What's becoming an annual tradition here, on November 18, not long before Thanksgiving in these United States. We all have our life-markers. This is one of mine. ...on November 18, 1978, I was sitting in the little snack bar in the base station of New Hampshire’s Mount Washington (a short mountain, comparatively speaking, but one… Continue reading 47 Years Ago Today, in Jonestown, Guyana….
Category: Culture
The Calendar Riots of 1752: “Give us back our eleven days!”
An oldie-but-goodie from a September 2nd a couple of years ago, lightly updated for contemporary references: This post is about one of those "rabbit-holey" things we all (or, or at least, those of us who suffer from the Elephant Child's 'satiable curiosity with an added fillip (which that EC didn't quite manage) that we like… Continue reading The Calendar Riots of 1752: “Give us back our eleven days!”
On Fanatics
A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject. The above quote is often attributed to Winston Churchill but I like to hedge my bets, so I checked the invaluable quoteinvestigator site for enlightenment. Its conclusion is that Churchill probably did say this, as it is listed in a book… Continue reading On Fanatics
Tom Lehrer, R.I.P.
He was a staple of my childhood, an awful lot of which depended on audio rather than video, and which was marinated in a culture of literate, clever, often funny, but always appropriate, language. When I was three or four years old, it was exemplified by the likes of Beatrix Potter. And I was never… Continue reading Tom Lehrer, R.I.P.
June 30, 1936: Gone…Gone With the Wind
A few years ago, I wrote a post about the book many still refer to as the "Great American Novel." Gone With the Wind was published eighty-nine years ago today, on June 30, 1936. Its author, Margaret Mitchell, was a reporter for the Atlanta Journal who'd been sidelined from her job while she recovered from… Continue reading June 30, 1936: Gone…Gone With the Wind
Easter 2025: On Silk Purses, Sow’s Ears, and Horse’s Asses
Mostly a reposting, from last year. Time marches on, but the message (if you're sane) doesn't change: My maternal Great Granny was a fearsome old bat. She was born in 1869, just four short years after the US Civil War ended and Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. She died a few months before Neil Armstrong walked… Continue reading Easter 2025: On Silk Purses, Sow’s Ears, and Horse’s Asses
Happy Belated Birthday, George Washington!
So here we are on February 22, 2025, all set to observe George Washington's 293rd birthday. Right? Not so fast. It's true that, for years, February 22 was a national holiday in the United States. Banks were closed. Schools were closed. No mail was delivered. Department stores nationwide celebrated the end of the "white sales"… Continue reading Happy Belated Birthday, George Washington!
“I Will Play For Gumbo!” Notes on the Super Bowl, and a Recipe
Today is the Super Bowl. I don't have a dog in this year's fight (at least not a two-legged one), as the Stillers--after a promising start to the season--folded, as they so often have in the past couple of decades, towards the end. Oh well. And without Tom Brady (Boo!) and the New England Patriots… Continue reading “I Will Play For Gumbo!” Notes on the Super Bowl, and a Recipe
Aging Gracefully: The Girl On Your Back
An oldie-but-goodie from several years ago, inspired by recent family, friend, and social media experiences. "The more things change; the more they stay the same." My considered advice to all those younger than I (I'm 70 at the moment)--after you've had a good look in the mirror and found a way to accept with equanimity… Continue reading Aging Gracefully: The Girl On Your Back
Marianne Faithfull, R.I.P
Currently working on a post in memory of this lady. Not sure why I'm encountering--especially at my age--the problems I am. She was a child of, and one who was wrecked by, the 1960s and early 1970s. I can’t but laugh, when I see twenty-first century snowflakes (Selena Gomez, I might be looking at you)… Continue reading Marianne Faithfull, R.I.P