Here’s an article on the laborious and idiosyncratic complexity of the relationship between pointe shoes and the ballet dancer. The shoes are hand-made (and for professional ballet dancers, custom-made) but they are not worn as is. There is a lengthy … Continue reading →
I don’t ordinarily write about football, except for the obligatory open thread for the Superbowl—and I don’t always even do that. So this may be the lengthiest football thread I’ll ever write. I’m not a football fan, although I know … Continue reading →
So, Andrew Sullivan has finally bit the blogging dust and quit. You might say, “Who cares?” I don’t, particularly; it’s been a long, long time since I’ve been a reader of his. Sullivan went off the deep end prior to … Continue reading →
It is ironic that the success of modern vaccination programs against ancient scourges such as measles has been part of the reason parents today are so ignorant about what these diseases can do. A recent outbreak in California has demonstrated … Continue reading →
…but it’s been spot on for much of New England. Boston has already gotten almost 2 feet, for example, and it’s not over yet. Airports are closed. Nantucket is without power, as is much of the Boston south shore, and … Continue reading →
I’m one of those people Netflix must love. I have the cheapest type of account, it’s true, so they don’t get too much money from me per month. But they often get it for doing relatively little or nothing at … Continue reading →
I first started reading blogs some time around 2002. I immediately liked them, although I no longer remember the first blogs I found and I suspect most of them are now defunct. I liked the bluntness, the honesty, the humor, … Continue reading →
Long-time readers here probably remember when I used to write about my elderly mother. And you probably also recall that about two-and-a-half years ago she died. Although I haven’t written much about that event, some day I may. Shortly after … Continue reading →
You’ve all had it happen. You do your laundry, and although you started out with several matching pairs of socks you wind up with a singleton or two. What happened? I’ve read a number of explanations, including that the socks … Continue reading →
I recently watched a few episodes of the popular TV show “Blue Bloods” and was struck by two things: the topical nature of so many of its themes re the police and New York City, and its unusual depiction of … Continue reading →
They may not be your idea of a culinary thrill, but mochi cakes are tres popular in Japan, especially at New Years. Made of the aptly named glutinous rice (it’s gluey), they are gluggy globs of gelatinous glup. I happen … Continue reading →
Years ago when I was in college, I took a class where I learned about sickle cell anemia and sickle cell trait, as well as thalassemia major and minor. They seemed awesome examples of the way heredity works: inherited defects … Continue reading →