[NOTE: This is a revised version of a previous post.] Robert Frost’s poem “A Case for Jefferson” isn’t great poetry—even though it’s a poem by a master of the genre. It’s more in the vein of light verse, which Frost … Continue reading →
Or perhaps they already have. I’ve written before about how a course I took in college on Russian Intellectual History stopped me from joining the left in the late 60s. Here’s an excerpt: It was there I learned – without … Continue reading →
Canadian sparrows have changed their tune: A new bird song is spreading like wildfire among Canadian white-throated sparrows, at a scale not seen before by scientists. Birds rarely change their chirpy little tunes, and when they do, it’s typically limited … Continue reading →
A double bind is a social science term for “heads I win, tails you lose.” It goes like this: A double bind is a dilemma in communication in which an individual (or group) receives two or more conflicting messages, with … Continue reading →
[NOTE: This is a slightly revised repeat of a previous post – and today’s attempt to get away from politics.] When I was in junior high school, there was a large poster of the Periodic Table of the Elements that … Continue reading →
That is the question – or at least, one of the questions. I know that some of you – maybe most of you – are feeling some despair right now. Maybe a lot of despair. What we’ve been seeing – … Continue reading →
I cannot state strongly enough how unmoored these actions are from the ordinary safeguards our legal system has attempted to provide defendants: In the case against Michael Flynn the court appointed amicus curiae, essentially a court appointed outside lawyer enlisted … Continue reading →
…do a lot more than climbing up the water spout. They detect electrical fields and use them to – fly. And although I’m well aware that I just used the word “fly” there to refer to the activity and not … Continue reading →
Memoir is a strange genre of writing. It’s not always good, but when it’s good, it’s very very good. Two examples of which I’m very fond are Nabokov’s magnificently written Speak, Memory and Updike’s remarkable Self-Conciousness. They may not be … Continue reading →
[NOTE: This is a repeat (slightly edited) of a previous post. It seems timely, as I think you’ll see as you read it. Maybe it’s always timely.] I’ve quoted the following excerpt before, because it’s one of my very favorites. … Continue reading →
…the cruelest month. Or at least, a cruel month. But it’s not really a surprising announcement; I didn’t think the edicts would be lifted as soon as right after Easter. That line about April being the cruelest month is usually … Continue reading →
[NOTE: Years ago I downsized and got rid of a lot of books. But since I’d had a ton of them to begin with, I’ve still got a lot, although nothing like the original number. And of course, I keep … Continue reading →