. Marksmen squirrels take turns dropping their missiles on his head. He wanted to have the tree cut down last year, but rationality prevailed.

The oak is perfect for aerie squirrel nests. Parent squirrels break off branches and tear leaves to make their cozy home. A high and comfortable platform where large branches diverge makes secure footing for their fledgling rodents. Three times this spring the man has risked life and limb to knock the nests down. He has fashioned a nest destroying pike from the extendable tree trimmer. He wields his pike with abandon while precariously perched on an extension ladder.

I expect to be made a widow over those squirrels. “What harm are they doing?” I ask. “After all the poor things have to live somewhere.” I urge him to relax, enjoy, and stop to smell the roses. I exhort him to be at-one with nature.

God’s in his heaven—
All’s right with the world." [Robert Browning’s Pippa Passes]

He should be more like me, attuned to the rhythms of the earth. He must learn to enjoy birdsong at dawn; listen for the twitter of baby robins with sweet anticipation; yearn for an early glimpse of those adorable baby bunnies.

Wait! From the front gutters a secret sparrow nest spills groundflood too near the foundation. Those d---d rabbits are eating my geraniums and salvias. Squirrels have been digging up the corms. All those hours on my knees! Husband, hand me your pike.

Italian Americans in Chicago

2008-05-12T20:14:00.003-06:00

On Thursday, May 8, the Casa Italia in the Chicago suburb of Stone Park was the venue for the start of a three day conference dedicated to exploring the roots of the Italian American experience in the Chicago area. The official title of the conference was “Reconstructing Italians in Chicago: 25 Authors in Search of Roots and Branches.” It was both a celebration and a process of discovery.

Two of principal organizers were Dominic Candeloro and Fred L. Gardaphe, both professors of Italian American studies at their respective universities—University of Illinois at Chicago and New York’s SUNY. Their energy and enthusiasm was matched only by their hard work. Much of the success of the conference can be attributed to their vision, dedication, and sweat equity. Many other committed researchers and writers contributed to the success of the event.

The presentations were varied and my appreciation for my ancestors enlarged. Although I was able to attend only the first day, I was impressed by the energy exhibited. I learned a great deal that day, and, of course, ate well in the process. I would like to share some of the “epiphanies” I experienced.

Billy Lombardo is a spare and fierce young man. He is passionate about his writing, his family, and his Italian American heritage. Billy is gifted. After telling the audience about his Bridgeport neighborhood experiences, he read a portion of his book, The Logic of the Rose. WOW! What a magnificent command of language that man possesses. His book is a prose work well worth reading. His poetry must be fantastic.

The irony of early twentieth century do-gooders brought a smile to my face. Social workers and nutritionists tried in vain to eradicate the eating habits of southern Italians. They tried to replace their healthful diets of whole grains, olive oil, and vegetables with red meat and potatoes. Little could they have predicted that today’s Mediterranean Diet is lauded by the medical profession.

I had no idea that Italian American communities flourished beyond the near West Side of Chicago, near Taylor Street. There were so many neighborhoods with their churches and community organizations. There were too many neighborhoods to enable Italian Americans the political clout that the Irish and other immigrants have achieved. Several speakers indicated that this Chicago Diaspora within the larger Immigrant Diaspora was intentional. Italian American neighborhoods were gerrymandered to prevent political power accruing to this group. Chicago Italian Americans will never forgive Mayor Richard J. Daley’s theft of “Little Italy.” This vibrant neighborhood was sacrificed to the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Circle Campus.

Several of the speakers revealed the anguish they endured while struggling with academia in order to have the Italian American immigrant experience admitted as a field of legitimate study. Doctoral degrees were placed in peril just trying to get permission to explore the field. It remains difficult to this day. One must ask why our families’ experiences and the talent of Italian American writers are considered unworthy of scholarly study. The sting of rejection is a deep and extensive. It pervades our identity.

The stench of the Sopranos, the Godfather and the Black Hand lingers subliminally when others think of Italian Americans. It will never wash away. This stigma denigrates the accomplishment and generosity of the real Italian American. Will we always be different, sullied by the assumption that somewhere in each family tree lurks a Mafioso?

I have always been somewhat uncomfortable with my Italian American Heritage. My mother did not have Italian ancestry. I was the family’s first “half breed.” I never quite belonged. This separation deprived me of an appreciation of an important part of my identity. I have come to realize that my Italian American relatives were as vulnerable as I. Conferences like the one in Stone Park clarify memories. My Italian American heritage becomes a legitimate source of strength. Beneficial reconstruction of my roots was promoted by Thursday’s experiences. Wish you could have been there!

Dumping Dewey

2008-04-18T12:28:00.004-06:00

Libraries are an important constituent element in a community’s identity. Librarians take seriously their responsibility to keep materials relevant and useful to their particular service populations. Libraries are service organizations. This is true no matter what type of library—public, academic, or special.

What portion of the community is served by a public library? Ideally that number should approach 100%. Outreach services provide the home bound with library materials. Schools have close relationships with public librarians so that assignments can be completed beyond the carefully husbanded resources of a school library. Best sellers are purchased in quantity so that library patrons will not need to wait long before they have a chance to read what’s “hot.” Videos and DVDs fly off the shelves. Patrons have already paid for these services through their taxes. What’s not to like?

Unfortunately, the average community serves less than a quarter of its population. Some of the non-library users are just not interested. Many more are uncomfortable in a library setting. Even those who regularly check out best sellers and movies may be unaware of other services available. I can’t estimate how many people told me that they had no idea the reference librarians would answer their questions (and for free). Others feel uncomfortable asking for help. They “feel stupid.”

No one should ever be made to “feel stupid” in a public library. No one should leave without getting what they came for, or advice on how to get it. When our library was testing the viability of having a roving reference feature each of us tried taking a laptop to the people using the library. I stationed myself at the top of the stairs and asked those who were leaving the building if they had found what they were looking for. It was amazing to learn how many had not.

When library patrons leave unsatisfied, the library has failed. The reasons behind that failure may be complex; part of the solution can be simple. Dump Dewey. There are two major classification systems used by libraries: the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) and the Library of Congress System (LC). The latter is used most often by universities because it is more enumerative than Dewey which is widely used in public and school libraries. Dewey has a long history in library classification and is currently in its 22nd version.

[The Dewey Decimal Classification system is a proprietary entity; DDC22 is currently owned by OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc.]

LC employs about 21 main subject headings; DDC has ten. After an initial subject heading like “P” for Language and Literature, LC becomes very complicated, placing fictional works in the same “P” category as literary and language materials. Most public libraries learned long ago that placement of fictional works by author and genre worked well for its users.

