When I would know thee . . . my thought looks
Upon thy well-made choice of friends, and books
-Ben Jonson, “Epigram 86″
Much ado has been made recently over the movement of books to electronic readers, CD collections to computers (though vinyl is making a resurgence), movies to beamed-to-player formats.
The deepest loss is not that wonderful book [...]
Archive for the ‘Sociology’ Category
18 Mar
Judging by Covers
15 Mar
Equality For All?
My current cohorts and I share a wide spectrum of political and social opinions, but in a discussion last week, we all agreed on one thing.
Going to a big, well-known public school gives one a huge advantage in the current state of things. First, because it’s cheaper – funded/subsidized by taxpayer dollars, lottery funds (in [...]
14 Mar
Dying Alone – Last in a Series
Most nights are crystal clear
But tonight it’s like it’s stuck between stations
On the radio.
The devil and John Berryman
Took a walk together.
They ended up on Washington
Talking to the river.
He said “I’ve surrounded myself with doctors
And deep thinkers.
But big heads with soft bodies
Make for lousy lovers.”
There was that night that we thought John Berryman could fly.
But he [...]
12 Mar
Living Together
As an addendum to/continuation of the post below . . .
The Starving Artist image used to be that of a shivering sniveling sad sack in a cold attic with only rats and a tepid stove to keep him (or her – but usually him) company.
Now, it’s a picture of some 20-something with a Disheveled Chic [...]
9 Mar
Live Together, Die Alone
I find it fascinating that a society which directly and indirectly promotes fractious relationships and enables isolation (or ‘independence’), is also a society which increasingly necessitates reliance on others.
It may or may not be intentionally developing unequal and opposite systems, but emergence of both is unavoidable.
It encourages the first through increasing development, prominence, and importance of electronic [...]
7 Feb
Mars and Venus?
While I appreciate and share the mindset that draws little distinction and fewer barriers between gender roles (guys and girls can be best friends, live together, have equality in jobs and life and relationships, etc etc), I do find many pragmatical differences between men in general and women in general.
I know. I know. The obvious [...]
3 Feb
What I’m Reading (and examining and re-examining) Today
I have a fairly small collection of mugs, but I’d love to wrap my cold little hands around some of these conveyors of liquid.
A mash-up of The Three Little Pigs and another childhood staple, called A Third Helping of Pork.
An EW article about the LOST premiere. (Spoilers)
An examination of Nazi Germany’s idea of Strength Through [...]
30 Jan
What I’m Reading (and drinking) Today
I’m a fan of innovation in advertising, and packaging can be as basic and/or as intricate as it gets.
Are Women Human? Essays on women and humanity and their occasionally tenuous relationship. By Dorothy Sayers. (P.S. I love Google Books. It’s scary the extent to which Google is overtaking every facet of my life.)
Italians love their [...]
26 Jan
“Biblical orthodoxy without compassion is surely the ugliest thing in the world.” – Francis A. Schaffer
It’s hard to really be different from our own human natures. We’re all born the same, and are pretty fond of ourselves and the way we are. It’s hard to love others as oneself, to forgive, to respond correctly when wronged. It’s difficult to establish true leadership founded in truth.
So rather than man up, ask [...]
22 Jan
Segregated Refrigerator
While my own place is currently subleased out, I had to scramble to find a place to stay down here. I found a slightly unusual living situation. Then again, what is the standard for normal?
When I knocked on the door three weeks ago, a Chinese couple answered. It took a little convincing that no, I [...]
grassrootsmovement