Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Revels and River Demons
On the 17th of June, 1673, the canoes of Joliet and Marquette and their five subordinates reached the junction of the Wisconsin with the Mississippi...Turning southward, they paddled down the stream, through a solitude unrelieved by the faintest trace of man. A big cat-fish collided with Marquette's canoe, and startled him...for he had been warned by the Indians that he was on a foolhardy journey, and even a fatal one, for the river contained a demon "whose roar could be heard at a great distance, and who would engulf them in the abyss where he dwelt."Life on the Mississippi - Mark Twain
I was curious if Twain's river demons really existed. Apparently, in his day 6 foot catfish were regularly pulled out of the river with teams of horses. Happy fishing...
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Christmas thoughts, nostalgia, and a pillow.
The term was originally coined by Johannes Hofer, a medical student in 1678 (νόστος = nostos = returning home, άλγος = algos = pain/longing) roots, to refer to "the pain a sick person feels because he wishes to return to his native land, and fears never to see it again". This neologism was so successful that people forgot its origin. Moreover, its original meaning--referring to a serious medical disorder--has been lost as the word nostalgia entered everyday language.
During the period, from the late seventeenth century to the late nineteenth century, that doctors diagnosed and treated nostalgia, it also had other names in various languages — mal du pays (country sickness) in French, Heimweh (home-pain) in German, and el mal de corazón (heart-pain) in Spanish.
I am not sure that I would wish sickness or pain on anyone, but I would recommend that if you have even one good memory, at least for a few minutes, bathe in it. As I held a small heart shaped green and white velvet pillow that belonged to Grandmother, Mother, and then son, I fall peacefully ill for a few moments as I listen to the music box sewn into the pillow tick off the notes to "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" and experience generations of Christmas. And for a moment with grandparents, parents, and past...I belong.
During the period, from the late seventeenth century to the late nineteenth century, that doctors diagnosed and treated nostalgia, it also had other names in various languages — mal du pays (country sickness) in French, Heimweh (home-pain) in German, and el mal de corazón (heart-pain) in Spanish.
I am not sure that I would wish sickness or pain on anyone, but I would recommend that if you have even one good memory, at least for a few minutes, bathe in it. As I held a small heart shaped green and white velvet pillow that belonged to Grandmother, Mother, and then son, I fall peacefully ill for a few moments as I listen to the music box sewn into the pillow tick off the notes to "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" and experience generations of Christmas. And for a moment with grandparents, parents, and past...I belong.
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Monday, December 11, 2006
New Cigarette Warning for Those Who Are On "The List."
Philip Morris: 'Please Talk To Your Cooler Children About Cigarettes'
December 6, 2006 | Issue 42•49
NEW YORK—Philip Morris, the largest manufacturer of tobacco products in the United States, released the first in a series of television commercials yesterday urging parents to take the time to educate their hipper, better looking, and more rebellious children about the dangers of smoking. "If your child is idolized by other kids, always gets the girls, and has no patience or respect for authority figures, please talk to him immediately about cigarettes," said the ad's narrator over a montage of Hollywood stars apparently smoking after intercourse. "Parents need to keep an eye on their charismatic and persuasive children, who are at the highest risk of smoking at an earlier age, when it's most respected by their peers." According to Philip Morris' new print-ad campaign running in Maxim and Sports Illustrated, it is unnecessary for parents to discuss the dangers of cigarettes with lame children who like board games, science, and their parents.
December 6, 2006 | Issue 42•49
NEW YORK—Philip Morris, the largest manufacturer of tobacco products in the United States, released the first in a series of television commercials yesterday urging parents to take the time to educate their hipper, better looking, and more rebellious children about the dangers of smoking. "If your child is idolized by other kids, always gets the girls, and has no patience or respect for authority figures, please talk to him immediately about cigarettes," said the ad's narrator over a montage of Hollywood stars apparently smoking after intercourse. "Parents need to keep an eye on their charismatic and persuasive children, who are at the highest risk of smoking at an earlier age, when it's most respected by their peers." According to Philip Morris' new print-ad campaign running in Maxim and Sports Illustrated, it is unnecessary for parents to discuss the dangers of cigarettes with lame children who like board games, science, and their parents.
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