The issue for public libraries arises when classifying non-fiction. Dewey often tends to aggregate too many different subjects within one of its ten divisions, known as the hundreds (“100s”). A breakdown by the “10s” becomes the only way to sort out topics. For example: the 700s are designated for “the Arts.” It is used for architecture, landscape design, photography, games, art, fashion, music, dance, sports, movies and TV, interior design and other “arts.” Sports are in the 790s; baseball is at 796.357. It is extremely difficult to browse the “700s” when you don’t understand its nuances and you’re not sure exactly what you’re looking for! If you want on baseball injuries, you’re in the wrong section.

Dewey has been used in public libraries for decades. It has an internal consistency and logic that few fully appreciate. These features are often expressed in the replication of a number sequence or to the right of the decimal point. Decimal places are also assigned as a means to refine sub-sub-topics. For example: European History is classified in the 940s. Irish history is classified at 941.5. Travel to Europe falls in the 914s; travel to Ireland is 914.15; travel books about Dublin alone are at 914.1835. Many libraries classify biographies at 920 and 921. A science book about a physicist’s life in science might be classified with the DDC call number 530.92.

DDC has subtleties that are admirable. Too often, these subtleties create barriers for non-cognoscenti who are looking for a book. Health books can be found in the 610s, 362s, 646s, 100s, and even the 700s, depending on which aspect of health and medicine is emphasized. The library user wants a book, not a tour of the stacks!

Logic, consistency, and precision are highly valued by library catalogers who want to place materials in just the right spot. These qualities become ludicrous when overdone. Try searching for a book with a call number like 341.0097623941 Ab76. Believe me; this little old librarian lady with bifocals is going to have a hard time finding that book especially if it is on the bottom shelf! What of the casual library visitor?

[The Cutter letters and numbers that follow a call number like Ab76 usually refer to authors, but can refer to subjects and titles. Cutters reflect the holdings of a particular library—but we are not going there.]

Unfortunately the average library user does not visit their public library to admire the classification system. What they come for is to find something to read. Why do libraries have to make it so hard? Would Melville Dewey turn in his grave if libraries gave their users a break? Libraries need to take a page from the book store. KISS!*

Today’s information seeker is more accustomed to using keywords that are inclusive and straightforward. Surely subtlety can meld with simplicity to create a system both user-friendly and logical. Libraries should rethink classification and adapt organization of knowledge to the end user. The following example, which I’ll call the Direct Classification System, may not be the best solution but it’s a place to begin. New paradigms must be established to keep libraries relevant to the community’s needs.

First I would propose the creation of straightforward, commonsense keywords, not “official subject headings.” Primary keywords should take precedence over Dewey classification definitions. Keywords should be user-friendly and universally accessible to the public; inclusive without nit-picking. Sub-topic divisions—or secondary keywords—would reflect the topic’s most important aspects. More detailed classification using a modified Dewey could be used to reflect the cataloger’s art and logic within sub-divisions. Online catalogs would indicate placement by Primary and Secondary Keyword Areas before any number designations. This Direct Classification System might get the user to the target area faster.

Next, I would organize keyword areas broadly. Sub-divisions should intelligently incorporate the complete spectrum of materials that come under the commonsense main heading. If books deal with health put them all together. Mental illness and psychology/self help are currently in separate Dewey 100s sections. Books on family and children’s health are in the “domestic science” section but childhood diseases and autism are in “medical sciences” although both fall into the “600s” designated for “Technology.” Additionally, many libraries remain ambivalent about Audio/Visual materials. These need to be located on the same shelf as books that deal with the same topic. Why not place exercise DVDs next to the exercise books?

Finally keep the end user in mind at all times. Be flexible and open ended. Signage must be attractive, clear, and plentiful. Sections should be situated according to some recognizable plan, most commonly alphabetically, or a combination of alphabetical and related topics. If the user does not want to use the online catalog, the logic of this classification system will lead the user directly to the correct area and its sub-divisions. A simple and attractive explanation of each section and its sub-sections can be placed on the stack ends.

Direct Classification reflects a 21st century mind set that utilizes familiar keyword retrieval terms and graphics. As an example I will use Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations, Sixteenth Edition. Using the Library of Congress system it will be located at PN 6081. B27 (date), just before all the fiction in the “PRs.” Most public libraries will place it at 808.882 Bar. There are a lot of 808s. A “Dewey Free Zone” public library using the Direct Classification System would place it in “Writer’s Resources” (with nice graphic), followed by alphabetic subdivisions like “Grammar,” “Publishers,” and “Quotations.”

Which would you prefer?

*Keep It Simple,Stupid—in this case it’s the complex library classification system that qualifies most ironically as “stupid.”

A Midwesterner Ponders Change

2008-04-02T14:39:00.003-06:00

I’ve lived in the Midwest all my life. Midwesterners are hard-working, no-nonsense, and sensible people. We generally act only after careful deliberation, eschewing the flashy and trendy. We have deep roots. When I am faced with the possibility of relocating to southern California, my deliberations must proceed slowly in order to evaluate the consequences of that move. I’m no stranger to southern California. Long before part of our family moved there we found it a good place to visit. We have just returned from an extended visit. The question I must consider now is whether or not I want to live there.

Hands down, southern California has great weather—boring, but great. Most Midwesterners think it is uniformly warm, but it is not. Near the ocean, temperatures range between the 60s and low 70s during the day. Evenings require a light sweater. The water is very cool. Surfer movies lead one to assume a skimpy bathing suit and surfboard are all you need for the sport. Real life surfers wear wet suits to keep warm. (Incidentally, the Midwesterner wants to know when these surfers work and go to school.)

The desert—and southern California really is desert—can be very hot. Rainfall is quite modest. The green of late winter too quickly becomes brown and sere. There are deciduous trees, but the stunning colors of the upper Midwest never appear. Palm trees are messy and ugly. The flowers of California are multitudinous and magnificent. Californians just take their nice weather for granted; no Midwesterner would. I’m sure I would miss the variety and persistence of green trees and fields that is our reward for enduring winter.

Although the Great Madrid fault that produced the largest magnitude earthquake in the continental U. S. is located in the Midwest, it is generally benign. In California the threat of severe earthquake is taken for granted in much the same way as the nice weather. Personally, I prefer solid, un-shifting ground beneath my feet.

Other cataclysms Californians expect include wild fires. These are a serious, recurring, and potentially expensive threat. Dangerous winds from the desert feed the fires. In a few hours all that you posses can be destroyed. Life is precarious and one must be prepared to evacuate homes on very short notice. In the Midwest the most persistent threats are tornado and flood. These are every bit as destructive as wild fires and earthquake. Neither the west coast nor the Midwest has an advantage in this area.

