Monday, February 23, 2009
Good Advice
"When you have blown your nose,
you should not open your handkerchief
and inspect it, as though pearls or rubies
had dropped out of your skull."
The Book of Manners (1958)
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Foodie Update
Aside from boning up on my barely adequate Spanish (classes, homework, etc.) and improving my bocce game, I've been spending a lot of time playing around in the kitchen, with varying degrees of success. As a consequence, I've recently updated my little on-line recipe collection... and even added an index! -- which is about as far into the world of technology as I ever want to get. Anyway, if you haven't see it in while, and want to to surprise your friends or family with a somewhat experimental and intensely flavored dish sometime, feel free to check it out.
Saturday, February 07, 2009
You Never Know...
Believe me, I'm not trying to do the name dropping thing. It's just that sometimes Karen and I come home feeling like the two least interesting folks in the entire universe. Much blessed with friends and opportunities, but uninteresting nonetheless.
Advertising. Ya gotta Love it.
Because reading makes you look smarter than other people.
I sure am glad I chose to be an English major.
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
21st Century Music
Being free to use all the fingertips and thumbs of both left and right hands, the artist is able to play bass, chords and melody at the same time, eliminating the need for other musicians or prerecorded back-up tracks (recorded or sequenced). The result is unique in that it allows a soloist in a live scenario to produce sounds equivalent to those made by several musicians together.
In short, it's an amazing thing to behold. Michael Mirven, whose performance we attended, played one astonishing piece after another, ranging from ethereal new age stuff and lush romantic orchestral-sounding pieces to African-tinged World music and rip-your-ears-off rock 'n roll.
If you ever have a chance to experience this unique and amazing new instrument, jump on it. In the meantime, here's a little taste of Warr guitar work... for your listening pleasure.
Monday, February 02, 2009
Happy Imbolc!!
Per today's Writer's Almanac:
Today, February 2nd, is a "cross-quarter" day in the solar calendar, which means that it falls exactly between a solstice and an equinox.
It's the ancient Celtic celebration of Imbolc, in honor of Brigit, the goddess of fire, poetry, healing, and childbirth. Brigit brings the healing power of the sun back to the world on Imbolc, a day that carries the first promise of spring. Imbolc comes from the Old Irish i mbolg, meaning "in the belly," because this is the time when ewes became pregnant to deliver spring lambs.
The Christians took over the Celtic celebration and made February 2nd into a Christian holiday, Candlemas Day. Candlemas Day celebrates the presentation of Jesus at the Temple exactly 40 days after Christmas.
There are many old sayings about today — about the emergence of animals from their winter dens and omens that predict the season ahead. One English saying goes:
If Candlemas day be fair and bright,There was a tradition in many European countries of watching animals — especially badgers — to see how they acted on this day. If they returned to their dens, it meant that there was still a long winter ahead.
Winter will have another flight.
But if Candlemas day bring clouds and rain,
Winter is gone and won't come again.
German immigrants in Pennsylvania found that there weren't a lot of badgers in America, but there were a lot of groundhogs, so the holiday evolved into Groundhog Day. The first reference to Groundhog Day is from 1841, in the diary of a storekeeper in Morgantown, Pennsylvania. He wrote: "Last Tuesday, the 2nd, was Candlemas day, the day on which, according to the Germans, the Groundhog peeps out of his winter quarters and if he sees his shadow he pops back for another six weeks' nap, but if the day be cloudy he remains out, as the weather is to be moderate."
Who knew??
