Happy publication day! Anticipating Boom Town, I began listening yesterday to Serenity at 70 and posted a little appreciation this morning: "I sometimes wake before I'm ready to rise, in the pre-dawn. When that happened this morning I listened to Garrison Keillor's recounting of an instructive night in the ER, concluding with a fanciful nod to Whitman and demos..." https://jposopher.blogspot.com/2022/04/comrades.html
I like Bob Steele's idea of quoting Richard Feynman about prizes. While I was working in Southern California at a research facility, our Employees' Club invited Richard Feynman to speak to us one lunchtime. Bob's quote actually represents "The Real Richard!"
On the other hand, while I was at Cornell University, Francis Crick, of "The Watson and Crick model of DNA" fame, came to speak to us. My gosh! The moon that circles us in orbit wouldn't be big enough to hold his ego! This was especially exasperating for me. I was aware that Rosalind Franklin, the x-ray specialist whose pictures were critical to the W & C DNA model, had been completely overlooked for that Nobel Prize. If I recall, it was James Watson who read that crucial x-ray as a double helix first, so Crick can't even claim the initial insight!. Just the same standing before us, Francis Crick spoke in first person singular for his entire presentation.
To put your mind at ease, I think that quite frequently, those of us who are at least a little in the know can tell bombast from genuine "authorship."
Have no worries, Dear Sir! For those of us in the know, You, Our Gracious Host, are "The Genuine Article!"
In a few weeks (well, maybe two months) it will be the anniversary of the passing of Chet Atkins. I recall with great fondness the PHC broadcast you did as a celebration of his life work. There is one song, Pickin like Chet, that I have had in my mind ever since. I do not remember the name of the mas who performed that number, but I do remember the song. Is there any chance you can re-run/live stream (at 85 I am not up on the technical jargon) that for all of his fans?
I am sorry about C.H.'s experiences, but I don't believe that ogling and drunken propositioning of children are assertions of a patriarchy - I think that they are examples of bad behavior (hopefully, the man in his twenties now finds the memory of propositioning a little girl to be a source of embarrassment and shame). I was molested when I was four years old back in the '60s by a teenaged relative who was living with my family. Back then it was generally believed that little kids will forget the bad stuff, as long as everyone keeps quiet about it, so the teenager was exiled and everyone just hoped I'd forget. I did for a couple of decades, but the memories eventually returned. I don't know when C.H. experienced the unwanted attention, but if she's from my generation, it's possible that her parents simply did not want to make a big deal of it because they hoped their daughter would forget about it. Of course, children don't forget...
Up to a point, I think the Me Too movement was helpful, because it helped people realize that there is no shame in having been abused and that it is better to speak up than to remain silent. However, I fear it may have gone too far and some innocent - or even relatively innocent - people have had their lives turned up-side-down by misunderstandings or just plain innuendos. I have forgiven my abuser, but I don't send him Christmas cards - or have any other contact with him. After more than half a century, I figure the only one who would be hurt by continued anger is me, so I just don't dwell on it... it happened, it was horrible, but there came a point where I had to stop letting it poison the rest of my life.
As far as endearments go, random people - men and women, young and old - started calling me such things as "dear," "honey," and "sweetie" about the time I got close to 60 years old. I guess that a few grey hairs earned me "little, old lady" status. It felt weird at first, but I suspect most of these people mean well, so I don't mind.
I loved the anecdote about Meryl Streep. I am not a movie fan, but I love her because she and Sen. Elizabeth Warren are exactly one week younger than I am.
Happy publication day! Anticipating Boom Town, I began listening yesterday to Serenity at 70 and posted a little appreciation this morning: "I sometimes wake before I'm ready to rise, in the pre-dawn. When that happened this morning I listened to Garrison Keillor's recounting of an instructive night in the ER, concluding with a fanciful nod to Whitman and demos..." https://jposopher.blogspot.com/2022/04/comrades.html
Yours are the only books I've ever bought before they were printed. The Lake Wobegone Virus was worth the wait; I'm certain this one will be as well.
I like Bob Steele's idea of quoting Richard Feynman about prizes. While I was working in Southern California at a research facility, our Employees' Club invited Richard Feynman to speak to us one lunchtime. Bob's quote actually represents "The Real Richard!"
On the other hand, while I was at Cornell University, Francis Crick, of "The Watson and Crick model of DNA" fame, came to speak to us. My gosh! The moon that circles us in orbit wouldn't be big enough to hold his ego! This was especially exasperating for me. I was aware that Rosalind Franklin, the x-ray specialist whose pictures were critical to the W & C DNA model, had been completely overlooked for that Nobel Prize. If I recall, it was James Watson who read that crucial x-ray as a double helix first, so Crick can't even claim the initial insight!. Just the same standing before us, Francis Crick spoke in first person singular for his entire presentation.
To put your mind at ease, I think that quite frequently, those of us who are at least a little in the know can tell bombast from genuine "authorship."
Have no worries, Dear Sir! For those of us in the know, You, Our Gracious Host, are "The Genuine Article!"
Garrison,
In a few weeks (well, maybe two months) it will be the anniversary of the passing of Chet Atkins. I recall with great fondness the PHC broadcast you did as a celebration of his life work. There is one song, Pickin like Chet, that I have had in my mind ever since. I do not remember the name of the mas who performed that number, but I do remember the song. Is there any chance you can re-run/live stream (at 85 I am not up on the technical jargon) that for all of his fans?
Gordon
I am sorry about C.H.'s experiences, but I don't believe that ogling and drunken propositioning of children are assertions of a patriarchy - I think that they are examples of bad behavior (hopefully, the man in his twenties now finds the memory of propositioning a little girl to be a source of embarrassment and shame). I was molested when I was four years old back in the '60s by a teenaged relative who was living with my family. Back then it was generally believed that little kids will forget the bad stuff, as long as everyone keeps quiet about it, so the teenager was exiled and everyone just hoped I'd forget. I did for a couple of decades, but the memories eventually returned. I don't know when C.H. experienced the unwanted attention, but if she's from my generation, it's possible that her parents simply did not want to make a big deal of it because they hoped their daughter would forget about it. Of course, children don't forget...
Up to a point, I think the Me Too movement was helpful, because it helped people realize that there is no shame in having been abused and that it is better to speak up than to remain silent. However, I fear it may have gone too far and some innocent - or even relatively innocent - people have had their lives turned up-side-down by misunderstandings or just plain innuendos. I have forgiven my abuser, but I don't send him Christmas cards - or have any other contact with him. After more than half a century, I figure the only one who would be hurt by continued anger is me, so I just don't dwell on it... it happened, it was horrible, but there came a point where I had to stop letting it poison the rest of my life.
As far as endearments go, random people - men and women, young and old - started calling me such things as "dear," "honey," and "sweetie" about the time I got close to 60 years old. I guess that a few grey hairs earned me "little, old lady" status. It felt weird at first, but I suspect most of these people mean well, so I don't mind.
I loved the anecdote about Meryl Streep. I am not a movie fan, but I love her because she and Sen. Elizabeth Warren are exactly one week younger than I am.
Loved the Podermilk biscuits song! And to see Peter Ostroushko playing fiddle! Who was the other fiddler?