What are some of the now and future problems each area needs to address? In southern California water and fuel are critical natural resources to consider. Southern California is vastly overbuilt. Drought conditions along the Colorado River and in the Southwest will require the rationing of water in southern California very soon. Water rights will take a commanding position as scarcity and agribusiness tighten the clamps on southern California’s water supply. Californians seem to be in a state of denial about a looming water crisis. It is real and needs to be addressed. Resolutions will be very costly.

Californians love their automobiles. Distance is measured in minutes, not miles. Californians spend a lot of time in their cars. Freeways are super sized and almost always at capacity. (Some of the nastiest drivers I’ve ever seen drive on those roads.) Gasoline prices were running about $3.65 as a minimum at Easter. Smog persists in the valleys despite emission regulations that are the toughest in the country. One will see some alternate fuel cars and many bio-fuel buses. One cannot fail to notice a plethora of very expensive cars that most Midwesterners would only view in a film. These status symbol cars require expensive fuels. Just how much will the Californian be willing to pay? The conspicuous consumption of their automobiles belies their vocal “save the planet” mantra. There is a disingenuous attitude most Midwesterners would spot a mile off, but that Californians fail to acknowledge.

The Midwest is not without its problems. There persists the feeling that the middle of America has past its heyday. Our population is aging; youngsters seek more exciting venues. Midwesterners have experienced a loss of manufacturing jobs, jobs that will never return. Transportation infrastructure desperately needs attention. Highways are insufficient; bridges and roads in disrepair. Travelers are advised to avoid Chicago’s O’Hare airport. Its problems are far beyond the need for new runways.

There emerges an undercurrent of sentiment that the Midwest is peripheral in today’s economy and culture. We have been passed over; we’re out of the loop. New Year’s Eve TV celebration coverage views its major cities as irrelevant. We are part of the rust belt and suffer psychologically from the loss of manufacturing, and meaning.

I am, of course, still skirting the real issues involved in a decision to move from my lifelong Midwestern home. Can I become a Californian? My views on southern California are entirely personal, idiosyncratic, and possibly unfair. However my perception of the southern California persona is critical to the decision making process. How much is vincible ignorance? Am I too old to change these opinions? Do I want to change them? Should I want to change them?

How do I perceive the average Californian? There is a superficiality I find discomforting. One of the first things I noticed is reinforced by watching the ads on TV. Image is all. Californians are conspicuous consumers. They are lean, and intolerant. There is nothing about the image that can’t be improved with a nip & tuck, a lift, a peel, fancy car, expensive—read, overpriced—home. TV ads show a populous obsessed with image. (One might expect that every Californian is just waiting to be discovered at the local Starbucks.) The appearance of prosperity and success passes for the real thing, but not all live the good life as you soon understand by perusing the re-sale and consignment stores that proliferate on the Pacific Coast Highway.

A Midwesterner’s expectations are more modest. Many of us may care more about the appearance of our lawns than our physiques. Maybe we’re genetically incapable of the hedonism of the southern Californian. Everything in California seems fast and shiny new. Cutting edge technology, bio-tech, impressive corporate headquarters abound. At the back of the Midwestern mind-set, is the fear that these, too, will pass away. The young may well embrace the edginess, but older Midwesterners proceed with caution. Somehow I can’t get past a discomforting sense that this “chic, tomorrow, and global” milieu might really be part of Disneyland. Something about California whispers ephemera.

Before I make the decision to uproot my life, these perceptions must be resolved through the lens of objectivity. It may be that it is too late for me to change so radically. There are private, family reasons in favor of such a move that I have not addressed herein. However I feel that it is important to determine whether or not I want to become a southern Californian apart from those reasons. How do I weigh family influences against personal prejudice? If family reasons for re-location ultimately prove transitory I might find myself stuck in a place I hate, financially poorer, and spiritually bereft. Resolution will take some time.

R.I.P. William F. Buckley, Jr.

2008-02-28T12:12:00.008-06:00

One of my heroes has died. I never had the privilege of knowing Bill Buckley in person. I don't move in such august circles. I did have the pleasure of knowing him through his quick paced television program, Firing Line, and through The National Review and many of his books. Mr. Buckley helped frame my opinions and appreciation of modern American society.

There's a Country song that states, "She had me from 'Hello'." Of course, Buckley never trifled with such a simple greeting, but he captured me nevertheless. Buckley had style, verve, wit nonpareil, and panache. William F. Buckley, Jr. set the bar high. He was an unapologetic patrician and the modern political version of Socrates' gadfly. One could only aspire to a view over the bar, few cleared it.

In one of his books, Buckley wrote about the first time he saw the house that was to be his future home. The realtor brought him and his wife to a lovely home, but Buckley felt a certain unease. Finally he realized what was wrong. There were no books in the house. He soon remedied that. Throughout his life Buckley wrote more than 50 of his own to fill shelves abundant with the finest thoughts of the finest minds. Perhaps he could also be considered a modern day Montaigne too.

William F. Buckley Jr.'s most successful venture was his magazine, The National Review. I'm not sure everyone understood its raison d'etre. Naturally it was a forum for the best in conservative thought. It gained that excellence through the magazine's willingness to present divergent views on such topics as deficit spending and star wars technology. Those who think Mr. Buckley's media instrument closed minds are wrong, although I cannot say as much for the current publication. He thoroughly enjoyed the parry and thrust of intellectual exchange. His wit and good will mitigated a well-placed touche. As he tightened the web about an opponent, his eyes betrayed an amused "got ya!" Even Mr. Buckley's "enemies" spoke well of the man.

My condolence to his son, siblings, and grandchildren. If Aristotle's Happy Life can only be achieved at the end of the examined good life, then Bill Buckley is indeed very happy today.

Return of the Growlerie

2008-02-05T14:28:00.000-06:00

It's been some time since I "vented" via the Growlerie. In case you don't recall the literary reference, the Growlerie comes from Charles Dicken's Bleak House. It was the place where the generous John Jarndyce went to rail against life's injustice and vent his anger with irritations major and minor. Herein find the first edition of 2008's irritations, major and minor.

Top of the list must be the winter weather in the Midwest/Great Lakes region. We've had snow, snow, ice, sub-zero temperatures, snow, snow, fog...ENOUGH ALREADY! Unfortunately a new "major snow event" is on it way. I do not live on the "wrong side of the lake" where the hardy thrive and the entrepreneural clean up with snow and ice fishing lovers. Yipes!

Silence is golden, but almost impossible to find anymore. In the grocery stores the shopper is bombarded with acid rock, hip-hop, and other annoying "music." It seems that the days of bland and canned tunes has given way to the teen age stock boy's top twenty radio stations. It makes one eager to get out of the store as soon as possible.

If you manage to ignore the terrible tunes, you must try to avoid the ubiquitious television screens placed in produce, meats, check out lines. I have not given them a glance--and will not-- but you can't avoid the noise. Ditto for hospital sitting areas, ER waiting rooms, and doctor's offices. The "one eyed god" is inescapable. It is hard to read or carry on a quiet conversation because everyone must attend this idol.

