Trivia that matter
On what basis did we as a society decide that the ideal way to spend a childhood was to attend government institutions 5 days a week, 7 hours a day, 9 months a year, for 12 years? That most of that time should be spent sitting at a desk, with say one hour for lunch and one for recess?
(Via Isegoria.)
Joseph Moore has a notion why that happened. (Moore has quite a bit to say about modern education on his website, all of it worth reading.)
More ancient New Yorker cartoons, all of which are probably older than any of my visitors. Click to embiggen.
The Reykjanes peninsula in southwest Iceland was quiet for 800 years, but it’s awake now. The third eruption there in as many years has begun. I’m suspending my “no YouTube” rule this once to post this video of the eruption’s beginning. For more information, check the recent posts and comments at Volcano Café.
Update: See also here.
Update IIb: This eruption is over, but there’ll be more soon.
Update III: The Greatest Show on Earth:
Is there anything that isn’t carcinogenic in California?
Back in ancient times, there were no such things as “memes.” Instead, there were New Yorker cartoons, such as this one. Click on the picture to enlarge it.
Alan Arkin died a few days ago. You can find plenty of encomiums to this unique, legendary, etc. artist online2. Back in 1958, long before Peter Falk yelled “Serpentine” at him, he wrote a minor classic science fiction story, “People Soup.”3 You can read it here.
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There’s an exhibition of Komar & Melamid’s art in New Jersey. I’d like to see it, but it’s a bit far to pedal. I wrote briefly about the duo here. The New Criterion article, worth reading though it is, omits one noteworthy project of theirs, a collaboration with composer David Soldier to produce examples of the “most wanted” and “least wanted” pieces of music. The “most wanted” song is inevitably drivel that not even Vernon Reid’s guitar can redeem, but people do like drivel, as I constantly rediscover. The “least wanted” song, however, is simultaneously wonderful and horrible and is worth hearing all the way though at least once.
Spring was unusually dry, but June rains have made up for it. The garden overall is doing well. Nearly all the foxgloves are blooming or will be soon. These are “Camelot mix” hybrids I started indoors earlier. So far all the flowers have been lavender, but there should eventually be a few other colors.
What exactly does “decimate” mean? Does accurate language matter any more?
Several residents of my garden recently sat for their portraits.
My parish church, a few days after Easter; best viewed in full-screen mode. There are notes on the church here. The architect was Emanuel L. Masqueray, who also designed the cathedral in Wichita.
Here’s the exterior:
I recently learned that one of my favorite cartoonists, George Booth, died last year. Here’s a selection of his cartoons to remember him by. Click on them to see them larger.
This is the package the Dianthus seeds I planted last year came in:
These are the Dianthus that came from that package:
Something’s not quite right here. Also, they were supposed to be annuals, but every plant came back this spring and is blooming copiously now.
While out and about with my camera Saturday, I came across the annual “Downtown Mayhem Biker Bash,” sponsored by a used motorcycle dealer. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much chrome in one place.
I discovered that the local community college has a well-maintained garden which includes a good selection of prairie plants and others adapted to Kansas extremes.4
I.
When I checked my site’s statistics this morning, I found that there had been two page views from three continents, but only one visitor. How that is possible?
II.
This nine-year-old post at Pergolator “violated community guidelines.” How?
