“Growing up, I have discovered over time, is rather like housework: never finished.” ~ Lois McMaster Bujold (Please enjoy these further recollections about growing up under the influence of vinyl) "In which a curious youngster discovers that music may have consciousness-raising effects." 5th grade saw me uprooted from the cattle ranch and Scenic Elementary, [...]
“Youth is the gift of nature, but age is a work of art.” ~ Stanislaw Jerzy Lec Do you remember Middle School? Or maybe it was called Junior High, like it was for me. Those years in your educational career that roughly spanned the ages between about eleven and fourteen. Looking back it [...]
“If I paint a wild horse, you might not see the horse... but surely you will see the wildness!” ~ Pablo Picasso So last night we were having a party. Nothing special, just a few friends over to the house like we occasionally do. A few folks in the kitchen hanging out snacking [...]
“ Without music, life would be a mistake.” ~ Friedrich Nietzsche Southern California in the early sixties was at the forefront of education and entertainment in America. Public schools were reputed to be some of the best in the nation and broadcast television boasted nearly a dozen channels. I imagined myself being the [...]
“ Character may almost be called the most effective means of persuasion.” ~ Aristotle Let's see, I'm guessing that you might be in some sort of a position to sign people up for one of your programs or persuade people to use your service. You might be a dance leader or a coach or [...]
“Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song, and I'll try not to sing out of key...” ~ Lennon & McCartney Part one: In which a child recognizes the power mysteriously held within a simple slab of vinyl. When I was little, my parents had one of those sixties-style all-in-one console stereos. A [...]
“ Coincidences are spiritual puns.” ~ G.K. Chesterson "Synchronicity!" she exclaimed. "Oh c'mon, there's no such thing." he scoffed. "It's just a coincidence." They walked further down the tunnel into the BART station. She pointed at another one of the ads for the museum that featured the exact same typeface that she'd just [...]
“ We can only see a short distance ahead, but we can see plenty there that needs to be done” ~ Alan Turing Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the size of a project? Do you sometimes not know where to begin? How, indeed, does one 'eat an elephant'? Not to disparage the vegetarians [...]
“ Biology gives you a brain. Life turns it into a mind.” ~ Jeffrey Eugenides Remember your memory? Do you recall the days before cell phones and search engines? How do you keep your mind limber in this age of electronic convenience?Way back in ancient times (the 1950's) phones were connected to something called an 'exchange'. [...]
“ Living simply makes loving simple.” ~ bell hooks Do you practice 'spring cleaning'? Which is easier for you: accumulating things or clearing stuff out? When it comes to stuff, just how much is enough? Well, it must be something about the bright rays of sunshine and the lengthening days that light a fire [...]
