I’m not big on titles, but there are a couple of titles that appeal to my vanity. One of them is “senior fellow.” Anybody with an opinion not a bit better than mine can be a senior fellow at the Advanced Thinkology Institute in Washington, D.C. He might be a real knot head, but he’s [...]
Archive for August, 2009
I promote myself for pure vanity
Posted in Wilson family on August 31, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
The best meaning of ‘patron’
Posted in Art, In the News, Inspiration, tagged being a patron on August 31, 2009 | 2 Comments »
Our modern use of the word ‘patron‘ is one of the least interesting applications of the word. We use the fourth meaning of the word to refer to customers. A patron bought a Big Mac and some fries. Thrilling.
The three more basic definitions of the word are a lot more interesting. These are from Merriam-Webster [...]
The 60’s are still with us
Posted in In the News, Management, World peace on August 30, 2009 | 1 Comment »
“We are anxious but immobilized. We know what our problems are, but seem incapable of summoning our will and resources to act.”
The quote is by John W. Gardner, one of the preeminent writers on the subject of leadership and a great leader himself.
He also said, “It is indecent for [our national leaders] to let [...]
Buddhi, manas, and me
Posted in Yoga on August 29, 2009 | 1 Comment »
I didn’t mispell Buddha. Buddhi is the name the yogis give the discriminating part of the mind. I’ve been working on getting my arms around these notions for a long time. I made some incremental progress recently, and I’m sharing it here for anyone who stops by and might be interested.
To appreciate manas, think Homer [...]
Buzz from Facebook friends
Posted in In the News on August 27, 2009 | 2 Comments »
Patterns among Facebook posts are elusive, but I see a hint of interest among my friends in carnival-grade self-analysis. What is my animal counterpart? If I were a nineteenth century Apache, what would my name be? Can I put myself into a Myers-Briggs type in five easy questions? Which chakra will open next? Stuff like [...]
Peanut butter—my #3 story
Posted in Books, Blogs & Films on August 25, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
This blog is now two years old and the third most popular story “of all time” is Do you stir your peanut butter?
Any subliminal fantasies I might harbor about being a voice of conscience in a turbulent world can be set aside. My witty treatment of the custom of spitting in sports did not register [...]
A timely question about the Blob
Posted in Parody, tagged The Blob on August 25, 2009 | 1 Comment »
James MacAdam makes a good point in Tucson Green Times. The melting of Arctic ice may well revive the Blob, the dreadful villain of the famous 1958 movie by the same name. In his article MacAdam observes the irony that a blast of CO2 from high-school fire extinguishers anesthetized the creature, and more of the same substance is now warming the [...]
Water, water…nowhere
Posted in Books, Blogs & Films, In the News, World peace on August 24, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
I have books on my shelf about the global destruction of dirt, the disruption of migratory paths of wild animal herds, and the precarious life of bananas, and now there is a book about how we are running out of drinking water. Will this ever end?
One of the ways we are running out of water [...]
Scene in my viewfinder
Posted in Family & Friends, Scene through my viewfinder on August 23, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
I have always sought to photograph sweetness. I have been successful at doing that, but it leaves some unanswered questions. My thoughts were stirred today as I reviewed a book about one of my heroes, Richard Avedon, the photographer.
Avedon made his mark in the world of high fashion photography, but he went on to follow [...]
