Mom’s Wisdom
May 29, 2022
Since a robust construct of my mom lives on inside my head, a decade after she’s gone (and the construct will be there until the day I die), I’ve decided to write down some of the things she whispers to me now and then.
“Profanity is the last resort of the feeble mind.” This from a woman who didn’t use the word fuck until her 40s. Apparently, my mind went feeble when I flew off to MIT, as I joined a crowd at The Tech that swore like sailors.
To be fair, once mom picked up the habitual use of “Fuck,” she made up for lost time, deriving visible pleasure from its application, when appropriate.
Paul’s Poetry Corner: The Man You Deserve
May 29, 2022
Link to: The Man You Deserve
Which begins:
Art can come from the overheard.
“It’s cute the way you keep trying to turn me into the man you deserve.”
A line, delivered in jest,
By a husband to his wife after 40 years.
Right Column Redux: CMP Work History
May 29, 2022
The column to the right on this blog contains permanent content, most of which has appeared at one time or another in the main body. I’ve decided to include a reminder.
I started with CMP in 1979 at Computer Systems News and worked at Information Systems News, InformationWEEK, PCVision, WINDOWS Magazine, First-TV and CMPNet. See a detailed description of my work history
Tom Rush Quotes
May 29, 2022
Who knew Tom Rush could be a source of great quotes?
“Thank you for sending me a copy of your book; I'll waste no time reading it.”
- Moses Hadas
“I feel so miserable without you; it's almost like having you here.”
- Stephen Bishop
“He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lampposts... for support rather than illumination.”
- Andrew Lang
This and That
May 29, 2022
Impressive Fox-Bashing
Replacement Theory | Pat Bagley, a great editorial cartoon.
…
Sticks
From the amazing Semi-Rad: I don’t know how this masterpiece about sticks only has 6,000 views on YouTube, but trust me, if you like sticks, you’ll love it, and if you're not sure how you feel about sticks, you'll probably be really into them by about the 60-second mark (video)
More MIT in Fiction
May 29, 2022
Robert Malchman notes:
“Kristen Wiig's character in the Ghostbusters reboot went to MIT and is even shown wearing a Brass Rat (not to mention an MIT sweatshirt).
I loved the scene in Good Will Hunting where Skarsgard goes to Physical Plant to find out the name of the janitor in "Building 2," which of course is where the Math Department (Course XVIII to you) is located. Little touches like that just make a movie for me.”
Beth Karpf added: “The only MIT woman I can think of off the top of my head is Brianna Fraser (Outlander). I can't recall if she graduated before she traveled through the “stones” to the 18th century, but if she did, she would have been Class of 1971.
“MacGyver attended MIT for two years but didn't get a degree.”