Close to the top is the word "change," the overused and misunderstood mantra of every political candidate running for office. Change who, what, where, when, why and how? Change one; change for the better; change for the worst; change for change sake; exchange...please.

The fourth estate is a necessary and integral part of a democratic society, except when the news media crosses the line and begins to create and/or shape news events. It has begun to shape public opinion, not report it. Several good presidential candidates suffered from the media's slant on the most newsworthy candidates. They did not get the exposure they were entitled to and thence were unable to present their suitability. Coverage and money rules--but that's for another Growlerie.

General news is too selective, with emphasis placed on the sensational. "If it bleeds, it leads" has proven itself a money making paradigm for news stations. Even the weather has succumbed, no longer showing temperature, but rather emphasizing "wind chill." It's so much more compelling to have a map full of sub zero temperatures than real ones.

Finally, school administrators bewail the lack of science and math teachers. College students seem to favor business, tech, and other better paying professions. It seems that, for the majority of students, math and science are too hard. [Oh my!] There are easier ways to make the grade. But, if the student does do well in math and the sciences, the dearth of qualified scientists and mathematicians guarantees a well paying job in business and research. Teaching is not lucrative, however rewarding. It's hard to get that science or math degree. Teaching is challenging and, frequently, discouraging work. It doesn't pay well. But the current lack of teachers in the sciences and math will become a self-fulfilling prophesy for failure in the future. There is way too much emphasis on making money and making a name for oneself. Perhaps our priorites need a bit of readjustment.

Now, that feels better. I think I'll get my shovel out and start to work on the driveway.

Tossing out the pages of a life

2008-01-21T17:22:00.000-06:00

Although I have recently retired I have not been able to walk away completely from work. For the past several weeks, I’ve been reviewing the papers and clippings of two decades. I must be honest with you. I am a saver of comments, ideas, lists, etc. I find the world so interesting and varied that I clip, save, and file many items most people might not even want to read.

In the past weeks I have filled our large recycling bin several times over—tossing away many of the pages of my life. Saving things is a family trait that I need to guard against. My parents saved everything. When it became necessary to clear out their home it took months to complete. My father saved the note he received in 1932 that told him of the death of his music teacher. There was a receipt for a 1938 automobile. Every tuition receipt my high school issued was there—just in case they were going to rescind my diploma if proof of payment could not be documented forty years later! My father even saved blank pieces of paper he had trimmed from larger sheets.

This extreme form of saving is not a trait to emulate, but it must be admitted that each scrap of paper represented pieces of their lives. I am relieved to admit that I’m not quite as compulsive as my parents. To a librarian the notes, papers, and clippings saved are useful bits of information; although I bet my father thought that his were too. It has been hard to part with so many pieces of my life. There are some beauties amongst my clippings. However, after the rough cut, I will be able to exercise my penchant for organization. Classifying all those goodies will take time, but what fun!

In the interim, I will share with you some accumulated treasures. If any of you are old enough to remember Sydney Harris who wrote for the Chicago Daily News you might recall his occasional columns about what he found while looking up other things. These were some of his best work. Many of my scraps were discovered in a like manner. I hope you enjoy my walk through memory lane as much as I enjoyed Mr. Harris’s gems.

1) More than 2300 years ago Hippocrates observed that pain could be relieved by chewing on willow leaves. Willow leaves contain a form of aspirin. Miracle drug indeed.
2) The Irish Times and Poetry Ireland surveyed their readers to learn what poem was their favorite. The 1999 survey revealed that William Butler Yeats’ poem “The Lake Isle of Innisfree” topped the list. Yeats had 25 poems listed in the top 100.
3) I don’t know if you have as much trouble with the international symbols for clothing care, but, just in case here are what two of them mean: a circle with an “X” through it means do not dry clean and a square with three vertical lines inside means drip dry.
4) The first country to use finger prints to solve crimes was Argentina. That was in 1892. The Metropolitan Police Fingerprint Bureau of Scotland Yard was established on July 1, 1901. The Bureau was the brainchild of Sir Edward Henry who became interested in the science of dactylography. In 1900, Sir Henry authored a book entitled Classification and Uses of Fingerprints. He grouped the ridge patterns of fingerprints into three categories: loops, arches, and whorls. This classification is still used today.
5) Ataraxia was the goal of Epicurus. It encompasses the personal attainment of serenity, equanimity, and peace of mind.
6) Mizaru, Kikazaru, and Iwazaru are better known as the See No Evil, Hear No Evil, and Speak No Evil monkeys.
7) “The standard U.S. railroad gauge of 4 feet, 8.5 inches derives from the original specification for an Imperial Roman War Chariot” which was wide enough to accommodate the back ends of two war horses. [National Review, Jan. 24, 2000, “Notes and Asides”] How fun is that!!

More to follow…maybe.

A Personal Philosophy of Public Librarianship

2008-01-14T14:51:00.000-06:00

I’ve been retired a short time and felt it was time for me to share a few thoughts on being a public library reference librarian. When I began to work on my library masters degree I was sure that I wanted to go into academic libraries. Often I have considered health science/hospital librarianship because that area became my specialty. However, I remained a public librarian despite the dismissive attitude many professional librarians have towards the work public librarian do.

I must admit the work was not always the challenge our education promised. Nor does the public know that we continuously update that education. Occasionally lady librarians are addressed as “dolly,” “honey,” or “dear.” There are still those who are unaware that most librarians are techie geeks. Only a couple of years ago someone explained to me, in excruciating detail, all about “the Internet and GOOGLE.” Generally we ignore the unintended insults, smile, and say thank you for such useful information.

Little do our librarian colleagues in other information venues or the public at large appreciate the variety and pace that makes our jobs constantly interesting and continuously informative. So many different questions, requiring varied approaches, and so little time! It’s fun; it’s an opportunity; it’s addictive.

Public librarians not only need to know reference and reader’s advisory resources, they must keep current with the latest technologies and best sellers. Librarians must be resourceful, ingenious, and flexible. They must be psychologists, mind readers, and diplomats. They are teachers, sympathetic ears, and friends. We love doing it all.

What follows is a portion of a letter of thanks to the community I sent to local papers upon my retirement. It expresses the life of a public librarian who has established personal, long-term, relationships with library patrons. I will miss them, and I hope they will miss me too.

“Throughout the years many of you have shared your ideas on books, shown me photos of your grandchildren, and challenged my ingenuity to find answers to some tough questions. What a joy it has been to see a young teen grow into an adult who is beginning law or medical school. Teen or adult, you have trusted me with a wide range of questions, from serious health inquiries and journal searches to phone number requests and stock quotes from 1983. Each day I have learned something new from you.

