TV Guide ran a special “Closeup” feature to announce the debut of A Charlie Brown Christmas in December 1965. From A Charlie Brown Christmas: The Making of a Tradition, Lee Mendelson, Harper Resource, New York, 2000 (p.25). This is a wonderful book. Every home– with or without children– should have it on the shelf. The first half
I swear to God, this is the best thing you will read all day. Maybe even all week. The Fine Art of Bullshit Killed by Google Thursday Night in New OrleansApril 1994 The lazy ceiling fan spun in the humid Louisiana night. It was weighted poorly, letting out a loud squeak every fifth revolution. Annoying, but fixing
A while back, Mr. Big Food forwarded to me an email he’d received from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press. “For ‘Phen?” Mr. Big Food queried, “He needs to add some cell biology to his current educational regime.” I couldn’t agree more. I am not kidding– and this has been independently confirmed in the flesh by
“This is a restaurant city, not a food city,” said Mitchell Moss, a professor of urban policy and planning at NYU. “It’s as if nobody knows or cares about cooking. Young people barely know how to make coffee.” In this respect, New York City is right in line with national trends. Since around 2012, restaurant
I’ve never gotten over growing up. I must’ve longed to grow up at some point, I suppose, fantasizing about unknown, illicit future pleasures as all kids do—but once I’d done it, I quickly wished I hadn’t. When I see a pair of third graders slumping home after school with backpacks and sneakers trading meaningless conversation,
It’s official. The Farm has entered the 21st century! A few months ago we kicked Verizon’s JetPack Mifi “unlimited” internet to the ditch (we don’t have curbs out here) and signed on for AT&T’s Fixed Wireless Internet. It’s faster, cheaper, and for all practical purposes really unlimited. And for that, we thank you! We could
We live in an amazing time. On my desk are my phone, my iPad, two portable batteries that combined will turbo charge four devises, two external hard drives for backup, my laptop, a printer that talks to my phone, iPad and MacBook Pro without having to be physically connected to them, and a 3x5x0.5 inch
HOMEMAKING A happy home is one in which all the members of the family take pleasure in sharing their experiences and their abilities. Your home may be one room, a small apartment, a modest cottage, or a large house with many rooms. Whatever the size, the happiness of the home depends upon the skill and kindliness
What a beautiful morning! Warmish & sunny. Whiffs of leftover fireplace smoke in a slight breeze. Later on, one of the neighbors had a burn pile going. Fall. Breakfast. Fried leftover mashed potatoes with onions, and a fried egg. Chatted with the Thanksgiving Orphan about one of his favorite authors, Will Durant. Pie Brunch was
I don’t do black Friday because I believe it’s an abomination.
The Lockhorns: “What’s the Garbage Doing on the Stove?” by Bill Hoest (King Features Syndicate, 1975). From that infallible source which quotes comics historian Don Markstein: [The comic strip] focused just on the couple themselves—no children, no next-door neighbors, no boss, etc., except to the extent others were occasionally needed as props. The entire raison d’etre of the
What follows is a post from March 27, 2015. The book of the month was The Romance of the Calendar. I think of the bits I’ve quoted on September 11th. Surveying culture in 1937, Wilson understood. ~~~ That is the title of Chapter 15 in The Romance of the Calendar (P.W. Wilson, 1937). I don’t know about
“In another showcase are gloves and bags and different kinds of stocking and handkerchiefs.” Doesn’t Mother look so smart? And the clerk so prim and proper? Look at that bow she tied on Little Girl’s dress! “Little Town” is the first chapter in the oddly titled, Around the Home by “Geography Professor,” John R. Borchert
I noted that I hate casinos– and SueK responded that they are pretty easy to avoid. That’s true, unless your in-laws have invited to to spend the weekend at a casino. Mr. Big Food’s Father & Mr. Big Food’s Mother celebrated 60 years of wedded bliss this past weekend. As they frequently do, they invited
I was wandering around the junk store this morning and came upon an open wooded box with about a dozen or so small– about two & a quarter by three & an eighth inches– photographs. I looked at a few. I looked at the tag on the box and determined that I could
Anna Mussmann has a piece up at The Federalist titled, “The Book World Is Getting Way Too Politicized. Here’s What To Do About That.” (Heh. Link says “trashier.” That’s funny.) It’s primarily about publishers and libraries and such, though she does emphasize the value of old books. Frankly, I did not find it all that
Civilization is a stream with banks, … . The stream is sometimes filled with blood from people killing, stealing, shouting and doing the things historians usually record, while on the banks, unnoticed, people build homes, make love, raise children, sing songs, write poetry and even whittle statues. The story of civilization is the story of what
Daughter C grew radishes. That’s homegrown lettuce. And a little salad dressing Mr. Big Food threw together.
For dinner tonight we had a salad of homegrown lettuce, and bubble & squeak. But what to watch? Against what backdrop would Daughter C, The J-Man, Mr. Big Food and I commune, given our desire to be a bit more positive and gleeful than The Six Seasons of Doom we’ve just watched? I gotta hand
in old Jerusalem. More as I begin processing a four hour tour covering three thousand years or more. For now now, though, having seen the ruin some folks inflict on other, I found it hopeful that the Jewish State has purposefully set aside some ancient areas for future generations to excavate. In other words, the