et alli.

Speaking Personally

Thoughts on Memorial Day strung together as a haiku Memorial Day is a mix of sadness and joy...It is the secular fellowship between living and dead... It is Remembrance followed by  barbecues...It is the bridge between spring and summer...it is the time when Iris are spent and Peonies come into their glory.  Its a real multi-task holiday.

 

Memorial Day

The Iris are dry

mix of sadness and joy

Peony's in bloom.

 

Memorial Day 

The Peonies triumphant

While Iris are dry

 

Hmm.  the haiku are not as good as the prose and neither is near Owen's piece quoted by Patrick Lang below.

 

Three Important Stories

Bernanke's Bubble Laboratory

Stephanopoulos Does What Fox News Refuses To Do, Identifies Rove As An Informal McCain Adviser

Bank failures to surge in coming years

   

Quotes and  Pointers

 

‘Dear Hearts Across the Seas’

'Comrades in Fear and Friendship No Need for Boosterism A Memorial Day Prayer

By Patrick Lang, | MAY 29, 2006

“ For 14 hours yesterday, I was at work—teaching Christ to lift his cross by the numbers, and how to adjust his crown; and not to imagine he thirst until after the last halt. I attended his Supper to see that there were no complaints; and inspected his feet that they should be worthy of the nails. I see to it that he is dumb, and stands before his accusers. With a piece of silver I buy him every day, and with maps I make him familiar with the topography of Golgotha.”
Captain Wilfred Owen, The Manchesters
Killed in Action, Nov. 4, 1918

This famous quotation from the work of the soldier-poet Wilfred Owen sums up both the awfulness and the beauty of a combat soldier’s life. It is particularly meaningful to those who have been given the chance to train and lead men in war... '

Patrick Lang

"At the end of the day, charitable giving doesn't necessarily follow need. Disaster fundraising follows the news agenda."

Mark Astarita

 

"These things tend to wax and wane.  We are in a bad place today."

Karl Rove

 

Out and About on the Net with Snarky Twitter Lines

Varialbe speed limit begins today on I-270 -- It will be interesting to know if reducing through put benefits motorist.

et alli is cross posted at The Intelligence Forum

et alli is cross posted at The Intelligence Forum

Three Important Stories

Companies Cutting Hours Aggressively

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF CALIFORNIA...

Let 'Azadi' ring

    

Quotes and  Pointers

'Iran has already achieved a sloppy, asymmetrical form of nuclear deterrence, meaning we can't stop it from "getting nuclear" unless we "go nuclear" pre-emptively, something we won't do.'

Thomas P.M. Barnett

   

Out and About on the Net with Snarky Twitter Lines

Why Is HRC Hanging In There? -- Robert Reich's three opinions

Because no man should feel the agony of this film -- John Kass opinion/review/humor on "Sex and the City"

Walter Gropius -- '125th Birthday'

et alli is cross posted at The Intelligence Forum 

   

Speaking Personally

Last night's Mensa meeting was a local version of TED Ideas Worth Spreading.  We watched three presentations from San Diego over  an Internet connection projected on a big wall screen and then spent about 20 minutes discussing the same topic.  Its fun watching Mensa minds spark off each other.

The first presentation was on education/creativity by Sir Ken Robinson.  Who is this guy?   Robinson intentionally or naturally, I am not sure which, is a good example of what I think is a key part of the TED experience/culture.  "We are not dull academics" is a way of describing it.  Life and learning are enhanced by humor, music, and entertainment.  At the end he told a story (from his upcoming book of interviews<g> -- self promotion can be entertaining) about the choreographer  Gillian Lynne.  As a girl going to dance school for the first time she "walked into this room and it was full of people like me, people who couldn't sit still, people who had to move to think."  Wonderful resonance there because so often I don't know what I think until I am talking.

So how did the coruscation of Mensa discussion go?  Not well.  A male immediately turned the discussion of gender politics -- a boring dead end topic.  It went on and on.  I was thinking about leaving and finally told this to the group.  I immediately felt ashamed of my petulance and wished I could take it back (and in a sense am using the blog to do so).  Strangely I took something good away from that discussion.  A woman brought up the topic of expectations.  In US grades one to twelve we use to expect men to do better.  Today things have changed and boys are flunking out while girls excel. So its not genes or God's will that men be at the top of an educational hierarchy but expectations.  I like that.  I understand it much better than genetic predestination. 

Turning to Mother's day...I still miss my mom...lots.  Her death last month has been one of those shocks best dealt with through ordering and straightening.  The house is full of projects in various stages.  Twelve pink bags of clothing went to Am-Vets last week and there is more.  The dining room table is covered with folders and two wicker baskets (in/need action and finished/archival).  My brother and I organized papers in the second week after the funeral.  As I go through drawers and closets a loose triage is taking place.  Some things are oblivious trash or unneeded so they go to the dump or to charities.  Other things are unwanted ( Victorian lady's rocker, Eastlake chair, artwork) and will need to go to dealers or into an estate sale or a series of driveway sales.  Other things are wanted and will be cherished along with the memories.  My brother has the Coronation pattern service for twelve while I have a wonderful new set of Oneida Chandler stainless.  I am keeping the coupe shaped Mullberry pattern Hall china.  Brian may take some of the Haviland and some young Rice bride will probably wind up with her great-grandmothers Noritake.

Mother's easy chair is going from den to guest bedroom where it will replace the rocker and the monstrous Eastlake like chair.  Initially I planned a Lazy-boy in the den which somehow digressed into thoughts of a zero-gravity chair.  Research on the web led to an inexpensive way to try  out zero-gravity and understand if it works for me.  LaFuna makes a well regarded line of zero-gravity reclining chairs that look remarkably like tubular outdoor furniture from the 1960's.  I bought a knockoff at Kroger's and if it doesn't work for me it can go to the patio.

So on this Mother's day things are not back to normal but are moving in new ways and directions.  Still I would prefer to have Mom here but that is not the way things work.

---

et alli is cross posted at The Intelligence Forum