Thank you for all those wonderful years and for the opportunity to serve the community in a setting that provides marvelous research tools. Thank you for your smiles, chats, and reading suggestions. I know the library will continue to provide for your needs. I will miss being a part of your future.”

Crossing the Threshold

2008-01-01T14:41:00.000-06:00

The New Year brings major changes to my life. Last year I wrote about the liminality of this holiday and now find myself stepping over the threshold into an abyss. I have “officially” retired from a job that I loved, that was my life. Many people say that in retirement you can begin to live your dreams. I lived that dream for years. Wakefulness reveals the carapace of a life unlived. Retirement dawns in doubt.

Right now, that threshold resembles the event horizon of a black hole. Will I be sucked in to reach maximum density, or will I escape into the chaos of potentiality? Somehow I must turn my natural bent for ataxia into ataraxia. I could say that I have plans to do thus and such, but these are save-face responses. Be patient.

Adjustment takes time. Reflection cannot be rushed. Shall I “thence retire me to my Milan” [The Tempest, Act V. Scene i.] or will new paths tempt me? If the latter, I can only hope is that the road that chooses me is interesting if not long.

Once Upon A Midnight Clear

2007-12-10T19:50:00.000-06:00

Once upon a time there was a mom who had all her Christmas presents purchased and wrapped before Thanksgiving. She wanted to keep December free for baking. Store bought wouldn’t do. Throughout that month the house was filled with incredible cookie fragrances. It was hard to keep the baked goods away from her family, but, of course, they got to sample each batch. On Christmas Eve cookie packages for family and friends were assembled, wrapped, and labeled. There were hundreds of treats, dozens of varieties. People looked forward to their “little something.” Once upon a midnight clear preparation was not an imposition.

Once upon a time homemade gifts were proudly made by children, even though they had circled nearly everything in the Sears Wish Book toy catalog. Fathers proudly displayed school-made clay dishes and colorful cards created with lots of paste, glitter, and ribbon. Mothers were thrilled with paper flowers and promises to dry the dishes and be good. Families made decorations for the home. Handmade ornaments covered the Christmas tree. Yards of red and green paper chains festooned the dining room. Cranberries and popped corn garlands draped the Christmas tree. Everyone helped. Once upon a midnight clear simplicity was the norm.

Once upon a time you listened all year for unexpressed wishes, watched for unfulfilled needs, and planned something unexpected that you’d really like someone to have. Gift cards were not an option because too much thought was invested into gift selection. No one worked from a list entitled “I want exactly this, from this particular store; and you’d better get it right!” No one re-gifted. Shoppers were not told that it is good to “pick up an extra gift for yourself,” or that they should use Christmas shopping to load up on things they wanted for themselves. Once upon a midnight clear people were grateful, not greedy.

Once upon a time several evenings were set aside to write Christmas greetings with personal notes enclosed. There were no “Holiday Letters,” written on the computer, decorated with clip-art, and sent en masse to dozens of remote addressees. No one emailed impersonal electronic greetings to everybody on their “Contact List”. Correspondents genuinely wished each other the joys of the season, peace and good health in the New Year. Cards were saved; messages savored. They were warm, intimate, and genuine. People cared about each other and expressed their feelings with thoughtful notes, small gifts, and friendly gestures. Shut-ins were visited; lonely relatives urged to “join us for dinner—we’ll pick you up.” People took time in this special season of miracles. Once upon a midnight some things were clear.

Best wishes for a Happy Christmas and a Peaceful and Healthy New Year, from the Christmas Grump

Vocabulary Quiz 4

2007-11-30T20:43:00.000-06:00

This is the last. It has been fun creating the quizzes; mostly because it enabled me to re-visit the words I’ve been collecting throughout the years. I hope you enjoyed them, and discovered a few useful words to add to your vocabulary. If you’re a real word fanatic, go back through the quizzes and identify the 5 answers in each quiz that did not match one of the words. Try to find the word that is defined by the unused answers. You’re on your own, however, because this is where I stop. As usual there are 20 words and 25 answers. Five of the definitions will not apply.

1) quiddity 2) recondite 3) revenant 4) sapid 5) serried 6) solecism
7) stochastic 8) sumptuary 9) telluric 10) tergiversator 11) termagant
12) thaumaturgy 13) threnody 14) traduce 15) trenchant 16) usufruct
17) velleity 18) withes 19) xoanon 20) zymotic

A) dirge; B) caused by fermentation; C) overabundance D) essential nature of something; inconsequential distinction; E) keen, cutting; F) last speaker in program; G) carved statue of a deity, usually made of wood; H) wish without action to achieve it; I) dealing with matters that require profound or specialized knowledge; J) artificial sweetener; K) involving random or probabilistic behavior; L) working of miracles; M) flagrant grammatical error; N) shrewish woman; O) make disparaging personal remarks; P) fertilized ovum; Q) ghost who appears many years after death; R) terrestrial, from the earth; S) stems or twigs used to bind materials together; T) very crowded; U) theory that only the self exists; V) flavorful, tasty; W) one who changes sides in a cause, or makes ambiguous statements; X) limiting budget; Y) legal use of another’s possessions or profit.

ANSWERS: 1-D; 2-I; 3-Q; 4-V; 5-T; 6-M; 7-K; 8-X; 9-R; 10-W; 11-N; 12-L; 13-A; 14-O; 15-E; 16-Y; 17-H; 18-S; 19-G; 20-B.

Vocabulary Quiz 3

2007-11-04T15:59:00.000-06:00

You should find this quiz easier than the previous two, but nonetheless useful. The same format will be used with 20 words and 25 answers. Five of the answers will not apply.

1) maieutic 2) meretricious 3) minatory 4) moiety 5) mordant 6) nacre 7) nielloed 8) nugatory 9) obloquy 10) obsecration 11) obviate 12) optative 13) otiose 14) panegyric 15) parthenogenic 16) pasquinade 17) peroration 18) perspicacious 19) prolix 20) psephology

A) cannon volley; B) worthless; C) long and wordy; D) study of elections; E) fiery; F) Socratic method of inquiry intended to bring out latent ideas by asking questions; G) flashy, tawdry; H) formal praise; I) development of an egg without male fertilization; J) verb mood indicating the expression of a wish; K) slander, defamation; L) study of sub-atomic particles; M) biting sarcasm; N) indolent, without purpose; O) publicly posted, usually anonymous, lampoon; P) threatening; Q) act of beseeching; R) dental procedure; S) either of two parts, not necessarily equal; T) black ornamental work filling an incised design; U) separation of genetic material; V) discerning, penetrating understanding; W) mother of pearl; X) end of an oratory, summing up of points in a speech; Y) make unnecessary, get rid of

ANSWERS: 1-F; 2-G; 3-P; 4-S; 5-M; 6-W; 7-T; 8-B; 9-K; 10-Q; 11-Y; 12-J; 13-N; 14-H; 15-I; 16-O; 17-X; 18-V; 19-C; 20-D.

