Lesley Stahl interviews her mother. How old do you think her mother is?: She’s 95. Astounding. What a lovely woman! My mother, born a few years earlier than Ruthy Stahl, also called the refrigerator the icebox. And I, quite a … Continue reading →
Want a break from politics? Let’s take a look at that 1965 song “Back in My Arms Again,” one of my favorites by the Supremes. Note how subtle and classy the sexuality of their performance is compared to today’s pop … Continue reading →
I remember reading decades ago about how quickly we judge people when we first meet them. Yes or no, stay or move on? This 1986 book said the judgments all happen within four minutes, but my impression is that it’s … Continue reading →
Whenever I write about dance, I’m handicapped by the fact that all I can offer is a video and some words, and perhaps a few still photos. That’s better than nothing. But it doesn’t even begin to compare with seeing … Continue reading →
Ace writes about Common Core math pedagogy: Common Core needlessly complicates the simple. They complicate the simple, supposedly, to impart “number sense” to kids, to get them to understand not just that 9 +3 = 12, but why 9 + … Continue reading →
…reminds me of the war on little schoolkids making gun gestures with their hands. Instead of worrying about the thing itself, people are worrying about a simulacrum of the thing. Why would people who are against smoking because of its … Continue reading →
Nothing much happens to me when I get hungry except that I get hungry. But some people are different: they get angry and pick fights. Indeed. I know that quite well because I’ve been closely and even at times intimately … Continue reading →
There is only one jelly bean worth eating at Easter or any other time of year. No, not those weirdly flavored “gourmet” Jelly Bellys (I consider the term “gourmet jelly bean” to be an oxymoron). The traditionalist in me abhors … Continue reading →
So now they’re saying that airline meals taste as bad as they do because at high altitudes people’s tastebuds go numb: No matter what it is””fish, chicken, even pasta””every meal served in the air seems to taste undeniably worse than … Continue reading →
…the story of my life. And I don’t even have an accent, so what’s my excuse? I’ve noticed that, in general, voice recognition systems don’t like me. Back when my arm injuries were very bad, I tried to use Dragon … Continue reading →
[NOTE: Gerard Vanderleun recycled an old post of his at American Digest, an ode to the rainy season in Seattle. Which reminds me that, way back when, I wrote an answering poem—only mine was an ode to snow season in … Continue reading →
I wanted to highlight a discussion from yesterday’s comments section. First, from commenter “DNW”, who is quoting me and then asking a question: neo-neocon Says:… “Most of my friends are garden-variety liberals. And most are relatively apolitical, although they vote. … Continue reading →