Rudyard Kipling’s name has come up in the comments section twice recently. The first time was in the context of this comment, in which Richard Aubrey mentions that: Kipling, in his “Kim” has a retired officer of Indian cavalry talking … Continue reading →
After writing today’s post about toothbrushes and bacteria, I somehow thought of the poem “Crazy Jane Talks With the Bishop,” by William Butler Yeats, which says the same thing. Or, sort of the same thing. Or a related thing. So, … Continue reading →
The last post of mine (number two in this series) generated so many exceptional comments that I was thinking of just reproducing a few of them and calling it a day. Here‘s one by grackle: One problem with Rockwell for … Continue reading →
[Part I here.] Now, who doesn’t like Norman Rockwell? Yeah, he’s corny as all get out. But breathes there the man (or woman) with soul so dead who wouldn’t be touched by this picture, and a host of others by … Continue reading →
Those of you who read here regularly have probably noticed I’ve been mulling over the uses of propaganda lately, especially here, and again (at least to a certain degree) here . At some point it occurred to me that nearly … Continue reading →
No, I’m not becoming a Dean Esmay stalker, or tailgater, or whatever the expression might be, although today’s post was sparked by one of Dean’s, once again. The subject? Female nudity in popular magazines: to wit, the following cover of … Continue reading →
I often get emails or comments asking me why don’t I write about this or that or the other topic. Every now and then I do take people up on one of these suggestions (for example, this post was written … Continue reading →
I’ve written before, here, about how hard it is for me to write short posts. But now I’ve learned that I’m in very good company. This NY Times piece on the demise of the Western Union Telegram (RIP, telegrams!) describes … Continue reading →
A while back, as I listened (or tried to listen) to the President’s State of the Union address, it struck me once again that I’m just not very good at listening to speeches. Unless it’s Winston Churchill, I much prefer … Continue reading →
Today has been one of those days when the weather intervenes and dictates things: snow and more snow, all up and down New England. It’s one of the largest accumulations of this year, a season in which snowfall has been … Continue reading →
The inspiration for this poem of mine: the snow, Robert Frost’s timeless “Acquainted with the Night,”and Gerard van Der Leun’s timely “Acquainted with the Blight.” Just to make sure I receive full appreciation for the arduous work involved in writing … Continue reading →
As promised, I’ve got more to say about Moby Dick. Just think of it as that essay I struggled with in high school, redux (and, by the way, I’m still struggling). I prefer to state the question about the symbolism … Continue reading →