Vocabulary Quiz 2

2007-10-05T14:27:00.000-06:00

I hope you enjoyed the first quiz and, maybe, learned a new word or two. It was good practice for me to consult my spiral notebook and review the words I’ve entered throughout the years. If you don’t use the words everyday, they you will need to review periodically. Again I have 20 words and 25 definitions. Not all of the definitions will be used.

1) coign 2) exegete 3) gambol 4) garrulity 5) gravid 6) hortatory 7) immure 8) imprecate 9) ineluctability 10) instantiate 11) inveigh 12) inveigle 13) jeremiad 14) koine 15) labile 16) lagniappe 17) lambent 18) lethe 19) litotes 20) lucubrations

A) Neapolitan secret society B) denounce, criticize C) frolic, skip playfully D) understatement for emphasis by substituting the affirmative with the negative E) glowing, softly radiant F) pertaining to clocks G) inescapable H) complimentary gift with purchase I) endow J) pregnant , burdened K) oblivion, dreamy state L) to represent by concrete example M) urging, exhorting N) fresco preparation O) lament P) unstable, likely to change Q) curse, invoke against R) drench S) entice, wheedle T) regional dialects and tongues that become standard language for larger populace U) literary effort resulting from prolonged research, like a dissertation V) unrestrained talkativeness W) one who discourses as an expert, especially in religion X) favorable observation post or vantage point Y) imprison, enclose

Answers: 1-X; 2-W; 3-C; 4-V; 5-J; 6-M; 7-Y; 8-Q; 9-G; 10-L; 11-B; 12-S; 13-O; 14-T; 15-P; 16-H; 17-E; 18-K; 19-D; 20-U.

Vocabulary Quiz 1

2007-09-24T14:02:00.000-06:00

Years ago I worked as a psychometrist, writing tests for a governmental entity. Constructing a good test is both an art and a technical skill. The test writer must be sure that answer choices do not lead the subject to the answer (a 3-1 split), or provide more than one correct choice (2-2 dilemma). You might not believe it, but a well constructed true/false test is the most difficult test to take.

I’ve never lost my fascination for test construction. I’ve used tests, disguised as puzzles, to teach special education children in junior high and one to use as an ice breaker for an employee gathering. I often create some sort of bibliographic “quiz” or puzzle when doing book displays at the library. There has been a Sherlock Holmes Jumble, a crossword to celebrate the town’s 100th anniversary, a classic mystery writer/detective challenge, and several specialized crosswords, amongst others. This vocabulary quiz will hopefully satisfy my continuing need to create a challenging puzzle cum quiz and provide a venue for others to increase their word power.

Building a vocabulary that is precise, varied, and powerful can become an enjoyable exercise. How does one find words that mean exactly what you intend? A key method is to read good authors. Although many might not agree with what he writes, William F. Buckley, Jr. has provided me with a plethora of choice words. There are many other authors who do not lower their standards or “talk down” to their readers. When I read their books, I keep a blank bookmark as a place keeper and jot down a word I don’t understand along with the page it’s on for context. I usually look the words up when I’ve finished the book, but sometimes it is necessary to run to the unabridged dictionary before you can continue reading with comprehension. Such a practice is enjoyable and educational.

What follows is the first of a number of vocabulary quizzes. There are 20 words and 25 definitions--not all will be used. At the end of the piece I have the answers. Hope you find a few new ones to make your own! The best way to do that is to use each in a sentence you create. Send me a sample.

1) anagnorisis 2) apothegm 3) apotropaic 4) atavistic 5) boustrophedon
6) brumous 7) bowdlerize 8) caducity 9) captious 10) condign 11) corybantic 12) defalcation 13) delator 14) deracinated 15) eidolon 16) eristic 17) esurient 18) execrable 19) fatidic 20) febrile

a) fragility of old age and senility; b) controversial; c) expurgate as in censorship; d) critical moment of recognition; e) dull, impassive; f) feverish; g) misty or foggy, especially in winter; h) urgent; i) uprooted, extirpated; j) integrity, honesty; k) completely abhorrent; l) greedy, hungry; m) caused by fermentation; n) frenzied; o) protective for warding off evil; p) misappropriation of money held in trust, or by officials; q) reversion to primitive or more remote ancestor; r) prophetic; s) pithy, terse remark; t) phantom or apparition; u) medical process; v) writing that runs left to right and then right to left; w) excessive fault finding in order to confuse opponent in an argument; x) informer; y) deservedly severe punishment

Answers: 1-d; 2-s; 3-o; 4-q; 5-v; 6-g; 7-c; 8-a; 9-w; 10-y; 11-n; 12-p; 13-x; 14-i; 15-t; 16-b; 17-l; 18-k; 19-r; and 20-f.

No Hands To Hold

2007-09-04T11:18:00.000-06:00

Cultural anthropologists tell us that Americans focus on the individual. However, most women maintain an identity that is at least partially relational. Women need to know where they belong in relation to others, especially the women in her family. What is under discussion is the maternal line, discounted by those obsessed with patrilineal ancestry. Despite the secondary importance of maternal lineage in societies that value male offspring, having a matrilineal history is comforting to a woman.

This relational identity may be a reflection of our genetic history. Bryan Sykes, in his book The Seven Daughters of Eve, describes the unbroken and unchanged inheritance of mitochondrial DNA (mDNA) that can be traced back from daughter to mother—all the way back to first daughter of Eve, who becomes the mother of a unique genetic lineage. In his book, Mr. Sykes employs an unusual convention for non-fiction. The first part of The Seven Daughters of Eve consists of factual accounts of DNA, mitochondrial transmission, and examples of anthropological and archeological evidence for each era. In the second portion of the book, he uses the factual accounts he has established and writes seven fictional vignettes based on each ancestral mother. It is that model I will employ here to examine the terminus of the maternal line.

What happens when the lineage is severed? Connection with the past is betrayed. Links to the future dissolve. The unfortunate woman who fails to pass the mDNA to a daughter is caught at the open end of a fast whirling crack the whip game where the last one will most surely be cut adrift. Genetically, she is the terminus of her maternal history. She is cast off, alone, with no hands to hold.

What follows is the story of the last one of her mDNA lineage. It is the story of Jean and her only daughter, Maisey. Maisey died as an adult almost a dozen years ago. Jean has no hands to hold.

Maisey was hell on wheels to raise. She was extremely bright, assertive, artistically gifted, and defiant. Her exceptional intelligence kept her on the safe side of things, but just barely. The teenaged Maisey hated her mother, probably not without cause.

Because of her high aspirations and intelligence Maisey managed to get accepted to a top tier college where she graduated with honors. Accustomed to living away from home she couldn’t wait to move out and be on her own after graduation. Soon she married a man her parents considered an unsuitable partner. Too independent and proud to ask for help, Maisey worked two jobs to pay for graduate school while managing a home. When she had successfully completed her master’s degree, she began a successful career as a consultant in an internationally recognized firm. Not content with her accomplishments, Maisey started to work on a Ph.D.

As the years went on, the emnity between mother and daughter dissolved. The once deadly enemies became friends. Their friendship was based on mutual respect and love. Both women had matured. Jean could finally say that the Maisey of old had “turned out really, really well.”

When Maisey and her husband purchased their first home, Jean planted bushes and flowers in Maisey’s garden when her daughter was too busy with work and school. Dad mowed the lawn. Jean wallpapered her daughter’s house while Dad did repairs. Maisey, herself, would tackle any job. She and her Dad remodeled the bathroom. Maisey took on the entire ceramic tile floor by herself. Parents and daughter established a close and mutually respectful relationship.

Often Maisey initiated activities. Maisey would drag Jean to antique stores where the daughter, who had a good eye for such things, usually found a treasure. On Sundays Maisey and her husband would come to dinner. While Dad was clearing up, Maisey and Jean settled on the couch to watch their favorite TV detective. Of course, a back rub for Maisey was always on the schedule. They always argued about whodunit and discussed a mystery they would write together. Maisey had the talent; Jean the background. They would begin just as soon as the Ph.D. was finished—only one class and her dissertation remained. Those were good years. If only Jean knew how precious and short they would be.

The phone call came after 10:30 in the evening. Jean was in the shower when her husband called to her. Word had come from a distant state. Maisey was dead: sudden death: far from home: alone. It is not something you willingly believe. On the previous day they had celebrated Maisey’s birthday. Five days later Jean and her husband would experience the heartbreak of burying their beloved daughter. This was a nightmare from which Jean would never waken.

Escape remains impossible as the quotidian activities of life intrude. Jean watches as the laughing mother and her daughter shop together for shoes. In a local restaurant she sees a mom treating her daughter to lunch. Jean longs to be like friends and relatives who can care for their daughter’s children, and who are honored in their daughter’s homes. As she and her husband age there is no daughter to say, “Sure, I’ll drive you to the doctor’s office, Mom.”

Jean cannot escape wanting what she can never have—simple, normal family relationships. Each time she sees the shoppers, diners, grandchildren, she loses Maisey all over again. How many times must Maisey die! The pull of mDNA is relentless. Jean no longer belongs.

Envy and disappointment are ever present. This creates guilt as well as a gulf in her relationships. While rejoicing in other’s good fortune, the bitter taste of disconnection sometimes intrudes. In As You Like It, Shakespeare wrote, “O, how bitter a thing it is to look into happiness through another man’s eyes!” Jean knows that unpalatable envy and bitterness are impossible to escape. Ancient links have been severed. Jean is adrift. She has no hands to hold.

The Faerie Ring

2007-08-20T10:45:00.001-06:00

Yet another badly written poem! Poetry was not taught well, if at all, when I was in grade school. My only memory of such tuition revolves around learning that I would read the "light voice" in O Captain, My Captain. In high school we were grudgingly taught to identify the basic meters and stylistic techniques. The problem was that teachers did not understand poetry. They could not infect a student with a disease they were immune to; but they might have tried.

Truly I would like to learn. My reading and comprehension is simplistic. I long to put feet, meter, style together to express my thoughts. Sometimes poetry is the only adequate way to express feelings and to experiment with words. Such lovely words the English language provides! Hence, my feeble attempts in this blog. Sometimes I get a piece right but not the whole. Much remains to learn and I am not always patient. The really great poets tell us that they spend years perfecting their work. Forebear; indulge me. Constructive criticism welcome.

The Faerie Ring

Legend laments the “little folk,”
Whom Irish call Danu.
Faeries laugh at silly names while
They hide in wait for you.

Fable warns, “Stay clear of the ring.”
For you’ll enchanted be.
Ensnared, unwary dancers whirl,
Tomorrows never see.

For the faeries spin and weave a spell,
Years as seconds perceived.
You’ll not be free again ‘til faerie tires
Entrapment last relieved.

Is not our life a faerie’s whirl?
Years melting into days.

Child, bride, woman; mother, crone;
Where did the minutes flee?
Love, marriage, devotion and death;
Call back those years to me.
Life, loss, love, longing flicker past;
Brief joys, bittersweet charm;
Ring of life spins too fast.

‘ware not to dance in faerie ring
Savor life’s transient ways.

Reading Maketh A Full Man - On The Importance of Adult Literacy

2007-07-30T20:06:00.000-06:00

According the 16th edition of Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations, the following is attributed to Francis Bacon: Reading maketh a full man, conference a ready man, and writing an exact man. Conference and writing are predicated on Reading’s ability to fill the mind and spirit. Many in this country go to bed each night with “empty stomachs.”

One might expect that literacy in the United States should approach 100%, but this is not the case. I am not writing about an immigrant population who come from their own countries with diverse educational experience and varied desire to learn the language of their adoptive country. I mean the native born American—the men and women who somehow “slipped through educational cracks” and have spent their adult lives working low paying jobs and living unfulfilled lives. These adults cannot help their children with homework. They must rely on a handshake and the trustworthiness of others to conduct their business affairs. There are a lot of these people, a disturbing number. They are very adept at hiding their reading problems; very defensive if challenged.

For several years I was a volunteer tutor in a local adult literacy program. I learned a lot in those dozen years—about bravery, trust, humility, determination, and persistence. It takes an enormous amount of courage for a 40 year old mother to ask for basic reading and writing help so she can help her children achieve a better life than the one she’s had. It’s humbling for a 65-year old man who has successfully operated a business on trust alone to come to three classes a week to get help with heretofore undiagnosed dyslexia. Yet he comes to every class, every week. A 25-year old developmentally disabled adult can only succeed in a new group independent living situation if we can help improve specific “on the job” reading comprehension. It is very difficult for her, but she persists. A young immigrant woman comes to class after working a night cleaning job. She has to leave early to care for her young children when her husband leaves for work. This woman wants so badly to be a nurse. She’s bright and indefatigable, but ultimately must choose between family and her dreams when her spouse loses his job.

Every adult “student” has a compelling need. The four I have described only hint at the range and variety of unfulfilled needs. Each person’s situation is unique. Most of us don’t realize that so many battle illiteracy every waking hour of every day. Reading is so natural and unconscious to us that we can barely comprehend what it’s like to be illiterate.

The origin of each person’s problem is not important—and we certainly cannot judge. Often the older ones left school during the Great Depression and drifted around the country. So many come with a lifetime of derisive baggage! They have been called “dumb” or “lazy” throughout their lives because they seek to hide their inability to read. Some had to leave school to contribute to their family’s survival by bringing in a weekly paycheck. A few needed to get away from terrible living conditions so the value of an education was a low priority when physical survival was at stake. One of my students sported arms that were scarred and discolored. When I had earned enough of his trust to talk about it I was told that the burns had occurred on the job. He had been told to bring some dry ice to the loading dock. Because he couldn’t read, he didn’t realize that he should not just pick up the ice with bare hands and arms. His arms took a long time to heal; the memory never did.

Lately I have been reading in the news that medical illiteracy can kill you. A recent study, lead by Dr. David Baker of Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, discovered that at least 25% of patients (65 and older) could not understand written health information, read prescription labels for directions and contraindications, or understand basic instructions on how to prepare for medical tests. A few years ago I was researching the reading level of medical information for a consumer health information center. I found that the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) was written at a level appropriate to a junior or senior college student. The New England Journal of Medicine was aimed at graduate level. Even the Home Edition of the Merck Manual (1st edition) targeted a 9th grade reading level when I surveyed a portion of an article on breast cancer. Only a few medical websites, e.g. MedlinePlus, even have “Easy to Read” sections. Yet research indicates that about 60% of Internet users search for health information online. As a librarian I know that low literacy health books, written for adult audiences, are scarce.

Are publishers, health web providers, and medical personnel presuming a basic, adequate literacy that may not attain for all? The premise seemingly fails for most of my former students, as well as for 25% of the elderly! Are those who hide their literacy anorexia getting information to sustain life, live decent lives, obtain good jobs, and get the health information they deserve? Can we afford to turn away so many from the table of plenty? This is not saving the whales or closing the ozone hole over Antarctica. This is your patient, client, neighbor, employee, family member. It’s in your face, if you’d only look. What can YOU bring to the table?

Nutrition for the Mind

2007-07-09T19:41:00.000-06:00

One of my favorite meta-blogs is the Encyclopedia Britannica Blogsite. [See: http://blogs.britannica.com/blog/main ] The main page opens to the newest posts and to a “menu” divided into a variety of appetizing subject areas. Most contributors have been invited to write and are experts in their fields. The purpose of each entry is to stimulate an online conversation based on each author’s particular expertise. Reader responses are welcome.

Recently a Web2.0 section has been added. Its purpose is to provide a venue in which the intellectual life of the Web can be examined. After all, an unexamined Internet life is not worth living either! Leading contributors include librarians and a former Britannica editor. I sometimes feel I can detect the amorphous scepter of Mortimer Adler lurking in the ethers, pontificating on the four “goods of the mind”—information, knowledge, understanding, and wisdom—somewhat like Adele Davis promoting the food groups as the basis of sound nutrition.

The Web2.0 debate decries the state of the well nourished mind. Much concern is voiced on the nature of the well-balanced intellectual meal online searchers are looking for, and on the crumbs offered. Web2.0 fears may be valid. It is possible that the bulk of readily available, free information on the Internet is, at best, snack and fast food.

It has been my experience as a librarian that many people are satisfied with crumbs. They want a quick answer to fill their hunger—any answer, nutritional values of no concern. They want to know when their favorite musical group will be performing in the area, the phone number of the nearest cleaners, and how to get airline tickets cheaply. These are perfectly legitimate uses of the Internet. They may even be the reason the web finally “caught on.” Remember those dot-coms that went under because they were pre-emptive and didn’t have business plans to match the medium? A hamburger joint will fail in a vegetarian neighborhood unless it caters to the customer. However, as everyone knows, a continuous diet of fast foods does not promote good health.

The Internet can provide ample nourishment to the seeker who wants a single, yet filling, meal of limited facts. For example, a searcher can readily locate information on a medical condition, its symptoms, treatment and prognosis that will satisfy them. It is their responsibility to determine whether they are being sold a “bill of goods” or are making healthy choices based on the nutritional needs of the mind.

If they have a truly serious condition, those healthy choices are critical. The authority of the information, its completeness, depth, and currency become as important as the information. A dietary life plan is called for. This is where expert searchers like librarians and “invisible web” resources become vital. This interaction is the meeting with a nutrition expert to plan one’s diabetic eating plan; purchasing the best nutritional values book available; beginning an exercise program; and changing one’s relationship with food and life. It becomes knowledge building with a goal of relevant understanding.

As Web2.0 contributors fear, many seekers of the “goods of the mind” are not getting a balanced diet with informational crumbs, fast and/or junk food. But are those committed to lifestyle change, longevity, and maximizing their health really going to stop when GOOGLE serves up a reasonable answer? Actualy GOOGLE Scholar provides entree into current scholarship and authors working in several research areas--if you know how to maximize that resource. Will a critically thinker be satisfied with one source? I hope not!

Web2.0 debate based on this characterization of intellectual prowess resembles is a “straw man” argument. What gourmand mind fills itself on the web? A judicious taste of Internet information networks won’t hurt once in a while. It may even introduce the gourmet to an elusive, tidbit heretofore unknown. One of the serendipitous findings of network theory, as it applies to the Internet, is the surprising occurrence of innovation and critically important information coming from peripheral and poorly connected nodes.

If the Web2.0 characterization is correct, the fault resides elsewhere. Elements of critical thinking must be taught at the dinner table of education, beginning with the high chair of elementary school and leading on from the formal banquet of post-graduate work. Standards must be set and met. Knowledge is not miraculously conferred in one sitting. Understanding integrates traditional food-of-thought sources like treatises, current documentation of nutritional elements similar to those found in peer reviewed journals, creative combinations of novel and flavorful concepts, and caloric limitations set by established theory and empirical demonstration—all contribute to the totality of the mind’s nourishment.

The Internet is not the bête noire of the mind. The responsibility of fitness rests with the individual. Flab or fit? The assessment depends on motivation, purpose, and conditioning. Those who revere Mortimer Adler, as I do, should not fear the decline and fall of the intellectual banquet of the mind because an Internet hot dog stand takes over our favorite corner. There is room for both. Those who really care, go elsewhere for sustenance.

The Sonata of Gentle Spring Rains

2007-06-11T21:28:00.000-06:00

Pianissimo rains evoke
A calming, repetitive refrain
Adagio con dolore

Far off thunder interjects
Percussive interest—sforzando
Mem’ry of dreams diminuendo

Texture bred by blust’ry wind
New born leaves sing contrapuntal theme
Tremolo melancholic

Scent of newly wakened earth
From death life’s motif is born
Harmonious accelerando

Muted rains soothing my troubled soul
Sound, scent, soft water renew
Consonance sostenuto.

copyright smb aka ettsme